Crossfire is a multiplayer graphical arcade and adventure game designed for the X Window System. It draws inspiration from several other games, particularly Gauntlet™ and NetHack/Moria. Any number of players can move around in their own window, finding and using items while battling monsters. Players may choose to cooperate or compete with one another within the same “world.”

You need a client and a server to connect to. Several public servers are available for play; you can select one from the metaserver list when starting a client. Each server has its own world, so if you want to play the same character over time, you will want to choose one server and stick with it.

Alternatively, you can run your own server. See Chapter 4 of this FAQ for instructions.

Visit the Crossfire Client Page and choose a client suitable for your platform.

There are two official clients developed as part of the main Crossfire project:

• jxclient
• GTK2 Client

Unofficial clients are also available, provided they support the Crossfire protocol. For support with unofficial clients, contact their respective developers.

Note that many *nix distributions include Crossfire in their package repositories, though these packages may lag behind the main project by several months.

Crossfire is a lightweight game by modern standards. The following are the general minimum requirements:

• Operating System: Linux, Windows, macOS, or any other Unix-like system. The GTKv2 client requires GTK+ 2 libraries.
• Network: A minimum 384 Kbps upload and download connection is required. A 256 Kbps or better connection is recommended for smoother gameplay. More bandwidth helps ensure that bursts of data are delivered quickly.
• CPU/RAM: No specific minimum; Crossfire is not resource-intensive.

For the browser-based client, a modern web browser with JavaScript enabled is sufficient. No additional software installation is needed.

Full system requirements are listed on the Requirements page of the official website.

Yes. Visit the Win32 GTK Client page for more information.

The JX Client is also available and runs on Windows.

The unofficial DockWindow Client is also available and runs on Windows.

Yes. Visit the macOS GTK Client page for more information.

The JX Client is also available and runs on macOS.

Yes. A fully browser-based Crossfire client is available, requiring no installation whatsoever. You can play directly in a supported web browser.

• Crossfire Web Client — Visit this page for instructions and the link to launch the client.

The web client is open source and its source code is available on GitHub. Credit for this deployment goes to Sebastian Andersson. As it is currently in a testing phase, you may encounter occasional issues not present in the native clients.

Official releases of Crossfire can be downloaded via HTTP (see Section 2.7.1 below). If you prefer to use the latest development code, you can check out the source from Git (see Section 2.7.2).

Primary download location:

• http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=13833

A current list of publicly available servers can be found within the game client and on the metaserver web pages:

• https://crossfire.real-time.com/metaserver2/meta_html.php
• http://metaserver.eu.cross-fire.org/meta_html.php
• https://metaserver.us.cross-fire.org/meta_html.php

invidious2.meflin.net offers the standard trunk experience. Monster generators spawn a limited set of monsters before expiring, and the combat system is slowed down for a more approachable gameplay experience. The codebase and content are actively updated. This server is recommended for players new to the game.

crossfire.crowcastle.com features infinitely spawning generators, similar to Metalforge, but runs on a trunk codebase.

birdsnest.sytes.net is a weather-enabled trunk server with 24×24px graphics and a modified server codebase that tracks levels and supports player names with spaces.

bubs.gamu.group features raised item power limits along with some experimental features, including a work-in-progress magic item-based class system where using a magic item increases the damage and effects of contained spells. The server uses retro archetype graphics with a trunk codebase for maps and server logic.

crossfire.metalforge.net offers the classic game experience: faster combat, infinitely spawning generators, 32×32px graphics, and an older non-dynamic guild system. No content updates have been made since its original release.

• Linux
  • Server compile instructions
  • GTKv2 Client compile instructions

If you still have problems after consulting the above guides, send an email to the Crossfire mailing list describing your issue. Be sure to include the operating system and platform you are compiling on.

For detailed information about playable characters, visit the characters page.

Below is a summary of the seven primary stats:

• Strength (“STR”) — A measure of physical strength. Affects melee damage, how much can be carried without losing speed, movement speed, and how often the character can attack.
• Dexterity (“DEX”) — Measures physical agility. Helps the character avoid being hit, affects ranged attacks, and influences Armor Class and movement speed.
• Constitution (“CON”) — Measures physical health and toughness. Affects maximum Hit Points.
• Intelligence (“INT”) — Measures the ability to learn skills and incantations (both prayers and magic).
• Wisdom (“WIS”) — Measures the ability to learn and use divine magic. Affects maximum Grace for prayers.
• Power (“POW”) — Measures magical potential. Affects maximum Spell Points for casting mage or wizardry spells.
• Charisma (“CHA”) — Measures social and leadership ability. Affects prices when buying and selling items.

Primary stats have a natural range between 0 and approximately 20. The actual upper limit for each stat is determined by the chosen character race. Stats can be raised by drinking potions up to the race's natural limit.

As for which stat is most important, many players would say Constitution. Having more Hit Points improves survivability, which is central to the game. Because Crossfire is a hack-and-slash game where movement speed is critical for avoiding enemies, Strength is the second most important stat.

The secondary stats are:

