View source for Star Starfish Trick

The Star Starfish Trick is a way to regenerate MP during the game for players who don't have enough meat to purchase it via [[soda water]] or [[Magical mystery juice]].  Rather than attacking monsters, players choose actions with no or minimal damage and wait for the [[Star Starfish]] or [[Cocoabo]]-type familiar to kill the monster, which adds to your MP as it successfully attacks.

The usual way to use this technique is as follows:
* Make the [[Star Starfish]] your current familiar, and buff it with whatever equipment you have available (including moving the [[lead necklace]] from your primary familiar)
* Alternatively, use the [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|NPZR]] at [[The Knob Shaft]]. Useful for low-moxie characters armed with {{plural|hair spray}}.
* Unequip your primary weapon
* Unequip anything that adds weapon damage
* Start combat against an enemy that can't hit you (see [[Safe Adventuring]])
* Attacks against the monster will only do 1 damage

Against stronger monsters (or with a weak Starfish), it's important to count the number of rounds you have spent in combat.  The usual upper limit is 30, at which point you lose and don't receive stat points for the battle. At round 29 you should consider using an item or a low-MP skill/spell to finish off the enemy; [[Chronic Indigestion]], [[Thrust-Smack]], [[Stream of Sauce]], and [[Ravioli Shurikens]] are all options to consider.

The main disadvantage of using this technique is that adventuring with the Starfish gives lower stat point gains than the volleyball-type familiars normally used for faster ascension.  In addition, limiting yourself to monsters that can never hit you isn't optimal for stat gains either (especially true for NPZR fishing).

==Reducing the damage of your attacks==
Any time you damage the monster instead of allowing the starfish to do so, that reduces the total MP you could recharge with.  You can use an item or cast a spell instead.  Note that you should disable auto-attack for your character if you want to use an item on the first round.

There are a variety of ways to prevent or reduce the damage you do via your attacks:

* Use the [[dictionary]]/[[facsimile dictionary]], which doesn't do damage outside of the [[The Valley Beyond The Orc Chasm|Valley]].
* Equip such that your Muscle is significantly lower than the enemy's defense, and use a non-ranged weapon, so most or all of your attacks miss. (You will want your Moxie to be higher than the enemy's attack, though, so most of the enemy's attacks will miss you.)
* Use the [[seal tooth]] which does 1 damage.
* Obtain the [[Corroded Weapon]] effect, which dramatically reduces the amount of damage your attacks deal.
* Cast a healing spell like [[Saucy Salve]].  You can effectively recharge both MP and HP during one turn this way.
* Consume a [[Doc Galaktik's Medicine Show|Doc Galaktik potion]].  Purchasing one for this purpose is unlikely to be efficient spending, but you may have one from [[The Barrel full of Barrels|the barrel]] or have some reason to ramp up HP recovery rapidly without using MP.
* Consume [[magical mystery juice]], [[Mountain Stream soda]], [[Knob Goblin seltzer]], [[Dyspepsi-Cola]], or [[Cloaca-Cola]], if you have a larger MP void than the Starfish is going to recharge.  [[soda water|Soda water]] isn't combat usable.
* Consume [[Concoction of clumsiness]], so all your attacks are fumbled.
* Use a [[procrastination potion]] (consumes potion; better to autosell the potion instead).
* Equip multiple [[fake hand]]s.
* Adventure in [[The Knob Shaft]] for the [[Ghost miner]]'s [[Physical Resistance|physical resistance]] (only really useful when your stats are right).

==Recharging with a weapon==
You can still equip a weapon and use this trick.  Those who normally adventure with a Mysticality boosting item like a Myst class [[Epic Weapons|Epic Weapon]] can benefit the most from this, as you will have more MP to potentially recharge.  The preferred way is to use one of the very low/no-damage techniques listed in the table above.  But most of these aren't available easily.

There are a few items in the game that do minimal damage (2-3 points), are easy to obtain very early in the game, and are not consumed when you use them in combat.  These can serve as alternates:

* [[seal tooth]]
* [[spices]]

If your Moxie exceeds the most difficult area you have unlocked at your current level, you might even equip a weapon that increases [[Monster Level]] and use one of the items listed here or above.

==Similar Familiars==

Other familiars with Starfish-like recharging abilities include:
* [[Baby Yeti]]
* [[Dataspider]] (has a +10 lbs. equipment)
* [[Galloping Grill]] (does {{element|hot|}} damage; also acts as a [[Hovering Sombrero|Sombrero]] and drops various items)
* [[Gluttonous Green Ghost]] (fueled by food)
* [[Howling Balloon Monkey]] (when over 10 pounds)
* [[Animated Macaroni Duck]] (Pastamancer nemesis quest reward, also delevels enemy like a [[Barrrnacle]])
* [[Midget Clownfish]] (does {{element|sleaze|}} damage)
* [[Rock Lobster]] (does {{element|hot|}} damage; also has a very slim chance to drop [[floaty sand]])
* [[Rogue Program]] (also drops {{plural|Game Grid token}})
* [[Snow Angel]] (does {{element|cold|}} damage)
* [[Slimeling]] (fueled by equipment)
* [[Spirit Hobo]] (fueled by booze)
* [[Twitching Space Critter]] (does {{element|stench|}} damage)
* [[Underworld Bonsai]] (does {{element|spooky|}} damage)

Instead of the fairly predicable actions of the standard Starfish type, some like using this technique with a familiar that has [[Cocoabo]]-like properties instead (the most powerful of which is the [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]).  That can also restore HP and give you meat.  While these can restore a substantial amount of MP, their random nature can be frustrating; you're not guaranteed to get any MP from them, and they may attack and kill your enemy prematurely (this is where [[The Knob Shaft]] can really shine).

==See Also==

* [[MP Restorers]] lists all of the ways in the game to restore MP.

[[Category:Ascension Strategy]]