Darkest Dungeon Chapter Concept

Not really a fan of the whole 'the black vale thing interconnects everything' stuff — Dead By Daylight

@TheMimic77 wrote a comment on this post talking about how cool it would be if we got a Cultist or the Shambler in DBD, i am too much of a fan of Darkest Dungeon to let this idea go to waste, so i will be making one

But before we get to the Shambler, we'll be doing the Map and Survivor first

Warning: Massive spoilers for Darkest Dungeon 1, and mild spoilers for Darkest Dungeon 2, do not continue reading unless you have already beaten DD, or simply don’t care

Map: The Manor

"A venerable House, once opulent and imperial, now lies in squalor and decay, the walls of reality lie tenebrous and thin due to the actions of a once esteemed, now reviled, nobleman, the Manor became a den of Cultists and the Eldritch following the Nobleman's demise at his own hands, with the Thing's growing influence being clear for all to see..."

The Manor will be similar to Midwich in the sense that it is a mixture of indoors and outdoors, with the building itself having a large courtyard with an exit gate that you can see the Hamlet through, the building itself lies in ruins, with the Heart of Darkness’s eldritch flesh lining the walls in chaotic splotches, pallets are scarce, but there are plenty of vaults in the form of broken windows, think of the Manor as a sort of medieval-style Lerys in how the loops work and how the map is structured, and Shelter Woods with how the courtyard is structured.

Survivor: Dismas, The Highwayman

"A rogue, a thug, and a thief, elusive, evasive, and persistent, Dismas was a violently versatile and ruthlessly pragmatic Highwayman many noblemen and women came to fear, behaviour that would soon have him in chains following a botched robbery, he was expected to serve a life sentence, that was until, as if fortune favoured him, a devastating riot broke out, a fleeting chance to escape incarceration, a chance that Dismas took, through his fists and force of will, he broke free, he would be a fugitive, a hunted man, but a free one nonetheless.

Harried by a pursuing garrison, he took refuge in the foetid and disgusting canals of the city he ran to, concealment soon took its toll, and the criminal-turned-escapee would begin to see himself in the scurrying vermin that formed a very unfortunate portion of his diet, this vortex of degradation was not the freedom the crook had so fondly imagined, he was sick, and starving, and in desperation, he offered his services. Shackled to an unsavoury task once more, he filled his belly, and prepared for one final heist.

He waited, and once the stagecoach had arrived, he set himself to the business of bloodshed and robbery, slicing one guard's throat and blasting the other's head with a single shot, followed by two to the chest for good measure, he fulfilled his obligations with exceptional lethality, his grim satisfaction would be short lived however, as a sound emanated from the stagecoach, by reflex, Dismas fired, expecting a fat and fabulously wealthy Noblemen, what came to plague his vision was the sight of a woman, a woman and her son, lifeless, horribly mutilated by errant gunfire, his errant gunfire. Regret and guilt began to tighten around his heart, they were a pursuer he could never outrun, a prison he could never escape.

Following this, he went back, back to try and drown his remorse in whatever drink the less then hospitable taverns could provide, that was, at least, until a passing Crusader, the famous war hero Reynauld no less, came to speak to him, not looking to arrest him, but to ask for his assistance, a nobleman from a disgraced family needed his help to claim back what was his from his Ancestor, it would incredibly dangerous but would pay handsomely, Dismas was desperate both for coin and for purpose, and so, decided to help this warrior of the light, in a hope to find some form of redemption.

That road led him straight into the bowls of a hell he could scarcely begin to imagine, the monsters that plagued the land were nothing less than fantastical, he would be battered, shot at, stabbed, cursed, and deal with all manner of suffering both of the mind and body, but whenever it became too much to take, Reynauld was always there, protecting him and so many others through his mighty sword arm and inspiring battle cries. All of it, all of the comrades in arms lost, and all of the suffering, led to one place, the Manor, and the thing that laid dormant underneath it, The Darkest Dungeon...

