Tell Me About DC20

Reynard

Legend
Supporter
I have recently seen an uptick in FB ads for an upcoming KS for DC20, which appears to be another 5E variant. As I understand it, this is a game by a well known blogger/youtuber, and Patrons have had access to the game's alpha state for a while.

What is it? What interesting things does it do, compared to 5E? Why should I back it when the KS starts?

Or, am I totally off base and that isn't what DC20 is?

Thanks.
 

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TwoSix

"Diegetics", by L. Ron Gygax
It seems pretty annoying to get information on without watching a lot of videos, which is not something I want to be doing.

Their subreddit is pretty empty, and it's implied most of the system discussion is happening on their Discord. And downloading the Alpha rules costs $0.99, which is just really odd to me.
 


payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario
A friend sent me the beta rules. I read them but never tried them. My impression is it was an attempt to take 5E and add a little 4E/PF2 to it.
 

TwoSix

"Diegetics", by L. Ron Gygax
 

Meech17

WotC President Runner-Up.
So I'm probably not the best person to answer this, I've only been half following it. I don't watch every video and livestream, so my details may not be all correct or up to date.

The Dungeon Coach (The DC, in DC20) is a D&D YouTuber. I don't know where he ranks among them but he's not the biggest out there. I think he's got like 50k subs, so not even close to the big timers like Colville, Ginny Di, or Dungeon Dudes. Up until DC20 he mostly made content about home-brewing 5e. I purchased his first KS book and it's like a home brew supplement Dungeon Master's Guide. It is just chocked full of different random problems and alternate ways to run them. Initiative, Chases, Heists, etc.

What interests me about DC20 is that it feels like he is rebuilding 5e, while not being afraid to kill some of the sacred cows. It has trimmed down the abilities to four scores, two physical, two mental. On top of that it he's cut the ability score/modifier system, in favor of just a single number. I think it's -2 to 4 maybe?

He's introduced Action Points. So rather than having a move action, a combat action, a bonus action, etc. You get a number of points. You could use all of your action points to just move, move, move. Or attack, attack, attack. Or move, attack, move. I believe you can also essentially 'upcast' actions to give yourself advantage. Like your attack is one action point, but you could use two to make an attack with advantage. I believe Pathfinder 2 uses a system like this? I think it sounds good.

Got rid of spell slots in favor of a spell point/mana pool system.

He's tried to make the racial and class options more flexible and customizable. Rather than picking a race there's an ancestry system. You pick your race, and it'll have all of your standard options. Elves are dexterous, have dark vision, what ever. You then get the option to customize this with a point buy system. So if you don't want to be a dexterous elf, you could drop that trait and use the point to buy a different one, perhaps strength or intelligence. There is also the option to take a negative trait, and get an extra point to purchase more or better positive traits.

Multiclassing will have a similar customization system. Rather than alternating between fighter levels, and wizard levels to make your gish spell sword, you could make a fighter, and opt to take a selection of wizard abilities instead of fighter abilities as you increase in level.

There's plenty I'm missing, but this are some of the features that spoke to me. I'm interested in seeing the final product.

Like others have said getting information on it hasn't been the easiest, but it's currently in the alpha phase.. Once the kickstarter launches I'd hope he has a better, and more fleshed out pitch for it.
 
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I have recently seen an uptick in FB ads for an upcoming KS for DC20, which appears to be another 5E variant. As I understand it, this is a game by a well known blogger/youtuber, and Patrons have had access to the game's alpha state for a while.

What is it? What interesting things does it do, compared to 5E? Why should I back it when the KS starts?

Or, am I totally off base and that isn't what DC20 is?

Thanks.
From the videos I've seen (half a dozen)
  • Decreases Hit Points bloat
  • Decreases Damage (but you add your primary stat to the attack/damage - so you could have an Intelligence Barb, Strong Barb or Dexterous Barb all being equally effective in combat)
  • Reworks the Abilities (new one called Grit)
  • 4 Action Points every round (as opposed to 3 per PF2)
  • No Multi-classing (uses talents/feats to cross pollinate)
  • Degrees of Success on Skills/Combat
  • Deaths Door (near death and you're still conscious but have 1 Action Point every round), dead at -3
  • Dis/Advantages stack (2d20, 3d20...etc)
  • Skills (athletics, casting, combat) and Trades (pottery, candle-making)
  • 10 Levels and 10 Prestige Levels (think along the lines of e10)
  • No Vancian slot system (mana points and can push beyond normal limits to take damage or use up resources)
Ninja'd by @Meech17 :ROFLMAO:
 
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TwoSix

"Diegetics", by L. Ron Gygax
So I'm probably not the best person to answer this, I've only been half following it. I don't watch every video and livestream, so my details may not be all correct or up to date.

The Dungeon Coach (The DC, in DC20) is a D&D YouTuber. I don't know where he ranks among them but he's not the biggest out there. I think he's got like 50k subs, so not even close to the big timers like Colville, Ginny Di, or Dungeon Dudes. Up until DC20 he mostly made content about home-brewing 5e. I purchased his first KS book and it's like a home brew supplement Dungeon Master's Guide. It is just chocked full of different random problems and alternate ways to run them. Initiative, Chases, Heists, etc.

What interests me about DC20 is that it feels like he is rebuilding 5e, while not being afraid to kill come of the sacred cows. It has trimmed down the abilities to four scores, two physical, two mental. On top of that it he's cut the ability score/modifier system, in favor of just a single number. I think it's -2 to 4 maybe?

He's introduced Action Points. So rather than having a move action, a combat action, a bonus action, etc. You get a number of points. You could use all of your action points to just move, move, move. Or attack, attack, attack. Or move, attack, move. I believe you can also essentially 'upcast' actions to give yourself advantage. Like your attack is one action point, but you could use two to make an attack with advantage. I believe Pathfinder 2 uses a system like this? I think it sounds good.

Got rid of spell slots in favor of a spell point/mana pool system.

He's tried to make the racial and class options more flexible and customizable. Rather than picking a race there's an ancestry system. You pick your race, and it'll have all of your standard options. Elves are dexterous, have dark vision, what ever. You then get the option to customize this with a point buy system. So if you don't want to be a dexterous elf, you could drop that trait and use the point to buy a different one, perhaps strength or intelligence. There is also the option to take a negative trait, and get an extra point to purchase more or better positive traits.

Multiclassing will have a similar customization system. Rather than alternating between fighter levels, and wizard levels to make your gish spell sword, you could make a fighter, and opt to take a selection of wizard abilities instead of fighter abilities as you increase in level.

There's plenty I'm missing, but this are some of the features that spoke to me. I'm interested in seeing the final product.

Like others have said getting information on it hasn't been the easiest, but it's currently in the alpha phase.. Once the kickstarter launches I'd hope he has a better, and more fleshed out pitch for it.
Sounds interesting, I guess the real question is if he'll have the clout/following to pull it off.
 

Meech17

WotC President Runner-Up.
Sounds interesting, I guess the real question is if he'll have the clout/following to pull it off.
I'm not worried about the Kickstarter Funding. I'd be willing to bet on that happening. He did a book on KS a couple years ago and got it, so with his increased following since then, and how it seems like there's RPGs funding left and right these days, I'm not worried about that.

I don't know if it'll be a big million dollar KS book.. But it'll fund.

Whether or not it's good is another thing.
 

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