The one thing I really love about DCC, other than the amazing art, is what they did to spellcasting. I've always found the lack of a spell failure mechanic to be D&D's Achilles heel when it came to S&S genre emulation, and by Jove does DCC pulls it out with style.

Other than that, though, I confess that I found DCC a bit lacklustre as far as second-generation OSR games go. It doesn't have ACKS' elaborate endgame rules, or AS&SH's Conanesque grit and stylish dying Earth setting, or even FH&W's kitchen-sink comprehensiveness. But I admit that it does have its charm. And the adventures... well, the titles and covers anyway... make me drool. Hell, even their "Christmas special" adventure looks cool!

Feel free to use this thread to sell me on DCC's other merits, but what I'd really like to know is whether anyone's used the DCC spellcasting mechanics with other OSR games, or even with original TSR D&D rulesets.

Or even if you didn't, what problems do you anticipate?

All input appreciated.

Why not port the magic system over? Or is that impossible because of the Zoochi dice?

Quote from: Marleycat;754276Why not port the magic system over? Or is that impossible because of the Zoochi dice?

That is precisely what I intend to do. I'm curious whether anyone's tried it and what happened. Or whether anyone anticipates some sort of problem.

I wonder whether the spell failure mechanics offset the nearly infinite casting.

This topic has been on my mind as well. But the more I have thought about it, I think I will play Basic Next with the kids and the local store and DCC when I want that. I might try to port part of it if we get into full blown Next. I think the DCC magic system is one of the coolest systems out there.

I don't think dice are going to be your problem. The dice are used mostly for +/- 4 depending on situation.  Just use the modifier or maybe the Next advantage/ disadvantage system.

RAW DCC is usually going to give your character lower stats than a Next array for ability scores. So to me spell burn should be less of an issue. But you may run into resistance trying to take away stats in a D&D game.

I'm all in on the corruption but see also my thread start on "cursed items/ dick GMs" I'm all for bad stuff happening with an informed group,  but apparently not a universal view.

other systems I thought of porting: critical hit charts, love em.

Also, I like the cleric magic and chance of ticking off a deity. I think in a gritty pulp game it works and mortals should know when to quit asking for stuff.

I need to see Next healing again but I like the DCC healing from clerics too.

I'm an admitted fan so I'm not going to try and sell you anymore. I think the more I look at it I expect to use multiple systems for taste.

I will say I think most of your dislikes could be fixed if they put oout a campaign setting and or annual with some of the third party options (ranger, druid, more spells, over land travel, hex play). Those are things I've tried to port to DCC.
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Quote from: The Butcher;754294That is precisely what I intend to do. I'm curious whether anyone's tried it and what happened. Or whether anyone anticipates some sort of problem.

I wonder whether the spell failure mechanics offset the nearly infinite casting.

I'd play. I really don't see a problem if the dice aren't an issue beyond the fact the players ability scores will be better generally. It would work mechanically but the feel may be different until you adjust for preference and taste.

vancian, success-easy magic works for some games.  Not mine.

Quote from: LordVreeg;754497vancian, success-easy magic works for some games.  Not mine.

DCC's magic system is none of the above. Think Warhammer not baseline 1/2e and then you're getting in the neighborhood.

Quote from: Marleycat;754501DCC's magic system is none of the above. Think Warhammer not baseline 1/2e and then you're getting in the neighborhood.

i do know it.  I'm just even more specific.   but I like spell success as a seperate skill, frankly

Quote from: LordVreeg;754502i do know it.  I'm just even more specific.   but I like spell success as a seperate skill, frankly

Like Rolemaster, Kult, Neliphim, UA and other d100 games? Notice most are horror games not fantasy. Magic as a skill works nicely in horror and S&S so I get you.

Quote from: Marleycat;754504Like Rolemaster, Kult, Neliphim, UA and other d100 games? Notice most are horror games not fantasy. Magic as a skill works nicely in horror and S&S so I get you.

and it works in a lot of adult fantasy.
we have a very complicated magic system, but in any given area, we separate spell points, spell success, spell resist, and spell regeneration....so you can have a mage without a lot of power in an area, but who has a lot of success% and gets back the points very quickly.....

I've used a lot of DCC in my non-DCC role playing, and the spell system works well in other games. I was worried a little at first about not setting a limit as to the number of spells which could be cast, but the success/failure tables create a self-limit because players are afraid to fail too often.

One thing to watch, however, is that one character level in the DCC RPG isn't equal to one character level in most d20-style games. I'd say that one DCC level is more like two d20 levels, and you want to account for that if you move spell charts into d20 games.

Also, I find that generic spell charts (as opposed to DCC's one-chart-for-each-spell method) can simplify things a little.