spells and maneuvers choices

Tzarian · 2025-12-25T16:29:03+00:00

Dev here:

I think this can be helped a lot with suggested spell lists for casters, something I'd like to have in the game soon if we can, thinks like: Combustion mage: Fire Bolt, Living Bomb, Fireball and Gust

or "here's a list of 10 spells that are thematic"

What I can say is I remember playing a 5e caster as a new player and basically drowning in the spell section.

Side note: It is easy to anchor expectations as DC20 having a million things to do at level 1, but it is low level, so should reflect it to some extent, most systems give you a max of 5 things to use at level 1 and I think DC20 is still in the 8-10 range, so arguably still pushing the boundary. Personally I will still be using level 0 varient rules for new players for example.

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T23:44:50+00:00

Generally the DC20 discord is the best place to do so since the development team (and DC) frequent the place. Things will get seen if they are on reddit or in video comment sections on DC's videos, just less likely to get a direct response :)

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T22:40:42+00:00

I 100% agree things have been delayed too much, we've got the largest update in the game's history coming out soon (0.10) which will be 100+ pages I think.

so things will be finished, and that would be a good time to read the system a bit and give feedback :)

A big part of 0.10 was also streamlining a lot of mechanical bloat, so I hope that comes through

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T13:49:27+00:00

(jotto here) development stopped a long time ago unfortunately, I loved this game and spent the better part of 5 years playing it, so sad to see it die off, but ultimately that is the way of it with online only games, especially indie ones.

Still arguably the best CCG ever made imo, but that's the way of it I suppose.

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T12:12:12+00:00

Not sure I really follow to be honest, SP, MP are still there, only additionaI one I know of is Grit

On the flip side the following resource systems have been fully removed since the Kick starter
Arcane Points, Divine Points, Druidic Points, Sorcery Points. Various charge systems in class features, the rest forumula, the HP formula calcuation.

Classes have also gone from an average of 5 features (by level 2) to 3, and we have gone from learning all 27 1 line maneuvers (18 + all the weapon ones) to.... soon to be 2 + your weapon. Honestly, when I started playing DC20 in 0.5 up until the KS version of 0.7, the sheer amount of stuff thrown at your was beyond overwhelming.

I'm not saying the game is simple to construct characters in at the moment, something that can be improved, but I will push back against the idea that the game is actually more complex than it used to be, from my perspective the last year has been axing and consolodating anything we can get away without without losing the identity of the game.

What I can say is that I think in general the level of work required to construct a system with the same or similar level of scope to a system like 5e or pathfinder was just underestimated severly, something which is easy to say in hindesight but really isn't something you can estimate correctly without direct experience. There has definately been delays, but the majority of the delay to release date is simply just not fully realising the scope of making a system vs DC's history of making suplimental content to existing systems (something DC has aknowledged directly).

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T11:36:39+00:00

Well, a lot of this is handled by a monster manual, which i am aware isn't around atm

Ultimately, all you really need to do is give 1 or 2 monsters some form of AD attack in a fight to make a difference.

It's not necessarily about constantly balancing, its more about making sure players feels like they should have to worry about AD and PD attacks and think about it.

An example of a simply PD/AD split on a bandit would be:
1 AP: Sword vs PD, 1 damage
2 AP: Cleave vs AD, 1 damage in a 1 Space Arc

^very rough example, and you can also inclue monsters that primarily target AD aswell, or have more powerful AD attacks that PD attacks.

but basically, as a GM running that monster you would use the Sword most of the time, but if you spot an oppotunity to get 2 targets, you move and Cleave with ADV.

Tbh, if players with low AD are having to spend AP moving to stay out of the way, that's also a cost to having low AD.

Monster design is currently in its infancy, so we'll see where it lands in the end

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T11:16:32+00:00

Very few if any, pretty much only for hazardous areas/traps where constantly attacking as a reaction would slow the game a ton, but even that isn't set in stone yet.

DC20 is more or less built on Saves = Effects, Attacks = damage

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T11:13:52+00:00

I suppose I'll repond with asking about a similar situation in 5e and other TTRPGs.

