OSR How is Dungeon Crawler Classics?

[Whisper-Kitten]

I am sure it has been discussed here before, but I am too lazy to find a thread on it xD. So far what I have read about it I really like. It looks super gritty and filled with fun variations of things. How does it play though? Is it only for dungeon crawls/short adventures or have you seen it used in longer campaigns? Tell me everything.

 

[touc]

I've played in a single DCC campaign from levels "funnel" through 5th. It's a refreshing blast from playing (primarily) D&D and I've gotten some of my biggest laughs from "one shot" funnels because there's no need to get attached to your peasants. It's expected many of them won't make it. Those that do, you get a random hero with (likely) some absurdly crappy stats, and there's some enjoyment in trying to make that work.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Separate from my feelings about Goodman Games, which have gone downhill a lot in the last year:

• It's built on a 3E chassis, although it doesn't do multiclassing, skills or feats, so it's not obvious at first glance.
• Magic uses a spellcasting roll, with really high rolls having spectacular bonus results and failures being bad, potentially catastrophic.
• Low level characters, especially level 0 characters in funnels, are very weak, but characters quickly beef up as they level up.
• It can definitely work for campaigns and higher level play.
• Probably the biggest innovation, IMO, is fighters and dwarves getting Mighty Deeds of Arms, which is basically "explain to me the incredibly badass thing your warrior does" as a class ability.

 

[CandyLaser]

I've never played a long campaign, but I've played a bunch of one shots and short mini-campaigns, and I've played both DCC and its Gamma World-ish, post-apocalyptic spin off Mutant Crawl Classics.

The good:

• As @Whizbang Dustyboots mentioned, Mighty Deeds of Arms is a great mechanic for letting fighters have the sort of versatility that is too often reserved for spellcasters in D&D-type games.
• Spellcasting rolls make magic more of a wild card than an "I win" button.
• Playing and running funnels can be a lot of fun.
• There's a lot of variance in play; smart play and risk management are rewarded, and plans and actions are rarely certain.

The bad:

• Goodman Games, as a company, has lost my business over the Judges' Guild situation.
• High variance play means a run of bad luck can spoil your night. On more than one occasion I've had one-shots where my character contributed nothing of value, because e.g. all my spellcasting rolls failed and I lost my spells ten seconds into the session, or come out of a funnel with only an incompetent wreck of a character not suited for any class. That might be a welcome and enjoyable challenge... but it can also just be a real PITA.
• The use of unusual dice (even by RPG standards) does nothing for me, and I don't have any use for a d7 or d16 outside of DCC/MCC.

Overall, even if I set aside my distaste for Goodman Games I would say that there are better games in the OSR space, but it is good for capturing a particular sort of old-school feel.

 

[the Jester]

I've played in two DCC campaigns starting with the funnel. The first petered out at first level, the second is at first level and still going.

I love it- it's great fun, highly lethal, and very gonzo. But it's not for everyone; if you are overly attached to your characters, don't play it. And it's not great for adding new players after the start; I feel very strongly that the funnel is a key part of the DCC experience.

 

[Jahydin]

DCC is great system to pick up to run a single dungeon with your friends every now and then before going back to your usual game. This could be for a few months, few weeks, or a single session depending on the size of that dungeon. Because of the non-investment, it does really allow you to go really crazy with it and dial gonzo to 11.

But as of late, I have to admit Shadowdark gets all my attention for shorter game sessions now.

 

[Jahydin]

Probably the biggest innovation, IMO, is fighters and dwarves getting Mighty Deeds of Arms, which is basically "explain to me the incredibly badass thing your warrior does" as a class ability.

Agree. In fact, I can't count the number of times I'm thinking up a way to spice up OSR Fighters and one way or another I just arrive at a Mighty Deeds like mechanic. It really is quite genius.

 

[GothmogIV]

It is a really fun, gonzo-vibe game. I've played two full campaigns--one using rules as written, one using the Lankhmar variant (a more sword&sorcery feel). Total blast each time. Very different than superhero games like 5e for sure. The rules system is quite simple and works well. My crew and I love it.

 

[Whisper-Kitten]

I've never played a long campaign, but I've played a bunch of one shots and short mini-campaigns, and I've played both DCC and its Gamma World-ish, post-apocalyptic spin off Mutant Crawl Classics.

The good:

• As @Whizbang Dustyboots mentioned, Mighty Deeds of Arms is a great mechanic for letting fighters have the sort of versatility that is too often reserved for spellcasters in D&D-type games.
• Spellcasting rolls make magic more of a wild card than an "I win" button.
• Playing and running funnels can be a lot of fun.
• There's a lot of variance in play; smart play and risk management are rewarded, and plans and actions are rarely certain.

The bad:

• Goodman Games, as a company, has lost my business over the Judges' Guild situation.
• High variance play means a run of bad luck can spoil your night. On more than one occasion I've had one-shots where my character contributed nothing of value, because e.g. all my spellcasting rolls failed and I lost my spells ten seconds into the session, or come out of a funnel with only an incompetent wreck of a character not suited for any class. That might be a welcome and enjoyable challenge... but it can also just be a real PITA.
• The use of unusual dice (even by RPG standards) does nothing for me, and I don't have any use for a d7 or d16 outside of DCC/MCC.

Overall, even if I set aside my distaste for Goodman Games I would say that there are better games in the OSR space, but it is good for capturing a particular sort of old-school feel.

What games would you consider better?

 

[GothmogIV]

I have--but have not yet played--Shadowdark and Old School Essentials (OSE). Both are pretty straightforward OSR games, with lots of support online. DCC turns some people off because the magic is so swingy (really, really insane things happen) so if that's not your jam, try OSE. But my dude, DCC funnels are crazy fun.