Codex Umbra

Don't Starve=

Don't Starve Together=

"I'm so sorry Charlie."

- Maxwell

The Codex Umbra is a book on dark magics that Maxwell starts the game with. When used, it sacrifices 15 health and 55 of maximum sanity to spawn a Shadow Puppet clone of Maxwell. It has infinite durability and requires 2 Nightmare Fuel to be used. For each puppet active, Maxwell's maximum sanity is reduced, similar to how Meat Effigies reduce maximum health. A maximum of 3 puppets can be active at one time and each one will disappear 2.5 days after it was summoned.

Shadow Puppets
A Shadow Puppet is a Shadow Creature version of Maxwell that does his bidding. While puppets are active, they will aid Maxwell in combat as well as also aiding him in cutting trees and mining rocks. However, they have low health and will die quickly in combat against more able foes. On death the player gains back the 55 max sanity from the puppet.

Don't Starve Together
In Don't Starve Together, the Codex Umbra is no longer an item that can be used directly, instead it acts as a crafting station when placed on the ground, which unlocks Shadow Puppet recipes for Maxwell under the Shadow Tab. To create the puppets, Maxwell has to stand near the Codex Umbra. Creating puppets does not cost health.

Unlike in single player, Shadow Puppets are not universal, instead they have to be chosen upon creation of which task they will be specialized in. As such, they do not mimic the actions that the player is performing, but instead spawn with a specific task which they perform. They also do not disappear after 2.5 days nor have a durability limit and stay active until they are killed.

Given the loss in sanity, the player can summon a maximum of:

- 4 Harvesters - Residual Sanity: 40 (20%)

- 1 Duelist and 2 Harvesters - Residual Sanity: 50 (25%)

-2 Duelist and 1 Harvester - Residual Sanity: 21 (10%)

Shipwrecked


In Shipwrecked DLC, Shadow Puppets summon shadow Row Boats to follow Maxwell into the Ocean. The Shadow Puppets act as though they are sailing, yet the boats do not have Sails and have the same speed as a normal Row Boat. Shadow boats can only be driven by shadow puppets, and disappear when the puppet exits the boat.

Trivia

 * Codex Umbra is Latin for "shadow book".
 * The footsteps of the puppets make a faint warping sound.
 * It is possible for the Codex Umbra to be set alight and burn into ashes. The book will re-appear in Maxwell's inventory upon re-loading the world.
 * Despite being Shadow Creatures, prey animals will avoid puppets, and neutral mobs will fight back against them. Puppets are also unable to help the player against Shadow Creatures.
 * If using the Codex Umbra reduces Maxwell's health to zero, the Morgue will show the cause of death as "Shenanigans".

Bugs

 * Despite being a starting character specific item, the Codex Umbra can be stolen by mobs like Krampus or Eyeplants.