Hardcore League

This server will be closed in 34.46 days on October 24, 2022.

Hardcore League is a recurring event introduced in August 2019. For 89 days, you can play on a special perma-death server with some additional rules.

Rules and mechanics

• Basic rule: If you die, you're dead, drawn away to the Land of Lost Souls. No Raise Dead, no self-raises, no res shrines, no res cakes, no Jibbers, no nothing, thank you for playing, this character is done on the Hardcore League server. Period.
  • Deaths from quest-specific mechanics (such as The Shroud part 4 death) and /death command do count.
  • Death is Announced: World Broadcasts are sent to inform people what killed people at which level. (It doesn't announce the death of Level 1 characters.)
  • Once your character is sent to the nether realm, they will not be able to access the shared bank on the Hardcore League server, thus cannot transfer any item that is in their possession to any character.
  • Dead characters can't escape from the nether realm until a hardcore season ends, which means it prevents you playing these characters.
    • Dead characters will be returned from the nether realm to arrange your inventory and your bank slots after the Season.
    • Upon transferring your dead character to regular servers which stays in the nether realm still, It'll automatically bring you to Marketplace from there. You might want to transfer your character rather than to delete it if it has valuable items.

Starting level

• All characters start at level 1, even Iconics. Veteran Status will not help you.
• At level 15, iconic characters get their starting gear, as normal.

Lockout

• You cannot enter a dungeon if your level is more than 4 (2 in Season 6) levels higher than the base challenge rating. ("Base" means the challenge rating on Normal difficulty.)
  • Hall of the Mark and Return to Delera's Tomb are exempt from the level lockout.
  • Wildernesses are also exempt from the level lockout.
• Epic characters (i.e. character level 20 and higher) cannot enter heroic dungeons. The two level 20 heroic dungeons, Dreaming Dark and the ToD raid are exempt from this rule, but these are Base level 20, so should not be considered Heroic.^{[Unverified"The two level 20 heroic dungeons, Dreaming Dark and the ToD raid are exempt from this rule, but these are Base level 20, so should not be considered Heroic." has not been verified in-game. Please verify it!]}
• Challenges also have a lockout. Starting with season 6, challenges are judged based on your chosen quest level and not the base level. So a level 15 can enter a challenge set to levels 13+. Level 12 would be too low. DDO Forums

Transfer

• You cannot transfer characters to this server, but shortly* after the event is over you can transfer your characters (even dead ones) from the HCL server to any of the regular servers. This transfer is free. Starting in Season 4/5 Transfers from the Hardcore server were allowed during the Season. However, Starting in Season 5 after the Season players could go to the Bank and retrieve items. Characters could enter quests and kite or use Hires/Pets to run a quest, but could not interact. Rewards are noted at the end of the Season, so playing after the Season does not advance these.

(* This function was not immediate upon the end of the event, and is only available for a limited period of time, at the end of which the HCL server is (presumably) wiped clean and prepared for the next HCL event.)

• Items in a Shared Bank, Mail, and any/all Guild Ship storage are not transferred. Take them on a Character when that character is transferred, or leave them behind.

Misc

• Hirelings and the DDO Store are allowed. The goal is to be as close to live servers as possible.
• Festivals and other events (such as Treasure of Crystal Cove) are not available on the Hardcore Server.

Rewards

Players can get exclusive cosmetic rewards for participating / meeting certain goals (favor, reaper XP, level). Note that the character that has unlocked a reward must speak to the Hardcore League NPC to unlock that reward. Only once that is done, then it can be claimed on any character on any server on that account once the season is over.

Rewards NPC: At various places in the game world (for example, Hall of Heroes) you can find a new NPC:

• In seasons one and five, it's Mortality
• In season two, it's Arraetrikos
• In season three, it's Vallakarigin
• In season four, it's Xix
• In season six, it's the Master of the Hunt

This NPC will grant cosmetic rewards to characters that have passed specific benchmarks. These rewards, once unlocked on a character on the Hardcore League Season server will be available for all characters on that account on all servers.