• score — The character's total accumulated experience. It increases as a reward for player actions and may decrease as a result of magical attacks or character death. Starts at 0.
• level — A rating of overall ability derived from the score. As level increases, the character becomes able to succeed at more difficult tasks. Starts at 0 and may range up to 125.
• hit points (“Hp”) — Measures how much damage the player can sustain before dying. Hit points are determined by player level and influenced by CON. Values may range from 1 to beyond 500; higher values indicate greater resilience.
• mana (“Sp”) — Measures the player's fuel for casting incantations. Mana is calculated from character level and POW. Values can range from 1 to beyond 500.
• grace (“Gr”) — Measures how favored the character is by the gods, and in game terms, how much divine magic the character can cast. Affected by character level, WIS, and POW. During play, grace values may exceed the character's normal maximum and can take on large positive or negative values. Positive values indicate favor with the gods.
• weapon class (“Wc”) — Measures skill with melee and missile attacks. Lower values indicate a more potent attack. Influenced by the current weapon, user level, and STR. Ranges between 25 and −72.
• damage (“Dam”) — How much damage a melee or missile attack inflicts. Higher values mean more damage per hit.
• armor class (“Ac”) — How well-protected the character is from being hit. Lower values are better. Based on character class and modified by DEX and currently worn armor. Characters unable to wear armor improve their Ac as their level increases.
• armor (“Arm”) — How much damage is subtracted from successful physical hits against the character. Ranges from 0 to 99%. Determined primarily by currently worn armor.
• speed — How fast the player moves. Ranges from nearly 0 (“very slow”) to greater than 5 (“lightning fast”). Base speed is determined by DEX and reduced proportionally by weight carried above the Max Carry limit. The armor worn also sets an upper limit on speed.
• attack speed — Shown in parentheses after speed in the stat window. Indicates how many attacks the player can make per unit of time. Higher values mean faster attacks. Influenced by the current weapon's weapon speed (a lower weapon speed is better) and the user's DEX.
• food — Measures how full the character's stomach is. Ranges from 0 (starving) to 999 (satiated). At 0, the character begins to die. Some magic can speed up or slow down digestion, and healing wounds also increases food consumption.

The official website has a dedicated page, Race & Class Recommendations, that addresses this question in detail. A summary is provided below.

The most important question for new players is: “Which race and class should I play?”

Choosing a compatible race and class combination can make the difference between frequent deaths and a positive experience with steady level progression. This guide helps you select a compatible combination and explains the reasoning behind each recommendation.

Note: This guide is intended to give new players the best possible start.

The safest race and class combinations for new players are:

• Human paladin
• Human warrior
• Half-orc warrior
• Northman warrior

Why?

1. Stat bonuses: Half-orcs and Northmen favor fighter classes but receive penalties to spellcasting classes (including prayers). Humans have no stat modifiers, but also have no penalties.
2. No spell path restrictions: These races and classes do not restrict spell access unless the character chooses a god or cult to follow.
3. No equipment restrictions: These races and classes can wield any weapon and wear any armor. Again, the chosen deity may impose some restrictions later.
4. No elemental vulnerabilities: Unlike some races (e.g., wraiths or trolls are vulnerable to fire), these combinations have no particular attack type weaknesses — something that can be a steep learning curve for new players.

Additionally, the warrior and fighter classes are the easiest for learning the core mechanics of the game: movement, combat, and map navigation. Learning to use spells effectively is a step up from these fundamentals. When a spellcaster runs out of grace or spell points, they will still need to fight their way to safety — so mastering the basics first is worthwhile.

The save command provides an emergency backup in case of a game crash. To properly save your character at the end of a session, you must find a “Bed to Reality,” move your character onto it, and apply it (press A). Beds to Reality can typically be found in inns and taverns throughout the maps, especially in cities. This mechanic ensures that players must return to a safe location before ending their session, rather than saving anywhere at any time.

Crossfire supports a party system that allows players to adventure together and share experience.

To create a party:

'party form <party name>

Note that forming a party does not automatically make you a member. After creating the party, you must also join it:

'party join <party name>

Additional party commands include:

• 'party join <party name> — Join an existing party. If the party has a password set, you will be prompted to enter it.
• 'party passwd <password> — Set or change the password for your party (8 characters maximum).
• 'party list — List all currently active parties and their leaders.
• 'party who — List the members of your current party.
• 'gsay <message> — Send a message only to your party members.
• 'party help — Display all available party commands.

Party members are always peaceful toward one another — they cannot accidentally harm each other in combat. Experience earned while in a party is shared among all members on the same map (see the party experience question in Advanced Questions for details). A large difference in levels between party members will affect the distribution of experience, so it is generally most efficient to group with characters of a similar level.

Your character will advance a level when their score reaches the following thresholds (for the first 10 levels):

Visit the Experience Table page for a complete list of experience requirements for levels 1 through 110, covering both the Classic System and the Harder/Metalforge System.

Tips on Surviving

Crossfire is populated with a wide variety of monsters, each with different immunities and attack types. Some are significantly smarter than others. Learning the abilities of different monsters — and how much it takes to kill them — is essential for new players.

Most monsters will mindlessly attack players on sight and yield experience when killed. When fighting a large group of monsters in a single room, try to draw them into a narrower hallway to avoid being attacked from multiple directions at once. Charging into a room full of Beholders, for instance, is inadvisable — open the door and fight them one at a time instead.

Several maps are designed specifically for beginners. Explore these areas and clear them out. Throughout these levels, you will find signs and books that can be read by stepping onto them and pressing A to apply them. These messages will help you learn the game's systems.

Always keep an eye on your food. If it drops to zero, your character will soon die.

NPCs

Non-player characters (NPCs) are special monsters with “intelligence.” You may be able to interact with them to solve puzzles or find items of interest. To speak with an NPC, move to an adjacent square and press the double-quote key (“). Type your message and press Enter. You can also use say as an alternative command.

Other NPCs may not speak but will demonstrate intelligence through their movement. Some are friendly and will attack your enemies. Others act as “pets,” following you and helping you fight monsters and find treasure.

Special Items

Many special items can be found in Crossfire. Among the most important are:

• Signs — Signs often contain clues about quests and puzzles, or refer you to NPCs. Always read every sign to avoid missing important information.
• Handles and Buttons — These can be manipulated to open new areas of the map. Handles are activated simply by applying them. Buttons must have items placed on top of them to be held down. Larger buttons may require heavier items to activate.
• Gates and Locked Doors — Gates are typically tied to a handle or button and can only be opened by activating the associated mechanism. Locked doors can either be smashed open by attacking them or unlocked using keys found throughout the game.
• Pits — Pits can serve as passages to new areas of the map, but be careful — you could fall into a pit full of ghosts or dragons and be unable to escape.
• Breakaway Walls — These walls can be destroyed by attacking them. It is sometimes worth testing the walls of a map for “secret doors.”
• Fire Walls — These shoot projectiles at players. Some can be destroyed; others cannot.
• Directors and Spinners — These items change the direction of any object passing over them, such as missiles and spells.

