
Guide for The Legend of Bum-Bo – Spells Guide
Spell Mechanics
The Basics
Spells are useful abilities the player accumulates throughout the game, and are an important part of any run of The Legend of Bum-bo.
There are 5 types of spells: attack spells, puzzle spells, defense spells, special spells, and charge spells.
- Attack spells allow the player to attack enemies.
- Puzzle spells allow the player to modify the tile board.
- Defense spells allow the player to avoid damage and heal.
- Special spells do a variety of helpful things.
- Charge spells have powerful effects that can only be used once in a while.
Each playable character starts with a few default spells, whereas new spells can be found in treasure rooms that the player encounters throughout the game. With the exception of charge spells, all spells cost mana to cast. The 5 colors of mana are white, brown, green, grey, and yellow. Mana can be gained by matching tiles on the tile board.
Treasure Rooms
Treasure rooms are the primary source of new spells and trinkets for the player. Each chapter consists of three enemy rooms, two treasure rooms, and one boss room. The rooms appear in the order below:
- Enemy Room
- Treasure Room
- Enemy Room
- Enemy Room
- Treasure Room
- Boss Room
Treasure rooms usually contain two spells, although occasionally one or both of the spells will be trinkets instead. When two spells are available, they will never be the same spell type as each other. The first treasure room encountered in each run will always contain one defense spell and one puzzle spell. If the player has all 6 spell slots full when entering a treasure room, they will be given the option to cancel and take no spells or trinkets. A treasure room’s spells will try to avoid costing the same color of mana as the player’s existing spells. When a spell or trinket is chosen, it is added to the player’s inventory and the other option becomes unavailable. If the player tries to take a spell or trinket but does not have room, they must choose a spell or trinket to replace with the new one.
After defeating any boss except Bygone, two trinkets will always appear in the boss room. Similarly to a treasure room, the player may add one of the trinkets to their inventory. Strangely, although boss rooms provide trinkets and not spells, they only provide the option to cancel when the player has all 6 spell slots full. In certain cases, this can cause the player to be forced to replace one of their trinkets.
Charge Spells
Charge spells cost no mana, but must recharge after each use. Each room cleared will increase the spell’s charge by 1. When the spell’s charge is full, it can be used again. Spells with a charge of 0 recharge every turn. Also, making a 7 tile combo of yellow tiles will charge all charge spells by 2. The number of charges required to use a charge spell can be reduced by purchasing charge needles from the vendor at the Wooden Nickel.
Base Damage vs. Static Damage
There are two main methods that the game uses to determine how much damage a spell should inflict upon enemies. This guide uses the following labels to describe the two main types of spell damage:
- The term base damage refers to spell damage that scales with the spell damage stat; base damage starts at 0 but each level of the spell damage stat increases base damage by 1.
- The term static damage refers to spell damage that doesn’t scale with the spell damage stat; usually, the only way to increase this type of damage is by purchasing damage needles from the vendor at the Wooden Nickel.
Status Effects
Some spells can inflict status effects on enemies:
- Blind enemies are depicted with a pair of sungla*ses on their face, and will sometimes miss their attacks. Blindness wears off after a few turns. Most bosses cannot be blinded.
- Poisoned enemies are depicted with a green face sticker on them, and will take 1 static damage at the end of each enemy phase. Poison wears off after 2 turns. Poison damage is not cla*sified as spell damage or puzzle damage; this means that enemies with spell damage resistance or puzzle damage resistance do not resist poison damage. Most bosses cannot be poisoned.
Mana Costs
Default Mana Costs
The default total mana cost of a specific spell will always be the same, however the number of colors of mana required to use the spell will vary randomly:
- Spells with a total mana cost of 1 will always cost 1 mana of 1 color.
- Spells with a total mana cost of 2 will always cost 2 mana of 1 color. The only exception is the Converter spell, which has a default cost of 1 mana of 2 colors.
- Spells with a total mana cost of 4 will either cost 4 mana of 1 color or 2 mana of 2 colors.
- Spells with a total mana cost of 6 will either cost 6 mana of 1 color, 3 mana of 2 colors, or 2 mana of 3 colors.
- Spells with a total mana cost of 10 will either cost 5 mana of 2 colors or 2 mana of 1 color and 4 mana of 2 colors.
- Spells with a total mana cost of 16 will either cost 8 mana of 2 colors or 6 mana of 1 color and 5 mana of 2 colors.
- Spells with a total mana cost of 20 will always cost 7 mana of 2 colors and 6 mana of 1 color.