They pushed through, battling back the horrors, until they at last came to witness the root of all this madness, the Heart of Darkness, they fought the heart, it's Eldritch power felling many foolish souls that came to slay it, until, at last, it's horrific gaze fell upon Dismas, he froze, the monstrosity's eyes putting the fear of the devil in him, there was nothing he could do as the beast prepared to finally put an end to the notorious Highwayman...

Reynauld shoved him out of the way, and took the blow for Dismas, a blow that would completely annihilate the valiant Knight, leaving nothing behind, nothing but the hero's broken sword, Dismas watched in horror, horror that quickly turned to anger, he fired shot after shot after shot into the Heart's wretched form, bellowing with rage the entire way, finally felling the monster that destroyed his friend, stabbing it's corpse over and over until his rightous fury subsided.

As the Heart finally fell, the Dungeon began to decay and break, when he returned to the Hamlet, he was the only survivor, he buried Reynauld's blade in the graveyard, leaving to the nearby cliff, wanting nothing more than to be left alone, once he had reached the precipice, he sat down, and, for the first time in many years, he cried, and screamed, screaming into the uncaring horizon, all of this, all of this loss had not been worth it, the chains of guilt had not loosened, but tightened, knowing that his friend and the only person he respected would still be alive if he didn't freeze in fear, in cowardice. His screaming was cut short by a tenebrous fog that invaded every part of his mind and body, forcing him into a deep sleep. When he next awoke, he found himself in a realm not unlike what he had previously seen, a realm of death and madness, of hooks, survivors, and monstrous killers, he reached for his pistol and dagger, gone, never to been seen again, if he wanted to get out of here, all he could do was run, and repair complex machinery he had never seen before, he'd have to help these strangers in whatever way he can, with nothing but his wits and skill.

The old road led him to hell, but, in that gaping abyss, he will find his redemption..."

"A bandit seeking redemption, Dismas is a cunning and resourceful criminal, his personal perks, "Highway Robbery", "Unparalleled Finesse", and "Bandit's Sense", allow him to get more use out of flashlights, make quick getaways from bad situations, and be ready for trouble before it arrives"

Cosmetics:

Head: Hidden Identity: A bandana he always wears to hide his face, his eyes are shrouded in shadow, as if some part of him is missing

Body: The Uncatchable: A coat with many pockets, it is very sturdy, but never slows its wearer down

Legs: Highwayman Boots: A pair of stolen hiking boots, they have seen many heists and escapes

Perks:

Highway Robbery: Ready and waiting, you do what you must, then retreat into the shadows, when you blind a killer, break into a sprint at 150% of your normal running speed for 3 seconds, causes the exhausted effect for 60/50/40 seconds, if you save a survivor by blinding the killer, they will break into a sprint at 150% their base running speed for 3 seconds as well, but will not become exhausted, neither of Highway Robbery's effects will trigger while the user exhausted.

"Right where it hurts!" - Dismas

Unparalleled Finesse: When everything has gone awry, you can rely on your speed to escape, when unhooked by another survivor, or unhooking yourself, Unparalleled Finesse activates for 30/45/60 seconds, you vault windows and pallets 15% faster, and recover from Exhaustion effects 20% faster, Unparalleled Finesse can only activate once per trial.

"The shadows grow too long for fooling around" - Dismas

Bandit’s Sense: A keen ear is sometimes all you need, holding the active ability key near any wall for 5 seconds will allow you to place a bell, where the killer is within 10 metres of this bell, you will receive a noise notification and their aura is revealed for 5 seconds to every survivor in the trial, up to 1/2/3 bells can be placed around the map at any point, and attempting to place down a bell over the limit will cause the last one you placed to destroy itself, the killer can destroy these bells with a basic attack.