Caution: Some items are perishable. Firing a fireball into a room full of scrolls, for example, will destroy them. Take care not to damage valuable items.

• Books and Scrolls — These are how players obtain magical spells. Characters can sometimes learn the spell contained within; other times, they cannot. There are many types of books and scrolls.
• Wands and Rings — There are many varieties. Rings can be worn to add or remove immunities.
• Artifacts — These are the true treasures of the game.
• Weapons and Armor — There is a wide variety of each. Experimentation is part of the game.

A container is a general term for bags, chests, keyrings, quivers, pouches, and similar items. Here is how to interact with one:

• Middle-click or apply the container once — Makes the container active. Any items picked up will automatically be placed inside it. The label active will appear next to the container icon in your inventory.
• Middle-click or apply the container a second time — Opens the container and displays its contents. The label open will appear next to the container icon. Right-click individual items inside the container to move them back to your regular inventory.
• Middle-click or apply the container a third time — Closes the container and hides its contents from the inventory display, freeing up screen space.

In summary, each middle-click or application cycles the container through: closed → active → open → closed.

For example, you may have 5 longswords that appear as separate piles (e.g., 3 longswords and 2 longswords).

There are several reasons items may not stack. Some may be cursed or magical, causing them to be listed separately — this is intentional and can serve as a useful hint.

In other cases, items may not stack for less obvious reasons. A few things to try:

• Pick up all the items in question and then drop them again — they may merge into a single pile.
• Leaving all the items in a pile on the floor of your apartment for a while may also allow them to merge, though this can take some time.

This behavior can be annoying, but the items are valid and do not require any intervention to resolve.

There are several ways to identify items:

• Skills — A character can learn skills that allow identification of items and, in some cases, crafting as well (e.g., blacksmithing allows crafting armor at a forge). These skills may be granted by race or class, or learned by reading a skill scroll. The easiest method is to bind all identification skills to a single keystroke:

use_skill sense magic;use_skill sense curse;use_skill literacy;use_skill alchemy;use_skill smithery;use_skill woodsman;use_skill bowyer;use_skill jeweler;use_skill thaumaturgy

Note: Each skill has limits on what it can identify. For example, thaumaturgy identifies rods, staves, and wands, but not bows, armor, books, or potions.

• Spells — The sorcery spell Identify can be used on any unidentified item. Scrolls and rods of Identify work the same way. Higher-level casting identifies more items per use. Unlike identification skills, the Identify spell works on all types of unidentified items.

• Identify Tables — Most magic shops contain Identify Tables that will identify the top item in your inventory stack for a fixed fee. The cost can add up quickly. The table identifies cursed, non-magical, and magical items alike, but you may spend more on identification than you recover by selling the items.

Restoring spell points (SP), grace, or hit points (HP) increases your food consumption rate. Items with the +Regeneration property also increase food consumption.

Middle-click an item to use it. Middle-clicking a scroll reads it; middle-clicking a weapon wields it (or displays a message if it cannot be wielded); middle-clicking food eats or consumes it.

To lock an item so it cannot be accidentally dropped, hold Shift and left-click it. Shift and left-click again to unlock it. Locked items display an asterisk (*) next to them in your inventory.

Yes. You can copy and paste in the command line (the text input box). To copy text from an information window such as the chat window, select the text, then middle-click on the command line — the selected text will be pasted into the command line. This works with the GTK client on both *nix and Windows.

If you want to pick up or drop only a portion of a stack, specify the quantity before using the mouse or a command. Enter the desired number in the “Count” spin-button control available in most clients.

For the command-line equivalent:

'get 10 platinum

Magical weapons are created using a series of scrolls found or purchased in shops. The process works as follows:

1. Mark the weapon you want to enchant by either shift-middle-clicking it or using 'mark <weapon_name> (e.g., 'mark long sword).
2. Read a Prepare Weapon scroll (by middle-clicking it) to lay a magic matrix on the weapon. See below for diamond sacrifice requirements.
3. Read any of the additional enchantment scrolls listed below to add the desired enchantments.

Some scrolls require a sacrifice when read. To sacrifice an object, stand over it when you read the scroll.

The available weapon enchantment scrolls are:

• Prepare Weapon — Requires a diamond sacrifice. The weapon can receive a number of additional enchantments equal to the square root of the diamonds sacrificed. For example, sacrificing 100 diamonds allows 10 further enchantment scrolls.
• Improve Damage — No sacrifice required. Each scroll increases damage by 5 points and weight by 5 kilograms.
• Lower Weight (Improve Weight) — No sacrifice required. Each scroll reduces the weapon's weight by 20%. The minimum weight is 1 gram.
• Enchant Weapon — No sacrifice required. Increases the weapon's magic value by +1.
• Improve Stat (e.g., Strength, Dexterity) — Requires a potion matching the stat being improved (e.g., Improve Strength requires strength potions). The number of potions needed equals twice the sum of all stat bonuses the weapon currently grants. The chosen stat is then increased by 1. For example, a sword with Int +2 and Str +2 requires 8 potions to raise any one stat by 1. If the sword also had Wis −2, only 4 potions would be required. A minimum of 2 potions is always needed.

Warning: Each enchantment adds to the weapon's item power. It is possible to enchant a weapon beyond your character's level, making it impossible to equip.

Armor is enchanted using Enchant Armor scrolls. Each successful use adds +1 to the armor's value and reduces its weight by a fractional amount.

The maximum number of enchantments is set by the server's configuration file (config.h: #define ARMOR_MAX_ENCHANT). The default maximum is +5.

Armor, weapons, and shields can encumber a wizard and cause spell failure. Light equipment causes no failure, while heavy equipment results in significant failure rates.

The underlying logic is that the bulkiness of objects — not just their weight — interferes with spellcasting. Since the game uses weight as a proxy for bulkiness, encumbrance is weight-based.

