You’re staring at the screen. Minutes feel like hours. There’s a sea of skeletons, ghosts, and eldritch horrors closing in, and you just realized your build is absolute garbage. We've all been there. You need an edge, something that feels like cheating but technically isn't. That’s where the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane come in. Honestly, if you’re playing Vampire Survivors without them, you’re basically playing the demo version of the game.
It’s the ultimate "cheat code" item, but getting it isn't exactly a walk in the park. Most players stumble upon the Bone Zone and think they can just stroll through. Wrong. You’re going to get flattened by a giant ball of skeletons if you don't know the rhythm of the map. The Scrolls aren't just a menu unlock; they represent the moment the game stops being a simple survival roguelike and starts being a playground for chaos.
What the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane Actually Do
Let’s get the basics out of the way. The Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane is a permanent Relic. Once you grab it, you get a "Secrets" menu on the main screen. This is where the magic happens. Or the heresy, depending on how much of a purist you are.
Basically, it allows you to enter "Spells." These are codes—actual strings of text—that unlock characters, stages, and relics without you having to do the grueling achievements. Some people think it’s a shortcut for the lazy. Maybe. But for anyone who lost their save file or just wants to play as Exdash Exiviiq without jumping through five different hoops, it’s a godsend.
The game doesn't explicitly tell you the codes. You have to find them, usually by scouring the internet or interpreting the cryptic hints left in the Secrets menu itself. Each hint is a little riddle. "The ghost with the most," or something equally vague. It’s a classic gaming trope, but Poncle (the developer) executes it with such a tongue-in-cheek vibe that it never feels tedious. It feels like you’re hacking the simulation.
The Bone Ball Problem
You can’t just buy these scrolls. You have to take them from the cold, dead hands—or rather, the central mass—of the Sketamari.
The Sketamari is a nightmare. It’s a massive ball of bones that rolls around the Bone Zone. It grows. It eats. Every time it rolls over another enemy, it gets bigger and gains more HP. If you wait too long to go after it, you’re basically trying to kill a mountain with a pea shooter. I’ve seen players spend 25 minutes building the perfect kit only to realize the Sketamari is now the size of a small planet and effectively immortal.
You have to strike early. Or, you have to strike with overwhelming, focused force. Most people make the mistake of using area-of-effect (AoE) weapons. Big mistake. You need single-target DPS. Think Thousand Edge or the Death Spiral. You need to pin it down and whittle it away before it absorbs half the map's population.
Finding the Bone Zone and Surviving the Encounter
To even see the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane, you have to unlock the Bone Zone. This is a Challenge Stage. You unlock it by unlocking Hyper Mode for three normal stages. Easy enough, right? Not really. The Bone Zone has no floor chicken. Let that sink in. No healing from the ground. You have to rely on your weapons, your passive items, or specific characters like Poe or Arca if you're feeling brave.
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The Sketamari moves horizontally along the south side of the map. If you're looking for it, just head down. You'll see a silver question mark on your map if you have the Milky Way Map unlocked. If you don't have the map yet, honestly, go get that first. Navigating Vampire Survivors without the map is like trying to build furniture in the dark. It's possible, but you're going to stub your toe a lot.
The Best Build for the Scrolls Hunt
Don't overthink it. You want speed and you want focused fire.
- Red Death (Mask of the Red Death): He’s fast. You need to keep up with the ball.
- Knife / Thousand Edge: Because you can aim it. You need to hit the ball, not the trash mobs around it.
- Magic Wand / Holy Wand: It targets the closest enemy. Since the ball is huge, it’ll usually be the closest thing.
- Empty Tome: Cooldown is king.
Avoid things like the Garlic or the King Bible for this specific fight. They’re great for survival, but they don't do enough damage to the Sketamari to stop it from growing. You need to be aggressive. You need to be the predator.
I remember the first time I tried this. I thought I was hot stuff with my evolved Whip. The ball just rolled over me like I wasn't even there. I felt cheated. But that's the beauty of Vampire Survivors; it teaches you through failure. You realize that "balanced" builds are for surviving, while "broken" builds are for winning.
Secrets and Spells: What to Do Once You Have the Scrolls
Once the ball pops and the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane are yours, the game changes. You go back to the main menu and there it is: Secrets.
Clicking that button is like opening Pandora’s Box. You’ll see a list of silhouettes and hints. If you’re the type who likes to figure things out, stay off the wikis. But if you’re like the rest of us and you just want to see the weird stuff, you’ll start typing in codes.
