About this Page

Welcome adventurers! This page is where I collect and post my own personal gaming notes for running HAMMERCRAWL! at home. If you have no idea what all of that means, and/or you want to read up on the HAMMERCRAWL! method and process, head over to its GitHub page. I keep all the “official” updates there. This page is purely for use with my home games, and contains a lot of house rules for various existing RPG systems and such things, which I feel don’t really fit in the official stuff.

Here are some other useful links:

• The HAMMERCRAWL! World Bible – Soon to be moved to this page.
• Dark Dungeons RPG (Free!)
• Dark Dungeons X RPG (Free!)
• The D&D Rules Cyclopedia

All right, let’s get to the good stuff!

Rules of the House

Our gaming rules system of choice is a home-mixed hodge-podge of three specific books based on an old rules variant of Dungeons and Dragons known as “BECMI.” The three books in question are the D&D Rules Cyclopedia (aka RC), and two different versions of a BECMI “retroclone” called Dark Dungeons, all of which are linked at the top of this page. Primarily we’re using the rules as outlined in the 10th anniversary of the latter, known as Dark Dungeons X or just DDX (with the original version called DD). However, we’re schwipp-schwapping some of the core components around to create a sort of franken-game based on the source games’ corpses, and also throwing a few new house rules on top of them for good measure.

Below is an overall outline of what components of the game are coming from which book’s pages. Much further below are the extended house rules.

• Basic Conceits: Largely based on DDX, except:
  • Time Counting: Say yes to Turns! (RC)
  • Attack rolls: D20 + BAB + enemy AC vs DC 20.
  • Saving Throws: DDX-style – that is, roll plus a number and try to beat 20, just like attacks.
• Character Traits: Background and Traits all carry over from HAMMERCRAWL! tables
• Classes: Use those in DDX, except:
  • Elf: DD
  • M-U: DD
  • If from DD, be sure to invert saves so they are an ascending bonus as in DDX
  • and see the House Rules below
• Skills: DDX rules but with the classic HAMMERCRAWL! ever-growing Skills List
• WPs / Weapon Feats: Mostly DDX, but see House Rules on these. Also:
  • bring back the two blowguns from DD, plus the “Shield, Sword”
  • some additional WPs from AD&D 2E to round out the list (see House Rules)
• Equipment:
  • Encumbrance Rules: DD (coin weights!)
  • Firearms: Yes! Based on DDX’s Red Powder
  • HAMMERCRAWL! random items are a yes!
• Magic:
  • Most Spells: DDX
  • Learning Spells: Loosely based on DD, see the House Rules
  • Clerics and Wizards now learn spells the same way, and preparation is automatic.
  • Clerics charging money for healing: DDX (almost free in most faiths)
  • Casting spells is heavily detailed in the House Rules below.
• Adventuring
  • Light: Use the DDX hierarchy of light; however I DO still use “turns”
• Combat:
  • Initiative: RC with modifications (see extended sections below)
  • Attack Rolls: DDX
  • Unarmed Combat: DDX (unified with core combat, and WP-based)
• Rulership: Pretty much all DDX
  • Seasons: DDX (instead of monthly checks)
• War: DDX

House Rules

Character Creation

Stats

We’re using the six stats as you know them, plus a 7th stat: Social Status (SOC). It’s primarily used for NPC interactions and for determining starting wealth. More on this further down, after the classes.

SOC (3d6)	Golds	Kit Die	Status
3	x0	dZ	Scum
4-5	x1	d4	Peasantry
6-8	x2	d6	Poor
9-12	x3	d8	Middle Class
13-15	x4	d10	Lesser Nobility
16-17	x5	d12	Greater Nobility
18	x10	d20	Royalty

To determine your stats, roll 3d6 seven times, writing them down on a scratch sheet in the order you rolled them. Asign the highest one or two stats to your class’s specified Prime Stats, in the order you rolled them. Then assign the rest of the stats, also in the order you rolled them.

Also, one special note: WIS is the only stat that provides a saving throw bonus. Add its mod when saving against spells (and only spells).

Character Classes

If players so choose, they can randomly roll for their starting class. First roll 3d6 to see what species you get. Non-human species define their classes already (as in “Drawf” or “Elf”), while humans have a sub-set of classes rolled on a subsequent table.

