Special challenge path

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Special challenge paths are types of ascension runs that add variant rules and restrictions to the base game.

A new special challenge path debuts in the Spring, Summer, and Fall of each year. A challenge path is considered to be current or "in season" during its first three months.

Completing a special challenge path awards an additional 50 Karma for a Normal run or an additional 100 Karma for a Hardcore run, if the run started while the path was current. A run started outside of the initial season will earn an additional 50 Karma if it is a first of that path for a player (normal or hardcore). Additionally, a Thwaitgold statuette will drop from The Naughty Sorceress' final form or the equivalent final boss.

Playing the current special challenge path has additional restrictions and benefits:

  • You are under standard restrictions, not allowed to use limited-time content that is older than January of (path's starting date's year minus 2). For example, in the Spring 2018 challenge path which begins February 15, 2018, and ends May 14, 2018, you are not allowed to use limited-time content from before January 2016.
    • Standard restrictions end when Ronin ends. Standard does not apply when a special challenge path is no longer current.
  • For some paths, you will receive a special path-specific reward for completing a run (beating the final boss) while it is still current.
No. Season Path Description Reward Aftercore differences
45 Fall 2024

August 15, 2024 to
November 14, 2024

Avant Guard
  • Everyone in the Kingdom has a bodyguard.
44 Summer 2024

May 15, 2024 to
August 14, 2024

11 Things I Hate About U
  • Is are good for you and I, but Us are bad for you.
43 Spring 2024

February 15, 2024 to
May 14, 2024

WereProfessor
  • You are a kindly professor inflicted with a horrible curse.
  • Aftercore class choice
42 Fall 2023

August 15, 2023 to
November 14, 2023

A Shrunken Adventurer Am I
  • You are so tiny.
  • Breaking the prism gives you your stats back, and multiplies your fullness and drunkenness by 10
  • No major benefits to staying in-path
  • You can equip anything you have access to before breaking prism
41 Summer 2023

May 15, 2023 to
August 14, 2023

Legacy of Loathing
  • Play with replica items from the past 20 years of Mr. Store!
  • Can remain in path for weird farming tricks or to have fun with replica IoTMs
  • Some effects from replica IoTMs may linger into aftercore, like Little Geneticist DNA-Splicing Lab intrinsics
40 Spring 2023

February 15, 2023 to
May 14, 2023

Avatar of Shadows Over Loathing
  • Play as one of the classes from the recently-released smash hit video game Shadows Over Loathing, by Asymmetric Games!
  • No access to permanent skills
  • Play as one of three special classes
  • There is no class choice after freeing King Ralph - you stay as the special class you chose
  • Keep class skills and (un)cursed boss drops in aftercore
39 Fall 2022

August 15, 2022 to
November 14, 2022

Fall of the Dinosaurs
  • There's been a theme park accident, and dinosaurs have eaten all of the monsters in the Kingdom!
38 Summer 2022

May 15, 2022 to
August 14, 2022

Journeyman
  • Journey to out-of-the-way places to find your skills.
  • Keep skills you learn during the path
37 Spring 2022

February 15, 2022 to
May 14, 2022

Grey You
  • Resistance is goo-tile.
  • Aftercore class choice
  • Reset to level 1 after freeing King Ralph XI
  • Organs will be set to full and adventures will be reduced to 40 if higher, although you can use those adventures before breaking the prism
36 Fall 2021

August 15, 2021 to
November 14, 2021

Wildfire
  • The Kingdom is burning! Help put out fires while also helping with everything you usually help with.
35 Summer 2021

May 15, 2021 to
August 14, 2021

Quantum Terrarium
  • A quantum event has collapsed all of the Kingdom's Terraria into one!
  • Returns to a normal run, with your terrarium restored.
34 Spring 2021

February 14, 2021 to
May 14, 2021

You, Robot
  • Instead of being yourself, be a big rusty junk robot!
  • Your organs will all be empty
33 Fall 2020