Here is a table to summarize this information:
Total Mana Cost | Possible mana cost A | Possible mana cost B | Possible mana cost C |
1 | 1 | ||
2 | 2 | 1/1 (Converter spell) | |
4 | 4 | 2/2 | |
6 | 6 | 3/3 | 2/2/2 |
10 | 5/5 | 2/4/4 | |
16 | 8/8 | 6/5/5 | |
20 | 6/7/7 |
Mana Cost Reduction
The mana cost of a spell can sometimes be reduced by using the Sleight of Hand and Golden Tick spells or by purchasing mana needles from the vendor at the Wooden Nickel. The way the cost is lowered depends on which method is used.
When using a mana needle or the Sleight of Hand spell:
- If the spell costs 3 or more mana of any number of colors, one of those colors’ mana costs is reduced by 1, chosen randomly.
- Colors with mana costs of 2 or less are not affected.
When using the Golden Tick spell:
- If the spell costs 3 or more mana of any number of colors, each of those colors’ mana costs is reduced by 1.
- Colors with mana costs of 2 or less are not affected.
Certain spells have reduced total mana costs when they are used as a default spell for a playable character. These spells are Puzzle Flick, Attack Fly, and Blender Blade. Rerolling the spell’s mana cost when it has the reduced total mana cost will cause it to revert to its default, more expensive total mana cost.
Rerolling a Mana Cost
The mana cost of a spell can be rerolled when purchasing shuffle needles from the vendor at the Wooden Nickel, when entering a new room as Bum-bo the Dead, or when entering a new room while the Bag-O-Trash trinket is in the player’s posession. The cost is rerolled by randomly generating a new cost that has the same total mana cost of the default spell; any mana cost reduction is lost when the cost is rerolled. The new cost does not necessarily have the same number of colors of mana as the original spell; it only has to have the same total mana cost. The cost will never be rerolled into the exact same mana cost as before. Contrary to mana costs of new spells found in treasure rooms, a rerolled mana cost does not try to avoid costing the same color of mana as the player’s other spells. The Converter spell is a special case. When its cost is rerolled by purchasing a shuffle needle, the new cost will always be 2 mana of 1 color. Its cost cannot be rerolled in any other way while it still has its default cost, however its rerolled cost can be rerolled again by any means and will always stay as 2 mana of 1 color.
Attack Spells
Image | Name | Description | Total Mana Cost | Effect | Additional Notes |
Attack Fly | Fly Damage Over Time | 6 | Deals the player’s base damage. Additionally, 1 static damage is dealt every turn the the closest enemy in the lane. | The damage over time cannot be increased past 1. Bum-bo the Dead starts with a copy of this spell that costs 4 grey mana. | |
Bee Butt | Poison Attack | 4 | Deals the player’s base damage, poisoning the enemy. | ||
Big Rock | Hits the Furthest Enemy + Splash | 10 | Deals 2 more than the player’s base damage to the furthest enemy in a chosen lane, and 1 static damage to all adjacent enemies. | ||
Borf Bucket | Splash Damage Attack | 6 | Deals the player’s base damage. Deals 1 static damage to all adjacent enemies. | ||
Brimstone | Penetrative Attack | 6 | Deals 3 static damage to all enemies in a chosen lane. | ||
Bum-bo Smash | Bum-bo Smash! | 4 | Deals the player’s base damage. | Bum-bo the Brave starts with a copy of this spell that costs 4 white mana. | |
Dog Tooth | Attack that Heals You on Kills | 10 | |||
ExorcismKit | Kill One Enemy, but Heal Others | 6 | Kills a random enemy. Increases two random enemies’ health by 2. | When the spell targets an enemy with spell resistance, the enemy takes no damage and the other enemies do not gain health. The spell cannot target bosses. | |
Fish Hook | Mana Gaining Attack | 2 | Deals 1 static damage. Provides 1 mana of a random color. | Sometimes the attack will attempt to provide what seems to be red mana. When this happens, no mana is gained. | |
Flush | Hits All Enemies | 6 | Deals 1 static damage all enemies. | ||
Hat Pin | Attack a Row | 6 | Deals 1 static damage to a chosen enemy and all other enemies in the same row. | ||
Lemon | Blinding Attack | 4 | |||
Lil Rock | Hits the Furthest Enemy | 2 | Deals 1 static damage to the furthest enemy in a chosen lane. | ||
