Standard restrictions

Standard restrictions, also known as Type 69, disallow players from using older limited-time content in some ascension paths. These restrictions prevent players from using items, skills, familiars and locations that originate from content that became unavailable more than two calendar years earlier, such as items from old world events and Mr. Store Items-of-the-Month.

Ascension types

Standard restrictions apply to ascensions in the Standard path and the current special challenge path, and only apply while in Ronin or Hardcore. A special challenge path is considered to be current or "in season" during its first three months.

Standard restrictions on a special challenge path are lifted immediately once it is no longer the current season, as well as when breaking Ronin or Hardcore.

Standard restrictions do not apply to past special challenge paths, dietary paths, or unrestricted no-path ascensions.

Restrictions

The list of restricted items changes at the start of each calendar year. Limited-time content may be used only if it was available during the current calendar year or the previous two calendar years. In other words, content is disallowed if it became unavailable before January 1 of the year two years before the start of the path. For example, Standard ascensions in 2019 disallow content that became unavailable before January 1, 2017.

Things that are restricted include items, familiars, skills, locations and other features. Combat items may be used in combat, but are generally unable to be acquired while under Standard restrictions. Restricted gardens will grow normally but can't be harvested. The bookshelf displays restricted skills, but they can't be used. You do not receive restricted correspondence, although it's possible to switch to an eligible correspondent from the options menu. Restricted VIP Lounge furniture is displayed as a taped-off barricade:

Note that everything derived from limited-time content inherits the unavailability date of its original source. For example, June 2011's mysterious chest, which hatches a Li'l Xenomorph, drops a transporter transponder where you can find a Map to Safety Shelter Grimace Prime that can drop a distention pill. This means the pill, the familiar, the transponder, the map and the hatchling would all be too old to use during a Standard run, even if you pulled the item or obtained one through other means during the run. They can all be used once your Standard run has been cleared, and during any non-Standard run going forward.

Exemptions

Psychokinetic Hug (2013) is not subject to Standard restrictions.

Delicious salad was exempted from Standard restrictions in July 2015, in part because it was obtainable from the Deck of Every Card. However, the accompanying announcement went further, stating that delicious salad can be used "in any path from now until the end of the time. It is evergreen. It is glorious." This allows it to be used in-run either when pulled, or if dropped such as during an April Fools event.

You can still [talk] to your Grim Brother once a day to get the Barely Tales encounter even though it's restricted as a familiar.

You can get a starting hat from the FantasyRealm, although you can't equip it.

Date alterations

Bananas had their availability date moved forward when they became obtainable through the shrine to the Barrel god in September 2015.

KoL Con exclusive items are dated as being available only for their first year, although all past items have remained purchasable (at higher cost) at subsequent Cons. According to Hot Stuff, this was done because older Con items will become prohibitively expensive over time due to their escalating prices. Jick somewhat disagreed with this decision, but there was no indication it will change. (Source)

Pocket wishes were available both in 2017 and 2023 from the genie bottle and the book of facts respectively. It was made Standard valid for 2023-2025 again with this change, despite its original source no longer being valid.

Messages

• Attempting to use a restricted familiar gives this message:

  That familiar is too old to be used on this path.

• Clicking the clan VIP pool table (or trying to view the leaderboard) gives:

  That clan thing is too old to be used on this path.

• Attempting to use a restricted skill gives:

  That skill is too old for this path.

• Attempting to pull a restricted item from Hagnk's while in Ronin gives:

  That item is too old to be used on this path.

• Buying restricted items from the Mall:

  You can't afford that item. (With meat from Hagnk's)

• Attempting to use a restricted item:

  That item is too old to be used on this path.

• Attempting to use a restricted item in Your Workshed:

  This item is too old to be used on your current path.

• Attempting to use An Awesome Ball Pit:

  The ball pit is too old to be used in this path.

• Attempting to use Your Witchess Set:

  Sorry, Witchess is too old to be used on this path.

• Attempting to enter the Secret Underground Spacegate Facility:

  Nobody visits the spacegate anymore!

• Attempting to visit The Neverending Party:

  That party is so last year. You don't want to visit on this path.

• Attempting to initiate a trade:

  You may not initiate trades with other players while you are on a path which restricts old items.

Notes

• Under standard restrictions, the player's profile includes a link to the restricted item list. In Standard ascensions and the in-season special challenge path the list's URL is standard.php.
  • To specify the date, enter it at the end of the url above. For example, standard.php?date=2016-01-01.

  Note: When looking at items in standard as of a certain date, the date entered needs to be 2 years prior than the date you are looking for. For example, for standard 2020, you would enter standard.php?date=2018-01-01.

• Under standard restrictions, descriptions for items that are outside standard display the following note:

  NOTE: This item is too old to use on your current path.

History

• Trendy was the first implementation of restrictions similar to standard restrictions. Standard restrictions differ from Trendy because the pool of disallowed items is set at the beginning of a year and does not change during that year.
• The first path to include standard restrictions (then known as "type69") was Slow and Steady in the Summer of 2014. All challenge paths since have included standard restrictions while they were seasonal, a practice that Jick has stated will continue into the foreseeable future.
• Standard restrictions are also known by the name "type69". This comes from the former URL of the in-game list of disallowed items, which was originally type69.php. This was a joke based on the Trendy item list's URL typeii.php, a reference to the Standard (formerly Type 2) format in Magic: The Gathering, which only allowed certain cards from certain recently issued sets to be used in decks. Because no other official name was offered at the time, this joke name became the de facto term used by the players.
• On January 1, 2015, the Standard path was introduced, giving standard restrictions their official name and applying these restrictions to ascensions outside special challenge paths for the first time.