Burger

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

@N3v3rM0r3@Xaltwind@DracoLunaris@ERode@Expendable@Vertigo@SilverPaw@BrokenPromise@Thunder999999@Ponn

i think this is everyone, if i missed you, then i am equal parts sorry and saying get owned while fortnite dancing

have a fun little CS and a character building guide in the mean time to start planning

OOC will probably be on the weekend.

And for everyone interested, I will preface this by saying--do expect and probably plan for smaller posts more frequently in this RP as I do think it's necessary for the interlocuting (GUH) nature of this RP.

[character image--preferably some anime style]
[center][h2]Name[/h2][sup][h3]Rarity★ | Race | Level[/h3][/sup][/center]
[indent][b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Abilities:[/b][/indent]

Character Creation Guide

As a primer, remember: you are effectively a fully-formed existence that's a newborn. You have knowledge about yourself and concepts, but no history. In addition, you might not know anything of the world, but it is not familiar or unfamiliar. It is merely natural--something that you would not give a second thought about outside of philosophical thought.

Name
The name is more or less self explanatory. Boss monsters (re: all of you) are born with an inherent sense of self. This includes the right to name themselves. The source of the name doesn't truly matter--it can be ingrained in your soul or it can be something as arbitrary as looking around you and looking at a pea, a tear, and a gryphon and liking how they sound together. Though please don't do exactly that.

Also put your title in your name, if you have one--IE, [name] the Goblin Lord or [name], Deep Dark Dragon of Destruction.

Rarity
Replace this number with 1★ through 5★. This isn't entirely a permanent decision and should be associated with your race. Rarity can be increased via special materials. Think of this as 20% your starting stats (these are arbitrary and do not mechanically exist), 40% your growth curve, and 40% your character's endgame potential.

What benefits are there for weaker ranks? Without committing to specifics or small spoilers, lower rarities will advance faster (make up for their worse stat growth) and may or may not be less frightening for some of the mooks that will populate your dungeon. But again, arbitrary.

As for rarity, you can imagine it as a curve. 1★ would be something like a goblin chief. 5* would be something like a dragonlord. Rarity is either an evolutionary or rank path. Using goblin chief as an example, it would go goblin chief > lord > baron > king > emperor for a rank-rarity. For evolutionary, imagine goblin > hobgoblin > orc > ogre > oni.

Do stars beyond 5★ exist? If I think it's interesting in the future, it will.

Note: this is primarily an aesthetic and thematic device. It, like most things, are entirely arbitrary.

Level
Replace level with 1.

All fresh spawns are level 1. This means the average adventurer will kick your ass as it stands, even if you are a 5★ Titanocider Ragnarok Behemoth. This serves the thematic purpose of actually needing this dungeon. Note that acquiring dungeon points (see: having adventurers die inside) will strengthen your dungeon core. This is the source of your initial levels--making the dungeon better will advance you all about equally.

Appearance
Things that your image doesn't cover. Write whatever, but some nice things to include: size/scale, impression, and things like that.

Personality
How your character acts. Be sure to include their desires--all monsters fundamentally have desires that put them in opposition with others.

Abilities
Put in your starting set of abilities. Skills, magic, abilities, etc. Consider this as generally more free-form than a rigid list (though having a few rigid techniques that gain power in exchange for flexibility is fine) Remember, combat isn't a giant part of the RP. Consider this through the lens of utility and narrative possibility (see: humanization, disguising, crafts) in addition to any power fantasy.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

@Burger
Oh, I forgot to ask.

Will you as the GM be creating a GMPC of your own to play as and use to interact with the rest of the cast? Or will you go the whole "disembodied narrative voice"-route and only play as NPCs/enemies/the enviroment? :o

@Xaltwind

My ass is the dungeon spirit, your overworked secretary who physically is unable to quit and legally doesn't have ownership rights.

So a mix, but probably closer to 2. That isn't to say that players can't do those things, though.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

<Snipped quote by Burger>

I'm not getting anywhere near a Canadian goose, guess I'll F2P it.

On the topic of F2P, are there going to be a lot of references to game mechanics outside of the gacha, or is that like, an actual meta thing that happens outside the RP? Like do our characters vaguely accept the fact that they are in a game, and that all traps and minions have to be positioned perfectly on a 36 by 36 grid?

