I've had the pleasure of play testing the DCC RPG twice now a year apart at DunDraCon '10 and '11.
Both were excellent good times. In 2010 we did start as "0" level and ran multiple characters per person in a wondrous dungeon filled with instant death. Luckily we did had enough live characters to share and make sure that each player had at least 1 through the end of the session.
This year was not nearly so bloody which was fascinating since our characters, though 3rd level, were the most pathetic group of stat challenged individuals ever assembled. I should explain. We were given classes then rolled our stats in order, no re-roll, etc... The majority of the characters had minus adjustments to their primary abilities, for example I had a "warrior" with 9 strength thus -1 to all melee attacks. One magic user had stamina so low he had -2 to each hit dice and was damn lucky to have 6 hit points at third level.
But this magic user, Apprentice by name, had a memorable adventure. While most of us were failing repeatedly to cast, hit, and heal, time and again he succeeded. Most notably in summoning aid from his power source, in this case some form of demonic toad. First try he rolled a 20 and a huge manifestation of amphibian evil accompanied us for a time wreaking havoc on our enemies. 2nd, not quite as good but still a plague of toads swarmed over our foes. 3rd time a gaping maw emerged from the earth delivering a powerful bite attack. At this juncture Joseph advised Apprentice that he could only cast this spell one more time this day, so as not to annoy his patron. Shortly after the mage found himself in a tricky spot, separated from the party by iron bars and facing a huge skull carving which was burning him alive with heat beams shooting from its eyeballs. Apprentice now called for aid for the last time allowed that day, and forever as it turned out. As he cast instead of a 20 now came a 1, ah the spell had gone quite awry. For the degree of failure now cruelly came the 20 and from beneath his feet a huge glistening maw rose up, swallowed him whole, then fell back removing him from the living world. It seemed perhaps that 3 casts per day, rather then 4 was the recommended limit for this particular demon.
Looking forward to playing more DCC RPG!
Erol