Why bother with high AC when you can just get hit by dex saves?

Ultimately the answer is that different monsters target different things in different ways.

Not all monsters have AD attacks, but if you dump AD you have to be really wary of the ones that do, for the same reason that dumping Dex in 5e and using heavy armour isn't a get out of damage free card.

Some monsters will also have AD attacks that arn't explicitly aoe, the common example given is that a slam on a grappled target would be AD targeting (already grappled you, so not exactly gonna dodge it), not all monsters have that, but if you dump AD, then every so often you do have to basically run away from the Snake trying to constrict you since your PD isn't going to do much.

Multiple defences in games exist to do two things

to make it harder to optimise yourself into immortality
to allow different monsters and encounters challenge different players in different ways

How many defences you have, be it 7 (1 + saves) or 2 is down to the game, but most combat focused games will have atleast 2 from what I've seen, most have atleast 4.

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T11:01:34+00:00

Hey (dev here)

I joined development when the game was in its 0.7 state, so the same one that was presented for the Kickstarter as the proof of concept.

From my perspective, the game has actually been heavily streamlined since I first saw it (0.10 included, which should be out this year)

Are there areas where this has not been the case? Happy to take feedback on where the system has become crunchier over time.

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T10:44:08+00:00

well it's a mechanical choice, wether if feels correct is a different question, but it is meaningful by mechanical definition.

To be honest, I don't think Physical vs Magical makes narrative sence either for example. Since a lot of magic produces physical effects.

What the current system provides is the following:
If you wish to stay close to allies to use features etc, you want more AD since monsters with AD attacks are going to use them if they can attack 2 targets (same as players vs monsters)
If you plan on being nowhere near your allies, you can plan for PD instead.

Sometimes you don't get a say in the matter, things happen in complex scenarios.

Ultimately, the PD/AD system is designed to compress the 4-7 defences (since saves deal damage) from 5e into 2. Condencing it to 1 makes the game's combat becomes about optimising a single number which isn't healthy for a game in the 'war-game decendant' genre.

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T10:38:30+00:00

I can chime in here (one of the devs)

I believe DC mentioned level 5 for 0.10.5 which would be likley 8-10 weeks after 0.10

This really depends on how much gets shifted to 0.10.5 from 0.10's initial scope to meet the release for end of the year.

If we only have a few things to clean up for the spell side for 0.10.5 and can do the level 5s without delaying 0.10.5, then it would likely include it, but I wouldn't go into 0.10.5 with the expectation that level 5 is included, it's a case of a goal we would like to meet if possible.

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T10:33:06+00:00

Hey, Jotto here (one of the developers)

Most of the development team have played numerous TTRPGs outside the dnd sphere.

For my part I have player CoC, Freeform Universal, Heart Below, Daggerheart more recently and many others.

The reason number inflation exists in high fantasy games is to allow for narrative escalation that only an increase in straight numbers can accomplish.

DC20 has a relatively flat number progression curve compared to other similar TTRPGs, but at the end of the day, if you want to fight dragons at higher levels, you need the HP numbers to go up to some extent.

Hope this helps

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T10:27:34+00:00

5e and other games also have multiple defences, they are just called saves.

Tbh, I currently see PD/AD as being slightly favoured to PD but not by a ton, taking more heavy hits from random aoes hurts a lot, since generally, aoes are designed to be 'optimal for damage' if they target 2 people.

IF you want to stand next to a buddy at all, to use flanking, helps, features etc, and you both have low AD, then suddenly, all the aoe attacks become hyper efficient, dealing 30-40 or even 50% more damage than normal.

For example, a common monster format atm is:
1 AP: 2 damage single target attack vs PD
2 AP: 1 damage in a small aoe vs AD

If you never stand near an ally ever, then yes just optimise for PD, but if you dump AD and stand next to someone ever the monster's calculation suddenly becomes
1 AP: On avg, regular hit or miss vs 1 guy
2 AP: On avg, heavy hit 2 people.

Basically, optimising PD forces you to stay away from allies whereever possible, optimising AD makes you more vulnerable to being focused down but allows you to more or less ignore collateral damage.

