Dungeon Champions

Chapter 2: Class Selection

The Tablet’s glowing screen flashed rapidly, trying to draw my attention. It vibrated, and then vibrated again in short bursts.

Bzz.

Bzzzzz.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzt.

Bzz. Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzt.

They were growing closer together and more urgent. “I should probably get that…”

My giant eyeball friend chuckled. “Most likely. It is the culmination of our agreement after all.”

As soon as I brought the glowing golden Tablet up to view it, the machine killed the vibrations, creating a sort of sighing sound as it was mid alert.

The screen had a notice message at the top.

***

Notice

A Pinnacle Blessing has been used to transfer ownership of this Legendary Adventurer’s Tablet to you. As a result, you will be granted a significant portion of the original wielder’s knowledge, skills, and character experience. You must still choose an appropriate class. Based on your (lack of) background and current challenges, we recommend one of the following Legendary Classes.

Note: Because you begin at Level 10, we have listed the five (5) abilities each class will give you below. For details about normal level and class progression, touch the Details button. This Tablet is context-sensitive.

***

Below that was a Wikipedia style article. I had no idea how I knew what a ‘Wikipedia’ was, but it was an accurate description for the stylistically simple headers and descriptions, each with a glowing “Details” button that would expand the article.

Information for three classes flooded the screen. I read through them once, then again to make sure I understood everything the descriptions had to offer.

***

Lord of Dungeons

Details

Class Name: Lord of Dungeons (Legendary Class)

Description: A titan that excels at adventuring, particularly in dungeons.

Experience Criteria: Lord of Dungeons do not gain levels like normal classes. Instead of experience points, they gain one (1) level each time they defeat or capture a Dungeon Core.

Granted Powers: Each time you capture a Dungeon Core, you acquire five (5) spells or minor abilities associated with that core.

Level 1: You gain a +5 bonus to resist any negative effect in a dungeon. This includes passive dangers, like traps, and the inhabitants of the dungeon (including non-native ones).

Level 3: Your attacks may deal critical damage to anything inside a dungeon, even objects or creatures normally immune to it. Note: Critical attacks deal double damage.

Level 5: Your critical attack threshold is improved by 25%. Your critical attack damage is increased by 25%. Inside a dungeon, both of these improve to 50%.

Level 7: You heal and recover from all forms of injury in a dungeon at ten (10) times the normal rate. You are now immune to permanently immobilizing effects (such as Freeze Block and Permanent Time Shift).

Level 9: Once per dungeon, you may summon an ally to help you. This ability has no maximum distance and can even recruit allies from adjacent realities. Note: A Dungeon Core’s authority may interfere with this power. It is recommended that you use this before entering the Dungeon Core’s lair. It was likely this power that summoned you to this dungeon.

***

Core Wielder

Details

Class Name: Core Wielder (Legendary Class)

Description: Capture Dungeon Cores to empower your magic.

Experience Criteria: Gain experience each time you develop a new spell or use your magic.

Granted Powers: You gain a Mana Pool equal to your Magic score + your Level X 2. You also learn 5 spells, +2 new spells for each level you gain. While you wield a Dungeon Core, all of your spell damage and durations are increased by 50%.

Level 1: If you are holding a Dungeon Core, your spells are considered to use the core’s mana type. For example: A Demonic Core would make all of your spells demonic in nature, and they would take on all the benefits and penalties therein.

Level 3: If you are holding a Dungeon Core, you gain a supernatural ability to sense hidden doors and traps in a dungeon.

Level 5: You gain a passive bonus to your Magic and Intellect equal to one (1) per Dungeon Core you possess.

Level 7: You may add the number of Dungeon Cores you possess to your level for determining any level-based, variable effects for your spells.

Level 9: You may consume a core to restore all your health and mana. This also banishes any lingering negative effects, such as curses.

***

Battle Scholar

Details

Class Name: Battle Scholar (Legendary Class)

Description: Battle Scholars are the masters of violence. Not only are they effective in combat, but they can also coordinate teams of adventurers.

Experience Criteria: Battle Scholars gain experience by mentoring and helping others. They gain reduced experience from standard combat.

The Price of Level Disparity: If you are mentoring adventurers more than three (3) levels below yours, if you deal combat damage to enemies the adventurers are fighting, the experience they receive is reduced by an amount proportional to your intervention. Feel free to be creative about avoiding this penalty.

