General DCC RPG thread

[Ralif Redhammer]

Yeah, got six numbers and eyed through them, the majority of the content looks very usable. Good stuff, and it feels good to read a zine again!

Having devoured so many zines when I was a teenager, and even published my own music zine for years, I do love that the DCC community produces real, physical copy zines.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

Having devoured so many zines when I was a teenager, and even published my own music zine for years, I do love that the DCC community produces real, physical copy zines.

Yeah, it’s old school for real!

 

[Argyle King]

What are some general guidelines some of you have used to know how difficult a challenge may be?

I'm not looking for a CR system like what D&D has; I prefer things being a little looser. However, I am still new to DCC and don't yet have much experience knowing how to judge difficulty.

When I have run GURPS (which also doesn't use CR,) I can usually guess at a rough ballpark idea of how difficult a combat or challenge might be by looking at some real-life examples of how something might play out and then imagining how that might change when fantasy elements are added. Some of that involves knowing the ballpark damage of certain weapons and knowing the general skill level of someone who is a conscripted peasant vs trained warrior vs expert swordsman. (Of course, sometimes the dice fall in unexpected ways.)

Are there similar general ballpark guidelines some of you have used when creating challenges and encounters in DCC?

This would also be helpful in trying to use products in other systems. It may make perfect sense for a Rousirl to do 2d6 with a bite in Basic Fantasy, but that seems a bit high.

 

[overgeeked]

What are some general guidelines some of you have used to know how difficult a challenge may be?

I'm not looking for a CR system like what D&D has; I prefer things being a little looser. However, I am still new to DCC and don't yet have much experience knowing how to judge difficulty.

When I have run GURPS (which also doesn't use CR,) I can usually guess at a rough ballpark idea of how difficult a combat or challenge might be by looking at some real-life examples of how something might play out and then imagining how that might change when fantasy elements are added. Some of that involves knowing the ballpark damage of certain weapons and knowing the general skill level of someone who is a conscripted peasant vs trained warrior vs expert swordsman. (Of course, sometimes the dice fall in unexpected ways.)

Are there similar general ballpark guidelines some of you have used when creating challenges and encounters in DCC?

This would also be helpful in trying to use products in other systems. It may make perfect sense for a Rousirl to do 2d6 with a bite in Basic Fantasy, but that seems a bit high.

Not really. It’s more a mess around and find out system. Players are expected to learn to be cautious and know when to run rather than the Judge trying to present even vaguely-balanced encounters.

You could look at number of combatants on each side, number of attacks, damage per attack, and HP as your general guidelines. Like most combat heavy systems, action economy is important. But it should be weighed by amount to damage. Compare that to how much HP the other side has and all that. Imperfect as hell, but would serve well enough in a pinch.

 

[Argyle King]

Not really. It’s more a mess around and find out system. Players are expected to learn to be cautious and know when to run rather than the Judge trying to present even vaguely-balanced encounters.

You could look at number of combatants on each side, number of attacks, damage per attack, and HP as your general guidelines. Like most combat heavy systems, action economy is important. But it should be weighed by amount to damage. Compare that to how much HP the other side has and all that. Imperfect as hell, but would serve well enough in a pinch.

That makes sense.

For me, I'm less concerned about "balance" and more trying to figure out how challenges and creatures that I had been working on for other games translate into DCC.

I don't yet have much experience knowing where the line between "this might be difficult" and "rocks fall everyone dies" is at.

Though, FWIW, I found that some adjustments I made on the fly for the Funnel from the DCC core Rulebook seem to have been about right. I was running the funnel for 3 players unexperienced with D&D (which meant 12 0-levels instead of the recommended 15-20). As it was their first ever time playing an rpg and my first ever time running DCC, I felt that a TPK wouldn't be conducive to learning.

The adjustments I made were mostly to the first room. The adventure didn't give measurements for the room, so I went with 40' in length and 50' in width. A set of large bronze double-doors (like this) were centered in the far wall, with a total of 4 bronze statues (2 on each side of the doors). The statues did not activate until someone moved at least 20' into the room. After that, I rolled a d4 each round to randomly determine which statue would throw a spear. If I rolled a statue that had already thrown, the arm would reset. No spear to throw again, but it could do a melee slap if someone got too close.

2 of the starting 12 died.

About 10 minutes before playing was the first time I had looked over the adventure, so I missed that the statues were wearing armor. I adjusted the next room to have a small chest with some leather armor in it.

 

[overgeeked]

That makes sense.

For me, I'm less concerned about "balance" and more trying to figure out how challenges and creatures that I had been working on for other games translate into DCC.

I don't yet have much experience knowing where the line between "this might be difficult" and "rocks fall everyone dies" is at.

Yeah. It’s really hard to find that line when dice and chaos are involved. Way more art than science.

Though, FWIW, I found that some adjustments I made on the fly for the Funnel from the DCC core Rulebook seem to have been about right. I was running the funnel for 3 players unexperienced with D&D (which meant 12 0-levels instead of the recommended 15-20). As it was their first ever time playing an rpg and my first ever time running DCC, I felt that a TPK wouldn't be conducive to learning.

