Stellar Novas

Stellar Nova icon in Starfarer Menu

Stellar Novas are activated abilities first unlocked after defeating the The Vagrant of Space and Time. They are activated by pressing the Stellar Nova key (default: Z). Stellar Novas can only be activated upon gathering sufficient Stellar Nova Energy to fill the Nova Gauge. Stellar Nova energy accumulates gradually in combat at a rate of roughly 1/s. Defeating enemies has a chance to drop Starlight, which will give the player 5 Stellar Nova Energy automatically. Stellar Novas usually deal damage, but also provide additional effects to help in combat.

You can change Stellar Novas in the Spatial Disk as well as affixing Stellar Prisms which can modify some stats or effects of Stellar Novas.

Stellar Nova damage scales with boss progression:

• No bosses defeated: 100 base damage
• King Slime: 150 base damage
• Eye of Cthulhu: 220 base damage
• Evil Boss (Brain of Cthulhu/Eater of Worlds): 300 base damage
• Skeletron: 400 base damage
• Wall of Flesh: 900 base damage
• Mechanical Boss: 1450 base damage

There are currently 7 Stellar Novas in The Stars Above.

Stellar Novas

Prototokia Aster is unlocked after defeating The Vagrant of Space and Time.

• It summons a sword that flies above the player and goes towards the cursor after a few seconds. When the sword comes in contact with an enemy it inflicts Void Atrophy for 30s, which deals damage over time and can stack. On a critical hit a portion of the cost is refunded. You can cast it 2 times per activation, each cast dealing 50% of the damage in the Stellar Nova menu.
• Astral: You can cast for free 1 more time for 25% of the damage in the menu. The third cast does not inflict Void Atrophy.
• Umbral: The second hit gives you a +400% damage boost for 5s, but Void Atrophy doesn't stack.

Unlimited Blade Works is unlocked after defeating the world evil boss, (Eater of Worlds/Brain of Cthulhu).

• When cast it creates an empowering field for 20 seconds, and rain down a barrage of blades, reducing damage dealt by enemies by 10% for 20 seconds on hit. All allies within the radius of the empowering field will gain the "Bladeforged" buff which increases damage, knockback critical strike chance and armor penetration by 2% up to 10% depending on the player's current HP (capped at 500 HP.) Duration in seconds is proportional to Effect Duration plus 15% of Energy Cost.
• Astral: Bladeforged's cap is raised to 15% and now increases defense based on percentage values up to 8. Additionally, Bladeforged perists for 10 seconds after the Nova ends.
• Umbral: Bladeforged no longer increases damage, but attacking with projectiles trigger follow-up attacks (3 second cooldown.) Foes within the field take 10% more damage.

Guardian's Light is unlocked after visiting a meteorite or after defeating Skeletron.

• The Stellar Nova acts differently depending on the player's Aspected damage type: Thundercrash if Melee, Golden Gun if Ranged, Nova Bomb if Magic, Needlestorm if Summoner, and Silence and Squall otherwise.
  • Thundercrash: Upon activation, gain Bearer of Light for 10 seconds and fly towards your cursor, dealing incredibly powerful damage to the first foe struck. Gain Invincibility for 3 seconds upon activation, independent of the attack's duration.
  • Golden Gun: Upon activation, gain Bearer of Light for 10 seconds while unleashing a bolt of piercing light. You can press the Stellar Nova key 2 more times to repeat the attack while Bearer of Light is active, dealing 1/3 damage each. Critical strikes explode, dealing 50% base damage.
  • Nova Bomb: Upon activation, gain Bearer of Light for 10 seconds while unleashing a powerful void projectile that tracks foes. After 2 seconds or after striking a foe, the attack will detonate in a large explosion. Inflicts Shadowflame for 10 seconds on foes struck by the blast.
  • Needlestorm: Upon activation, gain Bearer of Darkness for 10 seconds and unleash 5 Woven Needles. After striking a foe or a surface, the needles weave into Threadlings and attack nearby foes (treated as minions.) Damage is split between Woven Needles and Threadlings.
  • Silence and Squall: Upon activation, gain Bearer of Darkness for 10 seconds while unleashing Silence, inflicting Frostburn for 8 seconds. Instantly follow up with Squall, dealing damage while creating a frost field on impact that deals damage over time for 8 seconds.
• Astral: Bearer of Light increases health regeneration. Bearer of Darkness reduces damage taken by 10%. Taking lethal damage during either buff will instead consume the buff and restore 30 HP.
• Umbral: Bearer of Light increases damage by 8%. Bearer of Darkness increases critical strike damage by 15%. While either buff is active, Aspected Damage Type penalty is negated.

