Despite my feeling down on the system, I still like my Dungeon Crawl Classics books very much. I have too much stuff, and sorting through it helps alleviate the situation, allowing me to focus on the enjoyable aspects of the system rather than the clutter. Too many books drag the system down for me, and if I just focus on the core and a setting book, the game quickly returns with all its charm.
Where DCC shines is as a 5E replacement. It does 90% of what 5E does, but better, especially with the "mighty deeds" dice of the fighter replacing hundreds of pages of rules for feats and subclass abilities. And that die is far more flexible and "cool" than anything 5E can offer, without all the digital purchases, options, extra books, and fluff needed to make 5E "play right."
Every other class has "fun designed in" with clever mechanics and a minimal need for rules to make it all work. Spellburn, thieves and luck, clerics and their deities, and all the others are just so "classic" with their iconic gameplay intact, and nothing needs hundreds of pages of rules to figure out "where the fun is" by building down feat trees and being overpowered and disappointed as you level.
Other games, such as Old School Essentials, provide a great base. This game is glorious in its simplicity and expandability. It stays out of the way. It replaces 5E and then disappears into the background. The flexibility of this system means it can handle any fantasy game. This features some of the best expansions and dungeons ever written in fantasy gaming, even the ones from Labyrinth Lord, and all of them are directly compatible.
Where DCC outshines is in the emergent gameplay, creativity, and "fun classes" that simulate a modern fantasy game, without creating too invincible characters. This and DCC can replace 5E. OSE for the sheer amount of options, and DCC for the fun factor.
Adventures Dark & Deep is the definitive version of the first edition, surpassing the original in quality and organization. Only OSRIC comes close. However, when I start to feel the need to play something this in-depth, I will go for GURPS as my hyper-realistic fantasy game. While ADAD is amazing, DCC wins for fun-factor, and OSE wins for flexibility.
Still, this is such a fantastic game. I wish I had this instead of D&D 4E. This would have replaced it without a doubt.
GURPS wins for hardcore realism. Once you get any level of system mastery over GURPS, the universe opens up to you. People will criticize this game as complex or math-heavy, but it isn't. Once you know, you know, and nothing replaces it.
Still, as a "pick up and play game," it is hard to beat DCC. The level of imagination and creativity is truly remarkable. The speed of play makes this irreplaceable. The emergent gameplay, thanks to its wealth of tables, makes the game unpredictable when played solo. This is still one of my absolute peak 5E replacement games.
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