Avatar of West of Loathing
From A KoL Wiki
Avatar of West of Loathing is the Spring 2016 special challenge path, introduced on February 15, 2016. This path adds variant rules and restrictions to an ascension run. Its description in The Bureau of Reincarnation reads "Play as one of the classes from the upcoming Asymmetric Publications smash hit West of Loathing!"
Restrictions
- Stomach and Spleen are limited to 10 each, and Liver is limited to 9 (you become overdrunk at 10).
- The Feast of Boris does not grant additional fullness:
Today is the Feast of Boris. They don't celebrate the Feast of Boris out West.
- This applies even if you've broken the prism, though the default Feast of Boris message is used instead.
- No access to any non-Cow Puncher, Beanslinger or Snake Oiler skills, including Your Mystical Bookshelf. Trying to read skillbooks gives:
- We don't read them thar books in the west!
- This restriction is lifted upon freeing the King.
- You cannot join a guild:
- You decide to hold off on joining this organization, everybody talks too fast.
- Standard restrictions applied while Avatar of West of Loathing was the current challenge path. These restrictions were lifted on May 15, 2016.
Divergences
- When starting an Avatar of West of Loathing run, the player chooses one of three classes in Go West, Young Adventurer!
- When you pick your class, you receive a one-gallon hat and a toy sixgun, and the appropriate Tales of the West skill book for your chosen class and any class in which you have permanent skill points. You do not start with old sweatpants.
- You do not start with a Newbiesport™ tent, but other Housing is unaffected.
- The Council of Loathing has different text reflecting your new class.
- Wandering monsters will attack the player every 15-20 adventures. The monsters encountered depend on the player's level:
Level 1-4 Level 5-8 Level 9+ furious cow
emaciated rodeo clown
aggressive grass snakefurious giant cow
menacing rodeo clown
prince snakeungulith
grizzled rodeo clown
king snake
- The first wandering monster you encounter is always the lowest level one which corresponds to your class.
- Sixguns gain a [holster] link, which "equips" them to the "Holstered" equipment pseudo-slot. Unlike proper equipment, holstered sixguns are not removed from the main inventory. Various skills are affected by your choice of holstered sixgun.
- You cannot enter The Sea. Clicking An Old Man gives the following message:
- That shack you saw on the main map was just a picture of a shack drawn on the ground.
- If you have the LT&T Office, you acquire 3 buffalo dimes when obtaining your cowboy boots.
Class
Rather than playing any of the traditional 6 classes, you will play as one of three special classes, each with its own skills:
- Cow Punchers have Muscle as their main stat.
- Cow Punchers always hit with unarmed attacks. Their unarmed attack command is labeled "Attack with your Cow-Punching Fists" instead of the usual %bodypart of Fury.
- Cow Punchers do not have their stats restricted by Cowrruption, and Cowrruption does not wear off with spent Adventures.
- Cow Punchers can Absorb Cowrruption to remove the effect and restore HP/MP equal to the turns remaining.
- Beanslingers have Mysticality as their main stat.
- Beanslingers start with a can of Heimz Fortified Kidney Beans.
- Snake Oilers have Moxie as their main stat.
- Snake Oilers do not get to Pickpocket.
- Snake Oilers start with 3 Venom and 3 Medicine in their briefcase full of snakes.
- Snake Oilers receive +1 to Venom or Medicine whenever they defeat a Snake.
Skills
Regular class skills are disallowed, and each class gets a new set of skills:
- All classes start with Shoot.
- Cow Punchers get 10 skills from Tales of the West: Cow Punching.
- Beanslingers get 10 skills from Tales of the West: Beanslinging.
- Snake Oilers get 10 skills from Tales of the West: Snake Oiling.
- Characters start with one skill point and gain one skill point per level in their current class.
- Completing a run earns one permanent point for that class (two points if it's a hardcore run). Tales of the West for classes you have permanent points in will be received at the beginning of a run along with your current-class book.
