Low Key Summer

Low Key Summer is the Summer 2020 special challenge path, introduced on May 15th, 2020. This path adds variant rules and restrictions to an ascension run. Its description in The Bureau of Reincarnation reads "Travel to out-of-the-way locations. Variety is key!"

Divergences

• Your adventure begins with Low-Key Summer.
• The Sorceress has removed her contest registration table and hedge maze, but her tower door requires far more than the usual six keys (you still need the original six keys).
• Each key can be found after spending 11 turns in the location where it drops. The key will be dropped in a non-combat adventure on the 12th turn.
• All of the regular Council Quests still need to be completed. Attempting to open the door after using all the keys fails if the Council quests are not complete.
• 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.

Locks and Keys

See: The Naughty Sorceress' Tower Door (Low Key Summer)

Image	Lock	Key	Enchantment	Location
	Rabbit-Eared Lock	rabbit's foot key	All Attributes +10	The Dire Warren
	Boney Lock	actual skeleton key	Damage Absorption +100 Damage Reduction: 10	The Skeleton Store
	Cactus-Shaped-Hole Lock	cactus key	Maximum HP +20 Regenerate 9-10 HP per adventure	The Arid, Extra-Dry Desert
	Overgrown Lock	discarded bike lock key	Maximum MP +10 Regenerate 4-5 MP per adventure	The Overgrown Lot
	Mine Cart Shaped Lock	Knob shaft skate key	Regenerate 9-12 HP and MP per adventure +3 Adventure(s) per day when equipped.	The Knob Shaft
	Taco Locko	aquí	Serious Hot Resistance (+3) +15 Hot Damage +30 Damage to Hot Spells	South of the Border
	Frigid Lock	ice key	Serious Cold Resistance (+3) +15 Cold Damage +30 Damage to Cold Spells	The Icy Peak
	Bat-Winged Lock	batting cage key	Serious Stench Resistance (+3) +15 Stench Damage +30 Damage to Stench Spells	The Bat Hole Entrance
	Antlered Lock	weremoose key	Serious Spooky Resistance (+3) +15 Spooky Damage +30 Damage to Spooky Spells	Cobb's Knob Menagerie, Level 2
	Loaf of Bread with Keyhole	deep-fried key	Serious Sleaze Resistance (+3) +15 Sleaze Damage +30 Damage to Sleaze Spells	Madness Bakery
	Polka Dotted Lock	clown car key	+10 Spooky Damage +10 Stench Damage +10 Hot Damage +10 Cold Damage +10 Sleaze Damage +10 to Monster Level	The "Fun" House
	Lockenmeyer Flask	knob labinet key	+20% to all Muscle Gains Muscle +5 -1 MP to use Skills	Laboratory
	Infernal Lock	demonic key	+20% to all Mysticality Gains Mysticality +5 -1 MP to use Skills	Pandamonium Slums
	Junky Lock	scrap metal key	+20% to all Moxie Gains Moxie +5 -1 MP to use Skills	The Old Landfill
	Lock with one Eye	peg key	+5 Stat(s) Per Fight	The Obligatory Pirate's Cove
	Boat Prow Lock	f'c'le sh'c'le k'y	+20 to Monster Level All Attributes +5%	The F'c'le
	Barnacley Lock	treasure chest key	+30% Item Drops from Monsters +30% Meat from Monsters	Belowdecks
	Anchovy Can	anchovy can key	+100% Food Drops from Monsters	The Haunted Pantry
	Golden Lock	knob treasury key	+20% Pickpocket Chance +50% Meat from Monsters	Cobb's Knob Treasury
	Trolling Lock	kekekey	+50% Meat from Monsters	The Valley of Rof L'm Fao
	Spooky Lock	black rose key	+5 to Familiar Weight +2 Familiar Experience Per Combat	The Haunted Conservatory
	Sausage with a Hole	key sausage	Monsters will be much less attracted to you.	Cobb's Knob Kitchens
	Crib-Shaped Lock	music box key	Monsters will be much more attracted to you.	The Haunted Nursery
	Boris's Lock	Boris's key		The Dungeoneer's Association Vending Machine
	Jarlsberg's Lock	Jarlsberg's key		The Dungeoneer's Association Vending Machine
	Sneaky Pete's Lock	Sneaky Pete's key		The Dungeoneer's Association Vending Machine
	Skeleton Lock	skeleton key		Meat Pasting
	Digital Lock	digital key		Treasure House
	Star Lock	Richard's star key		star chart

Strategy

For the most part, this challenge path is normal aside from the extra turns that must be spent in various zones that are often outside the beaten path. Success depends on minimizing the impact this has by coordinating various objectives to make use of the time spent in such zones while maximizing turngen to compensate for the extra turns required. This will inevitably make leveling up less of a concern than usual.

