How to Use the Fear and Hunger Empty Scroll Without Ruining Your Run

You've finally found it. After dodging guards in the pitch-black corridors of the Dungeons of Fear and Hunger and watching your party members lose limbs one by one, you stumble upon a yellowed piece of parchment. It’s the Fear and Hunger empty scroll. It is, hands down, the most powerful item in the game. It is also the easiest way to accidentally waste your best chance at survival if you don't know the specific syntax the game demands.

Miro Haverinen, the developer behind this brutal masterpiece, didn't make things easy. This isn't a modern RPG where you pick from a menu. You have to type. If you misspell a single letter or miss a space, the scroll vanishes into dust. Nothing happens. You're left standing there, staring at a blank screen while a Crow Mauler breathes down your neck. It’s brutal. It's unforgiving. Honestly, it’s exactly what makes this game a cult classic.

What is the Fear and Hunger Empty Scroll anyway?

Basically, the empty scroll is a "wish" mechanic. When you use it, the game prompts you with two lines: O LORD and GIVE. You are essentially petitioning the Old Gods or the New Gods for a favor. If you input the right combination of words, you can manifest almost any item, skill, or soul in the game.

Think about that for a second.

You can literally conjure the most powerful weapons, like the Eastern Sword or the Miasma, out of thin air. You can learn "Devour" or "Black Orb" without spending a single Soul Stone. But here’s the kicker: the game uses a very rigid internal dictionary. If the item you want isn't in that specific text string, the scroll is wasted. Most players find their first scroll and immediately try to type something like "O LORD GIVE ME HEALTH" or "O LORD GIVE SWORD." Neither of those will work. You’ll get a message saying the gods didn't hear you, and that’s it. Run over, probably.

The Syntax That Actually Works

The ritual is simple but strict. You get two prompts. On the first line, you must address a deity. While there are several gods in the lore, for the purposes of the Fear and Hunger empty scroll, you stick to the basics.

On the first line, you type:
O LORD

Then, the second line appears. This is where you specify what you want. The format is usually GIVE [ITEM NAME].

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However, it’s not always the name you see in your inventory. For example, if you want the "Ancient Book" to save your game (since books are the only way to save in certain modes), you can't just type "Ancient Book." You have to know the specific keyword.

Essential Item Commands

If you’re struggling to survive—which, let’s be real, everyone is—you probably need specific gear. Here is what actually works when you’re staring at that prompt:

• White Angel Soul: This is arguably the best use of a scroll. It gives you an extra turn in combat. In a game where one turn is the difference between keeping your head and getting it sliced off, this is a literal lifesaver. You type: GIVE WHITE ANGEL SOUL.
• The Eastern Sword: A high-crit weapon that makes the early game a breeze. Type: GIVE EASTERN SWORD.
• Claymore: Solid, reliable. Type: GIVE CLAYMORE.
• Plate Mail: If you're tired of losing arms to basic guards, this helps. Type: GIVE PLATE MAIL.

Learning Skills Without the Hexen

This is where things get interesting. You don’t just have to wish for physical objects. You can wish for knowledge. If you've ever played as the Mercenary or the Knight and wished you had the Dark Priest’s magical arsenal, the Fear and Hunger empty scroll is your bridge.

You can type TEACH BLACK ORB to get the best offensive spell in the game. You can type TEACH DASH if you forgot to pick it up at the start (though, honestly, if you don't have Dash by the time you find a scroll, you've probably already spent three hours walking at a snail's pace).

Wait, there’s a nuance here. Some versions of the game or specific patches might be finicky with the "TEACH" command versus the "GIVE" command for scrolls of teaching. Generally, GIVE [SKILL NAME] will hand you the manual for that skill, while TEACH [SKILL NAME] might attempt to bypass the item entirely. Stick to the item names for the highest success rate.

Why Do People Mess This Up?

It’s the pressure. Fear and Hunger is a game of high tension. You’ve just survived a trap, your hunger meter is pulsing red, and your sanity is at 10%. You open the scroll, and your fingers slip.

Common mistakes:

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1. Case Sensitivity: While the game is generally okay with lowercase, most veterans stick to ALL CAPS just to be safe. The UI itself uses caps, so it feels "right."
2. Extra Spaces: Typing GIVE BLACK ORB (two spaces) will fail.
3. Vague Requests: Asking for "FOOD" won't give you a random assortment of dried meat. You have to specify. GIVE DRIED MEAT works. GIVE FOOD does not.
4. The "O LORD" mistake: People forget the "O." They just type "LORD." The gods are vain; they want the full title.