Granted Powers: A Battle Scholar can generate up to one (1) Epic Class Tablet per three (3) of their levels +1 (at level 10, this is 4). They have Command Authority over these Tablets. The Battle Scholar may assign these Tablets to willing recipients. Note: The assignment process wipes away any current levels granted by other Tablets. The assignee retains all other skills and knowledge.

Graduation: Once the recipient has gained ten (10) levels the Battle Scholar may give the person ownership of their Tablet. This is called Graduation and will grant the Battle Scholar a permanent benefit (see Level 5). If this happens, the Scholar may manifest a new Epic Tablet. This process takes 120 days.

Reassignment: It is possible to remove and reassign a Tablet, however doing so strips the person it was removed from of all experience. Long press for more information.

Level 1: You gain a special skill called “Adventure Historian.” This skill grants extensive knowledge into combat, adventuring, classes and class skills, monsters, and more.

In addition, you possess an extradimensional holding space. You may use this space to summon and store any weapons or armor you possess at will. If these items are taken from you, you must retrieve them before you can use this ability. You may also use this space to store supplementary adventuring materials, up to a maximum of 50 lbs per your level.

Level 3: You become proficient in all standard adventuring equipment. This includes familiarity with all commonly known weapons, armor, and magical items (such as wands and scrolls). You may not cast spells like a spellcaster, but if a spell scroll does not require a spellcasting class, you can use it. This proficiency is sufficient that you may teach others how to use the equipment, even if you have had no prior familiarity before getting this power.

Level 5: The time it takes you to train others in any combat skills you are familiar with decreases by 50%.

Level 7: You and anyone with one of your Epic Class Tablets share a telepathic bond. This allows you to provide direct instructions and mental guidance. The time it takes you to train your allies decreases by another 10%.

Level 9: You, and any allies with an Epic Class Tablet within [medium range] gain [modest] resistance to non-damaging attacks. This includes spells, curses, and some traps.

***

The raw power of the Core Wielder and the Lord of Dungeons was incredibly tantalizing. In fact, I was willing to bet that all of the Core-oriented classes offered a similar amount of risk and reward, provided I was willing to spend a lot of my time inside a dungeon. With the Pinnacle Blessing deal I’d made hinging on me taking out a Demon Core, I had a feeling I was going to be visiting quite a few dungeons.

But there was a critical issue with my thinking: I’d only been in one dungeon so far, and only in one room.

I looked around. There wasn’t really a whole lot to go by, based on this room. “Are all dungeons like this?”

The floating eyeball blinked and made an uncertain sound. “Underground, made of stone, filled with monsters, traps, and a Dungeon Core?” It sounded mildly amused.

“Mhm.”

Energy coalesced around the eyeball again to simulate a shrug. “Many are. The type of mana we’re made with shapes us.”

“What type are you?”

The eye did that strange grinning thing again. This one felt sinister, but in a harmless way. “Chaos. I was sanctified by an ancient order of goblins.”

Goblins again. My imprecise memory brought up images of short green humanoids with a penchant for explosives and money. For some reason I was convinced they had a New Jersey accent, although I didn’t actually remember why I thought that.

“Cool. Well, I guess that makes this selection process easier. No offense, but I don’t really want to spend my entire life in dungeons.”

That shrug energy returned. “It’s a smart move. Other than the newborn Dungeon Cores, us surviving Dungeon Cores tend to be quite dangerous for you adventuring types.”

“How do most people gain experience?”

“Dungeons.” The eyeball fixed me with a particularly nasty grin. “Fighting monsters gives you experience, as does completing quests. Although a good number of quests usually involve a dungeon in some way, so…”

That solidified my plans.

If I was going to have to run around in dangerous underground pits to kill monsters and collect bear butts for quests, I was going to want to have a party. One that I could boost and support and mentor to work together flawlessly sounded way better than being a cog in someone else’s wheel.

I selected the Battle Scholar class from the list. The instant I did, a torrent of knowledge and skill flooded my body, sending me sprawling on the floor.

As I lay there, thrashing, I saw the corpse of the fallen adventurer deflate. The equipment on the body blurred, vanishing. Armor and weapons clanged gently as they appeared on my twitching body.

Along with the equipment, I felt my body changing. The weight of the armor felt oddly familiar, almost comfortable.

“I’m giving you the other man’s physical advantages,” the Eye announced. “It’s part of the package. Technically, this makes you into a Changeling. Don’t worry. You’re still you. Just enhanced.”