Each of the 16 Arcana in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a tarot card that holds a single spell, and every one of those spells can be improved by completing tasks tied to it. There are 44 Works of Mercy (the tasks) and 43 Gifts (the upgrades) spread across the cards. The loop is simple once you see it: finish a Work of Mercy, earn a Blessing, then spend that Blessing on a Gift for the same spell.
How Works of Mercy, Blessings, and Gifts work
The game describes how the system works in its tutorial:
Completing WORKS OF MERCY related to an absorbed Arcane earns BLESSING(S). When a Blessing(s) is available, selecting the currently equipped Arcane spell allows you to assign the Blessing(s) to unlock a Gift(s) that improves the spell with new attributes.
A Gift has an effect only when its Arcana is equipped, and you can equip just one Arcana at a time. Completing a task shows a “Work of Mercy completed” banner. While you work on a task, its objective counter sits at the top right of the screen, for example “Hit 1/20 time with this spell.”, the first task most players complete.
Of the 44 Works, 22 count only while that card is set as your active Arcana, and the other 22 count whether the card is equipped or not. The split matters: equip the right card before you go after an “equipped only” task, or it will not register. Those 22 are marked (equipped only) in the lists below.
Most cards have three Works and three Gifts. The Prophetess, The Zealot, and The Whisperer are the three exceptions, each with two Works and two Gifts. The Cursed has two Works, one displayed only as “???”, and one Gift. For where each card comes from, see the guide to obtaining every Arcana; the sections below cover the upgrades themselves. Relics that help spell play, such as Twilight Gem and Lich’s Mark, are ranked in the best Relics tier list.
Every Arcana: spell, MP cost, and how to get it
| Arcana | Spell | MP | How to get |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cursed | Cursed Flame | 30 | Starting card |
| The Fallen | Holy Cross | 50 | Beat The Fallen |
| The Prophetess | Petrifying Gaze | 75 | Beat Medusa |
| The Warrior | Infernal Pyre | 80 | Beat Joan of Arc (first fight) |
| The Shadow | Soul Harvest | 60 | Beat Death in the Transept |
| The Judge | Chains of Justice | 40 | Scales of Justice, Palace of Justice |
| The Zealot | Chronomantic Dive | 50 | Beat Isaac at the Heart of the Clock |
| The Builder | Fist of Talos | 50 | Beat Talos |
| The Occultist | Blood Spikes | 50 | Beat Carmilla |
| The Artist | Masterpiece | 60 | Break the sculpture in Brauner’s Atelier |
| The Miser | Wheel of Chaos | 45 | Beat Mammon |
| The Whisperer | Freezing Path | 35 | Return the Ferryman’s Obol |
| The Temptress | Life Drain | 5 | Beat the Succubus |
| The Sage | Mirror Walk | 80 | Queen Eleanor, Mausoleum of the Queens |
| The Self | Absolution | 50 | Beat the shadow of Rose |
| The Brittle King | Stained-Glass Shield | 100 | Beat Arthur |
Every Work of Mercy and Gift, by Arcana
The Cursed: Cursed Flame (30 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Hit 20 time with this spell.” (equipped only)
- “???”
Gifts:
- “Fires a bigger fireball that slightly pushes back its target.”
The Fallen: Holy Cross (50 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Find 3 different whip-type weapons.”
- “Kill 5 enemies with the same cross (not necessarily at the same time).” (equipped only)
- “Kill 10 enemies with a whip attack.”
Gifts:
- “You can throw a second cross.”
- “The cross inflicts more damage the farther away it is from Rose.”
- “Catching the returning cross lets Rose regain 10% of the spell’s mana cost for each time an enemy was hit, up to a maximum of 60%.”
The Prophetess: Petrifying Gaze (75 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Petrify an enemy carrying a shield with Medusa’s Spell. Not again, Perseus!” (equipped only)
- “Kill 25 enemies from fall damage directly after petrifying them in the air.” (equipped only)
Gifts:
- “Killing a petrified enemy restores a quantity of mana equivalent to half the cost of Medusa’s spell.”
- “The closer the targets affected by this spell are to Rose, the longer they remain petrified, and the more hits it takes to break the petrification.”
The Warrior: Infernal Pyre (80 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Successfully parry 15 attacks with the Holy Light.”
- “Reach a sacred place so Joan can pray.”
- “Set 5 enemies on fire at the same time.” (equipped only)
Gifts:
- “Regain 25% of the spell’s mana cost for each enemy hit by the central explosion, starting with the second enemy.”
- “Enemies hit by Joan’s spell are thrown high in the air.”
- “Hitting an enemy with a weapon prolongs the fire on them.”
The Shadow: Soul Harvest (60 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Complete the hidden puzzle in Notre Dame.”
- “Kill 44 skeletons (of any sort).”
