These starter rules were written specifically to introduce judges and players to the DCC RPG system. In some areas, rules have been condensed and simplified. These rules will serve primarily to get characters through their first level 0 adventure and their first level 1 adventure. Although the rules go up to level 2, you won’t have the full play experience until you buy the core rulebook. This starter document should be enough for you to realize how much fun the game is. For the full DCC experience and play at levels up to 10th, please refer to the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG rulebook!

The Core Mechanic

A roll of 1 is an automatic miss and often results in a fumbling failure of some kind.
A roll of 20 is an automatic hit and often results in a critical success of some kind.
Occasionally a character may roll a die other than 1d20 when acting. 1d16, 1d24, and even 1d30 are used for weaker or stronger warriors and spellcasters.

The Dice Chain

The core mechanic in the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game is the d20 roll. You will frequently be asked to roll 1d20 and add or subtract modifiers. The goal is to roll high and beat a Difficulty Class, or DC. Sometimes the DC will have specific terms, such as an Armor Class, or AC, which is a combat variety of a DC. A higher DC is more difficult to beat, and a better-armored creature has a higher AC.

If you roll equal to or higher than the DC (or AC), you succeed. Otherwise, you fail.

One of the most fun aspects of using funky dice in a rules set is getting to roll those dice! Many traditional RPGs utilize modifiers to dice rolls as a way to express improved success or failure in an action. For example, an attack with an off-hand weapon may incur a -4 penalty, or an attack against a motionless opponent may grant a +4 bonus. 

DCC RPG utilizes this traditional modifier system but also employs a system of swapping out die types where the modifier is sufficiently large. Although d20 is the core die mechanic in the game, there are times when the player may be instructed to roll a d16 or a d24 instead, depending on whether the action has an improved or reduced chance of success.

Sometimes there will be multiple “dice swaps” impacting a die. For example, a spellcaster may be particularly good at one kind of magic, granting him an improved die, and he may also be operating under the influence of a magic item that grants him a further improved die. The system for moving “up and down” different die types is known as the dice chain.

The dice chain is represented as follows:

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

Whenever the rules instruct the player to use an improved die, his dice choice moves one step to the right, culminating in a d30 (the largest die that can be used). When the rules instruct the player to use a reduced die, his dice choice moves one step to the left, culminating in a d3 (the smallest die that can be used). Multiple steps can switch the die type two or more steps, and combined improved and reduced results can offset each other. Modifiers to the roll (such as +1 or -2) are applied to the result on the new die type.

How is this Game Different from What I have Played Before?

If you are familiar with the d20 system (3.0 and 3.5):

• DCC RPG does not have prestige classes, attacks of opportunity, feats, or skill points.
  
• Classes and races are one and the same. You are a wizard or an elf.

If you are familiar with various iterations of AD&D:

• DCC RPG uses an ascending armor class system. A normal, unarmored peasant is AC 10, while a warrior in plate mail is AC 18.
  
• Attacks, saves, and skill checks all involve rolling 1d20, adding modifiers, and trying to beat a number.
• There are three saving throws: Fortitude, Reflex, and Willpower.

No matter what edition you’ve played before:

• Clerics turn creatures that are unholy to their religion. This may include un-dead and other creatures.
  
• All spells are cast with a spell check, where the caster rolls 1d20, adds certain modifiers, and tries to score high. The higher the roll the more effective the result. Each spell has a unique chart that adjudicates the spell’s results.
• Wizards may or may not lose their spells after a casting. A low result means the wizard cannot cast the spell again that day. On a high result, he can cast the spell again.
• Cleric spellcasting works differently from wizard casting. Clerics never lose a spell when it’s cast. However, when a cleric casts any spell and fails in his attempt, he may increase his “natural failure range.” By the end of the day, a cleric may automatically fail on more rolls than just a natural 1.
• There is a critical hit matrix. Higher-level characters and martial characters generate critical hits more often and roll on more deadly result tables.
• You can burn off ability scores to enhance dice rolls. All characters can burn Luck, and wizards and elves can burn other abilities.

Weird Dice

This game utilizes polyhedrons of unusual shapes. Specifically, it utilizes the standard suite of dice, as well as what the author refers to as “Zocchi dice.” As an experienced gamer, you undoubtedly own the following standard array of dice: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and d%. DCC RPG also makes use of “Zocchi dice” in the following configurations: d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, d24, and d30. You may purchase these dice from your local game store (ask them to special order if they do not already stock them), and from any of these sites: goodman-games.com, gamesciencedice.com, impactminiatures.com, chessex.com, and koplowgames.com (as well as other select internet sites).

You can still role with regular polyhedral dice.

It is easy to substitute for the “funky dice” with a regular dice set. For a d3, roll 1d6 and divide by two; for a d5, roll 1d10 and divide by two. For a d7, roll 1d8 and re-roll on an 8. For d14 or d16, roll d20 and ignore rolls above the die-facing threshold. For d24, roll 1d12 and 1d6; if the 6-sider is odd, add 12 to the 1d12 roll. For d30, roll 1d10 with a 6-sided control die: add +0 on 1-2, +10 on 3-4, and +20 on 5-6.