The 2020 Gongfarmer’s Almanac:

A Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Zine

Written, Illustrated, Edited and Produced by

the DCC RPG Communities

Character Classes
VOLUME 7 OF SIXTEEN BOOKLETS

This product is based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game, published by
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 Table of Contents
Volume 1: DCC Adventure Time #1

Blood Diamonds of the Chaos Cult (Level 0) ................................... 5

The Second Time Around (Level 0) .................................................... 28
Honi Soit Baba (Level 1) .......................................................................... 36

Volume 2: DCC Adventure Time #2

7 Beauties (Shudder Mountains Level 1) ........................................... 5

Dead Dragon Peak (Level 1) ................................................................... 23
Hoard of the Metal Goddess (Level 1) ................................................ 42

Volume 3: DCC Adventure Time #3

Loose Change (Level 1) ............................................................................ 5

Down The Rabbit Hole (Level 1) .......................................................... 19

Volume 4: DCC Adventure Time #4

Descent Into The Underhive (Level 1) ................................................ 5

Contemplation of the Dust (Level 1) ................................................... 16
Shrine of Noctys (Level 1) ....................................................................... 30
Noctys (Patron) ........................................................................................... 37

Volume 5: DCC Adventure Time #5

The Inn in the Forest (Level 1-2) .......................................................... 5

Beyond the Diamond Veil (Level 2) .................................................... 16
Get Off Ye Wrasses (Level 3-4) .............................................................. 38

Volume 6: DCC Adventure Time #6

B Mine (Level 4-6) ..................................................................................... 5

7-
 Volume 7: Character Classes
Human .......................................................................................................... 5
Peasant .......................................................................................................... 9
The Fowl Summoner ................................................................................ 12
Martial Grandmaster ............................................................................... 24
Tarantino Elf .............................................................................................. 29
The Hive Master ........................................................................................ 34
Barbearian ................................................................................................... 38

Volume 8: Character Class - Styles & Rules

Creating Non-Level 0 Characters ......................................................... 5

Adding Character to Your Class ........................................................... 9
The Training Montage ............................................................................ 13
A Little Bit of Magic for Everyone Else ............................................. 26
Runelords in DCC ...................................................................................... 38
Patron Bond Vision Quest Rules .......................................................... 43

Volume 9: Axes, Beasts, and Collections

Weapons With Which to Drive Thine Enemies ............................. 5

Another Man’s Trash ............................................................................... 9
Monstrous Encounters ............................................................................ 23
Animal-Men Generator .......................................................................... 29
Farmyard Familiars: A New Option for Finding Familiars ....... 43

Volume 10: NPCs, Hamlets, Towers, and Babies?!

Poonchucker Dan: King of the Hooks ................................................ 5

Tower of the Manticore .......................................................................... 9
Hamlet Happenstances ............................................................................ 47
Character Occupations for Skill Checks: A Primer at Level 1..... 56
Diaper Crawl Classics ............................................................................... 60

Volume 11: Dark Trails - Yee-haw! #1

Going to the Crossroads ........................................................................... 5

Cornstalk Boogeyman (Level 1) ............................................................ 20
Uncle Silas (Level 1) ................................................................................. 36
Dark Trails Character Sheet .................................................................. 51

7-
 Volume 12: Dark Trails - Yee-haw! #2

Cough Drops ................................................................................................ 5

Into the Forest Primeval (Level 1) ........................................................ 12
Armillamycetes, The Mycelial Master (Patron) .............................. 48

Volume 13: MCC - Cataclysm Adventures

Moremen: The Mutants with More .................................................... 5

Moremen, More Problems (Level 1-3) ................................................. 12
Dead Man’s Hand (Level 2) .................................................................... 21
Spaced Out (Level 2) ................................................................................. 41

Volume 14: MCC - Mutants & Machines

Scholar (Character Class) ........................................................................ 5

Mastermind (Character Class) ............................................................... 9
Insectaur (Character Class) ..................................................................... 13
Geologian (Character Class) ................................................................... 18
MCC: Items Found in the Dwellings of the Ancients..................... 24
Datum of the Computarchs ................................................................... 32
Wetware of the Rock Gods .................................................................... 44

Volume 15: 2020 Master ‘Zine Index Part I

DCC RPG Master ‘Zine Index ................................................................. 5

Volume 16: 2020 Master ‘Zine Index Part II

DCC RPG Master ‘Zine Index ................................................................. 5

7-
Human
By Dieter Zimmerman

DCC RPG is human-centric because most of the novels of Appendix

N are human-centric. When an elf, dwarf, or other race appears in
an Appendix N story, it’s often a single member of the race who
embodies that entire race - at least from the perspective of the human
protagonist. The basic justification for “Race as Class” in DCC is
that non-humans are pretty rare, and that those non-humans who
involve themselves in the human world tend to share many
characteristics and become representative of their entire race from
the human standpoint. Even in cases in the literature where non-
humans aren’t that rare, they tend to be more or less the same. Admit
it; all 13 dwarves in The Hobbit are pretty interchangeable as far as
their skill-sets go.

But where does that leave you if you want to run an all-elf or all-
dwarf game? You don’t want all your PCs to be the same class, so
you let your hero race choose classes like humans normally would in
DCC RPG. But in that scenario letting someone who wants to play a
human choose a class also would be kind of against the spirit of
“race as class” so I’ve created a “generic human” class for non-
human campaigns. Think of this as being written in an alternate
universe DCC RPG where all the players are elves and humans are
mythological.

The sorts of humans who would travel to non-human lands are

probably most interested in knowledge or wealth: sages and
explorers, merchants and thieves. Their common skill set likely
involves good communication, moral flexibility, and the ability to
survive on their own.

Hit Points: A human is hardier than an elf, but not as tough as a

dwarf. They gain 1d8 hit points at each level.

7—5
Weapon training: A human is trained in the use of the crossbow,
dagger, handaxe, longsword, shortbow, shortsword, sling, spear,
staff, and one other weapon of their choice. Humans can wear
whatever armor they see fit.

Alignment: Humans tend to be in it for themselves, and so are often

neutral.

Highly Skilled: Humans are incredibly adaptable to changing

situations because they pick up on new skills quickly, and they reach
levels of mastery that other races find obsessive. A human rolls 1d14
for all untrained skill checks, and 1d24 for all trained skill checks.

Master of Diplomacy: Though many humans are capable fighters,

talking is how they usually get what they want (and humans always
want something). A human can convince dwarves to shave and make
them think it was their idea. A human can try to persuade someone to
do something by temporarily spending one Personality point, and the
target(s) must make a Will save with a DC of 8 plus the human’s Per
modifier and the human’s class level. If they fail, they are inclined to
do what the human wants and will do it as soon as the situation
reasonably allows. The action can be against the target’s best interest,
but at the Judge’s discretion the effect can be altered by changing
circumstances. For example, if a human convinces an enemy to stop
fighting and talk instead, that enemy will start fighting again if
attacked or if the ensuing conversation goes poorly. This ability is
based on emotion and logic, not magic.
Normally a human can only affect one target at a time, but additional
Personality points can be used to affect more people or make the
saving throw more difficult. One Personality point can add two to the
save DC or double the number of targets affected. The human’s
Personality score recovers as normal (one point per day).
The human does not even need to speak the language of their target.
As long as the target is intelligent and the ideas can be expressed
through gestures and noises, a persuasion attempt can be made.

