Scepter
An Ancient symbol of domination and power. It lives up to its reputation.
Type:	Ranged Weapon
Function:	• Powerful ranged attacks • Needed to open the door to the City of Gold
Source:	Dropped when the Mummy on Level 13 is defeated.
Damage:	Instant Kill (Scepter Rays)
Notes:	The Scepter must be forfeited to open the Golden Door.

The Scepter is one of the two best ranged weapons, possibly second only to the shotgun. It is dropped from the mummy in Area 4, which is considered to be the hardest enemy in the game.

FunctionalityEdit

The Scepter is a held item that functions as a ranged weapon. It fires pink rings of ancient Egyptian laser beams, which will automatically home in on and kill the nearest enemy (except for the Ghost, which ignores the Scepter's attack entirely - along with everything else). It also fires very fast and ignores walls and floors, allowing for perhaps five rings on screen at once (though this is generally excessive: It's more useful for firing at something the previous blast ignored).

It has four major drawbacks, though:

1. The balls of energy will not ignore dead bodies - a major downside, since almost every enemy in Area 4 leaves a corpse.
2. The balls of energy do not differentiate between friend and foe, and can also target Damsels and peaceful Shopkeepers (you might not want to fight angry shopkeepers without a good weapon after opening the door to the City of Gold).
3. It can only be obtained by killing a mummy, which is possibly the most dangerous enemy in the game - and then only on level 13!
4. The Scepter pushes the corpses of its victims upwards, which may make them much more difficult to reach if you want to sacrifice them. You don't get to use the Scepter for long, either - you'll only get to use it for a maximum of three levels before you reach the Final Area, and the giant head is immune to the Scepter's effects. Though it does an excellent job of dispatching the lesser enemies that the final boss spawns.

The Scepter (along with the Hedjet) is a required item to access the City of Gold, but the Scepter must be forfeited to open the Golden Door. As a result, you will not get to use it in the City of Gold or later levels.

TriviaEdit

Spelunky's scepter resembles the Was Scepter, an Egyptian symbol of power often pictured in the hands of gods.