The Ludovico Technique

Treasure Room Treasure Room   (page 3, column 4, line 5) (page 4, column 4, line 3)

The Ludovico Technique is a special passive item.

Effects

• Instead of firing tears, Isaac controls one floating tear that hovers over obstacles. This tear deals constant damage when held in place over an enemy.

Notes

• Ludovico tear movement speed is determined by the Shot Speed stat.
• Ludovico tear hits per second are determined by the Tears stat.
• When Death uses his The Hourglass attack, the tear is slow to respond but then moves so quickly that it is nearly impossible to use effectively.

Synergies

• 20/20

  Grants double shot.

  : One smaller tear orbits the main tear.
• 8 Inch Nails

  +1.5 Damage Up. Replaces Isaac's tears with nails, which have increased knockback.

  : The tear becomes a nail, increases in size, damage, and provides minor knockback in the direction the tear moves.
• Apple!

  Increases tears. Adds a chance to fire a high-damage razor blade.

  / Euthanasia

  Adds a chance to fire needles. If a needle kills an enemy, it bursts into more needles.

  / Tough Love

  Adds a chance to shoot a tooth instead of a tear, which deals greater damage than regular tears.

  : The tear can gain the damage multiplier from each of the items, using the appropriate appearance when it happens. Euthanasia retains its instant kill ability against non-boss enemies.
• Blood Clot

  Increases damage by 1 and range by 5 for tears fired from the left eye.

  : The tear steadily cycles between red and "normal," dealing more damage when red.
• Brimstone

  Tears are replaced by a laser beam that pierces through all enemies and obstacles in its path and deals high damage. Can only be fired after a short charge-up period.

  : Tear takes the shape of a very large laser ring. Shot speed is ignored. The Tears stat is ignored and damage is dealt very rapidly at a rate equivalent to 2 tear delay. This ring will always be present and doesn't need charging up like normal Brimstone would.
  • Brimstone

    Tears are replaced by a laser beam that pierces through all enemies and obstacles in its path and deals high damage. Can only be fired after a short charge-up period.

    + A Lump of Coal

    The more distance tears travel, the more damage they will do.

    : The ring increases in diameter, but not damage, the farther away it gets from Isaac.
  • Brimstone

    Tears are replaced by a laser beam that pierces through all enemies and obstacles in its path and deals high damage. Can only be fired after a short charge-up period.

    + Spoon Bender

    Grants Isaac homing tears.

    : The ring reaches out to attack enemies near it, reforming into a ring when no enemies are present.
  • Brimstone

    Tears are replaced by a laser beam that pierces through all enemies and obstacles in its path and deals high damage. Can only be fired after a short charge-up period.

    + Technology

    Replaces tears with a piercing laser with unlimited range.

    : The ring is visually identical to a normal Brimstone ring, but the 1.5x damage multiplier applies.
  • Brimstone

    Tears are replaced by a laser beam that pierces through all enemies and obstacles in its path and deals high damage. Can only be fired after a short charge-up period.

    + Wiggle Worm

    Gives Isaac's shots a wave-like trajectory.

    : The ring takes the shape of a star.
• Azazel: Same effect as with Brimstone, but damage is halved.
  • Azazel + Brimstone

    Tears are replaced by a laser beam that pierces through all enemies and obstacles in its path and deals high damage. Can only be fired after a short charge-up period.

    : Full damage of the laser ring is regained.
• Chemical Peel

  Tears fired from left eye do increased damage.

  : Tear will alternate between "normal" and red, dealing more damage when red.
• Chocolate Milk

  Grants charged tears that deal greater damage when fully charged.

  : No damage increase, but results in -1 tear delay.
• The Common Cold

  Adds a chance to shoot poison tears, dealing damage over time when inflicted.

  : The tear pulses green, poisoning enemies.
• Compound Fracture

  Increases range. Tears turn into bones, which shatter into 1-3 bone shards upon hitting an enemy or obstacle.

  : Shoots out smaller tears when attacking an enemy.
• Dead Eye

  Isaac's damage increases each time an enemy is hit. Damage is reset upon missing a shot.

  : Damage bonus increases until it hits the max of 2x. Since the controllable tear never hits the ground or wall, the bonus cannot be lost.
• Death's Touch

  Increases Damage by 1.5, reduces Tears by 0.3 and increases tear size. Grants piercing tears. Tears are replaced by Death's scythes, which is a cosmetic effect only.

  : The tear becomes a scythe (vanity), but increases in size and damage
• Dr. Fetus

  Tears are replaced by bombs that benefit from bomb-enhancing effects and slide a fixed range after being fired.

