Motif · Book 1, Dungeon Crawler Carl

Sponsorship

The patron system Mordecai explains in the tutorial guild — organisations that sponsor a crawler by buying boxes, and the Benefactor Boxes only patrons can send — changed by the AI as the second floor opens: three patron slots per crawler, each auctioned for one day as the fourth, fifth and sixth floors open, bids from one credit, and 'the more your patron pays for you, the more and higher-quality Benefactor Boxes you may receive.'

Segment appearances

• Chapter 4 — The character sheet
• Chapter 36 — Zev
• Chapter 44 — What Donut overheard

Progression

Mordecai, in the tutorial guild: patrons — usually organisations, not individuals — sponsor a crawler by buying boxes, and only patrons can send Benefactor Boxes (ch. 4). Odette had five sponsors on her own crawl, a record at the time (ch. 29). As the second floor opens the AI announces the change: every crawler limited to three patrons, each slot auctioned for one day as the fourth, fifth and sixth floors open, every slot available from a bid of one credit, and the more a patron pays, the more and better Benefactor Boxes (ch. 31). Mordecai calls it Borant's cash grab, money it does not see until the season is over (ch. 36); the AI reports 'a lot of interest already in the new patron-bidding program' (ch. 39); Zev mentions in passing that a hostile government could 'spring for a deity sponsorship this season' (ch. 44).