Even though the Rat King in Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a standard NPC, he can reward you with special abilities.
Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a popular mobile game that combines role-playing and exploration and battle elements. The game features multiple dungeons, and each one is unique as it has randomised levels and enemies. You can use any 1 of 4 different characters to clear a dungeon, each of which has distinctive abilities.
The game seems incredibly simple, however, it puts your strategising skills to the test. Players will start the game with only 1 character unlocked, while they have to meet specific requirements to unlock the others. Every dungeon contains unique enemies, items, and non-player characters that you can interact with.
What are non-player characters?
Non-player character (NPC) refers to any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. This means that the character is controlled by a computer, and they have a predetermined set of behaviours that can potentially impact your gameplay.
The game features various NPCs that you can interact with, each of which serves a specific objective. Some NPCs will offer you a quest, and you can earn great rewards if you complete it successfully, while others can spawn a flock of magical sheep that cannot be killed.
You should note that it is impossible to kill or hurt an NPC, which makes identifying a computer-controlled character much easier.
Shattered Pixel Dungeon: Rat King
One of the standard NPCs you can interact with in Shattered Pixel Dungeon is the Rat King, who can be found on depth 5. He is usually hidden behind a door in Goo’s room, which is generally lined with chests that mostly contain poor quality items. The Rat King is described as slightly bigger than a regular marsupial rat, and he is wearing a tiny crown on his head.
When you wake the Rat King up, he will say that he is not sleeping before wandering around aimlessly. As previously mentioned, he cannot be harmed in any way, except with the Scroll of Wipe Out. It is worth noting that the Rat King does not do much, however, you can offer him the Dwarf King’s Crown.
This is the crown of the last dwarven king, and it glows with tremendous magical energy. When worn, the crown’s magic flows into the armour the Hero is wearing, which, in turn, transforms it into a unique armour piece with special abilities The new armour piece retains the properties of the original armour.
Once you have offered the Rat King the crown, he will offer you a reward. You can then benefit from Ratmogrify, which transforms an enemy into a rat for 6 seconds. This ability comes with 4 unique talents that you can use in battle.
What are Ratmogrify’s talents?
In addition to turning enemies and bosses into rats, you can benefit from distinct talents. These talents can be upgraded up to level 4.
Each talent’s upgrade consists of varying features, which are highlighted in the table below:
| Upgrade level | Heroic Energy | Ratforcements | Ratlomacy | Ratsistance |
| +1 | The hero’s armour ability has a 13 percent reduced charge cost | When using the ability on yourself, you will spawn 1 ally marsupial rat | Using Ratmogrify’s on a ratmogrified enemy makes them friendly and makes the transformation permanent | The hostile ratmogrified enemies deal 10 percent less damage |
| +2 | The armour has a 24 percent reduced charged cost | If activated on the hero, it spawns 2 ally rats | The transformed rat gains 2 turns of adrenaline | The rats deal 19 percent less damage |
| +3 | The cost is reduced by 34 percent | It summons 3 ally rats when used on the hero | The transformed rat gains 4 turns of adrenaline | The ratmogrified rats deal 27 percent less damage. |
| +4 | Your hero’s armour ability cost is reduced by 43 percent | It spawns 4 ally rats when activated on the character | The transformed rat gains 6 turns of adrenaline | They deal 35 percent less damage |
How to acquire the Dwarf King’s Crown
In order to get the Rat King’s abilities, you need to offer him the Dwarf King’s Crown, which can only be acquired by defeating the King of Dwarves. He is an aggressive foe that attempts to surround and overwhelm his enemies with his horde of undead minions.
Most players make the mistake of focusing on defeating the Undead Dwarves, but it is advised that you focus on killing the King instead. However, if you are surrounded by minions, you should kill them before focusing on the boss.
Do you have to offer the Rat King the Dwarf King’s Crown?
You should bear in mind that you do not have to offer the crown to the Rat King. If you choose not to offer him the crown, the Rat King will wander around searching for his Kingdom. This means that he will not reward you with Ratmogrify’s talents.