Ectoplasm
| Ectoplasm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Collection |
| Location | Ghost (9.5%); Carbon Ghost (9.5%); Putrid Ghost (9.5%) |
Ectoplasm is a lump of ghost residue that exists for exactly one errand. The Wizard pins a notice called "A Curious Substance" on the Special Orders board, asking for some without explaining why, and from that moment ghosts in the mines start leaving the stuff behind when they die. One lump is all he wants. Handing it over at his tower pays a decent sum of gold and, far more usefully, the recipe for the Mini-Obelisk, a pair of which lets a farmer step from one corner of the farm to another. The order runs on a week-long clock, so the hunt has to be fitted into seven days.
Overview
The notice appears on the board like any other weekly order, which means it has to be waited for rather than triggered. Once accepted, every ghost in the game becomes a lottery ticket at roughly one chance in ten per kill, and it only drops while the order is live.
Three kinds of ghost qualify, and they are not equally convenient. Ordinary Ghosts haunt the frozen middle stretch of the mines, which is well within reach of any save that has a decent sword. Carbon Ghosts turn up on the mummy floors of Skull Cavern, and Putrid Ghosts belong to the dangerous version of the mines, so both of those come with far worse company. The sensible plan is to ride the elevator to the icy floors and work through the ordinary Ghosts until something sticks.
Ghosts drift through rock, which makes them awkward to corner, but they hit lightly and fly a long way when struck. The Putrid variety is the one to respect: each time it knocks a farmer backwards it moves faster, so it is best met with a quick weapon that interrupts it or a heavy one that ends the fight in two swings.
The hunt pays for itself even before the drop appears. Ghosts leave Solar Essence behind, which every farm needs for crafting, and they sometimes drop Ghostfish, which is the fish the Specialty Fish Bundle asks for. A week of ghost hunting therefore tends to clear two jobs at once.
The reward is the point of the whole thing. Beyond the gold, the Mini-Obelisk recipe asks for hardwood, Solar Essence and gold bars, and obelisks have to be built in pairs to work. On a large farm, or a farm spread over hills and water, that pair removes the long walk from the greenhouse to the shipping bin for good.
Notes
Spare lumps are worthless the moment the order closes. Anything left in the bag or a chest disappears when the week ends, so there is no reason to collect more than the Wizard asked for and no way to bank them for later.
The Wizard takes delivery in person at his tower rather than through the board, which is worth remembering on the last day of the week.
All Collections
Every entry in this group, with its key details.