In addition, the keys themselves are accessories that potentially provide some useful enchantments. You do not need to use them right away, so it is better to keep ones with useful enchantments on hand, or potentially seek them out earlier than usual. This is especially important for ascenders with fewer permed skills or IotMs to rely on.

The Kramco Sausage-o-Matic™'s free fights against sausage goblins and the Pocket Professor's Lecture on relativity to duplicate such fights are especially useful, while angry ghosts from the Daily Loathing Ballot can allow you to make better use of the extra adventures spent in such zones.

The latte lovers member's mug and Iunion Crown both benefit from the greater variety in zones visited, offering more versatile enchantments to draw upon compared to a normal ascension.

Some sidequests will require some attention in order to obtain some of the keys involved.

• In particular, the Cap'm Caronch Quest is relevant once again! Several keys are obtained within the Cove, as well as within the final zone unlocked within, so previous strategies will be relevant for this.
  • With this in mind, any moon sign that allows access to the friendly variant of Degrassi Knoll is recommended. This is used for the easy acquisition of a frilly skirt from The Degrassi Knoll Bakery and Hardware Store, which in turn are used with 3 hot wings as a solution for The Infiltrationist.
• One key being in The "Fun" House means you will need to complete the first step of the Legendary Epic Weapon Quest, which in turn means that you need access to your guild. As you need to adventure in The Outskirts of Cobb's Knob anyways, any Muscle class is suitable. In addition, another key being in The Haunted Pantry makes Mysticality classes a viable option as well. There is no reason to adventure in The Sleazy Back Alley, which makes Moxie classes a poor choice.
  • Adventuring in The Unquiet Garves can be coordinated with seeking out the Snakeleton for Shen Copperhead on day 2 of your ascension.

Low-Key Location Strategy

This section will address noteworthy enchantments for the keys, mug and crown while also providing specific information about strategizing the zones they are found in.

