Darkest Dungeon Curio Guide – Curios Interactions Cheat Sheet

Last Updated on July 15, 2023 by Samuel Franklin

Darkest Dungeon Curio Guide – Curios Interactions Cheat Sheet

This Darkest Dungeon curio guide provides players a curios cheat sheet of all interactions to help you determine whether or not to trigger them in a hero expedition. Given curio can bestow a wealth of positive effects on your heroes (generally requiring a specific provision to be used) or seriously harm your heroes knowing the right time to interact with them as you advance is pivotal to your long term survival and progression. While you can memorise them over time and the game does show you the effect of provisions on curio once you have discovered it having a curios sheet like this one can help you with that initial discovery and understand the risks you take if you lack that provision.

In this curio guide we explore all the mechanics of curios in Darkest Dungeon which are fundamental to surviving the harsh expedition difficulty your heroes will face. It also includes an interactions chart split between the various game areas for players to reference while in game at the end of this page. Given this article discusses curio related information there are spoilers for this Darkest Dungeon mechanic below.

Table of Contents:
– Curio Overview
– Common Dungeon Curios
– Ruin Dungeon Curios
– Warren Dungeon Curios
– Weald Dungeon Curios
– Cove Dungeon Curios
– Courtyard Dungeon Curios
– Farmstead Dungeon Curios (DLC)
– Unique Dungeon Curios

Darkest Dungeon Curio Overview

Curios come in a range of forms and are interactable objects of curious nature that players encounter while on an expedition (within rooms and hallways). These include strange altars, library books, fountains, chests, piles of bones and everything in between that has been left behind by past adventurers or part of the scenario. The expedition location you select will impact on the curios you encounter which are randomly spawned although some general themed ones can be found across all locations. Players have the decision to interact with these curio or not and can select provisions that may cleanse the curio for an added bonus. If players select the incorrect provision for curio it will have no effect and once you have discovered the correct provision it will show an icon in your inventory when interacting with that curio underneath that item. For example the gold loot icon shown underneath the shovel in the screenshot below for the shallow grave curio while other provisions show only a question mark.

After interaction with curios within rooms or hallways players are given the choice to use one of their inventory provisions to activate the curio or ignore it entirely and continue on with the expedition. Most curios can have their outcomes improved by selecting the applicable provision which encourages players to bring specific provisions on their expedition. Players also need to be careful of negative hero quirks that may force heroes to activate the curio automatically when in range with certain quirks triggering specific curios.

Darkest Dungeon Curio Guide & Interactions Cheat Sheet Chart

The below section details the interactions you can make with each curio and are presented as follows with tables for each expedition type. Note that the loot reward is a generic term that includes any lootable item such as gold, gems, food, heirlooms and in some rare cases trinkets.

• Curio: The name and image of the curio that appears when interacting with it.
• Provision To Cleanse: The provision(s) required to activate the cleansed reward.
• Cleansed Reward: The reward for cleansing the curio with the specific provision.
• Non-Cleansed Reward: The normal reward if players do not use a provision with the percentage chance shown.

Common Dungeon Curios

These common curios can spawn regardless of your Darkest Dungeon location with these generally having limited cleaning cleansing provision requirements and fairly reasonable non-cleansed rewards.

Curio	Provision To Cleanse	Cleansed Reward	Non-Cleansed Reward
Crate	N/A	N/A	Heirloom (75%) Nothing (25%)
Discarded Pack	N/A	N/A	Loot (60%) Scouting (20%) Nothing (20%)
Eldritch Altar	Holy Water	Remove negative quirk	+25 Stress (40%) Remove negative quirk (10%) Nothing (50%)
Heirloom Chest	Skeleton Key	Heirloom	Heirloom (75%) Bleed (12.5%) Blight (12.5%)
Sack	N/A	N/A	Loot (75%) Nothing (25%)
Sconce	N/A	N/A	Torch (100%)
Shambler’s Altar	Torch	Summon Shambler	Nothing (100%)
Stack of Books	Torch	+100 Stress	+25 Stress (22.2%) Positive quirk (22.2%) Negative quirk (11.1%) -25 Light (11.1%) Journal entry (16.7%) Nothing (16.7%)
Unlocked Strongbox	N/A	N/A	Loot (75%) Blight (25%)

Ruin Dungeon Curios

These curios only appear when adventuring in the ruins with holy water, skeleton keys and shovels being a recurring theme to activate cleansing.

