Popup Dungeon – Source Types and How To Pick Them

Are you unsure what type of your character’s ability fits in? Or do you just need a refresher? This guide will go through all of the sources and categories, giving examples to guide you and pick inspiration from.

What is a source type?

Source types are how the game tracks resistances and strengths. Splashing water on a fire elemental surely deals extra damage, while firing bullets at a slime probably won’t do as much. Every effect on an ability card must have a source type attached to it consisting of three layers.

Borrowing terms, we have three categories:

• Primair: Mundane and Magical
• Secundair: Elemental, Physical, and Energy
• Tertiary: Vuur, Water, Lucht, aarde, Blunt, Piercing, Slashing, Lichaam, Licht, Dark, Mind, and Spirit

Every effect is a combination of each of these three. The Tertiary types are all categorized by the Secondary, with the Primary being an option for all of them.

With so many options, some of which are so vague, it can be quite challenging to pick one that fits your desired ability and character. That’s what this guide is all about!

Mundane

This Primary type is all that’s normal or generally following the laws of reality. (even if your character is somehow exploiting it through the use of oil, leuk vinden a certain troll…) If there is no incantation or weird force at work, it is most likely a Mundane effect.

Even if your guy is using advanced science it is still by all means Mundane. Lightsabers, Frankenstein’s monster, etc are still in the realm of Mundane no matter how far it is from ordinary life. It can also be something as casual as shouting, throwing rocks, or just playing some music.

Strong with:

• Someone strong with everything Mundane is a master at anything ordinary. Whether it be sword fighting, math, grenades, flashlights, enz. Anyone who is grounded in reality and fact while ignorant of magic would fall here.

Weak with:

• People over-reliant on magic would be bad at everything Mundane. A wizard who has forgotten the basics of life, a creature of pure magic who has never seen the normal world before, or any other creature having a hard time understanding and doing anything not particularly strange.

Strong against:

• People strong against Mundane usually fall into two categories: they’re either a methodological genius that can predict any normal ordinary action, or they’re a reality-defying entity that won’t fall to such feeble mortal attempts. Think Taskmaster, C’Thulhu, Bill Cipher. Or it could be someone truly invincible like Superman who has magic as his Achilles’ Heel.

Weak against:

• A creature weak against the mundane is likely a flimsy entity that has given up all that was normal to become strong with magic. Or that was born to ward off magic but can’t take anything normal. They could also be something just wacky with no resemblance to normality.

Magical

Anything that’s Magical is likely challenging the laws of physics with the supernatural forces. A strange incantation, cursed tomes, and holy blades. If it’s the work of something so strange and sinister it cannot even be perceived, you’ve likely stumbled onto something malevolent, eldritch, and Magical.

Most commonly you’ll put wizards here. But also psychics, eldritch beings, elementals, en meer. Anything that harnesses magic in some form will end up using Magical effects.

Strong with:

• Wizards with no real focus, or magical beings with a wide range of spells. Being strong at Magical Power is a very, very broad skill set. Only those that truly embrace the arts of magic should have something so vague and broad as this power.

Weak with:

• Scientists, realists, non-believers, etc are bound to be bad at magic. Anyone who is either too stupid to use magic or just refuses their existence should have this weakness. A wand would probably be worse in the hands of a boring math teacher than in the hands of a true sorcerer.

Strong against:

• Anyone adept at the hidden forces is bound to be strong against magic. Demon hunters, witch hunters, or just a protective wizard. Ancient wardens or the like could be, te. It’s a broad defense so not the strongest. Cult members or cult hunters could fit as well. Really anything magical would fit in here.

Weak against:

• Robots, automatons, or maybe one of those scientists. Something weak against the forces of magic is susceptible to that which doesn’t make sense. Likely they could also be people who come from worlds otherwise devoid of magic.

Elemental

An elementalist spellcaster, an embodiment of nature, or even just a scientist harnessing the elements. They all would be strong with the forces of Elemental. Vuur, Water, Lucht, and Earth fall into this category, and anyone strong with Elemental is good at those four.

Strong with:

• An entity strong with Elemental harnesses the elements to their whim. They could be druids, wizards, scientists, overlevenden, or just about anything that controls a section of the wild. The wind, lightning, fire, lava, rocks, planten, water, ice, everything primal and worldly is in their hands.

