Brimstone

Effects

• Isaac's tears are replaced with a charged blood laser beam. The beam is piercing and spectral, dealing damage to all enemies and ignoring all obstacles in its path.
  • The laser deals damage equal to Isaac's damage and deals damage each tick.
    • These ticks occur every 1/15th of a second (once every 4 frames). However after the first damage tick, there is an additional pause for ~0.12 seconds (7 frames). Damage ticks work normally after that.
    • (Removed in Repentance) Brimstone ticks 13 times over the course of 0.9 seconds (54 frames).
    • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone ticks 9 times in ~0.63 seconds (38 frames).
  • Tears down: Delay * 3.
• (Added in Afterbirth) This item belongs to the Leviathan set. Collecting three items from this set will transform Isaac into Leviathan.

Notes

• (Removed in Repentance) Brimstone is a special item.
• (Azazel) Azazel starts the game with a short-ranged, slower charging version of Brimstone. Picking up Brimstone with him will give him the long-ranged version. Without the long-range version, his mini-brimstone won't have enough length to use any homing items.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) His Brimstone's shorter range can be increased with range up items or pills.
• Multi-shot effects like 20/20 will increase the number of beams accordingly, with exceptions listed below.
  • Although extremely unlikely, Isaac can shoot a total of 16 blood beams at a time via multi-shot items. If the number of blood beams would exceed this number, the beams' span will instead widen.
• The beam will apply status effects and does so frequently thanks to its high tick rate.
• (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Repentance) If multiple Brimstones are picked up (via (Added in Afterbirth) Diplopia, (Added in Afterbirth †) Crooked Penny or on a Victory Lap), then another beam is added, with no increase in charge time.
  • (Added in Repentance) Picking up a second Brimstone will give +1 damage, 1.2x damage multiplier, as well as make the laser beam 2x wider with no increase in charge time. Picking up additional copies of Brimstone will only add +1 damage.
    • If combined with Azazel's (Added in Repentance) Birthright effect, the laser beam will be 4x wider.
    • The bigger beam granted by double Brimstone synergizes with other items as expected.
• (Added in Repentance) (Tainted Azazel) Tainted Azazel's smaller beam will be replaced by regular Brimstone once picked up.

