The Dungeon

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

It is still a mystery how this bizarre place was created. Some claim that it is the playground of bored gods, whereas others maintain that it was shaped by all kinds of species who fled the overworld and shunned the light. No matter what its origin, this deep cavern is filled with riches unheard of as well as with ample dangers to any intruder. Few have escaped alive, and even fewer have kept some sliver of sanity sufficient to tell the tale. The dungeon is 15 levels deep, but, honestly, this is only the beginning.

The Dungeon is the main setting of Dungeon Crawl. The first area you arrive in upon creating a new character, it is 15 floors deep, not counting its many branches. The final floor contains an entrance to the Depths, where portals to more dangerous branches are found, including the Realm of Zot.

Layout

The Dungeon consists of 15 randomly generated floors filled with rooms, corridors, doors, and vaults. Most walls are made of rock, but sometimes from other materials such as stone, metal, or green crystal. You can travel between floors using stairs and (not always intentionally) shafts.

Like most areas in the game, each floor has three stairs leading up and three stairs leading down; sometimes you'll also encounter hatches, which are one-way staircases. Save those for emergencies, and never use them to enter a new floor if you can take the stairs, as you will be unable to flee back up them if you encounter trouble right away.

Going upstairs on Dungeon:1 will return you to the overworld and end the game, whether you have the Orb of Zot or not. Although your character did not die, they have retired all the same, and you will have to create another.

Unlike certain other roguelikes, floors in Crawl are permanent, once generated. They do not change if you leave, then return.

Uniques

i Agnes	6 Amaemon	R Azrael	o Blork the orc
g Crazy Yiuf	e Dowan	e Duvessa	@ Edmund
x Erica	O Erolcha	@ Eustachio	e Fannar
@ Frances	w Gastronok	5 Grinder	g Grum
@ Harold	g Ijyb	@ Jessica	g Jorgrun
@ Joseph	@ Josephine	@ Kirke	O Lodul
@ Louise	@ Maggie	f Maurice	M Menkaure
h Natasha	o Nergalle	c Nessos	K Pikel
F Prince Ribbit	@ Psyche	T Pargi	g Robin
8 Roxanne	@ Rupert	@ Sigmund	T Snorg
K Sonja	@ Terence	o Urug

Strategy

If you're trying to get a 100% win rate, the first few floors of Dungeon are the hardest part of Crawl. While the monsters are weak, you won't have as many potions or scrolls to bail you out of a bad situation. If you meet an out-of-depth monster, you have few options.

The Depths are a sudden difficulty spike from D:15 - you should not enter right away. Instead, explore some of the various dungeon branches first.

Branch Order

The main Dungeon goes up to 15 floors, where each floor increases in monster strength. If a floor gets too difficult, you can enter a new dungeon branch. You'll need to enter a branch eventually, for their runes of Zot (3 of which are required to win the game).

The recommended branch order can vary based on character, item selection, and player preference. A rough outline is as follows:

1. Dungeon: 1-10
2. The Lair: 1-5
3. Dungeon: 11-12
4. Orcish Mines: 1-2
5. Dungeon: 13-15
6. Other branches.

For more detailed branch order advice, check out the Walkthrough.

History

• In 0.27, the Dungeon's monster distribution was changed; many "chaff" monsters were removed, making floors generally harder.
• Prior to 0.14, the Dungeon was 27 floors deep, with the Realm of Zot located on D:27. The Depths were introduced to help better control the amount of experience a player acquires throughout the game, and to help force the player to explore side-branches earlier in the game.