DCC/Classes

This page provides only an overview and a summary. Consult the Dungeon Crawl Classics rulebook (8th Edition) for details and tables.

Cultist
The Elf class is renamed Cultist.

''You are a debauched noble dabbling in the dark powers of the occult, a vile temptress poisoning the ears of magistrates and kings, a depraved lotus-eater drawing strength and dark wisdoms from rare and mystical opiates, or an enigmatic mystic eliciting powers from the primal elements of nature. Members of the Cultist class gain their power and heightened senses through either communion with otherworldly beings, binding themselves to powerful artifacts, dependence on rare and mystical herbs, or from the very forces of nature itself.''

Only 1 in 6 people considering this class actually make contact with a being that considers you worthy of their gifts. Before or upon reaching level 1, whenever you first truly consider the life of a Cultist, you spend one hour calling out. Roll a d6 with no modifiers. The result is immediately known by the character: If you roll 1-5, your call was unanswered - you have to choose between other classes and becoming a NPC cultist (without most of the class' powers). Effectively, that character can never become a PC cultist. If you roll a 6 however, some... thing answered your call and you may choose the class when you reach level 1 (but do not have to).

Whether cultists really have traffic with demons and gods is for them to know and the other characters to discover. Cultists can cast spells as magi and witches do. A cultist of the same power level as a magus or witch cast their spells just as competently as either but have martial skills far superior.

Hit points: A cultist gains 1d6 hit points at each level.

Weapon training: A cultist is trained in the use of the blowgun, crossbow, club, dagger, dart, handaxe, shortbow, short sword, and staff. The ceremonial or sacrificial dagger is key to a cultist's rituals. Cultists can wear armor, though it affects their spellcasting.

Alignment: Cultists worship chaotic and neutral entities and their alignment mirrors their dark gods.

Magic: Cultists practice arcane magic sustained by traffic with otherworldly creatures. More so than magi or even witches, they form relationships with specific demi-beings and can directly request aid from beyond. All cultists have an extraplanar patron who sustain their magic. As such, their spells tend more toward those associated with elemental or demonic powers. Neutral Patrons are cold and distant, and respond best to precise summons - neutral cultists use Intelligence for spellcasting. Chaotic Patrons are impulsive and capricious, and heeds only the most forceful summons - chaotic cultists use Personality for spellcasting. Mercurial Magic, however, remains modified by Intelligence for all cultists. The way Spells Known works is changed, see DCC/Rules Summary.

Spellburn: Cultists can use Spellburn too, but they don't heal it back naturally. Instead they regain lost ability points by sacrifice. This is mostly intended as a superficial change in description. However, the possibility for a Cultist to regain lost Spellburn faster through sacrifice than a Wizard can heal remains open.

The particular form of sacrifice should be tailored to each Patron, and possibly your taboo or vulnerability. As a general guideline: sacrificing a live animal restores 1 point (max one sacrifice per day), matching the healing rate of Wizards. Note that this presupposes a payment in blood, or death, is appropriate for your Patron. Some patrons demand payment in other currencies (like mental capacity, enslavement, treachery, or sexual energy - just to take four examples) Greater sacrifices, such as the wilful killing of sentient beings, might result in restoring more points lost to Spellburn, but the specifics is left up to the player and Judge.

Just like Wizards can't heal back Spellburn on any day they have attempted to Spellburn, a Cultist cannot generally gain anything from making a sacrifice the same day you have attempted to Spellburn.

Caster level: Caster level is a measurement of an cultist's power in channeling a spell's energy. A cultist's caster level is his or her level as a cultist. For example, a 2nd-level cultist has a caster level of 2.

Supernatural patrons: Like magi and witches, cultists can invoke supernatural patrons. A cultist automatically receives the spells patron bond and invoke patron at 1st level in addition to his or her other spells.

Infravision: Cultists worshipping chaotic patrons are granted the power to see monsters in the dark up to 60’ away. Some actions remain hard or impossible, such as reading a book.