August 15, 2020 to
November 14, 2020

Grey Goo
  • A self-replicating mass of grey goo has invaded the Kingdom from the furthest reaches of space. Destroy as much of it as you can in three days!
  • True Aftercore doesn't exist for this path
  • Many zones remain inaccessible
32 Summer 2020

May 15, 2020 to
August 14, 2020

Low Key Summer
  • Travel to out-of-the-way locations. Variety is key!
  • No significant aftercore benefits
31 Spring 2020

February 15, 2020 to
May 14, 2020

Path of the Plumber
  • Jump, Hammer and Fireball your way through the Kingdom. Just like a plumber!
  • Play as a Plumber.
  • No access to permanent skills.
  • Aftercore class choice
  • Liver remains open on final day
30 Fall 2019

August 15, 2019 to
November 14, 2019

Kingdom of Exploathing
  • The Kingdom has been blown to bits!
  • All Council quests are immediately available at the start of the run.
  • Most optional locations/shops are unavailable
  • No signficant Aftercore benefits
  • Many zones remain inaccessible
29 Summer 2019

May 15, 2019 to
August 14, 2019

Two Crazy Random Summer
  • Items have random modifiers
  • No Aftercore benefits
  • All effects are lost upon prism break
  • Can remain in path to access powerful effects and turngen, but still keeping the 1,000 meat drop cap
28 Spring 2019

February 15, 2019 to
May 14, 2019

Dark Gyffte
  • Play as a Vampyre.
  • No access to permanent skills.
  • Skills cost HP and can be reconfigured throughout your run.
  • Food and Booze are limited to those that can be crafted with blood bags.
  • Aftercore class choice
  • Organs remain open on final day
  • Can remain in path as a powerful all-rounder class
27 Fall 2018

August 15, 2018 to
November 14, 2018

Disguises Delimit
  • Wear a mask; swap masks with enemies wearing different masks.
  • No Aftercore benefits
26 Summer 2018

May 15, 2018 to
August 14, 2018

G-Lover
  • Items, effects, skills, and familiars without the letter G in their name can not be used.
  • No Aftercore benefits
25 Spring 2018

Feb 15, 2018 to
May 14, 2018

Pocket Familiars
  • Instead of fighting monsters, pit your team of familiars against theirs!
  • No access to permanent skills.
  • Keep Pokefam caps in aftercore:
  • +100% item drop hat
  • +4 elemental resistance hat
  • +30 ML hat
  • -15% combat frequency hat
24 Fall 2017

Aug 14, 2017 to
Nov 14, 2017

Live. Ascend. Repeat.
  • Adventure encounters, item drops, and consumption results are deterministic rather than random.
  • No Aftercore benefits
  • Can remain in path to have predictable monsters indefinitely
23 Summer 2017

May 15, 2017 to
August 13, 2017

License to Adventure
  • Gain new secret agent skills, in addition to your permanent skills.
  • You must clear out a super villain lair each day or face being disavowed by your superiors.
  • You cannot eat, and booze is limited to martinis.
  • No familiars.
  • No Aftercore benefits
  • Stomach remains open on final day
22 Spring 2017

Feb 15, 2017 to
May 14, 2017

Gelatinous Noob
  • Play as a new class, the Gelatinous Noob, a slime with aspirations of humanity.
  • Absorb items instead of eating and drinking.
  • Unique skills can be obtained when absorbing items.
  • Organs remain open on final day
  • Can remain in path for weird farming tricks
21 Fall 2016

Aug 15, 2016 to
Nov 14, 2016

Nuclear Autumn
  • The rest of the planet was very recently destroyed by nuclear war, and the Kingdom is experiencing the very early stages of the apocalypse.
  • New path-specific skills. Permanent skills are not available.
  • Your diet is highly restricted.
  • No campground access.
20 Summer 2016

May 15, 2016 to
Aug 14, 2016

The Source
  • New path-specific skills, in addition to your permanent skills.
  • Most sources of stat gain are reduced.
  • Fight wandering Source Agents to gain stats.
  • No Aftercore benefits
19 Spring 2016