The Philosophical Risk of the Empty Scroll

There is a segment of the player base that argues using the scroll for certain items ruins the "intended" difficulty. Specifically, the Empty Scroll can be used to skip massive chunks of the game or bypass the permadeath mechanics by wishing for "Book of Enlightenment."

Books of Enlightenment allow you to save anywhere. In the harder difficulties, these are rarer than gold. Using an empty scroll to get one is the ultimate "safety first" move. Is it cheating? No. The developer put it there. But does it change the vibe? Absolutely. Fear and Hunger is about scarcity. The moment you have a tool that can give you anything, the fear starts to dissipate.

Then again, when you’re fighting the Sylvian or trying to navigate the Gauntlet, you’ll take every advantage you can get. Honestly, the game is so cruel that using a scroll to get the White Angel Soul isn't even "optimizing"—it's basic survival.

Hidden Gems and Weird Commands

Most people go for the sword or the soul. But there are some niche uses for the Fear and Hunger empty scroll that can save a doomed run.

Did you lose a leg? You can't just "wish" a leg back onto your body with a scroll. But you can wish for a Stone Crown or other ritual items that might help you in the long run. You can even wish for the King in Yellow outfit if you're feeling fancy, though it doesn't do much for your stats.

Actually, one of the most underrated uses is wishing for the Soul Stone. If you have a bunch of boss souls sitting in your inventory and no way to use them, a Soul Stone is worth more than a piece of armor. Type: GIVE SOUL STONE.

How to Guarantee Success Every Time

If you are playing on PC, you have the advantage of being able to look at the game files or community spreadsheets. But if you're playing blind, the rule of thumb is: Be Literal. If the item is called "Pinecone Pig," type GIVE PINECONE PIG.
If you want the soul of the crow mauler, type GIVE CROW MAULER SOUL.

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Don't add fluff. No "Please." No "I want." Just the command.

A Quick Reference for Survival

If you find yourself with a scroll and you're panicking, use this hierarchy of needs:

1. If you are dying: GIVE BOOK OF ENLIGHTENMENT (Save your progress).
2. If you are weak: GIVE WHITE ANGEL SOUL (Extra turn).
3. If you need a weapon: GIVE MIASMA (Warning: it's cursed, but powerful).
4. If you need magic: TEACH BLACK ORB.

The "O LORD GIVE" Logic

The prompt is a two-step process.
Line 1: O LORD
Line 2: GIVE [X] or TEACH [X]

It’s worth noting that you can also use the scroll to talk to the gods, but for 99% of players, the "GIVE" command is the only reason to use it. There’s a specific lore-heavy interaction involving the Empty Scroll and the character Nosramus, but that’s getting into deep spoiler territory. Just know that the scroll is a piece of the world’s fabric, not just a cheat code. It represents the ability of humans to demand things from the uncaring cosmic entities that run the dungeons.

Actionable Steps for Your Next Run

Stop hoarding your scrolls. A common mistake is waiting for the "perfect" moment to use the Fear and Hunger empty scroll, only to die with it in your pocket. If you’ve reached the deeper levels and you don't have a reliable way to deal damage, use it immediately.

1. Verify your spelling: Before you hit enter, look at the screen. Did you type "SOUL" or "SOULL"?
2. Check your inventory: You can't use a scroll if you don't have a quill. This is the biggest "gotcha" in the game. You find a scroll, you're all excited, and then you realize you haven't found a quill yet. You need both.
3. Prioritize the White Angel Soul: I cannot stress this enough. In the action-economy of Fear and Hunger, having two moves per turn is the single greatest buff you can achieve. It lets you attack and then guard, or heal and then attack. It breaks the game in your favor.
4. Don't wish for things you can find: Don't waste a scroll on an "Iron Shakespeare" or basic "Dried Meat." Only use it for items that are rare drops or unique artifacts.

The Fear and Hunger empty scroll is a test of knowledge as much as it is a reward. It rewards the player who has studied the game, who knows the names of the items, and who understands the mechanics. In a dungeon designed to strip everything away from you, it is the one time you get to take something back. Just make sure you spell it right.