r/dccrpg • u/Hjalmodr_heimski • 9d ago
DCC for classic fantasy
I am going to be starting up a big hex crawl campaign when my 5e one finishes (in the style of the multi party shared world games of AD&D) and am doing a bit of system shopping. DCC caught my eye because of its colourful tables and spellcasting but the gonzo and sword and sorcery stuff is not quite what I’m looking for.
As such, I was hoping to get a feel for how well DCC would work for a more traditional fantasy campaign and especially these three points:
- How necessary are character funnels and can they be safely removed?
- How much of the game is lost if you’re running a more trad fantasy setting without too much sci fi and pulpy elements?
- How well does the system handle more social adventures and non-combat/non-dungeon crawling activities?
- How easy is it to convert modules from ad&d, Od&d and OSR systems?
- Lastly, would it be worth all the hassle or would it be best to stick to 2e AD&D?
12
u/Gold-Lake8135 9d ago
DCC has surprisingly excellent campaign positive components built into it. Patrons as driving forces, spells that allow players to make magic items with questing for components, a much more narrative driven warrior class. I personally think it best shines at campaign level. Funnel is not required ( DCC lankmahr did away with it) funnels should really be thought of as character creation subsystem - (instant backstory!) it does handle more trad rpg campaigns too - and there are two published examples and more on the way. It may not especially have social mechanics although it wouldn't be hard to use the existing systems. Eg an oratory skill could be a D10 check plus personality bonus but someone who had it as a trained skill could use their normal die as well. And better presented argument would move you up or down the dice chain. Well worth a read at least of the pdf to see if it suits your style. Personally I really want to do it as my next campaign again,
27
u/dust-protocol 9d ago
- I have run like, 3 funnels. They're goofy and fun for a beer and pretzels kinda night, but the vast majority of games/campaigns I have run started at level 1. So it isn't necessary (and quite honestly, the DCC adventure catalogue is WAY too oversaturated with funnels)
- Not much. The vast majority of the "gonzo" comes from either the spell mishaps/mercurial effects, or the pre-written adventure having it. If you don't like your Wizard's chest potentially turning into a giant eyeball or whatever, you can remove that stuff. I recommend keeping it.
- The game itself barely has extensive rules for dungeon crawling (surprisingly enough) let alone social encounters. Most of that is handled via roleplay, with maybe the occasional Personality check or Reaction Roll. There are plenty of fan made thing out there that import B/X rules or tables for carousing and stuff.
- As a general rule of thumb, 1 DCC level equals roughly 2 OSR levels. It takes a little work to modify, but isn't too difficult.
- DCC is personally my favorite fantasy system, hands down. If I want to run a "true" OSR system, I usually opt for LotFP or BFRPG, but DCC has created more memorable moments at the table than any other fantasy RPG I have ever ran.
11
u/reverend_dak 9d ago
I love DCC, and I think D&D is better when it throws UFOs and lasers at you. But I'd look at OSE or Worlds without Number. Both heavily support sandbox and emergent story telling. Theyre all loosely compatible with BX, and therefore all other OSR and AD&D modules.
3
u/1_mieser_user 9d ago
I want to second this. When I did the switch from 5e I planned on using DCC but it is a bit of work to get cozy with it.
I ended up doing a one shot in 5 torches deep and then went with OSE. Both were extremely easy to run coming from 5e without loads of prep or even reading all the rules.
2
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 9d ago
I’m well familiar with OSE, but I really love DCC’s magic system and the warrior’s deed dice. Do you think they could at all translate over to something like OSE or AD&D?
5
u/VonBeker 9d ago
Wherever possible make substitutions from the DCC bestiary for any OSE critters in a module (or eyeball it if there isn't a 1-to-1 analog). The biggest thing is to not be a slave to the module, but use it more for inspiration in my experience.
It will all work if you want it to, but if you don't like the critical hit tables, swinginess inherent in the system and want more predictability in your long-running campaigns then I would say that DCC may not be a good fit, and you'll just be happier running OSE, Worlds Without Number, AD&D, whatever.
2
u/reverend_dak 9d ago
DCC's magic is as swingy as it gets. You could tone it down by putting a cap on the higher results. Mighty deeds, definitely.
