Skills & Abilities
A reference for known crawler skills and abilities through the end of Book 8.
Carl's Skills
| Skill | Level Known | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Explosives Handling | Unknown (high) | Core skill throughout the series. Crafted guided missiles, hob lobbers, burn gel, depth charges, chum bombs, banger sphere alarm traps, and automaton weapons on Floor 6. The Enchanted Anarchist's Battle Rattle adds +50% range and accuracy to thrown explosives. |
| Sapper | Unknown | Engineering skill enabling Carl's sapper's table. Used throughout Floor 5 and Floor 6 to build crafted devices and automaton weapons. |
| Protective Shell | Unknown (scales with Intelligence) | Spherical shield that launches nearby creatures away. Launched Claude Sludgington IV into the air during the Fort Freedom assault. |
| Find Traps | 13 | Leveled to 10 during the Fort Freedom battle (ch28, Book 5); reached level 13 by Book 6. |
| Ping | Unknown | Sonar-like pulse that highlights all non-mob/crawler entities on the minimap. Used to reveal invisible Night Weasels in the brambles (ch2). |
| Tripper | Unknown | Simultaneously activates all traps Carl can sense. Used to detonate Zabit's own landmines, killing the last surviving hunter (ch74). |
| Find Crawler | 5 | Level 5 by Book 6. Locates named crawlers by identity. |
| Smush | 12 | Level 12 by Book 6. Carl's melee/grappling combat skill. |
| Black Nimbus | Unknown | A darkness-based spell granted by the Nipple Ring of the Defiler. Triggered when the ring's buff activates. |
| Sticky Feet | Unknown | Allows Carl to walk on ceilings for (Dexterity × 2) seconds. From the Toe Ring of the Leprous Bandit. |
| Escape Plan | Unknown | Reveals hidden exits and escape routes. |
| Find Crawler | Unknown | Locates named crawlers by identity. |
| Walk in Their Shoes | Unknown | Acquired Floor 4. Allows understanding the perspective or emotional state of others. |
| Primal Roar | Unknown | Racial ability (Primal Human). Fear/intimidation AoE. |
| Biplane Pilot | 3 | Acquired on Floor 5. Level 3 at end of Floor 5; retained through Floor 6. |
| Smoke Curtain | Unknown | Used to obscure position during combat. |
Princess Donut's Skills
| Skill | Level Known | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Missile | 10 | At level 10, Donut's signature attack is a beach-ball-sized fireball. Used extensively in the Fort Freedom assault (ch28) and the cage fight (ch74). See Magic Missile. |
| Laundry Day | 15 | Armor-removal spell. Donut trained it to 9, then boosted to 12 with Pawna's Cries potion, then to 15 with Pawna's Tears potion. At level 15, capable of stripping a deity's divine soul armor. Used to expel Diwata from the cage fight (ch74). |
| Hole | Unknown (high) | Creates a temporary hole through solid objects. See Hole. |
| Love Vampire | Unknown | Charisma-based drain ability. Worked effectively during the ch74 cage fight at elevated charisma, charming multiple high elf soldiers to fight for Donut. See Love Vampire. |
| Twinkle Toes | Unknown (in training) | Speed buff for Mongo. Donut was training it during Floor 6 travel. At training levels, allows Mongo to run faster than the royal chariot. |
| Entourage | Unknown (early training) | Bard spell. Creates illusionary copies of a target. At early training (ch10), Donut could produce only a single, slightly transparent Carl illusion when singing in low monotone. |
| Clockwork Triplicate | Unknown | Creates clockwork Mongo copies. See Clockwork Triplicate. |
| Heal Critter | Unknown | Heals Mongo and other animals. See Heal Critter. |
| Torch | Unknown | Attaches a magical light source. See Torch. |
| Former Child Actor passives | — | Enhanced Charisma, performance skills, and social manipulation bonuses. |
| Brain Freeze | 8 | Book 6. New Master Telephone Psychic spell. Psychic attack targeting the mind. | | Bad Attitude | Unknown | Book 6. New Master Telephone Psychic spell. | | Why Are You Hitting Yourself? | Unknown | Book 6. New Master Telephone Psychic spell. Forces a target to attack themselves or allies. |
Donut's Class — Floor 5 & 6: Glass Cannon → Master Telephone Psychic
Donut concluded Floor 6 with the Glass Cannon class. At the start of Floor 8, she upgraded to Master Telephone Psychic — a psychic/mind-based class adding new abilities while retaining prior spells.
Glass Cannon effects (retained):
- Significant reduction in all spell costs
- Increased training speed on all spells
- Magic Missile at level 10 produces beach-ball-sized fireballs
Master Telephone Psychic additions:
- Brain Freeze (level 8), Bad Attitude, and Why Are You Hitting Yourself? added to Donut's repertoire
- Psychic attack abilities targeting the mind rather than body
Katia Grim's Skills
| Skill | Level Known | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rush | Unknown | Monster Truck Driver class ability. High-speed ramming charge. |
| Crowd Blast | Unknown | AoE knockback from the Shade Gnoll Riot Shield. See Crowd Blast. |
| HAZMAT | Unknown (endorsement) | Added to Katia's Monster Truck class during Floor 6. Lets her drive through or contain hazardous materials. |
Floor 9 New Skills (Book 7)
Carl — Floor 9 Additions
| Skill | Level Known | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mind Balance | 9 | From a new toe ring. Resists Shi Maria (the spider tattoo) from casting spells and activating skills through Carl's body without permission. Leveled to 9 during Floor 9. If the ring is removed, the trained skill remains minus 5 levels. Blocked Gloom Wraith Phase attempts. |
Princess Donut — Floor 9 Additions
| Spell | Level Known | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shield | Unknown | Acquired from Floor 8 loot box. Chains with tech shield. |
| Sentry | Unknown | Acquired from Floor 8 loot box. War protection spell. |
| You Are Not Done Yet | Unknown | Acquired from a Legendary Quest box (Hell Comes to Crawler Town quest). A black-hued tome with purple wisps and a terrible smell. Similar to Second Chance but described as "more insidious." Mordecai was visibly awed and slightly afraid of it. Little black root-like tendrils spread from it when placed on a table. |
Level Progression Notes (End of Floor 6)
| Crawler | Level (End of Floor 6) |
|---|---|
| Carl | 59+ (ch74, after cage fight) |
| Katia | 55 (ch65) |
| Princess Donut | 39→ Viper Queen class (Floor 7 entry) |
Notable Skill System Descriptions
Find Traps Level 10 (Carl)
At level 10, the entire Fort Freedom slope lit up showing every hidden trap — described as "like a Christmas display" (ch28). The level-up occurred mid-battle during the Fort Freedom assault.
Laundry Day Level 15 (Princess Donut)
At level 15, Laundry Day can strip armor even if the armor is a divine construct — specifically the "soul armor" that a deity wraps around a mortal vessel. Used in ch74 to expel Diwata from Circe Took's body, ending Team 4's participation in the cage fight. The level-15 threshold was reached via two sponsor-provided training potions: Pawna's Cries (level 9→12) and Pawna's Tears (level 12→15).
Entourage (Princess Donut — in training)
Donut was learning this bard spell during Floor 6 jungle travel. At early levels, she could produce a single Carl illusion — slightly transparent — when singing in a low monotone. The illusion was convincing enough in limited lighting conditions.