Weak with:

• Creatures that are bad at using Elemental abilities are likely ones who’ve never handled anything out in nature. They’re bad at throwing rocks and sand, they don’t know how explosions work, or how to properly handle a stun gun. Inexperienced in the fields related to the world.

Strong against:

• People strong against the Elemental forces are likely survivors, dieren, elementalists, people in tune with the world, or otherwise just good at trampling over primitive trifles. They shrug off cold and flame alike, hold their ground against earthquakes, and resist the wind.

Weak against:

• Something that’s weak against Elemental is something that rarely steps into the wild. A robot made of poor materials, an indoor nerd, or something else that just can’t handle the forces of nature. Space cadets who’ve never set foot on a planet before could fit here too.

Vuur

Pyromancy, explosions, lava, fire, torches, burning blades, lighters, en meer! This is the primal force of flame. Everything that explodes in a normal fashion, burns, sizzles, and otherwise is unusually hot falls here. Even if it’s just a heated frying pan or some extra hot and spicy sauce, it belongs here.

Fire doesn’t have to be damaging! You could have an ability that heals by burning wounds closed to prevent bleeding, you could use smoke to blind targets, or if going by Divinity: Original Sin logic use a Pyromancy spell to hasten your character’s speed or sharpen their mind. Go crazy! The phoenix uses Fire to revive themselves once, go ahead and cook up something creative too.

Strong with:

• Anything that loves using fire or heat, magical or not, they’re good at this. Fire elementals, pyromancers, demonen, explosion-lovers, draken, or other destruction enthusiasts.

Weak with:

• Anyone whose bad with fire is likely just not all that good with heat in general. They might be from the frozen north and only knows how to handle frozen tools and weapons, or they fear flame too much to use it, or they’re just bad at handling fire.

Strong against:

• Firefighters, dragon hunters, cave dwellers, sun beasts, enz. Anyone who faces the dangers of heat and fire regularly are bound to be protected against heat, and sometimes that includes the people causing the fires! Dragons and pyromancers probably have some defenses against their own creations.

Weak against:

• Planten, ice creatures, or anything else could be weak against fire. Even beings just fearful of fire might be weak against it, like yetis or shadow people. Insects burn easily as well. Any character that catches fire easily or can’t handle strong heat likely has a weakness.

Water

Hydromancy, water, ice, liquid nitrogen, toxic sludge, rain, snow. Despite the name, Water isn’t strictly the liquid of the same name, but also other liquids and cold things. It is the direct opposite of Fire. A source of health, wisdom, but also equal amounts of destruction.

Strong with:

• Hydromancers, firefighters, kids with water guns and water balloons, ice elementals, etc are likely strong with Water. Even just some super cold liquids, or toxic sludge could fit here.

Weak with:

• Anyone weak with using Water is more likely than not just bad using anything wet or cold, like a person of pure fire or a robot that rusts upon touching the water. Or maybe someone who just loves fire would reluctantly use any water items/abilities given to them.

Strong against:

• Creatures who are strong against Water are either made of the elements involved or equipped to handle the biting cold or water. A scuba diver, yeti, snowman, etc would easily survive the effects. Plants would definitely survive some water splashing on them, and some creatures even breathe the stuff!

Weak against:

• Rusty robots, fire creatures, those who can’t stand the elements of Water generally never touch the stuff in normal circumstances. Things that can’t stand the cold particularly well also fall under here. Insects likely have this weakness too.

Lucht

Wind, clouds, thunder, lightning, the element of Air is most of the weather and most of the sky. And when it isn’t the very air around you it is the unrelenting force of pure electricity. Haywire robots, thaumaturges, sky creatures, or just a really big fan dominate this source type.

Strong with:

• Mad scientists, weather wizards, sky whales, atmosphere drones, and the like would be strong with the forces of Air. Tornadoes and lightning is included as well.

Weak with:

• Someone bad with Air is either bad with electronics or just incredibly bad with the weather. Really sturdy creatures like stone golems might be pretty bad at waving a fan.

Strong against:

• Creatures strong against wind are likely airborne like birds or flying machines, while some robots may be resistant against lightning. Blijkbaar, elementals or golems made of the element are resistant to it as well. Anything that can withstand the force of wind and the jolt of electricity.

