diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/HardcoreListener.java b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/HardcoreListener.java
index c700eda60..0766c2713 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/HardcoreListener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/HardcoreListener.java
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import org.bukkit.event.EventPriority;
 import org.bukkit.event.Listener;
 import org.bukkit.event.entity.PlayerDeathEvent;
 
-import com.gmail.nossr50.config.Config;
 import com.gmail.nossr50.util.Hardcore;
+import com.gmail.nossr50.util.Misc;
 import com.gmail.nossr50.util.Permissions;
 
 public class HardcoreListener implements Listener {
@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@ public class HardcoreListener implements Listener {
      */
     @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.MONITOR)
     public void onPlayerDeath(PlayerDeathEvent event) {
-        Player player = event.getEntity(); //Note this returns a Player object for this subevent
+        Player player = event.getEntity();
 
-        if (player.hasMetadata("NPC")) return; // Check if this player is a Citizens NPC
+        if (Misc.isNPCPlayer(player)) {
+            return;
+        }
 
         if (!Permissions.hardcoremodeBypass(player)) {
-            if (player.getKiller() != null && Config.getInstance().getHardcoreVampirismEnabled()) {
-                Hardcore.invokeVampirism(player.getKiller(), player);
+            Player killer = player.getKiller();
+
+            if (killer != null && Hardcore.vampirismEnabled) {
+                Hardcore.invokeVampirism(killer, player);
             }
 
             Hardcore.invokeStatPenalty(player);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/Hardcore.java b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/Hardcore.java
index 238b861dc..3f43479cf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/Hardcore.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/Hardcore.java
@@ -8,11 +8,14 @@ import com.gmail.nossr50.locale.LocaleLoader;
 import com.gmail.nossr50.skills.SkillType;
 
 public abstract class Hardcore {
+    public static double statLossPercentage = Config.getInstance().getHardcoreDeathStatPenaltyPercentage();
+    public static double vampirismStatLeechPercentage = Config.getInstance().getHardcoreVampirismStatLeechPercentage();
+
+    public static boolean statLossEnabled = Config.getInstance().getHardcoreEnabled();
+    public static boolean vampirismEnabled = Config.getInstance().getHardcoreVampirismEnabled();
 
     public static void invokeStatPenalty(Player player) {
-        double hardcorePenalty = Config.getInstance().getHardcoreDeathStatPenaltyPercentage();
-
-        if (hardcorePenalty <= 0 || hardcorePenalty > 100) {
+        if (statLossPercentage <= 0 || statLossPercentage > 100) {
             return;
         }
 
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ public abstract class Hardcore {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            int levelsLost = (int) (playerSkillLevel * (hardcorePenalty * 0.01D));
+            int levelsLost = (int) (playerSkillLevel * (statLossPercentage * 0.01D));
             totalLost += levelsLost;
 
             playerProfile.modifySkill(skillType, playerSkillLevel - levelsLost);
@@ -41,9 +44,7 @@ public abstract class Hardcore {
     }
 
     public static void invokeVampirism(Player killer, Player victim) {
-        double vampirismLeech = Config.getInstance().getHardcoreVampirismStatLeechPercentage();
-
-        if (vampirismLeech <= 0 || vampirismLeech > 100) {
+        if (vampirismStatLeechPercentage <= 0 || vampirismStatLeechPercentage > 100) {
             return;
         }
 
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ public abstract class Hardcore {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            int levelsStolen = (int) (victimSkillLevel * (vampirismLeech * 0.01D));
+            int levelsStolen = (int) (victimSkillLevel * (vampirismStatLeechPercentage * 0.01D));
             totalStolen += levelsStolen;
 
             killerProfile.modifySkill(skillType, killerSkillLevel + levelsStolen);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/MOTD.java b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/MOTD.java
index 2f4145a0c..bd3bacbbf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/MOTD.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/MOTD.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package com.gmail.nossr50.util;
 
 import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
 
-import com.gmail.nossr50.config.Config;
 import com.gmail.nossr50.locale.LocaleLoader;
 import com.gmail.nossr50.skills.SkillType;
 
@@ -26,15 +25,15 @@ public class MOTD {
      * Display Hardcore Mode settings.
      */
     public void displayHardcoreSettings() {
-        if (Config.getInstance().getHardcoreEnabled()) {
-            if (Config.getInstance().getHardcoreVampirismEnabled()) {
+        if (Hardcore.statLossEnabled) {
+            if (Hardcore.vampirismEnabled) {
                 player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Hardcore.VampireOn"));
-                player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Hardcore.Stats", new Object[] {Config.getInstance().getHardcoreDeathStatPenaltyPercentage()}));
-                player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Vampire.Stats", new Object[] {Config.getInstance().getHardcoreVampirismStatLeechPercentage()}));
+                player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Hardcore.Stats", new Object[] {Hardcore.statLossPercentage}));
+                player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Vampire.Stats", new Object[] {Hardcore.vampirismStatLeechPercentage}));
             }
             else {
                 player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Hardcore.VampireOff"));
-                player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Hardcore.Stats", new Object[] {Config.getInstance().getHardcoreDeathStatPenaltyPercentage()}));
+                player.sendMessage(LocaleLoader.getString("MOTD.Hardcore.Stats", new Object[] {Hardcore.statLossPercentage  }));
             }
         }
     }