Mama Shoe | Hits All Non-Flying Enemies | 6 | Deals the player’s base damage to all grounded enemies. | ||
Meat Hook | Attack That Pulls an Enemy | 4 | |||
Mega Bean | Knocks Back Front Row | 6 | Knocks back all enemies in the front row. Poisons all flying enemies. | ||
Nail Board | Hits All Front Row Enemies | 6 | Deals your base damage to all enemies in the front row. | ||
Needle | Damage Goes Up With Each Hit | 4 | Deals 1 static damage. Damage increases by 1 with each successful attack, which resets between rooms. | The damage increase applies to all instances of the Needle spell in the player’s posession. Starting damage can be increased using damage needles. Bum-bo the Nimble starts with a copy of this spell that costs 4 yellow mana. | |
Number 1 | Movement Gaining Attack | 10 | Deals the player’s base damage. Provides 1 movement. | ||
Pliers | Attack + Adds Tooth Tile & Mana | 4 | |||
Poopymorph | Poopymorph Attack | 6 | |||
Puzzle Flick | Removes Tiles and Throws Them | 10 | Destroys all tiles of a chosen color. Deals static damage equal to half the number of tiles removed, rounded down. | Damage needles have no effect on this spell. Bum-bo the Weird starts with a copy of this spell that costs 3 white mana and 3 grey mana. | |
Rock | Hits the Furthest Enemy + Push | 4 | Deals the player’s base damage to the furthest enemy in a chosen lane, knocking the enemy back. | ||
Rock Friends | Hits 3 Random Enemies | 6 | Deals the player’s base damage to 3 random enemies. | ||
Rubber Bat | Hits Front Row Enemies + Push | 4 | Deals 1 static damage to all enemies in the front row, and knocks them back. | ||
Stick | Wack Away! | 4 | Deals the player’s base damage to a chosen enemy, and knocks the enemy back. | Bum-bo the Stout starts with a copy of this spell that costs 3 brown mana. |
Puzzle Spells
Image | Name | Description | Total Mana Cost | Effect | Additional Notes |
8 Ball | Adds Wild to Next Row | 2 | Replaces a random tile in the upcoming row with wild tile. | ||
Black D12 | Reroll a Column of Tiles | 2 | Rerolls a column of tiles. | ||
Blender Blade | Destroys Tiles and Touching | 6 | Destroys a chosen tile and the 4 tiles directly touching it. | Bum-bo the Stout starts with a copy of this spell that costs 3 green mana. | |
Bum-bo Shake | Rerolls the Puzzle Board | 2 | Shuffles the tile board. | The number of each tile will always be the same, only the positions change. Bum-bo the Brave starts with a copy of this spell that costs 2 grey mana. | |
Buzz Down | Move a Tile Column One Down | 1 | Moves a tile row 1 space downwards. | Bum-bo the Dead starts with a copy of this spell that costs 1 white mana. | |
Buzz Right | Move a Tile Row One Right | 1 | Moves a tile row 1 space to the right. | Bum-bo the Dead starts with a copy of this spell that costs 1 grey mana. | |
Chaos | Add Wild Tile and a Curse | 2 | Replaces 2 random tiles with a wild tile and a curse tile. | ||
Cursed Rainbow | Makes Wilds… and Curses | 4 | Randomly replaces 3 tiles with curse tiles. Randomly replaces 4 tiles in the upcoming row with wild tiles. | ||
Eraser | Destroy All Tiles of One Type | 4 | Destroys all tiles of a chosen color. | ||
Flip | Rerolls Any Tile | 1 | Replaces a chosen tile with a randomly colored tile. | The new tile cannot be a wild tile or a curse tile. It will also never be the same color of tile as the tile it is replacing. | |
Krampus Cross | Destroy a Row and Column of Tiles | 6 | Destroys a row and column of tiles. | ||
Magic Marker | Adds More of a Selected Tile | 4 | Randomly converts 2 or 3 tiles to a chosen tile’s color. | Bum-bo the Weird starts with a copy of this spell that costs 4 yellow mana. | |
MallEt | Split a Tile in Two | 4 | Destroys a chosen tile. Both tiles directly beside the chosen tile become the same color as the chosen tile. | When used on a wild tile, both tiles directly beside the chosen tile become random colors. | |
Mirror Mirror | Flips a Row of Tiles | 2 | Horizontally inverts a chosen row of tiles. | ||
Mom’s Lipstick | Turns a Tile Into a Heart | 4 | Converts a chosen tile into a heart tile. | ||
Ms. Bang | Removes a Tile and All Adjacent | Destroys a chosen tile and all 8 tiles around it. | |||
Navy Bean | Destroy a Column of Tiles | 4 | Destroys a column of tiles. | ||