Infinite Variety: Human societies are many and varied, covering

plains, deserts, mountains, islands, and any other landscape
imaginable. They have universal traits, but they have differences
also. At 1st level a human can roll or choose one of the following
options:
7—6
 1) Warrior: The human gains the Mighty Deed of Arms ability
like a 1st level fighter.
2) Wizard: The human gains the ability to cast two random
Wizard spells as if they were a 1st level caster.
3) Cleric: The human gains the ability to cast two random
Cleric spells as if they were a 1st level caster.
4) Thief: The human gains Thief skills like a 1st level Thief of
the same alignment.

Even though the human will gain levels, these abilities never
improve. They are always used as if the human were 1st level. Wizard
spells are subject to mercurial magic and corruption, and they can be
boosted with spellburn. Cleric spells are subject to disapproval like
normal. A human can never learn any additional spells.

Human Hubris: Humans are master manipulators, yet they are also
easily manipulated. Every human desires to increase their own
influence and sense of self-importance. When one is confronted with
a situation that could significantly increase or decrease their personal
power, a human is likely to pursue their own selfish ends, even
betraying friends and ideals if the pull is strong enough.
Any time a human character has to make a Will save, they can
choose to voluntarily fail. If a save is failed in this manner, the
character gains back one point of spent Per or Luck up to their
starting maximum. If the character chooses to roll the save and fails,
nothing is gained.

Luck: With their short lifespans, humans are forced to learn things
quickly. A human applies his Luck modifier to any skill checks
(trained or untrained).

Languages: Humans are good at communicating. At first level, a

human automatically knows Common, the language of the
predominant race of the campaign, and one additional language
determined randomly as specified in Appendix L of the DCC RPG
core rules.

Action Dice: Humans use their action dice for attacks and skill
checks. At 6th level they receive a second action die.

7—7
 Table H-1: Human
Crit Die Action
Level Attack /Table Dice Ref Fort Will
1 +1 1d8/III 1d20 +1 +1 +0
2 +2 1d10/III 1d20 +1 +2 +0
3 +2 1d10/III 1d20 +1 +2 +1
4 +3 1d12/III 1d20 +2 +3 +1
5 +4 1d12/III 1d20 +2 +3 +1
6 +5 1d14/III 1d20+1d14 +2 +4 +2
7 +5 1d14/III 1d20+1d16 +3 +4 +2
8 +6 1d16/III 1d20+1d16 +3 +5 +2
9 +7 1d16/III 1d20+1d20 +3 +5 +3
10 +7 1d20/III 1d20+1d20 +4 +6 +3

7—8
 Peasant
By Matthew Carr Art by Colin Mills

“I always wondered how

the level 20 gnomish
locksmith mentioned in the
knock spell got so good at
making locks. I set out to
answer my own question
with this class. Un-
fortunately, I only got to
level 10 before the table
ran out!”

Peasants come in all

varieties of species and
professions. They make up
the vast majority of society.
They can be wealthy
merchants, hard-working
farmers or the lowly
gongfarmers. This class is
for all those times when
your adventurers meet a
less than willing NPC and
drag them along on some
adventures. Or when you
get that one player that
says, “But what if I just
want to be a farmer on an
adventure?”

Hit points: A peasant gains

1d4 hit points per level.

7—9
Weapon training: Peasants are generally not trained in any weapons
except those used in their occupations. A peasant gains proficiency in
the weapon given by the peasant’s profession and in any other
implements used by the peasant’s profession on a regular basis. For
example, farmers might be proficient in pitchforks, shovels and a
handaxe or knife used for slaughtering animals.

Alignment: Peasants are usually part of and dependent upon the

community around them. Because of this they are usually lawful or
neutral. Chaotic peasants are either the town rabble rousers or they
may be found out in the wilds. Lone peasants living in the wilderness
often end up in dire situations due to bandits or dangerous creatures.

No occupation restriction: The peasant class may be combined with

any of the occupations in the game; this includes elven, dwarven and
halfling occupations. A demi-human peasant only gets the benefits
listed in the DCC RPG rulebook on page 21, in the “Demi-humans at
level 0” section.

Expert: Peasants add a bonus equal to their peasant level when

making skill checks related to their occupation.

Luck: Peasants add their luck modifier to checks made in their

profession or hobby.

Hobby: Any peasant may adopt a hobby once they have gotten good
enough at their main occupation. This hobby gives a peasant the
ability to pick one other occupation and make checks in it using a
hobby die instead of the normal d10 untrained check.

Life of Adventure: A peasant may seek to throw off the mundanity

of peasant life and seek a life of adventure. Should a peasant do so,
the peasant loses all but 10 experience points, and most of the
benefits from any levels the peasant had, including hit points. The
peasant reverts to a 0-level peasant with the original hit points the
peasant had at creation. If the peasant was human, the peasant may
choose a 1st-level human class. If the peasant was an elf, dwarf or
halfling, the peasant becomes a professional 1st-level Elf, Dwarf or
Halfling. The peasant may keep the hobby die and trained abilities
from the level attained at the time of conversion. The peasant also
keeps any property accumulated.
7 — 10
 Table P-1: Peasant

Crit Die/ Hobby

Level Attack Table Action Die Die Ref Fort Will
1 +0 1d6/I 1d20 -- +1 +1 +0
2 +1 1d8/I 1d20 1d10 +1 +1 +0
3 +1 1d8/I 1d20 1d12 +1 +2 +1
4 +2 1d10/I 1d20 1d12 +2 +2 +1
5 +2 1d10/I 1d20 1d14 +2 +3 +1
6 +3 1d12/I 1d20 1d14 +2 +4 +2
7 +3 1d12/I 1d20+1d14 1d16 +3 +4 +2
8 +4 1d14/I 1d20+1d16 1d16 +3 +5 +2
9 +4 1d14/I 1d20+1d16 1d20 +3 +5 +3
10 +5 1d16/I 1d20+1d20 1d20 +4 +6 +3

7 — 11
The Fowl Summoner
Words and Art By Clayton Williams

You owe allegiance to no man! Your devotion lies with the magistic
overseers of the world, birds. You have set your sights on joining
their flock or at least being a humble soldier/servant. To satiate your
desire you are questing for knowledge and magic that will help bring
you closer to these fowl beings. The first step in your transformation
is the ability and focus to summon feathered friends.

A Fowl Summoner is a limited wizard class that starts out with spells
that have morphed themselves due to the caster’s strong will to be
one with the birds. They are hard to distinguish from other wizards
except that they tend to be adorned with garments that pay homage
to feathered kind.

Fowl summoners are not as physically weak as a standard wizard.

They find more joy in nature and hard work. Books only serve to
further their cause. This also means their potential for arcane
knowledge is lower. However, they are more sturdy. As a result,
misfires for them have a greater degree of chaos as they can be “bird
brains”. It is also noted that their summons may not benefit those in
the surrounding areas.

Hit Points: A Fowl Summoner gains d5 hit points at each level

Weapon Training: A Fowl Summoner is trained in the use of

daggers, short swords, and staffs. They are also proficient at kicking,
and scratching. Wizards rarely wear armor, as it hinders Spellcasting.
However, Fowl Summoners may seek armor if it has a fowl esthetic.

Alignment: Wizards pursue magical arts according to their natural

inclinations. Chaotic wizards study black magic. Neutral or lawful
wizards seek control over elements. Wizards of all persuasions
practice enchantment. Any alignment is appropriate for a Fowl
Summoner
7 — 12
7 — 13
Languages: Common, Can understand bird behavior.