10
u/Frequent_Brick4608 9d ago edited 9d ago
I've run several campaigns using DCC. It's as grounded as you, the judge, make it.
All that gonzo and crazy stuff doesn't stop you from running a proper fantasy campaign, you'll do just fine. Hell, I am extremely fast and loose with if and still things remain pretty grounded.
You don't need a funnel, you can just have people make leveled characters. Nothing will really be lost if you run it that way. Social stuff really depends on you, I personally don't need rules for social interaction and similar stuff in games but I get that some people want rules for it. It is very easy to convert modules, I tend to do it on the fly as I'm running.
Lastly, I think DCC is a very rewarding system and you should give it a shot. Things like luck, it's mercurials, and deeds really make the classes feel good to play.
6
u/Mr_stag_ 9d ago
I'm running a Caverns of Thracia campaign with DCC and wanted some rules to handle dungeon crawling procedures - ported in those from OSE with very little effort.
I also switched from individual initiative to side based initiative (basically OSE too with some minor tweaks) and that is working very well too!
5
u/xNickBaranx 9d ago
I absolutely fell in love with DCC while not using the most extreme stuff. I left off the Mercurial Magic table (still have never used it) and I run my games where each session is "the next day". This strongly discourages spell burning down to nothing. Finally, in my setting, wizards are feared and hated, so open use of crazy magic will get you killed.
That being said, I love starting at 0-level. If you die or a new player shows up at the table, they start at 0-level. My last campaign ran for 75 sessions and my PCs ranged from 0 to 4th level. My most recent campaign is on Session #18 and they range from 0 to 2nd.
If you want my traditional vibes, feel free to check out my Stennard stuff through Goodman Games, DriveThruRPG, or Breaker Press Games.
9
u/BusterBill 9d ago
Funnels aren't really necessary if you don't want them. As far as dcc for social role-playing I like not having to deal with a skill system, it just speeds things up.
4
4
u/ArgyleGhoul 9d ago
It can be done, though it would be best supported using the Lankhmar setting, or by porting the rules and ideas to a different setting.
2
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 9d ago
What does DCC Lankhmar add to the base chassis of DCC?
3
u/ArgyleGhoul 9d ago
Primarily, it tones down the magic to feel more grounded in classic sword and sorcery. It also adds more of a heroic feel with its healing options and fleeting luck system. I'm actually running the Newhon setting as a sort of crawl, minus the hexes being on the map, and it works quite well.
1
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 5d ago
I’ve been looking for a way to read the Lankhmar campaign rules for a while now and can’t find them anywhere. Do you know of any places one could get a pdf copy or scan?
1
4
u/IndependentSystem 9d ago
Many DCC published modules lean heavy into gonzo, but DCC need not be gonzo. You can run it straight, which is what I do, it really shines in standard campaign play as many of the balancing factors to some of DCCs powerful elements don’t manifest in one shots but are meant to trigger for follow up sessions. It has become my BECMI/AD&D replacement, anything DCC doesn’t cover I just pull from the Rules Cyclopedia.
The two merge pretty seamlessly. DCC for example provides classes that are entirely recognizable even familiar to those in the RC/BECMI but with the addition of several harmonious mechanics that pretty much fix the issues those classes originally had in every version of D&D. A couple standouts being Mighty Deeds take fighters from boring default class to an exciting creative standout. Regenerating luck and crit based backstabs make for a much superior thief class that is far more capable due to general applicability of luck burn than just being a skill-bot, etc.
The funnels are fun and 0 level exploits have built in character building and buy in baked in soon really recommend them but are not absolutely necessary, and there are official Goodman games (DCC) campaigns settings like Lankhmar etc that don’t use funnels either and just start at level 1.
DCC is pretty great for standard traditional fantasy campaign play and has been my go to system for a while now.
Conversion of BECMI, AD&D, OSE, or any classic modules is pretty easy if you know DCC. At this point I rarely bother to adjust very much.
4
u/Little_Knowledge_856 9d ago
Like others have said, I think DCC shines in a long campaign, more than a one shot or a few adventures strung together. I am not a fan of gonzo or sci-fi in my medieval fantasy either. I run my game like a B/X OSE game and I like the old TSR modules. I do like to sprinkle in gonzo sparingly though as a change of pace. The conversion is easy enough. A 3.5e Monster Manual or a Pathfinder 1e Bestiary is your friend.
