Xander nodded along, and tried to do the math on his total of 35 points, but his brain immediately slapped him with a restraining order and a headache. Mr. Sinclair must have seen the look on his face and shook his head. “Simply divide your total by 5 to get your lower limit, and then multiply that number by 3 for the upper limit.” Even Xander could do that math. 7 would be the lowest, and 21 would be the highest.
“Alright, got it I think. Now what?”
“You had wanted to modify your psychedelic mushrooms I believe, so go into the Trap Modification Menu.” Xander did so and looked at the new disk that appeared.
Trap Modification Menu:
Current DP Invested: 15
DP Available: 5
Current Pit Trap Modifications:
. Trap Quantity (Level 2) + / -
. Trap Damage (Level 1) + / -
. Trap Subtlety (Level 3) + / -
Current Toxic Spore Colony Trap Modifications:
. Trap Quantity (Level 5) + / -
. Trap Effect (Level 1) + / -
. Trap Subtlety (Level 2) + / -
. Alternate Effect (Psychedelic)
Add New Trap Modification
Add New Trap Type
“Wait wait wait,” Xander said with growing excitement “Does this mean that I can design whole new traps? And that I can rearrange points from Trap Modification to other categories?”
“Technically yes,” the treant said, but then added, “However, removing upgrades takes significantly more time than adding new upgrades, in part due to stability penalties. Removing a single point can take hours, whereas adding points might only take a few minutes each. It was part of the reason that the dungeon was closed for so long when you took over. Doing either will increase instability and will also affect the leyline’s reserves and utilization, weakening the dungeon as a whole.”
Trying to hold back a groan, Xander shook his head “So then why even have the option? It sounds like you are implying that it’s a bad thing to remove points.”
“Not quite. It’s not bad to remove and swap points per se, but it does take planning because of the time needed to do so. At the same time, it is one of the Dungeon Lord’s more potent tools. Adventurers will share information on your dungeon, so being able to shift your focus and abilities may catch them prepared for the wrong dangers, or even totally unaware of a new danger.” The D.I.E.’s voice sounded positively gleeful.
“You really don’t like adventurers much, do you?” Xander asked with a wry smile.
“They are glory hounds who care little about anything other than plunder and personal power,” Mr. Sinclair sniffed.
“Not all of them” Xander replied
“A few good apples hardly makes the rest of the rotten ones more appetizing.”
“Please don’t talk about people like they’re just food,“ Xander said quietly, but firmly. “I mean seriously, that’s just wrong, even by your own metrics. I thought you said we wanted everyone on Gaellus to be stronger, not just Dungeon Lords.” The treant’s sour expression smoothed into a more thoughtful one as he considered Xander’s words.
After a minute, Xander broke the silence. “Seriously, what makes you so mad at them?”
“You haven’t been around long enough to see much of this world,” said Mr. Sinclair, “But I assure you, there are many more people like the Belters than like your ‘friends’. Maybe this backwater area is different, but I have seen adventurers in the high tiers, and even those labeled ‘heroes’ aren’t much more than greedy vultures.”
Xander wondered for a moment why that might be the case, but then he considered his own world. Those in power tended to push down everyone else in order to get more wealth and status for themselves. It was sad to think of that happening in a world full of magic, but the mere existence of both the nobility and bandits weren’t great indicators for some sort of enlightened society. After a moment though, he shrugged.
“Rheagan seems different, and even if he isn’t, that doesn’t mean I have to be a murderous dick either. I made a promise to myself to at least try not to be an asshole, and I want to stick to it.”
“By the System, what did I do to get stuck with such a fool?” his assistant complained, but then he did something completely unexpected. He smiled. Xander froze, having never seen the treant make an expression like that before. “What?” he asked hesitantly. Mr. Sinclair just kept smiling. “Maybe I’m just as much of a fool, but I truly hope you keep those values. It would be… refreshing to work with someone who actually cares.”
Xander shuffled awkwardly, then cleared his throat, “Right well… um… how about we get back to work? What would I have to do to modify the mushroom traps?”
“Ah, yes, that is relatively simple. Select ‘Add New Trap Modification’, then choose to modify ‘Alternate Effect (Psychedelic)’.”
“Wait, isn’t that already a modification?” Xander asked, but did as he was told anyway.
“Yes, but you can further enhance some modifications, like alternate effects. Depending on the customization you are looking for it may cost you additional Dungeon Points, but most modifications at this level will only cost one.” Xander watched as a new disk opened that was mostly blank.
Describe desired custom modification.
Blinking, Xander thought at the disk about what he wanted. He then watched as words appeared on the disk in response to his desires.
Psychedelic effect modified to cause soothing hallucinations instead of aggressive enthusiasm. Cost: 1 DP. Accept this custom modification? Y / N.
Xander was impressed, the System had modified his original wording into something more appropriate and concise without losing the gist of his goals. He accepted the modification and watched as another disk appeared.
