Dungeon Crawl Classics Roleplaying Game

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Glory & Gold Won by Sorcery & Sword

You’re no hero.

You’re a reaver, a cutpurse, a heathen-slayer, a tight-lipped warlock guarding long-dead secrets. You seek gold and glory, winning it with sword and spell, caked in the blood and filth of the weak, the dark, the demons, and the vanquished. There are treasures to be won deep underneath, and you shall have them.

Return to the glory days of fantasy with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game. Adventure as 1974 intended you to, with modern rules grounded in the origins of sword & sorcery. Fast play, cryptic secrets, and a mysterious past await you: turn the page...

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An RPG Resource Review

5/5

Back in the mists of time, I wandered into a meeting of the university's then wargames club and over the sound of jawbones hitting the floor at the sight of a woman, a lanky fellow asked "Would you like to play D&D?"

Opening this work takes me back to the sheer wonders and excitement that followed. The whole style, the artwork, the words, are redolent of those early books that soon found their way onto my bookshelves alongside the botany textbooks... and yet, this isn't merely another retro-clone, it is a coherent game in its own right, bringing its own freshness and elegance to the core of fantasy role-playing: the small band of adventurers battling enormous odds and terrifying monsters in search of awesome magics and heaps of treasure.

The opening pages include myriad armies of humanoids bearing the credits aloft on banners, passing a list of playtesters and even some photos of early games on their way to the introduction... or at least an admonitory page that lists what you are expected to bring to a reading of this tome, along with a large fire-breathing dragon to deal with those who come unprepared!

Then on to the Introduction, where the core mechanic of a single d20 roll is explained with sections detailing the differences and similarities depending on which rules systems you already know. That one page pretty much sets you up, the remaining hundreds supply the fine detail, the meat for the bones.

So, on to Chapter 1: Characters. Herein is the first novel concept, the 'Character Creation Funnel' where instead of labouring over a finely-honed character long before you get to adventuring, you create a handful of completely random Level 0 characters for each player, and run the whole lot through an adventure or two, unprepared as they are. Those that survive are rewarded with a proper character class and all the other stuff that most of us reckon belongs on a character sheet and, armed already with tales of the overwhelming odds that they have overcome, they'll be ready for the real adventures to begin. It's different, it sets the style of a game in which it is less important what awesome stats or cool gear you have than it matters what you do with it, an acknowledgement of the staple of fantasy fiction where some gawky unprepared farmboy or alley rat finds himself thrust into epic adventures and makes good.

These basic characters are described by their ability scores that represent their Strength, Agility, Stamina, Personality, Intelligence and Luck; all rolled in that order with 3d6. Game balance? Character concept? Pah! Roll your bones and live with what you get. Or not, this Level 0 fellow may not have a long life... but maybe he'll be a legendary sword-swinger or spell-caster before you are done with him. This new-spawned character is supplied with a random occupation (the trade he plied before some whim sent him adventuring) complete with appropriate trade goods and a weapon that he's learned to use, at least well enough to be more of a menace to monsters than to his friends. The 'occupation' table includes demi-human races, and in this game those who survive long enough to get a character class will find that their class is Dwarf or Elf or Halfling, rather than Wizard, Warrior, Cleric or Thief... each has its own section explaining what they can do, the abilities and resources on which they can draw as their career progresses.

Next comes Chapter 2: Skills. As well as being able to fight, and maybe cast spells or thieve, characters have skills pertaining to whatever occupation they had before they started on the road to fame, fortune or an early grave as an adventurer. If a skill is appropriate to what you are trying to do, and you can argue the case for someone of your trade knowing that skill, you can roll a d20 to attempt it, else you roll a d10 to represent 'untrained' use of that particular skill. Yet these skill checks are best kept for when abstraction seems appropriate - if players can describe clearly what they are doing in the given situation, the results may well be obvious to the referee and the dice won't be needed. So this is a short chapter, and we move on to Chapter 3: Equipment.

Starting characters of Level 0 are regarded as peasants who have probably never seen, let alone possessed, a gold piece in their lives (apparently the offspring of nobility or even wealthy professionals never go adventuring!) and are gifted a basic weapon from their former occupation, so will not be buying much. However, those who survive long enough to amass some loot are likely to want to spend it on gear so weapons, armour and some basic items of equipment are to be found here with prices and other details. For those wishing to start at higher levels, there are suggested 'starting gold' figures as well.