Roll 3d6	Species
3	Clockwork (DDX)
4-5	Elf (DD)
6-8	Drawf (DDX)
9-12	Human (roll 1d6 below)
13-15	Hobbert (DDX)
16-17	H’fogre (new!)
18	Lupine (DDX)

If human, roll 1d6 below to find your class:

Roll 1d6	Human Class
1	Cleric (DDX)
2	Druid (DDX)
3	Fighter (DDX)
4	Magic-User (DD)
5	Mountebank (DDX)
6	Thief (DDX)

Each class is listed with its primary sourcebook, but most are additionally modified further below.

Cleric (from DDX)

Ignore spell knowledge tables. Instead:

• Prime Stats: WIS, CHA
• Hit Die: D6 + CON bonus through 9th level, +1 every level after
• Weapon Feats: Increase to 4, following same progress as skills

Ignore spell knowledge tables. Instead:

• Spellcasting: Starts play with access to level 1 spell magic. Increase maximum spell level at every XP level that is divisible by 4 (4, 8, 16, etc).
• Starting Spells: Two spells, plus/minus the WIS modifier.

Clockwork (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: STR, CON
• Hit Die: D8 + CON bonus through 9th level, +2 every level after

Drawf (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: STR, CON
• Hit Die: D8 + CON bonus through 9th level, +2 every level after
• Darkvision: Change heatvision to Black & White Darkvision

Druid (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: WIS, CHA
• Hit Die: D6 + CON bonus through 9th level, +1 every level after
• Weapon Feats: Increase to 4, following same progress as skills
• Spellcasting: Starts play with access to level 1 spell magic. Increase maximum spell level at every XP level that is divisible by 4 (4, 8, 16, etc).
• Starting Spells: Two spells, plus/minus the WIS modifier.

Elf (from DD)

• Prime Stats: DEX, INT
• Hit Die: D6 + CON bonus through 9th level, +1 every level after
• Remove Heat/Infra vision entirely!
• Saving Throws: invert them to ascending scale similar to DDX classes
• Bonus Attacks: Change extra attacks to +1 at 13 and 24 (total of 3)
• Armor and Magic: Wearing armor restricts spellcasting by adding a chance of failure. Leather starts at 10% and each higher rank adds 20 more. Suit armor has a whopping 110% chance of failure. If the armor is magical, reduce the penalty by 10x its magical bonus (so a +1 armor reduces its failure chance by 10%).

Ignore spell knowledge tables. Instead:

• Spellcasting: Start with access to level 1 spell magic. Increase maximum spell level at every XP level that is divisible by 4 (4, 8, 16, etc).
• Starting Spells: Red Magic, plus two additional spells, plus/minus the INT modifier.

Fighter (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: STR, CON
• Hit Die: D8 + CON bonus through 9th level, +2 every level after
• Bonus Attacks: Change multiple attacks progression to a bonus attack at: 10, 17, 25, and 36 (total of 5 attacks)
• Bonus Proficiency: A Fighter begins play at “Skilled” mastery in the first two of their randomly rolled starting weapons.
• Not Today!: When you would take damage that would kill you, you can say “NOT TODAY!” and negate all of the damage from that attack. You gain one finite use per level, starting at level 1.
• Likely to Succeed: When leveling up, you reroll your Hit Points twice, and keep the best result.

Half-Ogre Berzerker (NEW)

• Prime Stats: STR, CON
• Hit Die: D8 + CON bonus through 9th level, +3 every level after
• Armor limit: cannot wear higher than Scale mail, and must be sized for them at cost x2.
• Saves: as Fighter with -2 penalty
• Feats: Progresses as fighter, starts at 4.
• Hungry: Requires twice as much food/rations as a normal character for all related purposes.
• Outcasts: Frequently socially ostracized in major civilised areas, often chased out of town.
• Special heatvision: They have heatvision, but only when they rage (seeing red!)
• Bonus Attacks: Gain extra attacks at +1 at 14, 22, and 35 (total of 4)

Murderous Rage: Berserker blood is instilled with traces of the same dark rage that drives their ogrish ancestors to war against the kingdoms of humans. When a Berserker takes damage, they must make a Mind save (target: 12) or go into an uncontrollable violent fury. During this rage, they receive the following adjustments:

• They gain one (1) additional attack each round, and an additional one at levels divisible by 12 (at 12, 24, and 36).
• They gain temporary hit points = their CON score. This increases 2x at level 13, 3x at level 21, and 4x and level 36.
• They gain temporary Heatvision as they are now seeing the world with pure heated rage.
• They are immune to Fear and Morale effects.
• They suffer a disadvantage on all saving throws except for DeathRay/Poison and Paralysis/Petrificaion, which they have an advantage on.

