Opinions on the new DCC RPG?

[Prak]

About what? I seriously am just bored of the cheesecake chainmail bikini shit.

The whole point of DCC is being old-fashioned. It's not designed to appeal to you; it's designed to appeal to your D&D-playing grandpa, or your niece who never played anything but 4e and wants to slum it with some old skool gaming.

That holds about as much water as FATAL defending it's heavy rape and paedophilia content by saying that it's for historical accuracy.

[hogarth]

I have to admit that the idea that by default you cannot min/max is appealing. And I like that the stats are less essential than in 3.5. And that NO magic items are 'expected'.

I have no idea how you make the leap from "X is rare" to "X is less necessary".

They are two different things. Necessary means how in 3.5 they are expected in the EL system, so if you do low (rare) magic in 3.5 then you are behind in the challenge rating game.

I don't know what to tell you. I think it's odd that you went from "I think your luck score is the only thing that can mitigate many "you're dead, no save" effects" to "I like that the stats are less essential than in 3.5". To me, those statements seem contradictory.

By the way, are you telling me that there's no system of saying "monster X is tougher than monster Y", a la 3E's CR system? Even if there isn't (which is a bad thing, not a good thing), as long as there are published modules with level guidelines, there will still be an expectation that PC A should be fighting monster B.

[cthulhudarren]

I don't know what to tell you. I think it's odd that you went from "I think your luck score is the only thing that can mitigate many "you're dead, no save" effects" to "I like that the stats are less essential than in 3.5". To me, those statements seem contradictory.

By the way, are you telling me that there's no system of saying "monster X is tougher than monster Y", a la 3E's CR system? Even if there isn't (which is a bad thing, not a good thing), as long as there are published modules with level guidelines, there will still be an expectation that PC A should be fighting monster B.

I see your point. To clarify, by essential I mean that your starting dice rolls for stats basically determines whether or not you will suck for your entire life. In 3rd edition if you didn't have at least several rolls that were 14+, you will suck. DCC RPG seems to rely less on the stats and more on random effects (which of course can be good and bad). But your scores can change... your luck score changes over time. You're not stuck with your starting score forever. Things can make it increase or decrease. For example: Strangely, using magic items seems to make your luck decrease, by rationale that you are offending gods with borrowed power (or something like that). Acting in your alignment and per your divine patron's will can make your luck score increase.

And yes there is no CR, the only thing to go on is HD. The rules even say to let the characters figure out when to fight and when to run by experience. I personally do not like the idea that the party should be able to defeat anything they run across. There should be times to run.

I was looking at some of the monster crit tables last night. Holy shit they are brutal! The maimings on the Giants crit table are impressive. So are the permanent stat drain effects. You do not want to be on the receiving side of these crits!

To me it looks like you really need to have a decent positive luck modifier, since that is the only way to mitigate the crits. The monsters roll on a specific crit table. Higher rolls are worse for the player. So the crit roll is modified downward by your luck score.

Anyway, I am not trying to say this is the best gaming system or anything. It seems set up to kill characters often. I'm just trying to explain it for you folks. But I admit I want to try it out and see how it pans out in play. Many games play different than they read.

[Red_Rob]

And yes there is no CR, the only thing to go on is HD. The rules even say to let the characters figure out when to fight and when to run by experience. I personally do not like the idea that the party should be able to defeat anything they run across. There should be times to run.

How the fuck does CR mean that the party can defeat anything they run across? All it means is that as the GM you know when you have thrown them against something that is too powerful for them, rather than it happening by accident. I mean, some enemies you can't run from or have to defeat for story reasons. Wouldn't it suck if you accidentally placed a certain-death monster there? Without some kind of CR system that's much more likely.

[cthulhudarren]

And yes there is no CR, the only thing to go on is HD. The rules even say to let the characters figure out when to fight and when to run by experience. I personally do not like the idea that the party should be able to defeat anything they run across. There should be times to run.

How the fuck does CR mean that the party can defeat anything they run across? All it means is that as the GM you know when you have thrown them against something that is too powerful for them, rather than it happening by accident. I mean, some enemies you can't run from or have to defeat for story reasons. Wouldn't it suck if you accidentally placed a certain-death monster there? Without some kind of CR system that's much more likely.

You're correct. AFIAK, they don't define that anywhere. It's all up to the gm and players to figure it out. I think they call that a "feature". I think HD is probably close enough to start on.

[ishy]

So if the game is lethal and the PCs are supposed to run away sometimes, how can they assess the challenges in this game?

I mean lets grab some D&D monsters as example if I didn't know the monsters by heart, and you read the flavour description of a Chain Devil, a Fire Giant and a Balor to me, I'd have no clue which one was actually stronger untill they possibly kill me in the first round.

- Edt: ((well technically I believe you can make a sense motive check to guess the challenge rating, but I think you get the point))

[cthulhudarren]

So if the game is lethal and the PCs are supposed to run away sometimes, how can they assess the challenges in this game?

Trial and error I guess. It would have to be that because the rules emphasize monster "uniqueness", meaning you should not really know what it is you are fighting. They even have uniqueness tables to make undead look different.

You only know to run after half the party is wiped.

[Chamomile]

I can get behind that only if chargen is 5 minutes.

[hogarth]

I can get behind that only if chargen is 5 minutes.

It takes way less than 5 minutes.