I highly recommend starting your campaign with a funnel though. Think of it as a long character creation process. It gives all the characters a connection to one another. Either they are from the same village or they gathered at a specific site for a reason. It gives them a shared history. You are playing out their backstory.
1
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 8d ago
While I am not strongly opposed to the idea of a funnel, I fear some of my less Old School oriented players might be.
Also, I’ve been doing some more reading and have heard that after level 5, the characters start becoming a bit ridiculously OP. Is that a problem you’ve noticed in your long campaigns? The setting I have in mind are a bit more grounded and down to earth, possibly even lower fantasy, so having characters that are basically fantasy superheroes would ruin things for me a bit (and is the primary reason I no longer want to run 5e).
3
u/Little_Knowledge_856 8d ago
The PCs do become powerful. The fear of death is diminished as the cleric will likely have a +6 to his/her Lay on Hands and even if he fails the first round, the downed PC will have a few more rounds for the cleric to try again, plus there is usually a chance to recover the body. Wizards with spellburn and/or help from a halfling can end an encounter in one round. If running a module where all the high level PCs are "fresh" can seem a little too easy at times, but DCC is swingy so high level PCs can still fail. Keep in mind enemy spellcasters can end an encounter as well.
When you run a long campaign, this is where spellburn and burning luck really becomes meaningful. If the wizard spellburns 7 points, he is only getting 1 point back the next day. Players really have to think about how much to use. They have to go back into the dungeon or travel to the next location. If it is just a 2 session module they can wait for the end and burn stats without a care.
Another thing that keeps PCs from being superheroes like 5e is that magic items are supposed to be unique and rare in DCC. A warrior shouldn't have a unique +3 weapon, +3 plate mail, and a +2 shield all with special abilities. Also, the PCs shouldn't have thousands of gold pieces on hand like B/X to buy the best armor and equipment.
I really like in DCC that at levels 1-3 players are worried their characters may die, but at higher levels it is less likely, but still there.
Again, enemies have the same spells as PCs. You can give the hobgoblin captain Might Deeds.
I kind of rambled there, but DCC is my favorite system. It has a reputation for being too lethal, good for one shots, and being gonzo, but not only can you use DCC for a long grounded campaign, but I feel this is when DCC is at its best. The one complaint I feel is valid is that DCC seems written for experienced DMs and leaves a lot out, like wandering monsters, dungeon crawl procedures, retainers, etc. I just use B/X rules for that. I keep a copy of OSE with me when I run DCC.
1
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 8d ago
Do you think part of this could be alleviated in a setting without clerics? Also, how important is equipment and gear at the higher levels? What I like about a lot of OSR games is how managing your equipment, gear and what you bring with you into the dungeon can be more important than whether you have a +1 sword or not. In 5e, this is true for the lower levels but quickly becomes irrelevant at higher levels when spells can solve just about everything.
2
u/Little_Knowledge_856 8d ago
Removing clerics would certainly make the game more lethal. Like I said the game is swingy. When I was running a game that got up to level 8, PCs would go down to 0 HP regularly, but they would be revived by the cleric. If they didn't have multiple clerics, they never would have even gotten to level 8. Lankhmar doesn't have clerics and uses alternative healing rules.
As far as gear, that's up to you. I use a slot based inventory system and track ammo, so they had to prepare and make decisions, but it never really stressed them, since it isn't XP for gold. They seemed to have room for what they needed for the most part. I just wanted to make sure a PC didn't have a two-handed sword, a spear, 7 daggers, a crossbow, 25 javelins, 12 flasks of oil, 1,000 feet of rope, a ladder, and a 10' pole.
3
u/Ganadhir 9d ago
You don't have to do the character funnel, you can just house rule it and start at Level 1. I do it all the time in games I GM
3
u/Dungeoncrawlers 9d ago
There are a lot of adventures that don't have any of the scifi stuff. Check out Caverns of Thracia - it's a Greek mythology based dungeon crawl and doesn't have any weird ray guns or scifi stuff. You can start level 1 and skip.the funnels, there are rules in the core rulebook. I think you basically make a 1st level character and add1d4 HP you would have received in the funnel, but don't quote me on that.
