Aftercore

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Aftercore refers to the time between breaking King Ralph's prism and entering the Astral Gash. In the past few years, content has been added specifically aimed for players who choose to level up after breaking the prism. This guide describes those areas and how they affect ascension in general. For strategy in preparing for and adventuring in those areas, link to those specific areas.

Preparing for Aftercore

A lot of preparation will depend on which zone you will be adventuring in. Some things will be more helpful in a run with a long Aftercore:

Once only

Some quests or items that can be retrieved in aftercore can only be done once per ascension, or only once per account. Notably:

Fernswarthy's Basement

What is it?: Fernswarthy's Basement can be found in The Ruins of Fernswarthy's Tower after encountering the adventure Into the Maw of Deepness. Each adventure takes you one level lower in the basement. On each level you may: encounter a test of your stats, HP, MP, or elemental resistance; battle a monster of increasing difficulty; or receive a stat bonus or special reward.

Ascension-Relevance: At level 500, players receive the Discount Telescope Warehouse gift certificate. Using this installs or upgrades a telescope in your campground which remains after ascension. This telescope can, once per day, grant the Starry-Eyed effect. More importantly, using the telescope will also reveal what items will be needed for the Naughty Sorceress's Tower, thus lowering the need for backfarming late in a run.

Recommended Level: Level 23 and up (28 if you're going for the Level 30 trophy). Early levels are easy to pass even for low-level characters, but challenges become exponentially difficult even before level 100.

Bounty Hunting

What is it?: You can do up to 3 different "Quests" a day in which each yield a filthy lucre. There is an easy, hard, and special quest. The special quest are done in zones that are accessed through IoTMs.

Ascension-Relevance: Transcendent Olfaction is the most powerful turn-cutting skill in the game, but it can take up 67 days to acquire the 200 lucre needed to purchase it (need not be farmed in a single ascension). The outfit gives up to +75% Item Drop, which is always handy. The hound dog acts as a fairy at 1.25*weight and is the only familiar that increases combat frequency.

Recommended Level: The Easy and Hard bounties are all from locations you normally adventure in during ascension, so going to these areas is advised is you have a quest there or if you need to farm/level up. With the exception of the Lab monkeys, none of the specialty bounties will be hard for a level-13 adventurer.

Unlockables:

El Vibrato Island

What is it?: A portal in your campground accessible by using an El Vibrato power sphere. The portal contains constructs which drop punchcards that can be used on the constructs to create items.

Ascension-Relevance: Little. The outfit available in this zone has powerful enchantments when used with punchcards (although better options exist now), and several of the usable drones have powerful buffs available to high-level characters, but little in this zone can be used in a standard run.

Recommended Level: Level 17 and above. With a minimum ML of 300, monsters in this zone can be difficult without good equipment or buffs.

Unlockables:

The Sea and The Sea Floor

What is it?: A series of zones located underwater boasting some of the most powerful equipment and consumable drops. However, adventuring here requires breathing apparatuses for both adventurer and familiar. In addition, adventuring here incurs a number of penalties. You can adventure there, once you talk to An Old Man and buy Old SCUBA tank.

Ascension-Relevance: Little is useful for a hardcore ascension. However, powerful items dropped here might be worth a pull in a normal ascension. Sponge equipment are some of the strongest common HP/MP restorers in the game. Sea salt scrubs give a huge boost to Max HP and MP. A Nurse's hat will give a large boost to HP, as well as a good amount of HP/MP restoration per adventure. Deep Saucery potions offer powerful benefits. The Clothing of Loathing outfit, as well as Hateful Habiliment and Violent Vestments, takes several ascensions to obtain, but have incredibly powerful effects rivaling clan dungeon boss drops. If you have a Space Jellyfish and are able to buff it to over 400 pounds then you can get recovered cufflinks, which is nice for softcore but is mostly for showing off.

Recommended Level: Level 14 and above. While it used to require a higher level for most characters, cheap potions like Ferrigno's Elixir of Power, Hawking's Elixir of Brilliance, Connery's Elixir of Audacity and potion of temporary gr8ness available en-masse in the Mall for cheap allows a player to easily adventure in the Sea early on, as long as they have a stockpile of some meat to spend. However, for first timers, they may need to spend a lot of adventures to get the required items to drop, or a sum of meat to purchase these items from the mall.