• When you reach a milestone, you have to talk to the rewards NPC to claim your reward.
• When you die after reaching the milestone but before talking to the rewards NPC, you're out of luck.^{[Unverified"When you die after reaching the milestone but before talking to the rewards NPC, you're out of luck." has not been verified in-game. Please verify it!]} DDO Forums

The rewards are account-wide, available on all servers.

Seasons

Season six — A Dangerous Game

July 27th, 2022 — October 23rd, 2022 (10:00 AM Eastern (-4 GMT) on Monday, October 24th)

Special rules this season

• Stricter level lockout: Normal + 2 instead of normal + 4
• Hounds hunt you. These are Red-named Monster Champion Fey Hunt Hounds that come in multiple elemental flavors and inflict Vulnerability to their element. The party will hear a howl about 10 seconds before the hound appears. Like Reapers they teleport. These can appear at the start of the quest or after the quest ends and can appear in adventure areas. Other than the Grotto, expect them to be everywhere, including Challenges. Piking, going AFK, or multiboxing is extremely hazardous.

Rewards

• 1750 Favor: Pup of the Hunt War Veteran Certificate
• 5000 Favor: Fae Hunter's Wings (cosmetic wings, toggled by a feat, in the same channel as Reaper Wings you may own)
• 10 Reaper Points: Death Walker's Cloak VI
• 20 Reaper Points: Mount Certificate: Steed of the Huntmaster
• Level 20: Death Walker's Sash VI

Some rewards previewed

Season five

December 1st 2021- February 1st 2022

Season rules

• Shorter, only 2 months
• Same rules as season 1, except not restricted to VIP and dead characters can be transferred (free) to other server immediately.
• Some of the season 1 rewards return; some are new
  • Level 20: Death Walker's Sash V
  • 10 Reaper Points: Death Walker's Cloak V
  • 20 Reaper Points: Blood Reaper Creature Companion
  • 1750 Favor: Eyes of Darkness - Death Watches You Cosmetic Feat
  • 5000 Favor: Bloody Footprints - Deaths Follows You Cosmetic Feat

Official Announcement

Season four — Might and Madness

March 31st — June 29th, 2021

This spring brings the first Hardcore League season of 2021 to the game! Our 4th Hardcore Season will feature some new and returning guests in the form of the minions of the Nine Daelkyr Lords. You’ve met the Lord of Eyes and the Lord of Stone, but have you met the rest? DDO Forums

Season rules

• Not restricted to VIP
• The current plan is to not have extra earnable lives for this season (DDO Forums)
• Mimic Hunt is enabled
• New set of Daelkyr-themed Champions

Rewards

• Reaching a Total Favor of 1,750 - Overlord Collar
• Reaching a Total Favor of 5,000 - Daelkyr Steed, (Daelkyr Steed, front facing)
• Reaching Level 20 - Death Walkers Sash IV
• Gaining 10 Reaper Enhancement Points - Death Walker's Cloak IV
• Gaining 20 Reaper Enhancement Points - Thaarak Pup War Veteran Certificate

Official Announcement

Season three — Saving Grace

Wednesday, June 24th, 2020 — Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020

Changes

• Available to all players (not only VIP)
• One extra life at level 8; one extra life at level 16 (Technically, you get the extra life as soon as you reach enough XP to take level 8/16. You don't have to take 8/16.)
  • When you die with an extra life, you stay dead in the quest and your soul stone appears (same behavior as on normal servers).
  • If you reincarnate, the extra life count resets to zero.

Rewards

• Reaching a Total Favor of 1,750 - Archon Helm
• Reaching a Total Favor of 5,000 - Celestial Mount
• Reaching Level 20: Death Walker's Sash III
• Gaining 10 Reaper Enhancement Points - Death Walkers Cloak III
• Gaining 20 Reaper Enhancement Points - Lantern Archonling War Veteran

Major issue

• Dying while disconnected may cause double death. Even if you have 2 lives, you'll lose both in one death - be fully dead eventually. Alt+F4 or bad connection will cause this.
• Exact behavior: You die while disconnected (first death), then log in with -10 HP (second death).

