Ectoplasm

Ectoplasm is an Ancient relic that grants +1 Energy in exchange for being unable to gain gold. +1 Energy is among the most universal effects of any relic, but being unable to earn gold at all is heavier than you might expect.

Impact of No Gold

• You can no longer buy cards, remove cards, buy relics, or buy potions at shops
• Since STS2 shop card removal is a primary deck-thinning method, refining the deck becomes difficult
• You miss out on shop-exclusive relics (many strong ones like Mystical Lighter, Punch Dagger)
• Shop tiles on the map become entirely wasted, affecting route selection
• You can still use gold you already have — stockpiling before pickup is a valid strategy

Decision Criteria

• Deck is already fairly complete and doesn't need shop help
• Confident you can build the deck from card rewards and events alone
• Stockpile gold beforehand and burn it at the next shop right before pickup
• Pickup in Act 3+ softens the drawback since fewer shops remain

Character Evaluations

• Use remaining gold at a shop before picking up Ectoplasm — prioritize card removal
• After pickup, avoid shop tiles on the map and prefer combat/event-heavy routes
• Card rewards can't remove cards, so "skip" decisions become more critical — don't add weak cards
• Actively hunt elites and strengthen the deck with relic rewards
• Never miss card removal opportunities in events