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Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG

Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Confront ancient evils in a rules-light system that channels the raw spirit of old-school sword & sorcery.

Creator Info

  • Designer(s): Joseph Goodman
  • Artist(s): Doug Kovacs, Sanjulian, Ralph Horsley
  • Publisher: Goodman Games (Official Site)
  • Game Page: DCC RPG

Overview of the Game

  1. What is This Game About? A fast paced, OSR inspired fantasy RPG where players embrace the grit and unpredictability of early tabletop roleplaying. Treasure, traps, and terror await in every dungeon.
  2. Game Lineage and Inspiration: Inspired by the 1974 origins of D&D and the sword & sorcery of authors like Howard and Moorcock, DCC RPG revives the chaotic fun of early RPGs with modernized mechanics.
  3. What Makes Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Unique?
    • No proficiency or spell slots: Eschews proficiency bonuses, advantage/disadvantage, and fixed spell slots for dynamic mechanics.
    • Dice Chain over advantage/disadvantage: Circumstances swap die types (d3–d30) instead of mechanical advantage or disadvantage.
    • Random character generation: Ability scores and race are randomly rolled, yielding unexpected hero concepts.
    • Unified class system: Only seven core classes where race is integrated into class choice (e.g., Elf, Wizard).
    • Streamlined saves & no feats: Only three saving throws (Fortitude, Reflex, Will); no attacks of opportunity, feats, skill points, or classic prestige classes.
    • Occupations not backgrounds: Suggestive occupations replace codified backgrounds for lore flavor.
    • Spellcasting checks: All spells use a spell check (1d20 + modifiers) with charts for results; wizards risk losing spells on low rolls and can retry on high rolls.
    • Critical hit matrix & spellburn: Critical charts scale with level/class; ability and spellburn let players trade points for enhanced outcomes.
  4. Who Will Love It?
    • Fans of old-school RPGs craving an authentic OSR experience
    • Groups seeking high-lethality, high-reward gameplay
    • GMs who enjoy sandbox-style dungeon design and lots of random tables

Dice System

  1. Core Mechanic: Roll a d20 and add or subtract modifiers, aiming to meet or exceed a target DC (Difficulty Class) or AC for combat. A roll of 1 is an automatic failure (fumble); 20 is an automatic success (critical).
  2. Dice Needed:
    1. d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 (Full "standard" set of polyhedral dice)
    2. d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, d24, d30 (Weird Dice! This game also utilizes polyhedrons of unusual shapes called Zocchi dice)

The Dice Chain

One of the most fun aspects of using funky dice is getting to roll those dice! Beyond traditional modifiers, DCC RPG swaps out die types in the dice chain:

d3 – d4 – d5 – d6 – d7 – d8 – d10 – d12 – d14 – d16 – d20 – d24 – d30

  • A +1d bonus moves one step to the right (up) the chain; multiple steps stack up to d30.
  • A -1d penalty moves one step to the left (down) the chain; multiple steps stack down to d3.
  • Modifiers (+1, -2, etc.) still apply to the result of the new die type.

A Helpful Video: "Your Session 1 Guide for Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG!"