Weak against:

• A knight fully clad in metal, a person holding an umbrella, a futuristic kobold using an antenna as a spear, or any creature who either just doesn’t like electricity or the atmosphere. Being weak against Air implies a vulnerability to moving air or jolts of electricity.

aarde

Steen, vuil, sand, planten, the very embodiment of nature. The element of Earth is classically used by druids and other nature-oriented entities. This is the element for your nature-loving druids and rock elementals.

Strong with:

• Druids, rock elementals, planten, earthquake-making machines, tree people, etc are strong with Earth. Anyone who is adept at using the most grounded of materials in their quest would be good at this. Pocket sand, slingshots with rock ammunition, digging holes, or building blocks, it’s all part of the Earth type too.

Weak with:

• Creatures weak at doing Earth abilities likely are incapable of digging or are massively out of tune with plants. They’re fairly likely to be gaseous or in other ways not very solid. They could be a big city worker or an industrious CEO and have never taken care of a plant in their life.

Strong against:

• Characters strong against Earth resist things like sand, rock, planten, etc with hard resistance. They might be an adventurer who explores ancient tombs, or they are corporate robot plowing through deep jungles to build concrete garages.

Weak against:

• Monsters weak against Earth likely can’t handle sand underneath their suit, or can’t resist plants. They degrade quickly in the earthly elements, like a robot built for city work. Any machine or person who is practically meant for work far away from the dirty wilderness would be weak against Earth far more than any other Elemental source type.

Physical

This is the buff dude’s category. The powers of Physical contains four other source types: Blunt, Piercing, Slashing, and Body. And as such, Physical is the source of all pure physical prowess. Or just adeptness in using all physical crap.

The Physical category is the most common and simple across fiction. A sword or scythe is Slashing, a hammer or fist would be Blunt, a lance, pitchfork, or gun would be Piercing. And Body covers things like pure strength and/or diseases and poisons. Nearly any creature, regardless of nature, can do at least one of these things. Even a wizard with a gnarled old staff could in theory hit someone with a Blunt attack, a space cadet could kick a chair or random object towards an alien as another Blunt action.

Strong with:

• Characters good at Physical are either peak physical prowess or crazy at hitting enemies with standard attacks. A strong knight or an athlete might be good at Physical. They might be strong at throwing knives, hitting people with their fists, bashing skulls in with a hammer, using guns, doing crazy jumps, enz. Doesn’t mean none of it is magic, Echter. It could very much still be magical arrows, your knives could move through the air through magic, and the hammer might be completely magic.

Weak with:

• Characters weak at Physical are really bad at using pretty much any conventional weapon. They are also bad at using poisons. A creature terrible at Physical won’t be powerful in a traditional sense, and will instead focus on less traditional means of combat. Like wizards or space cadets, who are prone to use Elemental or Energy categories respectively.

Strong against:

• Monsters strong against Physical likely either have the strength and armor to withstand traditional attacks, or they are incorporeal. Creatures who are impervious to Physical attacks are prepared for the most standard and common attacks.

Weak against:

• Entities weak against Physical are oftentimes frail and are far more adept at handling less conventional dangers. Anything that could potentially get smashed easily or can’t withstand attacks your average barbarian dishes out would fit with this weakness. Wizards, hackers, fairies, space cadets, and similar are likely to have this.

Blunt

Shovels, hammers, fists. Or even just the force of gravity smashing a goblin against the floor. They all fall under the category of Blunt. Any object or action that involves a broader surface hitting the target is Blunt.

Strong with:

• A creature good with Blunt abilities likely uses a lot of hammers, or maybe their fists and feet. They could be a repairman using a hammer to remove dents in their allies’ armour. Engineer from TF2 uses their wrench to repair his structures, and that could be a Blunt action. It could also be a magician who uses magic to launch nearby objects at the enemy.

Weak with:

• A character specifically bad at Blunt is probably not trained in those kinds of weapons. Perhaps they are an elf who only knows the bow and blade. They could be a fighter who is just overall weak and is only effective with other forms of attack.

Strong against:

• Monsters and people strong against Blunt specifically are likely big, heavy, and sturdy. Or in the case of dwarves, short and sturdy. They can’t be pushed or affected by objects flying their way. They are by no means frail yet are open to other Physical attacks.