Vulnerabilities: Cultists are marked by their forbidden lore. Randomly generate at least one major vulnerability or taboo. Roll two d10. Read the Sanguine result for the first die, and the Choleric result for the second die. Now choose between the two. If you roll doubles, you gain one or the other (your choice) but must then roll 2d10 again for a second (third etc) effect.

Heightened Senses: Cultists are given a preternatural ability to detect secrets. All cultist characters receive a +4 bonus to detect secret doors. Moreover, when simply passing within 10 feet of a secret door, a cultist is entitled to a check to detect it.

Luck: At first level, a cultist may choose to apply his Luck modifier to spell checks on one spell of his choosing. That modifier does not change as the cultist's Luck score changes.

Action dice: A cultist's action dice can be used for attacks or spell checks at any level.

The adventure introduces a specific deity, so you might want to hold off choosing your Patron until you reach level 1.

Summary

 * Cultists do not have Elf Immunities
 * Cultists all have weird taboos or vulnerabilities.
 * Cultists have different weapons training. All cultists carry a ceremonial or sacrificial dagger.
 * Chaotic Cultists use Personality instead of Intelligence for spellcasting. Neutral Cultists keep using Intelligence.
 * Chaotic Cultists have Infravision; Neutral Cultists do not.
 * Mithril items do not exist, and Cultists aren't given any items for free.
 * Cultists must Sacrifice to regain spellburn.

Magus, Witch
The Wizard class is renamed. Male characters belong to the Magus class. Female characters belong to the Witch class. There is great rivalry and much distrust between the two.

The way Spells Known works is changed, see DCC/Rules Summary. The class itself remains unchanged but male and female spellcasters are taught very different traditions: Magi uses theory and formulas and writes their spells in books or sigils, while Witches use divination and alchemy and writes their spells as chants and tattoos. Magi rarely associate with Patrons; whenever you randomize a 1st level spell, re-roll the first instance of rolling a 15 or 19 on the table. Witches freely associate with Patrons; whenever you randomize a 1st level spell, a roll of 27 grants all three spells: Invoke Patron, Patron Bond, and the Patron's spell. Magi and Witches also count Invoke Patron and Patron Bond differently for purposes of spells memorized.

When generating Mercurial effects of spells known, Judges are encouraged to allow players to re-roll entries that poorly match their character's disposition. As with any Mercurial Magic re-roll, the re-roll is made unmodified and is final.

Raider
The Halfling class is renamed Raider.

''You are a treasure hunter seeking fortune and fame, a violent raider descending upon unprotected towns in a flood of fire and blood, a professional privateer sent to wreak havoc against rival interests, or a gaudy freebooter adorned in silk and steel treading decks piled high with bloodstained plunder. These wolves of the seas, deserts and rivers of the land live wild and free, untamed by the laws of civilization, and are governed as much by luck as the mighty freedom of the oceans.''

Hit points: A raider gains 1d6 hit points at each level. They prefer hit and run tactics over frontal assaults, and they try avoid direct combat with well-trained and well-equipped soldiers.

Weapon training: Raiders prefer to battle with a weapon in each hand. A raider is trained in the use of the club, crossbow, dagger, dart, flail, handaxe, javelin, longsword, mace, shortbow, short sword, and spear. Raiders can wear armor, but generally avoids getting weighed down.

Alignment: Raiders are naturally chaotic, but there exists neutral and even lawful raiders.

Two-weapon Fighting: Raiders are masters at two-weapon fighting, as follows:
 * A raider with an Agility of 15 or lower is always considered to have an Agility of 16 for the purpose of fighting with two weapons.
 * A raider can fight with two equal-sized onehanded weapons, such as two handaxes or two short swords.
 * A raider scores a crit and automatic hit on any roll of a natural 16.
 * When fighting with two weapons, the raider fumbles only when both dice come up a 1.

Stealth: Raiders are quite good at sneaking around. They receive a bonus to sneaking silently and hiding in shadows depending on their class level, as shown on table 1-18. This can be used in the same manner as a thief’s abilities.