“With my ear to the road, none shall surprise us” - Dismas

Killer: The Shambler

"A predatory nightmare summoned from the darkest recesses of the unknown, the Shambler is a horrifying monstrosity that stalks the shadows of the estate, striking fear into the hearts of all who gaze upon it's eldritch form, few are able to match this creature of the night in combat, it's claws rend flesh asunder, it's nightmarish spawn club all within reach to death, the flower-like growths on its underside spread blight and disease, and it's roar fractures the mind of all within earshot, this terror of the dark has found its way to the Realms, and all who find themselves unfortunate enough to cross it shall behold the infinite malignity of the stars"

"The Shamber is an eldritch horror that lurks in the shadows, dragging all who view its ghastly form into despair and madness, with its horrific spawn attacking all life that they can reach, it's personal perks, "Scourge Hook: Shuffling Horror”, “Hex: Stentorious Lament”, and “Obdurous Advancement”, allow it to shrug off pallets, disrupt survivors' healing, and move from one target to the next with ease"

Stats: The Shamber is a tall, 110% killer with a 24m terror radius, it attacks by slashing survivors with the barbs on its tentacles (as shown below), picks them up using its face tentacles, and carries them on its back like a really disgusting hermit crab

Cosmetics:

Head: Horrific Gaze: The eyes of the Shambler are glassy, no one knows if they actually function like eyes

Body: Tenebrous Tentacles: A mass of tentacles, the Shambler's body makes for a terrifying silhouette

Weapon: Barbarous Claws, barbed and long, the swipes of The Shambler's claws cause severe bleeding and lacerations, making anything struck by them easy prey

Power: Star-spawned Horror

The Shambler's power consists of 4 separate parts, Shambler Altars, Shambler Spawn, Stress, and Shroud of Horror

Shambler Altars: 6 Shambler Altars spawn around the map, these essentially act as pre-placed Demogorgon portals, going near one will allow you to teleport to one of the others at your leisure, Survivors are able to temporarily extinguish these Altars by interacting with them, but you will be alerted to their actions, and they will be temporarily Incapacitated for 10 seconds after interacting with the Altar, even if they don't finish extinguishing it, altars take 10 seconds to extinguish, and come back every 50 seconds, teleporting to an altar is instantaneous, but the Altar you teleport too will temporarily extinguish itself for 10 seconds so that you can’t just teleport around the map constantly.

Shambler Spawn: The Shambler automatically spawns a Shambler Spawn every time its injuries a survivor, these malignant growths will patrol the surrounding area after they have been spawned, and getting close to one is a quick way to get yourself injured and downed, downed survivors near Shambler Spawns will be revealed by killer instinct until they leave its vicinity, 5 of these Spawn can exist at any given time, with new ones automatically replacing the last one spawned, the Spawn are always visible thanks to their bright purple aura, and move 3% faster than Nemesis' zombies, albeit restricted to a 12 metre patrol radius

Stress: Survivors spawn into the trial with a Stress Gauge surrounding their survivor icon, essentially, this acts as a sort of ticking clock that is separated into 10 segments, missing skill checks, being injured by the Shamber and its Spawn, getting hooked, not completing the Shambler Altar interaction, or simply seeing the Shambler for too long will gradually fill up the gauge, once fully filled, the survivor will become Afflicted, which will cause them to scream and reveal their location upon becoming afflicted, repair generators and heal 10% slower, all of their skill checks are 25% faster, and they will have a 6% Hindered effect, in order to remove stress, survivors must simply play the game, escaping chases, stunning the Shambler with pallets, blinding the Shambler with a flashlight, getting unhooked, cleansing totems, healing, and extinguishing Shambler Altars will all heal stress, actions that inflict stress all fill one segment of the Stress Gauge, seeing the Shambler for 15 seconds automatically fills one segment of the gauge, and all actions that heal stress remove one segment, once afflicted, you have to remove every single one of the 10 segments to get rid of the affliction

Shroud of Horror: Once all generators have been completed, the Shambler will admit a global roar, and blanket the entire map in a thick purple fog, the sky will swirl ominous shades of purple and black, and the map will essentially have a purple filter thrown over it, this is really just for flavour more than anything, as, outside of addons, the visual effects won't affect gameplay aside from making it harder to see

Addons:

Common:

Dirty Crest: The seal of the Estate, it's dull and worn, much like the family it represents: Increases the hindered penalty of Afflicted survivors by 2%, stacks

"Ruin, has come to our Family..."

