DCC: What's Your +1 Game?

 

From the Dungeon Crawl Classics rulebook, page 393:

Consequently, this work does not include detailed rules for assigning treasure to monsters or encounters. The existing volume of D&D work includes several such systems which are robust and well defined, and which can be easily adapted here. The author suggests you adapt an existing treasure system of your choice, but carefully and deliberately evaluate the randomized results. Always ask yourself: “Where did the monster acquire such wealth? And what happened to the local economy in the process?”

I didn't realize this, and I may have read it, but the weight of this did not hit home until I started to think of what this paragraph means. DCC requires you to use another game to fill in the missing pieces, especially for the treasure system.

This begs the question: What game with DCC gives you the best results? Well, here are my picks:

I would go with OSRIC if I were considering magic items. This grandaddy reference guide gives you everything in the AD&D sphere in an open and accessible format. This provides a perfect "old school" flavor and retains the authenticity of a "primary source" for your games. The magic item tables here are ideal, with so many options and combinations, and it is a treat to roll them on.

OSRIC falls short on monsters since the traditional AC system is used, and you would need to convert descending AC to ascending. It is easy, but it gets a little tedious. Most of the other monster stats work fine in DCC, though.

OSRIC is the best "1e" game out there, even better than the AD&D DTRPG reprints since it has far fewer errors, and the organization and presentation are far better than my well-loved but flawed AD&D books. Don't play with your collector's AD&D books; get this, and don't look back.

If I were including monsters as a sample bestiary for my game? I would 100% use Revised Swords & Wizardry, a gem of a game with several simplifications that will make using the monsters in S&W for DCC games a breeze. First, the hit die numbers are compatible with DCC and serve as the monster's attack bonus. Done. Next, we do not use Fort, Ref, and Will saves; we get one save number, a d20-roll-or-higher one. This is good enough for most monsters, and you could always modify it if an exceptional circumstance applies. One save? Simple. Finally, S&W uses ascending AC in the same range as DCC, so we are not converting anything; we can use the AC numbers as-is.

There is also a morale system here for all monsters, so your foes may break if they are getting spell-burned and mighty-deeded off the face of the planet.

The book is excellent if you need orcs, gorgons, traditional dragons, golems, giants, or any other classic monster from the original game to appear and cause havoc. I know this is DCC; all monsters are unique! But even I occasionally like my comfort food, and seeing DCC characters thrash a cloud giant is fun.

The treasure tables here are good enough. They are less in-depth than OSRIC but are more than satisfactory for 95% of situations in a DCC game. Given the game's heroic, pulp, over-the-top, and insane feel, I would prefer a less-detailed treasure system for DCC (and more of my imagination). Also, there are guidelines for generating treasure hordes here based on monster XP, so creating treasures based on monsters is very simple and can be used for any creature. We are not messing with treasure-type tables, and that is a plus.

Since 90% of the game can be used directly with DCC as-is, Swords & Wizardry is my go-to "+1 game" for DCC. The monsters seal the deal here with how simple they are to convert, with almost no conversion needed. The things you won't be using? Classes and spells, but we have plenty of those in DCC. We are just here looking for "stuff," and S&W has tons of it, ready to use.

S&W also released two companion guides, one for options and another for foes, greatly expanding the game. The options book is mostly classes but includes new magic items, referee advice, the old-school primer, and many encounter charts. The wilderness encounter charts here make this a worthy addition.

This is a must-have book for playing S&W as a standalone game since it includes several more modern classes, such as "old school classes," for your game and fills in many of the holes of OSR systems regarding player options.

The monster book is full of monsters, over 300 and includes guidelines for creating your own. There are also fun "monster name" random charts that fit within the DCC mantra of "DIY everything!" This three-book set is an excellent game but utterly usable as a "DCC expansion" if you want more old-school content and flavor in your games.

Swords & Wizardry is one of the best-kept secrets in gaming these days. Old School Essentials is the standard-bearer, and Shadowdark is the 5E entry into the genre. DCC fills the gonzo need. Castles & Crusades is the "2.5E" we never knew we needed. But S&W is unique. It is simple. The systems are straightforward and highly optimized, with a single genius-mechanic saving throw number making everything simple (yet also highly modifiable). S&W is AD&D without all the useless and pedantic parts.

S&W is a "0e" style game and the best in class; it is all pre-AD&D but presented and organized so well that it becomes instantly playable. Alongside OSRIC, you only need to buy or worry about any other old-school game if you seek a niche or specialized experience (DCC, OSE, Without Number, etc.).

If you are coming from Shadowdark and want old-school without the complexity and an experience that is a bit more "on the metal," give S&W a try. If you have DCC and want to "spice it up" with classics from an excellent "+1 book" that adds to the game and is 90% usable, S&W is also one of your best bets. There is nothing wrong with using OSE or even Labyrinth Lord, but I find both OSRIC and S&W to be my best "+1 games" alongside DCC and excellent games as stand-alone.