Restrictions & Penalties & Notes

• Ideally, Fowl Summoners are 0-Levels that start with a
feathered companion. Companion does not have to
survive the funnel.
• Ideally, a party should only have one Fowl Summoner
because there has to be a pecking order :)
• Personality: -1 every 2 levels as you care more to
commune with birds more than people
• Can only seek a Patron of birds even if others are
available
• You may need to include a pun waver at your table

Table FS-1: Fowl Summoner

Crit
Die/ Action Known Max PER
Level Atk Table Dice Spells Lvl Ref Fort Will Adj
1 +0 1d6/I 1d20 4 1 +1 +0 +1 -
2 +1 1d8/I 1d20 5 1 +1 +1 +1 -1
3 +1 1d8/I 1d20 5 1 +1 +2 +1 -
4 +2 1d10/I 1d20 6 2 +2 +2 +1 -2
5 +3 1d10/I 1d20+1d14 7 2 +2 +2 +2 -
6 +3 1d12/I 1d20+1d16 8 3 +3 +3 +2 -3
7 +4 1d12/II 1d20+1d20 9 3 +3 +3 +3 -
8 +4 1d14/II 1d20+1d20 10 4 +3 +4 +3 -4
9 +5 1d16/II 1d20+1d20 11 4 +4 +4 +3 -
10 +6 1d20/II 2d20+1d16 12 5 +5 +5 +3 -5

MAGIC
A Fowl Summoner starts off with the following 4 predetermined
spells or spells may be determined at a judge's discretion.

7 — 14
Fowl Summoning Level: 1
Range: 20’ Duration: Varies Casting time: 1 round Save: None

General: The caster invokes fowl spirits to summon forth animal(s).

For any mundane bird, the caster must have performed a summoning
ritual on a live or 80% whole body of the animal to be familiar
enough to cast the spell using them as a reference and have some
form of fowl material to expend in the casting.

Manifestation: Roll 1d5 1) an egg shimmers into existence, then

hatches into the animal summoned; 2) from within a rain of feathers
the animal appears; 3) the animal’s skeleton appears first, then
organs appear, then muscles knit together, skin grows, and the animal
finally appears; 4) The caster’s body shakes wildly growing a clone
that immediately transforms into the animal; 5) No matter where you
are, a bright glowing orb (use the sun if available) appears, as you
look at it, the bird appears by gliding down the light beams.

Corruption: Roll 1d8 1) wizard takes on minor facial traits of the

animal he attempted to summon, such as a beak, eagle eyes, feathers,
etc.; 2) Summoner grows feathers on their rear. Other birds find the
Summoner more approachable in many ways; 3-5) minor corruption;
6-7) major corruption; 8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d6 1) caster inadvertently summons a 1HD swarm of

aggravating insects, such as bees, wasps, or locusts; 2) instead of
summoning an animal, the caster inadvertently sends one away: The
caster’s familiar or the next-closest mundane animal vanishes for 1d6
rounds only to return dirty, wet, and angry; 3) caster summons only
part of an animal, causing a pile of severed chicken heads, severed
duck feet, dislocated wings, or bloody viscera to appear; 4) caster
correctly summons an animal but incorrectly places it inside a nearby
building or terrain feature, another living being, or the floor/ground
if there is no other nearby feature – the animal dies instantly and its
body is difficult to recover now that it is fused with the object. 5)
caster summons a random hostile monster for 1d3 rounds (DCC
Rulebook pg 380). 6) caster summons a random hostile undead for
1d2 rounds (DCC Rulebook pg 381).

7 — 15
1 Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or
less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, 1-2) corruption, 3)
patron taint (or corruption if no patron), 4+) misfire.
2-11 Lost. Failure.
12-13 The caster summons one mundane bird of 1 HD or less. The
animal remains for up to 30 minutes, though it hungers,
thirsts, and rests as normal. The animal obeys the caster’s
commands within normal bounds – suicidal commands or
those contrary to its nature (e.g., ordering a chicken to dive
underwater) have a 50% chance of releasing the animal from
service, in which case it returns from whence it came. Due to
the nature of the summoning, the caster cannot directly harm
the creature summoned.
14-17 The caster summons two mundane birds of 1 HD or less. The
animal(s) remain for up to 30 minutes, though they hunger,
thirst, and rest as normal. The animal(s) obeys the caster’s
commands within normal bounds – suicidal commands or
those contrary to its nature (e.g., ordering a chicken to dive
underwater) have a 40% chance of releasing the animal(s)
from service, in which case it returns from whence it came.
Due to the nature of the summoning, the caster cannot
directly harm the creature summoned.
18-19 The caster summons one or more mundane bird(s) with a
total HD of 3 or less. The animal(s) remains for up to 2
hours, though they hunger, thirst, and rest as normal. The
animals obey the caster’s commands within normal bounds –
suicidal commands or those contrary to its nature (e.g.,
ordering a chicken to dive underwater) have a 40% chance of
releasing the animal from service, in which case it returns
from whence it came. Due to the nature of the summoning,
the caster cannot directly harm the creature summoned.
20-23 The caster summons one or more mundane bird(s) with a
total HD of 6 or less. The animal(s) remain for up to 4 hours,
though they hunger, thirst, and rest as normal. The animals
obey the caster’s commands within normal bounds – suicidal
commands or those contrary to its nature (e.g., ordering a
chicken to dive underwater) have a 25% chance of releasing
the animal from service, in which case it returns from
whence it came. Due to the nature of the summoning, the
caster cannot directly harm the creature summoned.
7 — 16
24-27 The caster summons one magical bird with a HD of 5 or less
or mundane bird(s) with a total HD of 10 or less. The animal
(s) remain for up to 8 hours, though they hunger, thirst, and
rest as normal. The animals obey the caster’s commands
within normal bounds – suicidal commands or those contrary
to its nature (e.g., ordering a chicken to dive underwater)
have a 15% chance of releasing the animal from service, in
which case it returns from whence it came. Due to the nature
of the summoning, the caster cannot directly harm the
creature summoned.
28-29 The caster summons either one magical bird with a HD of 8
or less or mundane bird(s) with a total of 15 HD or less. The
animal(s) remain for up to 24 hours, though they hunger,
thirst, and rest as normal. The animals obey the caster’s
commands within normal bounds – suicidal commands or
those contrary to its nature (e.g., ordering a chicken to dive
underwater) have a 5% chance of releasing the animal from
service, in which case it returns from whence it came. Due to
the nature of the summoning, the caster cannot directly harm
the creature summoned.
30-31 The caster summons one or more magical birds with a HD of
10 or less or mundane bird(s) with a total of 30 HD or less.
The animal(s) remain for up to 2 days, though they hunger,
thirst, and rest as normal. The animals obey the caster’s
commands within normal bounds – suicidal commands or
those contrary to its nature (e.g., ordering a chicken to dive
underwater) have a 1% chance of releasing the animal from
service, in which case it returns from whence it came. Due to
the nature of the summoning, the caster cannot directly harm
the creature summoned.
32+ The caster summons one or more magical birds with a HD of
20 or less or a huge flock of mundane bird(s) with a total HD
of 100 or less. The animal(s) remains for up to 1 week,
though they hunger, thirst, and rest as normal. The animals
obeys the caster’s commands within normal bounds –
suicidal commands or those contrary to its nature (e.g.,
ordering a chicken to dive underwater) Due to the nature of
the summoning, the caster cannot directly harm the creature
summoned.

