This thread will be for collection of gameplay and setting information. Please do not post in this thread; if you have questions please use the OOC thread. Thanks!
I'd like to aim for posting updates on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays if possible.
Things to keep in mind playing DCC
Luck plays a large role in this game. Don't forget that you can burn luck points to improve a given die roll. But beware that low luck attributes will make you more likely to be targeted by enemies, have things fall on you, etc. Except for thieves and halflings, luck doesn't regenerate automatically. Rather, it can be earned by appeasing deities, demons, etc. You can also lose luck by doing the opposite! But bottom line, don't forget you can burn luck to help your character out!
You can use your coppers to buy anything from Table 3-3.
I'll put a template for level 0 characters below but feel free to use the character sheets in the die roller instead.
When advancing levels, roll the HP die. After the HP roll a player can opt to either 1) keep that roll for their PC, 2) take half the hit die (5 hp in this case), or 3) reroll...but the results hold no matter what.
Also, upon reaching 1st level, I will give each PC the opportunity to re-select their alignment, as it is important to some aspects of game play and this is a new rules set for some.
Your characters are all from the peaceful town of Clearwater, named for the small crystal clear river that runs through the middle of it. The town has a few hundred inhabitants. The river connects to a Fira, a large city on the coast that's a couple days' raft trip downstream. It's widely seen as a den of villainy by town inhabitants but they do benefit from the occasional visit of Firan traders. Otherwise, the areas surrounding the farms and fields of Clearwater are seen as hostile, and every couple years there is the occasional goblin and orc raid.
There are four landowning families in Clearwater. They are generally well-liked, though it is rumored one has a wizardess (magic is somewhat frowned upon and foreign to Clearwater). If you roll "noble" as a level 0 occupation, it will be as part of one of these four families. We're not talking dukes and duchesses here, just relatively well-off landowners.
Deities
There are two major deities worshipped in Clearwater, though others may be venerated in small, clandestine groups. That is, if your character wants to bring in a god let's work it in to the game!
Ulesh, god of peace - a lawful god that is worshipped by the majority of Clearwater dwellers. And the head of the church of Ulesh reminds the populace of this often
Ildavir, goddess of nature - Given the dependence of the town on its agriculture, it's no surprise that the town also worships this neutral goddess of nature.
As in most RPGs, clerics serve a god. In DCC, the relationship between a cleric and his/her god is more important than others I've played. A cleric is an instrument and servant of their god, with an objective to convert others to their faith, destroy abominations and enemies, and help raise the esteem of their god in the mortal world. Gods are jealous bastards, and don't look kindly on their clerics acting outside of their interests. That includes helping rival gods or aiding those that adhere to opposing tenets. This is, for example, reflected in how healing depends on the alignment of the cleric compared to the individual they are healing. I'm attaching four pages from the excellent DCC rulebook below, but here are (in my view) the most important things to know about clerics in the DCC game:
Spells
- Clerics start with access to four level 1 spells. I will allow the PC to choose them...bonus points for choosing spells that best reflect their god and aims.
- Spell checks are done with a d20, modified for Personality modified and caster level. So, a second level cleric with a 14 (+1) personality score would roll spell checks as d20+1+2 -> d20+3.
- Disapproval: On rolling a natural disapproval roll, the cleric's god disapproves of their use of powers or is annoyed by something the cleric has done. The cleric will need to atone. Disapproval starts the day at 1, and increases by 1 for each failed spell check. So, if a cleric has failed two spell checks, they will gain disapproval from their deity with a natural roll of 1-3. This resets each day. The time of day varies by deity. Once you select a god we can go with a generic disapproval table or use one more specific to your god.
Healing
- Healing: Healing is not considered one of the cleric's spells, but a spell check is rolled for healing. Same rules for disapproval in the spells section above apply, however. Healing is more successful when applied to like-minded PCs.
Turning unholy
The cleric can turn unholy creatures, animals, demons, and even some humanoids depending on who they serve and their alignment. Turning unholy is mechanistically the same as spell checks, except the cleric's luck modifier is also involved. From the example above of a 2nd level cleric with Personality 14, a luck score of 8 would entail a -1 modifier, so the spellcheck would be rolled as d20+1+2-1 -> d20+2.
Finally, it is very likely adventure opportunities or quests will arise as part of the cleric's faith. As they rise in reputation and their fame spreads, others may also seek out their help.
I'm attaching four pages from the DCC rulebook (which I highly recommend) for clerics.