New Custom Trap Modification will require 30 minutes to implement, and will decrease leyline stability by 1%. Toxic Spore Colony Traps will be half as effective until the modification is completed. Proceed? Y / N.
Whistling, Xander accepted, then turned back to Mr. Sinclair “That seemed like a relatively simple change, I can see how bigger changes might cause some severe issues. How did you manage to overhaul the entire Bramble Den Dungeon in just a handful of days? Seems like it would have taken longer based on this.”
The treant nodded “If the Dungeon had not been shut down, you would be correct. There are a number of factors that went into the shortened duration of the modifications that occurred then, but the simplest answer is that shutting down the whole dungeon speeds up the process and reduces the instability generated.”
“Then why not just do that every time?”
“Because that was a special occasion, and the System in general will not allow dungeons to go offline for anything less than a change in stewardship or leyline meltdown. Additionally, the excess energy you pulled from the leyline was channeled into the changes, speeding them along even further.” Xander was about to open his mouth, but his assistant held up a hand to stop him. “We should continue with any further modifications you wish to make unless you really wish to learn more of the esoteric math behind the process?”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Xander chuckled and held up his hands in surrender, “Nope, I’m good. We can stick to the basics for now. But I do have one more question, if I wanted a new kind of trap, I assume that only costs one point as well?”
“Actually, the new trap itself doesn’t cost a DP, but you are required to purchase at least one level of ‘Trap Quantity’ and either one level of ‘Trap Effect’ or ‘Trap Damage’.”
“Meaning that two points is the least I can pay,” Xander said with a nod. “How many traps do I get for each point?”
“Thirty, at least for these basic traps. More advanced types produce fewer per level”
Xander whistled. “Damn, that sounds like a lot!”
“Yes and no. Since they are spread out over your entire grounds you need more than you might think, especially since each minion has one of the spore colony traps placed on it. This is why I invested heavily in their numbers. ” Realizing that 7 out of 30 was indeed a good chunk, Xander nodded with increased understanding.
“So, minions menu next?” he asked, but the treant shook its head.
“You’re the Dungeon Lord here, your word is my will,” his assistant said in a voice dryer than saltine crackers.
“I somehow strongly doubt that,” Xander chuckled, “But let's look at minions then.” He went back and pulled up the Minion Modification Menu.
Minion Modification Menu:
Current DP Invested: 7
DP Available: 4
Current Vine Minion Modifications:
. Minion Quantity (Level 2) + / -
. Minion Damage (Level 1) + / -
. Minion Resilience (Level 1) + / -
Current Advanced Spore Feeder Minion Modifications:
. Minion Quantity (Level 1) + / -
. Minion Effect (Level 1) + / -
. Minion Resilience (Level 1) + / -
Add New Minion Modification
Add New Minion Type
Looking over everything, Xander blinked, “Wait, what are the spore feeder minions?”
“They are the minions you created recently based on the face huggers. I thought they would be a good addition after seeing them in action, so I invested in adding them to the Dungeon.”
“Uhhh, thanks… I guess? Why haven’t I seen any around then?”
“They just finished while you were talking to the nobleman, and are also somewhat stealthy thanks to their small size and ability to leap.”
Xander nodded slowly, “Makes sense I suppose. These are advanced minions, so there are less of them if they work like traps I assume?”
“Correct, there will only be 9 in the dungeon for now,” the D.I.E. confirmed.
Something that had been bothering Xander for a while twitched at that number “Why nine and not ten? Wait… the System is just obsessed with the number ‘3’, isn’t it?”
Mr. Sinclair shrugged. “Multiples of three do appear in many places, but so do multiples of five and ten.”
Xander shook his head in disagreement. “Yes, but not to the same extent. Ability advancements, trap and minion numbers, hell even the number of gods are in multiples of three. There are probably more categories, but come on, you can’t tell me it’s not on purpose.”
“I’ve never been made aware of such a predilection, and even if it existed, what would it matter?” the treant asked with a quirked eyebrow.
“None I suppose,” Xander replied after another moment of thought, then shrugged. “Well this menu doesn’t seem too different from the ‘Trap Modification’ menu, but I’m assuming that you need at least… 3… points to make a new minion then?” Xander asked with a waggle of his own eyebrows.”
Mr. Sinclair just looked bemused. “Correct, and good job for spotting that. You need either damage or an effect on the minions, plus quantity and resilience. Your minions are more impactful than their levels suggest because they also each carry around a trap on them, but overall are very weak fighters.”
“Well that’s mostly true, but what about Carl Jr. and Wendy? I don’t see any listing for them.”
“That’s because those two are part of your Boss Room, which comes under the Dungeon Modification Menu.”
“Ah, well then let's have a look at that next.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to invest any additional points in your minions first?” asked Mr. Sinclair.
“We can always come back to it, and I only have 4 left, so no, not at the moment” Xander replied, going back and opening the menu in question.