Curio	Provision To Cleanse	Cleansed Reward	Non-Cleansed Reward
Alchemy Table	Torch Medicinal Herbs	100 Light Loot	Blight (50%) Loot (25%) Nothing (25%)
Altar of Light	Holy Water	+30% damage until camp	+20 damage until camp
Bookshelf	N/A	N/A	Scouting (20%) +15 Stress (20%)
Confession Booth	Holy Water	-30 Stress	+15 Stress (50%) Loot (25%) Remove negative quirk (25%)
Decorative Urn	Holy Water Shovel	Loot Negative quirk ‘Guilty Conscience’	Loot (44.4%) Blight (22.2%) Disease ‘Creeping Cough’ (7.4%) Random disease (3.7%) Nothing (22.2%)
Holy Fountain	Holy Water	-20 Stress, cure status effects and +12 HP heal	-10 Stress, cure status effects and +5 HP heal (50%) Loot (50%)
Iron Maiden	Medicinal Herbs	Loot	Loot (40%) Negative quirk ‘Claustrophobia’ (20%) Disease ‘Tetanus’ (66.7%) Random disease (6.7%) Nothing (20%)
Locked Display Cabinet	Skeleton Key Shovel	Loot Loot	Bleed (50%) Blight (50%)
Locked Sarcophagus	Skeleton Key Shovel	Loot Loot	Bleed (50%) Blight (50%)
Sarcophagus	N/A	N/A	Loot (60%) Negative quirk ‘Thanatophobia’ (20%) Nothing (20%)
Suit of Armor	N/A	N/A	+15% Protection and +10 dodge until camp (75%) Positive quirk ‘Ruins Adventurer’ (12.5%) Positive quirk ‘Ruins Tactician’ (12.5%)

Warren Dungeon Curios

These curios only appear when adventuring in the warrens with holy water and medicinal herbs being a recurring theme to activate cleansing.

Curio	Provision To Cleanse	Cleansed Reward	Non-Cleansed Reward
Bone Altar	N/A	N/A	+15% Damage, +10 accuracy and 5% critical until camp
Dinner Cart	Medicinal Herbs	Loot	Loot (37.5%) Blight (25%) Disease ‘Black Plague’ (12.5%) Nothing (20%)
Makeshift Dining Table	Medicinal Herbs	Loot	Loot (25%) Blight (25%) Disease ‘Tapeworm’ (25%) Nothing (25%)
Moonshine Barrel	Medicinal Herbs	+30% Damage until camp	Loot (33.3%) Blight (33.3%) Negative quirk ‘Tippler’ (11.1%) Nothing (22.2%)
Occult Scrawlings	Holy Water	-20% Dodge	Random positive quirk (33.3%) +25 Stress (25%) Random negative quirk (16.7%) Nothing (25%)
Pile of Bones	Holy Water	Loot	Loot (25%) Random disease (25%) Negative quirk ‘Bloodthirsty’ (25%)
Pile of Scrolls	Torch	Remove negative quirk	Scout (26.8%) +15 Stress (14.3%) Journal entry (14.3%) Random positive quirk (9.5%) Random negative quirk (4.8%) Nothing (28.6%)
Rack of Blades	Bandage	Loot	Loot (40%) Bleed (40%) Nothing (20%)
Sacrificial Stone	N/A	N/A	+50 Stress (50%) Remove negative quirk (25%) Positive quirk ‘Warrens Explorer’ (12.5%) Positive quirk ‘Warrens Scrounger’ (12.5%)

Weald Dungeon Curios

These curios only appear when adventuring in the wealds with holy water, antivenom and bandages being a recurring theme to activate cleansing.

Curio	Provision To Cleanse	Cleansed Reward	Non-Cleansed Reward
Ancient Coffin	N/A	N/A	Loot (50%) Positive quirk ‘Weald Adventurer’ (8.3%) Positive quirk ‘Weald Explorer’ (8.3%) Nothing (33%)
Beast Carcass	Medicinal Herbs	Loot	Loot (42.9%) Disease ‘Rabies’ (25%) Random disease (19%) Negative quirk ‘Zoophobia’ (14.3%) Nothing (14.3%)
Eerie Spiderweb	Bandage	Loot	Loot (40%) Negative quirk ‘Slow Reflexes’ (10%) Negative quirk ‘Slowdraw’ (10%) Nothing (40%)
Left Luggage	Skeleton Key Antivenom	Loot Loot	Loot (50%) Blight (50%)
Mummified Remains	Bandage	Loot	Loot (40%) Blight (40%) Nothing (20%)
Old Tree	Antivenom	Loot	Loot (50%) Blight (25%) Nothing (25%)
Pristine Fountain	Holy Water	-30 Stress	-20 Stress (100%)
Shallow Grave	Shovel	Loot	Blight (50%) Random disease (50%)
Traveller’s Tent	N/A	N/A	Loot (37.5%) Scout (37.5%) +25 Stress (12.5%) Nothing (12.5%)
Troubling Effigy	Holy Water	Random positive quirk	Random positive quirk (18.8%) Random negative quirk (18.8%) Bleed (18.8%) Blight (9.4%) +15 Stress (9.4%) Nothing (25%)

Cove Dungeon Curios

These curios only appear when adventuring in the coves with medicinal herbs and shovels being a recurring theme to activate cleansing.