Next is Chapter 4: Combat. This covers the basics of the combat resolution system, with the assumption that the referee already has a fair idea of what he is doing from other similar games. One refreshing point is that the use of miniatures and battlemaps is, if not actively discouraged, regarded as optional. Combat is turn-based, with group initiative at low levels (moving to character-based initiative once the surviving few are all that remain of the original mob). Most characters can undertake but one action - fight, cast a spell or the like - as well as move when it is their turn. Normal attack rolls, along with criticals and fumbles (ranging from making yourself the laughing stock of the party to stabbing yourself and falling flat on your back!) are covered in sufficient detail to empower the orderly running of a combat encounter. Whilst the main focus is on melee, ranged and mounted combat are also detailed. Characters who fancy having songs written about them have a chance at performing a Mighty Deed of Arms - provided that they say so before rolling their dice, and roll well when they do so. Characters are encouraged to devise a 'Signature Deed' that they specialise in, although this is as much for colour than it is for mechanical effect!

All this skill at arms has the inevitable result of dealing damage and even causing death, so this is the next topic to be discussed. When a Level 0 character runs out of hit points that's it, he's dead; but as characters rise in level they get a bit tougher and there's a window of opportunity to save them before they bleed out entirely... although it is likely that they will suffer permanent damage and have a fine scar to show the grandchildren! Healing and other combat-related matters are dealt with here as well, from fighting two-handed to turning undead by use of a holy symbol and even spell duels!

Appropriately, then, next comes Chapter 5: Magic. This starts with an awful warning: magic is not something to be meddled with lightly. It's dangerous, hard to control and can levy a heavy price on those who dare to wield it. Hence, there are no casual, off-the-cuff small magics, the sort to make life convenient, just the big spectacular spells. The source of magical power depends on what sort of spell-caster you are. Clerics, naturally, draw on their deities. Wizards may practise white magic (or enchantments), elemental magic or consort with demons to learn black magic. In game mechanical terms, however, they work if you make a spell check, a d20 roll with appropriate modifiers, which you have to roll every time you want to cast a spell. Wizards desperate to succeed can engage in 'spellburn' which is a process to enhance capabilities by sacrifice (i.e. gain some extra positive modifiers!). Spellcasting takes a lot out of you, which is why wizards can only cast a limited number of spells a day. Moreover, no two wizards are the same and they don't cast identical spells - each time you learn a new one you roll on a table to determine how that spell works in your hands... an interesting and novel way to ensure that magic users are not clones, but individuals with signature abilities. But beware: while low-level wizards pack quite a punch, as they rise in level and power so do they run greater risks as insiduous corruptions beset them (especially whenever a spell check is fumbled!). Clerics, on the other hand, have to beware of gaining the disapproval of their deity. In classic style, there are numerous tables on which the GM can roll to determine precise effects. In time, it may be hard to distinguish between spell-user and monster!

So, on to the spells themselves, a full 716 of them for wizards alone, plus an assortment for clerics. Wizards, apparently, are a bit like trainspotters, almost in competition to find as many of those 716 spells - first described by a list-obsessed wizard who woke a somnolent elder deity to ask! - as they can! Each is described in detail, with tables to roll upon to determine the results of casting them successfully... or what will happen when you botch your casting. GMs will have hours of fun telling the party what happens each and every time magic is performed.

After delighting my way through that lot (and I shall be hoping to get a wizard character if I get a chance to play rather than GM!), Chapter 6: Quests and Journeys looks at the sort of things our intrepid characters might get up to in the course of their adventures. It carries with it an exhortation: to lift the game away from pure mechanics and die-rolling, and to turn to a quest format whenever someone wants to gain something or achieve a goal. Quite a few examples are given, and could provide scope for epic adventures in place of mere mechanics: if you wish mastery of a certain weapon, say, seek out a master and study under him, rather than select it at your next level-up! Then comes a discussion of the conceptual differences between the real modern world and the cod-mediaeval fantasy one the characters inhabit, and how to use it to good effect to make adventure out of a mere trip to the next town to seek out a swordsmith or a new mount. Travel is an adventure in its own right - even when you remain on the surface of your game world... and then there's underground or even other planes of existence to explore!

Next, Chapter 7: Judge's Rules opens by suggesting that rules should bend to the GM's whim, not the other way around! Other suggestions follow thick and fast, including maintaining openness and real risk, no die-fudging to keep characters alive: dungeon-crawling classic style is a dangerous occupation. There's a lot more about the underpinning logic to magic, how to design new spells, where wizards will find spells to learn (and how to make them work at learning, not just scribble down spell names as they come across them or level up). Details of wizard's familiars and how to make them intersting and unique in their own right... even some patrons and the benefits and drawbacks of associating with them. Magic in this game has the potential to be far more potent and powerful and story-driving than in many games. Clerics and theurgy gets the same kind of treatment, before the discussion moves on to heroes, experience points and luck.

