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Dungeon Defenders - Encyclopedia


yewjhin

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1. Basics

 

Dungeon Defenders is a Action-RPG & Tower Defense hybrid type of game. The objective of the game is to survive and eliminate all your enemies, while protecting your Crystal Cores from destruction. You start off by selecting a Hero Class you wish to play as. Your Hero will gain experience as defeat the waves of monsters (and bosses) throughout the game. Each Hero has a unique set of abilities and towers and there are Weapons that are exclusive to each Class.

 

Every level has a pre-defined number of waves except for Survival & Pure Strategy Modes, and certain Challenges. Each wave is divided into 2 phases: Build Phase and Combat Phase.

 

Build Phase: This is your opportunity to build/upgrade towers and shore up your defenses, gather Mana and Loot, as well as repair Towers. For Easy to Hard difficulties, there is an option to enable Infinite Build Time in the level select menu. On Insane difficulty, you have a pre-defined timer which starts the Combat Phase as soon as it ends. The Lockbox only appears during the Build Phase.

 

Combat Phase: Monsters will start appearing from spawn points (mainly doors) located throughout the level. You can either sit it out and let your Towers do the work, or your Hero can join in and attack the monsters as well. You can still build new towers and upgrade or repair existing ones during the Combat Phase. Pure Strategy mode is an exception where you can only upgrade Towers during this phase.

 

Defense Units: On every level, that is a maximum limit of Defense Units. Building towers costs Mana and Defense Units. You can not exceed this limit. Building and managing your defenses efficiently is part of the game.

 

Lockbox: During the Build Phase, you may access your Lockbox to inspect equipment in your inventory, change your Hero's equipment, upgrade Weapons and Armor, or swap Heroes (if you have more than 1).

 

Swapping Heroes: During each Build Phase, access your Lockbox and click :r3: to swap your current Hero for another hero. This allows you to build different towers with a single player/controller, or even swap Hero of the same Class but of different Builds/Stats.

 

Multiplayer Co-Op: The game can be played entirely offline with 4 players on a single PS3, played online with 4 players through PSN, or a combination of both (i.e 3 players on 1 PS3 + 1 other Player Online)

 

Dropping Mana: If you wish to drop any mana you have collected for another hero to pick up, press :select: to access your Hero tab, then :triangle: to confirm how much mana you want to drop.

 

Item Trading: If you wish to put up an item you own available for trade, go to your Inventory tab in the Lockbox, press :l3: to list it in the trade window. Now go up to the player you wish to trade with and press :square:.

 

Selling Items & Lock/Unlocking Items: In the Inventory tab, you can press :r3: to lock or unlock items. Locking items is good because you can avoid accidentally selling items that you wish to keep, such as high level Gear and Pets. Press :r1: to sell items one at a time, or :r2: to sell all Unlocked items in your Inventory tab.

 

Awards: For completing certain feats in the game, you will be rewarded with Awards and receive an Experience Bonus. An example is Completing a Wave without receiving any damage to your Hero, or Crystal Core. More on this in Section 7

 

 

2. Hero Classes

 

There are 4 Classes available to play as - Apprentice, Squire, Monk and Huntress. You may create as many Heroes of the same class as much as the game allows. Each hero has 8 Base Stats (Hero and Tower) and 2 Ability Stats that you can improve on when the hero gains a level through defeating monsters. You are allocated a number of points to spend for every level gained. The 8 Base Stats are arranged in two rows on your Hero Info Screen with the 2 Ability Stats in between (press :select: ingame).

 

http://i.imgur.com/bvo4uw9.jpg

 

Hero Health - Hero Damage - Hero Speed - Hero Casting Rate

Ability 1 - Ability 2

Defense Health - Defense Damage - Defense Area of Effect - Defense Rate of Attack

 

Obviously the top row improves your Hero's Action stats, whereas the bottom row improves the statistics of that Hero's towers. Each stat can be upgraded to a maximum value of 70 points through levelling, and can be further boosted by wearing the appropriate equipment obtained by playing the game.

 

Hero Build Strategy: From an objective point of view, it is recommended to only focus on either Hero Stats or Tower Stats instead of distributing your points evenly across the board. Such hero builds are typically referred to as "Tower-Hero Class" or "DPS-Hero Class", such as the Tower-Squire or DPS-Huntress.

 

2.1 Towers

Squire

Spike Blockade (SB): A basic block tower that automatically damages any monster that attack it. Does not see much use as it requires 3 Defense Units. The Apprentice's Magic Blockade which costs only 1 Defense Unit is better if you just wish to put something in between your Crystal and Attackers.

 

Bouncing Blockade (BB): The most basic and fundamental unit of any good defense. This tower automatically attacks and knocks any monster backwards when within its short range. The knock-back ability (depending on your Tower Rate of Fire) normally activates before a monster can damage it, thus preserving its lifecycle.

