Part 17

Explore The Bean, The Bible, Bob's Rotten Head, and Book of Belial in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Learn their effects, uses, and comments from an experienced player.

Alright, let's dive into Part 17 of our Binding of Isaac journey! We've got a few more interesting items to cover that can really shake up your runs. Pay attention, because some of these have unique effects that can be super helpful or, if used incorrectly, a bit of a bummer.

First up, we have The Bean. This little guy is a Room Recharge item, meaning you can use it every room if you want, with a recharge of just 1 room. When you use it near an enemy, it 'poisons' them, causing damage over time. It's known as the 'musical fruit,' which is pretty funny, but honestly, it's not the most powerful item. Coordinating it so enemies are all grouped up is tough, and you have to get pretty close to use it effectively, which can be risky. Plus, the damage isn't much more than your regular tears, which you can shoot from a safe distance. It's more comical than truly useful, so don't rely on it too much.

Next, we've got The Bible. This is a Room Recharge item with a 6-room recharge. When you use it, you gain the ability to fly for the rest of the current room. This is HUGE for dodging ground-based attacks and getting over obstacles. But here's the kicker: using The Bible against Mom, Mom's Heart, or It Lives instantly defeats them. That's an instant win! However, be super careful – using it against Satan will instantly kill YOU instead. So, know your bosses!

Then there's Bob's Rotten Head. This one has a 3-room recharge. When you use it, you'll do the item-use animation, but instead of a normal effect, you'll throw out Bob's Rotten Head. It acts like a bomb, dealing similar damage, but the blast also poisons anything it hits for a few seconds. It has the same range as your tears, so you can use it from a distance. It's a decent way to add some extra damage and a poison effect to your attacks.

Finally, we have the Book of Belial. This is another 3-room recharge item. When you activate it, your character's damage stat gets maxed out! This effect lasts until you leave the current room, which is incredibly powerful for clearing out tough rooms quickly. On top of that, it also increases the chance of a Devil Room appearing, which can lead to even better items. Visually, when this item is active, your character's eyes will seep blood and look angry. This is an amazing item, especially in the early game, to just melt enemies. As you progress, your base damage might get high enough that the boost isn't as dramatic, but it's always a welcome sight.