This is followed by Chapter 8: Magic Items. Don't expect to get them out of a catalogue, each is unique and brings its own flavour to the game... and there are tables to roll upon and advice to help you come up with your own items that will feature large in the legends of your world. Swords, scrolls, potions, wands... the usual items, but with a certain spin to them that makes them truly remarkable, as they ought to be. You are encouraged to create backgrounds, provenance, personality, for each and every magic item you place.

And where would we be without Chapter 9: Monsters? Monsters are not the catalogue of adversaries you might expect. They are mysterious, and knowledge about them can be as valuable as slaying them outright. Referees are urged to describe them as they appear, not baldly name them as an orc or ogre. And they are not alike. The orcs hereabouts may be quite different from the ones two valleys over - and as likely to fight each other as to lay in to the characters. Oh, and they do things their way, have powers or skills that characters do not. Then a real shocker for many modern gamers: no encounter balance. In this game, it is not only all right to run away, that may be the best option if you want to stay alive. Plenty more tables to roll on here to help you make this all come about. Example monsters are provided, along with notes on what treasure they might have. The worst monsters - the ones who ostensibly are 'people' just like the characters - are also included. And now, we are ready to begin. Rolls your bones and face the funnel...

This does indeed do what it says on the tin: the full heady flavour of early fantasy gaming coupled with elegant thoughtful rules that show considered understanding of a good thirty years of game development. And it comes redolent with images of the kind that take you right back to those early days.


5/5

The first thing one can not escape when scanning through the 488 pages of Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classic (DCC) Core Rule Book is the art. It’s everywhere, and I do mean, everywhere. The TOC is laid out inside art panels held up by characters, credits, play tester thank yous, designer notes, all tucked into the artwork, that is…for lack of better explanation, straight out of the 70′s. Seriously, this IS your daddy’s artwork folks lol. The art instantly took me back to my childhood and the style of RPG games that were on the shelves at my local game-store when I first got into role playing as a hobby. Is it cheezy art? Oh yeah, but in all the ways that make it good, that type of silly weird art that feels like a guilty pleasure.

Not looking to simply be yet another retro clone, DCC holds it’s own with a rule-set that brings old school simplicity to today’s audience of players, with just enough of the standards in today’s rules to make even hardcore edition warists feel comfortable learning how to play. One of the first things that stuck with me, when reading how one designs a character for DCC, was that your race is your class…your an elf, or a wizard…remember those days folks? No Elven Wizards here, nor Dwarven Warriors…nope, uh uh. Old School standard put elves and dwarves as their own class, and so does DCC.

We also have the concept of the Zero level character, which I could see being an absolute bloodbath for the poor players. Building characters as the rules layout, which will really irritate those min-maxers out there, you will end up with at least four zero levels characters per player at the table, all with truly random abilities and gear. Why so many? Why so Random? Simple. You roll your stats and right them on the sheet in the order you roll them, with 3d6, no re-rolling, no dropping low rolls, just take what you get…then roll for a profession to determine what piece of gear you get to take with you (anything from a farm implements to barnyard animals). You create a handful of characters because, well, you have no real weapon, skill, or armor….and barely any hit points, your gonna die, a lot, lol. But, with a crowd of characters the odds of one making it to 10 XP is good, and at 10 XP you become first level, and get to pick a class, and begin building your character into someone. Where as the concept of how to start a character is very different from most games in it’s approach to forcing a player to truly play a nobody at start, its a refreshing difference, and one that I think has the potential to be a lot of fun for a group, I can see them tracking the dead pool, and sharing tales of how their zero’s died, lol.

Another of the many concepts within this system that I found interesting was that magic corrupts, pure and simple. The longer one uses it, the higher in level one gets, the more chance the run that magic will corrupt them, both physically and mentally. Why? Simple, magic is derived by dealing in pacts with demons and devils, negotiating with celestial beings, and harnessing raw elemental forces never meant to be channeled by humans…so it kind of makes sense when you put it in perspective, and I find myself amazed that more mainstream systems have not tackled the very same issue as a standard rule as of yet. The magic section contains several d100 charts (I know, how long has it been since these were the standard for everything, mass nostalgia) handling magical effects, corruption results, costs of doing business with demons/devils, results of spell burns (a method for “saving” failed spells), and the most interesting chart of all, in my opinion, the Mercurial chart. Mercurial Magic, the concept that everything, and I do mean everything matters when it comes to magic, and therefore no two spellslingers could possibly be the same. The first born child of a hanged witch, child born as a rare comet reached the apex of the twilight sky, man subjected to blindness by looking into the well of the abyss…all of these people are special to the fabric of reality in a different way, and magic flows through them differently, as it should, hence the mercurial magic chart, to determine the different results of their spell castings. Just another concept of random weirdness to remind you that fantasy games are supposed to keep you on your toes, and never grow complacent.