Feb 15, 2016 to
May 14, 2016

Avatar of West of Loathing
  • Continue to be a Cow Puncher, Beanslinger, or Snake Oiler after breaking prism, keeping all of your AoWoL skills, as well as all of your permed skills.
18 Fall 2015

Aug 15, 2015 to
Nov 15, 2015

Community Service
  • Is extremely fast and can leave most organs available
  • Many zones remain inaccessible
17 Summer 2015

May 15, 2015 to
Aug 14, 2015

One Crazy Random Summer
  • Every monster has a Monster Modifier
  • Dice gear is automatically free-pulled
  • Runs are ranked by Fun instead of speed
  • No Aftercore benefits
16 Spring 2015

Feb 15, 2015 to
May 14, 2015

Actually Ed the Undying
  • Play as Ed the Undying!
  • Gain Skill Points as you level up, and use them to progress in three different skill trees.
  • Instead of familiars, servants are unlocked at certain levels, gaining new effects every 7 levels.
  • Losing a fight takes you to The Underworld, where you can upgrade your body and buy special items for Ka coins, dropped by certain phylum of monsters.
  • Immune to most HP Restorers; only a trip to The Underworld can heal you.
  • You can't consume food or booze without buying the required organ, and your Spleen starts out small.
  • No campground access.
  • Aftercore class choice
  • Organs remain open on final day
  • Can remain in path as a powerful all-rounder class
15 Winter 2014

Nov 15, 2014 to
Feb 14, 2015

Picky
  • Pick only 3 familiars and 11 permanent skills.
  • No Aftercore benefits
14 Fall 2014

Aug 15, 2014 to
Nov 14, 2014

Heavy Rains
  • The Kingdom is flooded! Each water level (up to 6) adds +10 ML, +5% chance of dropped items washing away, and various other difficulties
  • New wandering monsters, varying by water level and zone type
  • New path-specific skills cast with new resources Rain, Lightning, and Thunder (100 max, regained through various sources, filled to 100 each rollover) and learned with the items dropped from the wanderers at water level 6
  • Most ascension-relevant bosses are replaced with dangerous new watery versions of their old selves
  • No Aftercore benefits
  • Can remain in path to keep powerful Thunder, Rain, and Lightning skills at cost of Heavy Rains washing away items
13 Summer 2014

May 15, 2014 to
Aug 14, 2014

Slow and Steady
  • 100 adventures each rollover, no adventure gains from other sources
  • No Aftercore benefits
12 Spring 2014

Feb 15, 2014 to
May 14, 2014

Avatar of Sneaky Pete
  • Play as a new class, The Avatar of Sneaky Pete.
  • Gain Skill Points with each level up, and use them in three different skill trees.
  • In place of a familiar, you have a talking motorcycle that can be upgraded.
  • Your stomach is small, but your liver is legendary.
  • Can fill Sneaky Pete's liver and be reduced to 14 drunk upon prism break
  • Aftercore class choice
  • Stomach remains open on final day
11 Winter 2013

Nov 15, 2013 to
Feb 14, 2014

Class Act II: A Class For Pigs
  • You cannot use other classes' Guild skills or any Traveling Trader skills.
  • You start with all Guild skills for your class.

(Before May 14, 2014)

  • Double stat gain from monsters, but most noncombat stat gains are halved.
  • Monsters gain additional powers at higher +ML.
  • No Aftercore benefits
10 Fall 2013

Aug 15, 2013 to
Nov 14, 2013

KOLHS
  • No Aftercore benefits
  • Can remain in path to create powerful after-school items at the cost of effective liver
9 Summer 2013

May 15, 2013 to
August 14, 2013

BIG!
  • You start off at level 15, with 200 points in your mainstat, and 150 in each of your offstats.
  • All the monsters have 150 additional attack, defense, and HP.
  • All free runaways are non-free
  • Finishes ascension with at least 200 mainstat and 150 offstats for aftercore purposes
8 Spring 2013

