Hardcore Checklist
While this article is written with hardcore players in mind, much of it is also applicable to softcore ascenders.
Legend
| White cells indicate mandatory items required to complete an ascension. |
| Green cells indicate items to save turns cooking and cocktailcrafting. |
| Purple cells indicate useful items that may result in a net savings in turns. |
| Pink cells indicate items used in the Naughty Sorceress Quest that may or may not be needed. |
Checklist Table
Notes
For the most part, the zones above unlock at the listed level in the table. However, there are some exceptions. With the right buffs and equipment, it is theoretically possible to adventure in the following zones before the listed level:
- The Haunted Billiards Room - You need 10 in your main stat to adventure here.
- South of The Border - You need 10 in your main stat to adventure here.
- The Misspelled Cemetary - The Wizard of Ego quest opens at 11 main stat, granting access to this zone.
- The "Fun" House - The Legendary Epic Weapon Quest opens at 12 main stat, granting access to this zone.
- Tower Ruins - The second part of the The Wizard of Ego quest opens at 18 main stat, granting access to this zone.
- 8-Bit Realm - You need 20 in your main stat to adventure here.
- Orcish Frat House - You need 30 in your main stat to adventure here.
- The Hippy Camp - You need 30 in your main stat to adventure here.
- The Haunted Library - You need 40 in your main stat to adventure here.
- The Obligatory Pirate's Cove - You need 45 in your main stat to adventure here.
- The Haunted Bathroom - You need 68 in your main stat to adventure here.
Useful Semi-rare items
Some semi-rare items can prove very useful for completing certain quests. The table below lists a few such items.
| Location | Min. Stat | Item | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harem | 20 | Scented massage oil | Defeating your shadow |
| Menagerie Level 2 | 40 | Irradiated pet snacks | Defeating the NS's familiars |
| The Valley Beyond The Orc Chasm | 68 | All components for 64735 scroll | Completing the level 9 Orc Chasm Quest |
| The Castle in the Clouds in the Sky | 95 | Mick's IcyVapoHotness Inhaler | Completing the Recover the Sisters' Meat level 12 sidequest |
| One of the 2 pre-war camps (hippy or frat) and the Cove | 30 (45 for cove) | 3 different potions: +100 to specific stat | Aiding to defeat otherwise difficult bosses (except the sorceress of course) |
Item Optimizations
- It's easier to get the skeleton key needed for the Naughty Sorceress Quest by assembling its respective parts as shown above, but they are also available from Room 3 of The Daily Dungeon. In either case, after the key is used in The Entrance Cavern to obtain Stone tablet (Really Evil Rhythm), you can untinker the key and then combine the resulting skeleton bone with a broken skull to pass The Stone Mariachis--you only need one bone to pass that point.
- Some of these items can be obtained by zapping instead of collecting them at the locations mentioned here. If you have a zap to spare, you can get through The Entrance Cavern with only two keys. Solve the puzzles for the two keys you have, then zap one of them; you'll always get the missing third key.
- Because the other required star items need more stars than lines to construct, in most cases you'll find it most efficient to construct a star crossbow (which needs the least stars). This has the additional benefit that only your Moxie needs to be over 67 to equip the item, the same requirement for the always necessary star hat. However, you may occasionally find yourself with an excess of stars, in which case assembling a star sword will allow you to exit the The Hole in the Sky faster. Be warned that in that case, your Muscle will also have to be over 67 to advance.
- The South of The Border items for the gate can simply be bought from the Gno-Mart if you have ascended under a Moxie sign. If you didn't, keep in mind that you can use a clover to get a pack of chewing gum.
Optional Quests and Items
- Whether or not it's worthwhile to finish building the helpful but optional 31337 scroll instead of advancing to the (more stat-lucrative) Icy Peak or The Haunted Gallery depends on many factors: how easily you can survive battling there, your character's item drop skills, how many of the 3 parts you already have, whether or not there are other items you still would like in that area (the possibly optional second lowercase N being a popular one), and whether you have a spare zap that might convert useless scrolls into the ones you need. Accordingly, it's difficult to give a blanket recommendation for that item.
- If you are born under a Muscle sign and thus can quickly and quite cheaply obtain all the components of a meat engine as well as tires, completing the Bitchin' Meatcar Quest remains the best way of gaining access to the Desert Beach. Otherwise you might consider creating a pumpkin carriage (if you possess the relevant campground equipment) or purchasing a desert bus pass instead.
- Getting a Meat Maid grants four extra adventures at rollover, then again for characters not born under a Muscle sign it is arguable whether it justifies the adventure cost of obtaining meat engine components, a frilly skirt and a maiden wig from Degrassi Knoll. The other two items you'll need, the disembodied brain and smart skull, are both drops that can take many turns to get normally (the brain being the much harder of the two). However, you can get each of them by using a clover in their respective areas. And if you've already completed the Cyrpt Quest, you can get both items at once by using a clover in the upgraded Cemetary. Adventurers on the Oxygenarian path can almost always justify building a maid, even if they have to stay in the Knoll a little longer, as those four extra turns per day really add up over a long run.
- The Mysterious Island subquest items are not listed, as these should be self-evident for whichever subquests you choose to complete. Determining which subquests are beneficial to complete relies on many factors, including which side you are on, permed skills, etc. For more information, visit the Mysterious Island Quest page.
Required Familiars
You will need many familiars in order to complete the Naughty Sorceress Quest. During your first ascension, all adventurers need to obtain a star starfish familiar.
Before fighting the Naughty Sorceress, you have to encounter two of her giant familiars. These familiars are the Mosquito, Angry Goat, Barrrnacle, Sabre-Toothed Lime, and Levitating Potato. In order to defeat them, you have to level the correct counter-familiar to level 20, using any combination of skills and items. It would be prudent to collect the items to put every one of the these familiars in your terrarium during your first ascension, because obtaining them will be more difficult once you've chosen a hardcore path.
The fastest way to level your familiars is to adventure at The Cake-Shaped Arena and optimize your fights to help your familiar gain as much experience as possible per turn. Using familiar boosting skills (Amphibian Sympathy, Leash of Linguini, Empathy of the Newt) is invaluable here. If you have the Summon Snowcone skill, using a green snowcone (or black snowcone) will increases a familiar's level by 5 for 20 turns. If you have the Summon Candy Hearts skill, you can use a green candy heart and increase a familiar's level by 3 for 10 turns. With the Knob Goblin Elite Guard Uniform, you can purchase Knob Goblin pet-buffing spray to get 5 pounds for 10 turns. Another familiar buff is available if you complete the Mysterious Island Arena subquest as a Hippy. Optimist Primal adds +5 to familiar weight for 20 adventures. Using a disintegrating spiky collar from the Stately Pleasure Dome adds +5 to familiar weight for 10 adventures.
Cake-Shaped Arena Optimization Tools
- The Rye's Familiar Combat Chart
- Familiar trainer built into KoLmafia
| Ascension Strategy | |
| Rankings: | HC Skills - HC Familiars - HC IotMs |
| General: | Class selection - Familiar usage - Lucky adventures |
| Paths: | BHY - Fist - AoB - BI - ZS - AoJ - BIG! - KOLHS - CA2 - AoSP - SS - HR - Picky - Ed - Random - AoWoL - Source - NA - GN - LtA - L.A.R. - PF - G-Lover - DD |
| Additional Paths: | DG - 2CRS - KoE - PotP - LKS - GG - Y,Robot - QT - WF - GY - JM - FotD |
| IotMs: | Tomes - Faxing - Copying - YR - Garden - Correspondent - Workshed - Tea party - Florist |
