pencil & paper

ASCII ascii dungeon

crawler
DELVE

analog game by mv
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YOU ARE DELVER
This is a solo role playing game where you take on the role of an explorer in a
post apocalyptic fantasy setting inspired by Caves of Qud and Rogue.
You come from the village Doskii. Recently you uncovered an ancient description
of the lost mystical Nine Orbs. Here is what the prophecy says:
“Whispered wish to all the Nine Orbs shall come true the moment it is spoken“
Will you risk your life for such a promise?
QUEST 1: Find all 9 Orbs. Outcome uncertain, but worth the try.
QUEST 2: Collect 100 gold. Perhaps this will bring prosperity to Doskii.
QUEST 3: Defeat all monster types. Maybe then they will stop their attacks.
OVERLAND TRAVEL
During you adventure you will have to leave Doskii for quite some time. Luckily
the townsfolk agreed to provide some provisions, so you won’t have to worry
about keeping track of supplies.
Draw---------------------a----------------------path
Whenever you travel from location to location: roll a d4. It is the number of days
your journey will take and the amount of Ascii dice you need to roll. How to
resolve dice is explained on the next page (Rooms). When you resolve all dice,
you reach your destination and can start exploring the dungeon.
When you return to Doskii: you give all your gold to the town and in return, all
your Stamina is healed. Describe how it is you rest in safety.
If you return to Doskii with a completed quest: you may retire in peace. Was your
adventure worth it in the end? How does your village change?

LOCATIONS
GETTING STARTED 1. The Low Valley. A place of calm until the recent monster attacks.
To start you will need 4 Ascii Dice and handful (4 or 5) of four-sided dice.
Ascii Dice available at: 2. Caverns of Marble. Long forgotten mine shaft. Better to use the stairs.
https://mvmaxv.itch.io/ascii-delve
3. Peaks Where the Wind Lives. The highest point in the whole region. What
Dice-O-Matic 2000 by Michael Klamerus: can you see from up here? Describe this view, the sight and feelings.
https://michael-klamerus.itch.io/dice-o-matic-2000
4. Chrome Cliffs. The Ancient Factories. Monsters are made of metal.
Print the sheet at the end of this manual, or use your own notebook
(grid or dotted paper works best!) 5. Landscape of Thorns. Obelisks darker than the depths of T’ma
rise from the barren land. When falling on spikes roll mutations.
Note your name and your starting (maximum) Stamina at 10+2d4
6. Blue Forest. Deep blue trees stand over the endless fog.
d4 Inventory: d4 Mutation: 7. Destroyer’s Carcass. The silver shell of a giant
1. Dagger. sturdy - reroll 1s, 1. Scales. +1 vs spikes. mechanical creature. Ancient lore tells that it was
rusty -1 attack. powered by an ORB.
2. Second breath. +5 Sta.
2. Woven armour. -1 damage.
3. Quick. reroll one die 8. Star’s Shard. Said to have fallen years ago, this
3. Potion. heal d4 Sta (once). when fleeing. shard emits a strange whispering noise. What is
its message?
4. Shield. remove one d4 when 4. Lasers (4) spend 4
in combat. Stamina to fire lasers - 9. Ominous Skyscraper. Fallen monument
deal 1 hit to each enemy. of the golden era.
EXPLORING ROOMS ASCII REFERENCE
Rooms are all spaces in a location separated by walls. It can be a underground
cavern, an abandoned factory etc. A-Z - monsters (see next page).

When you enter a room, roll four Ascii Dice. Draw the symbols on the dice in % - a quantum entangled trader. buys and sells items. will
this room and surround them by walls. offer d4 gold pieces per item. sells at 2d4 per item.

Resolve the dice in any order using the Ascii Reference page. Weave the narrative
as if you were the Delver. Would you go for the gold and sneak past the guards?
Maybe deal with the monsters first and forget about the treasure?
If you rolled monster (A-Z) dice, they will attack. You may choose either to fight
them or to flee. To flee, roll 2d4. Both dice even - you flee. Both odd - you are
held by an enemy, 3 damage. Even and odd - you flee but lose 2 Stamina.
“ - a spike trap. roll a d4: on a 1-2 you fall onto the
trap and which deals 3 damage.
! - a weapon from the golden era. explosive - one dice
hits two targets, slow reload -1 attack.
~ - a mutation. roll a d4. spend (stamina) to use.

When you want to exit a room, roll a d4-1 for the amount of doors. The 1. Phasing (3). Walk through walls.
vertices of the d4 will tell which directions those doors may lead. Repeat the
2. Horns. add one d4 when no weapons used.
previous steps until you find the Orb in this location. When you do, exit the
dungeon and continue your quest. 3. Clairvoyance. 1/week reroll one Ascii die.
----- challenging
4. Energy (4). Zapped enemy is stunned for one day.
COMBAT monster
->

->
standard ? - a potion. heal d4 Sta. on a 4 gain a random mutation.
Choose a monster type →
monster -----
at the start of combat * - armour. roll d4. 1-2. woven armour -1 damage,
3. leather armour - 2 damage, 4. chrome armour -3 damage.
Roll amount of d4s equal to monsters
add attack bonuses to dice values (max. +1) @ - coins with faces of the past. 2d4 golden pieces.