Kiwami Ryuken is unlocked after defeating Penthesilea, the Witch of Ink.

• Upon activation you get a 1s window to get hit and become Invincible. If you do get hit a counterattack will trigger, dealing a lot of damage to enemies close to you, in the direction of your cursor. The counterattack only applies if the enemy is close. If you don't get hit 50% of the cost will be refunded.
• Astral: The counterattack is always a critical hit and you get 5 Stellar Nova Energy upon triggering it.
• Umbral: The counterattack gives you 40 HP and 40 mana and if it doesn't trigger the refund is increased by 10 Stellar Nova Energy.

Garden of Avalon is unlocked after defeating Penthesilea, the Witch of Ink.

• Upon activation you get powerful health and mana regeneration which scales with the heal strength in the Stellar Nova menu and 2s of invincibility. If the cast is critical you gain health with the amount being affected by Stellar Nova crit modifiers and the "Solemn Aegis" buff for 15s. Solemn Aegis negates 1 hit independently of Invincibility.
• Astral: Invincibility lasts for 4s instead of 2 and you get healed for 100 HP upon casting.
• Umbral: You gain the "Dreamlike Charisma" buff upon casting which increases damage by 32% if you have over 100 mana and by 16% if you don't.

Ars Laevateinn is unlocked after defeating Nalhaun, The Burnished King.

• It summons a giant sword that spins 5 times, dealing 20% of the damage in the Stellar Nova menu. During this time you will also be granted the "Sutrt's Twilight" buff which makes all your attacks burn enemies. Burned enemies take extra damage from Ars Laevateinn.
• Astral: Burned enemies take more damage, which increases further if the attack was a critical hit.
• Umbral: Surtr's Twilight also gives a +10% damage boost and mana regeneration.

Edin Genesis Quasar is unlocked after defeating Tsukiyomi, the First Starfarer.

• It first immobilizes the player, making them Invincible for the time. Afterwards it gives them the "Astrate Driver" buff for 25s. Astrate Driver gives the player infinite flight time and 3 Cosmic Charges. All attacks while Astrate Driver is active will inherit the nova's stats. If you have a Cosmic Charge pressing the Stellar Nova key while Astrate Driver is active will launch a barrage of projectiles, consuming one Cosmic Charge.
• Astral: Critical hits will do an additional 2020 damage and you will gain a Cosmic Charge after defeating an enemy with a critical hit, with a cap of 5 charges.
• Umbral: Attacks will also execute any enemy with less then 2020 HP, and expending a Cosmic Charge will grant you 1s of Invincibility.

Trivia

• Ars Laevateinn is a reference to the weapon of the character Surtr from Arknights.
• Kiwami Ryuken is a reference to Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
• Garden of Avalon and its Umbral bonus, Dreamlike Charisma, is a direct reference to Merlin from Fate/Grand Order.
• Edin Genesis Quasar and its buff, Astarte Driver, is a reference to Space Ishtar of Fate/Grand Order.
• Unlimited Blade Works is a reference to the "Fate/Stay Night" visual novel.
• Guardian's Light is a reference to the video games Destiny, Destiny 2 made by Bungie.