And of course, it would be wrong of me to fail to mention that this system already has an immense amount of support material, not only int he form of adventures from Goodman Games, but from 3PP’s as well, and at least in my point of view, when you see a compatibility logo, it’s a good sign that a system is worth checking into, as it’s going to have new material and support from more than one source, which usually means there will be plenty of material for GM’s and players alike.

For those who are missing a simpler time in gaming, when demons were demons, and the bad guys wore black, this game will feel like coming home. For those who are looking for an alternative to their current mainstream that will take them back to their childhood (or at least their older brother’s), then this game will be a lot like dropping by the neighbors for a fun night of hanging out…something different, but all together enjoyable and familiar.

The formatting is top notch, in that it makes you think you are reading a book from the 70′s. I found practically no typos or editing glitches, and in a book of this size, that’s saying something. The layout jumps from single to dual column throughout the book, with artwork both embedded and on splash pages. The artwork is B&W and all invokes the era of the 70′s when it comes to the style of art that was popular during that time period, I swear a few of these pieces would have worked as side murals for vans back in the day, right down to the shirtless muscled warrior with sideburns saving the day.

The rules are solid, and fun, which is an all important detail when it comes to a game system. They are simplistic enough that a group could learn the game quickly, but complex enough to make sure one does not feel like they are playing a stripped down game. The balance found there was a good one, and impressed me with how easy the rules felt to grasp, while still being subtly complex in their design.

Overall, this is an excellent product to add to a gaming shelf, both as an alternative game for a group, a new game for those groups disillusioned with their current game, a instant favorite for the old school crowd, or a great way for the younger generation to reconnect with the older generation of gamers on common ground at the gaming table. I can not recommend this book enough, it really was a blast to read and reconnect with my roots, and I urge you to pick up a copy for yourself.



I pre-ordered this from Paizo.

It’s still listed in my subscription queue for June.

Should I be worried that the description now says unavailable (instead of preorder) on the website?


J. Merrick wrote:

I pre-ordered this from Paizo.

It’s still listed in my subscription queue for June.

Should I be worried that the description now says unavailable (instead of preorder) on the website?

Pretty sure your fine, this is a pre order only product, meaning it is no longer available, period.


Are you sure?

I know that you can buy it from the Goodman Games website.

Also, the regular edition hardcover(on the Paizo site)is also unavailable.

Why would it be preorder only?

If something happened and Paizo isn't carrying it I'd like to know so that I could look elsewhere.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Today is the release date, and our distributor was showing it as simultaneously in stock and unavailable, so our system was confused. It's fixed now, but I can't guarantee that their data won't re-break it later. Please let me know if it gets messed up again!

Dark Archive

It's a nice hefty book.I am still in the process of reading it but it looks to be a fun and deadly system.


Is the special edition adventure also included if I order here?

Contributor

PathfinderFan64 wrote:
Is the special edition adventure also included if I order here?

The Limited Edition does include a free copy of Dungeon Crawl Classics #66.5: "Doom of the Savage Kings."


Thanks.


Hmmm... I guess my LGS pre-ordered these because the Regular copies of the DCC RPG have the DOOM OF THE SAVAGE KINGS module in them as well. I just purchased mine today after work.

I think that on the Goodman Games site it states that if you pre-ordered the game the 1000 copies have the free module included.

So...Yay me?

As an aside, I dont think that I'll ever use this as a regular campaign game. I'll definitely be sticking with Pathfinder for the forseeable future. But for a One-shot or a Con game? I see this being kinda interesting.

Contributor

Now available as a PDF!


Any chance paizo will be stocking the weird dice any time soon?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Steve Geddes wrote:
Any chance paizo will be stocking the weird dice any time soon?

Our distributor doesn't carry them. Goodman themselves seem to have limited availability here, or you could try the manufacturer's site.


Thanks, Vic.


A truly interesting system and step away from the standard games on the market in its approach towards the retro feel. Review up.