Good luck charm: Raiders are notoriously lucky. A raider gains additional bonuses when expending Luck, as follows.
 * A raider recovers lost Luck to a limited extent. The raider’s Luck score is restored each night by a number of points equal to his level.
 * A raider doubles the bonus of burning Luck. For every 1 point of Luck expended, a raider gains a +2 to his roll.
 * A raider can give this bonus to his allies if he so chooses. The ally in question must be nearby and visible to the raider. The raider can act out of initiative.
 * There is luck to having *a* raider with an adventuring party, but there is not "more luck" to having more than one raider. If multiple raiders accompany an adventuring party, only one of them have the ability to give his bonus away. Decide at the start of each adventure.

Greed: A raider have an uncanny ability to root out treasure. A raider can instinctively tell the direction of a strong concentration of gold or gems within 100’.

Action dice: A raider's action dice can be used for attacks or skill checks.

Summary

 * Raiders are normal size, move at normal Speed, do not have Infravision, is trained with different weapons, and can choose any Alignment.
 * The inability to duplicate the good luck charm ability is limited to giving Luck away. Multiple raiders in the same party still all recover and doubles Luck.
 * The Greed ability is lifted from the DCC Dwarf ability.

Shaman
The Cleric class is renamed Shaman.


 * Neutral shamans are trained in the use of Club, mace, sling, staff, warhammer.
 * Chaotic shamans are trained in the use of Axe (any), short bow, dagger, dart, flail
 * To avoid having to minmax choice of weaponry: Shamans may declare their god's favored weapon is holy. Holy weapons use a d8 damage die if normally lower. This allows the character to keep using a familiar weapon without worrying it makes such a bad choice mechanically.
 * The DC for divine aid is increased by +5 for Neutral Shamans

Deities and Demons
There are no lawful gods - at least none that grant access to magic... Neutral gods are distant and uncaring - the DC for divine aid is increased by +5. Chaotic beings are the most actively helpful - but also the most interested in your corruption!

The adventure introduces a specific deity, so you might want to hold off choosing your God until you reach level 1.

Disapproval
The rule where disapproval range is reset each day depends on you continuously make sacrifice in the form of time-consuming chants or prayers, personal hardship (solitude, abstinence, flagellation, or similar).

The rulebook Disapproval table is appropriate for a traditional lawful or good Cleric. Consider this campaign to not be beholden to this specific table. There are more appropriate Disapproval results for Chaotic Shamans...


 * DCC/Classes/Wilderness

Spells
The rulebook leaves Cleric spell selection entirely up to the player and the Judge, as long as it results in four spells known. My suggestion for the Shaman class is this:


 * 1) Player's Choice: The first spell of each spell level is chosen by the Player. The Judge is encouraged to agree to whatever choice the player is making, unless it goes directly against the deity's ethos, and the player can't come up with a cool plan for why he should get it anyway.
 * For Chaotic Shamans, the first spell selected for each spell level is Mercurial.
 * 1) Judge's Choice: The second spell of each spell level is chosen by the Judge. Naturally, a spell appropriate for the god will be selected. Don't be afraid to choose a spell that will challenge the player to come up with constructive usages.
 * 2) Random Choice: The third spell of each spell level is randomized, much like for a DCC Wizard. This is only done after the player and judge have made their choices. Should you get a duplicate result, consider it a "daily" (see below) that just so happens to be empty at the moment. (You got no spell right now, but you can ask for one tomorrow).
 * 3) "Daily" Choice: The fourth spell of each spell level CAN function much like D&D prepared spellcasting in that at a given time of day (sunrise, midnight etc) the Shaman may pray for a new spell to replace the old one. Asking for a new spell should be considered a much bigger deal than in D&D, though.
 * Being given a new spell always costs at least one point of Disapproval. Frequent requests mean the cost goes up two die steps at a time: 1d3 Disapproval, then 1d6 Disapproval and so on.
 * Whenever there's no pressing reason why the existing spell can't suffice, the Shaman should not ask for a change. A good example of a valid request would be "our quest takes us into the Desert so I humbly ask for something else than Water Breathing". Whether the new spell is determined to be one the Shaman actually asks for, or just a random one, is up to the Judge. If the Shaman asks for a spell genuinely useful to further the deity's goals, she should likely get that specific spell.