7 — 17
Bird Strike/Bird Storm Level: 1
Range: Varies Duration: Varies Casting time: 1 round Save: Fort

General: The caster invokes fowl spirits to summon forth animal(s).

The caster must have performed a summoning ritual on a live or 80%
whole body of the animal to be familiar enough to cast the spell using
them and have some form of fowl material to expend in the casting.

Manifestation: Roll 1d5 1) Birds fly out of casters apparel; 2) Fly

out of casters mouth; 3) Fly out of rainbow colored storm cloud 4)
All the mundane animals in the area turn into birds 5) Black portals
open up around everyone and birds fly out of them.

Corruption: Roll 1d8 1) caster thinks 1d4 party members are birds
for 2 days 2) Wizard grows 2 chicken or other fowl heads from
shoulders. They can spellburn 1 point for each head to make it alive
otherwise it is limp. Removal causes 1d3 worth of damage per head.
3-5) minor corruption; 6-7) major corruption; 8) greater corruption.

Misfire: Roll 1d4 1) caster inadvertently summons a swarm of oiled

pigs 2) caster is randomly flung 20 ft around a 100ft area for 1d4
rounds. Judges discretion of dmg to objects, caster, or other targets
when “landing”, 3) Caster summons 1d12 floating eggs of an
unknown mundane animal type. They float in the air around the
caster for 1 turn. you do not know where they came from, 4) caster
summons everyone's armor and clothes which get flung into a pile.
DC 15 fort save to resist being stripped of your clothes and armor.
Affects all targets within 50 feet of the caster.

1 Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or

less) corruption + misfire + patron taint, (1-2) corruption, (3)
patron taint (or corruption if no patron), (4+) misfire.
2-11 Lost. Failure.
12-13 3 Humming birds pass by one target and surprise them. If
they fail the Fort Save they will be at -2 to attack for 1
round.
14-17 The caster’s summons, urges all winged creatures within a
half mile to flock to the scene. The creatures have a focused
stationary point of interest, but other than that will act of
their own will. Cast in a normal village, expect a result of
7 — 18
 1d24 birds. Have the Judge decide how to alter the dice
chain up or down based on the current environment. The
scene becomes chaotic, affecting all targets within a 20’
range of the focal point. All need to make a fort save or have
-2 to attack for 1 round.
18-19 The caster summons a small flock of birds that soar past the
caster towards 1 moving or stationary target.The flock
causes 3d3 dmg, save for half.
20-23 The caster summons a localized bird storm that rains down
1d20 worth of eggs on a 30 foot area within 20 feet of the
caster. The type of storm cloud effect is random. Roll 1d3
1 - Fresh Eggs = 1dmg - save for half - round down
2 - Rotten Eggs = 1dmg - save for ⅔ dmg - round down
3 - Hard Boiled = 1dmg no save
All targets in the area are affected. Split the number of eggs
evenly for each target in the area. For every 2 points of luck
or spell burn spent beyond that which is used to cast, add one
more die worth of eggs over that many rounds. (2 points of
spell burn = 1d20 first round, 1d20 next round)
24-27 The caster summons a large flock of birds that soar past the
caster in a 30 ft wide flying-V bird strike that affects all
targets in the path. The flock causes 4d6 dmg, save for half.
Targets are knocked prone if they take more than half of their
current HP as dmg.
28-29 The caster summons a localized bird storm that releases
1d30+CL worth of birds on a 60 foot area within 50 feet of
the caster. The type of bird storm is random. Roll 1d4
1 - Small Birds = 1 dmg, save for half, round down
2 - Ducks = 2 dmg, save for half , round down
3 - Small Flightless Birds = 3 dmg, save for half, round down
4 - Large Flightless Birds = 4 dmg, no save
All targets in the area are affected. Split number of birds
evenly for each target in the area. For every 2 points of luck or
spellburn spent add one to the dice chain for number of birds.
30-31 The Caster summons a tornado of 1d30 + (CL + (1 + Luck
spent/2)) birds that swirl around the caster. At the eye of the
storm, the caster levitates within the tornado directing it as
they see fit, moving with it. The Tornado moves at 60’ per
round. The tornado is as wide as the number of birds
7 — 19
 summoned. For every 2 points of luck or spellburn spent in
addition to casting the spell add CL to the result for the
number of birds. This lasts 1d6 +CL rounds. Each target
caught in the gale receives dmg equal to the result. Save for
half. Half damage for cover.
32+ The skies darken, the wind screeches and your vision is
clouded by feathers as the caster has summoned a hurricane
of birds. The hurricane lasts 1 turn. All damage will affect all
targets within 600 feet of the caster for every round. Cover
provides half damage unless magical in nature or metal or rock
which provide 10% chance of damage. Caster is unaffected.
The hurricane has a random effect, roll 1d4
1 - Is that hail, no, it is fowl excrement. The Shit Storm
has begun. Each target within range is pelted with 6d6
worth of solidified crap damage.
2 - Sharpened feathers rain down doing 8d6 dmg
3 - Birds swoop down picking up all targets in open
areas and dropping them for 8d8 worth of dmg or
pecking and scratching at those under cover for 4d8
worth of damage.
4 - Large Flightless Birds fall from the sky causing
12d8 worth of bone crushing damage to every target
within 600 feet of the castor, every round.
Casters can spend an additional 2 points of luck or spellburn
beyond what is used to cast the spell to choose the result of
the 1d4 roll.

7 — 20
Bird Book

Name Type HD Stats

Swallow Mundane 1 Init +2; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d2 dmg; AC 16; HD
1d2; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref
+5, Will -2; AL N

Pidgeon Mundane 1 Init +2; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d2 dmg; AC 16; HD
1d2; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref
+4, Will -2; AL N

Crow Mundane 1 Init +2; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d2 dmg; AC 16; HD
1d2; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref
+3, Will -2; AL N

Duck Mundane 1 Init +1; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d3 dmg; AC 14; HD
1d2; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref
+3, Will -2; AL N

Goose Mundane 1 Init +1; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d3 dmg; AC 12;
HD 1d2; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2,
Ref +1, Will -2; AL N

Turkey Mundane 1 Init +0; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d3 dmg; AC 12;
HD 1d3; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2,
Ref +1, Will -2; AL N

Penguin Mundane 1 Init +0; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d2 dmg; AC 10;
HD 1d3; MV 15’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref -2,
Will -3; AL N

Eagle Mundane 2 Init +2; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d4 dmg; AC 10;
HD 1d4; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2,
Ref +0, Will -2; AL N

Emu Mundane 2 Init +0; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d4 dmg; AC 10;
HD 1d5; MV 40’, Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref -2,
Will -3; AL N

Dodo Magical 2 Init +0; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d4 dmg; AC 10;
HD 2d4; MV 15’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref -2,
Will -3; AL N

7 — 21
Golden Magical 3 Init +0; Atk peck +0 melee, 1d4 dmg; AC 10;
Goose HD 3d5; MV 15’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref -2,
Will -3; AL N — lays golden eggs: 1d5 eggs per
round, 1d4 damage when thrown
Cockatrice Magical 3 Init -1; Atk peck +2 melee (1d3 plus petrifaction;
DC 13 Will); AC 13; HD 3d8; MV 20’, fly 20’;
Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +1; AL C

War Bird Magical 4 Init +2; Atk peck +4 melee (1d6 dmg); AC 15;
(Roc) HD 4d10; MV 20’, fly 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +5,
Ref +2, Will 0; AL N — Roc with stone plated
armor adorning its head, chest, ,legs, and beak)
Greater Magical 7 Init +1; Atk peck +4 melee (1d4 plus petrifaction;
Cockatrice DC 15 Will); AC 16; HD 7d8; MV 20’, fly 60’;
Act 2d20; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +1; AL C.

