Dungeon branches

Version 0.17: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

The page provides a map of the various dungeon branches and how they interconnect. For tips and tricks on surviving the individual branches, see the walkthrough and the branches' pages. You can bring up an in-game overview of the Dungeon and its various branches and portals by pressing Ctrl-O.

Dungeon Overview

New characters start on level one of the Dungeon, except for Abyssal Knights, who begin in the Abyss.

• The Dungeon (15 levels)
  • Ecumenical Temple (Dungeon Level 4-7, 1 level)
  • The Lair (Dungeon Level 8-11, 8 levels)
    • The Swamp (The Lair Level 3-6, 4 levels, rune)
    • The Shoals (The Lair Level 3-6, 4 levels, rune, may randomly replace the Swamp)
    • The Snake Pit (The Lair Level 3-6, 4 levels, rune)
    • The Spider's Nest (The Lair Level 3-6, 4 levels, rune, may randomly replace the Snake Pit)
    • The Slime Pits (The Lair Level 6-8, 6 levels, rune)
  • Orcish Mines (Dungeon Level 9-12, 4 levels)
    • Elven Halls (Orcish Mines Level 3-4, 3 levels)
  • The Vaults (Dungeon Level 14-15, 5 levels, rune)
    • The Crypt (The Vaults Level 2-3, 3 levels)
      • The Tomb (The Crypt Level 2-3, 3 levels, rune)
• The Depths (Dungeon Level 15, 5 levels)
  • The Vestibule of Hell (Portals in The Depths, 1 level)
    • Cocytus (7 levels, rune)
    • Gehenna (7 levels, rune)
    • Tartarus (7 levels, rune)
    • The Iron City of Dis (7 levels, rune)
  • The Abyss (Portals in The Depths, 5 endless toroidal levels, rune)
  • Pandemonium (Portals in The Depths, infinite non-revisitable levels, 5 runes)
  • The Realm of Zot (The Depths level 5, 5 levels, Orb of Zot)

There are a total of at least 100 levels in the game (plus two infinite realms).

In addition to the standard dungeon branches, all dungeons will contain a randomly selected variety of vaults with a specific design and theme, and portals to fantastic extra-dimensional realms.

Miscellaneous Portals

Optional portals to fantastic extra-dimensional realms can be randomly found throughout the Dungeon and its branches. While none of these contain runes, they nearly always contain above-average loot and useful experience. If you know how to handle each one's theme, they can often be cleared without excessive risk. All such portals are single-entry only, and after you exit their realm, they will be gone along with anything you left inside.

Unless otherwise noted, all these portals are temporary, and will disappear if not entered within a certain length of time. There are actually two clocks running: a shorter countdown while you're on the level with the portal, and a longer one when you've gone to another level. If you stay on the level, you may receive increasingly-urgent messages as the timer runs out, and the portal's appearance (check with 'x', then 'v') may indicate how much of the timer has expired. When a portal on your current level expires, you will get a message to the effect of, "The walls and floor of the dungeon suddenly vibrate!" Portals will not start closing until you reach the floor that they are on, so there's no need to rush through early floors in order to access them.

• Bailey - A keep guarded by gnolls, goblins, and/or orcs
• Bazaar - Shopping spree! Portals to bazaars are usually temporary but may rarely be permanent. Permanent ones will not be announced.
• Ice Cave - Freezing clouds, wild animals, and occasionally icy demons.
• Labyrinth - A shifting maze with an exit at the center guarded by a minotaur. Bring extra food!
• Ossuary - A small tomb filled with the undead and mummies.
• The Sewers - Fetid waterways teeming with rats, snakes, and occasionally nastier things.
• Treasure trove - Contains several acquirement-level items, but getting in requires a rare and valuable item in return. Is always permanent.
• Volcano - Fire and lava everywhere. Also lava-dwelling creatures.
• Wizard Laboratory - The abandoned laboratory of one of several famous mages.
• Ziggurat - The ultimate challenge: 27 floors of increasingly difficult battles, but with riches untold for those who win through. Is always permanent, though frequently appears in the one-time-entry levels of Pandemonium.

History

The Spider's Nest was made a full-fledged branch in 0.11.

The Enchanted Forest was considered for inclusion in 0.14, but was eventually rejected after several months of play-testing in trunk. This branch would have occasionally replaced the Crypt.

The Hall of Blades was removed in 0.15.

The lair branches were shortened from 5 to 4 levels in 0.17.