Recovery Module?

[LaGrange]

It says: "Carrying this will save you from death once but consumes all current energy." At first glance, "consumes all current energy" doesn't seem like a penalty at all, since simply going to a new room will replenish your energy. But perhaps it means: when you die, you'll come back with 0 energy. But that doesn't seem all that bad; again, just go to a new room and get your energy back. But perhaps it means: you get one recovery from death, but as soon as you equip this, you'll have no energy for the rest of the game, permanently. Or maybe it means: when you die, you'll come back, but you'll lose all energy, permanently.

It's only these last two options that seems like a reasonable, offsetting penalty for the (amazing) benefit. So which is it? The wording seems ambiguous.

Thanks.

[Ayrix]

Looking at the XML for the effect. (the games files for every, item and enemy are all readable, and the wiki has full documentation)
You come back with 25% health and no energy.
No lasting effects after that.

[Mánagarmr]

Well, it's also the case that you're carrying an item that benefits you in NO way at all unless you screw up. So you'll have less performance for as long as you're carrying the item. That lack of performance may be what causes you to die later on.

Keep that in mind.

[LaGrange]

Wow, I hadn't stopped to think of that. Ayrix confirms that you do lose the energy upon coming back. But Mánagarmr makes a great point of the item using up a valuable slot until you die, which convinces me that this item is indeed quite balanced! Thanks folks.