Circle of the Moon Post-game Modes

After clearing the game once, enter a specific password as the name when creating a new save file to replay as a different "class". Clearing each mode unlocks the next, for 5 modes in total. The current mode is shown at the top left of the status screen.

Mode comparison

Mode	Name to enter	Unlock condition	Features
Vampire Killer VAMPIREKILLER	—	Available from the start. Entering any name other than the four passwords (or a password not yet unlocked) plays this mode.	The balanced standard mode; you collect DSS cards from enemies yourself.
Magician MAGICIAN	`FIREBALL`	Unlocked by clearing Vampire Killer mode.	Starts with all 20 DSS cards and 4× MP and INT, but a very fragile body.
Fighter FIGHTER	`GRADIUS`	Unlocked by clearing Magician mode.	No DSS at all, but HP and DEF ×2 and STR about ×1.41; you fight purely with the whip and sub-weapons.
Shooter SHOOTER	`CROSSBOW`	Unlocked by clearing Fighter mode.	A sub-weapon-focused mode: many more hearts, halved heart costs and much stronger sub-weapons, and the knife can be upgraded to the homing knife.
Thief THIEF	`DAGGER`	Unlocked by clearing Shooter mode.	LCK is 16× normal, so rare items and cards drop easily, but all other stats are low.

Stats

"Base" is the value at Lv1 and "Growth" the amount gained per level; Lv99 = base + growth × 98 (excluding equipment, DSS and max-up items). The ×n under a base value is the ratio to the normal mode. Hearts are the maximum; a new game starts with half of it.

Mode		HP	MP	Hearts	STR	DEF	INT	LCK
Vampire Killer	Base	100	100	50	100	100	100	100
	Growth	+10	+10	+2	+10	+10	+10	+10
	Lv99	1080	1080	246	1080	1080	1080	1080
Magician	Base	50×0.5	400×4	50	71×0.71	50×0.5	400×4	100
	Growth	+5	+40	+2	+7	+5	+40	+10
	Lv99	540	4320	246	757	540	4320	1080
Fighter	Base	200×2	50×0.5	50	141×1.41	200×2	50×0.5	100
	Growth	+20	+5	+2	+14	+20	+5	+10
	Lv99	2160	540	246	1513	2160	540	1080
Shooter	Base	50×0.5	100	250×5	71×0.71	50×0.5	100	100
	Growth	+5	+10	+5	+7	+5	+10	+10
	Lv99	540	1080	740	757	540	1080	1080
Thief	Base	50×0.5	50×0.5	50	71×0.71	50×0.5	100	1600×16
	Growth	+5	+5	+2	+7	+5	+10	+160
	Lv99	540	540	246	757	540	1080	9999

Damage = STR² ÷ (enemy DEF × 10) (÷ 2 again when the attack element matches the enemy’s element), so 0.71× STR roughly halves damage and 1.41× STR roughly doubles it.
Max-up items have the same effect in every mode: HP Max Up +10, MP Max Up +10, Heart Max Up +6.
STR, DEF, INT and LCK cap at 9999: by the growth formula the Thief’s LCK would be 17280 at Lv99, but it actually reaches the 9999 cap at Lv54.

Sub-weapons

Only Shooter mode differs (second line); all other modes are the same as the normal mode. Shooter mode’s own STR is only about 0.71× normal, but its sub-weapon multipliers are much higher, so overall it is still much stronger than the normal mode.

Second line: Shooter mode values

Name	Hearts	Multiplier	Power	Max / Doubled
Knifeナイフ	11	×0.45×1.41	20%199%	3 / 6
Homing KnifeEnhanced form of Knife	—1	—×1.26	—159%	3 / 6
Axeオノ	21	×0.89×1.58	79%250%	2 / 4
Holy Water聖水	42	×0.63×1	40%100%	2 / 4
Crucifix十字架	63	×1.1×1.73	121%299%	3 / 6
Clock懐中時計	2020	—	—	1 / 2

ATK = STR × multiplier, power = multiplier² (same as DSS: damage ≈ normal whip damage × power).

Max: how many can exist at the same time. Doubled: the max with the DSS combo Doubled Sub-Weapon (Pluto + Serpent) active. The same applies in Shooter mode.

Vampire Killer VAMPIREKILLER

Unlock condition: Available from the start. Entering any name other than the four passwords (or a password not yet unlocked) plays this mode.

All stats are standard (100 at start, +10 per level; max hearts 50 at start, +2 per level).
This is the only mode with DSS and no STR penalty, so it's the mode to train Nathan to his strongest.

Magician MAGICIAN

Name to enter: FIREBALLUnlock condition: Unlocked by clearing Vampire Killer mode.

Starts with all 20 DSS cards, including those normally only obtainable in the Battle Arena.
Max MP and INT are both 4× normal. MP regenerates by "INT ÷ 100" per second, so regeneration is also 4× (4 per second at Lv1), letting you use DSS almost endlessly.
HP and DEF are halved, making you about 1/4 as durable; STR is about ×0.71, dealing about half damage (DSS damage also depends on STR, not INT).
DSS can't be used in the Battle Arena, so the Magician has no advantage there; it's the hardest mode for the Battle Arena.

Fighter FIGHTER

Name to enter: GRADIUSUnlock condition: Unlocked by clearing Magician mode.

Enemies never drop DSS cards (a large heart, hearts +5, drops instead), so you can't use DSS for the whole run.
HP and DEF are both ×2, making you about 4× as durable; STR is about ×1.41, dealing about double damage.
MP and INT are halved (you can't use DSS anyway).
DSS is already disabled in the Battle Arena, making the Fighter the easiest mode for the Battle Arena.
Your strength depends almost entirely on level, so the mid-to-late game suddenly gets hard if you don't level up. Poison drains 1% of max HP per second (it wears off after about 20 s) regardless of DEF; the higher your HP, the more you lose per second, and the Fighter's high DEF doesn't help.

Shooter SHOOTER

Name to enter: CROSSBOWUnlock condition: Unlocked by clearing Fighter mode.

Max hearts start at 250 (5× normal) and grow +5 per level (normally +2).
Axe, Holy Water and Crucifix cost half the hearts; the Knife stays at 1 and the Clock at 20.
Sub-weapon multipliers are much higher (see the second row of the sub-weapon table above).
Picking up a knife while holding one upgrades it to the homing knife, which tracks enemies (Shooter mode only).
HP and DEF are halved and STR is about ×0.71; MP and INT are standard. DSS cards can still be obtained from enemies and used, you just don't start with any.

Thief THIEF

Name to enter: DAGGERUnlock condition: Unlocked by clearing Shooter mode.

LCK starts at 1600 and grows +160 per level, both 16× normal; even at Lv1 the drop rate is 8.5× normal (see the drop rate section in Game Systems for the formula), and most drops hit the cap right away.
HP, MP and DEF are halved and STR is about ×0.71; INT and hearts are standard.
DSS cards and equipment are easy to collect, making it a good mode for completing your collection; pushing through with lots of healing items is the main way to play it.