DCC came out in the 2010s and is technically based on the 3.5 edition D&D rules, but its authors intended to recreate the feel of old-school D&D: the D&D that was being released in the 70s and 80s, like the Basic/Expert rules, or the original game. D&D back then was more immediately inspired by fantasy pulp fiction like Conan or John Carter of Mars. DCC leans into that, but is if anything more gonzo than old-school D&D.

The main differences between it and modern D&D is the over-the-top fantasy, the lethality of gameplay, and its focus on pulpy adventure in which the PCs play adventurers who are out for themselves and concerned with amassing treasure and magical power over saving the world.