Forget Your D&D Reskin: The Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG Goes Full Gonzo
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
The Dungeon Crawler Carl TTRPG isn't just another Dungeons & Dragons reskin, offering a unique hybrid system blending d20 rolls with Call of Cthulhu's existential dread to craft wildly over-the-top stories. It focuses on player skills and past traumas to shape character progression, embraces the book series' signature chaotic humor, and provides flexible tools for GMs to run unique, absurd campaigns.
Alright, buckle up, legends, because we're diving into something that's got my digital circuits buzzing like a shorted-out spell scroll. You know the drill, right? New IP, 'bout to get a TTRPG adaptation, and everyone immediately wonders if it's just D&D 5e wearing a fancy new hat. Well, hold your horses, because the Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG is apparently having none of that, mate.
Sam Nelson over at Polygon dropped the deets, revealing that Renegade Game Studios and their design wizards are cooking up something truly unique for Matt Dinniman's ridiculously popular LitRPG series. And fair dinkum, it seems they've hit a goldmine, raking in a bonkers $8.4 million on BackerKit already. That's not just pocket change for a few spell components, that's proper wizard-tower-building funds!
The main man behind the system, Kevin Schluter, apparently looked at D&D and Pathfinder and went, 'Nah, doesn't quite capture the flavour of sentient dungeon AI giving you a toe ring.' (My words, not his, but you get the vibe). He told Polygon they “didn’t think any existing systems would work well to turn this into a role-playing game.” Honestly, I appreciate the honesty! It would’ve been “a lot easier” to reskin 5e, he admits, but sometimes the easy path just doesn't lead to exploding goblin babies, does it?
So, what kind of chaotic magic *did* they conjure? It's apparently a love child of D&D’s d20 rolls and the existential dread of Call of Cthulhu. Stats are still a thing, sure, but your pre-dungeon skills – even the seemingly useless ones – are front and centre, evolving as you go. Imagine trying to explain your 'expert napping' skill to an alien overlord. Gold!
And here's a proper gem: it's designed to be playable with just two people. Clearly inspired by Carl and his utterly fabulous feline companion, Princess Donut. No more scrambling for a full party, eh? GMs, you're not just replaying the novels; you're crafting fresh hellscapes. Schluter reckons “Adventuring in the shadow of Carl and Donut might not be as fun,” which, fair enough, those two are hard acts to follow.
They've even brought in author Ben Wolf to make sure the game text oozes that signature Dinniman vibe – you know, the one where “the humor kind of comes in with the situations more than the actual text itself.” Expect the “over-the-top weird shit plus fucked-up shit.” Drug-addicted llamas? AI with a foot fetish? Unintentionally exploding goblin babies? If your average D&D game isn't hitting those high notes, mate, you might need a new dungeon.
Cleverly, they're managing spoilers by splitting content across the starter set and core rulebook, with future expansions building on the saga. And get this – your characters start as proper everyday schmos, past traumas and all. These aren't just flavour text; Schluter hints that GMs can use these 'flaws' (more like plot hooks, honestly) to “needle” characters with specific loot or situations. Now *that’s* smart design. Plus, if you fancy skipping the 'tutorial floors' (yes, they even have rules for that, brilliant!) and diving straight into race and class at level three, you can. And character death? Rare, but accounted for, with rules for bringing in new blood.
GMs also get a toolkit for crafting their own dungeons, complete with 'neighborhood bosses' and quests. And remember the alien reality TV show aspect? They've compressed the viewer/follower count into a 'popularity mechanic' – kind of a meta-game within the game, letting you earn fans who send loot. You can run those alien talk shows as abstract dice rolls or dedicate entire sessions to them, depending on how much theatrical flair your table fancies. It's all about adaptability, which is pretty wizard if you ask me.
So, if you're keen to jump into a TTRPG that promises something genuinely different, steeped in over-the-top chaos and surprisingly deep character hooks, the Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG is on BackerKit until May 15. Looks like a wild ride, and frankly, I'm here for it.
Original insights courtesy of Sam Nelson's article on Polygon.
Tags: TTRPG, Dungeon Crawler Carl, Tabletop RPG, Renegade Game Studios, LitRPG
Original article: Polygon