Relics and the crusade build
How relics, tarot cards and curses stack into one run, and what each layer is for.
Three separate layers modify a run
Tarot cards are chosen between rooms and carry a card description plus a line of lore. Relics are carried into a crusade and have their own charge field. Curses are the spells you cast. They are separate systems with separate tables, so a build is the combination — not one item that carries the run.
Read the relic wording before you pick
Relic entries in the game files carry an explicit charge value and a lore line. Some relic names appear in a Blessed and a Damned variant of the same relic, which means the pair to compare is the two variants, not two different relics. Compare the effect on the same relic name first.
Curses have types, not just costs
Curse entries carry a type field. The curse descriptions state what the spell does: Fireball shoots a piercing bolt of fire, Vortex creates a vortex that pulls enemies towards it, ProjectileAOE spreads black Ichor on landing, MegaSlash is a melee attack that can be charged for increased power, and EnemyBlast knocks back enemies within range while damaging them. Charge and pull are control; direct damage is not the only axis.
Tarot cards change a run, not the cult
Tarot cards modify the crusade you are in. A card’s unlock line tells you where it comes from — default, a Knucklebones win against Ratau, a purchase in a room, or a shop. Because the unlock is the constraint, the collection order is a route through the world rather than a grind.
Build around what you are handed
A run starts with one weapon and one curse, and both can be swapped or upgraded. Upgrades for weapon families exist per type — the game files contain separate upgrade lines for Axe, Sword, Dagger, Gauntlet, Hammer, Blunderbuss, Chain (Flail) and Shield. Choose upgrades inside the family you are actually holding rather than spreading across families.