While in their Rage, on their turn in combat they must take action according to the following priority chain – higher-listed actions are mandatory if possible:

1. Melee Attack the strongest-looking enemy within immediate striking range.
2. Move to the strongest-looking enemy within charging range and Melee Attack them.
3. Thrown (Missile) attack the strongest-looking enemy within Thrown Range.
4. Melee Attack the strongest-looking standing living creature (friend or foe) within immediate striking range (Death Ray Save each time to avoid attacking an ally).
5. Pass Out: If no other options are left, they must roll a Paralysis Save as the rage runs out: if successful the Berserker’s mind clears and they spend the round panting (no actions) but recover fully active the next round. If failed they collapse to the ground unconscious (remain unconscious for 3d6 minutes).

A Berserker can choose to voluntarily fail either save and willingly let the rage overtake them and/or knock them unconscious afterward. They can also trigger it on their own by causing themselves 1 point of damage with a weapon.

Hobbert (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: DEX, CON
• Hit Die: D6 + CON bonus through 9th level, +2 every level after
• Nimble: Onlyh a +1 initiative, applied to the whole team.
• Thief Skills: They now get Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Hear Noise from the thief skills tree, with a +10 bonus on the first two when outdoors.

Lupine (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: DEX, WIS
• Hit Die: D6 + CON bonus through 9th level, +2 every level after

Magic-User (from DDX)

Ignore spell knowledge tables. Instead:

• Prime Stats: INT, SOC
• Hit Die: D4 + CON bonus through 9th level, +1 every level after
• Saving Throws: invert them to ascending scale similar to DDX classes
• Spellcasting: Start with access to level 1 spell magic. Increase maximum spell level at every XP level that is divisible by 3 (3, 6, 9, etc)
• Use the LOW wps table from my spreadsheet
• Starting Spells: Read Magic, plus three additional spells, plus/minus the INT modifier.

Mountebank (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: DEX, INT
• Hit Die: D6 + CON bonus through 9th level, +1 every level after
• Saving Throws: As book, but replace RSS progress with same as DRP
• Thief Skills: Gain an additional 2 bonus points each level to spend on special thief skills, including at level 1.
• NEW Thiefskill: “Bluff” Thieves can use this to attempt to sway social encounters. Base Ability: Bluff advance identically to the Hide in Shadows Skill.
• Armor and Magic: May only wear leather armour. Wearing armor restricts spellcasting by adding a chance of failure. Leather starts at 10%. If the armor is magical, reduce the penalty by 10x its magical bonus (so a +1 armor reduces its failure chance by 10%).

Ignore spell knowledge tables. Instead:

• Spellcasting: Start with access to level 1 spell magic. Increase maximum spell level at every XP level that is divisible by 4 (4, 8, 16, etc).
• Starting Spells: Read Magic, plus one additional spell, plus/minus the INT modifier.
• Learning Spells: Can learn spells from all classes! However cleric/druid spells count as one level higher for purposes of level limits (so can’t learn level 1 cleric spells until they unlock level 2 magic-user spells).

Thief (from DDX)

• Prime Stats: DEX, INT
• Hit Die: increases to D6 + CON bonus through 9th level, +1 every level after
• Thief Skills: Gain an additional 5 bonus points each level to spend on special thief skills, including at level 1. No more than 3 bonus points can be added to any one. Cannot add to Read Languages or Use Magic, those are set.
• NEW Thiefskill: “Bluff” Thieves can use this to attempt to sway social encounters. Base Ability: Bluff advance identically to the Hide in Shadows Skill.
• NEW Trait: “Lucky” Thieves roll with an advantage on all saving throws

Additional Character Data

Hit Points

Use the Hit Die format from DD/RC, and NOT the base per level format of DDX. Each class is listed above with its relevant hit die. Max the hit die at first level.

Weapon Proficiency

You are automatically proficient with all the weapons allowed by your class – or in other words, all weapons not restricted by your class’s book description. You start with a random weapon in your possession for each of your book-granted so-called “weapon feats.”