@BrokenPromise

Not fully. Aesthetic over mechanic--their world is much less gamey, but the world is definitely influenced by whatever higher powers that influence it to be game-like.

Adventurer dies in a dungeon? Swing their corpse over to the nearest church--they'll come back. Hero gets defeated? Believe it or not, church.

So if I make a map and it's a grid, that's just for my ease. The actual world has no grid requirements.

Ooh, snazzy. I'm interested if there's still room for more self-important lower-upper management monstrums.

EDIT:

I'm assuming that we won't have to worry about PvP being enable in this RP then? After all, if the Dungeon master who summoned our characters got themself vaporized by doing so, and the Dungeon Core then went: Well, guess you guys're in charge now! is there anything but said Dungeon Core that's keeping these freshly summoned selfish monsters from trying to rip each others' arms and legs off? Or eat each other. Not necessarily out of spite or a desire for power, but just outta, y'know, wanting a snack?

Being born makes you hungry. Ask any baby.

Given the (seemingly?) more light-hearted nature of the RP's tone and theme, I thus find that actual, serious player versus player conflict wouldn't be in line with your vision? Which, I'm all for, by the way. Just don't wanna sign up for something that could turn into a free-for-all off-board arena thread because Erode got the Shiny Golden Spatula Goblin and Zeroth only got the Grubby Goblin Grunt-pull.

No, I'm not singling you two out for any particular reason. Don't be silly.

Ha. Hahaha. Haha...

@Xaltwind

players aren't expected to fight each other unless they agree to fight for their own narrative/reason/etc.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

Looks interesting.

<Snipped quote by Burger>

Can we use real money to buy Dungeon Points? Preferably in strange denominations so that we always end up overspending. I also want a 99.99$ "super discount" that gives us a whopping 20% more Dungeon points. I'm also fine with you saying that there are no refunds, even if the game never gets off the ground and you're forced to close the servers first year of development.

@BrokenPromise

yea you can

please attach your payment to your nearest canadian goose and you'll see the points appear in your account within the next 18-65 years

So, what’s the tech level like in this world? Could a hypothetical slime girl form crazy cool “advanced” weapons like rotary cannons, missile pods, lasers, and that kinda junk out of her slimy body, or just boring melee weapons?

Asking for a friend.

@Ponn

Low science, high magic. Anachronistic, lackadaisical, and really more concerned with aesthetic rather than actual technological progression. Think functional toilets and the possibly the existence of live streaming (have not decided yet), but they haven't invented the concept of industrialization. Guns would exist, but since magic outpaces it, it's very much a "the concept of tube + propel projectile" is about as far as it gets.

Rotary cannons, probably not at this stage. Maybe far in the future if I decide that I want cowboy nation at some point, your character can have an idea most brilliant. Missile pods are probably a hard no--the most is trebuchet/catapult/cannon/arbalest for large projectiles. Lasers probably hard no unless you turn yourself into a prism to death ray someone with the power of the sun behind you.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

Oh, there’s a Gacha? How much is a ten pull?

@ERode

160 dungeon points for your beginner banners. Of which I give arbitrarily.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

<Snipped quote by Burger>

What if instead of just giving them the treasure, we issue promissory notes that represent real treasure (that we totally have somewhere)? Better yet, we could offer them a loan for however much treasure they want, and charge a percentage interest on the payback!

Jokes aside is the Politik part of this expected to be more serious, like with some Players aiming to become full-fledged Overlords by competing with/betraying one another, potentially waging war (or making alliances) on human/elf/etc settlements if the dungeon becomes powerful enough, and so forth? Or is the idea going to be a bunch of goobers building Rube-Goldberg devices and throwing waves of fodder bodies at granite-jawed Paladins voiced by Patrick Warburton, while also balkanizing into thinly veiled strawmen of ideology for the funsies?

Also, would we be starting as peons and evolving (Goblin > Hobgoblin, etc) or otherwise getting more powerful? Or would each of us be a Final-Boss/anime-humanoid kind of monster in our own right, with our own minions and whatnot?

@Zeroth

Unserious--less political thriller and more workplace politics where you get HR talking about the dark triad. There's a reason why adventurers throw themselves into the meat grinder

Maybe if it lasts for a few years, it will evolve into something a little more serious, but as it stands, there will be no politicking with adventurers--only your fellows and other dungeons.

