Why Dungeon Crawl Classic RPG? Mercurial magic…

Another aspect of the DCC RPG I enjoy is the varied, dangerous nature of magic. There’s nothing cookie-cutter or generic about spells in Dungeon Crawl Classics:

Every spell is powerful. No one tempts the greater powers by using spells for mundane purposes like lighting a hallway, since any casting can result in some nasty side-effects if the dice are against you. As the rules say, if you need light: “use a torch fool!”

Every spell is unique. When a wizard gains a new spell he rolls to determine special traits that apply only to that particular spell. Your version of fireball isn’t necessarily the same as the mage in the next valley.

Spells aren’t ‘pass/fail’: Spells results grow in power the higher you roll, leading to a huge variety of outcomes.

It’s a dangerous world: As wizards grow in power, they’ll need to seek out powerful magical patrons to further their pursuits – but of course the sort of help these powers provide brings dangers and obligations. Role-playing opportunities abound.

Some have wondered if each spell having it’s own table of results will slow down play, but I’ve found the reverse is true. A mage’s spell book is not particularly large (it’s difficult and arduous to master new spells) so it’s simple to print out each spell for easy – and quick – reference and results.

I believe mercurial magic is one of the strengths of the DCC RPG, and I’ll be including a new spell or two in each M-series adventure to add to the fun!

Why Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG? Mysterious monsters...

One aspect of the DCCRPG I really enjoy is the concept of unique monsters. There are no 'generic monsters' - just simple guidelines to create unique foes. One valley's 'orcs' might be completely different than those who dwell over the hills, and if there is a dragon in those hills, it isn't 'a' dragon, it is THE Dragon: at least as far as the local inhabitants are concerned!

I remember my earliest gaming memories involved the thrill of encountering beasties completely unknown to me... at least until I memorized the Monster Manual. Over the past  10 years I've tried to return the mystery to my players by never running any monster 'straight' - and I'm sure many GM's do the same. This thinking is hardwired in the DCCRPG, and I think the system is stronger for it.

DCCRPG adventures will rock in this aspect: I know I'm working hard to pack each Sunken City and M-Series adventure with unique and mysterious creatures to bedevil your players. :)

I don't think it's giving away to much to show you two new creatures found in the Sunken City Adventures: the pesky SnapDragon, and the 'not-so-terribly-fearsome' Opposumen!