Feb 15, 2013 to
May 14, 2013

Avatar of Jarlsberg
  • Play as a new class, The Avatar of Jarlsberg.
  • Gain Skill Points with each level up, and use them to gain skills in four different skill trees.
  • In place of a familiar, you may summon one of four Food Companions.
  • Use your Cosmic Kitchen to cook up special food and weapons depending on the skills you unlocked.
  • Your diet is restricted to food and drink from your Cosmic Kitchen.
  • Aftercore class choice
7 Winter 2012

Nov 15, 2012 to
Feb 14, 2013

Class Act
  • You cannot use permed skills except those from your own character class.
  • No Aftercore benefits
6 Fall 2012

Aug 15, 2012 to
Nov 14, 2012

Zombie Slayer
  • Play as a new class, The Zombie Master.
  • Unique skills can be obtained when defeating special monsters.
  • Only unliving familiars can accompany you.
  • Instead of MP, you have a Zombie Horde.
  • Your liver is limited, and you can eat only brains.
  • Aftercore class choice
  • Liver remains open on final day
5 Summer 2012

May 15, 2012 to
Aug 14, 2012

Bugbear Invasion
  • No Aftercore benefits
4 Spring 2012

Feb 15, 2012 to
May 14, 2012

Avatar of Boris
  • Play as a new class, The Avatar of Boris.
  • Unique skills can be obtained for free when you level up.
  • Your faithful minstrel Clancy accompanies you in place of familiars.
  • The only weapon allowed is your trusty axe Trusty.
  • Your liver is limited, but your appetite is legendary.
  • Aftercore class choice
  • Liver remains open on final day
3 Winter 2011

Nov 15, 2011 to
Feb 14, 2012

Trendy
  • Cannot use any limited-time content that has been unavailable for more than one year.
  • Skills, items, and familiars are all subject to being non-trendy.
  • No Aftercore benefits
2 Fall 2011

Aug 15, 2011 to
Nov 14, 2011

Way of the Surprising Fist
  • Weapons and off-hand items may not be equipped.
  • Meat gains from monsters, quests, and items are significantly reduced or non-existent.
  • Items may not be auto-sold for meat, and meat cannot be pulled from Hagnk's.
  • Special combat skills may be learned from certain zones.
  • Keep potentially powerful skills in Aftercore
1 Summer 2011

May 17, 2011 to
Aug 14, 2011

Bees Hate You
  • Cannot use any items or familiars that have the letter "b" in them.
  • Equipment with the letter "b" will cause you damage in combat.
  • Bees attack you every 15-20 turns.
  • No Aftercore benefits

In-Season Rewards

These are special rewards given to those who complete a special challenge path while it is in-season.

  • This reward is given only if the run is started while it is still current. That means as long as the path is current when started, you will receive the in-season reward.
  • If your run exceeds 1000 turns in a normal ascension and breaks ronin you are released from standard restrictions, but you can still get the in-season reward.

Commendations

Challenge Path Commendations are special rewards given to players whose ascension is listed on an in-game challenge path leaderboard (either Normal or Hardcore) at the end of that path's season. These commendations appear on a player's profile, and are awarded based on placement within the leaderboard:

Leaderboard Position Commendation
#1
(1 per season)
Gold Star
Gold Star
#2 - #12
(11 per season)
Silver Moon
Silver Moon
#13 - #35
(23 per season)
Bronze Button
Bronze Button

Commendations are accompanied by a message from the Leaderboard Robot (#3737):

Dear <playername>,
Your position on the final <pathname> <ascension type> leaderboard entitles to you to a <commendation type>.

Now everybody that looks at your profile will know how awesome you are. Or were, at the end of the <pathname> season.

Love,
The Magical Mystical Mighty Meritorious Misanthropic Masterful Magnanimous Masticating Muhahahahah-ing Leaderboard Robot

There is one new adjective on the last line each season, added onto the other ones. The earliest recorded was "Magical Mystical" when Avatar of Boris was the current path.

For either Sneaky Pete or Slow and Steady "Muhahahahah-ing" was removed and replaced with "Meddling." Also, line breaks were added to the format. As of Avatar of West of Loathing, "Maddening" has been replaced by "Maniacal Much-Loved".