Dungeon Modification Menu:
Current DP Invested: 8
DP Available: 4
Current Leyline Modifications: (2 DP)
. Stability Improvement (Level 1/5) +
. Utilization Limit (Level 3/5) +
. Reserve Max (Level 2/5) +
. Rank (G) +
Leyline Modification Points Remaining: 0
Current Dungeon Grounds Modifications: (2 DP)
. Grounds Size (Level 2) + / -
. Dungeon Floors (Level 1) + / -
. Dungeon Break Potential (Level 2) + / -
. Additional Terrain Type (Cathedral)
Dungeon Grounds Modification Points Remaining: 0
Current Boss Room Modifications: (3 DP)
. Enhanced Boss Mana Pool (Level 1) + / -
. Pit Traps (Level 2) = + / -
. Vine Minion (Level 3) + / -
. Body Guard (Level 2) + / -
. Advanced Trap Minion (Level 1) + / -
. Bonus Treasure (Level 0) + / -
Boss Room Modification Points Remaining: 0
Add New Modification
At first glance, it seemed much the same as the other two modification menus, but there were some very clear changes on closer inspection. “If I’m reading this right, each Dungeon Point buys multiple levels or features in a given category. Say… oh I don’t know… 3 levels per DP?” Xander said smugly. Mr. Sinclair just crossed his little arm branches, not dignifying the snarky comment with a reply, but Xander had already moved on and was considering everything in the new menu. After another minute, he caught another discrepancy. “Wait, can you not remove points from the leyline?”
This time, the treant nodded. “Correct again, though the rules go a bit deeper than that. There are both minimum and maximum values associated with each category since all three are required to form an operational dungeon.”
“Let me guess, three points is the maximum?” Xander asked with a smirk, but the treant shook his head “That would clearly not be feasible. The minimum is based on the Dungeon’s Rank, so 1 in the Grove’s case since we are a G rank dungeon. The maximum is equal to the leyline’s utilization limit.”
Feeling a bit chagrined, Xander looked back at the disk. “So my throne room is maxed out unless I put a level into the leyline utilization limit, which I would need to spend another DP for. Hrmmm… that still seems like it might be a good option for me. I’m supposed to be able to kite my enemies around, but I’ve had some real trouble with that. Also, for as much information is in this window, I feel like the fine details are lacking. Like, how do I go about changing the layout and everything?”
“That’s what I am for. This interface is to help the Dungeon Lord make the overarching decisions and give an overview of the current breakdown, but actually modifying the ‘fine details’ is something we work together on. Or would you rather be buried in hundreds or thousands of disks worth of minutiae?”
“Ah, yes, I see the issue there.” Xander blanched at the thought of trying to custom design every inch of the dungeon and every part of the minions by himself. Just getting the vines to adhere to their boney armor and walk in a vaguely humanoid way had been challenging enough at first. He regarded the disk for a moment, then spent a dungeon point on the leyline, adding one level to each of its three categories. That allowed him to then put another dungeon point into his Boss Room, and increase the levels of Enhanced Boss Mana Pool, Body Guard, and Advanced Trap Minion.
Leyline modifications will require more than two days to implement, and will reduce leyline stability by 8%. Leyline reserves will decrease by up to 39 percent, and leyline utilization will be significantly impacted until the modification is completed. Proceed? Y / N.
Boss Room Modifications will begin after leyline modifications are complete and will require 7 hours to complete. Boss Room Modifications will reduce leyline stability by 4%. Enhanced Boss Mana Pool will not function during this time. Warning: Leyline stability projected to drop below 30 percent. Proceed? Y / N.
Looking up at his assistant questioningly, Xander asked, “Do you think I can accept those changes? I see what you mean about the length of time needed to make changes now. If there is a constant flow of people coming into the dungeon it could get pretty dicey to keep changing things up.”
Mr. Sinclair nodded, “And this is a low rank dungeon. The higher rank dungeons have even higher costs and penalties associated with them, though by that point they can modify one subsection at a time. For now, I think we have the time. You should accept those changes, but wait on the last two points for another time.”
Xander accepted both modification windows, then looked up with a smile. “There, that should provide a good boost to my survivability, and hopefully increase stability and stuff for the leyline. I guess the next thing to do will be to improve the minions with my last couple points.”
“That would be wise, though it is quite common for undead dungeons to rely on hordes of weaklings to fill their ranks, so you are maintaining your cover as a necromancer quite aptly” the treant said with some amusement behind his wooden eyes. Xander rolled his own ocular orbs. “Greeaatttt… just what I always wanted.”
“Perhaps it is not, but it is proving effective enough. Besides, now you can take the time to sculpt the improvements to your minions personally. Doing so tends to wring better performance out of them anyway.”
“Well that’s fine… but I do have one more idea I really want to implement,” Xander said with a sly smile, “I doubt you’ll like it much, but I think if we do it right it can provide you an even more ‘unique’ experience in this low level dungeon.” Glee filled him at both the thought of his idea, and also at the suddenly concerned look on his assistant’s barky face.