  : The bomb can be controlled until it explodes.
• The Forgotten: The tear follows the Forgotten when in its skeleton form. It can be hit with its melee attack to propel it, making it do more damage. When switching to the Soul, the tear spawns on top of the player.
  • The Forgotten + Multidimensional Baby

    Spawns a familiar that will follow Isaac's movements on a 2.5 second delay. Tears that pass through the baby will be doubled and increase in speed.

    : The second tear acts exactly like the first and can also be hit to propel it.
• Godhead

  Increases damage and range while reducing tears and shot speed. Grants homing tears and tears gain a damaging halo.

  : The tear homes towards nearby enemies and gains a large damaging aura.
• Guppy transformation: A large number of flies is rapidly deployed whilst controlling the Ludovico tear.
• Incubus

  A demonic familiar that follows Isaac and shoots tears identical to Isaac's in terms of damage, range, fire rate, and effects.

  : Isaac gains a controlled tear while also being able to shoot normally with Incubus. Incubus's tears gain piercing and spectral properties.
• The Inner Eye

  Grants triple shot but decreases tears.

  : Two smaller tears orbit the main tear.
• Lost Contact

  Every tear has a small shield which will allow it to block one enemy projectile.

  : Tear will block enemy tears without disappearing.
• A Lump of Coal

  The more distance tears travel, the more damage they will do.

  : The tear becomes larger the further away it is from Isaac, increasing in damage.
• Mom's Contacts

  Adds a chance to shoot petrifying tears, which stop enemies in place and prevent them from moving or attacking. Range up.

  : Tear randomly alternates colors, which randomly petrifies enemies.
• Mom's Perfume

  Adds a chance to shoot fear tears and decreases tear delay by 1.

  : Tear gains a chance to give the fear effect.
• Mom's Wig

  Adds a chance to spawn blue spiders when firing tears. Restores 1 red heart.

  : The item causes spiders to spawn rapidly when moving the tear.
• Monstro's Lung

  Increases damage and grants a charged shot that fires multiple tears in the same fashion as Monstro.

  : Tear turns red and does more damage.
  • Tear becomes a cluster of variously sized tears spread over a small area. The tears move at the same speed when controlled but constantly move around each other.
• Mutant Spider

  Grants quadruple shot but decreases tears.

  : Three smaller tears orbit the main tear.
• My Reflection

  Gives Isaac's tears a boomerang effect, and increases range and shot speed.

  : The tear moves much faster.
• Number One

  +1.5 tears, -15.77 range

  : The tear deals damage to enemies much faster, with the range penalty having no effect.
• The Parasite

  Isaac's tears split in two when they hit something.

  : Shoots out smaller tears when attacking an enemy.
• Pause

  Freezes all enemies until a fire button is pressed.

  : The tear deals damage, even if the enemies are stopped. Moving the tear unpauses the enemies.
• Pulse Worm

  Shots pulse in size.

  : The tear pulsates in midair, expanding and contracting. This works with normal tears as well as Brimstone

  Tears are replaced by a laser beam that pierces through all enemies and obstacles in its path and deals high damage. Can only be fired after a short charge-up period.

  .
• Spoon Bender

  Grants Isaac homing tears.

  : Tear will slightly gravitate towards enemies near it
• Strange Attractor

  Pickups, trinkets, and monsters are magnetically attracted to Isaac's tears.

  : Enemies, items and even most bosses will be sucked to the single floating tear, dealing constant damage while keeping Isaac well away from harm, making this combination extremely effective in almost all scenarios.
• Technology

  Replaces tears with a piercing laser with unlimited range.

  : The tear becomes a large laser ring, which visually looks like a shot fired by Tech X

  Tears are replaced with laser rings that pierce through enemies and deal damage to enemies within them. Can be charged to increase the size of the ring.

  . Shot speed is ignored. The Tears stat is ignored and damage is dealt very rapidly at a rate equivalent to 2 tear delay.
  • Technology

    Replaces tears with a piercing laser with unlimited range.

    + Dr. Fetus

    Tears are replaced by bombs that benefit from bomb-enhancing effects and slide a fixed range after being fired.

    : You have a ring of technology around you and you fire bombs normally.
• Tear Detonator

  When used, will detonate any tears currently on the screen and cause each one to split into 6 more tears which will fire in a circle, similar to Tammy's Head.

  : The tear explodes into six smaller tears, then reappears next to the player.

Interactions

• ???'s Only Friend

  Summons a big attack fly that can be controlled with the shooting direction-keys.

