User 4J1245E552G12 Registered.
Please wait while the System performs initialization protocols.
“Fuck, I just died because of blue screen!” I say as I gently set the controller down. “Dude, how are you talking if your computer blue-screened?” my best friend says over the Discord call. “Never mind, I just got it. So, should we be worried or celebrating right now? Cuz magic is coming, but so is the end of civilization as we know it.” He continues as I try to speak, but find my body is stuck in some kind of frozen state, and the ground looks kinda torn like I can see space or something.
User 4J1245E552G12, the System has detected an issue.
A class 5 Magical Anomaly has manifested in your location.
Please choose your preferred solution:
- Allow Annomaly to convert into a dungeon. This will destroy the area within 1 mile of you, but offer your planet significant rewards.
- Erase your location. This will prevent destruction to the space beyond 1 meter of you, but will result in your death.
- Use your integration process to bind yourself to a dungeon created with the anomalous energy. Warning: This will require transfer to a fully integrated world, but you will survive.
Well, shit. Not like I have much choice here. I don’t like dying, and only one option doesn’t end with me dead. So, ah, system I choose three?
User 4J1245E552G12, the System has detected your choice.
Transfer to Planet 1439223 confirmed.
Dungeon Core Protocol initiated.
Ever wonder what it feels like to go from being a flesh-and-blood mortal to an immortal gemstone? Well don’t, it sucks. The whole reality tear probably had something to do with it, but being tossed into the soul shredder is perhaps the best analogy I can come up with. One moment, I am looking at my monitor showing a game over screen for Inkbound, and the next, it's a small, perfectly cut cube cave. I am floating in the center of said cave and coming to terms with 360 vision. I am really not looking forward to tasting dirt when the system eventually gets to teaching me all the dungeon things.
User 4J1245E552G12, Welcome to the System - Initialization Complete.
The System will now use the user designation Alistair.
As a new sapient dungeon, The System requires your aid to stabilize your domain.
DCP Step 1 - Please Choose a Concept
“Ok, what is a Concept?” My thoughts seem to radiate from my crystal as swirls of energy. I have tons of ideas for what I could do with a dungeon. After all, most of my days were spent as a Dungeon Master for my college friends, playing video games, or reading, so to say I have some initial theories on what I could do would be an understatement.
A Concept is the core mechanics of a Dungeon. Common examples include:
Labyrinth: A complex maze-style dungeon
Monster House: A dungeon that focuses on large quantities of creatures
Boss Rush: A dungeon that focuses on a small number of elite creatures
Biome: A dungeon that facilitates the experience of a particular Biome
Most nonsentient dungeons are given the Biome Concept.
Okay, that helps a lot. So, I need to decide what kind of dungeon I want to make. This is more about how my dungeon works than what it looks like. The System didn’t give me any limits, so I guess I’ll try the one most likely to let me have fun. “System my Concept is Roguelike”
Processing Concept Roguelike
Valid Legendary Rank Concept
Selected Concept Mechanics
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the first floor of the dungeon must be a lobby where adventurers may select their build, choose routes, and perform other such activities.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, adventurers enter the dungeon without a class and cannot enter with equipment above level 1.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the dungeon must provide no less than five classes, of which adventurers may choose one to retain until they return to the Lobby.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the dungeon must offer at least one return to lobby option on every floor except the lobby.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the dungeon is not required to maintain routes to previous floors.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, adventurers do not die permanently while within the dungeon. They are instead returned to the Lobby as they were when they entered.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the dungeon and its core cannot be destroyed by abilities or items that originate from the dungeon.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the dungeon must offer rewards equivalent to its challenge. They may be broken up into any number of locations or conditions, and the rewards that adventurers can remove from the dungeon may be reduced due to the impermeant nature of its lethality.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the dungeon may create modifiers for floors they have already finished.
- As a Roguelike Dungeon, the dungeon must allow the possibility of abilities and items it creates to be permanently learned outside the dungeon.
Please Confirm Concept
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Confirmed! Give me that shit. One hundred percent everything I wanted, and totally cool with the few requirements I have. What’s next?” I say, wishing I could jump for joy right now. I have always loved roguelikes, and being able to share that with what is probably a fantasy world that has never had fun with it before is going to be amazing. Especially since I don’t have to feel bad about the whole dying issue that most dungeon cores would.”
Roguelike Concept Confirmed
DCP Step 2 - Determine Theme
Predicted Question - What is a Theme
A Theme is the what and where of a dungeon. Infested forests, forsaken graveyards, floating islands, coastal pirates, golem factories, and more can all act as a Theme.
“Alright, so I need to decide what kind of roguelike I am building here. Well, anything undead, eldritch, or demonic is right out. I don’t want to deal with any holy crusades from level one. Nothing humanoid either, I don’t want to become some military’s training ground or anything. Its gotta be dragons, I know I will probably get baby dragons or kobolds to start with but it needs to be dragons somehow. “
“System, does Dominion of the Dragon Queen work?”