Encumbrance points are tallied only from currently applied (equipped) objects:

• Weapons contribute 3× their weight in kg.
• Shields contribute 1/2 their weight in kg.
• Armor contributes its weight in kg directly.

All players receive a base allowance of encumbrance points (roughly 35–45) before spell failures begin.

The failure threshold is calculated as follows:

Failure threshold = encumbrance + spell level − caster level − 35

A roll of 1–200 is compared to this threshold. If the roll is below the threshold, the spell fails.

Example: A 4th-level wizard casting a 5th-level spell while wearing plate mail (100 kg), a 20 kg shield, and wielding a 15 kg weapon has an encumbrance of 100 + 10 + 45 = 155. The failure threshold is 155 + 5 − 4 − 35 = 121, which corresponds to roughly a 60% failure rate.

Magical equipment provides no special bonus to encumbrance calculations, though magical armor and weapons tend to be lighter, which indirectly helps.

Items with values such as +1, +2, or +3 appended to their names are enchanted. Higher values generally mean a better item; negative values indicate the item is inferior in some way.

Partial Resistance (PR) is the amount of damage subtracted from successful hits against the character for a given attack type. For non-damaging attack types, the resistance value affects saving throws and reduces duration. Higher values are better.

Partial resistance uses the following formula:

Resistance gained from new item = (100 − current resistance) × item's percentage

For example:

• If you have 20% cold resistance and equip a ring with 50% cold resistance: (100 − 20) × 50% = 40 points added, for a total of 60% cold resistance.
• If you have 45% fire resistance and equip a ring with 60% fire resistance: (100 − 45) × 60% = 33 points added, for a total of 78% fire resistance.

Potions of resistance grant a flat total of 90% or 95%.

The only way to achieve full immunity is to reach exactly 100%.

Penalties cap your maximum resistance. For example, if you have a −30 modifier (from race, items, cult, etc.), your maximum achievable resistance is 70%. A −100 modifier caps your maximum at 0%.

Hit Points regenerate slowly over time at the cost of Food Points. Items with the +Regeneration property increase Hit Point regeneration, but also cause faster food consumption.

Spell Points regeneration is hindered by heavy equipment (armor, shields, and some weapons). Identified items will display a “Spell regen penalty <value>” line. Items with the +Magic property increase Spell Point regeneration.

Grace Points regenerate while the character actively prays. It is possible to accumulate up to twice the normal maximum Grace Points by praying at an altar dedicated to the character's chosen god.

Certain races and classes also affect hit point and spell point regeneration rates.

Many attacks — spells, weapons, and monster strikes — have more than one attack type. For example, the Comet spell uses Physical, Fire, and Weaponmagic attack types simultaneously.

If a Comet hits your character:

• With 70 armor (30% of physical damage gets through)
• Dragon Mail +3 (40% fire resistance, so 60% of fire damage gets through)
• No Weaponmagic resistance (100% of that damage gets through)

Even if your other resistances are high, the Weaponmagic component hits you in full. The most damaging attack type, after resistances are applied, determines the total damage you take.

If you also had Weaponmagic resistance, the game would apply your resistance to whichever component would otherwise deal the most damage to you.

Crossfire features a multi-god system. Characters can choose to worship one of the available gods or cults by using the Praying skill while standing on an aligned altar (e.g., an “Altar of Valriel”). A summary of all available gods and their properties can be found in Appendix C — Crossfire Pantheon of the Player's Handbook, and in more detail on the Gods page on the Crossfire Wiki.

How to join a cult:

Simply use your Praying skill while standing over the aligned altar of the god you wish to worship. You will immediately become a follower of that god.

What worship gives you:

• Access to special prayers unique to your chosen cult.
• Spell path Attunement, Repulsion, or Denial (see the Attuned/Repelled/Denied question elsewhere in this FAQ).
• Resistance bonuses to certain attack types, and in some cases, new vulnerabilities.
• The ability to pray at your god's altar to regenerate grace faster or receive god-granted items.
• Access to the Remove Curse effect by praying at your altar (Devourers followers are the only exception to this).

Important notes:

• Once you join a cult, you cannot return to being unaligned. You can switch to a different god by praying repeatedly at another god's altar, but you will lose praying experience each time your current god pushes you off.
• Denied spell paths can only be recovered by switching to a different cult.
• Some gods provide broad access to spell paths with few downsides (such as Gorokh, Gnarg, Valriel, and Sorig), making them a good choice for players who are unsure of their preferred style.
• God-granted items (relics) disappear immediately if dropped or if you switch gods, so plan accordingly.

Spell paths and worship:

Each cult grants Attunement, Repulsion, or Denial to specific spell paths. Attuned paths cost 80% of normal mana or grace and grant damage and duration bonuses as if you were five levels higher. Repelled paths cost 125% and penalize caster level by five. Denied paths are completely inaccessible.

Alchemy is a skill-based crafting system in Crossfire that allows characters to combine ingredients found in the game world to create potions, scrolls, and other items.

To practice alchemy:

1. Your character must have the Alchemy skill (granted by some classes, or learned via a skill scroll).
2. Gather the required ingredients and place them in a cauldron or similar vessel.
3. Use the Alchemy skill. If the formula is correct and your skill level is sufficient, the ingredients will transform into the finished product.

Alchemy formulas can be learned from books found throughout the game. Success rates depend on your Alchemy skill level and the difficulty of the formula. Failed attempts can destroy ingredients or produce harmful side effects. Alchemy falls under the Wisdom (WIS) and Intelligence (INT) stat influence for learning, and is one of the identification skills (see the item identification question in this FAQ).

A full list of alchemy formulas is available in the Alchemy Spoiler on the official website.

item_power measures how powerful an item is. This value is relevant only for equipped items; one-time-use items, monsters, walls, and floors do not use this system.

When a player attempts to equip an item, the game sums the item_power of all currently equipped items and adds the item_power of the new item. If the total exceeds the character's level, the item cannot be equipped.