  / Robo-Baby 2.0

  Fires lasers at any enemy in its line of sight and moves based on the direction Isaac is firing tears.

  : The tear and familiar(s) travel together, as they are controlled in the same way. Because the familiars' travel speeds are not affected by Isaac's shot speed, they only travel in the same spot when Isaac has exactly the amount of shot speed to sync them up.
• Anti-Gravity

  -2 Tear Delay. Tears float in position until firing ceases, after which they will fly off in the direction they were shot in.

  : Overridden by The Ludovico Technique.
• Cricket's Body

  Grants -1 Tear Delay and reduces Range. When tears hit an object or deplete their range, they spawn 4 smaller tears, whose Range and Damage scale with Isaac's.

  : Overridden by The Ludovico Technique.
• Cursed Eye

  Grants charged tears that can be fired in a tight burst of four. Getting hit while charging will teleport Isaac into another room.

  : No effect.
• Epic Fetus

  Isaac's tears are replaced with guided missiles, like those used by the Doctor's Remote.

  : Overrides The Ludovico Technique.
• Explosivo

  Isaac's tears have a chance to stick to enemies and explode.

  : Tear will alternate between "normal" and black. If it touches an enemy, it will stick to it, grow in size, then explode. The tear can not damage anything or be controlled when stuck to an enemy.
  • The tear will grow and explode very quickly when stuck to an enemy, instead of the normal Explosivo delay.
• Fire Mind

  Grants flaming tears that deal burning damage over time. Tears have a chance to explode on impact with an enemy, which creates a fire at the location of the explosion.

  : Tears retain the ability to ignite enemies and explode. Tears respawn at Isaac's location after exploding.
• Ghost Pepper

  Adds a chance to shoot a fire that damages enemies and remains in place until it deals enough damage or the room is left.

  : Fires created from Ghost Pepper will destroy the tear and cause it to respawn on Isaac.
• Homing Tears: The tear slowly homes toward the nearest enemy. Once locked in an enemy moving the tear somewhere else becomes harder.
• Hook Worm

  Tears move shifting left to right forming a path of right angles. +10 to Range (effective range remains about the same).

  : Tear moves in a zig-zag pattern while controlled.
• Invulnerability: Tear cannot be moved while in effect, but will still do damage.
• Ipecac

  Replaces tears with explosive and poisoning projectiles fired in an arc from the mouth.

  : Overridden by The Ludovico Technique. (No damage increase or explosion.)
  • +4 damage bonus, no explosion.
• Loki's Horns

  Gives a random chance for projectiles to fire in all 4 cardinal directions.

  : The Ludovico tear will sometimes shoot 4 smaller tears in each direction.
• Mom's Eye

  Allows Isaac to fire tears from the back of his head.

  : The Ludovico tear will sometimes shoot smaller tears behind it.
• Mom's Knife

  Isaac's tears are replaced by a knife that pierces enemies, can travel through obstacles, and can hurt enemies while Isaac is holding it. Holding down the fire button before firing increases its range and power.

  : The tear becomes a controllable knife that deals double Isaac's damage. Effective shot speed is lowered. Tears stat is ignored and damage is dealt at a rate equivalent to 5 tear delay.
  • Mom's Knife

    Isaac's tears are replaced by a knife that pierces enemies, can travel through obstacles, and can hurt enemies while Isaac is holding it. Holding down the fire button before firing increases its range and power.

    + Godhead

    Increases damage and range while reducing tears and shot speed. Grants homing tears and tears gain a damaging halo.

    : Replaces the Ludovico tear with Mom's Knife but removes the Godhead aura.
  • Mom's Knife

    Isaac's tears are replaced by a knife that pierces enemies, can travel through obstacles, and can hurt enemies while Isaac is holding it. Holding down the fire button before firing increases its range and power.

    + Technology

    Replaces tears with a piercing laser with unlimited range.

    : Creates an uncontrollable laser ring centered on Isaac. The knife becomes stuck under Isaac and cannot be fired.
• Multidimensional Baby

  Spawns a familiar that will follow Isaac's movements on a 2.5 second delay. Tears that pass through the baby will be doubled and increase in speed.

  : No effect.
  • An additional Ludovico tear is spawned when it passes through Multidimensional Baby, at the start of every room, and persists like the Ludovico tear itself. However, it cannot be controlled; it instead slowly follows Isaac.
• Notched Axe

  Isaac holds the axe above his head for as long as the spacebar button is held (or until he leaves the room). While holding the axe, Isaac can break any rock he touches, but cannot attack or pick up other items.