- “Kill 4 enemies with the same cast of Death’s spell.” (equipped only)
Gifts:
- “If this spell only hits one enemy, Rose heals 4% of her maximum health.”
- “If a sickle kills an enemy, it splits into 4 new sickles.”
- “Each sickle that hits an enemy restores 25% of the spell’s mana cost.”
The Judge: Chains of Justice (40 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Chain 4 enemies at once.” (equipped only)
- “Kill 25 chained enemies.”
- “Upgrade your maximum health and mana 5 times each.”
Gifts:
- “Chained enemies are also rendered incapable of performing any action.”
- “Killing a chained target chains a nearby enemy.”
- “Chaining an enemy with less than 20% of their maximum health instantly kills them.”
The Zealot: Chronomantic Dive (50 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Kill 20 enemies while in slow motion.”
- “Explore all rooms of Clock Tower.”
Gifts:
- “The time slow effect is longer.”
- “Creates a bigger explosion if Rose dives from a high enough position.”
The Builder: Fist of Talos (50 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Kill 3 enemies with one fist.” (equipped only)
- “Kill 10 airborne enemy with a fist as it falls down.” (equipped only)
- “Kill 15 enemies with the smash.”
Gifts:
- “The fist deals 75% more damage to enemies suffering from control effects.”
- “The earthquake is more powerful and unleashes 1 second later.”
- “The fist is covered in damage-dealing spikes that hit enemies even after hitting the ground.”
The Occultist: Blood Spikes (50 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Kill 25 enemies from bleed-effect damage.” (equipped only)
- “Find 2 different dual blade-type weapons.”
- “Cause an enemy to bleed continuously for 10 seconds.” (equipped only)
Gifts:
- “Applying the bleeding effect to an already bleeding enemy deals instant damage to it.”
- “Heals Rose 2% of her max health every time an enemy dies from bleeding.”
- “Bleeding enemies are slower and deal 25% less damage to Rose.”
The Artist: Masterpiece (60 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Kill 30 enemies with the Gargoyle Dive.” (equipped only)
- “Cause 5 enemies to fall to their death with the Gargoyle Summoning Stone.” (equipped only)
- “Find all the secret zones in the Main Hall.”
Gifts:
- “Summons an additional Gargoyle”
- “Rose heals every time the Gargoyle’s fire ball hits an enemy.”
- “Killing at least one enemy with the Gargoyle Dive prevents the Gargoyle’s destruction.”
The Miser: Wheel of Chaos (45 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Have the wheel spin for 15 seconds without interruption.” (equipped only)
- “Kill 5 different enemies with one wheel.” (equipped only)
- “Spend 1000 mana points on recasts of this spell.” (equipped only)
Gifts:
- “This spell can be cast using health if Rose does not have enough mana and will deal 50% more damage.”
- “Mammon’s spell deals increased damage each time it is cast. This bonus resets if the spell is not recast while active.”
- “Every time the player recasts the spell, there is a 1/8 chance of triggering a random effect.”
The Whisperer: Freezing Path (35 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Kill 25 enemies by breaking them out of freeze.” (equipped only)
- “Pass through 5 enemies in 3 seconds.” (equipped only)
Gifts:
- “At the end of the spell effect, a wave of frost bursts around Rose that freezes enemies within a radius of 5 meters.”
- “Passing through an enemy increases your speed by 10% for a maximum of 5 times. Can only trigger once on the same enemy.”
The Temptress: Life Drain (5 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Drain an enemy for 5 seconds straight without interruption.”
- “Explore all rooms of Hall of Mirrors.”
- “Kill 25 enemies with the life drain.”
Gifts:
- “The drain deals bonus damage if Rose is at full health when it ticks.”
- “Getting hit while holding this spell doesn’t interrupt it.”
- “The spell targets the 2 nearest enemies instead of just one.”
The Sage: Mirror Walk (80 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Use 34 Save Rooms.”
- “Heal 1000 of health with this spell.” (equipped only)
- “Kill 5 enemies within 3 seconds of dodging their attacks with teleportation.”
Gifts:
- “If Rose uses teleportation without losing life since the mirror is placed, she regains 80% of the consumed mana.”
- “Rose deals significant damage to enemies in the path of the teleportation.”
- “Receiving a fatal blow while a mirror is active prevents death and activates teleportation. Can only be activated once but can be recharged when Rose interacts with a Save room.”
The Self: Absolution (50 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Kill 4 enemies with one cast of this spell, 5 times.” (equipped only)
- “Explore 85% of the whole map.”
- “Heal back to full life using this spell 10 times.” (equipped only)
Gifts:
- “If the spell is cast while Rose is at full health, deals 50% more damage.”
- “If the spell hits only one target, ignites it.”
- “If the spell kills at least 4 enemies, heals Rose back to full health.”
The Brittle King: Stained-Glass Shield (100 MP)
Works of Mercy:
- “Absorb an attack that would otherwise be fatal thanks to Arthur’s spell.” (equipped only)
- “Kill 25 Haunted Armor.”
