- For the menu used in battle by Homestuck characters, see Strife Techniques.
Problem Sleuth's Battle Menu.
The Battle Menu is a multi-purpose interface used by Problem Sleuth, Pickle Inspector and Ace Dick. It keeps track of the following statistics and resources:
- Insulin Level
- Animal communion
- Elf Tears
And provides access to the following abilities for use in battle:
- Aggress
- Battle Technique
- Combat Operandi
- Persuade (for PS) / Perplex (for PI) / Perturb (for AD)
- Mollify (for PS) / Confound (for PI) / Exacerbate (for AD)
- Abscond
More Battle Techniques and Combat Operandi, as well as higher levels of old Techniques and Operandi, are accrued as characters unlock higher levels and excel to higher ratings. Many Techniques and Operandi cost certain resources to use, though the exact resource cost of each ability is very rarely made clear.
Besides the occasional Abscond, the only ability beyond the top three on the Menu ever used in Problem Sleuth is Mollify
, which, unlike most of the Sleuth's similarly-named abilities, actually lives up to its nonviolent moniker, suggesting that Confound and Exacerbate may work along similar lines.
Battle Techniques[]
Problem Sleuth[]
- Main article: Problem Sleuth's special attacks
Problem Sleuth looks for a “peaceful, diplomatic solution” to conflict in his list of Battle Techniques, and as such his Techniques tend to be (misleadingly) named after diplomatic moves rather than combat maneuvers.
- Sleuth Diplomacy, accrued here
and used repeatedly throughout the comic - Compromise, seen here but unused
- Pax, seen here but unused; relation to Sleuth Diplomacy -> Pax Probliscum, if any, is unknown
- Summon Henry Clay, levels 1 and 2 seen here, used here; as Clay goes by the name “The Great Compromiser”, it is possible he is also capable of using the Compromise technique. Requires a fee of some spondulicks
- Unconditional Surrender, seen here but unused
- Fair Shake, accrued at “Gutsy Customer” rating and used here
- Brass Tacks, accrued at “Groom to the Haberdasher's Daughter” rating and used here. Requires a fee of 3000 spondulicks
Ace Dick[]
- Main article: Ace Dick's special attacks
Pickle Inspector[]
- Main article: Pickle Inspector's special attacks
Mobster Kingpin[]
- Main article: Mobster Kingpin's special attacks
Though his own Battle Menu is not seen, Mobster Kingpin's various forms also have access to Battle Techniques and Combat Operandi. His Techniques mostly seem to focus on increasing or "buffing" his own stats.
- Running Numbers, first used here
- Hit the Mattresses, used here
- Extortion, first used here
- Hooched-Up Bootlegger, used here
Demonhead Mobster Kingpin[]
- Main article: Demonhead Mobster Kingpin's special attacks
- Vexatious Glower, first used here
Other[]
Several other characters whose Battle Menus have not been seen have also been able to employ Techniques of their own:
- Morthol Dryax' Gnostic Taint fires miniature skulls from his skull headpiece, which have necrotising effects
- The Zombie Muscle is also capable of spreading the curse of the undead with his Profane Adulteration
- Like Sleuth's Techniques, Henry Clay's Pacify is something of a misnomer
- With Self Saccharine-fice, the Candy Mecha offers itself up as food
Combat Operandi[]
Problem Sleuth[]
- Armistyx, accrued at “Suitor to the Sodajerk's Confidante” and used here. Requires many units of Hog Slop and Pie Filling, and a single Elf Tear; like Sleuth's Battle Techniques, its name is a pun on the name of a diplomatic maneuver, armistice
- Sepulchritude, accrued at “Groom to the Haberdasher's Daughter” rating and used here
Ace Dick[]
- Belly of the Whale, accrued here and first used here. Requires an Elf Tear
- Check Yo'Self Jonah, accrued at Jowly Roughneck rating and used here
Pickle Inspector[]
- Pickle Replicsimile, used here
- Temporal Replicsimile, accrued at “Piquant Aristocrat” rating and first used here
- Abstracted Thought, accrued at “Piquant Aristocrat” and used here
Mobster Kingpin[]
Demonhead Mobster Kingpin[]
Other[]
- Death's Two Lumps aggressively offers two sugars and then stirs them with his scythe
- With Mob Rule the Cultural Rainbow mobs a target
Comb Raves[]
The exact relationship between the options presented by the Battle Menu and the abilities offered by Impetus Combs is unclear; however, as two of the known Comb Raves - namely the (Triple) Truffle Shuffle and Sepulchritude - previously appeared as Battle Menu abilities, it is possible the Comb serves as a way of boosting an ability already on the Menu, rather than providing a new ability entirely.