Half-Levels REVISED

Half-Levels:  An Optional Multi-Classing System for the Dungeon Crawl Classics Game

By Daniel J. Bishop

Revised 9 Dec 2012

At some point, players ask why their halfling cannot become a thief.  Or why their warrior cannot also become a cleric.  Half-levels are my answer to this.

If a human wants to take levels in another class, he must first take a half-level in the new class.  Once this is done, he can take levels in his original class or his new class at will, whenever he has enough experience points to gain a new level.  After the half-level, the first level gained in the half-level class is 1^st level.  Gaining a half-class level is exactly like gaining a level in terms of XP requirements.

Things work a little different for demi-humans.  Demi-human classes do not have half-levels.  An elf who takes the Elf class always gains the full first level, even if he has taken levels in other classes.  The same is true for halflings and dwarves.  However, if an elf wants to become, say, a thief after gaining his first 10 XP, then he must take a half-level first.

It is possible to gain three or more classes by taking multiple half-levels.

The following general rules apply:

• All classes gain a full Hit Die, as though they had taken a standard level in the class.
• Attack bonuses, saving throw bonuses, and caster level do not “stack”; the character takes the best attack bonus offered, and the best saving throw bonus for each category offered by any of his classes.  Caster level is determined on the basis of each class, so that an elf wizard would have an Elf caster level and a Wizard caster level.
• In my home campaigns, a specific relationship with the gods is one of the things that sets humans apart from demi-humans, so no demi-humans may take half-levels or levels in Cleric.  Check with your judge to see if this restriction applies to his or her campaign milieu.
• In my home campaigns, halflings are not skilled in magic, so no halfling may take a half-level or levels in Wizard.  Check with your judge to see if this restriction applies to his or her campaign milieu

Class	Attack/Deed Die	Crit Die/Table	Threat Range	Action Dice	Max Spells	Luck Die	Ref	Fort	Will
Cleric	+0	1d6/III	20	1d20	2	-	+0	+0	+1
Thief	+0	1d5/II	20	1d20	-	d2	+1	+0	+0
Warrior	+d2	1d8/III	20	1d20	-	-	+0	+1	+0
Wizard	+0	1d4/I	20	1d20	2	-	+0	+0	+1

Special rules for each class follow.

Cleric

• Caster Level is 0.
• Turn Unholy is gained.
• Lay on Hands is not gained until 1^st level.
• Divine Aid is not gained until 1^st level.

Thief

• Thieves’ Cant is not learned until 1^st level.
• Skill bonus for all thief skills are ½ the listed 1^st level value, rounded down.
• Cast spell from scroll is 1d10 regardless of alignment.
• A halfling thief gains the better of his Halfling stealth bonus or his Thief bonuses; they do not stack.
• A halfling thief rolls a Luck Die, but always gains a benefit of 2 or more.  If the halfling thief acts as a Lucky Charm, the benefit is always based off of his Halfling class.  A halfling thief only regains 1 point of Luck each day (not 2).

Warrior

• With a d2 Deed Die, a ½ level Warrior cannot perform Mighty Deeds.
• The warrior’s Lucky weapon can be chosen at either the ½ level or at 1^st level, as determined by the player, but the bonus is not in effect until it is chosen.
• A warrior (or dwarf) who also has an attack bonus from another class always gets the better of his attack bonus or the result of his Deed Die, whichever is better.  Whether or not a Deed succeeds is always dependent upon the Deed Die roll, however.  The result of the Deed Die is added to damage as normal.
• A dwarf warrior gains the better of his Dwarf Deed Die or his Warrior Deed Die; they do not stack.

Wizard

• Caster Level is 0.