The ability to learn advanced skills (the three skills listed at the bottom of each class skill list) is unlocked by reading Western Slang books purchased from the LT&T Gift Shop. Each book unlocks the advanced skills of its corresponding class. These unlocks persist through ascension.
| Cow Punchers | Beanslingers | Snake Oilers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type | Effect | Name | Type | Effect | Name | Type | Effect |
 One-Two Punch |
Combat 3 MP |
Make two unarmed attacks |  Lavafava |
Combat 3 MP |
Deals minor Hot Damage (twice) |  Snakewhip |
Combat 3 MP |
Deal physical damage and poison your enemy |
 Cowcall |
Combat 10 MP |
Deal Spoooooooooky Damage to your opponent. |  Pungent Mung |
Combat 5 MP |
Deals moderate Stench Damage |  Fan Hammer |
Combat 10 MP |
Perform three rapid attacks with your holstered sixgun |
 Pistolwhip |
Combat 3 MP |
Smack your foe with your holstered pistol, briefly stunning them. |  Canhandle |
Combat 0 MP |
Shake an off-hand can of beans for various effects |  Extract Oil |
Combat 10 MP |
Extract useful oils from enemies |
 Hogtie |
Combat 10 MP |
Stun an opponent (with legs) for a few rounds |  Beanscreen |
Combat 10 MP |
Prevent the next 3 monster attacks from damaging you |  Bad Medicine |
Combat 5 MP |
Significantly weaken an enemy |
 True Outdoorsperson |
Passive | +3 Resistance to all elements |  Bean Runner |
Passive | +75% Combat Initiative |  Patent Medicine |
Passive | You can make advanced patent tonics out of oils |
 Rugged Survivalist |
Passive | Restore HP and MP after fights |  Beanweaver |
Passive | Doubles the enchantments of cans of beans Makes plates of beans more delicious and nutritious |
 Well-Oiled Guns |
Passive | All skills involving your sixgun are more effective |
 Larger Than Life |
Passive | Maximum MP +100% Maximum HP +100% |
 Beanstorm |
Combat 15 MP |
Deals significant damage of multiple elements |  Good Medicine |
Combat 5 MP |
Restore some HP and briefly stun your enemy |
| Advanced skills | ||||||||
 Unleash Cowrruption |
Combat 30 Cowrruption |
Unleash Cowrruption to disintegrate your enemies |  Beancannon |
Combat 15 MP |
Destroy an off-hand can of beans to banish a foe for the rest of the day (up to 5 foes at once) |  Long Con |
Combat 30 MP |
Mark a monster, making you more likely to encounter them (up to 5x/day) |
 Hard Drinker |
Passive | +5 Liver Capacity |  Prodigious Appetite |
Passive | +5 Stomach Capacity |  Tolerant Constitution |
Passive | +5 Spleen Capacity |
 Walk: Cautious Prowl |
Buff 40 MP |
+50% Item Drops from Monsters |  Walk: Prideful Strut |
Buff 40 MP |
+10 Stats Per Fight |  Walk: Leisurely Amble |
Buff 40 MP |
+100% Meat from Monsters |
Aftercore
Upon freeing the King, you will retain your West of Loathing class and skills and regain all your permed skills. Guilds and most rewards that rely on the six standard classes will remain inaccessible. Wandering monsters cease appearing. You may use items that grant skills to learn skills.
You regain access to your bookshelf. The Sea, Hobopolis, and The Slime Tube are accessible, but Dreadsylvania is not: "The Dreadsylvanian air is poisonous to Adventurers that are exotic as you. Maybe come back when you're some normal class, like a Seal Clubber or a Disco Bandit or something."
Council Text
Strategy
- See Avatar of West of Loathing/Strategy for a discussion of speed strategies.
Rewards
- Finishing an Avatar of West of Loathing run that began while it was still the current special challenge path -- that is, between February 15th, 2016, and May 14th, 2016 -- gives players 100 (in Hardcore) or 50 (in Normal) extra karma points the next time they visit Valhalla.
- Players will receive a Thwaitgold scorpion statuette upon defeating Naughty Sorceress.
- Players receive additional skill points for use in future Avatar of West of Loathing runs - 1 point for normal and 2 for hardcore runs. These points correspond to the class of the completed run.