Paper Straw | Gain Mana = to Most Common Tile | 6 | |||
Potato Masher | Smash a Tile… Kinda | 2 | Destroys a chosen tile, then converts another random tile to the chosen tile’s color. | ||
Rainbow Finger | Change any Tile to Wild | 4 | Transforms a chosen tile into a wild tile. | ||
Rainbow Flag | Adds 3 Wild Tiles | 10 | Replaces 3 random tiles with wild tiles. | ||
Red D12 | Rerolls a Row of Tiles | 2 | Rerolls all tiles in a chosen row. | The number of each color of tile does not have to be the same. | |
Skewer | Destroys a Row of Tiles | 4 | Destroys all tiles in a chosen row. | ||
TinyDice | Reroll Tiles of the Same Type | 4 | Rerolls all tiles of a chosen color. | ||
Toothpick | Remove a Single Tile | 2 | Removes a chosen tile. Provides 1 mana of the chosen tile’s color. | Bum-bo the Nimble starts with a copy of this spell that costs 2 grey mana. |
Defense Spells
Image | Name | Description | Total Mana Cost | Effect | Additional Notes |
Barbed Wire | Melee Attackers Take Damage | 4 | |||
Beckoning Finger | Pulls an Enmy Close | 2 | Poisons a random enemy and pulls it towards the player. | ||
Brown Belt | Blocks Next Attack + Attacks | 4 | |||
Euthanasia | Hurts an Enemy that Hits You | 4 | |||
Flash Bulb | 50% of Blinding Enemies | 4 | |||
Lard | Heals 1 Heart, Lose One Move | 6 | Heals 1 heart and makes the player lose a move at the start of their next turn. | Note that the number of moves at the start of a turn cannot be reduced below 1. | |
Mom’s Pad | Blinds 1 Enemy! | 4 | Blinds a chosen enemy. | ||
Old Pillow | Blocks the Next Single Attack | 4 | |||
Orange Belt | Attacking Enemies Take Damage | 2 | During the enemies’ next turn, deals 1 static damage to an enemy whenever it damages the player. | Using the spell multiple times on the same turn has no additional effect. | |
Peace | Unprime One Random Enemy | 4 | Randomly chooses a primed enemy and unprimes it. | ||
Pepper | Booger and Knock Back! | 4 | |||
Pinto Bean | Push All Front Row Enemies | 2 | Knocks back all enemies in the front row. | ||
Prayer Card | Gain Half a Soul Heart | 16 | Provides half a soul heart. | ||
Rotten Meat | Heals 1/2 Heart, But You Barf… | 4 | Heals 1/2 heart. Obscures four random tiles. | ||
Smoke Machine | 50% to Dodge Next Attacks | 4 | Gain a 50% chance for the next enemy attack to miss this turn. | Using the spell multiple times on the same turn has no additional effect. Using this spell can also make enemies miss poop walls. | |
Snack | Heals 1/2 Heart | 6 | Heals 1/2 heart. | ||
Snot Rocket | Booger a Lane | 10 | |||
Stop Watch | Enemies Move Slower | 4 | Whenever an enemy moves during the next enemy phase, it immediately loses the rest of its actions. | Using the spell multiple times on the same turn has no additional effect. | |
The Virus | Poisons Enemy that Hits You | 2 | Enemies that hit the player during the next enemy phase become poisoned. | Using the spell multiple times on the same turn has no additional effect. | |
Trash Lid | Blocks the Next 2 Attacks | 6 | |||
White Belt | Avoid Status Effects | 2 |
Special Spells
Image | Name | Description | Total Mana Cost | Effect | Additional Notes |
Addy | +1 Damage This Turn | 2 | Increases the player’s spell damage and puzzle damage stats by 1. Resets between turns. | The player’s spell damage and puzzle damage stats can never be increased past 5. | |
Big Slurp | +2 Movement | 10 | Provides 2 movement. | ||
Black Candle | Removes All Curse Tiles | 4 | Destroys all curse tiles on the tile board. | ||
Blind Rage | You and Enemies Hurt More | 4 | Increases the player’s spell damage and puzzle damage stats by 1, and increases damage taken from enemy attacks by 1/2 heart. Resets between rooms. | The player’s spell damage and puzzle damage stats can never be increased past 5. | |
Blood Rights | Gain Mana + Curses | 2 | Replaces 1 or 2 random tiles with curses. Provides 1 mana of each color. | ||
Box! | +1 Mana of Each Color | 4 | Provides 1 mana of each color. | ||
Coin Roll | +1 Coin | 10 | Provides 1 Coin. | ||
Converter | Gain X Mana | 2 | Gain 1 mana of color X. | X is a random color of mana. The default mana cost will never include mana of color X. | |
Crazy Straw | Destroys a Tile + Mana | 6 | Removes a chosen tile. Gain 3 mana of the chosen tile’s color. | ||