It's your choice to start as a peon or final boss. But don't take that as exactly that. It's a Gacha world. You're always starting from level 1, but you can be a 1 star goblin chief or a 5 star dragon lord. The average adventurer can beat your ass in either case at the start. Different bonuses and such for both cases--but it's aesthetic over mechanic.

You can evolve (see: uprank) with materials.

Minions not directly. Some monsters (see spiders) can create minions, but they're more or less extensions of the self and not real henchmen. Your ass will be pulling your minions on the Gacha, of which they will be shared with the others.

And you should probably politik with them, too. Lest you have bad relations and suffer the dire consequences.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

And then there's the bit for this game that we used to be human....

Are we reborn understanding both the common languages of monsters and of humans?

@Expendable

The monsters in this game are tabula rasa, unlike those series. Legally not an isekai. It's more or less the same language--mooks don't understand human speech, but they understand monsters speaking.

The player characters were taken from the same world - not isekaied, but reincarnated into monsters in the dungeon, yeah? Any limits on the PC monster species? Could they be humanoid, too? E.g elf, rogue mage, some sort of vampire, half orc etc. etc..

@SilverPaw

I think the current plan is to not be an isekai/reincarnation. You're born fully formed as monsters with the necessary self and knowledge, but no memories.

No real limits beyond "theme it vaguely evil". Vampire yes. Half-orc logistically no because for reasons, monsters cannot do that. Rogue mage no, there isn't any sort of defection. Elf, yes but in a dark elf sense. You don't have to do any tropes or charged trappings of typical depictions, but you are forced into having a stink cloud of malevolence that will out you as evil unless disguised in some way. Kinda like Atou the Sludge who is very elf coded but is not a nice elf.

OGRE THINK YUNYUNS EEKWALLY CORRUPT AS CORE-PRAYCHUNS! STRONG-ARM OGRE INTO S'PORTING POLY-CEES DAT ONLY BENEFIT YUNYUN AS WHOLE, NOT NESSIE-SURLY OGRE AS INDIVIDUAL! FORCE OGRE PAY YUNYUN DOOS AND BAR OGRE WORK IN INDUSTREE IF OGRE NOT PART OF ECKS-CLOOSIVE CLUB! OGRE HAVE RIGHT TO WORK!

Alternatively, could a particularly enterprising goblin offer a "gold banking service," so that when our fellow monsters are killed, those filthy adventurers can't get my---I mean, our loot?

@Zeroth

Technically yes, but there will be reasons why that's not very efficient. A dungeon without treasure is like a fishing line without a hook or lure.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union [It's Monster Politik Time]

Dungeons--dangerous labyrinths filled with both monster and treasure. Hundreds of them litter the world. Some filled only with goblins and small amounts of gold. Others with dragons and ancient magical artifacts. The world has always known these dungeons. With these treasures come adventurers--those willing to delve inside for strength, wealth, to serve their god, or to solve the mystery of the dungeons. They venture within slaying all manner of beasts throughout the floors. Time and time again, with the god of the cycle at their side, they return to the dungeon. Again and again, they march deeper and deeper. Their goal?

To face the dungeon master and shatter the dungeon's core. The heart of the dungeon--the crystal that represents the ever expanding influence of the god of fate.

This is where you have awoken. But wait... where's the dungeon master?

It appears that the god of fate had loved your master a little too much. The god had allowed them to burn their life to summon you. Now without a master, the core had decided its new master...

Wait, it selected all of you?

---

Welcome to An Idiot's Dungeon Union--a slice of life inverse dungeon adventure where the players aim to defend their home (and lives) from an ever growing invasion of respawning adventurers. Players will play the role of an intelligent monster who had been summoned to defend the dungeon, but has stumbled into the position of leading the dungeon. Together, the monsters will somehow have to politic and negotiate with their allies to best develop their newly-created dungeon to ensure that they don't end up as materials for someone's shoes.

Inspired by the plethora of the more pleasant dungeon master manga/manhwa, a few slice of life series, and the mundanity of life and gainful employment, this RP is one that embraces the microdrama of workplace politik. And as a monster, you have your own desires which you wish to fulfill above the wants of the many.

In terms of how the RP will function, it will more or less be a mixture of short expeditions into the world outside of the dungeon to learn about the world, decision-making sessions with your fellow monsters, the occasional fight to defend your dungeon, and the meta-game around gacha pulling for mooks and traps to design dungeon floors for the purpose of watching numbers go up. Maybe you'll even encounter other dungeons which are vying for survival and/or making their funny number go up more than yours.

