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 form 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. 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.

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 by rolling d10: 1. Aversion to Sunlight, 2. Wracked with Pain 3. Debilitating Drug Addiction 4. Unfettered Hedonist 5. Repulsive Diet 6. Doomed to never age 7. Twisted or Unnatural Limb 8. Repelled by Iron (just like the default DCC rule) 9. Player's choice: either choose one from this list or make up your own. 10. Twice cursed - the player must choose two different results from this list.

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 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.

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.''


 * Raiders are normal size, move at normal Speed, do not have Infravision, is trained with different weapons, and can choose any Alignment.

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.

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...

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:


 * The first spell of each level is chosen by the Player.
 * The second spell of each level is chosen by the Judge.
 * The third spell of each level is randomized (permanently).
 * The fourth spell of each level is randomized as a "daily".

Player's Choice: The first spell of each 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.

Judge's Choice: The second spell of each 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.

Random Choice: The third spell of each 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).

"Daily" Choice: The fourth spell of each 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. 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 it. If the Shaman just pesters his god for the "best" spell repeatedly, the Judge should feel free to grant him the "no spell" 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.''


 * Soldiers move at normal Speed (out of armor, anyway)
 * Soldiers do not have Infravision or any special Underground skills
 * Soldiers can choose any Alignment

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?

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.
 * 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.