Spelunky is © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC, and is used under the [Spelunky User License v1.1b](https://spelunky.ai/LICENSE.txt). spelunky.ai is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Mossmouth. The game and its assets may not be sold.

Music by George Buzinkai and Jonathan Perry; sound effects made in SFXR. From Spelunky Classic 1.1, © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC.

# Sceptre

From the spelunky.ai wiki: <https://spelunky.ai/wiki/sceptre>. Verified against the spelunky.ai port [v0.1.10](https://github.com/851-labs/spelunky/releases/tag/v0.1.10) on 27 October 2026.

This page describes a secret.

The Sceptre is a weapon in Spelunky Classic, dropped by the Tomb Lord on level 13, that fires psychic waves which seek out monsters for 3 hit points a step.

![A golden sceptre with a hooked head that glows orange](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/66c8732d531340f4/sprites/sSceptreRight/frames/0%404x.png)

| Sceptre    |                                                 |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Kind       | Weapon                                          |
| Effect     | Fires psychic waves that seek out monsters[^1]  |
| Damage     | 3 hit points[^2]                                |
| Objects    | `oSceptre`, `oPsychicWaveP`                     |
| Found in   | The Temple (Level 13, from its Tomb Lord)[^3]   |
| Dropped by | [Tomb Lord](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/tomb-lord) |

Only the [Tomb Lord](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/tomb-lord) of level 13 has one, and no shop sells it. Held, it fires psychic waves
that turn toward the nearest monster and pass through rock, hurting what they touch on every step, so a
single wave can kill a monster out of the player's sight. On level 14 it's one of the keys to the
City of Gold.

## Usage

**Clip: Sceptre's psychic wave.** On level 14, the player fires the sceptre left and runs after its wave. The wave turns toward the nearest monster, a hawkman leaping at him, and kills it, taking 3 hit points on each step it touches it. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/66c8732d531340f4/clips/sceptre/hawkman/clip.mp4))

The Sceptre is picked up like any item, crouching over it and pressing the attack key. While it's held, the
attack key fires it, on the ground, in the air, hanging or climbing, without knocking the player back;
crouching, the key puts it down in front of him instead[^4]. It
isn't thrown. A shot makes a psychic wave 12 pixels in front of the player, with three sparks that fall
away, and starts a wait of 20 steps before the
next[^5].

The wave goes straight ahead at 6 pixels a step for its first 5 steps. After that, every step, it turns
toward the middle of the monster nearest it, wherever it is, and moves 2 pixels that
way[^1]. It has no collision with blocks, so it goes through
rock, and it lasts as long as its animation, 100 steps, unless it leaves the
room[^6][^7][^8]. In the clip, the player fires left on level 14 and
runs after his wave. A [Hawkman](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/hawkman) leaps at him, and the wave, which has turned toward it, takes 3 of
its 4 hit points on the step it touches it and 3 more on the next, and it
dies[^9].

The Sceptre goes with the player through a level's exit if he's holding it, and is in his hands on the next
level[^10][^11]. He
drops it when he's stunned, or when he teeters too long at a ledge's
edge[^12][^13][^14].

## Damage

| Monster                                           | Each step a wave touches it                    |       |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ----- |
| Every monster but the Alien Boss                  | 3 hit points, and flings it up and to the left | [^15] |
| [Alien Boss](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/alien-boss) | Nothing                                        | [^16] |
| A Damsel                                          | 3, and the wave is used up                     | [^17] |

A wave isn't used up by a monster, so it goes on hurting it, 3 hit points a step, for as long as they
touch, and then goes on to the next nearest[^15].

## Obtaining

The Sceptre comes only from a Tomb Lord killed on level 13, the first level of the Temple, which
drops it with its bones[^18][^14]. A Tomb Lord that walks into lava drops
it into the lava[^19]. No shop sells it, and the level editor has no tile for
it.

## Interactions

- **The gold door.** Held against the gold door on level 14 with the [Hedjet](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/hedjet) worn, it opens the way to the
  City of Gold, and the Sceptre is used up; without the Hedjet, the door shows "THE SCEPTRE
  FITS... BUT NOTHING IS HAPPENING!"[^20].
- **Lava.** It sinks slowly in lava like any item, but lava, which burns up any other item that sinks into
  it, spares the
  Sceptre[^21].

## Tips

- A wave turns toward the nearest monster wherever it is and goes through rock, so it can reach one the
  player can't see.
- Its waves don't hurt the Alien Boss, so the Sceptre is no use against it.

## Trivia

- Its shop message is "I SHOULDN'T BE SELLING THIS!", which no shop ever shows: none stocks
  it[^22][^19].
- Its wave's code picks a random sideways push, `rand(0,2)-rand(1,2)`, and then sets it to -1 on the next
  line, so every monster it hits is flung left[^23][^19].
- Hitting a Damsel, the wave sets a state meant for her on itself instead, and then is gone, so she keeps
  her own[^24][^19].

## FAQ

### How do you get the Sceptre in Spelunky Classic?

Kill the [Tomb Lord](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/tomb-lord) on level 13, the first level of the Temple: it drops the Sceptre when it dies there, and on no other level.

### What does the Sceptre do in Spelunky Classic?

The attack key fires a psychic wave, which goes ahead for 5 steps, then turns toward the nearest monster, through walls, and takes 3 hit points on every step it touches one. It's also one of the two things the gold door on level 14 needs.

### Does the Sceptre burn in lava in Spelunky Classic?

No. It sinks slowly in lava like any item, but lava, which burns up any other item that sinks into it, spares the Sceptre.

### Can the Sceptre hurt the Alien Boss in Spelunky Classic?

No. Its waves pass over the Alien Boss without effect, and hurt every other monster.

## See also

- **Related:** [Tomb Lord](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/tomb-lord), City of Gold, [Hedjet](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/hedjet)

## References

[^1]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/step.gml:1-17`

[^2]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/collision_oEnemy.gml:3`

[^3]: `objects/oTombLord/step.gml:23`

[^4]: `scripts/scrUseItem.gml:276-331`

[^5]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:175`

[^6]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/create.gml:3-7`

[^7]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/other_animation_end.gml:1`

[^8]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/other_outside.gml:1`

[^9]: Clip sceptre/hawkman

[^10]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:842-850`

[^11]: `objects/oLevel/create.gml:25-30`

[^12]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:329-345`

[^13]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:150-171`

[^14]: Replay `fidelity/replays/city-of-gold-seed-2-sceptre.txt`

[^15]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/collision_oEnemy.gml:1-7`

[^16]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/collision_oEnemy.gml:1`

[^17]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/collision_oDamsel.gml:1-14`

[^18]: `objects/oTombLord/step.gml:16-30`

[^19]: Quirk 1 (docs/quirks.md)

[^20]: `objects/oGoldDoor/collision_oSceptre.gml:1-23`

[^21]: `objects/oItem/step.gml:160-186`

[^22]: `objects/oSceptre/create.gml:6-7`

[^23]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/collision_oEnemy.gml:4-5`

[^24]: `objects/oPsychicWaveP/collision_oDamsel.gml:7-14`

### Source code

- `objects/oSceptre/create.gml`
- `objects/oPsychicWaveP/create.gml`
- `objects/oPsychicWaveP/step.gml`
- `objects/oPsychicWaveP/collision_oEnemy.gml`
- `objects/oTombLord/step.gml`
- `objects/oGoldDoor/collision_oSceptre.gml`
- `scripts/scrUseItem.gml`