Sovereign Court

Even though I am old enough to be 'old school' I didn't start roleplaying until 3.5, so I missed this era of gaming.

I didn't hear about this book (or simply passed it over) until my FGS owner tagged me in a post about it. I read the review on ENworld and then ran over and bought it. From what i've read so far I can't wait to try out some of this 70's gaming goodness. I may change my mind once a handful of my level 0 guys die horribly, but we'll see =)


Bigsmooth wrote:

Even though I am old enough to be 'old school' I didn't start roleplaying until 3.5, so I missed this era of gaming.

I didn't hear about this book (or simply passed it over) until my FGS owner tagged me in a post about it. I read the review on ENworld and then ran over and bought it. From what i've read so far I can't wait to try out some of this 70's gaming goodness. I may change my mind once a handful of my level 0 guys die horribly, but we'll see =)

I'll be on my way to pick my copy up shortly after noon. It should be a good game day.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Wow, glowing reviews. Each one a prefect reason for me to not buy this one. Don't get me wrong, the folks at Goodman Games usually do good work and I love their modules but everything I have read about this game just doesn't fit with the play style of anyone I know.

As one example of what turns me off on this product - I just happen to think it is a really good thing that races are not classes - that DCC has gone this way is taking simplification and regression a bit too far.

The argument that "It was good enough for classic gamers" holds no water with me. I was one. There is a reason we bought the Advanced games and left the basic games to collect dust on the shelf. That is why we demanded and bought games with better skill sets, worlds and stories.

Contributor

The PDF has been updated to the latest printing (2nd).


Liz Courts wrote:
The PDF has been updated to the latest printing (2nd).

Do you have the ability for us to order a physical copy of the second printing?

.
EDIT: I mean can you guarantee that we wont get a first printing or is that at the whim of your distributor?

Contributor

Totally at the whim of the distributor, alas.


No worries (I kinda figured..)

Thanks.


There's a new, limited edition cover. Am I able to preorder that through paizo?

Contributor

Yes (it should be available above, though it says "backorder").


Hmm. How did I not see that? Thanks, liz.


Played this at Tacticon with one of the authors. I really enjoyed playing it. It has some great mechanics, one I thought was really cool was the cleric attonement mechanic, the cleric could piss off their god by casting spells poorly, to the point where no spell works, and they have to seek attonement.

I also liked the scaled spell effects, the better you roll, the more effects. I had read a short story or some other about elminister at a super secret mage fair, where there was a fireball contest, this mechanic could really bring that contest to life.

I played a thief, and the luck points were key to my success, didnt survive, but died in a great cataclysmic sceen, and ensured the survival of a few remaining party members, so it wasnt a TPK.


Does the PDF of this include the adventure?

Webstore Gninja Minion

The PDF includes "The Portal Under the Stars" and "The Infernal Crucible of Sezrekan the Mad" adventures.


Thanks. That is unfortunate. I was hoping for the Doom of the Savage Kings, since the pdf cover art reflects that of the Black and Gold foil one.

Silver Crusade

Khelavraa wrote:

Wow, glowing reviews. Each one a prefect reason for me to not buy this one. Don't get me wrong, the folks at Goodman Games usually do good work and I love their modules but everything I have read about this game just doesn't fit with the play style of anyone I know.

As one example of what turns me off on this product - I just happen to think it is a really good thing that races are not classes - that DCC has gone this way is taking simplification and regression a bit too far.

The argument that "It was good enough for classic gamers" holds no water with me. I was one. There is a reason we bought the Advanced games and left the basic games to collect dust on the shelf. That is why we demanded and bought games with better skill sets, worlds and stories.

I picked it up on a whim and I can confirm it's definitely a diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks product. The reviews are certainly geared more towards those that prefered that style of game, and that's for the best for this product. But if you're not looking for that specific type of game, you're probably not going to enjoy it. It does feel like going into details would be raining on some folks' parade though.

I find it neat as a look at how other folks play the game, but I wouldn't want to actually play it myself. For those on the fence, just know that it takes the old boasting point on the front covers of the old 3.5 DCC modules to its natural conclusion. That might be enough to tell you whether this is a buy or pass for your specific tastes. It may not be my cup of tea, but it's likely going to make a number of folks very happy.

Silver Crusade

Question,

I bought this book, and am looking for modules to run with this system. On the Goodman Games Web site, The modules are divided by edition, so which of those modules are compatible with this one? It says standard edition here, and has the cover that looks the same as the little free RPG day booklet. I played it today and fell in love with the system and want to get some more resources.

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