Weak against:

• Monsters weak against Blunt are spindly or lacking in sturdiness. Like slimes that get splattered everywhere or skeletons that lack flesh to protect their brittle bones. They could take attacks had they been thin surfaces like with Slashing and Piercing.

Slashing

Zwaarden, scythes, bijlen, knives, paper cuts! Surfaces so thin they cut up skin and flesh. In worlds dominated by intelligent creatures, sharp blades sit readily in their arsenals. Very few beasts wield Slashing attacks in fiction and even rarer out in the real world. It is our creation, the source type of civilization itself.

Strong with:

• People good with Slashing are masters of the blade. They cut through vines in the wild, they lead the charge in wars, or they cut meat and veggies for a scrumptious meal at home. Few medieval fighters can go wrong with mastering Slashing, and any animal who can deal with Slashing are likely very alien.

Weak with:

• A person incapable of Slashing could be a person who abhors the idea of using such weapons, like a tree person, or they are trained with spear or hammer in mind. Maybe they’re even an archer! They could be a space explorer who has never held a primitive sword in their life.

Strong against:

• People who are good against Slashing as a general rule wear armor. Slashing does very little against hard surfaces. On the other end, Slashing does incredibly little against something that dampens its speed as well. Slimes and other amorphous creatures have nothing to cut and remain largely unfazed by such attempts.

Weak against:

• Enemies weak against Slashing specifically have thin skin, they might bleed easily, or their armor is like paper. Or maybe they are very stringy in biology. They might have limbs that can easily be cut, and maybe there are no bones to speak of. Octopi and other boneless creatures may be very susceptible to Slashing.

Piercing

Lances, pijlen, kogels, fangs, claws, spijkers, spikes, anything that is pointy is a Piercing weapon. It is the most common source type used by animals out in nature, and intelligent creatures perfected it in their guns. This is where pinpoint pressure goes through hard surfaces and strikes right where it hurts.

Strong with:

• Soldiers, post-apocalyptic raiders, lance-wielders, primitive spear users, and creatures with claws and teeth all fall here. Their attacks are sharp but come in tiny points that are hard to protect from. Even trappers could place spikes and caltrops that are Piercing and stop people dead in their tracks.

Weak with:

• Incapable of using pointy weapons, likely from being bad at aiming them, could be a common reason for being terrible with Piercing. Not every knight is trained to use a lance, much less something so unwieldy as a gun. In de tussentijd, an archer could apply some of their archery skills to this new gun contraption they’ve found.

Strong against:

• Entities good against Piercing have confusing biology, especially crafted armor, or have no vitals to speak of. Slimes in particular are super strong against these types of attacks. Any creature or machine properly equipped to battle on battlefields where kinetic weapons are prevalent likely has protection against gunfire. This protection will probably appear as energy shields or highly angular chassis/armor.

Weak against:

• Creatures who can’t handle piercing weapons have obvious weak points. They have exposed vitals, box-like armour, or may even have something that can burst if exposed to air. They are likely not meant to fight modern soldiers but rather disperse more primitive societies where swords and other bladed weapons are popular.

Lichaam

Peak body strength, vergif, diseases, muscle, body functions, etc belong to the Body. This is the work of organs and bacteria. If your attack infects something from within, this is it. Even just physical feats land here. Long jumps, climbing, crawling, eating, stimulants, and other very bodily abilities fall here.

Strong with:

• Creatures who are good at Body are either poisonous, toxic or have impressive biological properties. Things like fast body regeneration, natural invisibility, and rushes of adrenaline that boost combat properties are reasons to focus on the Body. Even Wario eating garlic and farting could be enough for him to have good Body power.

Weak with:

• Entities who have weak Bodies likely don’t benefit from using food-related abilities and don’t know biology very well. They may even be unaware of how their own body functions! They’re bad at using poison and don’t gain equal benefits from stimulants and substances to boost their body.

Strong against:

• Characters who are good against the Body are great at resisting poisons, and can’t be brought down from within. They have a physique that prevents effects trying to ruin their biology. Even diseases and bacteria have a hard time taking them out.