See also: Sea Monkees Quest

Unlockables:

Nemesis Quest

What is it?: Completing this quest rewards you the Legendary Regalia outfit of your respective class, a Familiar Hatchling for your class, and a number of trinkets. Also eight trophies are only obtainable with regards to the quest.

Ascension-Relevance: Little. The Ultimate Legendary Epic Weapon is a Quest item, meaning the outfit cannot be used during a regular game and must be reacquired. However, the other pieces of the outfit remain and can be pulled. The class familiars will also remain, though they offer little more than the basic familiars. Defeating your nemesis does earn an Instant Karma, which can be discarded for 11 Valhallan Karma.

Recommended Level: Level 13 and above, after defeating the Naughty Sorceress. The quest is balanced to be completable in-run, but the later parts (especially defeating the Nemesis) may require more time and resources than you can spare before freeing the King.

Demon Names

What is it?: 11 demon names (as of this writing) can be used to summon demons at the Summoning Chamber to grant various effects. Seven names are unique to each player, four of which are unlocked by adventuring in certain locations with Lord Spookyraven's ear trumpet.

Ascension-Relevance: Demon names do not change after ascension. Demons can even be summoned in Hardcore and Bad Moon, making this one of few things that can be prepared for such runs. Specifically, the demon name for Preternatural Greed can help with completing the Nun's quest during the Level 12 quest, and Ak'gyxoth can be useful if you need better drinks.

Recommended Level: Level 13 and above, after defeating the Naughty Sorceress. Adventures revealing demon names are not guaranteed to show up during a particular run, nor are they very frequent.

Trophies

What is it?: KoL has many trophies that you can purchase once you have completed their requirements, for just 10k meat. You can then display these trophies on your profile. Just remember to buy them before you ascend!

Ascension-Relevance: Completely none.

Recommended Level: Any level, varying depending on the trophy. A high number of skills permed usually helps.

Psychoanalytic Jars

What is it?: The Jars are a number of content unlockers, available in the mall, that creates new areas that are only accessible until rollover right at your campsite. These new zones are like a mini-quest in themselves, and you can end up with an untradeable weapon if you manage to fully finish it.

Ascension-Relevance: Almost none. The weapons are nice, but their stat requirement makes them practically useless as a pull.

Recommended Level: Level 13 and above, after defeating the Naughty Sorceress. If you're inexperienced and want to play-through the entire jar without a guide, consider saving up 200 adventures on rollover, especially for one which will take 374 adventures.

Clan Dungeons

The Slime Tube

What is it?: You fight various slimes in order to clear the way to Mother Slime. Speed in the Slime Tube is based on +ML.

Ascension-Relevance: The Slimeling is a powerful fairy-type familiar that may be earned if the Slime Tube is cleared quickly. Three of the Mother Slime rewards grant passive skills. These can be made permanent to provide a passive boosts HP, MP, and Combat Initiative respectively. The rewards besides these are of interest to players concerned about their Collector's Score.

Recommended Level: Level 13 and up. Slimes start off at level 100, comparable to monsters above the Beanstalk. A Sombrero-type familiar and massive +ML can help raise stats quickly.

Unlockables:

Hobopolis

What is it?: You must first navigate through A Maze of Sewer Tunnels to access Hobopolis itself. Hobopolis is a sprawling city complex that offers a many rewards and points of interest. There are five mini-bosses that can be defeated to weaken Hodgman, The Hoboverlord.

Ascension-Relevance: The Hobo Monkey is an upgraded leprechaun-type familiar that can be purchased in Hobopolis. Most of the other items and skills available in this area are of limited use in an ascension run. Players concerned about their Collector's Score will be greatly interested in this area: there are 6 separate outfits, other untradeable equipment, the Hobo Monkey familiar, and an expensive tattoo available. Hodgman also drops some items that give stat-boosting passives.

Recommended Level: Level 17 and above. Monsters in the Maze of Sewer Tunnels are 250 ML and above. Muscle classes and Moxie classes will reach 250 in their main stat just below level 17. Hobos themselves will be much tougher, and require an even higher level.

