Idea for Wickerbottom: The Compendium

[ShadowDuelist]

A problem I notice about Wickerbottom is the fact that she needs to stay close to her library most of the time, considering most of her new books are made from hard to renew objects or things that are not produced by using the books themselves, as most of the old books were. Also she has one of the most punishing cons to use her spells often than any other character has. In contrast, both Maxwell and Willow can go casting their spells from the beginning of the game with very little to no con.
She also tends to mass produce nightmare fuel which does not synergize with any of her skills.

Idea:

Wicker could craft a new book -like a proper codex of a mage- except the book is blank when crafted, and she can put in it 5 of her books of choice. The books she places in it are destroyed in the process and will only remain inside the compendium.
The compendium could work with a selection wheel (same as Maxwell's codex) and each "spell" in the wheel is one of the books you chose to add to it.

Pros: 
The compendium's casting time could be faster than casting from a regular book.
Each time you cast a spell the book itself loses durability (which you can later restore with nightmare fuel, more on this later). The compendium will not break if it reaches 0%.
If above 50% of her total sanity, casting from a compendium will cost just 5 sanity. If below 50% sanity, casting will cost as much sanity as a regular book.

Cons:

• Each time you cast a spell, it goes into cooldown for that spell. Cooldowns affect multiple compendiums if you happen to have made more than one. cooldowns will vary from spell to spell.
• Given the unstable and magic nature of having several magic books into one, the book can't be held by non-Wickerbottom players (it slips of their hand as Lucy does)
• Wickerbottom can only carry one at any given time.
• Changing spells in it damages your max life.

Upgrades for paths:

Shadow sided Wickerbottom: Can upgrade the frame with dreadstone. Can refuel the book with pure horror instead. A pure horror fueled compendium lasts many more uses and makes it so each time you cast a spell, works as if you casted that book twice. Summons just 2 nightmare creatures max, when out of sanity.
Lunar sided Wickerbottom: Can upgrade frame with pure brilliance. The book usage no longer costs durability, Wicker loses 2 sanity per cast, regardless of her sanity level. When enlightened, the cooldowns are shorter. Her library also regenerates the other books faster when lunacy is active.

As with most characters it would seem that shadow side is better suited for early-mid game and lunar sided is better suited for late game. So I tried to respect that as well.

 

[Valase]

Really cool Idea, the only problem that I see is that there are not many books that you would want in the compendium, so it would almost always have the same five (sleep/slow/firefigher/light/maybe bees) or just be placed near a farm as a way to "cheat out" some reads.

[ShadowDuelist]

1 hour ago, Valase said:

Really cool Idea, the only problem that I see is that there are not many books that you would want in the compendium, so it would almost always have the same five (sleep/slow/firefigher/light/maybe bees) or just be placed near a farm as a way to "cheat out" some reads.

It depends, i can see it being used early game with the forestry in it to get more twigs for your beefalo, and bigger trees for your pigs to chop, and the knowledge book to prototype most things on the go.
 

The tempering temperatures always at hand for daily usage during winter/spring/summer, and it could also be useful to dry out when sailing.
Birds+STS with low sanity cost and faster cast rate would be a permanent source of food, again, probably useful early game. Slow+ tentacles to fight hounds, monkeys or clockworks, if you have some speed advantage (magi or beef).
 

Also being able to quickly regrow a patch with 3 or 4 cactii while spending not much sanity in it, can help you keep casting your other powers at low sanity cost as long as you keep your sanity up, to get the bonus, so it could work too.

I think there are many fun combos people can try for an every day carry at the different stages of the game, and depending their playstyles. Of course getting new books would make this perk even more fun, as it would add more options, and it would further distance her from Maxwell.

Edited August 19, 2025 by ShadowDuelist
Typos