Weak against:

• Creatures weak against the Body are highly susceptible to poison and having their vitals ruined. Body-altering magic such as polymorphs affect them easily and diseases are fatal. A giant bacteria enemy would spell their doom.

Energie

Licht, darkness, thoughts, music, emotions, this is the realm of Energy. The most obscure category in the game. Energy consists of four source types: Licht, Dark, Mind, and Spirit. In this field things like math, turning off the lights, fear, and even just cracking a joke become abilities. The other categories can be weird in their own right, but never quite as weird as Energy.

Strong with:

• A character who can master all of Energy could be a master of light magic, dark magic, and equations equally. They don’t play around with silly things like standard objects or primitive elements. They control day and night, they could be a master manipulator. Perhaps an impostor on a spaceship flickering the lights to spook their crew, and then proceeding to use a flashlight to explore the more derelict parts of the ship. They could use psychology to awaken false hope or bravery in their allies.

Weak with:

• A person who can’t handle the concepts of Energy likely never wields laser guns, dark matter shields, or any holy artifact. The greater concepts of the world such as psychology, religie, emotions, or even dark magic fail to tickle the mind of the creature weak at Energy. Lightsabers and energy swords do far less in their hands, te.

Strong against:

• A creature who can handle all of Energy is probably a scientist or magician who tackles more obscure elements on a daily basis. They are difficult to hypnotize or convince, and classic things like light and darkness won’t bite them as easily.

Weak against:

• A monster who is weak against Energy fails math tests, gets distracted by random pop-ups and gets smitten harder by the heavens. They are likely feral, or close to such. They can’t handle the advanced philosophies and weapons of the great beyond. They could be easily hypnotized or blasted by anti-matter. Creatures with Energy weaknesses are probably far more at home in their caves and forests where life is simpler.

Licht

A prayer answered by a godly miracle, zaklamp, laser gun, or the flickering light from a torch all fall here. Light is a mix between literal light from a light source, and Light as in divine power. A paladin and cleric would use Magical Light as their source type, while a horror movie survivor would use a Mundane Light flashlight.

Strong with:

• Space captains and priests equally are good at Light. One uses technology to fire Mundane Light at aliens and Mundane Light energy shields, while priests use Magical Light to heal their friends and allies. In the depths of space lots of laser gun or energy sword users are adept at using Light, regardless of their alignment. While on worlds where the most advanced contraption is catapult priests and paladins usually hold that divine gift.

Weak with:

• People of particularly evil or occult practices are likely terrible with using Light abilities. But also those who oppose the divines and reject the usage of lasers would be bad at using them. Demons and shadow creatures would also be bad at handling Light.

Strong against:

• Creatures who can resist Light abilities are usually made of light themselves, like a sun. Or the Novakids from Starbound. Space-age soldiers are bound to have anti-Light equipment to survive laser blasts. They might wear reflective equipment, they may be divine themselves, or perhaps they’re a creature of such maligned intent they resist Light. Or maybe they’re blind!

Weak against:

• Monsters who can’t resist the forces of Light are creatures of darkness. They can be shadowy creatures that appear at the edges of your vision, or they are demons from the Abyss. If they aren’t weak by nature, they might be weak as a result of their decisions or profession. Like a necromancer or cultist. Undead are notoriously weak against holy Light.

Dark

Unholy incantations, pentagrams, snuffing out light, and black holes are all versions of Dark. This is a source type that refers both to outright evil occult magic and lack of light. They could even be simple things like hiding among the shadows, using stealth as a Mundane Dark ability. Or it could be an anti-matter gun, or hiding underneath some sheets. Mundane Dark is also, in some cases, the ability of weird interdimensional rift creatures. Magical Dark can be pretty much anything you can imagine. Summoning demons and skeletons, as well as casting curses, all fall under Dark.

Strong with:

• Demons, devils, cultists, witches, necromancers, and any other traditionally evil magical creature could be adept at using Dark power. Dark magic amplifies their arsenal or makes up all of it, making them dangerous for any foe who isn’t prepared against them. But even just particularly stealthy rogues, sneaky children walking around at night, or space age mercs using Dark-based weaponry could be experts at Dark power.