Dear <playername>,
Your position on the final <pathname> <ascension type> leaderboard entitles to you to a <commendation type>.

Now everybody that looks at your profile will know how awesome you are. Or were, at the end of the <pathname> season.

Love,
The Magical Mystical Mighty Meritorious
Misanthropic Masterful Magnanimous
Masticating Meddling Marauding Maudlin
Malingering Metamorphic Maniacal
Much-Loved Mind-Bending Majestic
Masochistic Majesty's-Secret- Service-Serving Monotonous Monotonous Monotonous
Merry-Making Mechanical Merry-Crimboing Much-Belated
Machiavellian Marioesque Maurading Macrocephalous Morphing
Mellow Monday-loving Mentoring Mesozoic Matronly Miniature
Leaderboard Robot

Commendations may not be received immediately following the end of a path; some manual intervention by KoL's admins is required. A player can only earn 1 commendation for Normal and 1 for Hardcore. In challenge paths with multiple leaderboards for multiple classes (eg Class Act-types with 6 classes × 2 formats = 12 boards or subsequently Avatar of West of Loathing with 3 classes × 2 formats = 6 boards), being on multiple boards for the same ascension type will still only yield 1 commendation of the highest eligible type.

Having a commendation allows access to the /challenge chat channel.

Ascension Paths
Bowl.gif Martini.gif Smalloxy.gif
Teetotaler Boozetafarian Oxygenarian
Special Challenge Paths
Spring Summer Fall Winter
2011 Hardcorex.gif
None
Beeicon.gif
Bees Hate You
Wosp fist.gif
Way of the Surprising Fist
Trendyicon.gif
Trendy
2012 Trusty.gif
Avatar of Boris
Familiar39.gif
Bugbear Invasion
Tombstone2.gif
Zombie Slayer
Motorboat.gif
Class Act
2013 Path12icon.gif
Avatar of Jarlsberg
Bigicon.gif
BIG!
Kolhsicon.gif
KOLHS
Motorboat2.gif
Class Act II: A Class For Pigs
2014 Bigglasses.gif
Avatar of Sneaky Pete
Sas.gif
Slow and Steady
Familiar31.gif
Heavy Rains
Pickypath2.gif
Picky
2015 Scarab.gif
Actually Ed the Undying
Dice.gif
One Crazy Random Summer
Csplaquesmall.gif
Community Service
Hardcorex.gif
None
2016 Badge.gif
Avatar of West of Loathing
Ss datasiphon.gif
The Source
Radiation.gif
Nuclear Autumn
Hardcorex.gif
None
2017 Gcube.gif
Gelatinous Noob
Briefcase.gif
License to Adventure
Watch.gif
Live. Ascend. Repeat.
Hardcorex.gif
None
2018 Spiritorb.gif
Pocket Familiars
G-loveheart.gif
G-Lover
Dd icon.gif
Disguises Delimit
Hardcorex.gif
None
2019 Darkgift.gif
Dark Gyffte
Twocrazydice.gif
Two Crazy Random Summer
Puff.gif
Kingdom of Exploathing
Hardcorex.gif
None
2020 Mario mushroom1.gif
Path of the Plumber
Littlelock.gif
Low Key Summer
Greygooball.gif
Grey Goo
Hardcorex.gif
None
2021 Robobattery.gif
You, Robot
Confused.gif
Quantum Terrarium
Fire.gif
Wildfire
Hardcorex.gif
None
2022 Greygooring.gif
Grey You
Map.gif
Journeyman
Dinostuffy.gif
Fall of the Dinosaurs
Hardcorex.gif
None
2023 Aosol.gif
Avatar of Shadows Over Loathing
Xx small.gif
Legacy of Loathing
Kiloskull.gif
A Shrunken Adventurer Am I
Hardcorex.gif
None
2024 Intrinsic beast.gif
WereProfessor
Ihatesu2.gif
11 Things I Hate About U
Radshield.gif
Avant Guard
Hardcorex.gif
None