Griffon Magical 7 Init +2; Atk bite +9 melee (2d6) and claw +5
melee (1d6); AC 17; HD 7d10; MV 30’, fly 80’;
Act 2d20; SV Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +4; AL N

Heavenly Magical 9 Init +4; Atk peck +6 melee (1d8 plus petrifaction;
Cocatrice DC 16 Will); AC 17; HD 9d10; MV 40’, fly 60’;
Act 3d20; SV Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +3; AL C

Achiyalabopa Magical 12 Init +7; Atk peck +8 melee (2d8 dmg plus
drugged, DC 14 fort or become dazzed and
tripping); AC 19; HD 12d12; MV 60’, fly 80’; Act
5d16; SV Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +8; AL L
Giant Magical 20 Init +10; Atk peck +10 melee (3d8); AC 25; HD
Invincible 20d16; MV 90’, fly 20’; Act 3d20; SV Fort +10,
Chicken Ref +10, Will +10; AL L

7 — 22
Feather Fall
Same as what is found in the core rule book, except:

Manifestation: Roll 1d4 1) Birds fly in allowing the caster to surf on their
backs; 2) the target glows with a wispy, feather-like aura of rainbow
colors; 3) the target’s body hair is replaced with downy feathers; 4)
the target’s body curls like a fallen leaf to rock upon the winds.

Corruption: Roll 1d6 1) Caster will continuously molt chicken

feathers at a slow pace; 2) Caster has a continuing effect of 1d4
hours a day in slow-motion, -4 to all skill checks; 3) caster becomes
subject to sporadic winds, which do not affect other characters, and
must make a Strength check to stay upright (DC 5 for light winds,
DC 10 for strong winds, and DC 15 against gusts); 4) caster’s hair
permanently replaced by feathers; 5) sound of whistling wind
accompanies the caster wherever he goes; 6) Caster’s neck becomes
elongated by 1d3 feet.

Misfire: Roll 1d4 1) Caster’s speed of descent is increased, resulting

in an additional 1d6 damage upon impact; 2) caster abruptly rises
20’ into the air before falling to the ground (taking 1d8 points of
damage, or 2d8 if there is a hard surface 10’ or less above the caster’s
head); 3) caster’s clothing and other possessions become extremely
heavy for 1 day. DC15 Strength check required to use any item,
weapon,or clothing; 4) caster is blown 10-30 feet in a random
direction by a gust of ghostly wind.

Find Familiar
Same as what is found in the core rule book, except:

Manifestation: Must be a bird

Corruption: Roll 1d6 1-3) minor; 4-5) major; 6) greater.

Misfire: Activates on rolling a 1, now roll 1d3: 1) You are bereaved

as the memory of a companion you never had floods your mind and
will constantly haunt you; 2) You think every animal is your friend,
even hostile ones; 3) You are now subservient to a random
unintelligent animal. You can understand them barley and must
respond to their needs.
7 — 23
 MARTIAL
GRANDMASTER
Whether using Kung-Fu, Baritsu, Venusian Aikido, Llap-Goch,
Omni-te, or another esoteric fighting style (as appropriate to your
campaign), you are a highly skilled and dangerous opponent. Moving
with lightning speed and deadly accuracy, the martial grandmaster
can take on multiple opponents at once and emerge victorious. With
an ever-expanding mastery of weapons and an array of combat
tactics, grandmasters are never to be underestimated.

Art by Matt Sutton

7 — 24
Hit points: A martial grandmaster gains 2d6 hit points at each level.
When it matters, these 2d6 are considered as a single “Hit Die”.

Weapon training: A martial grandmaster is trained to master all

weapons, at all times, in all places, wherever they go. They begin
play with proficiency in four melee weapons of their choice. They
become proficient with any new weapon they pick up during the
course of play by hands-on use in combat after 1d6 rounds of real
fighting. However, they are considered as non-proficient until that
time has elapsed, taking a -1d penalty for those attacks and damage
rolls. The judge may reduce this penalty to a simple -1 if the weapon
is closely similar to one already mastered. Martial grandmasters
rarely wear any armor — their damage rolls are penalized by the
armor’s check penalty.

Alignment: A martial grandmaster may be of any alignment.

Initiative: A martial grandmaster’s initiative is always the top result

of their second-highest Action Die plus their Level. So at 1st Level,
their initiative is always 15, at 4th Level it’s always 20, and so on.
They cannot burn Luck to raise their initiative, unless they also roll
for initiative as other characters do.

Action Dice: A martial grandmaster may use their Action Dice for
any task, as long as at least one of them is used in an attack. In other
words, out of combat, the martial grandmaster has one Action Die.
Of course, they can use multiple Action Dice for multiple attacks
each round.

Combat Luck: When the rest of their party is rolling initiative, the
martial grandmaster is instead rolling a 1d6 and adding their Level.
This result is the number of Combat Luck points they have to spend
within the ensuing battle. The martial grandmaster may burn these
points to boost attack roll results, damage roll results, or saving
throws in combat, leaving their Luck attribute untouched (unless
they wish to use that, too). At the end of the combat, any unused
Combat Luck vanishes.

7 — 25
Combat Survivor: If a martial grandmaster is reduced to 0 hit points
in combat, before needing to attempt any other restorative mechanics
(Lay on Hands, Roll the Body, etc.), they roll a single d10 and
subtract their current Luck Modifier — if this result is equal or
below their current number of Combat Luck points, they have
survived and are at 1 hp. They cannot use this method if a critical hit
result specifies that they are dead.

As Agile As the Wind: The martial grandmaster has a movement

speed of 40’. For all agility-based and athletics-type checks, they
gain +1d. Scoring a critical “hit” result on such an athletics check
should mean some bonus to the action, as provided by the judge;
gaining an extra move or attack is a handy default to fall back on, but
is by no means the limit of what should be possible. Consider the
theme of the fighting style when creating these bonuses.

Like Hitting a Thought: If it is a positive number, the martial

grandmaster gains double the effect of their Agility Modifier to their AC
and Reflex Saves. If their Agility Modifier is a negative number, it does
not apply to their AC nor to their Reflex Save. On their turn, the martial
grandmaster can burn any Action Die to add +1d4 to their AC, until
they come up again in the initiative order. If they burn their highest
Action Die for this, they add an additional 1d6, modified by Luck.
Additionally, at any time during a fight, even as initiative order is
being determined, they can burn two points of Combat Luck and add
+1 to their AC for the rest of the fight.

My Body is a Weapon: When making unarmed attacks, the martial

grandmaster deals a base of 1d5 damage, adding their level to the
amount rolled. When using all of their Action Dice for unarmed
attacks within a given round, if two or more of their attacks hit, they
add their level again (once) to the total. If the attacks were aimed at
multiple targets, they can distribute this extra damage among those
targets as they see fit.

