Dungeon Crawling: Difference between revisions

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[[Dungeon Crawling]] is the act of exploring a dungeon (or other dangerous area) while looking for treasure or [[Plot Coupon|some other]] [[MacGuffin|important object]]. The characters must [[Everything Trying to Kill You|battle enemies (usually monsters)]] and use their [[Video Game Items and Inventory|skills and equipment]] to negotiate obstacles (usually [[Booby Trap|traps]]). Usually, but not always, there is a [[Boss Battle]] at some point, and a [[MacGuffin]] or [[Plot Coupon]] at the end.

This is basically what many [[Role Playing Game|Role Playing Games]] (especially video game ones) are all about - at least historically - but it is actually one of [[The Oldest Ones in The Book]], since even myths feature it (a trip into the underworld is part of [[The ~~Heros~~ Journey]], after all). However, it was the ''Cliffhanger'' film serials of the early 20th century [[Trope Codifier|that defined the trope]], and the ''[[Indiana Jones (Franchise)|Indiana Jones]]'' movies that made it popular again later.

This is basically what many [[Role Playing Game|Role Playing Games]] (especially video game ones) are all about - at least historically - but it is actually one of [[The Oldest Ones in The Book]], since even myths feature it (a trip into the underworld is part of [[The Hero's Journey]], after all). However, it was the ''Cliffhanger'' film serials of the early 20th century [[Trope Codifier|that defined the trope]], and the ''[[Indiana Jones (Franchise)|Indiana Jones]]'' movies that made it popular again later.

The term comes from early [[RPG|RPGs]], such as ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'', that often had the player characters exploring some wizard's dungeon. "Dungeon crawl" is analogous to "pub crawl," a continual stroll from dungeon to dungeon to dungeon.

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Note: several other video game settings, such as [[Temple of Doom]], aren't necessarily dungeon-specific - they could also refer to themed [[Platform Game]] levels, or to places of relative safety.

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

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* The game ''[[Fate]]'' and sequels. The big doors with creepy pillar suits of armor guarding them, with the description Enter The Dungeon. Right next to town.

* ''[[Solomons Keep]]'' for the iPhone is one, where you use a student wizard to traverse the eponymous keep, fight monsters and bosses, loot treasure and defeat the evil necromancer- as his graduation exam, no less.

* Parodied in ''[[Planescape Torment]]'' with the Rubikon Dungeon Construct. The Modrons, beings of pure Law, are trying to study dungeon crawls in order to understand them, so they create a simulated dungeon with randomly generated rooms, filled with identical constructs that drop "loot" which looks valuable but is entirely worthless, even as [[Vendor Trash]]. Somewhere in the dungeon is the Evil Wizard Construct, who is a [[Card Carrying Villain]] that you have to fight because that's what evil wizards are for.

* Parodied in ''[[Planescape Torment]]'' with the Rubikon Dungeon Construct. The Modrons, beings of pure Law, are trying to study dungeon crawls in order to understand them, so they create a simulated dungeon with randomly generated rooms, filled with identical constructs that drop "loot" which looks valuable but is entirely worthless, even as [[Vendor Trash]]. Somewhere in the dungeon is the Evil Wizard Construct, who is a [[Card-Carrying Villain]] that you have to fight because that's what evil wizards are for.

* The many, many caves you have to explore in the various [[Pokémon]] games. Places like, for example, [[Pokémon Red and Blue|Silph Co. and the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town]] also count, as they both have stuff to find and are crawling with enemies to defeat, and usually contain one final Boss.