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Character sheet template:
Name: Class/Race: Level: 1 Occupation: Alignment: God served:
Thieves can often be a bit dull to play, but DCC does a nice job of spicing things up a bit. A bit on that below, but playing a thief also opens role playing opportunities. In my campaign setting, thieves' guilds are force to be reckoned with. They can be a source of quests and information, and a dangerous foe for a lone wolf thief that acts against their interests. Highlights and most important things to know for thieves in this game include:
Thieves' cant
Rather than a full language, this is a mode of communication and secret phrases that allow thieves to covertly identify one another and coordinate efforts in public without laypeople knowing. The utility of this skill means any thief teaching the cant to those not practicing the craft are marked for death.
Use of luck
The thief class is the only class that regenerates luck passively (halflings do this too as part of their race attributes). Luck regenerates each sunrise by the number of luck points equal to the thief's level. Even cooler, when spending luck, the thief modifies his/her roll by rolling a die. At first level, this is a 1d3, so a first level thief burning three luck points on a hit or skill check roll would roll 3d3 to supplement their roll.
Skills
Thieves have skills checks usually present in RPGs. As shown in the tables below, their adjustments to the skill checks are dependent on level, alignment, and agility, intelligence, or personality depending upon the skill. In general I will roll for success on the following checks where the PC cannot typically know if that have succeeded until a triggering event: sneak silently, hide in shadows, find trap, forge document, disguise self. All others will usually be rolled by the player.
DCC adds a nice flair to the classical fighter by introducing the "Mighty Deed of Arms." More on that below, but in short warriors get bonuses to their attack and damage rolls, and can also add flair to their attacks.
The deed die
Once per round, warriors roll a deed die that is added to both their attack and damage rolls. The potential benefit increases as the warrior progresses in levels. At level 1, the deed die is a d3. If the deed die result is 3 or higher and the hit lands, the warrior performs a Mighty Deed of Arms. Examples are given in the write up. No additional damage is done, but flair can be added, foes can be disarmed, etc. The magnitude and possibilities of the effect increase as the warrior rolls higher on the deed scale at later levels. In case the player forgets to include a deed for their attack, it's a good rule of thumb to have a default deed that will be applied if no specific deed is called out during the attack.
Expanded critical hit range
At level 1-4, warriors score a critical hit when rolling a natural 19-20 if the attack hits. They also have access to a more consequential critical hit table.
Initiative
Warriors get to add their class level to initiative rolls.
Luck modifier on weapons
Once attaining level 1, warriors choose a weapon to apply their luck modifier to for attack rolls. If their luck is low, they may want to pick a weapon seldom used.
Wizards get their powers from gods, demons, patrons, or other supernatural sources. Magic is fickle, and the results are often unpredictable. This is the crunchiest class to play, and we can discuss OOC if you have a PC choosing this class.
Wearing armor
There is no prohibition against wearing armor...at least not for most wizards. But casting spells requires precise speech and movements, and armor can hinder the ability to execute spells in a precise manner. The penalty applied to spell checks (see below) is given in the armor table (Table 3-3).
Knowing spells
All wizards have a grimoire...a thin book of spells (apprentices start the game with one). Upon attaining level 1, I will allow the player to pick two spells for their PC, and randomly determine six more. They can then choose in order which spells then can attempt to know. This requires an Int DC check of 10, modified by intelligence. If this is passed, the wizard is capable of comprehending the spell. Level 1 wizards can typically know 4 spells, modified according to the table below. It is important to note that this is a maximum number of spells a wizard can know. You can "save" spell slots and try to adventure for the spells your PC wants, so it is possible to start level 1 adventuring knowing fewer than the wizard's full possible complement of spells...this can also save slots for more higher level spells. Once a wizard knows a spell, it is locked in to one of their slots. This can't be changed, unless the wizard is able to do this through in-game questing.
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List of level 1 wizard spells:
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Casting spells and spellburn
Typically, wizards will cast spells using a d20 spell check, modified by caster level, intelligence, and other modifiers such as spellburn or armor class penalties. Wizards can also use a technique called spellburn, applied before the roll. Spellburn allows the caster to expend Strength, Agility, or Stamina to boost their roll. Each point expended adds gives a +1 bonus to the spell check. Spellburned STR, AGI, or STA regenerate at one point each day the wizard does NOT use spellburn.
If a wizard fails a spell check, they typically lose the spell for the day...except that spellburn can be used to attempt a lost spell for the day. Rolling a '1' risks a spell misfire or worse, permanent effects. Magic is unpredictable!
Luck can be burned to improve the outcome of certain rolls, but unless your PC is a thief or a halfling, regenerating it takes special effort. In these cases, luck is granted (or taken away) by powerful patrons, deities or the whims of fate. PCs can regain luck by acting according to their alignment or deity in difficult circumstances, achieving a goal important to their patron or god, or improving their patron's or deity's standing (say, by building a temple or overcoming a foe representing an enemy patron/deity). Note that luck can't be increased beyond the number rolled during character generation, except in unusual circumstances.