Always Moving: If the martial grandmaster has at least 1 point of

Combat Luck unused, they can split up their movement and attacks
as they see fit during a round. They can advance 10’ to attack a guard
and then decide to move another 25’ to attack that venomous sorcerer
at the back of the ranks. As long as they have movement and Action
Dice left, they can continue to use them.
7 — 26
Critical Precision: Whatever die the martial grandmaster may be
rolling for an attack, if the highest number on that die is rolled, a hit
and a Critical Hit is scored.

Critical Choices: Whenever the martial grandmaster scores a

Critical Hit, before it is rolled they can choose to use one of the
following effects instead. They can also engage these effects by
burning Combat Luck after any successful attack, as indicated.

Knock Prone - The target of the attack is in a heap on the

floor. The grandmaster’s level is a penalty on the target’s
attacks on their next round, in addition to any circumstantial
effects. (2 Combat Luck)

Impair - The target suffers a penalty on their attacks. The

penalty is equal to half of the grandmaster’s Level, rounded
up, plus one. This effect fades at a rate of 1 point per round.
Multiple strikes of this sort do not stack, but they can extend
the fade rate. (1 Combat Luck)

Stun - The target loses their highest Action Die on their next
turn. If this attack exceeds the target’s AC by 5 or more, they
lose their next 1d3 Action Dice, which may extend the effect
over multiple rounds. (3 Combat Luck)

Guard - The martial grandmaster gains a 3-point bonus to

their AC versus the foe struck, until their next round. They
can extend this protection to allies and NPCs if they are
adjacent. If the martial grandmaster becomes mobility-
impaired for any reason (not including possible armor speed
penalties), this protection ends. (2 Combat Luck)

7 — 27
 Table GM-1: Martial Grandmaster

Crit Die/
Level Atk Table Action Dice Ref Fort Will
1 +2 1d4/M 1d20+1d14 +1 +1 +0
2 +3 1d6/M 1d20+1d14 +2 +1 +1
3 +3 1d8/M 1d20+1d14 +2 +1 +1
4 +4 1d10/M 1d20+1d16 +3 +2 +1
5 +5 1d12/M 1d20+1d16 +4 +2 +2
6 +5 1d14/M 1d20+1d16+1d14 +4 +2 +2
7 +6 1d!6/M 1d20+1d20+1d14 +5 +3 +3
8 +7 1d20/M 1d24+1d20+1d16 +5 +3 +3
9 +7 1d24/M 1d24+1d20+1d16 +6 +3 +3
10 +8 1d24/M 1d24+1d20+1d16+1d14 +6 +4 +4

Remember: When using the Monster Crit Chart (M) for a PC,
references to a PC are references to the foe being struck.

Table GM-2: Martial Grandmaster Titles

1. Grasshopper — 2. Deadly Hands — 3. Swift Death —
4. Grandmaster — 5. Deadliest Alive

The Martial Grandmaster was inspired by a clerical error. See also

Vol. 1 of the Gongfarmer’s Almanac 2015.

— bygrinstow

Art by Matt Sutton

7 — 28
TARANTINO
ELF
Compiled by
Jeremiah Edward Sprague
Mihailo Tešić
Ari-Matti Piippo
& bygrinstow

Art by Cheese
Hasselberger

You’re no ordinary elf.

You’re a thug: a sword-
for-hire, a quoter of
scriptures, a revenge-
seeker, a survivor. You
left the Elf King and his
Elfland behind you long
ago and set your own
course. You’re out for
gold and probably blood,
earning it with steel and spell, spattered with the tears and filth of the
weak, the dark, the demons, the vanquished, and all-too often... your
own allies. There are the unrighteous to be taught deep underneath,
and you shall teach them...

Hit points: A tarantino elf gets 1d8 hit points at each level.
7 — 29
Weapon Training: Tarantino elves are trained in the use of the
crossbow, longsword, short sword, blackjack, blowgun, dagger, and
garrote. They can deal “backstab damage” with weapons indicated as
doing extra damage when used for the thief’s backstab attack (but
they themselves do not get a backstab ability). They get this extra
damage on their first attack with such a weapon in an encounter, and
gain it again if confirmed by a successful Agility check vs. a DC 20
minus their current level. They can wear any non-metal or mithril
armor, and it only inhibits their spellcasting by 2 points or its normal
amount, whichever is less.

Alignment: A tarantino elf can be of any alignment. But come on,

they ultimately all serve Chaos, right?

Action Dice: The extra Action Dice of a tarantino elf can only be
used for spells, or for the use of iron weapons and implements.

Spellcasting: Tarantino elves cast spells as regular elves do in the

Core Rulebook. A few caveats and alterations are noted below…

Catch phrase: This elf is not just a gangster, but also a philosopher.
Somewhere along the line this character has come across a phrase or
passage that is of religious or mythical origin. When used in a showy,
exaggerated way it bestows a chance to make an opposed personality
check at +1d against an enemy or group of enemies equal in number
to the tarantino elf’s level; if the foe does not have a Personality
score, per se, the DC is 15. If the tarantino elf wins on the check
these foes lose their next Action Die, either to the fear or to the
confusion instilled by the quote into them.

Pocketwatch: Every tarantino elf has an item, defined upon

attaining 1st Level, with which they have a special bond. Without
this item, they cannot heal Spellburn effects. If it is ever separated
from them, they always know in which direction they can find this
item, as long as it is on the same plane of existence.

Iron: Tarantino elves are vulnerable to iron, like their more common
kin. However, anytime they use an iron weapon, they gain +1d for
the attack and damage. Using iron implements for other tasks should
have it’s effects be similarly boosted by the Judge. While doing so,
they lose 1 hp per round, which is healed back at a rate of 1 hp per
Turn once the iron item is dropped.
7 — 30
Spellburn Scatter: Everytime a tarantino elf uses Spellburn, every
living ally, foe, or NPC within 10’ of them must make a Will Save vs
a DC equal to 10 plus the points of Spellburn spent in casting the
spell (i.e., if you’re cool enough, you won’t be affected). Failure
means they lose half the Spellburn amount in hp (rounded down). If
someone is reduced to zero hp from this, the tarantino elf gets +1d4
added to their spellcheck. For each additional subject reduced to zero
hp, this bonus die moves up the Dice Chain by one step. The
Spellburn takes a number of additional days equal to the amount of
Spellburn before the normal Spellburn healing begins... i.e., if you
Spellburnt 10 points, you wait 10 days to begin healing it back.

Non-Linear Time: Tarantino elves experience the world differently

than others, by a sort of reverse deja vu or non-linear time. They
commonly enter into situations already knowing events that will
happen, or they arrive at places they’ve already been for the very
first time. Time is twisted strangely for them, and from the tarantino
elf’s perspective, this seems in no way out of the ordinary.
Something close to once per adventure, the Judge should reveal a
dungeon chamber to the tarantino elf that they have not yet reached,
or give them a few key elements from a conversation that hasn’t
happened yet. These reveals should not give up the whole story or
scene, but rather they should allow the tarantino elf an edge when
these moments occur for everyone else, e.g., they have had time to
possibly realize that the four-poster bed in the room is in fact a
mimic, or that the gentlemen in the conversation have staged it to
fool someone else in the room. This ability does not guarantee such
realizations, but should lean toward revealing them, while not going
the whole way there.

