Tabletop RPG · since 2012 · #29 most discussed

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Play ordinary people turned reluctant heroes in swingy, weird fantasy dungeons where magic is unpredictable and death is common.

Old-school (OSR)Fantasyd20random generationhigh lethalitydungeon crawlclassesXP for treasureAny lengthNeeds a GM

6.8

Geek rating

From 23 firsthand play reports in 6 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.7.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion6.8 / 10

296 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Medium. Hype 4.6 for its age.

Have you played it?

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What players say

At the table

Players describe DCC as chaotic, deadly and funny, especially in level-0 funnels and one-shots. Tables report a lot of laughter. The common complaints are practical: heavy table lookups, dense rules text and fiddly high-level magic.

What works

The zero-level funnel is easy for brand-new players. There are no builds to make, and they pick up the basics in about five minutes. Players attach to one of their four characters and switch when it dies. (thread)
Running it made one GM fall in love with GMing. (thread)
Sailors on the Starless Sea produced epic moments and constant laughter at one table. (thread)
Printed spell sheets and automatic table rolls on a VTT speed up spellcasting and online play. (thread)
The modules are pulpy and gonzo, short and self-contained, and they rarely bore a table. They are also easy to pilfer. (thread)
Fighter maneuvers made combat turns more interesting than repeated attacks. (thread)

What tables struggle with

Constant table lookups slowed an in-person Lankhmar game. (thread)
Four funnel characters per player can overwhelm newcomers unless the GM adds shortcuts, such as one shared initiative roll. (thread)
Module text is dense, so GMs need to read the whole thing and take notes. Some modules are linear. One early puzzle in Hole in the Sky stalled a table. (thread)
Rules and adventures are spread out and prose-heavy. The game also assumes you already know classic D&D. (thread)
Level-0 characters feel extremely weak. High-level play and spellcasting get fiddly. Some players dislike the untelegraphed danger and character mutilation. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups who want short, random, lethal one-shots and treat character death as part of the comedy.
GMs willing to prep notes, handouts or printed aids, or to run on a VTT that rolls the tables.
Tables that enjoy gonzo, weird-fantasy tone over tactical balance.

In players' words

"The funnel adventures are my go to for random one shots. They are random, deadly, and hilarious." (thread)
"I played in a DCC Lankhmar game and we found all the table referencing really slowed the game down at the table." (thread)
"I have found that people new to RPGe really latch on to the angry peasant mob of a DCC funnel." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

7.5

Wanting to check out Dungeon Crawl Classics. What is the gameplay actually about and what are your expiriences with it?

People who ran or played DCC mostly describe it as chaotic, deadly and funny, especially in level-0 funnels and one-shots, and they say it is fun even with its weird dice. The problems are practical: lots of table lookups, hard-to-parse rules and adventure text, and fiddly high-level magic. Much of the thread is arguing over whether DCC counts as OSR, which isn't play evidence. 8 firsthand · 53 comments

Open on Reddit

8.0

DCC vs Shadowdark vs WWN vs OSR in general

The few people who actually ran or played DCC report a lot of laughter and chaos, and some call it their favorite or most fun system. The recurring problem is that rolling on many tables slows in-person play, and VTTs or printed aids largely fix it. Most of the thread compares DCC with Shadowdark and WWN. 5 firsthand · 28 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

Are the DCC adventure modules good?

The few people who say they ran DCC modules describe them as creative, fun and rarely boring, though they need advance reading and notes because the layout is dense. Most of the thread is opinion on the modules' reputation and layout from readers, and one commenter ran a module in D&D 5e, which doesn't count. 4 firsthand · 49 comments

Open on Reddit

8.0

Never DM’d or played should I start DMing with 5e or DCC

Thread is mostly about whether a first-time GM should pick 5e or DCC, and much of it is 5e criticism and general advice. The few commenters who actually ran DCC say the funnel is easy for new players to pick up and that judging DCC made them love GMing. 3 firsthand · 87 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

Barbarians of Lemuria or DCC Lankhmar

The thread is mostly about Barbarians of Lemuria, with DCC Lankhmar as the other option. The only firsthand DCC reports are the original poster's short note and one commenter's, and both are positive: DCC is fun, a favorite d20 game, and funnels work well. Neither goes into much detail. 2 firsthand · 17 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

[DCC] My party is inside a flying van going too the moon, how can i make this journey interesting?

The thread is mostly travel-event brainstorming. The only firsthand play report is the OP's, whose bizarre DCC campaign has run from funnels to a recurring patron NPC to a flying wizard van bound for the moon. The campaign sounds engaged and fun, and the OP's only stated struggle is that running travel scenes isn't their usual GMing style. 1 firsthand · 13 comments

Open on Reddit