Delusions of Grandeur

DOGMud is a high fantasy text MUD set on the world of Gaius, built on the GoMud engine by Volte and deeply modified into its own game. There are no levels, no XP, no class locks. Every stat and skill advances through use in a fully organic progression system — fight often and your combat skills sharpen, trade and your Charisma grows, cast spells and your Willpower deepens. Combat messages evolve as you improve: beginners swing clumsily, masters flow like water.

Combat is physical and tactical. Every attack is contested by a layered defense — dodge on reflex, parry with your weapon, block with your shield — each a separate roll based on your gear and skills. Take the fight to the ground with the grappling system: clinch, take a dominant position, attempt a submission, or disarm your opponent on a perfect parry. Special maneuvers like bash, trip, and kick have cooldowns and can knock enemies prone, creating openings. NPC enemies use all of these systems too, with configurable AI profiles.

Magic on Gaius is the physical manifestation of belief. To cast a spell you fold your inner vision — each fold doubling your conviction until the accumulated weight reshapes the world. Harder spells require more folds and more rounds of concentration. Interrupt a caster and they lose everything. The three moons of Gaius — Swiftmoon, the Wanderer, and the Eye — affect the ceiling of what spells can achieve on any given night.

The Chrysalis infects every human on Gaius. Over time it deepens, and beliefs made physical manifest as mutations — each one a tradeoff, each one visible to others who look at you.

Crafting, an in-depth tutorial area, and a growing world round out the experience. Built on GoMud by Volte. Connect at dogmud.org port 33333.