Unlockables:

Hobo Codes

What is it?: Twenty hobo codes can be added to a player's hobo code binder to speed up gameplay in Hobopolis. All of the codes are obtained by adventuring in their respective location with hobo code binder equipped.

Ascension-Relevance: Hobo codes are only useful for Hobopolis. However, hobo codes can be collected at any time because the hobo code binder is a free pull. In fact, it is necessary to collect some of the codes during an ascension because some hobo code locations become unavailable during the course of a game.

Recommended Level: Anytime when one would normally adventure in those locations.

Dreadsylvania

What is it?: Contains 3 zones with high-level monsters of random element that become especially dangerous above 1 kiss. The end bosses are (mostly) based on which monster type has been killed more.

Ascension-Relevance: Minimal. Every equipment dropped here has a stat requirement of 200 to 250. The most you can get out of Dreadsylvania outside of Aftercore are Bloodweisers and Electric Kool-Aids for pulling, plus some skills you can get at The Machine. While most of them are too expensive for ascension runs, a select few have their uses.

Recommended Level: Level 20 and above.

Unlockables:

IoTM Zones

Airport

Spring Break

What is it?: Can be unlocked permanently with an Item of the Month or one day with a tradeble item

Ascension-Relevance: With the Little Geneticist DNA-Splicing Lab it is possible to get the +Exp Intrinsic effect. Additionally, the Extremely wet T-shirt and being Greased Up is helpful for clearing out Zeppelin protestors, and the Brogre bucket hat's +Combat Frequency is helpful for finding Lobsterfrogmen and demonic comedians.

Recommended Level: About 17 should be good. If this is your first time, try to enter the new day with 200 adventures to spare, with at least EPIC quality food and booze. You'll want to complete 12 quests in total, the starting 9 + an additional 3 from wiping one's mind. This can take up a lot of adventures. One of the zones is underwater, so ensure you have a way of breathing underwater, and preferably a way of obtaining Fishy. If you have Transcendent Olfaction, you'll likely be able to spend significantly less adventures.

See also: A Tourist's Guide to Spring Break

Unlockables:

Conspiracy Island

What is it?: Can be unlocked permanently with an Item of the Month or one day with a tradable item

Ascension-Relevance: The Deep Dark Jungle is great for powerleveling both in-run and in aftercore. Jungle Juice doubles stat gains in that area. The Secret Government Laboratory helps with powerleveling as well as farming Ka coin. Due to monsters in The Mansion of Dr. Weirdeaux gaining ML after being defeated, it is a great place to powerlevel at really high levels. Perming Hypersane and pulling a Heavy-duty clipboard will help with A-boo clues in non-Standard runs. The Giant yellow hat is one of the few items that increase familiar experience per combat, the Jangly bracelet helps with Tavern rats and having a Mercenary pistol/rifle can help with tough bosses in Softcore runs.

Recommended Level: If you are visiting The Mansion of Dr. Weirdeaux, you'll want to be highly-levelled and buffed, as well as being open to various Combat Styles due to special monsters there. To enter Secret Government Laboratory you'll need to wear an item that limits your base stats to 100, necessitating a +80% buff to your mainstat as well as being at least level 10. Adventurers of any level can enter the The Deep Dark Jungle as it consists of monsters that scale to your stats. All the rare drops from the monsters in The Deep Dark Jungle are great, but they're so rare you'll probably have to buy them from the mall.

See also: Oceanic Island Survivalist Guide

Unlockables:

Dinseylandfill

What is it?: Can be unlocked permanently with an Item of the Month or one day with a tradable item

