Pulling from exceedingly difficult series like Darkest Dungeon and Dark Souls, while throwing in the random generation of Rogue style games, you should know ahead of time that your party is going to get wiped out – frequently.
Absolutely any advantage you can come across should be seized immediately – and there aren’t many in this game, as most objects and abilities don’t transfer across between different matches.
Screens like these will become very familiar
One of the very, very few permanent effects available in Necropolis are the boons granted by unlocking a Codex. While you can actually only have one single Codex attached to your character at a time, don’t overlook the benefits available here, as they can mean the difference between making it another level lower and starting over at the top of the maze again.
The Codices are purchased with Tokens of Favor in the Scriptorium (the small section filled with books that’s directly across from the Brazen Head).
Tokens are earned by completing missions, smashing objects, crafting objects, getting more kills, and making it to lower levels before you inevitably die, but they aren’t actually handed out until death (or you reach the end of the maze).
Sometimes dying is a good thing!
In addition to offering a boon, equipping your first Codex unlocks the Librarian achievement as well. So what does each Codex actually do? That’s a mystery that’s being uncovered through trial and error.
Since so much of this game is frustratingly cryptic and poorly defined on purpose, some of the info below may be subject to update. If you’ve found you got a different response form a Codex, please let us know so we can update the entry!
Looking for more tips on how to stay alive in this crushingly difficult dungeon crawl? Check out our guide to not dying (for slightly longer than normal) here.
Welcome to the Scriptorium!
Codex: Eating is Overrated
Cost: 3 Tokens
Effect: Reduces stamina cost of attacking so you have to eat less frequently Useless Description: Man, I ain’t hungry, I already ate three weeks ago.
Codex: The “I Never Thought I’d Finish” Guide to Recipes
Cost: 3 Tokens
Effect: Identifies all potions / scrolls in your inventory automatically Useless Description: Malozapan has done many things. This book is most of them.
Codex: Rotten Is Just Another Word for Delicious
Cost: 4 Tokens
Effect: Rotten Food benefits increase Useless Description: Throwing up is amateur hour. Eat it, and make it stay down. Show the food who’s in charge.
Codex: The Shield Goes in Front of You
Cost: 4 Tokens
Effect: Reduces the stamina cost of blocking Useless Description: Ok. Shields. Right. Well, the thing about shields is they are really pretty good at. . . Lost my chain of thought. Huh.
Codex: Combat Got You Down? Regenercise!
Cost: 5 Tokens
Effect: Greatly increases stamina regeneration Useless Description: Centering oneself without looking like a total dip is kind of difficult, and for God’s sake, don’t get your nose pierced.
Codex: Berzerking - Get That Party Started
Cost: 5 Tokens
Effect: Slightly increases attack power and defense Extraordinarily Useless Description: Is hit. Is other hit. Soon, all hit. Much good.
Codex: YOU’RE IT
Cost: 5 Tokens
Effect: Increases ranged accuracy and damage Useless Description: There’s this place. Different on every monster, but if you can hit that place, they stop dead in their tracks like a statue. Pretty useful.
Codex: Half the Fun of Falling Is Missing the Ground
Cost: 5 Tokens
Effect: Falling damage is halved Useless Description: In section one, we look at the fall. Where are you falling (an abyss, a fiery chasm, into some beast)? In this, you find the key.
Codex: The Burly Ogre’s Guide to No Fall Down
Cost: 6 Tokens
Effect: Increases poise stat Useless Description: KAMAF NO FALL. YOU NO FALL. NO FALL IS GOOD.
Codex: Gud’s Necropolis Survival Guide
Cost: 6 Tokens
Effect: Reveals all potion recipes Useless Description: You beat it, you eat it. A survivor’s guide to cooking and crafting in the Necropolis.
Codex: The Burly Ogre’s Guide to Smashing Stuff
Cost: 7 Tokens
Effect: Increases knockback with heavy hits Useless Description: KAMAF HIT GOOD. THING GO FAR. YOU HIT GOOD. THING GO FAR. GOOD.
Codex: 50? 40 Is a Lot of Money. What Do You Need 30 For?
Cost: 7 Tokens
Effect: Shop prices (other than Codices) reduced Useless Description: You don’t want to part with it and I don’t want to pay for it. Let’s meet in the middle.
Codex: You Can’t Hit What Isn’t There
Cost: 9 Tokens
Effect: Lowers the stamina cost of walking / jumping / dodging Useless Description: Don’t think of it as dodging. Think of it as not agreeing to be hit.
Codex: Mr. Monk’s Most Excellent Pamphlet on Avoiding Exhaustion
Cost: 10 Tokens
Effect: Reduces overall stamina loss Useless Description: The key to not getting exhausted is to realize all motion is illusion; the world is that which spins about the mind. Now wasn’t that easy?
Codex: That’s Not so Far
Cost: 10 Tokens
Effect: Increases jump length / height Useless Description: I can totally make that jump. Totally. Now you can too!
Codex: Carpe Per Diem
Cost: 12 Tokens
Effect: Each gem picked up instead gives you two gems Useless Description: The feel of a gem in the pocket is second only to the feel of two gems in the pocket
Codex: Keeping Your Blood on the Inside (And Other Tips)
Cost: 12 Tokens
Effect: Regenerate small amount of health every 15 seconds Useless Description: Once, in one-on-one combat, I just stood there and the guy stood there, and eventually, he died from heat exhaustion. True story.
Codex: The Key to a Good Defense, Is a Good Defense (Stupid)
Cost: 12 Tokens
Effect: Immune to knockdown attacks Useless Description: Ok. So there’s something that wants to stick you, yeah? Well, here’s what you do: First - wait, are you wearing armor?
Codex: Unlock Your Inner Power Potential
Cost: 14 Tokens
Effect: Halves the exhaustion of power attacks Useless Description: Mantaining personal power is a matter of simply looking reality in the face and saying, in effect, “Nope. "
Vampirism is your friend
Cost: 17 Tokens
Effect: Player heals 5% of damage dealt to enemies Useless Description: Drink your way to a ‘healthier’ you. Blood is the answer you are looking for!
Enjoy your reading time!