Key	Zone	Special Access Requirements	Noteworthy Enchantments	Notes
rabbit's foot key	The Dire Warren		Unlocks the latte lovers member's mug +20% Items from Monsters ingredient Grants the Iunion Crown +5% Combat Initiative per charge
actual skeleton key	The Skeleton Store		Grants the Iunion Crown +2% Meat from Monsters per charge
cactus key	The Arid, Extra-Dry Desert	Reading your father's MacGuffin diary		You will inevitably acquire this key while unlocking The Ancient Buried Pyramid during the Quest for the Holy MacGuffin
discarded bike lock key	The Overgrown Lot
knob shaft skate key	The Knob Shaft	Defeat the Knob Goblin King	Key grants regeneration and +3 Extra Rollover Adventures	Best acquired during the first day of your ascension
aquí	South of the Border		Grants the Iunion Crown +1% Items from Monsters per charge
ice key	The Icy Peak	Completing the Mt. McLargeHuge Quest	Grants the Iunion Crown +5% Combat Initiative per charge
batting cage key	The Bat Hole Entrance		Unlocks the latte lovers member's mug +4 Extra Rollover Adventures ingredient	Ideal to unlock the mug ingredient early
weremoose key	Cobb's Knob Menagerie, Level 2	Cobb's Knob Menagerie key
deep-fried key	Madness Bakery		Grants the Iunion Crown +2% Meat from Monsters per charge
clown car key	The "Fun" House	Epic Weapon	Key provides +10 Monster Level and +10 Prismatic Damage Grants the Iunion Crown +2% Meat from Monsters per charge	Can reliably obtain boxen if you want a chef-in-the-box Ideal to get the key before adventuring in the Tavern Cellar
knob labinet key	Laboratory	Defeat the Knob Goblin King	Key provides +20% to Muscle gains	The zone will inevitably lead to the weremoose key
demonic key	Pandamonium Slums	Complete the Friars' Quest	Key provides +20% to Mysticality gains Grants the Iunion Crown +5% Combat Initiative per charge
scrap metal key	The Old Landfill		Key provides +20% to Moxie gains Grants the Iunion Crown +1% Items from Monsters per charge	The adventures spent here can be used to make a junk junk
peg key	The Obligatory Pirate's Cove		Grants the Iunion Crown +1% Items from Monsters per charge	It is required to acquire the Swashbuckling Getup from this zone in order to get 2 other keys
f'c'le sh'c'le k'y	The F'c'le	Complete Insult Beer Pong	Key provides +20 Monster Level Grants the Iunion Crown +1% Items from Monsters per charge	It is required to adventure here for part of the Cap'm Caronch Quest Will inevitably lead to the treasure chest key
treasure chest key	Belowdecks	Complete the Cap'm Caronch Quest and get It's Always Swordfish	Key provides +30% Meat from Monsters and Items from Monsters Grants the Iunion Crown +1% Items from Monsters per charge	Ideal to acquire before starting the Mysterious Island Quest due to the key's useful enchantments
anchovy can key	The Haunted Pantry		Key provides +100% Food Drops from Monsters	You will inevitably adventure here if you need to unlock The League of Chef-Magi Ideal when getting glasses of goat's milk, blackberries or wet stew ingredients
knob treasury key	Cobb's Knob Treasury		Key provides +50% Meat from Monsters
kekekey	The Valley of Rof L'm Fao	Complete the Orc Chasm Quest	Key provides +50% Meat from Monsters Grants the Iunion Crown +5% Combat Initiative per charge
black rose key	The Haunted Conservatory		Key provides +5 to Familiar Weight and +2 Familiar Experience	Key is recommended to acquire early on for the powerful enchantment
key sausage	Cobb's Knob Kitchens		Key provides -10% Combat Frequency Grants the Iunion Crown +5% Combat Initiative per charge	Key is recommended to acquire early on for the powerful enchantment
music box key	The Haunted Nursery	Unlock the third floor of Spookyraven Manor	Key provides +10% Combat Frequency	Zone will be inevitably unlocked during the Quest for the Holy MacGuffin

Rewards

• Finishing a Low-Key Summer run while it is the current special challenge path -- between May 15th, 2020, and August 15th, 2020 -- gives players 50 (in Normal) or 100 (in Hardcore) extra karma points the next time they visit Valhalla.
• Finishing a Low-Key Summer run also gives a Manual of Lock Picking. On August 17th, 2020, an announcement was made saying "* The reward still drops and this is intended. It will continue to drop until the normal Standard cycle for this item would end (until January 2023).", which is most likely due to how mandatory/important the granted skill may become for speed ascension during this period. However, as of February 2025 the manual is still dropping.
• Players will receive a Thwaitgold keyhole spider statuette upon defeating the Naughty Sorceress.

Ascension Paths
Boozetafarian	Teetotaler	Oxygenarian
Special Challenge Paths
Spring Summer Fall Winter 2011 None Bees Hate You Way of the Surprising Fist Trendy 2012 Avatar of Boris Bugbear Invasion Zombie Slayer Class Act 2013 Avatar of Jarlsberg BIG! KOLHS Class Act II: A Class For Pigs 2014 Avatar of Sneaky Pete Slow and Steady Heavy Rains Picky 2015 Actually Ed the Undying One Crazy Random Summer Community Service None 2016 Avatar of West of Loathing The Source Nuclear Autumn None 2017 Gelatinous Noob License to Adventure Live. Ascend. Repeat. None 2018 Pocket Familiars G-Lover Disguises Delimit None 2019 Dark Gyffte Two Crazy Random Summer Kingdom of Exploathing None 2020 Path of the Plumber Low Key Summer Grey Goo None 2021 You, Robot Quantum Terrarium Wildfire None 2022 Grey You Journeyman Fall of the Dinosaurs None 2023 Avatar of Shadows Over Loathing Legacy of Loathing A Shrunken Adventurer am I None 2024 WereProfessor 11 Things I Hate About U Avant Guard None 2025 Z is for Zootomist Hat Trick 11,037 Leagues Under the Sea None