When it comes to progression or bonuses in roguelikes, you never know what to expect. Some roguelike games are all about the classic, hardcore experience and don’t give you anything. Other roguelikes want to find ways to be approachable with various persistent bonuses. Some roguelikes are just all about the form and include straight-up stat growth, permanent level-ups, the works. Supergiant’s Hades is somewhere in-between, with the primary way to power up being run-only bonuses, with several permanent bonuses giving you those clutch boosts that don’t truly matter until the big picture falls into place.
Hades Keepsakes Guide
One way Hades gives the player to trick their Zagreus out is the Keepsake system. This is heavily tied into the relationship system, what with it being the reward for giving your fellow denizens of Hell (and other godly figures) gifts of Nectar. The first time you give a character Nectar they’ll give you a Keepsake, which gets added to a display case in Zagreus’ room and appears in the dungeon between areas. You can equip one Keepsake at a time, each one offering a specific bonus. And if you continue using a Keepsake through runs, you can power up each one’s bonus twice. You can also change your Keepsake when you come across the display case after each boss, which expands your build options and makes them flexible.
Related: Hades Door Symbols Guide: Boons, Artifacts and More
The following is the full list of Keepsakes at the moment, although more could be added sometime down the line. We have them listed by character since that’s how you unlock them, and each Keepsake’s effects are shown from their lowest to highest level. To level up your Keepsakes, all you have to do is keep them equipped while you clear rooms. Once you hit a threshold you’ll see the next level’s effect applied. That’s all for now! Here’s the list:
- Cerberus: Old Spiked Collar – Max HP + 25/38/50
- Achilles: Myrmidon Bracer – Reduce damage 20/25/30% (front), increase damage 10% (back)
- Nyx: Black Shawl – 10/15/20% extra damage striking undamaged foes/backstabs
- Thanatos: Pierced Butterfly – Damage + 1/1.5/2% per Encounter cleared without taking damage
- Charon: Bone Hourglass – Well of Charon item durations +4/6/8 Encounters
- Hypnos: Chthonic Coin Purse – Get an extra 100/125/150 Obols per run
- Megaera: Skull Earring – Damage + 20/30/40% while HP is 30% or lower
- Orpheus: Distant Memory – Up to 10/20/30% extra damage based on distance
- Dusa: Harpy Feather Duster – Urns have 2/3/4 % chance to contain healing items
- Skelly: Lucky Tooth – Restore up to 50/75/100 HP when Life Total reaches 0
- Zeus: Thunder Signet – The next Boon will be Zeus. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Poseidon: Conch Shell – The next Boon will be Poseidon. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Athena: Owl Pendant – The next Boon will be Athena. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Aphrodite: Eternal Rose The next Boon will be Aphrodite. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Ares: Blood-filled Vial – The next Boon will be Ares. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Artemis: Adamant Arrowhead – The next Boon will be Artemis. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Dionysus: Overflowing Cup – The next Boon will be Dionysus. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Hermes: Lambent Plume – Dodge chance and move speed + 1/1.1/1.2 % for each Encounter cleared quickly (metrics defining “quickly” change depending on circumstances)
- Demeter: Frostbitten Horn – The next Boon will be Demeter. Rare or better 10/15/20 % chance
- Chaos: Cosmic Egg – Enter Chaos Gates without HP penalty. Blessings Rare or better 20/30/40% chance
- Sisyphus: Shattered Shackle – Attack, Special and Cast + 40/60/80% while not affected by Boons
- Eurydice: Evergreen Acorn – Nullify first 3/4/5 hits in Underworld Boss Encounters
- Patroclus: Broken Spearpoint – Invulnerability period for 0.5/1/1.5 seconds after taking damage. 7 second cooldown.
Each character only gives out one Keepsake (technically), but that doesn’t mean you’re done interacting with them. To get the full scope of the story we strongly encourage developing those relationships. There are even romance options! But aside from that, eventually you’ll reach a threshold with those relationships that open up favors, which you’ll need to do to max out those hearts. The list isn’t as long as this one, but certain characters will give you special items beyond the normal Keepsakes. But what are those, exactly? You’ll have to stay tuned for the follow-up guide!
- Hades | What are Duo Boons, How to Get Duo Boons
- Fishing In Hades Is My Own Personal Hell
- Hades Beginners’ Guide
How’s our Hades coverage? And how’s the game itself? We want to hear your opinions! If you’d like to share your thoughts with us, you can do so at the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter channels!
Published: Sep 23, 2020 09:15 pm