Ready for a Bit of the Old Ultra-Violence: When a tarantino elf

scores a Critical Hit, they roll their Crit Die and an extra Crit Die one
step lower on the Dice Chain, with both modified by Luck as usual.
Both are Critical Hits scored on the target. If both dice come up with
the same result, then triple the effect of that Critical Hit result.
Tarantino elves also have an expanded “Threat Range” for crits,
much as Warriors do, as noted on their Class table.

7 — 31
Legendary Move: The elf has learned in their travels a singular
move that they have kept secret from their nemeses. This move can
only be used in one encounter per target and only upon their sworn
enemy or their enemy’s henchmen. At the top of any adventure, they
can declare that one of the major antagonists in that adventure is
their sworn foe, obviously without the player knowing who the party
is up against (also, the idea of the “top” of an adventure can be
squishy; be flexible on that). The Judge should then secretly decide
who that individual is -- when any clues about that individual turn up
for PCs, inform the tarantino elf that such clues pertain to their
nemesis. When they get line of sight to their foe, the tarantino elf
should instantly be informed they are there, no need for perception
rolls or anything of the sort. A cool musical sting or an old pop song
should be played in this moment as well, if available. The Legendary
Move gains +1d for the attack and if the attack roll is successful the
strike does maximum damage and a Critical Hit to the target. If the
Legendary Move attack fails, they get one subsequent attempt later
in the fight (i.e., in a subsequent round, unless they have multiple
Action Dice), but at -1d on the attack. If the attack is successful, any
henchmen of the foe in line of sight will need to make a Morale
check, as per the normal rules. If they succeed, they are shaken and
suffer a -2d on their damage rolls, until they use an Action Die to
succeed on another Morale check.

Since elves in general are so long-lived, and may have many arch-
foes, the tarantino elf can designate a new nemesis two Levels after
the current declaration, e.g., if they declared a nemesis in an
adventure at 1st Level, they could do so again in an adventure at 3rd
Level; if they waited and declared a nemesis at 4th Level, they could
do so again at 6th Level, etc.

Unlikely Revival: If one of the party members goes down and fails
their Roll the Body check the tarantino elf has one chance to revive
them. The elf makes their own Luck roll and if they succeed they
conveniently have enough herbs close to hand (or they are in a
location where they can reach an associate NPC who has said herbs)
to revive the party member from death, unharmed, restoring them to
a number of hp equal to the tarantino elf’s Level. The Unlikely
Revival power can only succeed once, ever, in the course of the
tarantino elf’s career.

7 — 32
 Table TE-1: TARANTINO ELVES
Max
Crit Die/ Known Spell Threat
Lvl Atk Table Action Dice Spells Level Range Ref Fort Will
1 +2 1d7/M 1d20 2 1 20 +1 +0 +1
2 +2 1d7/M 1d20 3 1 20 +1 +1 +1
3 +3 1d8/M 1d20 4 2 20 +2 +1 +1
4 +3 1d8/M 1d20+1d14 5 2 19-20 +2 +1 +2
5 +4 1d10/M 1d20+1d14 6 3 19-20 +3 +2 +2
6 +4 1d10/M 1d20+1d16 7 3 19-20 +4 +2 +3
7 +5 1d!2/M 1d20+1d16 8 4 19-20 +4 +3 +3
8 +5 1d12/M 1d20+1d20 9 4 18-20 +5 +3 +4
9 +5 1d14/M 1d20+1d20+1d14 10 5 18-20 +5 +4 +4
10 +6 1d16/M 1d20+1d20+1d16 12 5 18-20 +6 +4 +4

Remember: When using the Monster Crit Chart (M) for a PC,
references to a PC are references to the foe being struck.

Table TE-2: Tarantino Elves Titles

1. Vincent — 2. Jules — 3. The Bride —
4. [Mr., Ms. Mx., etc.] [Color] — 5. Quentin

The Tarantino Elf was inspired by J. E. Sprague’s offhand comment on the

DCC Rocks! social media group page. “Narnia if directed by Tarantino...“

7 — 33
The
Hive Master
By Judge Marlene “HitMore” Whitmer Art by Matt Sutton

7 — 34
Maybe you’ve brought a zero-level beekeeper through a funnel
(mostly) unscathed. Or maybe you’ve grown bored of those run-of-
the-mill off-hand weapons and are in search of something with a bit
more punch and pizzazz. Then, my newly-minted level 1, consider
becoming The Hive Master. (Apologies to apiculturists.)

What I offer boils down, in essence, to a beard of bees which can be

cajoled, bribed, or ordered to do the bidding of the adventurer. THIS
IS NOT A FAMILIAR. This requires no magic. It takes panache,
bravery, and no small amount of luck to em-ploy a weapon that can
so easily turn upon the wielder.

Acquiring Your Hive

You must find a hive in search of a queen. If you began your
adventuring as a lowly beekeeper, this should be a snap. For
woodcutters, farmers, and trappers, this will be a fairly simple task as
well. For all others, it may take a week or more and the advice of
those listed above. You must then convince this rudderless swarm
that you are that which they seek and so much more. Those with a
background in beekeeping or animal training will find this task
particularly simple, and the creative confidence artist may even be
able to make a decent showing in this undertaking. Use your
imagination. (Judges, feel free to assign whatever tasks you will,
including but not limited to things like covering oneself in honey,
buzzing just the right tune, and dressing in a stripey singlet.)

You may find the whirring of thousands of tiny wings and the tippy
tap of thousands of tiny feet in an undulating mass upon your chin
disquieting at first, but once you learn to control them, you’ll quickly
grow accustomed to the kisses of thousands of tiny proboscises. You
must now learn to harvest alarm pheromones from your new friends.
Try sneaking up on one and shouting “BOO!” Or consider just
asking nicely. Once you have acquired this potent substance, you can
begin to wield your new tiny army against any and all who stand in
your way!

7 — 35
Wielding Your Swarm
The swarm may be used one time per encounter. Choose your
method of attack. In order for the swarm to act, the alarm pheromone
must be applied to the enemy of your choice. You may apply the
pheromone to your weapon; the blade of your sword, the head of an
arrow, a sling stone, or even your bare fist will work as long as your
initial strike is a hit. Roll damage for the weapon strike and then roll
1d7 on the table below, adding your luck modifier.

-2: Your swarm departs forever, leaving you bereft and well-stung.
You take 2d4 damage. Permanent purulent sores cover your
face and neck, -1d3 personality per level. Roll under luck or
fall into anaphylactic shock and death. Body may be rolled.

-1: 75% of your swarm leaves you in the lurch, stinging you upon
departure. You take 2d3 damage. Permanent scarring on face
and neck, -1d3 stamina per level.

0: 50% of your swarm is lost to the winds. You take 1d3 damage
and -2 Will.

1: Your strike lands true but your swarm is unmoved. No

additional damage.

2: 5% of your bee beard answers the call to arms (wings). Your

enemy is inconvenienced and at -1d to rolls until the start of
your next turn.

3: 10% of your swarm attacks. The bees swarm about eyes and
ears causing your enemy -2 to AC for 1d3 rounds as they
attempt to swat the nuisance away.

4: 25% of your bees swarm upon your enemy with stinging

attacks. Additional 1d3 damage and -1d to rolls for the next
1d3 rounds as the bees wriggle their way under the armor of
the enemy.

5: 50% of your bee friends rise to your aid. Additional 2d3 damage
this turn and 1d3 damage on your next turn. Your enemy drops
their weapon and falls to the bottom of initiative order.

