Tutorial

The Tutorial gives new crawlers access to the full Heads-Up Display (HUD) and Crawler Menus interface. It is conducted by the Guildmaster of a Tutorial Guild Hall, and is only available on the Dungeon's First, Second, and Third Floors.

Description

Immediately after the Transformation, a surface-level AI announcement introduces the Dungeon as a means to regain control of the planet. The AI encourages any prospective crawlers to find a Tutorial Guild Hall as soon as they can after entering the Dungeon.[1]

Crawlers need an Intelligence score of at least 2 to qualify for the tutorial; otherwise, they will not unlock their Menu and will be classified as a Dungeon Familiar.[2]

The tutorial takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Afterwards, the Guildmaster who administered the Tutorial becomes the crawler's registered Game Guide.

Format

Books

When the tutorial begins, the Guildmaster's right hand glows for a moment and the crawler receives the notification: "You have been granted access to the Crawler Menu." The crawler feels a haptic buzz before their vision blinks and reappears with the expanded HUD.[2]

The Guildmaster explains notifications, teaches the crawler how to open and close menus, and operate the minimap, before introducing the crawler to the Player Stats tab, Ratings tab and the concept of Sponsors, Health menu, Skill menu, Magic Menu, Hotlist, Party menu, Inventory, and then (if applicable) Pet Menu.

Crawlers are taught a basic Heal Spell while learning about the Magic Menu, and are instructed to place the healing spell in the first slot of their hotlist.[2] When the crawler is introduced to their Inventory, they are given a Standard Healing Potion to add to the hotlist as well, and then told to open their Loot Boxes. Most crawlers enter the tutorial with 2 or 3 loot boxes.[3]

A good Guildmaster may warn the crawler that any time he or she mentions the name of the production company or the "interstellar government", the System AI flags the interaction for review. If it is determined that the crawler is disparaging either entity while visible to live audiences, they may find their experience "accelerated."[2] However, may game guides seem to be resentful of their positions and take out their frustration on unsuspecting crawlers.[4]

Soundbooth Theater Cinematic Audio

Although the Cinematic Audio tutorial follows the same general format, the tutorial is not guided by the Guildmaster. Instead, the Guildmaster rolls out a double-decker cart with an old tube TV and a Betamax VHS player, and pops in an old Betamax cassette labelled "Video 1."[5] The overall format of the tutorial is the same, but a little more dynamic and accessible; not to break the just-the-facts-ma'am format of the wiki, but it's a fun spin for homebrew TTRPG campaigns.

The staticky video is set in a classroom with rows of desks and a chalkboard, which erases and updates in chalk automatically as the narrator talks. The room seems strange and disproportionate; the ceiling is too low, the walls are too narrow, and the desks and chairs are too short. The narrator is a Syndicate Human man who wears a skintight purple suit over a frilly pinkish undershirt, and speaks in a velvety "used car salesman" voice. He constantly fake laughs and changes position throughout the video. Wet splats accompany his footsteps, as though the floor is wet.[5] He opens with:

So, you've found yourself in a Dungeon Crawl. Hahaha. On behalf of the Borant Corporation, let me be the first to welcome you to your new life as a crawler. ... You're probably feeling surprised. Confused. And maybe even a little bit scared. Hahahaha. Trust me when I tell you that these are all completely normal emotions given the nifty little adventure you've gotten yourself into. [Stop to put his foot on a desk.] In fact, that's exactly why I'm here. To help allay your concerns and answer the countless questions running through your mind. The Borant Corporation has created this tutorial video to help you acclimate to your new life in the Dungeon, short-lived as it may be.[6]

Mordecai fast-forwards, saying, "it's not really worth your time, trust me." When he stops, the narrator is laying across the desks and saying, "Let's get into the nitty-gritty of the game's mechanics." Instructions scroll across the screen in white letters, telling the Guildmaster to activate the "trainee's" Crawler Menu. This process is almost identical to the book version, with the exception that the narrator explains notifications and the minimap as they appear.[5]

The Cinematic Audio deviates slightly from the books with the introduction of Player Stats, which it calls "Crawler Statistics," but lines up again with the introduction of the Ratings menu and Sponsors. The Health Menu description varies a little, with the note, "We want you and more importantly, our viewers, to enjoy your crawl. If you die in the Dungeon, that's it. That's the end. Game over, my friend. You're fucked."[5]

See Also: Player Stats#Soundbooth Theater Cinematic Audio

References

  1. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. Dungeon Crawler Carl (Chapter 1)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Dinniman, Matt. Dungeon Crawler Carl (Chapter 4)
  3. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. Dungeon Crawler Carl (Chapter 5)
  4. ↑ Dinniman, Matt. Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Chapter 23)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Thank You for Volunteering - Scene 4". Dungeon Crawler Carl, season 1, episode 1, presented by Soundbooth Theater Cinematic Audio.
  6. ↑ "Thank You for Volunteering - Scene 4". (6:09 - 8:10 min) Dungeon Crawler Carl, season 1, episode 1, presented by Soundbooth Theater Cinematic Audio.