Juiced! | +1 Movement | 4 | Provides 1 movement. | ||
Libra | Averages Your Mana | 4 | Averages the player’s mana. | The method for averaging mana works as follows: First, the spell removes all of the player’s mana. Then, the spell takes the total number of mana removed as X and divides X by 5, rounding up. Finally, the spell provides the player X mana of each color. | |
Lucky Foot | Gain +1 Luck for the Room | 4 | Increases the player’s luck stat by 1. Resets between rooms. | The luck stat can never be increased past 5. | |
Metronome | ??? | 4 | |||
Missing Piece | Gain +1 Puzzle Damage | 10 | Increases the player’s puzzle damage stat by 1. Resets between rooms. | The player’s puzzle damage stat can never be increased past 5. | |
Pentagram | Gain +1 Damage for the Room | 6 | Increases the player’s spell damage stat by 1. Resets between rooms. | The player’s spell damage stat can never be increased past 5. | |
Refresh | Charges Random Usable Item | 16 | Randomly chooses one of the player’s charge type spells, and adds 1 charge to it. | ||
Roid Rage | Your Next Attack Will be Critical | 4 | The player’s next attack has 100% critical chance. | ||
Sleight Of Hand | Spells Cost Less for the Room | 10 | Reduces the mana cost of all other spells. Resets between rooms. | ||
Time Walker | +3 Movement | 20 | Provides 3 movement. | ||
Wooden Spoon | Gain +1 Movement for the Room | 16 |
Charge Spells
Image | Name | Description | Charge | Effect | Additional Notes |
Butter Bean | Knockback All Enemies | 1 Charge | Knocks back all enemies. | ||
Cat Paw | Converts Hearts Into Soul Hearts | 1 Charge | Causes the player to lose 1 red heart. Provides 1 soul heart. | ||
Craft Paper | Becomes a Copy of a Spell | 1 Charge | Becomes a duplicate of a chosen spell, but with a randomized mana cost. | ||
D4 | Rerolls the Puzzle Board | 1 Charge | |||
D6 | Reroll a Spell | 1 Charge | Replaces a chosen spell with a random new one. | The new spell does not have to be the same type of spell as the one it replaced. | |
D10 | Rerolls All Enemies | 1 Charge | Rerolls all enemies in the current room. | Bosses cannot be rerolled. | |
D20 | So Mysterious… | 4 Charge | Rerolls the puzzle board and the player’s mana. Provides 1 soul heart. | The number of each color of tile does not have to be the same. | |
Golden Tick | Reduce the Cost of Your Spells | 3 Charge | Reduces the mana cost of all the player’s spells. Resets between rooms. | ||
Leaky Battery | Hits All Enemies | 2 Charge | |||
Lithium Battery | +2 Movement | 2 Charge | Provides 2 movement. | ||
Loose Change | Gain Coins = to Next Damage Taken | 0 Charge | during the next enemy phase, the player gains 1 coin each time they are hit by an enemy. | ||
Mega Battery | +3 Movement + Random Mana | 3 Charge | Provides 3 movement and 3 mana of random colors. | ||
Mushroom | +1 Damage and Life Gain | 3 Charge | Heals 1/2 heart. Increases the player’s spell damage and puzzle damage stats by 1, which resets between rooms. | The player’s spell damage and puzzle damage stats can never be increased past 5. | |
Price Tag | Destroys a Spell, Gain 10+ Coins | 1 Charge | Destroys a chosen spell. Provides 10-20 coins. | ||
Silver Chip | Extra Reward at End of Combat | 2 Charge | |||
Teleport | Skip Ahead 1 Room | 3 Charge | Skips the current room. | No coins are rewarded when skipping the room, and charge spells don’t gain any charge from the skipped room. Can be used to skip the Bygone boss fight. | |
The Poop | Make a Poop Shield | 1 Charge | Places a poop in a chosen lane. | ||
Trace Paper | Copies Spell at Random | 2 Charge | Randomly chooses one of the player’s other spells, and duplicates its effect. | ||
Trap Door | Skip Chapter +10 Coins! | 4 Charge | Skips the current floor. Provides 10 coins. | ||
Watch Battery | +1 Movement | 1 Charge | Provides 1 movement. | ||
Wooden Nickel | Gain 1-2 Coins | 2 Charge | Provides 1 or 2 coins. | ||
Yum Heart | Gain 1 Heart | 2 Charge | Heals 1 heart. |
This is all that we can say about The Legend of Bum-Bo – Spells Guide for now. I hope this post helped you. If there is anything that we should add, please let us know via comment below. See you soon!
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