General DCC RPG thread

[not-so-newguy]

I'm thinking about converting an Old School Essentials adventure to DCC. It seems like it would be easy, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice?

 

[overgeeked]

I'm thinking about converting an Old School Essentials adventure to DCC. It seems like it would be easy, but maybe I'm wrong. Any advice?

It should be fairly straightforward with OSE to DCC. The big three that will maybe trip you up are saves, DCs, and monster stats. But the thing to remember is DCC doesn’t care about balance. It’s up to the judge to signpost (or not) how tough things will be and it’s up to the players to charge or flee. As long as your numbers are honest, you’re fine.

Saves. This is going to be the hardest. But it’s not that hard. It comes down to picking a solution, really. You could say all monsters save as warriors of equal level, then just use those numbers from DCC. Or pick a more appropriate class for each monster, frex this one saves as a halfling and that one saves as a wizard. Or pick numbers between 1/2, 2/3, or equal to the monster’s HD for their saves. Or wing it and use whatever numbers feel right.

DCs. This one will mostly be guess work. Find something similar enough in the DCC RPG and use that. Generally they run between 10-25, even for low HD monsters. Something like 8-15 for DCC skill or ability checks. But stick with players describing things rather than calling for lots of checks and you’re good.

Monsters. If the monster already appears in DCC, use that. If not, there’s some conversion work to do. Use ascending AC and HD/HP from OSE, they are basically the same. Saves and DCs as above. Number of Attacks becomes Action dice. Number of HD can stay the same, but OSE defaults to d8s for everything while DCC uses a wider selection. If a monster is weaker, use d6s. If it’s tougher, use d10s or higher.

It’s a lot of guess work and close enough is good enough. Luckily the important bits, the story, the locations, the maps, the NPCs, etc, are all universal.

 

[not-so-newguy]

It should be fairly straightforward with OSE to DCC. The big three that will maybe trip you up are saves, DCs, and monster stats. But the thing to remember is DCC doesn’t care about balance. It’s up to the judge to signpost (or not) how tough things will be and it’s up to the players to charge or flee. As long as your numbers are honest, you’re fine.

Saves. This is going to be the hardest. But it’s not that hard. It comes down to picking a solution, really. You could say all monsters save as warriors of equal level, then just use those numbers from DCC. Or pick a more appropriate class for each monster, frex this one saves as a halfling and that one saves as a wizard. Or pick numbers between 1/2, 2/3, or equal to the monster’s HD for their saves. Or wing it and use whatever numbers feel right.

DCs. This one will mostly be guess work. Find something similar enough in the DCC RPG and use that. Generally they run between 10-25, even for low HD monsters. Something like 8-15 for DCC skill or ability checks. But stick with players describing things rather than calling for lots of checks and you’re good.

Monsters. If the monster already appears in DCC, use that. If not, there’s some conversion work to do. Use ascending AC and HD/HP from OSE, they are basically the same. Saves and DCs as above. Number of Attacks becomes Action dice. Number of HD can stay the same, but OSE defaults to d8s for everything while DCC uses a wider selection. If a monster is weaker, use d6s. If it’s tougher, use d10s or higher.

It’s a lot of guess work and close enough is good enough. Luckily the important bits, the story, the locations, the maps, the NPCs, etc, are all universal.

Thanks! Great advice

I'm looking at Halls of the Blood King which is recommended for 3rd-5th level for OSE. So that should roughly equal 2nd-3rd level for DCC. That sound about right?

 

[overgeeked]

Thanks! Great advice

Hope it helps.

I'm looking at Halls of the Blood King which is recommended for 3rd-5th level for OSE. So that should roughly equal 2nd-3rd level for DCC. That sound about right?

Oh. Fun module. I’ve seen the DCC is half the level of other D&D-like games a bunch. And it kinda tracks, kinda doesn’t. DCC PCs have a bit more HP, from 0-level and some classes having higher HD, and they have more power, from infinite casting until it’s lost and things like mighty deeds. But most stuff is in line with other D&D-likes. AC, attacks, damage, etc. are generally on par.

I’d say it mostly depends on you and your group and how you play. If your group is a lot of old-school players used to being incredibly cautious, then yeah, they could likely handle something written for x2 the level. If your group is the less cautious and constantly charge in types, they would probably die quickly.

 

[darjr]

Got in a cool game of DCC, zero level funnel but I had a 1st level Elf! Mercurial magic caused an eclipse for 10 days and blotted out the stars for 24 years!

 

[overgeeked]

Got in a cool game of DCC, zero level funnel but I had a 1st level Elf! Mercurial magic caused an eclipse for 10 days and blotted out the stars for 24 years!

View attachment 283356

Damn. Wearing a Road Crew Judge shirt when someone else is running the game? Way to flex.

 

[darjr]

Damn. Wearing a Road Crew Judge shirt when someone else is running the game? Way to flex.

My game is Monday night. Her game rocks on toast!

Also I’m the overflow GM, that night keeps growing.

 

[teitan]

Used my first curse last session. Simple blinding curse from the core rule book and I did it on the spot because why not? Originally it was a lady they were rescuing but my players tend to fall into Pythonesque absurdity and I decided on a whim to make her an undead witch that was trying to trick them and finally got fed up when they handed her a frog, bit the frog's head off (one of the PCs is a cleric of Bogbugbubilz) and cursed the thief who handed it to her before disappearing into a wind as ash. It ties perfectly into the quest they are on where they are investigating a town that the city of Punjar has lost communication with and will turn out to be under the sway of a Ghoul King and his court who have used a magical crown to take over the fiendish spiders the town uses to produce a silk textile used to craft wizardly robes. They're about to find a dagger that they can use to fight undead that if they win the battle will disintegrate into a gem they can sell or... hold onto and I can turn into something cooler.

 

[not-so-newguy]

Are there any printer-friendly character sheets? I like the ones on purple sorcerer, but the art work uses a lot of ink.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Are there any printer-friendly character sheets? I like the ones on purple sorcerer, but the art work uses a lot of ink.

I like these. Especially because they are similar in layout to the 3/3.5 ones so many are familiar with.