2019 DCC Community In Review: The Sorcerer-King is Dead
By Harley Stroh
2019 saw the passing of G+, the short-lived social media network that, paired with the now ubiquitous Google docs, was a boon to DIY RPG creators in general, and Dungeon Crawl Classics fans in specific.
Shepherded by Claytonian JP, the DCC RPG group was first and foremost a fan endeavor. It was not a company bullhorn announcing latest releases – though we had plenty of those – but instead, a gaming collective, where 0-level gamers could rub shoulders with the likes of Doug Kovacs, Mike Curtis, Harley Stroh, Dak Ultimak, and the crew from Spellburn. Got a dream and the ability to type? This was your chance to create and share with the DCC community in real-time, receiving feedback, commendations, and critiques.
In a short time, the DCC G+ community gave rise to the Gongfarmer’s Almanac; the original death stamps; the zero-level funnel tournament; and scores of zines. Offshoots participated in the first spell duel tournaments (precursor to the Enter the Dagon tournament – all hail champion Bob Brinkman), plotted and pitched ideas for early DougKons, DCC Lankhmar, Gen Con, and the Road Crew.
Friendly, and filled with familiar faces, the DCC RPG group was a comfortable home for fans. (Maybe too comfortable.) And when the end came, many wondered where the DCC RPG community would find its next home, and whether the community would retain its sense of family.
We needn’t have worried. As if driven by a dying sorcerer’s fetid breath, exhaled over a corrupted dandelion, seeds of the G+ DCC RPG community took to the wind, finding fertile soil in a thousand different lands. Some took up residence in MeWe, where members quickly rebuilt familiar groups: DCC Music, the Road Crew, and Mutant Crawl Classics. Others found venues in Twitch and YouTube videos, old blogs resurfaced, and a new wave of zines exploded onto the scene. For sheer numbers, the DCC Rocks Facebook group reigns supreme, but even the venerable GG forums saw renewed activity.
But the sorcerer-king had one last enchantment in store: The best way to keep up with digital friends?
Gaming in person.
Large or small, at local gaming stores and convention centers, the DCC hordes sought each other out at tables in the real world. The DCC con calendar exploded. Whereas before there were a start and end to Goodman Games’ con season, now hardly a month passes without the opportunity to roll weird dice in the company of dear friends.
Looking to 2020, and the wealth of opportunities to play DCC at home and abroad, one cannot help but wonder if the passing of DCC’s favorite digital home wasn’t a gift, disguised.
The Sorcerer-King is Dead.
… Long Live DCC.
Further Reading: Online DCC RPG Resources
G+ continues to bear fruit. Below are just a few of the digital resources spawned by the community.
- Scores of classes, judge tools, adventures, and much, much more.
DCC & Friends Pre-Gen Character Repository
- Just in time for that next con game!
Third-Party DCC RPG Offerings on Lulu
- Perfect for taking advantage of that flash Lulu sale.
