Motif · from book 1
Sponsorship
A program announced as the second floor opens — three patron slots for every crawler, auctioned on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors — and open to early bids from the third: outside powers bid to sponsor a crawler, and a generous sponsor, Mordecai says, might grant a crawler something that raises a skill; 'remember to be as entertaining as possible!'
First appears: Book 1
Series arc
Through book 3
Bidding opens with the floor; the Valtay, Princess D'nadia and Princess Formidable become the party's sponsors; the first benefactor boxes hold a pill, goggles and one bolt (B3 ch. 1, B3 ch. 11, B3 ch. 12, B3 ch. 13, B3 ch. 15, B3 ch. 29).
Through book 1
Mordecai's patrons, who sponsor a crawler by buying boxes and alone can send Benefactor Boxes (B1 ch. 4); Odette's five, a record then (B1 ch. 29); the AI's change as the second floor opens — three patron slots, each auctioned for a day as the fourth, fifth and sixth floors open, from a one-credit bid, better boxes for a higher bid (B1 ch. 31); Borant's cash grab, in Mordecai's words (B1 ch. 36); 'a lot of interest already' (B1 ch. 39); Zev's 'deity sponsorship' aside (B1 ch. 44).
Through book 2
Announced in a patch note: the program begins on the fourth floor, early bids are open now, 'remember to be as entertaining as possible!' (B2 ch. 7).
The bids
The system's own sponsorship notices: bids opened, sponsors named and sponsors lost.
| Book | Chapter | What | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | B3 ch. 1 | bidding opened | Crawler #4,122 |
| 3 | B3 ch. 11 | sponsor named | The Valtay Corporation |
Where they appear
| Book | Chapters they are in (of the book's) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Dungeon Crawler Carl | 3/48 | Ch. 4, Ch. 36, Ch. 44 · the book's own page |
| 2 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario | 2/26 | Ch. 7, Ch. 26 · the book's own page |
| 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook | 10/35 | 1, 6, 11–13, 15, 29, 32–34 · the book's own page |
By book
Sponsorship in book 1 — Dungeon Crawler Carl
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).
Sponsorship in book 2 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario
Announced in a patch note: the sponsorship program does not officially begin until the fourth floor, but potential sponsors may place early bids now, so 'remember to be as entertaining as possible!' (ch. 7). Mordecai mentions it among the patch notes (ch. 13); Mordecai puts Donut's fight with the dogs after the third round of sponsorships, 'so on or after the sixth' (ch. 21).
Sponsorship in book 3 — The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
Bidding on Crawler #4,122 opens as the floor does (ch. 1); Zev's plans depend on how it goes (ch. 6); the first sponsors arrive on the second day, when bidding closes — the Valtay Corporation for Carl, Princess D'nadia for Donut, Princess Formidable for Katia — with a Sponsorship tab that lets a crawler write to a sponsor but not hear back (ch. 11, ch. 12, ch. 13). The first benefactor boxes follow: a pill, a pair of goggles, one bolt (ch. 13, ch. 15, ch. 29). The Maestro, Carl guesses, bailed on his own sponsorship of Grull after being ejected (ch. 34).