Picture this: You’re Death, CEO of Death Incorporated. You’ve been shackled to your desk, working yourself to the bone, while your trusted executives are wreaking havoc back on earth. Mounds of paperwork later, the bitter taste of burnout swishes in your metaphorical mouth, and you decide to make a quick trip back to earth, discipline your rampant inferiors, and earn yourself a nice little vacation.
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Have A Nice Deathis a gorgeously hand-drawn 2D roguelite with hack-and-slash elements set against the morbid backdrop of corporate life. Wielding over 30 unique weapons, spells, and your choice of curses generously endowed by master O’Shah, you descend to earth on a mission to put The Sorrows in their place and remind them who’s boss. Here are some of the best beginner curses you need to know.
10Treason To Live
You didn’t think you could resolve an office mishap without a wee bit of backstabbing, did you? It is unheard of, even in the afterworld. Much like everyday life, Have A Nice Death necessitates a backstab to destroy an enemy, but there’s a caveat - not all weapons support this handy little trick.
Treason To Live will apply backstabs to all attacks, ensuring your survival without the use of a Dirty Dagger. It doesn’t always show up in O’Shah’s inventory though, so be sure to grab it as soon as it’s available.
9Stroke Of Luck
Death cannot die, granted, but they can get awfully worn out. That’s why it’s important to stock up on curses that guarantee they’re just as lethal when they’re feeling under the weather. Fighting sorrows will do that to you, sooner or later.
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Stroke Of Luck will make sure you survive all fatal blows when you need it the most, that is, when you only have 1 HP. Alternatives include Draw Your Weapon gives you life insurance, which is super handy when you’re going on a rampage, and Stable Job, which renders all damage below ten to just one HP (a lot better than a 401K to be honest).
8Scythe Of Standing
Early game, you’ll find yourself using your favorite weapon a lot, which also happens to be your default: The Scythe. So, you might as well keep it nice and sharp with several damage buffs. With Scythe Of Standing, you can buff it up nicely with +20 damage. If you can’t get your hands on it, both Mercurial and Adamantine Scythe will give you +2 damage, while Scythe of Authority and Starknife will give you +10 and +15 damage respectively.
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If you’re lucky, O’Shah might even have an extra Concentration Is Key for you, which gives you +50 damage on charged attacks. If not, Knave of Swords will do, arming you with an extra flying scythe, which will serve as your loyal bodyguard.
7Cloak Of Intensity
You’ve got it, you might as well turn it into a weapon. Like your Scythe, some curses will help you buff up your cloak, making it deal damage next to your Scythe or weapon of choice. For this, Cloak of Intensity is very handy, adding 25 damage points to your stately shroud. Cloak Of The Gods, however, is the easier to get, but only gives you +5 damage. Cloak Of The Demiurge and Avatar Cloak will buff up your damage by 10 and 15 points respectively.
Some curses will also give you Cloakswish, a stealth attack that launches projectiles at your enemies. These could be axes with And My Axe, butterflies with Cutterflies In My Stomach, or bombs with Praised Be The Bombcloak.
6Lepidoptera Lapidator
Now that you’re comfortable throwing things at your employees, you might want to make it a habit. Some curses will give you the privilege of Termination, which in Have A Nice Death can mean both firing them from their job and from their ethereal bodies. Others, like Lepidoptera Lapidator, will let you fire them in style.
Unleashing a deadly swarm of butterflies, Lepidoptera Lapidator is a favorite of CEO Death, for reasons that are entirely plausible. Who doesn’t like butterflies? For a more macabre exit, Crow Cover lets you unleash a swarm of crows onto your enemies, which may or may not finish them, depending on when you cast it.
5Misfortune Wheel
Even bosses can sometimes find themselves on the losing side. In real life, this happens when employees decide to form unions and demand for their rights in the workplace. In Have A Nice Death, Sorrows can sometimes get to death as much as they do to the poor living, so Misfortune Wheel can be of service when your HP is less than 25 percent and you still need to deal 15 damage.
Other curses that will help you deal some desperate, last minute blows are Tick, Tock, Boom! sets up a 10-second ceasefire followed by an explosion, Rondo Of Blood gives you a 50 percent chance of lifesteal, and Faster, Faster reduces Dash cooldown by 25 percent for those nasty arguments that don’t give you the courtesy of a pause.
4Twisting The Knife
The worst fights are the ones that drag on, seemingly with no end in sight. That’s why you need to stock up on critical blows, especially if you’re planning a purge. While Scathing Scythe is a dependable curse, giving you +10 critical damage, Twisting The Knife is an excellent addition to your arsenal, and far more dependable, as it ensures critical damage when your enemy is stunned.
If you can’t get your hands on it, there are always alternatives. Tyrannical Boss is one we’re all too familiar with, ensuring the next attack is critical, while Unbearable Luck wields a whooping 150 percent of critical damage, but can be a rare find early on in the game.
3Hidden Cache
What a waste to be CEO if you can’t abuse your privileges, especially Administrative Penalty, which gives you +20 HP for every Termination. Embezzlement is also nice, and Hidden Cache gives you 30 Soulary for your unlikely needs.
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There are other ways you can pull rank if you’re CEO of Death Incorporated. When it comes time for an upgrade, C/O Orville ensures it’s almost free, and Deathlock helps you regenerate 100 Mana without having to go out for a smoke break.
2Ignite The Future
Sometimes, firing them is not enough to quench your rage, so Deathly Taint can help you release a cloud of poison, and Deathly Blaze starts a lovely fire to celebrate vanquishing your enemies, which in this case are your ungrateful employees. Eye For An Eye is also handy for long matches, restoring 5 HP on retaliation.
They all pale in comparison to Ignite The Future, however, an amazing curse for those younglings with so much potential, giving you +15 damage everytime you burn them.
1It’s On Mark
Like every bad manager who’s big enough to take the stand will tell you, the best privileges out there are discounts. Death fears no one, and is feared by everyone. Whenever they walk into a shop, It’s On Mark immediately restores 20 HP.
Other handy curses include Lil Sorcerer, which comes with a ten percent decrease on spells, Sorcerer which goes up to 20 percent, and My Little Cut, which gives them a ten Soulary cashback with every purchase.