The adjustments I made were mostly to the first room. The adventure didn't give measurements for the room, so I went with 40' in length and 50' in width. A set of large bronze double-doors (like this) were centered in the far wall, with a total of 4 bronze statues (2 on each side of the doors). The statues did not activate until someone moved at least 20' into the room. After that, I rolled a d4 each round to randomly determine which statue would throw a spear. If I rolled a statue that had already thrown, the arm would reset. No spear to throw again, but it could do a melee slap if someone got too close.

2 of the starting 12 died.

About 10 minutes before playing was the first time I had looked over the adventure, so I missed that the statues were wearing armor. I adjusted the next room to have a small chest with some leather armor in it.

Sounds like you did it right. Good job.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

What are some general guidelines some of you have used to know how difficult a challenge may be?

I'm not looking for a CR system like what D&D has; I prefer things being a little looser. However, I am still new to DCC and don't yet have much experience knowing how to judge difficulty.

When I have run GURPS (which also doesn't use CR,) I can usually guess at a rough ballpark idea of how difficult a combat or challenge might be by looking at some real-life examples of how something might play out and then imagining how that might change when fantasy elements are added. Some of that involves knowing the ballpark damage of certain weapons and knowing the general skill level of someone who is a conscripted peasant vs trained warrior vs expert swordsman. (Of course, sometimes the dice fall in unexpected ways.)

Are there similar general ballpark guidelines some of you have used when creating challenges and encounters in DCC?

This would also be helpful in trying to use products in other systems. It may make perfect sense for a Rousirl to do 2d6 with a bite in Basic Fantasy, but that seems a bit high.

It's generally an eyeball it kind of thing for me. What I generally do is, depending on the sort of encounters I want to build after we go through the Funnel, is either set the difficulty at what I think is too easy or too hard, and then start using that as a baseline. I generally default to too-easy at first, until I get a better feel for the PCs and what they can handle.

 

[Weiley31]

The Xcrawl Classics RPG PDFs were sent to backers a few days ago. Anyone else back it? What do people think?

All in all, I don't think I'll ever use the setting material per se, but there's a ton of stuff I plan to import into my DCC game.

I just got the DJ Skull cover for XCrawl Classics yesterday. And upon looking thru it, oh goodness yes there are a ton of stuff I plan on importing into DCC when I actually get around to attempting to run it.

I love how the Blaster isn't just a modern day wizard, in context of the setting, and is called out for being something different than a Wizard.

If you wanted a "more or less" dndfied DCC, you can import in the Half-Orc, Half-Elf, and Gnome classes in. The Brawler has an option for fighting barehanded so if you wanted to just refluff the name as Monk and treat as such, but with Mighty Deeds, then you can. The Messenger is pretty much the DCC Paladin.

So yeah, pretty much a fantastic supplement for jacking stuff from.

 

[Distracted DM]

I just got the DJ Skull cover for XCrawl Classics yesterday. And upon looking thru it, oh goodness yes here are a ton of stuff I plan on importing into DCC when I actually get around to attempting to run it.

I love how the Blaster isn't just a modern day wizard, in context of the setting, and is called out for being something different than a Wizard.

If you wanted a "more or less" dndfied DCC, you can import in the Half-Orc, Half-Elf, and Gnome classes in. The Brawler has an option for fighting barehanded so if you wanted to just refluff the name as Monk and treat as such, but with Mighty Deeds, then you can. The Messenger is pretty much the DCC Paladin.

So yeah, plenty much a fantastic supplement for jacking stuff from.

Good to hear. How is the blaster different?

 

[Weiley31]

Good to hear. How is the blaster different?

A Blaster:
-Cannot scribe their own spell scrolls.(They can, however, still use spell scrolls that are scribed for them by others).
-Cannot create Magical Items.
-Cannot employ the use of Familiars.
-Cannot cast 4th or 5th level spells. They can ONLY go up to and cast 3rd Level spells.
-Proficient with Longswords, Short swords, Spears, Clubs, Daggers, and Crossbows.
-Can still Spellburn
-Has a 1D5 Hit Die
-Has a "Blaster Die" that goes up at certain levels and is added to their spell checks if I'm reading it right.


Compared to the Wizard, who is more a "scholar of magical mysteries or a power mad Archimage" the Blaster is mentioned more as a "professional arcane warrior."

So less wizard and more "Your a Blaster, Garry!"

Fluff wise, a Blaster uses magic via an ancient will driven spell tradition, originating in Greece, know as Spellweaving. Wizards can spellcast because they have the training/studying and Arcane Tomes to do so. Blasters pretty much can do it without having to dedicate the time or needing such arcane tomes thanks to Spellweaving.

Another fluff wise bit of note, in the book, makes it sound like that if you had a choice between sending a Wizard into a dangerous situation(Xcrawl) or a bunch of Blasters, you throw the Blasters into the meat grinder and keep the Wizard cuz a Wizard is a Wizard which is a valuable asset. Especially if you have a Qualified wizard which is a time consuming and expensive investment to even get/train.