 

Harpoon Turrets (HT): The first range tower unit for the Squire. The Harpoon Turret boasts a wide attack range and its attacks pierce right through the enemy, damaging any enemy units behind the first one. Very useful in tight spaces or when the enemy's movement/flight is confined to a single column

 

Bowling Ball Turret (BT): The second range tower unit for the Squire. Has higher damage and rate of fire than the HT, but limited attack range. This turret cannot turn/swivel unlike the Harpoon Turret, but its attacks can bounce of walls for a limited range. Useful when attacking from a high up position facing downwards.

 

Slice-&-Dice Blockade (SD): This towers boasts a higher rate-of-attack than the BB, but can sustain less damage compared to its lesser counterpart. A ringe of blades activates and moves in a circle when enemies approach. This tower generates alot of "aggro", and quite often draws the attention of Ogres, so protect it well.

Edited by yewjhin
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3. Mana

Mana is the form the currency in this game. It is used for building/repairing/upgrading towers, purchasing items for the Taverns, and upgrading Weapons & Armor.

 

Mana can be obtained from Chests or dropped by Monsters and Bosses. Selling equipment in your Lockbox also returns Mana to you, but it is credited directly into your Mana Bank and cannot be withdrawn for purposes of building/repairing/upgrading towers.

 

On any level, Mana that is dropped on the floor (by you, chests or monsters) remains there until the next Combat Phase starts. Mana that is not picked up when this happens will be removed and credited directly into your Bank.

 

3.1 Grinding Mana

 

Assuming you are playing Solo, in the early phase of your hero's development, the best place to farm mana is playing Glitterhelm Caverns over and over again, until you have at least 2.5millin mana (as capital investment) and a Squire capable of beating Alchemical Labs on Insane.

 

3.2 Squire Quick-Mana Grinding Method

 

For beating Alchemical Labs on Insane with a Squire, you will obtain a weapon named "Malificar's Rapier". This is a weapon that comes with Poison Elemental Damage.

 

Depending on your luck, the item may have base stats anywhere between 100-250 Poison Elemental Damage 15-30 Upgrade Levels. Ideally you want a weapon that has at least 150 Poison Damage and 21 Upgrade Levels.

 

What you want to do is upgrade this weapon all the way, increasing only the Poison Elemental Damage. Elemental Damage increases by approximately 20% every level, with a maximum cap of 455 points.

 

As the Elemental Damage increases, the value of the item increases exponentially. You will soon find the value of the item when fully upgraded exceeds your the amount of mana you invested into it, therefore making you a net profit.

 

The above is not just restricted to Malificar's Rapier, it is applied to every weapon. However the chances of getting a Malificar's Rapier with the desired base stats, coupled with the amount of time required to beat the level (maximum ~10-15 minutes) make it the most time-efficient method available to date.

 

 

4. Weapons and Armor

 

Each hero can equip a weapon and up to 4 pieces of armor (Head, Chest, Gloves, Boots). These equipment also come with their own stats that will either decrease/increase your Base Stats and Ability Stats as mentioned in Section 2 above.

 

Just like Mana, items on the floor will remain there until the next Combat Phase starts. If not picked up, it will be automatically sold and the equivalent value in Mana will be credited into your Bank.

 

Every hero can only equip specific types of weapons such as the Wand/Staff for Apprentices and Crossbows/Guns/Cannons for Huntresses.

 

Armor comes in a range of quality and type. Lower quality equipments typically have negative stats and result in a negative impact to your stats.

 

In order of increasing quality:

Cursed > Torn > Worn > Stocky > Solid > Sturdy > Polished > Shining > Powerful > Amazing > Epic > Legendary > Godly

 

There are 5 types of Armor, and wearing a complete set of armor of similar type will result in a 25% boost to the stats of each piece of armor. The Armor types available are: Leather, Mail, Chain, Plate, and Pristine.

 

Armor Type does not affect the armor's stats, only Quality. A Godly Leather Armor will likely have stats similar to a Godly Pristine Armor.

 

More in depth info is available on the Dungeon Defenders Wiki: Armor - Dungeon Defenders Wiki | Quality - Dungeon Defenders Wiki

 

4.1 Obtaining Weapons & Armor

 

Every monster you defeat has a chance of dropping loot on the floor in the form of weapons & armor. Opening chests located throughout a level also contain a chance of yielding weapons or armor. The quality of these items vary according to the difficulty of the level you are currently playing. Completing certain Campaign Levels and Challenges will also reward you with Unique Weapons and/or Armor.

 

In addition, everytime you successfully complete a level, the Tavernkeeper will restock his inventory with new Weapons and Armor. These items can be bought with Mana. The quality of these items will vary according to the difficulty of the level you last completed. The best items are usually available after you have completed a level on Hard/Insane difficulty. This is especially profound if you complete any of the Area 3 Campaign Levels or Glitterhelm Caverns on Hard/Insane.

 

If you do not have sufficient Mana for an item you are interested in, you can choose to lock that item (press :r3:) so that the Tavernkeeper does not replace it after the next successful mission.

