Quasimorph Pacts Guide: Unlocking the SKULL Project
A Quasimorph pacts guide to the SKULL Project unlock, how pacts charge and cost banes, where each Baron spawns, and which pacts are worth keeping.
Pacts are Quasimorph's permanent metamorph system — consumable, clone-bound abilities acquired from defeating Baron-tier Quasimorphs, tied to a Q hotkey once absorbed, and carrying real tradeoffs, mainly increased Quasimorphosis pressure. Version 1.0 gave pacts their own dedicated Magnum department, the seventh alongside Navigation, Engineering, Supply, Research, Hangar, and Cloning.
How to unlock the SKULL Project
The unlock path is three steps: kill a Baron, pick up the pact it always drops, then absorb that pact. Each Quasimorphosis-affected planet or moon has its own Baron — Venus is guarded by Gannix, Mercury by Shartamakhum, and Earth by Duggur. A Baron spawns once a mission's Quasimorphosis meter reaches Rapture (level 1000), and killing it resets the meter back down and drops a lootable skull item along with a random pact tied to that specific Baron.
How pacts are acquired and charged
Two generations of information exist on this system. The broader system, as documented on the wiki, lists four acquisition routes: story-tied rites and rituals, direct Baron encounters, Tezctlan-specific faction trades, and a department exchange loop that lets you feed low-tier pacts (plus Quasimorphic materials) back in for a chance at a higher-tier result. Version 1.0's specific rework — sometimes referred to as "Pacts 2.0" — narrows the primary acquisition method to defeating Barons and absorbing their skulls, and changes how pacts activate: they no longer have a cast time, and instead charge passively as the Quasimorphosis meter rises, continuing to charge even during Rapture. One consequence worth noting: pacts will not charge at all on missions flagged Absentia, since the meter can't rise there.
Barons can use pacts against you too
The 1.0 rework also lets Barons use their own pacts in combat, which can turn what used to be an easy fight into a genuine threat if you're not prepared for it.
Banes: the cost of using a pact
Every pact use accumulates penalties called banes. If the accumulated banes become unbearable, a pact can be broken using a scroll dropped by Quasimorphs, or by disassembling a Quasimorphic data item. Pact tier is tied to the enemy tech level of the mission you're on — fighting higher-tech factions produces access to higher-tier pacts — and the rarest tier additionally requires the Magnum's Bramfatura Engine upgrade.
Version 1.0 scale
Version 1.0 shipped with 142 pacts total, a long-tail progression system that runs in parallel with class chips and the game's storyline endings. The developers themselves flagged, in the patch-notes-style video covering this rework, that pact and bane numbers were still being actively balanced and could change, and that a dedicated pact ship-module was planned to change the system further.
Useful pacts versus risky pacts
Most individual pacts are described as very situational, with drawbacks paid either in health or in a spike to the Quasimorphosis meter. The wiki's own framing distinguishes "useful metamorph" pacts — reproducible combat or economy gains that fit your existing build — from "risky metamorph" pacts that spike Quasimorphosis too hard or conflict with your augment slots. A concrete example: the storyline-guaranteed starter pact from Gannix can charm a powerful hostile human into a temporary 10-turn ally, but it costs -200% dodge for 20 turns and instantly raises the Quasimorphosis meter by 200 on use — a strong effect that is genuinely dangerous to use carelessly.
Absorbed pacts persist even through clone death, and can only be swapped out using a rare Quasimorphic artifact that destroys the old pact in the process — one player reported finding that item only twice across nearly 20 hours of play, so treat pact choices as close to permanent rather than something you'll casually respec.
Test pacts ship-side, not mid-mission
Because pact effects and banes are unpredictable, the wiki's own advice is to never consume an untested pact mid-mission on a horror-capable station — test on an expendable clone back on the Magnum first, since "horror stations do not pause for regret."
Best class for farming Barons
Scout of Hades is the class most commonly used for deliberately farming Barons, thanks to its durability and resistance kit holding up well against a Baron's escalated combat stats — a pairing that shows up repeatedly across build and pact-focused testing.
Quasimorph pacts FAQ
How do I unlock the SKULL Project? Kill a Baron, pick up the pact it drops, and absorb it — that's the full three-step unlock.
Where do Barons spawn? One per Quasimorphosis-affected location once the meter hits Rapture (1000) — Gannix on Venus, Shartamakhum on Mercury, and Duggur on Earth are the three confirmed spawn locations.
How many pacts are in the game? 142 total as of version 1.0.
Can I remove or swap a pact once absorbed? Only with a rare Quasimorphic artifact that destroys the old pact in the process, so treat the decision as close to permanent.
Do pacts still work during Rapture? Yes — the 1.0 rework specifically has pacts continue charging even at Rapture, though they won't charge at all on Absentia missions.
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