In short, the total item_power of all equipped items must be less than or equal to the character's level. Use the 'skills command to view your current and maximum item power (e.g., Your equipped item power is 25 out of 101).

Left-click an identified item to see its item_power (e.g., That is a cloak of intermediate protection (ac+2)(item_power +1)).

This system helps balance items and limits the usefulness of high-level gifts to low-level characters.

For items generated automatically by the treasure code, the following table applies:

Each of the following counts as one enchantment:

• Each plus value on the item (+1, +2, +3, etc.)
• Each point a stat is increased (Str +1, Dex +2, etc.)
• Each 20% protection an item grants (0–9% counts as nothing; 10–29% counts as one enchantment, etc.)
• Each attack type a weapon has (Fire, Cold, Weaponmagic, etc.)
• Spell path adjustments (e.g., Attuned: Summoning)

While the item_power field is technically signed, items should not normally have a negative item_power value. However, negative item properties (such as stat penalties) may reduce item power. For example, a Sword +4 (Str +2)(Wis −3) would effectively have 3 enchantments.

Each time your character gains a level in a skill, they also receive a random number of health points (1–4), spell points (1–3), and grace points (1–3). Because of this randomness, it is possible to gain only 1 point in each category per level.

Consuming Improvement Potions gradually raises these random values: 1s become 2s, 2s become 3s, and so on. Once you have consumed 24 Improvement Potions and see the “Perfect” message, all random values will be at their maximum. Improvement Potions essentially give you a second chance at better stat rolls on level-up.

When experience is shared in a party, the server calculates the total number of “shares” by summing the levels of all party members and adding 4 per member. Experience from a kill is then distributed proportionally based on each member's share contribution.

For experience to be distributed at all, the monster's experience value must be at least equal to the sum of all party members' levels plus 4 × the number of members.

Example: A party of a Level 109 character and a Level 11 character: (109 + 11) + (4 + 4) = 128. The group must kill monsters worth at least 128 XP for any experience to be gained.

If monsters yield too little experience, rounding may result in no experience being awarded.

Also note that all party members must be on the same map to share experience.

• Wearing multiple items that grant Attunement to the same spell path does not stack. You are either Attuned or you are not — there is no double or triple Attunement.
• Wearing one Attuned item and one Repelled item for the same spell path cancels each other out, giving you normal access to that spell path. Adding another Attuned item will not restore Attunement — the Attuned property only applies once.
• If you are Denied a spell path, no item or combination of items can allow you to cast spells from that path. Denied always overrides Attuned.

The Remove Curse scroll allows you to remove or unequip a cursed item that you have accidentally worn or used. It does not remove the cursed property from an item in your inventory or on the ground.

To permanently remove the curse from an item, the following conditions must be met:

1. You must follow a god or cult that grants Remove Curse (the Devourers cult is the only one that does not).
2. You must have a sufficient praying level for your god or cult to grant Remove Curse.
3. You must pray at your cult's or god's altar for a period of time. The duration depends on your praying level, luck, and the specific god or cult. It can range from a few seconds to several minutes.

Remove Curse works on any item type, from weapons to potions. Make sure the cursed item is in your inventory while praying at the altar.

Consuming a Potion of Life restores stats (Str, Dex, Con, etc.) that have been lowered by player death or monster and weapon attacks. The potion only restores depleted stats, not experience.

As of April 20, 2007 (server r6071 for trunk, r6072 for branch), there are now multiple tiers of Potion of Life:

• Minor Potion of Life
• Medium Potion of Life
• Major Potion of Life
• Supreme Potion of Life (the original potion)

Which potion will work for your character depends on your overall level:

Magical attack types from a bow apply only to non-magical arrows.

For example, using Arrows of Fire (attack type: fire) with a Bow of Thunder (attack types: slow, paralyze) will result only in fire damage. The bow's attack types do not apply because the arrows are magical.

The item with the lifesaving property must be worn by your character. When your character reaches 0 hit points, the item immediately casts a heal spell, restoring your hit points to full. The item is then consumed — it works only once.

Use the command 'bind prevkey and then press the key you wish to assign. This functions similarly to the up arrow key in most command-line interfaces.

You can create blank scrolls by erasing the text from existing scrolls. To do so, stand on any fountain in the game world. Use the mark command (shift + middle-click) to select the scroll or stack of scrolls you want to erase. Then use the 'dip command to erase one scroll at a time. Repeat as needed.

Blank scrolls and books are found in the game world. You can write in scrolls that already contain text, but you cannot erase what is already written. The library in northeast Scorn is a good place to look for them.

Literacy scrolls can be purchased at the post office or at the Scorn library.

Spells are the most effective approach. Lightning, Firebolt, Burning Hands, and Holy Word work well if you have sufficient spell points. Holy Word is particularly effective, sometimes causing the vampire to flee.

Stakes are generally not worth using as a primary weapon against vampires. Artifact weapons such as Darkblade or Demonbane tend to be more reliable.

A key point: vampires have very high Constitution and regenerate health rapidly. You must deal a large amount of damage in a short period of time — spells are ideal for this. Rods are ineffective against vampires because they recharge too slowly; you simply cannot deal damage fast enough to outpace a vampire's regeneration. Wands may work, but spells are the most reliable method.

Each monster has a detection radius — a square-shaped zone centered on the monster. When a player enters this zone, the monster wakes up and switches to attack mode. To avoid detection while using Stealth, you need to stay as far from the monster as possible, which can be very difficult in narrow hallways.

Technical note: A monster's WIS score determines its detection radius. A monster with WIS 11 will detect any player within an 11×11 square area. When a player has the Stealth skill active, this detection radius is reduced by half plus one.

You should begin in a city square with a few signposts in the center. Move over the signs and press A to apply them and read what they say. Additional guidance can be found in the Crossfire Handbook.

