Gulch

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Trunk-only: This article pertains to a feature of Crawl which is being tested. It will likely change before the next release, and may even be removed entirely.

As the upper Dungeon has its sewer drainage system, so too do the Vaults. These gutter gulches serve as a containment space for accumulated garbage, various abandoned experiments, disorderly encroaching pests, and the particularly-broken corpses of intruders all alike. A great deal of mutagenic energy emanates from the mystic slag and mouldy waters running through it, such that even crossing its threshold will temporarily mutate new guests. Still, the widely-renowned defences of the Vaults would never dismiss any potential security front: mild maintenance via punished guards manage just barely enough direction to send such gulch monstrosities at anybody who would dare try to extract hidden riches from such filthy chambers.

File:Gulch portal.pngThe Gulch is a temporary portal level found in the Vaults floors 1-4. Gulches are defined by their connection to poison, mutation, garbage, and otherwise being generally disgusting. The portal is heralded by "the sound of rushing sludge"; if you take too long (6000-8000 auts), the entrance permanently closes.

Upon entering the Gulch, the player will receive three temporary mutations that must be cleared with gained XP. The player will be warned about this when trying to enter the portal.

Layout

The Gulch has a variable layout that follows a few patterns. The player will immediately be ambushed by a few monsters upon entry, and the starting room always contains negatively-enchanted slashing weapons of flaming and non-slashing weapons of freezing (this is so that the player can reasonably deal with a possible Slymdra, if needed).

The ending of the Gulch is guarded by a boss monster (see below), if sewage sovereigns are encountered, they will be in a duo. Gulch loot consists of venom-branded weapons, alchemy/hexes/forgecraft spells and enhancers, jewellery/armor/talismans of rCorr/rPois/flight, potions of mutation, and a guaranteed purified mutation catalyst which gives one good beneficial mutation when interacted with (by pressing > or <).

Monsters

l alligator	S anaconda	w tyrant leech	G great orb of eyes
x crawling flesh cage	J formless jellyfish
k mongrel wurm	F File:Roaming sludgefish.png roaming sludgefish	f File:Fungal shambler.png fungal shambler	9 File:Rusted inspector.png rusted inspector

Rare Monsters

G File:Telencephalon.png telencephalon

w torpor snail

J slime creature

t snapping turtle

k lindwurm

f deathcap

Boss Monsters

H File:Scrapshell chimera.png scrapshell chimera

a File:Sewage sovereign.png sewage sovereign

J colossal amoeba

J slymdra

Strategy

- Tips & Tricks

History

• The Gulch was added in 0.35.

	Temporary Portals
Early Game	Ossuary • Sewers
Mid Game	Bailey • Gauntlet • Ice cave • Volcano
Late Game	Desolation of Salt • Wizard Laboratory • Ziggurat (Mega-Zig)
Throughout the game	Necropolis
Peaceful	Bazaar • Treasure trove