How to keep items permanently in Halls of Torment

In Halls of Torment, you encounter some pretty dark places. You can defeat mini-boss monsters to make them easier to endure, because defeated enemies drop precious loot. Unfortunately, you can’t take those rewards with you when you die. That is, you can’t if you don’t know what you’re doing. This guide tells you how to keep items permanently in Halls of Torment.

Halls of Torment – how to keep items permanently

When you first start the game, there’s no way to hold onto any of the special gear you might acquire on a run. However, that soon changes. To keep items permanently, you must rescue the wellkeeper and then send him items to store for you by locating the well in each dungeon.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

First, find the wellkeeper in the second dungeon, Ember Grounds. The wellkeeper is locked in a cage by monsters, and you must find the key to rescue him. Just look for it on the map. An icon points the way. Travel to the key, pick it up, and then bring it back to the cage to free the grateful wellkeeper. He will retreat to the level hub. When you visit the wellkeeper in the level hub, you learn that you can purchase gear from him. However, he only offers merchandise if you find it first.

As you roam the available dungeons, you will find mini-boss enemies. Defeat them and you get to choose from among three random pieces of equipment. If you have already ‘retrieved’ a piece and you see one that you have not claimed, make sure to choose the new one. Then head to the nearest well, indicated by an on-screen bucket icon. On a particular run, you can return no more than one piece of new equipment using that well.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

When you end your run and return to the level hub, visit the wellkeeper. He now offers the new equipment for purchase. It can be quite expensive. For instance, the valuable Collar of Confidence costs 8,000 gold. The Iron Ring costs 4,000 gold. I was worried that if I purchased a piece of gear and took it with me on the next run, I would die and lose it. Thankfully, any gear you buy from the wellkeeper is yours to keep for good. That’s true no matter how often you die while wearing it.

You can also equip several types of equipment at once. Check the Item Stash treasure chest, next to the wellkeeper, when you want to update your loadout. A proper loadout, once assembled, gives you a fighting chance as you visit some of the more difficult areas. However, don’t neglect the character upgrades you can also unlock with gold. The best upgrades will work in concert with your retrieved equipment and allow for longer runs with bigger rewards.

Halls of Torment is available to purchase on Steam.