The official website and the Crossfire Wiki host a large number of resources for new and experienced players alike:

• Crossfire Player's Handbook — A comprehensive guide to all aspects of the game, including character creation, the magic system, the skill system, and equipment.
• Character Guide — Covers races, classes, attributes, and character creation in detail. Includes race and class combination recommendations and class-specific primers and starter guides.
• Survival Guide — Practical tips on combat, parties, magic, religion, and useful key bindings.
• Map Walkthroughs — Step-by-step guides to starting areas, the Newbie Tower, and in-game stores.
• Crossfire Atlas — An interactive, zoomable map site covering the entire Crossfire world. Includes region listings, maps organized by level, NPC locations, monster listings, item stats, and linked map diagrams. Useful as both a navigation aid and a spoiler reference.
• Map Summaries — Map-by-map summaries of areas in the game, contributed by players. Note that some areas use randomly generated content that may vary between resets.

Check the following:

• Make sure your character is not encumbered or heavily burdened.
• Check your movement speed (displayed on the 4th line of the client stat area as “Speed:”). You want this number to be high (greater than 1.0).
• Check your Strength score to confirm you have not lost stats from death or monster attacks.
• If you are still lagging and no other players report the same issue, begin troubleshooting your network connection.

When viewing the high score list in the game, you may see an entry such as:

36  351708075 Asgoth the human was killed by a dungeon collapse on map Reception, Fire Level 3 <299><246><76>

The player has not actually died. No experience or stat points were lost.

This message can appear for the following reasons:

• The map was reset while the player was disconnected from the server.
• The player exited the game without using a Bed to Reality.

The Crossfire Atlas is a community-maintained cartographic reference site for Crossfire. It provides interactive, zoomable maps for the entire game world, including:

• A labeled world map with region overviews and road connections.
• Maps organized by level, region, and alphabetical index.
• NPC locations and the messages or quests they are associated with.
• Sign and book content (spoiler).
• Monster listings with stats.
• Item locations and detailed item data.
• Reset group information so you can understand when and how maps repopulate.

The Atlas is useful for navigating the large world of Crossfire and for tracking down quests, items, or specific areas. Note that some maps use randomly generated content that can change between resets.

In addition to IRC, Discord, the mailing lists, and the forum, the Crossfire project maintains a presence on several platforms:

• Facebook — The official Crossfire project Facebook page.
• Bluesky — The official Crossfire project Bluesky account.
• Twitch — Links to Crossfire-related streams.
• YouTube — Links to Crossfire-related video content.

To start a server, run:

crossfire-server

A number of options can be passed to this command. Run with -h to see the full list.

If your server is intended to be public, see the metaserver section below for instructions on how to advertise it. If you only want to run a private server, simply provide the IP address or hostname to the players you want to invite.

To start a client, run:

crossfire-client-gtk2

Then select your server from the metaserver list (for public servers) or enter the hostname or IP address directly (for private servers). You can also use the -server option to bypass the metaserver list entirely. For example:

crossfire-client-gtk2 -server localhost

This connects directly to a server running on the local machine.

Yes.

Sources compiled for Windows are available here: http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=13833&package_id=99312

To have your server appear in the metaserver list, you must configure the metaserver2 file (typically found in the share or /etc/crossfire/ directory). Other possible locations include:

• /usr/games/crossfire/etc/crossfire/
• /etc/crossfire/metaserver2
• /home/crossfire/etc/crossfire/metaserver2

metaserver2_notification on
metaserver_server http://crossfire.real-time.com/metaserver2/meta_update.php
localhostname your.hostname.here (or IP Address)
portnumber 13327
html_comment Your server description
text_comment Your server description
archbase Standard
mapbase Standard
codebase Standard
flags

• metaserver2_notification must be set to on
• localhostname must be your publicly reachable hostname or IP address
• portnumber must match the port your server is listening on (default: 13327)
• text_comment Your plain text comment here
• archbase - Single-word arch description, use hyphenated words if necessary (.i.e, Standard-24×24). “Standard” is reserved for unmodified trunk.
• mapbase - Single-word maps description, use hyphenated words if necessary (.i.e, Standard-modified). “Standard” is reserved for unmodified trunk.
• codebase - Single-word code description, use hyphenated words if necessary (.i.e, Standard-customized). “Standard” is reserved for unmodified trunk.
• flags - Server flags as described in the file

Be sure to update all fields with relevant information.

Once configured, the server will periodically send updates to the metaserver and should appear within a few minutes.

Note: Changes to metaserver settings (e.g., adding a new metaserver entry or updating the server summary) require a full restart of the Crossfire server before the metaserver will recognize and display the updates.

Use a proper domain name (e.g. play.example.com) rather than a short or local hostname. The Crossfire client and metaserver rely on valid hostname resolution.

Your hostname should have:

• A forward DNS record (A/AAAA) mapping hostname → IP
• A reverse DNS record (PTR) mapping IP → hostname

Why this matters:

• The metaserver validates that your hostname resolves to the same IP that is sending updates
• If they do not match, the server may silently fail to list
• Reverse DNS is commonly missing on residential or dynamic connections

If you cannot configure reverse DNS (common with home ISPs), use your public IP address instead of a hostname:

localhostname 203.0.113.42

If you need to use an IP instead of a hostname, you can determine it by:

• Visiting a site like: https://ifconfig.me or https://api.ipify.org
• Running from a terminal:

curl ifconfig.me

Make sure this is the external/public IP, not a private address like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x.