+ - a weapon. roll a d4. spend (stamina) to use.

1

2 } Monster deals damage to Stamina,

“when hits” effects apply. 1. sword. crit - on a 4 deal 2 hits.

2. mace. push back (2) - one enemy skips a turn.

3

4
} 3+ you hit a monster. If Monster Hits
are at 0, “when defeated” effect applies.
3. axe. slash (1) - reroll 4s for extra hits.

4. spear. reach - +1 attack against flying enemies.

Assign your attacks to enemies. Reduce Hits. & - the ORB. reality is continuously warped twisted around
If there are monsters left, roll the d4s again. it on a small scale. Use your special Orbsatchel to
contain such power. roll d4, on a 4 it shines brighter
If you lose all Stamina, you die. than the sun. Enemies will be attracted to its light.
MONSTERS
A - Aether. ∞ dmg. 0 hits. You can feel its presence. when
hits, you experience a dream → roll ascii dice and freely
interpret their result. then wake up.
B - Bat. 1 dmg. 2 hits. Flying dweller of the caves.
C - Claws. 4 dmg. 1 hit. *click* *clack* *click* *clack*
D - Demon. 3 dmg. 3 hits. When defeated, you must confront
your past. Who were you before delving? why leave?
E - Echo. 1 dmg. 2 hits. A voice reflected back at you. is
it a figure from the past? the future? yourself?
F - Flytrap. 2 dmg. 3 hits. Archaic name hides the fact
that this plant is a trap for everything bigger than flies.
G - Ghost. 3 dmg. 2 hits. Haunts the infinite halls.
H - Hologram. 2 dmg. 1 hits. A guard of the ancient. when
defeated, reveal a secret of the structure you are in.
I - Ice elemental. 2 dmg. 2 hits. When hits, you are
frozen, do not roll one of the d4s next turn.
J - Jet. 2 dmg. 1 hits. When defeated, you discover a
source of fresh water (heal 1 stamina, refill a potion).
K - Kraken. 6 dmg. 6 hits. When defeated, it opens a
portal to the vast and cold Sea of the North.
L - Lizard. 3 dmg. 3 hits. It is equipped with a weapon
and is charging. when hits, stumble - reroll all d4s.
M - Mannequin. 2 dmg. 3 hits. Animated shell of metal or
wood. when defeated, it is reassembled in d4 days.
MONSTERS
N - Nemesis. 2 dmg. 3 hits. Your oldest rival. who are
they? how did you meet? why did they follow you here?
O - Orbsearcher. 3 dmg. 4 hits. A seeker who will stop at
nothing. If you carry the ORB, their damage doubles. When
defeated, 1 out of d4 they carry an ORB.
P - Python. 3 dmg. 4 hits. giant snake. When hits, you are
in its grip and cannot flee.
Q - Q, the omnipotent. 1 dmg. ∞ hits. When hits, asks you
a metaphysical question. will not let you leave until you
answer it and Q is satisfied with the answer.
R - RoboticArm. 4 dmg. 2 hits. A tool turned weapon of the
AI overlord who rules a fraction of the chrome.
S - Skeleton. 3 dmg. 2 hits. When defeated, you find either
a weapon or 2d4 gold.
T - Timekeeper. 5 dmg. 3 hits. Says they are from the
future to stop you from tearing apart space-time.
U - Undead. 2 dmg. 2 hits. When hits, bite - lose -1
maximum stamina.
V - Vampire. 2 dmg. 2 hits. When vampire hits, lose 1
mutation of your choice.
W - Wizard. 4 dmg. 4 hits. A shadowy figure emanating
pulses of energy.
X - Xterminator. 5 dmg. 5 hits. A machine made of wires
and chrome. Its parts worth many pieces to the tinkerers.
Y - YelloJello. 3 dmg. 4 hits. Corrosive slime from the
factories. When defeated, your weapon is destroyed.
Z - Zlo. 3 dmg. 5 hits. Grey fog of pure evil. When
defeated, your worst memory is manifested for 2d4 min.
 Dungeon Map/Notes
ASCII DELVE
_____________________________
Stamina: ___/___
[ ]of Doskii
Gold: _____@
_____________________________
INVENTORY: |MUTATIONS:
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_____________________________
Overland Map
Day: ____
“ 4 /\
5 “ / \/\
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6 “ “ /\/ 3 \
o0o / \/\
^^^^^^^^
_________
o0o | o0o Doskii / \
7 | o0o|o0o \/ _________ 2
| o0o| [] ^^^^^^^^ 1
o0o | []
| [] 9
8
Monsters Encountered

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z