When rolling for these weapons, if it’s one not on your proficiency list, add it to your list, it’s your lucky day. If the same weapon is rolled multiple times, reroll it. On a roll of 50, however, you get to roll again and get the new weapon rolled at Skilled tier. Consecutire rolls of 50 do not stack, and the maximum rank you can start with is Skilled.

Also, note that the random feat rolls are not restricted by your class! Meaning a Wizard could somehow know how to wield a 2H sword, if rolled!

See further below for more details.

Starting Gear

SPECIAL NOTE: A lot of this is made unnecessary by the character generator program. The gearlist it generates does not use the “class kits” and instead randomly distributes some starting gear based on the character’s social status.

In order to keep things simple and not spend ages on gear buying, we’re using the initial gear system from the previous incarnation of the game.

All characters start with the following for free:

• One standard randomly-rolled weapon for each of their class-listed basic weapon feats.
• 50% chance of a random suit of armor
• A special “class kit” item suitable for their class, with a usage die determined by SOC score (see below)
• A shoulderbag/satchel
• 1d4 torches
• 1d6 fresh rations
• Some pocket change in GP (see below)

For starting pocket money, use the new SOC stat. Multiply your rolled SOC score by its associated multiplier, and that’s how much money you have to spend. If you have excess coinage, you can use the Equipment section of the game book to purchase anything you can afford.

SOC (3d6)	Golds	Kit Die	Status
3	x0	dZ	Scum
4-5	x1	d4	Peasantry
6-8	x2	d6	Poor
9-12	x3	d8	Middle Class
13-15	x4	d10	Lesser Nobility
16-17	x5	d12	Greater Nobility
18	x10	d20	Royalty

Weapons, Proficiencies & Feats

We’re using a combination of automatic class proficiencies, random starting weapons, and long term cool feat masteries. It breaks down into three components: known proficiencies, starting weapons, and long term mastery.

• Known Proficiecies: a character’s known proficiencies are determined by their class. These are pretty standard affairs similar to most later versions of D&D.
• Starting Weapons: A character begins play with one random weapon for each of their listed “Weapon Feats” in the class description. If this is a weapon they already know how to use, awesome. If it’s not one they would normally know, even better: now they do! Add it to your known proficient weapons.
• Long Term Mastery: Whenever your character would gain a new “weapon feat” in the rules for leveling up, they can pick any weapon they are proficient with and increase its mastery level, following the weapon feat table for that weapon.

Available Weapons

From DD, we’re re-adding the two blowguns and the “Shield, Sword” WP. Additionally, we’re importing these from AD&D 2E (their feat tables are further below):

• Dart (1H)
• Harpoon (2H)
• Mancatcher (2H)
• Pick, Light (1H)
• Pick, War (2H)
• Scourge (1H)
• Sickle (1H)

Random Roll Table for WPs:

Roll 1d50	Result	Roll 1d50	Result
1	Axe, Battle	26	Pick, Light
2	Axe, Hand	27	Pick, War
3	Blackjack	28	Pike
4	Blowgun, Large	29	Pistol
5	Blowgun, Small	30	Poleaxe
6	Bolas	31	Scourge
7	Bow, Long	32	Shield, Buckler
8	Bow, Short	33	Shield, Normal
9	Cestus	34	Shield, Sword
10	Club	35	Shield, Tower
11	Crossbow, Heavy	36	Sickle
12	Crossbow, Light	37	Sling
13	Dagger	38	Smoothbore
14	Dart	39	Spear
15	Flail	40	Staff
16	Halberd	41	Sword, Bastard
17	Hammer, Throwing	42	Sword, Normal
18	Hammer, War	43	Sword, Short
19	Harpoon	44	Sword, Two-handed
20	Javelin	45	Trident
21	Lance	46	Fisticuffs (Unarmed)
22	Mace	47	Whip
23	Mancatcher	48	Wrestling
24	Morning Star	49	Roll Twice, keep both
25	Net	50	Roll again, take result as Skilled

New Weapon Feat Tables

NOTE: The Blowguns, Sword Shield, and their data are in the original Dark Dungeons book, and are used as-is. The tables below are those weapons newly-imported from AD&D 2E.