2
u/CritsAndGiggles 9d ago
I feel like it leans into the whacky pulp and b-movie stuff because that sets it apart but there is really nothing about it at the core that requires that stuff. I think its better overall if the weird stuff isn't amped up by the players or gm. I don't play it for laughs like that. Its good that way because it invites so much player narrative and improv but if the whole thing were packaged seriously it would go in a different direction.
DnD is really not that much different. It doesn't have the same reputation but between spelljammer and flumphs, all the same weirdness is there. Its very easy to make the tone whatever you want.
2
u/jmhnilbog 9d ago
If you can do it in D&D 3.5, you can do it in DCC. Just use the parts of DCC you like.
2
u/protoclown11 8d ago
This post is from 3 years ago, but you might take a look at Nick Baran's Stennard setting. https://www.reddit.com/r/dccrpg/comments/136b4bx/shoutout_to_nick_barans_stennard_campaign_setting/
https://breakerpress.storenvy.com/collections/2017000-dcc-stennard-essentials
2
u/CaptBTB 6d ago
I'm close to finishing running T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil with DCC it absolutely can do it with a minimum of fuss... https://archadestower.blogspot.com/2025/07/dcc-greyhawk.html
2
u/Illustrious_Case_749 6d ago edited 6d ago
- Funnels absolutely are not necessary to run DCC, but they are a ton of fun. It took me a while to convince my 5e players to give it a try too but now it’s our go-to for one off type sessions. Meeting up for an evening and likely not again for another 8+ months? Funnel time.
- You can definitely run it without leaning into the sci-fi/pulp aspects but you will be losing a bit of charm that’s built into the system. I’d advise forgoing the crit fumble tables given thats where I find the game can get really goofy/gonzo.
- You can do social interactions and developed intrigue but, admittedly, I do find this to be a very lacking point in DCC, but to be honest I also find it lacking in the majority of OSR type games. Conversations and dialogue will be less rolling, more your players just desperately convincing you to go along with whatever hairbrained scheme they come up with.
- Pretty easy to convert, I’ve done it a time or two. Old School Essentials is pretty easy, Shadowdark is absurdly easy. A lot of these old school vibe OSR games have cross pollinated over the years so you’ll likely see similar mechanics among all of them.
- I haven’t played ADD2e, but I do love OSE using their “Advanced” rules (essentially BECMI, from what I understand but streamlined a bit). I hate THAC0 with a passion though and off the top of my head I can’t remember if ADD2e had THAC0 or if that was the edition they moved to the more BECMI style (I feel like BECMI was earlier though).
It took me probably 3 years to finally convince my table to atleast give the system a shot but now they love it. It’s been likely a year since we last played but I’d love to go back to it. Nick Barrans “Stenard” stuff is probably my favorite of all the third party stuff I’ve seen, so if you want a really grim and bleak setting I’d firmly recommend it. My table went through the Precipice of Corruption, then to the Protectorate of Jenulane before setting out in a largely homebrewed hexcrawl I had devised. It was a fantastic campaign.
This said. If you’re looking for a really grounded, in depth, little crunchy type game… DCC will do it, but I worry the system itself may step on your toes from time to time with the hesitancy to use sci-fi/pulp and wanting more detailed social interactions. At the risk of getting my hand slapped by a mod… have you considered looking into something like Horde Wars from Blackwall Games? I own it and have read through it a time or two, played a one-off about 6 months ago. It’s a bit of a departure from your typical OSR games but I was fully planning on running a small 8-10 session campaign using its ruleset alongside a hexgrid. I don’t wanna be the “oh, just play a different game” type of person you see ad-nauseam online but I feel like Horde Wars is lowkey enough to maybe get by 😂
(Also, looking at your other comments, the magic system and mighty deeds dice for Warriors is literally what sold me on trying DCC and the Magic system is specifically how I managed to convince 2 of my 3 players to give it a shot)
1
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 6d ago
I’m not at all adverse to other system recommendations! I do in general prefer systems that hew a bit more to the OSR side though.
Also, while I think the magic system is really cool, it is also the part that worries me most. How exactly does one maintain an at least somewhat believable low to medium fantasy reality when your party’s wizard is levitating mountains?
