Changes

There is no practical limit to the number of floors (sometimes called levels) in the Skull Cavern.<ref name="integerlimit" /> Similar to [[the Mines]], the player advances through floors in the Skull Cavern by finding a ladder on each floor, either by mining rocks or defeating enemies.  

There is no practical limit to the number of floors (sometimes called levels) in the Skull Cavern.<ref name="integerlimit" /> Similar to [[the Mines]], the player advances through floors in the Skull Cavern by finding a ladder on each floor, either by mining rocks or defeating enemies.  

Unlike [[The Mines]], there is no elevator to save progress, but on every floor, there is a ladder at the starting point where the player can leave the Skull Cavern. Each visit must start again from the first floor.

Unlike [[The Mines]], there is no elevator to save progress, but on every floor there is a ladder at the starting point where the player can leave the Skull Cavern. Each visit must start again from the first floor.

When ladders to the next floor appear from breaking rocks, 20% of the time they will appear as a shaft (or hole) instead of a ladder. Shafts make it possible to travel 3-15 floors at a time. The number of floors dropped is based on an integer x between 3 and 8 inclusive, chosen with equal probability, with a 90% chance that the player drops x floors and a 10% chance that the player drops 2x-1 floors. The amount of floors dropped is predetermined based on the mine floor, game day, and [[Random Seed]]. In particular, [[Luck]] does not affect the chances of jumping down a certain number of floors. This also means that if multiple shafts spawn on the same floor, they will all drop the player the same number of floors, so it does not matter which one is chosen. Jumping down the shaft causes [[Health]] damage equal to 3x the number of floors skipped (although jumping down a shaft will never reduce health to less than 1). Note that if a shaft above floor 100 is calculated to drop the player past floor 100, it will be modified to only drop the player to floor 100.<ref name="shaftlevels"/>

When ladders to the next floor appear from breaking rocks, 20% of the time they will appear as a shaft (or hole) instead of a ladder. Shafts make it possible to travel 3-15 floors at a time. The number of floors dropped is based on an integer x between 3 and 8 inclusive, chosen with equal probability, with a 90% chance that the player drops x floors and a 10% chance that the player drops 2x-1 floors. The amount of floors dropped is predetermined based on the mine floor, game day, and [[Random Seed]]. In particular, [[Luck]] does not affect the chances of jumping down a certain number of floors. This also means that if multiple shafts spawn on the same floor, they will all drop the player the same number of floors, so it does not matter which one is chosen. Jumping down the shaft causes [[Health]] damage equal to 3x the number of floors skipped (although jumping down a shaft will never reduce health to less than 1). Note that if a shaft above floor 100 is calculated to drop the player past floor 100, it will be modified to only drop the player to floor 100.<ref name="shaftlevels"/>

* The game-time duration of any [[Buffs|buff]] is decreased.   

* The game-time duration of any [[Buffs|buff]] is decreased.   

This adjustment in timing does not affect other aspects of the game, such as [[Crafting#Artisan Equipment|equipment]] processing times.  For example, [[Honey]] placed in a [[Keg]] at noon is ready with [[Mead]] at 10 pm even if the player spends most of that time in the Skull Cavern.

This adjustment in timing has no effect upon other aspects of the game, such as [[Crafting#Artisan Equipment|equipment]] processing times.  For example, [[Honey]] placed in a [[Keg]] at noon is ready with [[Mead]] at 10 pm even if the player spends most of that time in the Skull Cavern.

==Strategy==

==Strategy==

===Staircases===

===Staircases===

[[Staircase]]s can rapidly descend or skip troublesome floors. If the player has one or more [[Crystalarium]]s, they can be used to produce [[Jade]] which can be traded for Staircases with the [[Desert Trader]] on Sundays.

[[Staircase]]s can be used for rapid descent or skipping troublesome floors. If the player has one or more [[Crystalarium]]s, they can be used to produce [[Jade]] which can be traded for Staircases with the [[Desert Trader]] on Sundays.

===Rings===

===Rings===