WP: Dart vs Armed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	x2 Damage	Range
None	–	1d2	–	15/25/35
Basic	–	1d3	–	15/25/35
Skilled	+1	1d4	20	20/30/45
Expert	+2	2d4	19	25/35/50
Master	+4	2d4+2	18	30/40/55
Grandmaster	+6	3d4+1	17	35/55/65

WP: Dart vs Unarmed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	AC Bonus	x2 Damage	Range
None	–	1d2	–	–	15/25/35
Basic	–	1d3	-1 vs 1	–	15/25/35
Skilled	+2	1d4	-2 vs 2	20	20/30/45
Expert	+4	2d4	-2 vs 2	19	25/35/50
Master	+6	3d4	-3 vs 2	18	30/40/55
Grandmaster	+8	4d4	-3 vs 3	17	35/55/65

WP: Harpoon vs Armed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	AC Bonus	Skewer	Range
None	-1	1d4	–	–	20/40/60
Basic	–	2d4	–	–	20/40/60
Skilled	+1	2d6	-1 vs 1	4dh	20/40/60
Expert	+2	2d6+2	-2 vs 2	7hd	40/60/75
Master	+4	1d12+4	-3 vs 2	10hd	40/60/75
Grandmaster	+6	1d10+6	-3 vs 3	15hd	60/75/80

WP: Harpoon vs Unarmed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Skewer	Range
None	–	1d4	–	20/40/60
Basic	–	2d4	–	20/40/60
Skilled	+2	2d6	4dh	20/40/60
Expert	+4	2d6+2	7hd	40/60/75
Master	+6	3d6+2	10hd	40/60/75
Grandmaster	+8	4d4+4	15hd	60/75/80

WP: Mancatcher vs Armed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Entangle
None	–	1	-4
Basic	–	1d2	0
Skilled	+1	1d3	+1
Expert	+2	1d4+1	+2
Master	+3	1d3+2	+4
Grandmaster	+6	1d3+3	+8

WP: Mancatcher vs Unarmed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	AC Bonus	Entangle
None	–	1	–	-4
Basic	–	1d2	–	0
Skilled	+2	1d3	-2 vs 2	+1
Expert	+4	1d4	-3 vs 3	+2
Master	+6	1d4+2	-4 vs 3	+4
Grandmaster	+8	1d4+5	-4 vs 4	+8

WP: Pick (Light) vs Armed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Hook	Hurl
None	–	1d3	–	–
Basic	–	1d6	+0	–
Skilled	+2	1d6+2	-1	–
Expert	+4	1d8+2	-2	-/10/20
Master	+6	1d8+5	-3	-/10/20
Grandmaster	+8	1d8+7	-4	10/20/30

WP: Pick (Light) vs Unarmed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	AC Bonus	Hook	Hurl
None	–	1d3	–	–	–
Basic	–	1d6	–	+0	–
Skilled	+1	1d6+2	-2 vs 2	-1	–
Expert	+2	1d8+2	-3 vs 3	-2	-/10/20
Master	+4	1d6+4	-4 vs 4	-3	-/10/20
Grandmaster	+6	1d6+7	-5 vs 4	-4	10/20/30

WP: Pick (War) vs Armed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	AC Bonus	Hook
None	–	1d4	–	–
Basic	–	1d8	–	+0
Skilled	+2	1d8+2	-2 vs 2	-1
Expert	+4	1d8+4	-3 vs 2	-2
Master	+6	1d8+8	-3 vs 3	-3
Grandmaster	+8	1d10+10	-4 vs 4	-4

WP: Pick (War) vs Unarmed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Hook
None	–	1d4	–
Basic	–	1d8	+0
Skilled	+1		-1
Expert	+2		-2
Master	+4	1d8+6	-3
Grandmaster	+6	1d8+8	-4

WP: Scourge vs Armed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Disarm	Stun
None	–	1d2	–	–
Basic	–	1d4	–	–
Skilled	+1	1d6	+0	–
Expert	+2	1d6+1	-1	Y
Master	+3	1d4+3	-2	Y
Grandmaster	+6	1d4+4	-4	Y

WP: Scourge vs Unarmed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Disarm	Stun	AC Bonus
None	–	1d2	–	–	–
Basic	–	1d4	–	–	–
Skilled	+2	1d4+1	+0	–	-2 vs 2
Expert	+4	1d4+3	-1	Y	-3 vs 3
Master	+6	1d4+5	-2	Y	-4 vs 3
Grandmaster	+8	2d4+4	-4	Y	-4 vs 4