Synergies

• (Added in Afterbirth) 8 Inch Nails: Beams gain knockback, pushing enemies away in the direction they travel but not out of their path. This increases its consistency.
• (Added in Repentance) Almond Milk: The beam lasts indefinitely as long as the fire key is held. The beam will also gain random worm trinket effects. Damage is significantly decreased. The beam can also be aimed in any direction with joystick controls.
  • Increasing tears stat will increase damage and width brimstone as well.
    • Damage calculates for next formula: damage per tick = Tears stat / 5 * Damage stat.
• (Removed in Repentance)(Added in Afterbirth †) Apple! / (Added in Afterbirth †) Euthanasia / Tough Love: The beam can gain the damage multiplier from each of the items, although there is no visual difference. The bonus applies for the whole beam and not on a per-tick basis. Euthanasia loses its instant kill ability, however.
  • (Added in Repentance)The bonus applies randomly on every tick of the beam, including the insta-kill ability from Euthanasia.
• Anti-Gravity: An orb of energy expands, then shrinks while firing the beam after a delay. The orb still hurts enemies if they touch it. Isaac can start charging a new shot immediately after releasing the fire key without canceling the first shot, effectively allowing for a faster firing rate. It makes it harder to hit enemies with (Azazel) Azazel as the beam does not increase in range.
  • (Added in Repentance) Anti-Gravity + Soy Milk: The Brimstone orbs remain as long as the fire button is held, similarly to Brimstone + Soy Milk but fixed in place. Isaac is unable to charge another shot while it is firing.
  • (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Repentance) Anti-Gravity + (Added in Afterbirth) Incubus: Isaac will fire Brimstone orbs, while Incubus will fire regular Brimstone beams.
    • (Added in Repentance)Both Isaac and Incubus fire Brimstone orbs.
• (Azazel) Azazel + (Added in Repentance) Birthright: The Brimstone beam will have its width doubled as per the effect of Azazel's version of Birthright. Stacked with other beam widening synergies like Brimstone and Chocolate Milk, it can lead to a Brimstone blast that dwarfs even the (Added in Afterbirth) Mega Blast in size, allowing for quick and easy room clears through the sheer size of the Brimstone beam.
• (Added in Repentance) Bird's Eye: Will occasionally spawn a fire when firing and with high luck will spawn four fires.
• (Added in Repentance)(Brain Worm) Brain Worm: The beam will curve 90 degrees in order to attack opponents, effectively acting as a stronger form of homing. Very strong against multi-segment bosses such as Mother.
• (Added in Repentance) Crooked Penny/(Added in Repentance) Diplopia: Picking up a second Brimstone grants a much larger beam with a 1.2x damage multiplier and +1 damage. Any further Brimstones picked up will only grant +1 damage.
• (Added in Afterbirth) Multidimensional Baby: If a brimstone laser is shot through the baby, it will double the laser.
• (Added in Repentance) Eye of the Occult: Brimstone will automatically charge, then attempt to hit the wall Isaac is facing before curving towards the crosshair.
• Fire Mind: The beam will not cause explosions, but will still set enemies on fire.
• (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Ghost Pepper: The flames can still shoot from Isaac while holding the fire button.
  • (Added in Repentance) Occasionally emits a flame while the beam is firing.
• Guppy: Blue Flies are spawned at a rate of approximately one blue fly per tick ((Added in Repentance) every other tick) of damage for each enemy it hits, up to 13 flies. The spawned blue flies will also move to attack the targeted enemy immediately.
• (Added in Afterbirth †) Haemolacria: Increased charge time. Tears will burst into several beams that are fired in random directions.
  • (Added in Repentance) Fires bursting brimstone tears at the tears rate without any charging.
• Homing tears: The beam will make sharp turns and even loops to hit enemies. (Azazel) Azazel's mini-brimstone does not home unless he has a high range stat.