If your server is behind a router (NAT):

• Ensure TCP port 13327 is reachable externally
• The metaserver must see the same IP that your hostname resolves to

<WRAP warning>

While it is common to forward port 13327 on a home router, this is not recommended unless you understand the risks:

• It exposes your internal machine directly to the internet
• Any vulnerabilities in the Crossfire server or OS can be exploited
• Automated scanners continuously probe open ports
• Misconfiguration can expose additional services unintentionally

Safer alternatives:

• Host the server on a VPS or dedicated host with proper firewalling
• Use firewall rules to restrict access
• Limit exposure using IP allowlists where possible

If you do use port forwarding:

• Only forward the required port (13327)
• Ensure your system is fully updated
• Use a firewall to restrict unnecessary inbound traffic

</WRAP>

metaserver2_notification on
metaserver_server http://crossfire.real-time.com/metaserver2/meta_update.php
localhostname play.example.com
portnumber 13327
html_comment Classic Crossfire server with updated maps
text_comment Classic Crossfire server with updated maps
archbase Standard
mapbase Standard
codebase Standard
flags

metaserver2_notification on
metaserver_server http://crossfire.real-time.com/metaserver2/meta_update.php
localhostname 203.0.113.42
portnumber 13327
html_comment Home-hosted test server
text_comment Home-hosted test server
archbase Standard
mapbase Standard
codebase Standard
flags

• Wait at least 5 minutes for updates to appear
• Verify:
  • Hostname resolves to your public IP
  • Reverse DNS (if used) matches
  • Port 13327 is reachable externally
• Ensure curl is installed, as it is required for metaserver updates

• Do not impersonate or attempt to mimic the official host server or any existing servers.
• Do not inflate or falsely report player login counts.
• Version information must be accurate.
• The reported archetypes, maps, and codebase must accurately reflect the server.
• Do not include offensive or misleading information in the comment field.
• The server must be fully compatible with existing game clients, including GTKv2 and JX Client.
• Do not advertise or list non-Crossfire games or servers.

• TCP port 13327 — Used by the Crossfire game server
• TCP port 13326 — Used by the metaserver

Check the Version column on any of the metaserver web pages. You may see values such as:

1.12-beta-r17660M

or

v1.75.0-1046-gc8d4b6

• The first set of digits indicates the tagged release (e.g., 1.12 or 1.75.0).
• The middle number (e.g., 1046) is the number of commits since the tagged release, allowing versions to be sorted chronologically.
• The suffix indicates the version control system: r followed by a number (e.g., r17660M) indicates a Subversion commit, while g followed by a hash (e.g., gc8d4b6) indicates a Git commit. Note that the project no longer uses Subversion.

To look up a specific Git commit, omit the leading g from the hash. For example, release gc8d4b6 corresponds to commit c8d4b6.

Check whether the server is already running with the following command:

ps aux | grep cross

If you installed the server using a distribution package, the package manager may have automatically started the server upon installation.

Server time tracking is defined in include/config.h as:

#define MAX_TIME 120000

This value is in microseconds, which equals 120 milliseconds, or approximately 8.3 ticks per second.

As an example, a spell with a duration of 2 ticks would last approximately 240 milliseconds, or roughly a quarter of a second.

A permadeath server is a server configured so that character death is permanent — when your character dies, they are deleted and cannot be recovered. This is a significantly higher-stakes experience than the standard server configuration, where death results in a loss of experience and stats but the character is retained.

On standard servers, dying causes a loss of experience proportional to the permanent_experience_percentage server setting (see Chapter 5) and may lower stats, which can be restored using Potions of Life. On a permadeath server, there is no recovery — the character is gone.

The Crossfire Wiki maintains notes on what to expect when playing on a permadeath-enabled server. If the metaserver listing does not clearly indicate whether permadeath is active, check with the server operator directly or consult the server's in-game signs and documentation.

Edit the spell_params file in your libdir directory. Refer to Crossfire/doc/spell_params.doc for more information.

Typing 'quit will permanently delete your character. This command works in all clients. In the GTK Client, you can also select File → Quit Character.

Important: These changes require the server to be recompiled.

Admin access and appropriate server permissions are required to make these changes.

1. Open the settings file (located in lib/settings)
2. Change: permanent_experience_percentage 50 to permanent_experience_percentage 100
3. This sets Permanent Experience to 100%, meaning no levels should be lost upon player death. Note that the drain attack type can still cause experience and level loss.

And

1. Open the config.h file (located in include/) and make the following changes:
2. Change: #define PERM_EXP_GAIN_RATIO 0.50f to #define PERM_EXP_GAIN_RATIO 1.00f
3. Change: #define PERM_EXP_MAX_LOSS_RATIO 0.50f to #define PERM_EXP_MAX_LOSS_RATIO 0.00f

Recompile the server for these changes to take effect, then launch the server normally.

Several options are available. The best choice depends on the nature of your question and who is best positioned to answer it:

• IRC
• Discord
• Mailing Lists
• Web Forum
• SourceForge Tracker
• Your server's in-game dungeon master contact mechanism

Crossfire development discussion takes place in the #crossfire channel on irc.freenode.org.

Note that the Crossfire IRC channel is on irc.libera.chat (not Freenode, which shut down in 2021). The channel name remains #crossfire.

If you are new to IRC, you will need an IRC client to connect to the Libera server and join the channel.

It may also be worth reading a guide to IRC if you are unfamiliar with how it works.

Keep in mind that participants live in different time zones, so there may be extended periods of inactivity. If your question does not receive a prompt response, it may be too specialized for those currently active — in that case, the mailing lists may be a better option.

• Crossfire Mailing List — The primary list for general discussion, questions, answers, and announcements about changes and updates. Gmane mirror
• Crossfire Maps Discussion List — For discussion of issues specifically related to Crossfire maps. Gmane mirror
• Crossfire Announcement List — Used to announce new Crossfire releases. Gmane mirror
• Crossfire SVN/CVS List — Used to announce source control check-ins. Gmane mirror

Each list has a unique email address for submissions, available on the list's introduction page at the URLs above.

The Crossfire forum can be found here. The forum tends to host more casual conversations than the mailing list and has a character similar to the IRC channel. Note that not all developers read the forum regularly — for technical questions, the mailing list or IRC channel is preferable.

The SourceForge project page hosts several trackers:

• Bugs
• Feature Requests
• Patches
• Support Requests

The tracker is well-suited for detailed or complex reports. In many cases, it is also worth posting a brief note to the mailing list, especially if the tracker item requires the attention of a specific developer.

After reading the Map Guide to understand what to do (and equally important, what not to do), download Gridarta and follow its documentation. Questions can be directed to the Crossfire-Maps mailing list, the web forum, or the Crossfire IRC channel.