Official Announcement

Transfers

Downtime Notice: Thursday, October 1st 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Eastern (-4 GMT) Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:32:11 +0000

The DDO game worlds will be unavailable on Thursday, October 1st from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Eastern (-4 GMT) for maintenance. There are no release notes. When the game worlds reopen, World Character Transfers will be available from the Hardcore server through November 3rd. Thank you!

Season two — Trial By Fire

Wednesday, February 19th, 2020 — Tuesday, May 12th, 2020

Special Rule:

• Different kinds of Champion enemies appear: Monster Champion/Hardcore

Goals and rewards:

• 1,750 favor: Bone Devil Skull Helmet (cosmetic)
• 5,000 favor: Bone Devil Armored Mount (cosmetic)
• 10 reaper points: Death Walkers Cloak II (cosmetic)
• 20 reaper points: Dretchling War Veteran pet (Dretch)
• Level 20: Death Walkers Sash II (cosmetic)
• The top 100 winners of the two ladders will be immortalized in the Hall of Heroes.

Season one

Friday, August 16, 2019 — Friday, November 15, 2019

Goals and rewards:

• Memorial list of characters who survived above Level 5: Hardcore League/survivors/season one
• 1,750 favor: Eyes of Darkness - Death Watches You cosmetic feat
• 5,000 favor: Bloody Footprint - Death Follows You cosmetic feat
• 10 reaper points: Death Walker's Cloak (cosmetic)
• 20 reaper points: Blood Reaper pet (Blood Wraith)
• Level 20: Death Walker's Sash (cosmetic)
• (YouTube link)

Guilds

On the hardcore server, players can create and join guilds as normal. However, running a guild can be a costly endeavor. Once a season is over, all guilds are deleted. Visit the Hardcore League forum to find guilds that recruit - or just ask around in game.

Leaderboard

• Talking to the Mortality NPC also allows you to see top 100 performers in two categories: Total Favor and Reaper XP
• The top 100 winners of the two ladders will be immortalized in the Hall of Heroes with a plaque featuring the character names.
• When a character dies, their place on the leader board is lost.
• If you would like to Reincarnate in a way that would reset your Favor, keep in mind that this reset to 0 Favor will likely push you off of the leaderboard.
• Any character who reaches at least Level 5 and survives on the server will be recognized in The DDO Chronicle newsletter. (The survivor list was only created for season one; it was dropped for later seasons because it was simply too long. )

Wrap up

After the event, the server shuts down. Leaderboards are prepared and published. After a few days or weeks downtime, the server reopens for a couple of weeks; everyone revives, can access bank and mail, and all characters can be transferred to normal servers for free. The usual limitations of character transfer apply.

See official Hardcore League Wrap-up FAQ.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Principle_ Dead toons can also: (roll daily dice) spend and buy in the DDOP store interact with the bank, merchants, traders and auction house drink potions, eat tavern food mount horsies turn off metas enter quests and wilderness areas summon hirelings equip and unequip items activate teleportation items like Bottles of Mist or Boarding Passes take damage and die in quests and wilderness areas release (if dead) back to Mortality Dead toons can't: attack, cleave, trip, stun, or do anything like an attack search, sneak, inscribe spells cast spells or any type or SLA inscribe spells summon pets turn on metas transport to Eberron or Forgotten Realms from the start screen

See also

Official introduction / guide

Announcement at 2019 Gen Con:

• https://youtu.be/A5lZg-yAPQ8?t=66
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ls-6EKD670

Lamannia preview: DDO Forums (available also to non-VIP)

Gallery of Rewards

Season I

• 

  Mortality vendor

• 

  Blood Reaper pet

• 

  Eyes of Darkness

• 

  Level 20 cloak

• 

  Death Walker's Cloak