• (Hook Worm) Hook Worm: Beam shifts left to right while firing straight and forms angles that constantly flatten and expand, effectively increasing its width.
• (Added in Repentance) Knockout Drops: Gives the lasers high knockback.
• (Added in Afterbirth †) Large Zit: Creep shots will still be fired occasionally while holding the fire button.
• (Added in Repentance) Lodestone: Changes the beam to gray, can still apply the magnetized effect. The beams are not attracted to enemies with the magnetized effect.
• Loki's Horns: Occasionally causes Isaac to fire the beam in all four cardinal directions, similarly to Head of Krampus's effect.
• The Ludovico Technique: The beam forms a large ring that is controllable and does not need to be charged. Enemies inside the ring without touching it are not hurt. The shot speed is ignored. The tears stat is ignored and the damage is dealt very rapidly at a rate equivalent to a 2 tear delay.
• (Added in Afterbirth) A Lump of Coal: The beam gradually increases in size and damage the farther it travels, with the damage increasing on a multiplier that is roughly +20% per tile of distance. This allows for a huge damage increase from longer distances.
• Mom's Eye: Adds a chance to shoot a beam from the back of Isaac's head.
• Mom's Knife: Adds a small barrage of knives after the main knife is fired, with each knife doing (Removed in Repentance)80% of /(Added in Repentance) 2x Isaac's tear damage. The barrage of knives goes all the way across the screen and increases in quantity the longer the charge.
• (Removed in Afterbirth †) Mom's Wig: Holding down a fire button to charge the attack very rapidly rolls the probability to spawn blue spiders; releasing to fire the beam, however, does not.
• (Added in Repentance) Mucormycosis: Will occasionally spawn spores.
• (Added in Repentance) Ocular Rift: Rifts may appear where the beam hits rocks, walls or enemies.
• (Added in Repentance)(Ouroboros Worm) Ouroboros Worm: The beam will make large loops on itself. The homing is present, but very wonky.
• (Added in Repentance) Rotten Tomato: Firing can mark enemies.
• Sad Bombs: Upon exploding, bombs release ten beams in all directions.
  • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone does not benefit from Sad Bombs' flat damage bonus.
• (Added in Repentance) Sinus Infection: The beam has a chance to stick booger tears to enemies.
• (Added in Repentance) Soy Milk: The beam lasts indefinitely as long as the fire key is held. Damage is significantly decreased.
  • Increasing tears stat will increase damage and width brimstone as well.
    • Damage calculates for next formula: damage per tick = Tears stat / 5 * Damage stat.
• Strange Attractor: Enemies are attracted towards the beam, improving its consistency. Consumables will also be moved by the beam.
• (Added in Repentance) Sulfur: Grants a larger beam with a 1.2x damage multiplier and +1 damage (same effect as picking up a second Brimstone).
• (Added in Repentance) Sulfuric Acid/(Added in Repentance) Terra The beam has a chance to destroy rocks every tick.
• Tammy's Head: Shoots ten beams in all directions. Given the item's single room charge, this makes for an extremely powerful synergy.
  • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone does not benefit from Tammy's Head's flat damage bonus anymore.
• (Added in Afterbirth) Tech X: Brimstone becomes a large laser ring that varies in size depending on how long it is charged before firing. The tear delay is that of Tech X.
  • Tech X + A Lump of Coal: The Brimstone ring increases in size and damage the further it travels.
  • (Removed in Repentance)Tech X + Mom's Knife: Mom's Knife and a Mom's Knife+Brimstone barrage are shot alongside the rings.
• The Inner Eye: Isaac fires three beams at once. Fire rate is decreased.
• Tiny Planet: The beam will wrap around Isaac once and then shoot straight forward.
• (Added in Repentance) Uranus: The beam will freeze any enemies killed by it, so long as they are not immune to the freeze effect.
• (Wiggle Worm) Wiggle Worm: Beam becomes wavy while firing straight, effectively increasing its width.

