DRUNKENS & DRAGONS presents:

5E: HARDCORE MODE

Copyright Runehammer Games 2020

Permission granted to print this document for personal use

This Book made possible by

the shield wall of Patreon

Illustrations by Albert Robida, Gustave Dore, Harry Clarke, John Dickson Batten,
Howard Pyle, and other 19th century masters under Public Domain

SPECIAL THANKS
Professor DM Dan Defazio
Kelsey Dionne

2 0 2 0

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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
The Hardcore Way. . . . . . . . . . . . 3
One Page Overview . . . . . . . . 4

HEROES
3D6 Down the Line . . . . . 5
Hit Dice . . . . . . . . . 6
Skilled and Unskilled . . . . 7
Injured! . . . . . . 8
You’re Dead . . . . . . . . . 9
Zymer’s Candle . . . . . . . . . 10
Spells, not Slots . . . . . . . . . 11
Roll to Cast . . . . . . . . . 11
Level 10 . . . . . . . . . 12
XP Classic . . . . . . . . . 12
The Upper Hand . . . . . . . . . 13

THE ENEMY
Real Challenge Rating . . . . . . 14
Monster AI . . . . . . 15
The Environmental Monster . . 15
Hordes . . . . . . . . . 15

A GM STYLE
Verisimilitude . . . . . . . . . 16
Fixed Challenge Prestige . . . . 16
Solving Movement . . . . . . . . . 17
Agreed Initiative . . . . . . . . . 19

THE DARKNESS
Drimgark . . . . . . . . . 20
Stakes . . . . . . . . . 21

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . 22