After testing your map, announce it on the Crossfire-Maps mailing list. Depending on the file size, you may send a diff directly to the list or make other arrangements (such as hosting it on SourceForge via FTP) to make the map accessible for review.

Send your idea to the Crossfire mailing list or bring it up in the #crossfire IRC channel. Historically, the community has found it helpful to see a graphical representation of proposed races, spells, or monsters before discussing implementation in detail.

If you can reproduce the bug, report it using the bug tracker at http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=13833&atid=113833.

If the bug is difficult to reproduce or isolate, check whether others are experiencing something similar by posting to the Crossfire mailing list, asking on the Crossfire IRC channel, or posting on the Crossfire Forum.

See the Graphics Guide for information about Crossfire art standards and requirements.

Client side:

• Save the files in the gfx folder. Graphics placed there override images from the server.

Linux/Unix server:

1. Place or link the arch directory into your Crossfire source directory: …/crossfire/lib/arch
2. If you have not yet run the …/crossfire/configure script, do so now.
3. Navigate to …/crossfire/lib and run make collect; make to rebuild the arch and image archive files.
4. Reinstall the server: navigate to …/crossfire and run make; make install.

To modify existing graphics or add new archetypes:

1. Download the archetype definitions from the source directory <crossfire-source>/lib/arch.
2. Modify the image files you want to change, or create new archetypes to add new objects to the game.
3. Navigate to <crossfire-source>/lib and run make collect.pl && perl ./collect.pl arch (requires the configure step to have been completed). This collects all archetypes from the arch directory.
4. Run make && make install to build the image collection files and install them. Restart the server afterward.

All Crossfire source code is hosted on SourceForge and uses Git for version control. The project has fully migrated away from Subversion.

The primary repositories are:

• Server: crossfire-server
• Client (GTKv2): crossfire-client
• JX Client: jxclient
• Maps: crossfire-maps
• Archetypes: arch

To clone a repository using Git:

git clone https://git.code.sf.net/p/crossfire/crossfire-server

The DockWindow Client source is maintained separately and available via its own repository (see the DockWindow Client page for details).

SourceForge recognized the Crossfire RPG project in 2022 with several community awards, including the Open Source Excellence badge for exceeding 100,000 total downloads.

The original map scale allowed players to travel from one side of the world to the other in under a minute, and the map was becoming increasingly crowded. Following discussion on the mailing list, the decision was made to increase the map scale and redesign the world layout. The Big World Map is now the standard map set used in Crossfire.

Additional information is available on the World Map page: http://crossfire.real-time.com/world_map/index.html

The SVN directory on SourceForge (historical reference): http://crossfire.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/crossfire/maps/branches/1.x/

Use the following Git checkout command:

git clone https://git.code.sf.net/p/crossfire/crossfire-maps crossfire-crossfire-maps

Or if you plan on contributing map changes back to the project, then use:

git clone git://git.code.sf.net/p/crossfire/crossfire-maps crossfire-crossfire-maps

Yes. The Crossfire Atlas provides an interactive, zoomable map viewer for all maps in the game world. It requires no downloads and is accessible from any web browser. The Atlas is community-maintained and includes a wealth of additional information about each map area.

The official website also provides a World Map page with a static overview image, available as both a standard image and an OpenSeadragon-powered zoomable viewer.

Note that as of January 25, 2005, the map set formerly known as “Big World” became the default and only supported map set. It is now simply referred to as crossfire-maps. References to SVN checkout commands in older documentation should be updated to use Git (see Chapter 7 for source code access details).

For general help, assistance, or gameplay discussion, the best options are the Crossfire IRC and Discord channels.

If you encounter the following error with the Windows GTKv2 client:

could not load main window, check that your layout files are not corrupt

The GTK2 client on Windows stores layout settings in the client.ini file. To resolve the issue:

1. Make sure you have the original client .zip file available, or download it again.
2. Exit the client if it is running.
3. Navigate to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\crossfire
4. Delete the client.ini file.
5. Unzip the client .zip file again into the appropriate location.
6. Launch the client — it should work correctly now.
7. Reconfigure your preferred layout and settings.

If you see your typed commands echoed in the message window, such as:

east
east
north
use_skill literacy

The option to echo commands to the message window is enabled. To toggle this setting:

• To disable: In the client window, click Edit → Preferences, remove the checkmark next to “Show sent commands in message window,” then click Apply.
• To enable: Follow the same steps and place a checkmark next to the option instead.

If walking over items produces output like:

1 NEWMODE
1 DEBUG
0 INHIBIT
0 STOP
...
0 FLESH
0 CONTAINER
1 CURSED

You are running in debug pickup mode.

• To disable: 'pickup -debug
• To enable: 'pickup +debug

The location of client keybinding files depends on the operating system and client being used.

• GTKv2 Client — Stored in ~/.config/crossfire. More specifically, the client respects the $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/crossfire environment variable, which defaults to ~/.config/crossfire if unset.
• JXClient — All configuration settings stored in ~/.crossfire/jxclient

• GTKv2 Client — Location to be determined.
• JXClient — All configuration settings stored in ~/.crossfire/jxclient

• DockClient — Location to be determined.
• GTKv2 Client — Stored in AppData\Local\crossfire
• JXClient — Location to be determined.

Example: skipping time over by 106 ms

This message is informational. It indicates that the server tick took longer than the allocated time to process. The most common cause is that a map had to be saved or loaded, temporarily stalling the entire server.

The Crossfire website offers several useful online tools:

• Party XP Calculator — Enter the levels of all party members to calculate the minimum monster XP needed for everyone in the group to gain experience. Very useful for planning balanced party compositions.
• Bitmask Decoder — Decodes bitmask values used in the game engine, useful for developers and map makers.
• Spoiler Pages — A comprehensive set of spoiler references including alchemy formulas, artifact weapons, armour, amulets, bows, cloaks, helmets, holy symbols, spell lists, and more.