Return of a Failed Generation

ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｄａｗｎ　ｏｆ　ａｎ　ｏｌｄ　ｄａｙ

---

Estelle could surmise what Isana's request for meeting was about. She could wait until her siblings came to the same conclusion that she did--she would always wait for them. In response, she gave a sombre smile and nodded only to take a stoic expression take a deep breath when Isana challenged another student within the noble class.

Challenges came and went. Though, Estelle had no plans, reason, or ability to participate; she had not yet the time to recover and her class had already been lowered. Perhaps that was a blessing--she didn't need to attempt to defend her place in an impossible task. All she needed to do was cheer so long as her hoarse voice permitted. Apparently, it was not long at all--soon after Vincent's duel, she had already resigned to exhaust herself waving her arms and clapping.

Vincent's duel was shocking. Not for the result--the upset was something that she had expected the moment he uttered his challenge. No, what surprised her was just how he acted and spoke both during the duel and after he won. It certainly wasn't the Vincent she remembered.

She watched Isana's duel with baited breath. Levity was given Isana weaponized her spit. What did they teach her? Techniques that the Kaides would not tell you, that was for sure.

Ophelia's challenge to Sherry gave Estelle pause. She was significantly more vengeful than Estelle remembered. Amabilia's slights felt more like foppish posturing. And simply put, she didn't like her siblings fighting one another. The duel was one she didn't cheer for, but she still watched with solemn intent. A bittersweet relief came over her as Ophelia won, but that was soon replaced with worry as the winner left so much as a word.

Rodin's duel was equal parts expected and unexpected. Quite out of character for him, but with the result she had been expecting. Though, it was also quite childish as she winced at him slapping a bastard raw.

Lucas' duel was equally an impressive win.

In spite of his actions and words from his duel, when Vincent called for her, Estelle perked up and waved him over. Though as he got closer, a wave of apprehension washed over her. She didn't quite know what face to make or what to say to him. Her apprehension vanished as he became close enough that Estelle could make out his face. She lunged out of her wheelchair once he was within reach. Her left hand grasped his hand while the other ran through his hair. Her fingers were much softer and thinner than would remember.

"It's been a long time" she asked, her weak voice already hoarse from what little cheering she could do. "How have you been?"

Return of a Failed Generation

ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｄａｗｎ　ｏｆ　ａｎ　ｏｌｄ　ｄａｙ

---

As much as she wanted to keep holding onto Sherry, Estelle was forced away unceremoniously as she rolled across the dining room.

To chase her down or to let her be? Estelle thought about it. All that time ago, Estelle would have carelessly chased after Sherry or let her be without much thought. But she was thinking about how to best treat her. And Estelle believed that she could work through it on her own--at least, for now. Being an older sister was more difficult than she remembered. Though, perhaps she hadn't fully grasped it so long ago.

Though her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Amabilia. She sure was passionate, wasn't she?

Long ago, a healthy Estelle would have tried to placate her aunt. After the incident, Estelle would have shrank back in apathetic silence. But Estelle couldn't help but have an air-headed smile and soft laugh. It was like this so long ago, wasn't it? It all seemed so insignificant now.

"Will you be joining us for breakfast, Lady Amabilia?" Estelle asked once her soft laughter subsided.

---

The trip to the orientation was nostalgic.

No longer in the wheelchair, she instead moved with a simple cane. Of course, she wasn't nimble and still needed assistance--one morning of preparation was not nearly enough to regain proper movement--but appearances were important this day. So much so that she had spent most of the carriage ride massaging her own legs as if to force them back to a functional state.

Her own position in the academy was complicated. She was previously part of the noble class based on merit. Apparently, not any longer--two years of leave alongside words of her health had decayed her position. When her name was said for the common class, hushed whispers filled the crowd--be they from surprise of her name being called, remembrance of the incident, or the prospect of someone like her being sorted into the common class once more. Though, Estelle didn't quite care. She had one year remaining.

And besides that, she already knew of someone who could be a better teacher than anyone at the academy.

Then came the challenges. Estelle remembered them quite vividly. After all, she had been challenged to quite a few--archers in the noble class were thought of as easy pickings by anyone with a shield.

Seeing the young Vincent Kaides raise his hand all but confirmed what she had been thinking ever since she saw Sherry.