Malignus Getting Started Guide: Excavation, Room Construction, and Early Boss Management
Establishing a villainous underground stronghold in Malignus requires systematic excavation, sturdy door framing, and rapid construction of religious and leader sanctums, before planning security networks in our dungeon traps and defense guide.
Excavation and Structural Framing
In Malignus, players take command as the dungeon ruler rather than an invading adventurer. Surviving the early game requires carving through solid rock to excavate connected cavern chambers. Roughly half of all mined rock yields usable 
Stone, which your monster workforce carries into designated stockpile zones. Do not leave excavated passages open to wandering cavern beasts. Secure room thresholds by first building a stone 
Archway in the rock wall, then hanging a 
Simple Door inside the frame. Adding a metal 
Padlock ensures that friendly units pass through freely while invading heroes must pick the lock or batter the frame down, leaving choke points ready for mechanics outlined in our dungeon traps and defense guide.
Boss Sanctum and Altar Demands
Before breaking ground, select your ruler from four playable leaders: the floating 
Baleful Eye, the fiery 
Cinder Demon, the sorcerous 
Dread Lich, or the monstrous 
Sunken Horror. Your chosen leader requires a private sanctum with a Throne within two days of arrival. If left without a sanctum, the leader grows angry and ceases providing dungeon-wide assistance. For spiritual guidance and army enhancements, erect a stone 
Altar in a spacious chamber. An altar links your domain to a chosen deity, allowing worship spots and offering tables to function as long as they are placed within five tiles in the same room.
Treasury Growth and Overworld Raiding
Dungeon expansion relies on accumulating wealth to empower your overlord. As monster raiding parties secure gold from the world above, every 50 gold pieces automatically consolidate into a permanent treasure chest within your vault. The leader's rank and passive bonuses increase in direct proportion to total hoard value. Keep your workforce content by building bunks and avoiding uncooked meals, since mistreated workers develop grudges detailed in our monster races and minion traits guide.
