Empty Tome is the canonical Cooldown reduction passive. It reduces all weapon Cooldowns by 8% per level, capping at -40% Cooldown at level 5. Per the official wiki, it benefits every weapon and character in the game except Babi-Onna. Required for Holy Wand, Nitesco, and Yagyu Shuriken evolutions.
Empty Tome is the canonical Cooldown reduction passive item. Each level reduces weapon Cooldown by 8%, capping at -40% Cooldown at level 5. Per the official wiki, the effect applies to every weapon and benefits every character with the sole exception of Babi-Onna, whose unique mechanic conflicts with the global Cooldown change.
Empty Tome is a passive item in Vampire Survivors that exclusively reduces Cooldown across all equipped weapons, and in our experience the most universally beneficial passive in the game. Per the official Vampire Survivors Wiki, Empty Tome was added in patch v0.2.13 (which fixed an earlier bug where it only affected weapons that had been levelled up after pickup) and grants -8% Cooldown per level, capping at -40% at level 5.
| Level | Cooldown Reduction |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | -8% |
| Level 2 | -16% |
| Level 3 | -24% |
| Level 4 | -32% |
| Level 5 (max) | -40% |
Cooldown reduction is one of the highest-leverage stats in Vampire Survivors. A 40% Cooldown reduction means every weapon fires 1.67x as often, which translates almost directly to a 67% damage-per-second increase. This makes Empty Tome a near-mandatory pickup on every build except Babi-Onna runs.
Empty Tome unlocks by holding 6 different weapons simultaneously during a single run. The simplest path is to pick any character on Mad Forest, accept the first weapon offered on each level-up roll until all 6 weapon slots are filled with different weapons.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pick any starter character.  Imelda Belpaese (starts with Magic Wand) or Antonio (starts with Whip) are reliable choices because their starter weapon is also one of the easier evolutions. |
| 2 | Pick any base game stage.  Mad Forest is recommended for level pace. |
| 3 | Accept the FIRST weapon offered on every level-up roll. Always take a new weapon over upgrading existing weapons until all 6 weapon slots are full. |
| 4 | Once all 6 different weapons are equipped, Empty Tome unlocks immediately. From this point forward, it appears in level-up rolls and stage spawns. |
Most players unlock Empty Tome passively in their first dozen runs without targeting it. The 6-weapon condition is easy to satisfy because passive level-up rolls naturally distribute across many weapons. The unlock persists across all future runs and characters.
Empty Tome is required for three evolutions. Magic Wand + Empty Tome (any level) → Holy Wand (base game). Globus + Empty Tome (max level) → Nitesco (Castlevania DLC). Shuriken + Empty Tome (max level) → Yagyu Shuriken (Castlevania DLC). Holy Wand is the most accessible, requiring only level 1 Empty Tome.
Holy Wand is the iconic base game Magic Wand evolution. Per the official wiki, the evolved weapon visually resembles Magic Wand but fires significantly more powerful projectiles. Holy Wand is also the starting weapon of the secret character Leda. See our final boss guide for high-level Holy Wand play.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base Weapon | Magic Wand at level 8 (max) |
| Passive Item | Empty Tome (any level, including just level 1) |
| Trigger | Open a treasure chest after the 10-minute mark |
| Result | Magic Wand removed; Holy Wand added in same slot |
Leda (similar Cooldown synergy to Spellbinder Duration builds) starts with Holy Wand pre-evolved, which makes her one of the strongest base game characters for builds that lean on the wand line. The character unlock is gated behind defeating Leda as a boss in Holy Forbidden, requiring the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane menu code or completing the Holy Forbidden boss encounter.
Nitesco is the evolved Globus from the Ode to Castlevania DLC. Per the official wiki, this evolution requires Empty Tome at maximum level (level 5). Globus is the starting weapon of 
Saint Germain. Evolving Globus to Nitesco unlocks Julia Laforeze as a playable character.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base Weapon | Globus at level 8 (max) |
| Passive Item | Empty Tome at level 5 (max) |
| DLC | Ode to Castlevania (paid) |
| Bonus | Evolving Globus unlocks  Julia Laforeze as a playable character |
Nitesco fires a constant piercing purple beam horizontally. Walter Bernhard starts with Nitesco pre-evolved, making him the canonical character for the Nitesco-focused build path on Castlevania DLC (similar to Kappa Castlevania farms).