Curio	Provision To Cleanse	Cleansed Reward	Non-Cleansed Reward
Barnacle Crusted Chest	Shovel	Loot	Loot (50%) Bleed (25%) Nothing (25%)
Bas-Relief	Shovel	+100 Stress	Random positive quirk (66.7%) Random negative quirk (33.3%)
Brackish Tide Pool	Antivenom	+5 HP heal (50%) -6 Stress (50%)	+33% Debuff resistances (75%) Random disease (25%)
Eerie Coral	Medicinal Herbs	Remove negative quirk	-10 Stress (50%) +25 Stress (25%) Nothing (25%)
Fish Idol	Holy Water	+18% Damage until camp	-25% Damage and -10 accuracy until camp (50%) -12 Dodge until camp (50%)
Fish Carcass	Medicinal Herbs	Loot	Loot (16.7%) Disease ‘Red Plague’ (16.7%) Blight (11.1%) Bleed (5.6%) Nothing (50%)
Giant Oyster	Shovel Dog Treats	Loot +25 Dodge	Loot (40%) Bleed (40%) Nothing (20%)
Ship’s Figurehead	N/A	N/A	-25-30 Stress (66.7%) +20% Damage and 4 speed until camp (33.3%)

Courtyard Dungeon Curios (Crimson Court DLC)

These curios only appear when adventuring in the courtyard with the blood, holy water, torches and shovels being a recurring theme to activate cleansing.

Curio	Provision To Cleanse	Cleansed Reward	Non-Cleansed Reward
Bloodflowers	The Blood Holy Water Shovel	Nothing +15 Stress Loot	+15 Stress (38.5%) Scout (23.1%) Loot (15.3%) Disease ‘Tetanus’ (5.3%) Random disease (2.5%) Nothing (15.3%)
Damned Fountain	Holy Water Torch	-30 Stress +5 Stress	Bleed (60%) Disease ‘Crimson Curse’ (20%) Loot (20%)
Disturbing Diversion	Shovel	Loot	+25 Stress (40%) Random positive quirk (15%) Random negative quirk (15%) Loot (10%) Nothing (20%)
Forgotten Delicacies	Medicinal Herbs	Loot	Loot (20%) Negative quirk ‘Stress Eater’ (20%) Blight (20%) Disease ‘Crimson Curse’ (13.3%) Random disease (6.7%) Nothing (20%)
Hooded Shrew	The Blood	Loot	+15 Stress (42.8%) Loot (28.5%) Random disease (7.6% Nothing (14.2%)
Wizened Shrew	The Blood	Loot	Random disease (7.6%) Scout (50%) Nothing (58.3%)
Pile of Strange Bones	Bandage The Blood	Loot (50%) / The Blood (50%) Summon a Supplicant, Sycophant and Esquire	Bleed (50%) Loot (20%) Disease ‘Crimson Curse’ (10%) Nothing (20%)
Throbbing Cocoons	Torch	-30 Stress (Courtyard only)	Summon a Supplicant, Sycophant and Esquire (75%) Loot (12.5%) Nothing (12.5%)
Thronging Hive	Torch	Loot	Loot (75%) Blood (25%)
Wine Crate	Antivenom Shovel	-30 Stress Firewood	Loot (41.7%) Negative quirk ‘Tippler’ (16.7%) Disease ‘Crimson Curse’ (16.7%) Scout (8.3%) Bleed (8.3%) Nothing (8.3%)

Farmstead Dungeon Curios (Colour of Madness DLC)

These curios only appear when adventuring in the farmstead with only the skeleton key used to activate cleansing.

Curio	Provision To Cleanse	Cleansed Reward	Non-Cleansed Reward
Gleaming Shards	N/A	N/A	Shards
Fresh Harvest	N/A	N/A	+90% HP heal
Stockpile	Skeleton Key	Loot	Loot (66%) Nothing (33%)
Rotted Fare	N/A	N/A	-100 Stress
Miller’s Hearth	N/A	N/A	Activate camping
Corrupted Harvest	N/A	N/A	-60 Stress (party)
Plentiful Bounty	N/A	N/A	+65% HP heal (party)
Mildred	N/A	N/A	Mildred’s Locket trinket or trinket/shards after initial encounter

Unique Dungeon Curios

These curios only appear during unique situations with only the skeleton key used to activate cleansing.

Written by

Samuel Franklin

Samuel Franklin is the founder and lead editor of the Games Finder team and enjoys video games across all genres and platforms.

Darkest Dungeon is one of the most played roguelike games in Sam’s gaming library as he regularly returns to the dark atmosphere and brutal difficulty that it offers. Favouring a team that prioritises safety through healing, stuns and stress management his team of stalwart heroes are rarely put at risk during their expedition into the varied map locations.