 

5. Pets/Familiars

Every hero can equip one Pet. These pets are either bought from the Tavern, or rewarded to you for completing certain Campaign Levels and Challenges. Much like Equipment, each Pet comes with stats that can boost that of your Heroes. Some pets can also attack monsters, while others have unique abilities.

 

A list of pets, along with their unlock conditions is available on the Dungeon Defenders Wiki - Familiars - Dungeon Defenders Wiki

 

Everytime you successfully complete a mission, the Tavernkeeper will restock his inventory with 3 new pets, unless you locked a certain pet (by pressing :r3:) for purchase at a later time. The Tavernkeeper's pets' quality again vary according to the difficulty of the level you last completed.

Edited by yewjhin
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6. Grinding Levels

Work In Progress

 

7. Rewards

 

7.1 Awards

Awards are given for achieving in-game feats for every level. Each award increases your score for that level, which in turn increases the amount of Experience you are getting for completing every wave/level. Some awards will result in a lump sum of score points, whereas others will multiply your current score by a certain factor. The list below is taken from Dungeon Defenders Wiki.

 

End of Wave Awards - Single/Multiplayer

 

  • Knight – Killed 10 enemies in 5 seconds
  • Lord – Killed 50 enemies in 5 seconds
  • Invincible – Hero did not receive any damage for an entire wave after the first
  • Master Builder – Kept full Defense Units throughout the wave
  • Skin of Your Teeth – Complete the level with one or more Crystal Cores at less than 100 Hitpoints. [Obtain this on 6 Levels for Mastermind trophy]
  • No Core Damage – The Crystal Cores did not take any additional damage during the wave (1.3x multiplier)
  • No Player Damage – The player did not take any additional damage during the wave (1.3x multiplier))
  • Only Used Weapons – Only weapons, Familiars, abilities, and environmental hazards were used to damage enemies; non-damaging towers do not count against this award (1.3x multiplier)

End of Wave Awards - Multiplayer Only

 

  • First Kill – Scored the first kill in the wave
  • Janitor – Scored the last kill in the wave
  • Chillax – Moved the least distance in the wave

 

End of Level Awards - Single/Multiplayer

 

  • Immortal – Herpo did not die throughout the entire level
  • Master Strategist – Only used Defenses (Towers/Traps) to harm all enemies after the initial wave. Pet damage prevents the player from achieving this award. Must be on Medium difficulty or higher. [Obtain this on all Levels for Mastermind trophy]
  • Gunslinger – Only used Abilities & Weapons to harm enemies each wave after the initial wave; non-damaging towers do not count against this award. [Obtain this on all Levels for Brute Force trophy]
  • Flawless Victory – Complete level without Crystal Cores receiving any damage throughout the entire duration (Obtain No Core Damage award after every wave) [Obtain this on all Levels for Perfectionist trophy]
  • Boss Slayer – Your Hero or Defense landed the killing blow on a boss

End of Level - Multiplayer Only

 

  • Banker – Earned the most mana
  • Trigger Happy – Initiated combat phase first by activating the core the most times
  • Handy Man – Performed the most Tower repairs
  • Mechanic – Performed the most Tower upgrades
  • Strategist – Scored the most Tower kills
  • Most Valuable Hero – Scored the most Hero kills
  • Most Valuable Player – Scored the most combined (player + towers) kills
  • Teamwork – Completed a mission with 4 active players [Obtain this on all Levels for Team Effort trophy]


7.2 Level/Challenge Completion Rewards

Alchemical Labs (Insane Difficulty)

Squire: Malificar's Rapier

Apprentice: Spinal Column

Huntress: Soul Focuser

Monk: Everlasting Flame

All Characters: One piece of Armor - Chest

 

 

Throne Room (Insane Difficulty)

Squire: Einhorn's Furnace Poker

Apprentice: Alternative Energy Core

Huntress: M-32

Monk: Prototype Armblade

 

 

The Summit (Easy-Hard Difficulty)

Squire: Flamewarder + Squire Guardian (Pet)

Apprentice: Draconis Ignis + Apprentice Guardian (Pet)

Huntress: The Flame Buffet + Huntress Guardian (Pet)

Monk: Dragon-Crested Glaive + Monk Guardian (Pet)

 

 

The Summit (Insane Difficulty)

Squire: Flamewarder + Squire Animus (Pet)

Apprentice: Draconis Ignis + Apprentice Animus (Pet)

Huntress: The Flame Buffet + Huntress Animus (Pet)

Monk: Dragon-Crested Glaive + Monk Animus (Pet)

 

 

Challenges (Insane Difficulty)

No Towers Allowed: Mobile Moxie

Unlikely Allies: Ogre's Childhood Toy

Warping Core: Crystal Tracker

Raining Goblins: Goblin Overlord's Charge

Wizardry: The Heretic

Ogre Crush: Ogre Party Hat

Zippy Terror: Kobold Douser

Chicken: Chanticleer's Chandelier

Moving Core: Quiescence

Death From Above:

Assault: Blasticus

Treasure Hunt: Shambhala Ley Staff

Monster Fest: Magina's Last Glaive

Edited by yewjhin
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