Learning the DC20 system
Teaching this old dog a new trick
Now that I had decided to GM DC20, it was time to learn how to play it. Since the system was still in beta, there weren’t many easily accessible resources available for my players. This meant I had to channel my inner teacher—not only learning the system myself but also creating materials to help my players understand and navigate it.
How I approached it
Reading
First, after downloading the latest rule-set PDF, I promptly printed it out. While this might seem old-school, there was a method to my madness. Printing it served two purposes: it allowed me to read through the rules without the distractions that an iPad might bring, and it provided a hard copy to pass around during game-play since not all my players would have access to the rules.
With the physical copy in hand, I dove into all 163 pages. My process for learning the system started with a quick read-through of most sections to get an overview of how the materials were organized. Then, I focused on the game-play mechanics that were significantly different from the RPGs I was familiar with. Since the team would be starting at level 1, I set aside anything beyond that level for later.
First on my list was learning how to design a character. The general structure was similar to D&D, but there were some unique elements that stood out. Two features, in particular, caught my attention: the use of a Prime Attribute to define a character's focus, which added interesting variety to standard classes, and the use of Mana Points instead of spell slots, which seemed like a winning system.
Next, I concentrated on understanding Action Points, Combat Maneuvers, and Conditions—key elements of the system. Once I felt comfortable with those, I explored more familiar aspects like classes, ancestries, and other miscellaneous mechanics for running the game.
Writing it down
With a solid grasp of the rules, my next step was preparing materials for the players. Once again, I went old school—grabbing a pencil and notepad. I started by jotting down what I thought would be the most significant differences in the DC20 system for my group. At the top of the list were the concepts of rolling higher to deal more damage and the new action economy.
Next, I organized my notes into meaningful sections, such as Spellcasting, Classes, Ancestries, and so on. In each section, I highlighted key differences from our standard D&D 5e game. This exercise not only helped me identify what I needed to explain to the players but also clarified my own understanding of the system.
After filling several pages with handwritten notes (an example of which is shown in the image near the top of this post), I realized they weren’t in a shareable format—mostly because even I could barely read my handwriting! Thankfully, there’s a small but active online community of DC20 GMs and players who share materials they’ve created.
I gathered a collection of these shared resources and went through them, identifying items we could use as-is, things I might tweak, and any gaps that needed to be filled. For the gaps, I created my own materials using a great online tool called The Homebrewery. I’ve included links to the resources I found most helpful at the bottom of this post.
Social Media
Alongside my reading and note-taking, I made heavy use of YouTube videos and online communities focused on DC20. There were plenty of videos that explored different aspects of the system, and I spent a lot of time watching and learning from them. What I enjoyed most was how responsive the creators were to comments on their videos, which made it easy to ask questions and get additional insights.
Beyond YouTube, I also engaged with the DC20 subreddit. The community there is full of discussions about various elements of the game, and they were incredibly helpful when I posted asking for tips on running a DC20 game for the first time. Their advice and encouragement made the learning process even smoother.
One more thing…
While working on this, I kept the group’s usual DM in the loop, sharing what I was doing. He’s also a DC20 backer and offered to help in any way he could. One of his suggestions was to create a combat walkthrough scenario so the players could see a few rounds in action. I thought this was a fantastic idea, especially since watching similar demonstrations in YouTube videos had been so helpful to me.
I put together a short combat scenario designed to showcase the unique, non-D&D aspects of the system, such as Combat Maneuvers, reactions, and the use of Grit Points. This would give the players a chance to see how DC20 differs from what they were used to, while also helping them get comfortable with the new mechanics.
Preparing The Hunted
Next, it was time to prepare a module for the group to play. Fortunately, The Dungeon Coach made this easy by releasing a free introductory module called The Hunted. Once again, I printed out a hard copy and began jotting down notes. What I appreciated most about this module was how it was divided into nine sections, or “scenes,” each designed to focus on a specific aspect of the DC20 game mechanics.
The module also offered enough flexibility for me to customize elements to better suit my group. For example, it included a generic antagonist named Raven, but I decided to make her a former love interest for one of my players. During Session 0, it should be fun to have that player come up with a backstory for their connection to Raven and why they might still be smitten with her.
While the module provided only basic details about the setting, which I initially thought was a downside, it turned out to be an opportunity. I was able to take the framework they provided and integrate it into the existing fantasy world I had been crafting during my sessions with the kids. To bring the setting and characters to life, I used Microsoft Co-Pilot to create AI-generated images of the NPCs and key locations. The results were incredible—I’m constantly amazed by how AI tools can enhance TTRPG experiences.
In parallel, I watched a video of another group playing The Hunted, which sparked additional ideas to incorporate into my session. Everything was falling into place, and I felt ready to make it happen.
What’s next
Our first session is scheduled for Sunday, January 12th. I’ve prepared a few surprises for my players and can’t wait to see their reactions. I’ll be sure to share my thoughts on how it all turns out.
Links
Below are several links to resources that helped me get up to speed with DC20. I’ve organized them into reference guides for new players and Game Masters, useful DC20-focused communities, and YouTubers whose content I found particularly helpful.
Handy Reference Guides
For Players
Kirk’s New Player Quick Guide: A two page basic overview of the DC20 system for people with some TTRPG experience.
Kirk’s Maneuvers Reference Guide: A one pager with the different maneuvers, their AP costs and results in a handy table format.
Chiss’ Basic Actions Reference Sheet(Discord): A very useful two page overview with descriptions of the different actions a player can take.
Carpole’s DC20 Conditions: A one pager with all the conditions and their affects.
stetch_of_life’s Spell Cards - A useful sheet for the spell casters in your party, these sheets contain all the details they’ll need in a pretty package.
For GMs
Grippa’s Game Master Screen: Three pages of GM goodness to put in your screen.
Kirk’s Action Tracker: A very simple google sheet to track HP, AP and Conditions. I haven’t used this, so it may be revised after actual game-play.
Websites/Communities
YouTube Videos
Dungeon Coach’s YouTube Channel: I can’t write about DC20 without linking to The Coach himself.
Gameplay - The Hunted: A three video series, by Cabbit Crossing Publishing, of them playing The Hunted one shot. This video series gave me a few ideas for my take on The Hunted.
Shield’s Rest: A group of veterans that are sharing as they learn DC20. They’ve got other RPG content as well. What I liked about this channel was they were learning as well and were very responsive on social media (Reddit/YouTube)
Swordplay and Sorcery: This channel covers many TTRPGs and has been focusing on DC20 recently. I like how the presenter does tidbits of live play after explaining the concepts.
Claudio Wild: Claudio is a STEM teacher and his videos definitely show that. His videos run the gamut from deep dives into the math behind contested rolls to a Penguin-born ancestry (race/species). There is a lot here to love
TnTori: Tori has been focused on DC20 the past few months; I like the variety of videos she produces. Plus I’m a sucker for stick figures.