The Famous Codes
There are dozens of codes, but a few are legendary.
- "spinnithere" - This gives you Rambler Fool.
- "maybeimastallion" - Unlocks Cavallo.
- "exponprotoplasma" - Unlocks Smith IV (though there's a much more complex way to do this involving a bird and a chair).
The codes aren't just for characters. You can unlock stages like the Tiny Bridge or the Boss Rash. It’s essentially the developer saying, "Here, have fun with the sandbox." It’s a refreshing lack of gatekeeping in an era where most games want you to pay $4.99 for a skin. Here, you just have to kill a giant ball of bones. Fair trade.
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The Moral Dilemma of Cheating
Is it actually cheating? Not really. The developer put it in there. It’s a tribute to the old-school Konami Code days. In fact, many of the secrets can only be reasonably found by looking at the game's code or sharing information in community hubs like Discord or Reddit. It’s a social puzzle. The Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane act as the interface for that community-wide scavenger hunt.
Some people argue it ruins the progression. I disagree. By the time you’re strong enough to kill the Sketamari, you’ve already proven you can play the game. You’ve put in the hours. Unlocking the rest of the cast is just a reward for your persistence.
Why "Morbane" Anyway?
The name itself is a bit of a meme. Everything in Vampire Survivors is a reference to something else—usually Castlevania, Italian culture, or just weird puns. "Morbane" sounds suspiciously like a certain Marvel movie that became a massive internet joke. Whether it’s a direct reference or a happy coincidence, it fits the game's aesthetic perfectly. It’s dark, gothic, and slightly ridiculous.
The scrolls themselves look like a dusty old heap of parchment. But in the context of the lore (what little there is), they represent the forbidden knowledge of the vampires. Or the lack thereof. Because, as the game famously states, the vampire is always in another castle.
Common Misconceptions and Pitfalls
People often think the scrolls are a one-time use item. They aren't. Once you have them, the Secrets menu is permanent. You can enter codes whenever you want.
Another big mistake is thinking you can "miss" the scrolls. You can't. The Sketamari will be there every time you enter the Bone Zone until you defeat it and claim your prize. If you fail at the 10-minute mark, just try again.
The "Infinite" Scaling Myth
Some players think the Sketamari scales forever and becomes literally unkillable. While it does get incredibly tanky, it has a cap on its size. However, its health regen can become a nightmare if you aren't dealing consistent damage. If you see it vibrating or glowing, it’s healing. That’s your cue to dump everything you have into it.
I’ve seen streamers try to kill it with the "Pentagram" weapon. Don't do that. The Pentagram erases items on the ground, and while the evolved Gorgeous Moon is great, the base Pentagram might actually erase the Scrolls if you aren't careful (though modern patches have mostly fixed these kinds of "oops" moments). Stick to projectile weapons.
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Step-by-Step Action Plan for Success
If you’re reading this and you still don't have the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane, here is exactly what you need to do tonight.
First, pick your fastest character. Red Death is the gold standard, but if you haven't unlocked him, use Krochi for the extra lives and move speed.
Second, head straight to the Bone Zone. Don't wander around looking for items. You need to find that ball before it gets too big to handle.
Third, focus on the "Holy Wand" and "Thousand Edge" evolution. You need that constant stream of damage. If you have the Arcana system unlocked, grab "Slash" (Gains critical hits for certain weapons) or "Iron Blue Will" (Makes projectiles bounce).
Fourth, once you see the ball, stay slightly ahead of it. Don't let it roll over you, but stay close enough that your weapons are constantly hitting it. It’s a dance. You’ll see it start to shed bones as it loses health. That’s how you know you’re winning.
Finally, when it explodes, pick up the scroll immediately. Don't wait for the 30-minute mark. Grab it, quit to the menu, and check out your new Secrets tab.
What to Unlock First?
Once you have the menu, start with the "hidden" characters. Characters like Leda or Boon Marr. They change the way the game feels. They offer new starting weapons that can help you clear the more difficult DLC stages or the inverted maps.
The Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane are essentially the key to the "true" Vampire Survivors experience. It’s the transition from a survivor to a god. And honestly, after 20 hours of being chased by bats, you deserve to feel a little bit overpowered.
Go to the Bone Zone. Find the ball. Get the scrolls. The game is just getting started.