WP: Sickle vs Armed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Hook	x2 Damage
None	–	1d2	–	–
Basic	–	1d4	+0	–
Skilled	+1	1d6	-1	20
Expert	+2	2d4	-2	19
Master	+4	2d4+2	-3	18
Grandmaster	+6	3d4+1	-4	17

WP: Sickle vs Unarmed
Proficiency	Bonus	Damage	Hook	x2 Damage	AC Bonus
None	–	1d2	–	–	–
Basic	–	1d4	+0	–	-1 vs 1
Skilled	+2	1d6	-1	20	-2 vs 2
Expert	+4	2d4	-2	19	-2 vs 2
Master	+6	3d4	-3	18	-3 vs 2
Grandmaster	+8	4d4	-4	17	-3 vs 3

Leveling Up

Unify everything to the Fighter Track as the singular XP track that all characters follow. No more of this mismatched leveling stuff.

Multiply all base encounter XP rewards by 10, across the board. This is a game of rapid progression through dangerous dungeons, and faster XP gain is a bit more entertaining. This multiplier does not apply to any other sources of XP.

Adventuring Gear

Usage Dice

Every item has both the usage die and six dots. when you roll the die and get a 1 or 2, mark a dot (but the die doesn’t change). If the sixth dot is filled, the item is useless. Occasionally items may have multiple dice. In such a case, a dot is only marked when both dice show either a 1 or a 2.

Good quality well made items have a d10 or d12. Common items have a d8. Cheap or used items have a d6, and really crap items have a d4. Top tier items of rare special sturdy materials have a d20. Magic items are often but not always indestructible by mortal means.

some items have a “dZ” for (d-Zero) usage die. This means you mark a dot every time it is used, no roll allowed. An entire combat scene is considered a single use for such items – use it many times in the fight, it still only marks one dot. A nat 1 rolled when using a dZ item fills all its dots, breaking it instantly.

Items can be repaired unless they are marked as Expendable. Items of dZ quality are usually (but not always) also expendable.

Class Kits (Optional)

When making characters at the table, in order to speed up play the player can choose to skip the gear-buying stage and use this rule instead (after taking their free starting gear). Characters made using the generator app do not get this option.

Every character starts with a special “class kit” item, This item exists so that players can quickly make new characters without needing to build out extensive gear lists. The class kit has a usage die set by the character’s SOC stat during character creation.

The kit contains an unknown number of items. When in possession of one, the player can ask the Smith if they are carrying any one non-weapon-or-armor item that it would make sense for them to have in such a kit. If the Smith allows it, the player writes the item down and rolls the die. As they are expendable, they cannot be repaired.

Class kits can be looted from the bodies of fallen player characters.

Combat Mechanics

Initiative and Flow

Use RC Initiative, but modified as such:

Roll: 1d12 + Leader’s DEX and WIS mods

Turn Order:

1. Morale
2. Movement
3. Missile
4. Melee (includes unarmed and wrestling)
5. Magic
6. Miscellaneous

Tactical Options

Dual-Wielding Weapons

When dual-wielding weapons (including shields that are used as weapons), if your attack hits, roll damage for both weapons and take the higher resulting die. That result is your official damage roll result for that attack, for all purposes of the rules.

Shield Weapons

Some shields can be used as weapons. When a shield is used offensively for any reason, it loses its AC bonus until your next combat turn comes around.

Death and Dying

(directly copied and tweaked from the 2E HAMMERCRAWL! rules)

What happens at Zero Hit Points depends on the game’s selected Difficulty Mode.

Death in HARDCORE Mode

In Hardcore mode, when your adventurer reaches zero hit points, they are dead. See Character Death, further below.

Death in ADVENTURE Mode

In Adventure mode, when your adventurer is reduced to 0 Hit Points, they’re not dead… not yet. First, any damage taken in excess of what would be needed to drop you to Zero hit points is immediately taken out of your CON score. This loss is permanent until magically restored (see below). Now if that reduces you to 0 CON, then you’re dead. See the “Death” section for how to proceed.