Interactions

• (Removed in Afterbirth) 20/20: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) Adds a second Brimstone.
• (Removed in Repentance) Chocolate Milk: Reduces Isaac's tear delay by 20%. Doesn't increase damage.
  • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone laser takes longer to fully charge, but can be released at any point during its charge. Width and damage of the laser increases at higher charges. Width scales from 50% at minimum charge to 160% at maximum charge. Damage scales from 25% at minimum charge to 250% at maximum charge. Unlike with normal tears, the tears stat does not directly affect maximum or minimum damage.
• (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Compound Fracture/ Cricket's Body/ The Parasite: Splitting is overridden by Brimstone, but stat effects are still applied.
  • (Added in Repentance) Compound Fracture/ Cricket's Body: Non-brimstone tears have a chance to split off from the beam with applicable stats and tear effects.
  • (Added in Repentance) Cricket's Body/ The Parasite causes the end of the Brimstone beam to produce split shots, which behave like normal.
• (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Repentance) Continuum: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone laser travels through the wall and appears out the other side once.
• Cursed Eye: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Added in Repentance) Dr. Fetus: Overrides Brimstone.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Epic Fetus: Overrides Brimstone.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) Adds a Brimstone Sad Bombs effect: missile explosions shoot ten beams in all directions, massively increasing damage and area of effect.
• (Added in Afterbirth) Epiphora: Effect only activates when holding charge in a specific direction, and deactivates when the charge is released, effectively making Epiphora useless unless Isaac has exceedingly high tear delay.
  • (Added in Repentance) After charging an attack, continuing to hold the attack button will increase fire rate but the firerate is reverted when letting go of the attack button or changing the attack direction.
• (Added in Afterbirth) Evil Eye: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth †) Eye of Belial: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Repentance) Explosivo: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) The beam has a chance to stick explosive tears to enemies.
• (Added in Afterbirth †) Flat Stone: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth †) (The Forgotten) The Forgotten: The charged attack will spawn a Brimstone ball that will float in front of The Forgotten for a few seconds before disappearing. The Forgotten will still melee attack while performing this action.
• Godhead: Homing and stat bonuses apply, but the beam does not have a damaging aura.
• (Removed in Repentance) (Added in Afterbirth) Head of the Keeper: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Removed in Repentance) This includes (Azazel) Azazel's short-ranged Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Makes the laser yellow and upon a tick has a chance to drop a coin. Applies to both normal Brimstone and Azazel's Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Repentance) Holy Light: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Every tick of the beam has a chance of summoning a beam of light.
• (Removed in Afterbirth †) Ipecac: Isaac gains only the poison effect without either the increased damage nor the decreased fire rate.
  • (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Isaac shoots Ipecac tears while charging Brimstone. Both Brimstone and Ipecac shots modify Isaac's damage and tear delay stat, meaning that Ipecac fires slower and Brimstone charges slower, but Brimstone deals drastically increased damage. Take care to pre-charge Brimstone so that the Ipecac shot is on cooldown as Isaac enters a room.
  • (Added in Repentance) The beam gains a poison effect. Upon hitting an enemy, wall or obstacle, the beam causes an explosion. +2 flat damage. Fire rate is unaffected.
• Isaac's Tears: Fires normal tears, but nearly instantly charges when charging Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Jacob's Ladder: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Upon hitting an enemy, wall or obstacle, the beam generates sparks that home in on enemies.
• (Added in Afterbirth) Kidney Stone: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Lachryphagy: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone has shorter range, a bit longer than (Azazel) Azazel's brimstone. It fires Lachryphagy tears at the end.
• (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Lead Pencil: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Lead Pencil triggers approximately every 2 seconds as the beam is fired (charge time is not counted).
• (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Repentance) Marked: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone will automatically charge, then fire at the direction of the crosshair.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Monstro's Lung: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) Fires 3-5 additional Brimstone beams in random directions around Isaac with no increase in charge time. Charging a new Brimstone beam removes the original from in front of Isaac, but not the additional ones added by Monstro's Lung. This effectively increases the fire rate.
    • (Added in Repentance) Charging a new Brimstone beam will now remove all shot beams, but fire rate remains that of Brimstone.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) My Reflection: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Repentance) Makes the beam curve when moving. It has the same effect on (Azazel) Azazel's mini-brimstone but doubles the range.
  • (Added in Repentance) Makes the beam shoot from the back. An oval beam is shot from the front instead.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Mysterious Liquid: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) When Brimstone hits enemies or walls, it leaves creep based on how long it hits.
• (Added in Repentance) Neptunus: Overridden by Brimstone.
• Number One + (Azazel) Azazel: Although Number One is otherwise purely beneficial with standard Brimstone, (Azazel) Azazel's range is severely affected.
• (Added in Afterbirth †) Parasitoid: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Pop!: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Repentance) Brimstone has shorter range, a bit longer than (Azazel) Azazel's brimstone. It fires Pop! tears at the end.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Proptosis: Damage is doubled with no drop-off at range.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) Damage is doubled twice, for a total of 4x next to Isaac, but quickly drops further along the beam, at about 0.8x per tile of distance.
  • (Added in Repentance)The beam does 6x damage at point blank range.
• (Added in Afterbirth) Pupula Duplex: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Rubber Cement: Overridden by Brimstone.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) Beams bounce off of walls, creating a second beam that deals half damage.
    • (Added in Afterbirth / Removed in Afterbirth †) If (Azazel) Azazel's mini Brimstone beam bounces off a wall, it effectively becomes a full-length Brimstone beam, but it will still only deal half damage.
    • (Added in Afterbirth †) (Azazel) Azazel's Brimstone no longer becomes a full length beam after bouncing, instead bouncing as a regular mini-Brimstone.
• (Added in Repentance) Spirit Sword: Overrides Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth † / Removed in Repentance) Sulfuric Acid: Overridden by Brimstone. Stat effects are still applied.
• (Added in Repentance) (Tainted Samson) Tainted Samson: Greatly decreases attack speed for Samson's rage mode melee attack and replaces the thrown jawbone with a large laser sphere (similarly to (The Forgotten) The Forgotten).
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Technology: Overridden by Brimstone, but adds damage.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) The Technology laser coils around the Brimstone beam, granting a 1.5x damage multiplier (it stacks with other similar multipliers like Cricket's Head or Magic Mushroom).
  • (Added in Repentance) Technology's damage multiplier will be overridden if Isaac has the powered up version (from picking up Brimstone twice or using (Added in Repentance) Sulfur with Brimstone).
• (Added in Afterbirth †) Technology Zero: Overridden by Brimstone.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Technology 2: Overridden by Brimstone, but retains the reduced damage.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) Both fire normally; the Technology laser fires while charging Brimstone.
• (Removed in Afterbirth) Tech.5: Overridden by Brimstone unless using (Azazel) Azazel, in which case it will fire normally while charging Brimstone.
  • (Added in Afterbirth) Tech.5 fires normally while charging Brimstone.
• (Added in Afterbirth †) Trisagion: Overridden by Brimstone.