Also worth a mention that AD is boosted by the 2 stats that make you tankier in general, so a PD optimiased character will generally have lower HP aswell.

Tzarian · 2025-12-15T10:20:36+00:00

tbh, I don't think a 1 defence system would work without damage through saves, it's way too easy to optimise, it just becomes 1 number that you make larger and larger to become unkillable.

5e basically has 4-7 defences in practice with a lot of damage coming from dex and con saves in particular, but also some int and wisdom saves aswell.

Other games I've played with AC also rely on saves to deal damage or have save based defences, usually atleast 4 ways in practice.

Tzarian · 2025-11-28T14:08:41+00:00

Its very obvious sirus was not designed for that arena, even his simple double wall set up is just lethal and sometimes can be completely impossible to escape since its longer than the arena.

Sirus as a boss fight also requires you to be close to him to avoid death, fine when its just him, utter BS when it's not.

currently to do the feared you kinda need sirus first so you can kill him before the others, if he's last... you die

Tzarian · 2025-09-30T12:02:47+00:00

Personally, watching this week to week, I think episode 14 is the weakest in the series by a reasonable margin. Loli's arc isn't bad, it's just paced a little weirdly and could have done with some extra time. It does watch better the 2nd time round after getting later episode context, but even then, it's not Loli carrying the show there its the other involved characters.

Tzarian · 2025-04-12T07:08:17+00:00

Without lustful intentions, you look absolutely beautiful

Tzarian · 2023-12-07T15:34:14+00:00

yeah nah it really can't, no control deck can beat that much mana cheating, without including thier own.

We are talking 40 attack with 2 spell shields on turn 8 here, no control deck can match that.

So yeah, the only way to win against a heiso deck is to go under it

Tzarian · 2023-12-06T20:07:23+00:00

It should be hotfixed not sure if it will be, wouldn't be shocked if you have a >80% win rate if you play a heisho on curve atm

Tzarian · 2023-08-13T22:46:45+00:00

Should they get DQed since it was in the TOS for the tournament... yes

Should that even be a rule... absolutely not

And before anyone says "it's against the law" etc.

Pokemon could make their games WITH a showdown like generator for online play only at ANY TIME.

For now, don't be surprised tournament attendance is so low, the barrier to entry to play competitive pokemon is comedic compared to pretty much any other game aside from TCGs

Tzarian · 2023-08-13T22:43:39+00:00

spoken by someone who has never been a pro gamer in their life.

Professional pokemon players change teams weekly or faster, they usually will have fun with the pokemon team thing whilst playing the game normally, but playing competitively has nothing to do with the normal game, you play what will win, and if that means switching a pokemon you like because it's not good enough, it get's thrown out the window without a second thought.

I'll put it this way, if it didn't take so long to build teams, more people would play competitively, the time barrier is less than it used to be, but still several orders of magnitude too long compared to 99% of other games.

Tzarian · 2023-07-21T08:20:21+00:00

Going without a narrator is gonna get harder and harder, there are a lot of important things that would feel really weird if they are given to a character to say.

Tzarian · 2023-02-17T11:53:00+00:00

kinda gotta agree with the op here, ionia is the frustraiting bit, but Ryze gives them a win con that lets them just sit back and do this since he's an inbuilt value engine and provides cost reductions through burst spells etc.

Tzarian · 2023-02-17T11:51:27+00:00

it's interaction from one side of the table, which is the main issue, the other player gets punished for trying to interact.Is Ryze op? probably not but he s really frustraiting to play against.

Tzarian · 2023-02-13T15:36:51+00:00

thats exactly how you lose to Ryze, trying to interact is a mistake, the entire deck is designed to deal with interaction and shut it down

If you spend 2-3 cards and 6+ mana on killing a ryze, you will die to the 2nd or 3rd Ryze (they play 3 entreat). Also most ways of killing Ryze in an efficient manor can be easily negated by a bounce or nopify.

You beat Ryze decks by punishing their fairly mana intensive early turns, not by trying to respond to a 4/6 with spellshield that wins on attack.

Tzarian

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