7 — 36
6: 75% of the bee army is stirred to fight on your behalf.
Additional 3d3 damage this turn, 2d3 damage on your next
turn, and 1d3 damage on the next. Your enemy must make a
DC 10 Will Save or flee the battle in search of the nearest body
of water.

7: The full beard attacks in an angry, buzzing swarm. Additional

3d3 damage is inflicted upon your enemy, then 2d3 as above,
etc. and they are at a -2d to all rolls until they can be healed.
DC 15 Will Save or they immediately flee for their lives,
screaming into the distance for 2d4 rounds or until the Will
Save is made.

8: The swarm rises. Their deep whirring thrum can be heard by

all on the battlefield. Each enemy in a 20 ft. radius of the target
loses concentration and takes a -1d penalty to attack rolls for 1
round. The object of the attack receives additional 3d3
damage, then 2d3 as above, etc. and they are at a -2d to all
rolls until they can be healed. DC 15 Will Save or they
immediately flee for their lives, screaming into the distance for
2d4 rounds or until the Will Save is made.

9: The swarm is a terrible sight to behold. All enemies in a 20 ft.

radius of the target falter. Each takes 1d3 damage from the
swarming fury and takes a -1d penalty to all rolls until your
next turn. The target of your attack falls prone and takes 3d3
damage and etc. as above. They must make a DC 17 Fort Save
or fall into anaphylactic shock and death.

10+: You are truly The Hive Master. Your swarm calls kith and kin
to deal with the threat at hand. Bees from the surrounding
lands heed the call. Bees seem to appear from the very rock of
the earth. All creatures, friend and foe alike, in a 30 ft. radius
are stung for 2d3 damage. It is instant death for the enemy
marked by the attack. No save.

7 — 37
A New Class For DCC RPG: The Barbearian

By Randy Andrews Art by Jonathan Byrne

To play as a barbearian: you must realize that bears are awesome.

That’s the only prerequisite. It also helps to listen to Bears
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOl-zFf1nxY) by Nekrogoblikon
(www.facebook.com/nekrogoblikon/).

Hit Points: A barbearian gains 1d12 hit points at each level.

Weapon Training: Barbearians are trained in both a dual claw and a

bite natural attack. As an action,a barbearian may perform either 2
claw attacks (1d4 damage
each) or a single bite attack
(1d6 damage). Additionally,
when grappling a pinned
opponent, a barbearian can
make a standard bite attack
at a +2 to hit (see bear hug
below). Upon a successful
bite against a pinned
opponent, a barbearian can
then rend with their claws
for 1d5 additional damage.
At level 5, the grappling
bite attack bonus and
damage, as well as the claw
rend damage, increases to
+4 to hit for 1d8 bite
damage, rending for 1d10
additional damage. Bar-
bearians cannot make use
of any other melee or
7 — 38
ranged weapons, as they cannot grasp them effectively. A barbearian
also has thick skin. A barbearian’s base AC at level 1 is 12. A
barbearian’s AC increases by 1 point each even numbered level to a
maximum AC of 17 at level 10. A barbearian cannot wear armor as
they are too large for it and their anatomy does not accommodate it
well. A barbearean is able to wear a necklace, but otherwise can’t
wear any other magic items.

Alignment: A barbearian is almost always chaotic. There have been

a few of a more neutral bent. I did meet a lawful barbearian once, but
he seemed very confused.

Language: A barbearian speaks bear, as per the language in

Appendix L of the DCC RPG core rulebook.

Berzerker Rage: As an action, a barbearian can enter into a rage for

a number of combats per day as per the table below; the rage lasts
the duration of the combat. (Judge defines what constitutes a
“combat”.) When the barbearian goes into this rage, all die rolls that
they make gain +1d for the duration of the rage.

Large size: An adult barbearian is a large creature, twice the size of

a normal human.

Slow speed: A barbearian has a base movement speed of 20’, as

opposed to 30’ for humans.

Like catching fish jumping out

of a stream: Assuming that they
are aware of the attack, a
barbearian can attempt a Ref save
to knock an arrow or similar
object out of the air that is flying
towards them. (Judge’s discretion
on what objects this can apply to.
The DC of this Ref save is equal
to the missile fire attack roll of
the arrow (or other object) that
was sent flying towards the
barbearian.

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Bear hug: A barbearian is especially adept at grappling opponents.
When a barbearian attempts to grapple an opponent, it gets an
additional bonus to its Strength check in addition to the regular size
bonuses obtained during grappling. The additional Strength bonus is
as follows:
Smaller sized creature than barbearian: +4
Same sized creature as the barbearian: +2
Larger sized creature than the barbearian: no bonus

Does a barbearian defecate in the woods? The barbearian is able to

climb trees without requiring a climb check. Other wooden structures
are included at judge’s discretion. The barbearian has a climb speed
of 20 feet.

7 — 40
 Table B-1: Barbearian

Rages Crit Die Action

Level per Day /Table Dice Ref Fort Will
1 1 1d12/III 1d20 +1 +1 +0
2 1 1d14/III 1d20 +1 +1 +0
3 1 1d16/IV 1d20 +1 +2 +1
4 2 1d20/IV 1d20 +2 +2 +1
5 2 1d24/V 1d20+1d14 +2 +3 +1
6 2 1d30/V 1d20+1d16 +2 +4 +2
7 3 1d30/V 1d20+1d20 +3 +4 +2
8 3 2d20/V 1d20+1d20 +3 +5 +2
9 3 2d20/V 1d20+1d20 +3 +5 +3
10 4 2d20/V 1d20+1d20+1d14 +4 +6 +3

Music that inspired this article: Bears by Nekrogoblikon (of course),

Black Betty by Leadbelly, and Hatred Copter by Dethklok.

7 — 41
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FOR YOUR GFA 2020 CLASS HOUSE RULES

7 — 42
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FOR YOUR NOTES ABOUT YOUR GFA 2021 ARTICLES

7 — 43
 GFA 2020 Volume 7 Credits

Authors
Randy Andrews, bygrinstow, Matthew Carr,
Ari-Matti Piippo, Jeremiah Edward Sprague, Mihailo Tešić,
Marlene “HitMore” Whitmer, Clayton Williams, Dieter Zimmerman

Illustrators & Cartographers

Jonathan Byrne, Cheese Hasselberger,
Colin Mills, Matt Sutton, Clayton Williams

GFA 2020 Credits

Cover Art Title Page Art
Doug Kovacs Marc Radle

Editors & Proofreaders

bygrinstow,Tim Deschene, Klint Finley, William Fischer,
Cory Gahsman, Michael Harrington, Tony Hogard, David Koslow,
Shane Liebling, Luke Martinez, Cullen McDonald, Todd McFarland,
Jason Morgan, Keith Nelson, Robert Nelson, John Replogle,
Marcie Riebe, Jeff Scifert, Ian Zebarah Shears, Tim Snider, Dan Steeby,
Shyloh Wideman, Ann Wycoff, Judge Yossarian, Dieter Zimmerman

Creative Vision, Project Management & Layout

William Fisher, Karim Glue, Michael Harrington,
Jon Hershberger, Davin Kluttz, Doug Kovacs, Jeff Scifert,
Dan Steeby, Stefan Surratt, Shyloh Wideman,
Clayton Williams, Jon Wilson, Dieter Zimmerman