Yagyu Shuriken is the evolved 
Shuriken, also from the Ode to Castlevania DLC. The pairing with max-level Empty Tome creates one of the highest fire-rate weapons in the game given the already-low base Shuriken Cooldown.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base Weapon | Shuriken at level 8 (max) |
| Passive Item | Empty Tome at level 5 (max) |
| DLC | Ode to Castlevania (paid) |
Vampire Survivors caps total Cooldown reduction at 90%. Empty Tome at -40% combined with Cooldown PowerUp at -10% reaches -50% from passive sources alone. Stack with Spellbinder Duration scaling and character bonuses (Christine Davain, Hammer) to push toward the cap on attack-frequency-focused builds.
| Source | Cooldown Reduction |
|---|---|
| Empty Tome (max level 5) | -40% |
| Cooldown PowerUp (max) | -10% |
 Christine Davain starting bonus | Variable Cooldown reduction |
| Hammer character (level 80 max) | Cooldown scaling on level |
| Iron Pink Lady arcana | Time-based Cooldown reduction |
| Tragic Princess (III) arcana | Cooldown reduction while moving |
Per community testing and the official wiki, total Cooldown reduction is capped at 90% in Vampire Survivors. Reductions beyond 90% have no additional in-game effect. This means stacking Empty Tome (-40%) with the Cooldown PowerUp (-10%), Christine Davain Cooldown bonuses, and Tragic Princess (III) arcana can saturate the cap on attack-frequency builds, but additional Cooldown sources beyond that are effectively wasted.
For most builds, Empty Tome is sufficient on its own to reach the breakpoint where weapons fire fast enough to clear screens. The exception is high-density Endless Mode runs with Curse multipliers, where pushing toward the 90% cap genuinely matters for survival.
Empty Tome benefits nearly every character, but some characters are particularly synergistic. Imelda Belpaese (Magic Wand to Holy Wand), Saint Germain (Globus to Nitesco), Christine Davain (Operation Guns Cooldown bonus), Leda (pre-evolved Holy Wand), and Hammer (level-scaling Cooldown reduction) are top picks. Babi-Onna is the only character who should NOT take Empty Tome.
| Character | Why It Pairs |
|---|---|
| Imelda Belpaese | Starts with Magic Wand; canonical Holy Wand carrier |
| Leda | Pre-evolved Holy Wand starter; Cooldown scaling on the strongest base game wand |
| Saint Germain | Globus starter for Nitesco evolution |
 Walter Bernhard | Pre-evolved Nitesco starter; leans entirely on Cooldown |
| Christine Davain | Operation Guns DLC; built-in Cooldown bonus stacks with Empty Tome |
| Hammer | Cooldown scales with level; Empty Tome compounds the per-level reduction |
 Babi-Onna | AVOID; her unique mechanic conflicts with global Cooldown |
Per the official wiki, Babi-Onna is the sole character who does NOT benefit from Empty Tome. Her unique mechanic conflicts with global Cooldown reduction, and taking Empty Tome on her runs can actively hurt the build. She is the single named exception across the entire roster, which speaks to how universal Empty Tome is for every other character.
Once unlocked, Empty Tome appears as a stage pickup on Inlaid Library (the original location, west of spawn), Moongolow, Boss Rash, and Abyss Foscari. Inlaid Library and Abyss Foscari can both spawn up to 5 copies in a single run with high Luck.
| Stage | DLC Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inlaid Library | Base game | West of spawn; up to 4 additional Empty Tome (40%, 30%, 20% chances) |
 Moongolow | Base game | All standard passives spawn here |
| Boss Rash | Base game (Hyper Mode all) | Challenge stage; fastest passive collection |
 Abyss Foscari | Tides of the Foscari (paid) | Up to 4 additional Empty Tome (10% each) |
The Inlaid Library is the most efficient stage for stacking Empty Tome to max level entirely from stage pickups. The base spawn plus 3 conditional spawns (40%, 30%, 20% chances) means high-Luck runs can find 4 to 5 Empty Tomes naturally without spending any level-up rolls. Pairing this with the Milky Way Map relic makes finding all spawns trivial. The same approach works for Curse-stacked builds on the same stage.
The Imelda build is the canonical Empty Tome use case. Imelda starts with Magic Wand, which evolves into Holy Wand with even level 1 Empty Tome. Stack Empty Tome to level 5 anyway for the universal Cooldown reduction across the rest of the weapon set.
| Slot | Item |
|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | Magic Wand / Holy Wand |
| Weapon 2 | King Bible / Unholy Vespers |
| Weapon 3 | Cross / Heaven Sword |
| Weapon 4 | Lightning Ring / Thunder Loop |
| Weapon 5 | Garlic / Soul Eater |
| Weapon 6 | Laurel / Crimson Shroud |
| Passive 1 | Empty Tome (max) |
| Passive 2 | Spinach |
| Passive 3 | Hollow Heart |
| Passive 4 | Crown |
| Passive 5 | Pummarola |
| Passive 6 | Spellbinder |
Walter Bernhard starts with Nitesco pre-evolved, which means Empty Tome is purely a Cooldown booster on his runs. Stack Empty Tome to max alongside Spellbinder for Duration scaling and Crown for XP. The Nitesco beam fires more often the lower the Cooldown gets, making Empty Tome the highest-value passive on Walter.
Empty Tome is one of the few passives where pickup priority depends entirely on the build target. On Holy Wand evolution runs, take it at level 1 from the first level-up roll. On Nitesco or Yagyu Shuriken runs, prioritize maxing it before any 10-minute chest. On standard survival runs, pick it up early but don't rush to max.
The Holy Wand evolution is forgiving because it only requires Empty Tome at any level. Pick up Empty Tome on the first level-up roll that offers it. The level 1 -8% Cooldown is enough to satisfy the evolution. After triggering Holy Wand at the first 10-minute chest, Empty Tome is consumed. Re-acquire it from a stage spawn or another level-up roll if the build still benefits from Cooldown reduction across the rest of the weapon set.