  : The Ludovico tear cannot be moved while Notched Axe is held up.
• Proptosis

  Tears start out massive with high damage, and then shrink down and become weaker over a short range.

  : The closer the tear floats to Isaac, the larger it is. The farther away, the smaller.
• Pupula Duplex

  Transforms Isaac's tears into a wide arc shape which gives them a much larger hitbox. Gives Isaac spectral tears which allows them to travel through objects in the environment (i.e. rocks).}

  : Decreases the tear size by taking the form of a Pupula Duplex tear; however, it travels faster.
• Red Candle

  Throws a persistent flame that deals high damage and diminishes as it damages enemies or blocks shots.

  : The tear disappears upon contact with a flame created by the candle and reappears near Isaac, slightly shrinking the flame.
• Ring Worm

  Gives Isaac spinning shots.

  : The tear spins rapidly in small circles.
• Sinus Infection

  Adds a chance to fire a booger which sticks to enemies and poisons them.

  : The tear can occasionally stick to an enemy. If the enemy does not die quickly, the tear pops and a new one spawns.
• Tech.5

  Grants a unlimited range piercing laser with random rate of fire that does not replace tears. The laser might occasionally fire with the effect of a random item or trinket, such as Hook Worm, Spoon Bender or Tiny Planet.

  : The tear controls as usual, and Isaac fires the laser towards the tear relative to his position, rather than in the direction the player is moving the tear.
  • Tech.5

    Grants a unlimited range piercing laser with random rate of fire that does not replace tears. The laser might occasionally fire with the effect of a random item or trinket, such as Hook Worm, Spoon Bender or Tiny Planet.

    + Analog Stick

    +0.3 tears up. Allows Isaac to fire tears diagonally.

    : Laser is fired directly at the tear while it is being moved, instead of being limited to cardinal directions.
• Tech X

  Tears are replaced with laser rings that pierce through enemies and deal damage to enemies within them. Can be charged to increase the size of the ring.

  : Overrides The Ludovico Technique.
• Technology 2

  Decreases damage and replaces right eye tears with a unlimited range, piercing laser which fires continuously.

  : The tear controls as usual, and Isaac fires the laser towards the tear relative to his position, rather than in the direction the player is moving the tear. Technology 2's damage penalty still applies.
  • Technology 2

    Decreases damage and replaces right eye tears with a unlimited range, piercing laser which fires continuously.

    + Analog Stick

    +0.3 tears up. Allows Isaac to fire tears diagonally.

    : Laser is fired directly at the tear while it is being moved, instead of being limited to cardinal directions.
• Tiny Planet

  Range up and makes shot tears revolve around Isaac until they drop.

  : The tear controls strangely. It orbits Isaac slowly when not controlled, and when controlled, the tear's movement is distorted. Additionally, the tear's range becomes limited to Tiny Planet's orbit distance.
• Tractor Beam

  Isaac emits a beam from his face. Isaac's tears travel in the path of the beam.

  : The Ludovico Technique overrides the beam's effect.
• Trinity Shield

  Isaac gains a shield that protects him from enemy shots.

  : The controls of the tear and the shield overlap, making it impossible to consistently control both.
• The Wiz

  Tears simultaneously fire out of both eyes diagonally, similar to the effect of the R U A Wizard? pill. Isaac's tears also travel above all obstacles.

  : A smaller Ludovico tear will spawned and revolves round the main one. Also, the Ludovico tear now moves in a very unusual way, up is up-right, down is down-left, left is left-up, right is right-down. This can be counteracted by holding the keys or d-pad in its associated path (up-right to make it go up and so forth with the other keys).

Trivia

• The Ludovico Technique is a reference to Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation, where it was referred to as "Ludovico's Technique." The technique involved headgear which forced the patient's eyelids open (hence "Controlled Tears") while watching violent films under nausea-inducing drugs, conditioning them against violence.

Seeds

 PC  KPRZ M83V (First floor treasure room)

 PC  ZYS1 ONMS (Treasure room adjacent to spawn)

 PC  VLZW 7CJ8 (Treasure room adjacent to spawn)

 PC  MX26 V47J (treasure room adjacent to spawn) (both modes)

 PC  KYSL MRKZ (treasure room adjacent to spawn)

 PS4  S11S E632 (First floor treasure room)

 Vita  0H0T MKNS (First floor treasure room)

 3DS  DQBE T9RH (First floor treasure room)

 3DS  GEYN TXS7 (First floor treasure room)

 3DS  KK92 7DTD (First floor treasure room)

 Switch  191Z NVJA (Treasure room adjacent to spawn)