Ascension-Relevance: There's a skill, some decent pre-war equipment and purchasable food and booze. The zone is also full of good equipment. The Stinky fannypack gives a +40% item drop bonus in all Elemental Airport Areas (not just Dinseylandfilll), the Garbage sticker is great for backfarming Muscle characters, and the Hazmat helmet is helpful when adventuring in tough areas against elementally-aligned monsters. The filthy child leash is a strict upgrade to most familiar equipment. The expensive camera and the dirty rigging rope together will let you catch your doppelgänger and the perfume-soaked bandana will aloow you to inspect dead bodies by itself. Firing a sewage-clogged pistol. The Ratskin pajama pants is tied with the Pantaloons of Hatred with having the most + Rollover adventures of any pair of pants. The fake washboard is a great shield with "+25% to all Muscle Gains" and the unusual enchantment "+75% Accessory Drops from Monsters", and the backwoods banjo is a great ranged weapon with "+20% to all Moxie Gains" and gives an unusually high +200 bonus to Max HP and MP. Perming Olfactory Burnout will allow you to open an extra drawer, even in Hardcore.

Recommended Level: 13 is fine. The biggest monsters are at 150ML, with the remaining either scaling to your stats or buffed greatly by ML. You may want to prepare some high meat drop equipment to take advantage of Barf Mountain. Additionally, if you'll want to fight Wart Dinsey, you'll have to spend 400 adventures first in the zones - be prepared.

See Also: Dinseylandfill Employee Manual

Unlockables:

That 70s Volcano

What is it?: Can be unlocked permanently with an Item of the Month or one day with a tradable item

Ascension-Relevance: Again there's a skill, some decent pre-war equipment and purchasable food and booze. Again, there's some pretty good equipment here too. There's equipment that helps you farm goats, pirates, and pre-War hippies/ frat orcs. Muscle classes will love electrician's hardhat whenever they can wear it. Grease cannon destroys ghosts easily, the Lavalarva is a very powerful whip with no stat requirement, and Mr. Cheeng's spectacles can replace Baron von Ratsworth's monocle in the latter half of an ascension. You can also make the three LavaCo Lamp™'s here, which are off-hand items that grant 5 adventures and 50 turns of +50% to all [particular stat] gains at rollover. Perming Asbestos Heart will allow you to open an extra drawer, even in Hardcore.

Recommended Level: Level 9 will suffice for all areas except the The Bubblin' Caldera, which it is best to approach level 11 or above, and the The SMOOCH Army HQ, which has scaling monsters. Note that the bosses in this area are much tougher than the regular enemies, so either buff yourself or wait until level 15 before facing them.

See Also: Groovy Geology: Your Guide to That 70s Volcano

Unlockables:

The Glaciest

What is it?: Can be unlocked permanently with an Item of the Month or one day with a tradable item

Ascension-Relevance: With the Little Geneticist DNA-Splicing Lab it is possible to get the +Familiar Weight effect. The equipment bought from Wal-Mart give +40% bonus to a particular stat as well as +4 additional [stat] points per fight, which is nice for equipment that needs only 50 [stat] to equip. The Octolus-skin cloak is a nice back item to equip at rollover, and the norwal helmet and the sardine can key are nice for farming, but they're rare conditional drops so consider just buying them from the mall. Perming both Refusal to Freeze and Northern Exposure means you'll never have to worry about cold mountains ever again. The VKKEA Companions have bonuses, but as they require several components and only last a day, they are best used making the most out of a one-day pass in Aftercore rather than in an ascension.

Recommended Level: The Ice Hotel is suitable for level 11s and above while you should be at least level 16 for the underwater Ice Hole.

See Also: "Kyliga Bollar," The Glaciest Guide

Unlockables:

LyleCo. Charters

FantasyRealm

What is it?: Can be unlocked permanently with a FantasyRealm membership packet or one day with a FantasyRealm guest pass.

Ascension-Relevance: Varies. The FantasyRealm hats that can be chosen upon entering the realm can grant 15 of a stat with no requirements, making them a pull for those who are struggling to defeat tough or high-ML monsters. Other equipment requires more dedication and will take more than 21 days to finish depending on your strategy and playstyle, but are stronger and can help those with a greater base stat, especially players who are adventuring in the Sea or the Clan Dungeons.

Recommended Level: Level 13. Monsters in FantasyRealm have a set ML, with higher ML for bosses and a harder requirement to achieve to unlock the bosses. Multiple types of playstyles are recommended such as strong skills, melee attacks, high initiative, passive damage, group damage, and more to defeat the individual monsters.

Unlockables:

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