Processing Theme Request
Valid Mythic Rank Theme
Theme: Dominion of the Dragon Queen Mechanics
- Design the Dragon Queen Myth
- Dragon Hierarchy is Matriarchal
- All Floors must connect to the Dragon Queen Myth
- All Boss rank creatures must have a title bestowed by the Dragon Quen
- All creatures must be connected to the Draconic
- Each floor must have at least one Hoard location where at least 20% of the floor’s treasure is kept.
- Sapient Draconic creatures will have Etiquette and Courtly Graces as skills.
- Adventurers may pay the Gilded Talon to store items for them between runs.
Confirm Theme Request
“Not quite what I expected, but I’ll take it. Not sure how I feel about whoever these Gilded Talon guys are, but I suppose it would make sense in a roguelike, so I can’t be mad. Heck, I kinda wish I had that in my last few runs. So, System, what's step 3?”
Dominion of the Dragon Queen Theme Confirmed
DCP Step 3 - Concept Attuned Mana
Warning: Due to Legendary Concept, some mana types have been removed as they cannot perform the Concept’s core mechanics.
- Distortion Mana: Allows spatial manipulation, expanded dungeon floors, and greatly enhances sneak attacks, armor piercing, and detection skills. Adventurers must use escape charms to leave the dungeon, as constant teleportation locks are beyond the scope of a level one legendary concept.
- Life Mana: Ecosystems allow for more realistic environments. Creatures will have a life cycle and be more plentiful. It greatly enhances health, recovery, and nature magic. Adventurers will need to attune to a Life Tree, which will grow a new body for their soul to return to upon dying within the dungeon.
- Origin Mana: Enhances the potential of creatures. Floors are more likely to develop rare resources. Adventurers will start their next life with full memory of their past life.
“Well, I guess I can understand not being able to constantly watch for that one attack that would kill them and teleporting them right before they die. Probably even get a few people who would say they were fine, and the System teleported them too soon. While the Origin option would probably make my dungeon cool for the world, I don’t want to be the source of far too many problems that would cause. System, I’ll take Life Mana.“
Life as Concept Attuned Mana Confirmed
DCP Step 4 - Theme Attuned Mana
Warning: Due to Mythic Theme, some mana types have been removed as they are not commonly associated with your Theme and all mana types will come with a downside.
- Flux Mana: The mana type that governs fire and ice. Grants your dragons a duality of magical talent and a moderate case of chaos-inclined thinking.
- Augmentation Mana: The mana type that governs body enhancement. Grants your dragons a significant boost to base stats and a superiority complex (beyond what dragons would normally have)
- Origin Mana: The mana type that governs potential. Grants your dragons the ability to grow beyond their stats, increasing the chance of sapience and adaptive skill gain, but dragons start out weaker.
- Conductive Mana: The mana type that governs energy. Grants your dragons enhanced magical talent and boundless energy, but they become easily distracted.
“Flux for … wait, reading is fundamental, Alistair. Just because it lets us have fire for sure doesn’t mean it's the right option. I don’t know if dragons innately have fire or not, and even if they don’t, it's not the end of the world if I can’t make a fire-breathing dragon to start out. I definitely don’t like the idea of more superior dragons, that's just a hard pass. I see that we can get creatures that can talk eventually, and even if that doesn’t happen soon, I don’t want to deal with that character trait in everything I make. More likely to have talking dragons would be nice, and it sounds like an awesome route to eventual power, if I can accept the development period. I would be endlessly amused and frustrated by squirrel-brained dragons, but I must resist the temptation to pick them off comedy alone.”
“Hmm, considering I already have Life mana giving me more creatures and giving them the ability to recover if they don’t die, I think Origin is the correct choice. Plus, it means I won’t be alone here for as long. Even if they end up being weaker now, it's not like the people here are going to find it easy to kill me, and hopefully with the Life Tree, they won’t want to. Yeah, System, I want Origin Mana.”
Origin as Theme Attuned Mana Confirmed
DCP Step 5 - Design First Floor
Warning: Due to Roguelike Concept, the First Floor is a Safe Zone
Predicted Question: How do I design a floor
Dungeon Domain responds to visualization, intent, and power. Menus can also aid in the creation and design process.
First Floor Requirements:
- Design three creatures
- Create three landmarks
- Hide your Core
- Name the Floor
- Concept Mandate: Create a Life Tree
- Concept Mandate: Design 10 Boons
- Concept Mandate: Establish one reward that can leave the dungeon
- Theme Mandate: Design Dragon Queen Myth
- Theme Mandate: Relate First Floor to Dragon Queen Myth
- Theme Mandate: Place Hoard
Now we are getting somewhere. The exposition is over, the build is locked in, and the tutorial doesn’t exist. It's fine, I need to start with the Dragon Queen’s Myth. I need to lock that in before I can start doing much else. But the question is, who is she? I could make her the theoretical final boss, but that's what everyone would expect. Actually, before I start her story, I need to know what tools I have. Let's look at how creatures work. System, can you show the creature builder menu or something?”