At higher levels, Shamans gain more than four spells of a given level. Let us randomize these spells much like the third spell: if you get a duplicate result, that "slot" is permanently a "daily"; while if you get a new spell, that is your permanent new ability.

Turn Unholy
The impact of alignment on the Shaman's Turn Unholy ability is lessened.

Undead and demons are always unholy! Then consider your deity's outlook and goals and choose one out of: 1. devils, 2. legendary beasts (basilisk, hippogriff...), 3. mundane beasts (hyenas, tigers, great apes), 4. perversions of nature (slimes, otyughs), 5. primitive humanoids (apemen, goblins, etc), or 6. degenerates (cannibals, fanatics, etc).

Regular humans can never be unholy.

Spells and Alignment
There are no "evil" or "good" creatures in this campaign. Consider spells like Detect Evil and Protection from Evil to function as Detect Unholy and Protection from Unholy.

Soldier
The Dwarf class is renamed Soldier.

''You are a professional soldier tasked with repelling waves of red-handed barbarians that reave upon your borders, a hawk-eyed caravan guard standing vigilant amidst a sea of dust and death, a trained gladiator dealing death beneath the roar of the crowd, or a grim-faced mercenary paid in stained coins to slay under foreign banners. These professional fighting men, trained in war and death, are driven by a need for adventure and wealth as much as by bloodlust itself.''

Hit points: A soldier gains 1d10 hit points at each level.

Command training: Soldiers are practiced at working in groups as well as giving (and following) orders. All Soldiers have the Command skill. Unlike Intimidate Command does not breed resentment. Unlike Persuasion, Command achieves quick results even when the target is unwilling. As you would expect, this is a Personality-based skill. However, Soldiers may use Strength in place of Personality when issuing orders.

Weapon training: Soldiers prefer to battle with a weapon and shield. A soldier is trained in the use of these melee weapons: battleaxe, club, dagger, handaxe, longsword, mace, short sword, spear, twohanded sword, and warhammer. A soldier is also trained in these missile fire weapons: crossbow, javelin, shortbow, and sling. Soldiers wear whatever armor they can afford.

Alignment: Soldiers can have any alignment.

Male profession: This world only considers males to be culturally appropriate for soldier training. Females can still be Soldiers; assuming they have pretended to be male during their training (in the style of Mulan - Warrior Princess), and maybe still are?

Attack modifier: Soldiers do not receive a fixed attack modifier at each level. Instead, they receive a deed die, just like a warrior. See table 1-14.

Mighty Deed of Arms: Like warriors, soldiers can perform Mighty Deeds of Arms in combat.

Sword and board: Soldiers excel at fighting with a shield in one hand and a weapon in the other. When fighting with a shield, a soldier always gains a shield bash as a second attack. Soldiers get to add their Shield bonus not only to AC, but to saving throws as well, as long as the Soldier is aware of the impending assault. Keep in mind Shields can be sacrificed to minimize incoming damage, see the Shields section of the Rules Summary.

Luck: At first level, a soldier may choose one specific kind of weapon to apply his Luck modifier to attack rolls made with it. The modifier remains fixed over time, even if the soldier's Luck score changes.

Action dice: Soldiers always use their action dice for attacks. A soldier's shield bash is always in addition to his base action dice.

Summary

 * Soldiers move at normal Speed (out of armor, anyway)
 * Soldiers do not have Infravision or any special Underground skills. They do gain the corresponding bonus to protecting themselves against danger their shield can save them from.
 * Soldiers can choose any Alignment

Thief
The Thief class remains unchanged.

Warrior
The Warrior class remains mostly unchanged.


 * Warriors may add their Stamina modifier (if positive) to AC if wearing light/no clothing (unarmored).
 * Warriors may declare their random occupation start weapon to be their heirloom weapon. Heirloom weapons use a d8 damage die if normally lower. This allows the character to keep using a familiar weapon without worrying it makes such a bad choice mechanically.