Witch Pleas — We’re Talking About ‘Dungeon Crawl Classics’
Witch Pleas Publishing brings new life to the retro-feeling Dungeon Crawl Classics with fresh modules and adventures.
Dungeon Crawl Classics is a tabletop RPG system published by Goodman Games and uses the Open Game License. It’s compatible with the Dungeons & Dragons third edition ruleset, but it also remains it’s own, standalone system. So the early 2000s were your years for D&D and you want to play something similar, DCC will be right up your alley… if it isn’t already.
But today we’re focusing on some of the independent modules and games you can run within DCC. Specifically, the adventures by Witch Pleas Publishing.
Dungeon Crawl Classics
DCC is a system of nostalgia. In fact, it’s baked right into the description.
“Remember the good old days, when adventures were underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale of every dungeon was the dragon on the 20th level? Those days are back.”
I wouldn’t say that it’s a system that mad about the current state of D&D. But sometimes you prefer to stick with your classics, and that’s okay.
And honestly, it makes all of DCC feel retro in that “Saturday morning cartoons,” kind of way. One off adventures can get weird and pop culture-y in addition to fantastical. As DCC took on life of its own and grew, so did the community, and by extension the silliness and tropieness of the adventures and modules.
By this point, Dungeon Crawl Classics can be whatever you want it to be. It’s not a terribly new-player friendly system. But if you want a little of that 3E feel with nearly endless options, it’s the exact gaming niche to fall into.
Witch Pleas Publishing
Witch Pleas publishing is a smaller publisher with a focus on young adult, folklore, and gaming. So of course they have a few independent DCC offerings out there. Their adventures are meant for on lower levels- think zero to four- with a focus on story.
These lean closer to the ‘classic fantasy adventure’ end of the spectrum with Midsummer festivals leading to Goblin markets, pilgrims braving the haunted hill forests, and a shipment of stolen weapons turning into a revenge tale full of treachery and dark magic. And if you’re in the market for a fantasy based adventure, Witch Pleas prides itself in publishing well written stories and compelling encounters.
Witch Pleas Publishing also has a Kickstarter running right now to fund their Goblin Holiday Bundle. This will conclude their currently running series of games with two multi-session adventures, as well as maps, tons of NPCs, folklore, monsters, rumors and plot hooks, games of chance, magical items, and historically accurate recipes. Because if you’re already including everything else, why not?
Have you played Dungeon Crawl Classics? Have you checked out any of Witch Pleas Publishing’s games and adventures? Do you prefer the classic fantasy tabletop games, or when they get a little more out there with the themes and setting? Let us know in the comments!
Happy adventuring!
