Dungeon Crawl Classics

Flexor the Mighty! · Sep 14, 2005

How are these modules? I love the into texts on thier website.

Remember the good old days, when adventures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th level? Those days are back. Dungeon Crawl Classics don't waste your time with long-winded speeches, weird campaign settings, or NPCs who aren't meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100% good, solid dungeon crawl, with the monsters you know, the traps you fear, and the secret doors you know are there somewhere.

So how are the dungeons designed? How good are the puzzles and traps?

Crothian · Sep 14, 2005

I like them. THere is a nice variety to them, so traps and puzzle differ from mod to mod.

msd · Sep 14, 2005

I will also throw in a good word. I think that the modules do tend to stick to the philosphy embodied by the introductory text so if that is your kind of gaming (and admittedly it is not for everyone), I think you will be pleased with the modules.

I also liked the fact that the series, as a portfolio, has a nice balance of modules across all levels. There is something for everyone. I similarly like the fact that the modules are, generally, on the short side. Personally, that plays to my taste as it makes it easier to drop something like this into a campaign without having to do a massive amount of work.

Hope that helps.

Yair · Sep 14, 2005

I only played one, but I liked it very much, and read another. You have to know that you ARE getting into a dungeoncrawl; that's kind of the point. If you're in that mindset, I've found the modules inventive and fun, putting a lot of effort to put some variety and unque locations and tactics in. They are also fairly short, so it's not overkill if run right, although my group did find the one I run a bit too long (I should have picked up that vibe and retrofitted).

devilish · Sep 14, 2005

Very good stuff --- to echo Yair, I had one group spend waaay too much time
in the Rat King module, but breeze through the Haunted Tower.

Players loved going through them and they're pretty easy to drop in and
play with minimal prep time : most of them give you monster tactics, what they'll
do each round, what powers they use.

Flexor the Mighty! · Sep 14, 2005

Sounds cool. I'd have to modify them a bit for C&C but that shouldn't be too difficult.

Pinotage · Sep 14, 2005

Very good, IMO. Crypt of the Devil Lich is a great adventure, and some of the traps and puzzles in there are very clever. Others are slightly more diplomatic and tactival like Blackguard's Revenge, and so of the lower level ones are straight dungeon crawls. Each has different elements based on the content, but they're all very good. If you're looking for traps and puzzles, though, you can't go wrong with Crypt of the Devil Lich.

Pinotage

francisca · Sep 14, 2005

I've played or run #1, 2, 3.5, 7, and 11. All very good.

Psion · Sep 14, 2005

The modules do vary a bit. I ran #4 and couldn't shake the feeling that I would rather do without most of the encounters in which the party's level was significantly greater than the EL. Which was lots.

Quasqueton · Sep 14, 2005

So how are the dungeons designed? How good are the puzzles and traps?

I have seen these in my FLGS, and I too am interested to know if they are any good. My concern with puzzles and traps in dungeons is that they make logical sense in the environment. I'm disappointed to see puzzles and traps thrown into a dungeon just to have puzzles and traps.

Are these dungeons created with in-game/scenario logic?

Quasqueton