If you’ve still got CON score left after over, then you’re still up! But you’re now getting badly wounded, and each breath you take brings you one step closer to the doorway to the afterlife. On your turn, you can choose one of the following two options:

• Lay Down and Call for Help
• Fight On!

If you choose to Lay Down, you drop to the ground prone. On this round and every round following it until you are healed, you must make a Death Ray save. If you fail, you take an immediate point of permanent CON loss. If this drops you to Zero, you’re dead. See the Death subsection, further below.

If you choose to Fight On, you can take an action as normal! Resolve it, and at the end of your action you immediately take 1d4 permanent CON damage, no save allowed. If this drops you to Zero, you’re dead. Repeat for each turn that you continue to Fight on.

In either case, while your HP is zero, any further damage you may take from additional attacks or effects targeting you comes directly out of your CON score. Once your CON reaches Zero, you are Dead.

If your CON has been permanently reduced due to taking damage below zero HP, then the only way to restore it is through advanced medical technology of 21st century or later (good luck finding that in your dirty-ass dungeon), or instead via use of the Level 4 Cleric Spell Cure Serious Wounds (or similar potion or scroll).

EXCITEMENT Mode

Excitement Mode is identical to Adventure mode, with the following update to recovering lost CON:

In addition to magical recovery, lost points of CON can be restored through extended character rest. After returning to town, you can choose to stick around and take an extended rest. For each week of downtime, your character restores 1 point of lost CON.

The financial cost for this rest is based on the character’s social class (SOC). The character must be able to spend an amount of coins equal to their SOC Stat score every day of this recovery. This is exciting, right?

Given that this could lay your character out for an extended amount of time, this is a prime opportunity to roll up a new fill-in character to join the rest of your party in their ongoing adventures during the rest period.

Magic Mechanics

Spell Magic

For the purposes of cascading power, each successive spell level is considered to be twice as potent as the level before it. So level 2 is twice as powerful as level 1, level 3 is twice as powerful as level 2, level 4 twice that of level 3, and so on. This “power chain” of spell magic from levels 9 down to 1 are as follows:

1x 9th = 2x 8th = 4x 7th = 8x 6th = 16x 5th = 32x 4th = 64x 3rd = 128x 2nd = 256x 1st

So a single 9th level spell is equal to 256 1st level spells! This chart may also be helpful:

Levels	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
9	1	2	4	8	16	32	64	128	256
8	1/2	1	2	4	8	16	32	64	128
7	1/4	1/2	1	2	4	8	16	32	64
6	1/8	1/4	1/2	1	2	4	8	16	32
5	1/16	1/8	1/4	1/2	1	2	4	8	16
4	1/32	1/16	1/8	1/4	1/2	1	2	4	8
3	1/64	1/32	1/16	1/8	1/4	1/2	1	2	4
2	1/128	1/64	1/32	1/16	1/8	1/4	1/2	1	2
1	1/256	1/128	1/64	1/32	1/16	1/8	1/4	1/2	1

Learning Spells

Spells can be learned from those captured while adventuring. However in order to do so, the caster must bring them out of the dungeon, back to town or their lair, and safely research them during downtime.

Clerics learn spells the same as elves and magic-users. In the case of clerics, the spells they uncover are prayers and rites, either those lof their faith that were previously lost, or those of the enemy that the cleric “sanctifies” and converts to serve her own faith.

Memorizing Spells

A character knows all the spells she has transcribed into her currently-possessed spell or prayer book. Each day she can skim over the book and re-memorize every spell therein.

A character can not memorize any spells beyond their maximum spell level, which is determined by their class. They can possess such spells, but never memorize nor cast them.

Casting Spells from Memory

A caster can cast any spell she has memorized. The spell does either what its description says it does, or what the caster’s player can convince her GM to let it do.

When a spell is cast, she must choose to either forget that spell for the day, or instead forget an equivalent power amount of other memorized spells. Meaning, if she casts a level 4 spell, she can instead choose to forget a different level 4 spell instead. Or she can instead choose to forget two level 3 spells, or four level 2 spells, or even one level 3 spell and two level 2 spells, or so on.

Casting Spells from Scrolls

Item Magic

Smith’s Rules

New Monsters for HAMMERCRAWL!

Goblin, Flesh

(first appearance: Hooni’s Hammers in the kingdom of 1997)

Mimic Worm

(first appearance: HAMMERCRAWL! 3D Episode 1)