Why You Should Play Dungeon Crawl Classics

Small publisher month continues as June's edition of Why You Should Play... features Dungeon Crawl Classics from Goodman Games.Jeff shares the various aspects of DCC which are outstanding and make this a very unique fantasy roleplaying game. There's currently a fantastic First-Time Fan Kit which also scores you the softcover edition of the rulebook (with PDF), a set of Zocci dice, a GM screen, an adventure, and a set of scratch off zero level characters sheets all for the low, low price of $40.00.

#DungeonCrawlClassics #GoodmanGames #TTRPGs

[Gusseig]

The art is very interesting and evocative of the "Old Days"

[matthewconstantine]

I describe DCC as "what if D&D was actually fun." I also have said that it finally delivers on all the promise of old D&D art in a way D&D never did. I can't even put my finger on it, but for me, this is the only permutation of D&D that I actually enjoy. I normally don't like class/level games anyway, but this one works. I've had a lot of fun running it and playing it. You've got to go into it with the right mindset. It plays a bit different than a lot of other games. But if everyone's onboard, I think it's pretty great.
"Frozen in Time" is a really fun module. I got to play through it a few years back. My favorite funnel is "Portal Under the Stars" which I believe is usually printed in the core book.

[ZiggyPro]

I run a couple of times and was really fun. My kids thought it is great.

[PohatuEudyptulaMinor]

I grabbed a bunch of the pdfs off Humble Bundle and am hoping to run a funnel at some point, which sounds gonzo as anything and fun!

[Wraithing]

Cheers for your thorough assessment.

A friend of mine has run DCC and says he enjoyed it, and the table seemed to, but he moved on… possibly to return to it when his XCC books turn up!

I got the Lankhmar bundles of PDFs (can't remember if it was Humble or BoH), but mainly to mine the extra material for Savage Worlds Lankhmar. Definitely enjoyed a quick scan over the included Quickstart, but I'm not sure it would ever rise high enough on my priority list to buy a physical copy and run it myself.

It has a bit of a rabid fanbase out there (lol — but what doesn't)! But everyone I've talked to in stores etc… that's tried DCC, MCC and XCC from the early release PDFs has recommended the game.

[matthewelias]

Great video on one of the most fun fantasy systems out there!

[sunsin]

I was very skeptical of DCC for a long time, but when I finally tried it, it was a lot of fun. It can be a bit clunkier than say, OSE, with all the charts and the varying results for magic. But PCs become more powerful faster. A 3rd or 4th level caster is way more powerful than an equivalent D&D character. And the adventures just have a different, more gonzo feel, which is a matter of taste. So right now I'm in three different campaigns/games: one is Castles & Crusades; one is DCC, and the other is Against the Darkmaster. Great for variety in experience, mechanics and tone.

[sunsin]

I'll also add that Goodman does a great job with the IPs they adapt and I don't even care much for Lankhmar or Dying Earth. But you can tell they love these settings. I've long hoped they would get Conan as well, but unfortunately that has not happened.

[wingusryu]

For our group I describe new comers as DCC is Conan meets the Animaniacs.
I really like to go full gonzo and we have a blast. We all lean into the silt and bombastic idea if these labyrinths etc made by wizard etc and how crazy that is.
Failure in dcc is also usually funny and in this system even death doesn’t sting at all. We just have insane wizard van adventures

[RedDiceDiaries]

I thought the idea of OSR as more of a feeling and a mindset was great, personally I do classify DCC as taking a modern approach to try and capture an old school feel, but TBH I feel that way about Shadowdark LOL

[nutherefurlong]

Anyone try the alternative dice systems?

One thing I don't understand is how spell rolls work, do you roll when you prepare a spell or when you cast it? Or both? I remember seeing an effect that extended the range of a magic missile equivalent, but it was a bit confusing because I thought that was when you cast it, which would mean you already chose a target in range (maybe?).

The funnel is sort of a roleplayed version of career generation which I'm generally a fan of, so I can see how the right one would work. I mean, I can imagine a funnel not being a bloodbath, but I guess that's what makes it the most memorable, and it prepares you for the system's general lethality.

Are parties with just one type of class viable, like to characters differentiate much mechanically, or is that more up to the players? There any minor spellcasters or are the divides pretty strict, like the oldest versions of the classes?

Edit: That first time kit seems like a pretty good deal, especially since this is a complete game if I understand right, not shaved down rules to get you to buy more. The adventure no. 79 that's included is by Michael Curtis

[steambub]

For me, OSR should be games or supplements that are mostly compatible with TSR D&D. DCC is totally compatible with old school D&D. The reason why I prefer OSR to have this strict definition is so that if I buy DCC, I'll still be able to play Keep on the Borderlands and have Machinations of the Space Princess ready once the players find that spaceship. If we have more games labeled as OSR just because its old school feel or it's a retroclone of a different out-of-print game, then it'll just make navigating the marketplace a headache. Like buying Zweihander Dark Astral but not being an easy conversion to Metamorphosis Alpha, and having people ask why bother.

[scottmarsh]

DCC is like D&D on a high-fiber diet!

[doomhippie]

I bought it, tried to run it a few times and gave up. I can understand the fascination for it but to my taste it is too goofy, the adventures suck (understanding this is a matter of taste - they are everything I don't want my fantasy to be like). My players hated the funnel. They like characters they are invested in from the beginning. Since you start with 4 randoms some of them even didn't feel the need to name them since "most of them will die anyway in the first game, so why bother?" I kinda disagree with them but again understand why they feel that way. So after spending a lot of money on the game I quit it.

[DrWaites]

I don't want to lug a 500 page rulebook with hundreds of charts to a session.
Also, the one time I played (a funnel) it was a terrible experience. Everything was just completely random - like this character randomly dies because that's what the referee rolled. It seemed like the point was to laugh at the misfortune of your fellow players.