- “Kill 3 enemies with a single attack.”
Gifts:
- “The spell’s magic shield can absorb 1 additional attacks before it breaks.”
- “Each time Rose takes damage (with or without an active magic shield), a shard of glass is launched at the nearest enemy.”
- “When Rose is struck during an attack, damage received is reduced by 50% and her attack continues uninterrupted”
Works of Mercy that take planning
Some tasks finish on their own as you fight and explore. These are the ones worth tracking so you do not leave them hanging:
- Absolution’s “Explore 85% of the whole map.”
- Chains of Justice’s “Upgrade your maximum health and mana 5 times each.” That means 5 Brave Heart and 5 Wise Heart upgrades, and since 4 fragments make one upgrade, you need 20 of each. See what Brave Heart and Wise Heart fragments do.
- Mirror Walk’s “Use 34 Save Rooms.” There are 34 Mirrors of Life in the game, so this covers every one of them.
- The Works are “Explore all rooms of Clock Tower.” for Chronomantic Dive, “Explore all rooms of Hall of Mirrors.” for Life Drain, and “Find all the secret zones in the Main Hall.” for Masterpiece.
- Soul Harvest’s “Complete the hidden puzzle in Notre Dame.” and “Kill 44 skeletons (of any sort).” The hidden puzzle is a fourth melody on the Great Organ in Notre-Dame’s Great Organ Room: press the keys in the order Moon, Libra, Scorpio, Aquarius, Capricorn, Virgo, Sun, Leo, Cancer, Aries.
- Holy Cross’s “Find 3 different whip-type weapons.” and Blood Spikes’ “Find 2 different dual blade-type weapons.”
- Infernal Pyre’s “Reach a sacred place so Joan can pray.” and “Successfully parry 15 attacks with the Holy Light.”
- Stained-Glass Shield’s “Kill 25 Haunted Armor.”
Collecting the Vampire Killer may finish a Work of Mercy immediately, so watch for the banner when picking up new weapons. The Gloomstone helps with exploration and secret-zone objectives; it “Gives a hint when Rose is close to a secret.”
Completing the tough Works
A few Works have conditions that are easy to misread. These approaches follow directly from how each task counts.
- “Kill 5 enemies with the same cross (not necessarily at the same time).” — one thrown cross must kill five enemies over its flight out and back, not all at once, so throw it into groups. The first Gift adds a second cross.
- “Kill 25 enemies from fall damage directly after petrifying them in the air.” — petrify enemies while they are airborne so they drop and die from the fall. Flying enemies over drops are the easiest targets, and The Prophetess must be equipped.
- “Petrify an enemy carrying a shield with Medusa’s Spell. Not again, Perseus!” — any shield-carrying enemy works, and one hit with the spell is enough.
- “Cause an enemy to bleed continuously for 10 seconds.” — keep re-applying bleed on one tough enemy. The first Gift makes re-applying deal instant damage.
- “Have the wheel spin for 15 seconds without interruption.” and “Spend 1000 mana points on recasts of this spell.” — recast the wheel while it is still active. The first Gift lets it be cast with health when mana runs out.
- “Drain an enemy for 5 seconds straight without interruption.” — pick an enemy that does not hit back fast. The second Gift stops hits from interrupting the drain.
- “Absorb an attack that would otherwise be fatal thanks to Arthur’s spell.” — keep the shield up while at low health against a strong hitter.
- “Kill 5 enemies within 3 seconds of dodging their attacks with teleportation.” — place the mirror, teleport back to it as an attack lands, and finish enemies right after.
- “Kill 4 enemies with one cast of this spell, 5 times.” and “Heal back to full life using this spell 10 times.” — Absolution heals Rose for each enemy it hits, so cast it into groups. Its third Gift heals her to full if one cast kills 4 or more.
“Kill 44 skeletons (of any sort).” and “Kill 25 Haunted Armor.” both count anywhere, without the card equipped, so they tend to clear through normal play.
Which Arcana to upgrade first
Life Drain costs only 5 MP and heals Rose every time it deals damage. Its Gift “Getting hit while holding this spell doesn’t interrupt it.” removes the one weakness that makes the spell risky to hold.
Chains of Justice (40 MP) locks enemies down, and its Gift “Chaining an enemy with less than 20% of their maximum health instantly kills them.” turns it into a finisher.
Holy Cross (50 MP) is available from the first boss, and its Works such as “Kill 10 enemies with a whip attack.” and “Find 3 different whip-type weapons.” come naturally through normal play. Take “You can throw a second cross.” as its first Gift.
Mirror Walk carries a life saver in “Receiving a fatal blow while a mirror is active prevents death and activates teleportation.”, which you can lean on once per Save room. At the other end, Stained-Glass Shield is the most expensive spell at 100 MP, so budget your mana before building around it.