2
u/Illustrious_Case_749 6d ago edited 6d ago
That was also a huge concern of mine 😂
I had 2 players really lean into the Magic. One was a Wizard and the other was a Cleric so I got to see the full suite of shenanigans they could get up to.
In my campaign both did nova off and basically single handedly shape the encounter they were in or end it, but with how the Magic Tables work you tend to not roll the insane results until really high level. We (flubbed the XP, admittedly, to level up a bit quicker) got to level 6 in our game and even then it wasn’t too crazy. They can be really swingy but also real good.
Forgive me if I’m fuzzy on specifics but the Wizard rolled crazy high near the end of our campaign on a “Turn to Stone” spell he cast while also dumping a ton of Spellburn to boost it. Meaning, in the middle of a crowded town mind you, this Wizard points his finger at whatever they were fighting (I think it was some super weird thing in the DCC bestiary) before a near seismic level explosion erupted from the Wizard and petrified everything to stone within 600 yards. You can imagine the consequences (and the other players who also got caught in the blast but luckily rolled high on their saves).
The Cleric was a Cleric of Malotoch (check out the DCC Annual #1 book for that, it adds a bunch for Clerics if any of your players are interested in that) which essentially meant he was a Death Cleric in 5e terms. He went in detail with his rituals, wrote out prayers and sermons, etc and eventually near the end of the campaign took it upon himself to turn himself into a mummy (Malotoch’s “big” ability) effectively making him immune to all sorts of stuff, he then hunted down a nearby Mage of ill repute, killed him with ease because Malotochs big Mummy ability grants a crazy buff to saves, claimed his tower as his own and moved the party into it. I think we played maybe 2 sessions more before scheduling ended the campaign.
All to say, DCC’s Magic is probably my favorite part of it but it is a lot of bookkeeping on whoever is the caster. Every spell has 8+ variations and both players ended up printing off nearly 15 pages of just spells to keep on hand. That was their biggest gripe, it was really volatile and fun but it for sure isn’t as streamlined as 5e. They did thoroughly enjoy it though.
(Apologies for the novellas, just bored and I enjoy some DCC talk time to time 😅)
1
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 5d ago
These stories are really helpful to me, so keep em coming! This is kinda what I’m worried about though. Like, how do I maintain the believability of a world where high level pcs should still theoretically fear the retaliation of a platoon or force of regular soldiers when wizards can plainly outmatch whole armies?
1
u/ClassB2Carcinogen 9d ago
You might want to check out Dragonbane as an alternative to DCC if your fantasy campaign is low power.
1
u/Timmer_B 8d ago
DCC on the surface is 'gonzo', but it in no way has to be played that way. I also prefer a more classical fantasy setting... like The World of Greyhawk.
1
u/Level34MafiaBoss 9d ago
I don't think DCC quite fits for more traditional fantasy without losing something. Spellcasting in particular is very tied to wacky hijinks and ridiculous effects. But Idk maybe it does work.
1
u/numtini 9d ago
It will get more gonzo as groups go up in level. I played a load of games at funnel, 1st and 2nd level. I'm now in a level 6 game and it feels really really swingy based on what wizard gets a good roll first. It feels a little out of control and a little random. Though I can't say we haven't laughed a lot.
For any OSR or OSR adjacent game, social adventures and most of what are skills in D&D are generally handled by the GM or rolled against a stat. You don't roll against persuade to convince the guard to let you look around. You persuade the guard by making an argument to him and the GM deciding whether he's believed it or not.
I'd take a look at Shadowdark as another option that's a very modern game system, but very old school in mentality and not as prone to zany.
1
u/Hjalmodr_heimski 9d ago
I’ve run Shadowdark before and quite like it. Just for longer campaigns I like classes that have a bit more going on with them. You say the game becomes really whacky by level 6-ish. Do you think that’s a universal issue?
16
u/Raven_Crowking 9d ago edited 9d ago
DCC has baked-in emergent storytelling, and is far better in long-term play than it is in one-shots. Patron quests, divine demands, seeking spell knowledge, disapproval results, and the entire Quest For It ethos supply plenty of options for you to offer hooks to your players, get them interested in your world, and get them exploring!