Weak with:

• People who oppose the forces of Dark would definitely be terrible at using it. Same with any creature made of pure light. They may even just be afraid of the dark. Regardless of the reason, someone weak at using Dark abilities will never be seen doing dark magic or utilizing darkness to their advantage.

Strong against:

• Holy warriors, champions of light, or vampire hunters who are unswerving against the forces of darkness have high Dark defense. They’re less equipped to fight standard enemies to hone in on surviving the forces of true evil. Some dark masters may be strong against their own tricks as well. Space-age heroes may have suit-mounted lights to light up areas and protect them against cave-dwelling aliens.

Weak against:

• Children scared of the dark, peasants prayed upon by a vampire, or easily corruptible cultists may be weak against Dark. People who rely on energy shields might also be weak against Dark as anti-matter lasers might shred through it easily.

Mind

Thoughts, ideas, math, quizzes, the power of the Mind are a great but rare ones. Abilities here range from hypnosis and mind control to actual math and mind games. Mind skills can be tricky to come up with and thankfully less so to use in-game.

Strong with:

• Foes that use Mind abilities are often either psychics or incredibly intelligent people capable of weaponizing subjects and speech. Gameshow hosts asking difficult questions could be a Mundane Mind attack, an alien using psychic mind control could be Magical Mind. Nightmare manifestations could attack through Mind or Dark. Math teachers and lawyers can use Mind skills too, to confuse and hurt enemies inside their heads.

Weak with:

• Characters who are bad at using Mind abilities are terrible at coming up with problems that aren’t necessarily direct. They’re bad at making enemies listen to them and can’t weaponize their minds. While not necessarily fools, they are not quick-thinking enough to hurt anyone through words and brainpower.

Strong against:

• Creatures with a strong defense against Mind abilities are quick in their head and have a brain of steel. They are difficult to mind control through psychics and can solve calculations quickly. They can’t really be confused through advanced algebra or hurt with clever belittlement. Their mind is simply built to take on whatever quips is sent their way.

Weak against:

• Characters who have weak Mind defense are mentally weak. They are easily hurt by logic and puzzles, and mind-altering spells work really well on them. Their mind may be fractured, their insanity making them susceptible to Mind attacks. Or perhaps they’re just outright stupid. They may be unstable or brute.

Geest

The soul, emotions, music, ghosts, en meer. The Spirit source type covers not just spirits but also everything related to the soul. If you ever wanted to go all lovey-dovey with compliments serving as an ability this is it. Spirit abilities can do anything from buffing allies and debuffing enemies to using the power of a SOUL to respawn Undertale-style. A monk could calm themselves to remove debuffs.

Strong with:

• Creatures with powerful Spirit power likely use some kind of soul energy or emotions to do abilities. They are perhaps some kind of anime-style protagonist, a ghost, or an old monk. Musicians are bound to use Spirit as well to buff their allies. Charismatic characters are likely able to push their agendas around using Spirit to acquire temporary allies. Spirits and ghosts are likely to use Magical Spirit for a wide range of abilities, both harmful and helpful.

Weak with:

• People weak with Spirit are incapable of using their souls and emotions to form abilities in combat. An item they find that uses it would be useless in their hands. Undead, robots, psychopaths, and bullies are likely to have less Spirit.

Strong against:

• Foes that can resist Spirit attacks are likely amoral or their determination keeps them steadfast. It is harder to make them lose morale by breakdancing and playing music, and even harder to make them actually take damage from any of it. You can’t use magic to alter their emotions to make them do what you want. You cannot budge them.

Weak against:

• Creatures who are frail against overpowering emotion-altering are soldiers who stand behind their charismatic king or employees who serve a cold-hearted CEO. They lack the charisma and determination to lead others. They are sidekicks who hide in their master’s shadow or lowly runts who are pressured into following their peers into servitude under a dragon.

Laatste woorden

What is written here in this guide is not set in stone. Anything you can come up with that works well is great! This guide exists to give you ideas and help clear up confusion about what source type you’d like to have for your characters and their abilities.

The info here is picked from what the game is seemingly perceiving each element as, sparing you the trouble of scouring the game yourself. But should anything here not suit your idea, like maybe instead of a heated insult being a Spirit attack it’s a Fire attack because of so heated, that’s entirely fine! At the end of the day as long as you are happy with the design of your character and their abilities you’ve done nothing wrong.