Extinguished Torch: A piece of wood that once served as a beacon of hope, it has long since been snuffed out: Decreases the amount of time it takes to gain stress by viewing the Shamber by 2 seconds, stacks

Poisoned Cup: A cup taken from a Bone Noble, its contents are dangerous for the mind and body: Increases the speed of Afflicted survivor's skill-checks by 5%

Broken Trident: One of the Pelagic Shaman's tridents, it's been splintered, as if struck against a rock: Makes the Shroud of Horror thicker for the survivors, but thinner for the Shambler (essentially, Shroud of Horror will look like a Murky Reagent has been burned for Survivors, and a Clear Reagent has been burned for The Shambler)

Uncommon:

Broken Bust: The shattered face of a long-dead nobleman, a testament to the ruin that has befallen the Family: Increases the Shambler Spawn's patrol radius by 3 metres, stacks

Mushroom Colony: A sample of the fungus that has taken over the Weald, its toxic spores are deadly to humans: Survivors will suffer from an additional 3% Hindered effect if injured while Afflicted

Unreadable Invitation: A crumped invitation to the Courtyard, smudged and torn: Increases the amount of Shamber Spawn that can exist by 1

Damaged Painting: A ruined portrait of a noblewoman, it's tattered canvas and smashed frame agitate the Spawn: Increases the speed of Shamber Spawn by 3%, stacks

Remains of Mizir: The tattered robes and butchered body of a Thrice-Damned Occultist, he doomed his entire scouting party after bathing a Shambler Altar in the light of his torch: Increases the patrol range of Shambler Spawn by 6 metres, stacks.

 "I will leave what is left of thrice-damned Mizir and his trinkets to the swine-folk. Perhaps they will build him the memorial he rightly deserves"

Rare:

Mask of the Occult: The grotesque visage of the Cultists that haunt the Estate: Survivors are inflicted with Exhaustion for 10 seconds upon becoming Afflicted

Skiver Javelin: A weapon wielded by the infamous Swine Skivers; it's dripped in a deadly neurotoxin: Survivors injured by Shambler Spawn are inflicted with Oblivious, Mangled, and Haemorrhage status effects for 30 seconds

Pelagic Shield: An ornate shield once held by a Pelagic Champion, the god depicted by its worn frame is squid-like and eldritch: increases the time survivors are incapacitated after attempting to extinguish a Shambler Altar by 5 seconds

Bizarre Crystal: A shard of the mysterious comet that fell upon the Farmstead, its unearthly glow enraptures any human who views it: Survivors are Oblivious while attempting to extinguish Shambler Altars

Fuseman's Matchstick: A Torch once used to prime the Pounder, a war machine that razed the Hamlet and kept the citizens in line: Decreases the time it takes to emerge from a Shambler Altar by 25% (1 second to 0.75 seconds)

"I instructed my newly formed militia of hardened bandits, brigands, and killers to go forth and do their work, Compliance and order were restored, and the noisome population of the Hamlet was culled to more manageable numbers."

Very Rare:

Hag's Ladle: A ladle once held by the Hag of the Weald, it has been used to stir all manner of vile concoctions: Decreases the amount of time it takes to gain Stress from viewing the Shambler by 5 seconds, stacks

"She quaffed all manner of strange fungi, herbs, and concoctions, intent on gaining some insight into the horror we both knew to be growing beneath us. The change in her was appalling, and no longer able to stomach it, I sent her to live in the Weald, where her wildness would be welcomed. "

Necromancer's Collar: The crest of the Necromancer, a towering, fierce, and terrible monster that eternally raises the dead: Shambler Altars reignite 10 seconds faster

"I entertained a delegation of experts from overseas, eager to plumb the depths of their knowledge and share with them certain techniques and alchemical processes I had found to yield wondrous and terrifying results. Having learned all I could from my visiting guests, I murdered them as they slept."