Both Castlevania DLC evolutions require Empty Tome at maximum level 5. Plan to pick up Empty Tome early and grind it to level 5 before the 10-minute chest threshold. The Castlevania stage allows weapon evolutions on chests at any time, which means missing the level-5 mark on the first chest pushes the evolution to a later chest with no penalty. The Inlaid Library or Abyss Foscari are both viable stages for the level grind because both spawn Empty Tome multiple times.
On runs that just aim to clear a stage, take Empty Tome on the first level-up roll for the universal Cooldown benefit. Push it to level 3 or 4 before deprioritizing further upgrades. The diminishing returns on Cooldown reduction past 32% (level 4) make Empty Tome's marginal value low at level 5 unless an evolution requires the max level.
Players new to Empty Tome often misuse it in these ways:
Per the official wiki, Empty Tome is named after the song "An Empty Tome", which is Shanoa's theme music in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. The reference predates the Ode to Castlevania DLC, suggesting series creator Luca Galante planted Castlevania references throughout the base game.
Empty Tome's name is one of the more obscure Castlevania references in Vampire Survivors. "An Empty Tome" is the name of Shanoa's character theme in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Nintendo DS, 2008). Shanoa is the protagonist of that game, an Ecclesia order member who absorbs glyphs to fight enemies. The musical reference is a deep cut that signals the deeper Castlevania DNA running through Vampire Survivors's design.
The reference predates the Ode to Castlevania DLC by years, which means series creator Luca Galante planted Castlevania easter eggs throughout the base game well before the official DLC made the connection explicit. The Stone Mask, Bloody Tear, and various weapon names are similar Castlevania callbacks scattered across the base game.
Empty Tome unlocks by holding 6 different weapons simultaneously during a single run. The simplest path is to pick any starter character (Imelda, Antonio, Pasqualina) on Mad Forest and accept the FIRST weapon offered on every level-up roll. Always take a new weapon over upgrading existing ones until all 6 weapon slots are filled with different weapons. Empty Tome unlocks immediately at the moment the 6th weapon enters the inventory.
Empty Tome is required for three evolutions. Magic Wand + Empty Tome (any level) evolves into Holy Wand (base game; only needs level 1 Empty Tome). Globus + Empty Tome (max level) evolves into Nitesco (Castlevania DLC). Shuriken + Empty Tome (max level) evolves into Yagyu Shuriken (Castlevania DLC). The Holy Wand evolution is the easiest to trigger since it only requires Empty Tome at any level.
Empty Tome has 5 levels. Each level reduces Cooldown by -8%. At max level, Empty Tome provides -40% total Cooldown across all equipped weapons. The reduction applies universally with the sole exception of Babi-Onna, whose unique mechanic conflicts with global Cooldown changes.
Per community consensus and the official wiki, Empty Tome is consistently top-tier on every build. It provides nearly universal benefit, evolves three different weapons across base game and DLC, and stacks freely with other Cooldown sources up to the 90% reduction cap. The only build that should skip Empty Tome is Babi-Onna.
Per the official wiki, Babi-Onna's unique mechanic conflicts with global Cooldown reduction. The game's wiki explicitly notes Empty Tome is universally beneficial 'with the sole exception of Babi-Onna'. Her runs should focus on damage scaling passives like Spinach and Curse stacking instead of Cooldown reduction.
Once unlocked, Empty Tome spawns on Inlaid Library (original location, west of spawn, with 3 additional possible spawns at 40%/30%/20% chances), Moongolow (general passive pool), Boss Rash, and Abyss Foscari (with 4 additional possible spawns at 10% each). Inlaid Library is the most efficient stage for stacking Empty Tome to max level entirely from stage pickups.
Vampire Survivors caps total Cooldown reduction at 90%. Empty Tome at max provides -40% on its own. Stacking with the Cooldown PowerUp (-10%), Christine Davain bonuses, and Tragic Princess (III) arcana can approach the cap on Cooldown-focused builds. Once at 90%, additional Cooldown sources have no further effect, so the slot can be used for damage or survival passives instead.
Per the official wiki, the name references the song "An Empty Tome", which is Shanoa's character theme music in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Nintendo DS, 2008). The Castlevania reference predates the Ode to Castlevania DLC, indicating that series creator Luca Galante planted Castlevania easter eggs throughout the base game well before the explicit DLC crossover. The Stone Mask and Bloody Tear are similar base-game Castlevania references.
Empty Tome mechanics, unlock requirements, evolution conditions, Cooldown cap math, and Shanoa reference cross-referenced against the official Vampire Survivors Wiki on Weirdgloop and the Vampire Survivors Fandom Wiki, including patch v0.2.13 documentation that fixed the original Cooldown calculation bug.
Sprite assets and stat data derived from the Vampire Survivors Wiki, hosted by Weirdgloop and licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Vampire Survivors is a trademark of poncle. This guide is an independent reference and is not affiliated with poncle.