Save your money and just buy the rulebook. its the adventure that comes with the rulebook and the tell you to go download the beta rules at the goodman games website. which I couldn't find the link to.

Spend the extra for the full book, not worth it for such a small chunk. The full book and the system are a lot of fun though.

In 2011, Goodman Games were busy working on their Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, and had already released a set of beta-test rules, so they took the opportunity of Free RPG Day to provide a couple of adventures to play with them. (Now, of course, you can run them with the final publication version of the ruleset!)

Starting with what is now becoming iconic art for this game and a page describing what the DCC RPG is and is not, the core game mechanic is then presented in sufficient detail that you could probably play a game without other information (especially if you are an experienced role-player) although having the beta-test rules - or now the full core book - is recommended. If nothing else, it is only there that you will be introduced to the concept of the 'character funnel' where each player starts off with several 0-level characters generated in a truly random manner, developing those that survive the first few adventures.

The first adventure, The Portal Under the Stars by Joseph Goodman, is a Level 0-1 adventure designed to exploit this character funnel, to winnow out the unlucky and the feeble and to set the survivors on the path to become heroes: a process core to this game's philosophy. While focussing on tricks and traps rather than combat there are opportunities for a good mass brawl as well, as the characters venture through a portal that only appears every half-century or so to raid a long-dead wizard's tomb.

With a brief introduction to get the characters to the threshold of this portal, and a little background for the GM, they step through to find out what perils and riches lay beyond. Descriptions are evocative, with encounters laid out clearly accompanied by a map that lays the tomb out well for the GM. However the adventure has no real conclusion, although if a certain act is performed the characters will be pointed towards further opportunities, indeed the potential for a whole campaign, if the GM so chooses (and is prepared to develop it for himself!).

So, on to the second adventure, a 5th-level one from Harley Stroh called The Infernal Crucible of Sezrekan the Mad. Remember that in DCC RPG 5th-level is regarded as quite high level, thus this adventure provides a nice contrast with the one proceeding it. Here we have yet another long-dead powerful figure who has left plenty of stuff behind that the daring may attempt to steal. Naturally, those venturing here will have to fight and figure things out... and there's a delightful sting in the tail here, potentially requiring an awful decision to be made.

It is left up to you to determine how the characters find out about Sezrekan and what he has left behind, the adventure beginning with them having cleared the entrace to what is, in effect, an inverted wizard's tower extending down into the ground rather than up into the sky. It's well mapped and described for the GM, with everything laid out for ease of running. Again it is a simple and short exploration with no clear ending - except, perhaps, the sheer challenge of getting back out again!

Overall, these two adventures give a fair flavour of what you will get with the full Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, and after reading or playing them you should be able to decide if this is a game for you. It might have been improved - particularly when after Free RPG Day, you have to pay for even the PDF version - with adventures that did not seem to end without much of a conclusion, but they do give a good impression of what the game is like and so achieve the purpose of this product.

This package includes an introduction to the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, a 0-1 level adventure "The Portal Under the Stars", a 5th level adventure "The Infernal Crucible of Sezrekan the Mad", and gorgeous art. A print version was available free on FreeRPG day 2011. I picked up a copy then, but I found myself wanting to run the first adventure when I didn't have access to my print version so I purchased the PDF version.

I ran this as a quick game over the holidays for family members. There's no quick-play rules (you need the free Beta rules download for that), but they're barely required due to the nature of the adventure. If you've played a d20 game before, you'll pick this up with no effort.

(I used an online 0th level character generator to speed things up, creating multiple set of characters and let my players pick one set each. Google "DCC RPG resources". The rules for creating characters by hand are in the free Beta rule download, and are very fast.)

Spoilers? "Portal Under the Stars" is primarily exploration of an ancient crypt, with some combat and traps. There's enough information for the players to learn the history of the crypt, and there's a final "boss fight" which can be avoided by clever/lucky/unlucky/greedy characters. There are nine rooms outlined, including the "foyer" and treasure room, but there's plenty to think about and do in all of the rooms.

I was able to pick this up at Free RPG day, and have picked up the PDF as well. It is meant to be played with the Goodman Games upcoming Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG game - the beta rules for which are now available.

The product itself contains 2 short adventures, one for 0-level play, and another for 5th level play. The B&W artwork is consistent with the tone of that in the DCC RPG beta rules which itself hearkens back to a 1ED D&D thematic feel. The two included maps are quite evocative and should be shared with others at the table once the adventure concludes so all can share.

As the previous reviewer mentioned, much of the fun of DCC system is the 0-level character funnel where player's should create 2-4 PCs each as the mortality rate is expected to be high. The 0-level adventure is a mixture of dangerous trap settings along with a few monsters. Both adventurers will require some clever party thinking to conclude to avoid the TPK.

Two fun little adventure and nice introduction to the DCC system.

This game is a nice change from the break down the door and kill them all games that are out now. I played the 0-level adventure at a local comic shop on free RPG day and had a blast. The character funnel is fun. You start with three peasant characters and hope that one survives to become a first level adventurer. The book also contains a fifth level adventure that looked very short. I never got to play it. Great art! If you like old school you should get this book for the art alone.