Prophet's Eye: The Prophet tore out his own eyes at the sight of the Thing, he was reduced from a great preacher to a gibbering madman: Survivors’ auras are revealed for 10 seconds once Shroud of Horror activates

"Excavations beneath the manor were well underway, when a particularly ragged indigent arrived in the hamlet. This filthy, toothless miscreant boasted an uncanny knowledge of my ambitions and prognosticated publicly that, left unchecked, I would soon unleash doom upon the world."

Crew's Bell: The Captain rings the bell, and the crew obeys: Increases the speed of Shambler Spawn by 7%, Survivors injuried by Shambler Spawn are highlighted with Killer Instinct for 7 seconds

"While the greedy dogs slept off their revelry, I hexed their anchor with every twisted incantation I could muster, imbuing it with the weight of my ambition and my contempt for their crude extortion. At the witching hour, the anchor pulled with preternatural force, dragging craft and crew down into the depths. They must have cried out, but no sound escaped the swirling black waters."

Flesh's Heart: The heart of the formless mass of Flesh left to rot in the Warrens, it pulsates with a eldritch power: Survivors that attempt to extingiush Shambler Altars will have their aura revealed for 10 seconds, you cannot teleport to Shambler Altars that are being extinguished

"The spasmodically squirming, braying, and snorting half-corpses were heaped each upon the other, until at last I was rid of them. The warrens had become a landfill of snout and hoof, gristle and bone - a mountainous, twitching mass of misshapen flesh, fusing itself together in the darkness."

Ultra Rare:

Ancestor’s Candle: A finely crafted lamp cursed by eldritch magic, the light within is unnatural and abhorrent, but is the only light that can see through the fog of the Shambler’s dimension: All fog is removed for the Shambler’s point of view once Shroud of Horror activates

Iridescent New God’s Mask: A glassy copy of the mask given to only the most dedicated and fanatic of Cultists, who have given their bodies to the Thing, and are reborn in it’s image: Shroud of Horror activates from the start of the trial, Actions that cause survivors to gain Stress give 2 units of Stress instead of 1, survivors can only heal stress by extinguishing Shambler Altars, survivors heal 5 stress when extinguishing an Altar, decreases maximum Shamber spawn by 5, disables teleporting to Shambler Altars

“Victory... A hollow and ridiculous notion. We are born of this thing, made from it, and we will be returned to it, in time. The great family of man... a profusion of errant flesh! Multiplying, swarming, living, dying... Until the stars align in their inexorable formation and what sleeps is roused once more, to hatch from this fragile shell of earth and rock and bring our inescapable end”

Perks:

Scourge Hook: Shuffling Horror: You are a monster of the night, and all who attempt to stop you shall pay for their foolishness: 4 Scourge Hooks spawn around the map, upon hooking a survivor on one of these hooks, gain a token, when a pallet is dropped in chase, you will automatically consume a token, if the pallet stuns you, you will recover from the stun 75% faster then normal, you can only have 1/2/3 tokens at a time (does not stack with Enduring for very obvious reasons)

”Beware the Shuffling Horror”

Hex: Stentorious Lament: Your voice and presence cause dread and fear in all who dare to approach you and your territory: Upon hooking a survivor, one random dull totem will become a hex totem, all survivors within 24 metres of the totem will heal 10/20/30% slower, additional totems can be Hexed by hooking more survivors

”It gnaws at the back of my mind...”

Obdurous Advancement: Nothing hides from the eldritch, or you: Upon downing a survivor, this perk activates, for the next 15/30/45 seconds, survivors near the downed survivor will scream every 5 seconds, revealing their location

"How quickly the tide turns!"

Mori: The Shambler pulls the survivor into it's pocket dimension, where it's Spawn brutally club the survivor, before the Shambler pierces the survivor's chest with it's claws, grabs them with it's tentacles, and then devours the survivor whole

so yeah, that is my full Darkest Dungeon Chapter Concept, what do you think? is the Shambler too strong? are the perks balanced? Let me know so i can improve on any future concepts i might make, thank you :)