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d20 Modern RPG Week Day Seven

And we’ve made it to day seven. Doesn’t time fly? That’s what we’re going to look at today – time. Supplements took d20 Modern out of the Now and transplanted it into the Past or Far, Far Future.

d20 Past is a personal favourite of mine. It’s a thin supplement, but manages to pack a stunning amount of goodness into a mere 96 pages. As well as providing Occupations, Feats and GM information suitable for use in any era from the Middle Ages to early 20th Century, is also offers three fleshed-out campaign settings. Wow!

The first of these, Age of Adventure, gives us swashbuckling pirates in the seventeenth century. It’s a testament to just how good d20 Modern is that there’s no rules hackery required to make it fit the setting. In keeping with d20 Modern’s D&D heritage this is fantastic pirates with all too real Sea Serpents, Sea Devils and Zombies. Here be monsters, indeed. For characters there’s the Shaman and Sorcerer Advanced Classes and the Musketeer Prestige Class. Oh, and there are three ready to run adventures too.

That’s the first campaign setting. Of three. In a 96 page book. The quality of writing is such that it feels neither rushed nor squashed to fit.

Shadow Stalkers is the second setting. This transplants d20 Modern into the Gothic Horror world of 1872. If you want to play a consulting detective is fog-shrouded London, an archaeologist battling The Mummy or even a Cowboy gunning down Ghouls, this is the setting for you. If  Age of Adventure is Pirates of the Caribbean, Shadow Stalkers is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen complete with Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. This setting is rounded out with the Mesmerist and Spiritualist Advanced Classes and the Frontier Marshall Prestige Class. And two more adventures.

Finally from d20 Past we have Pulp Heroes world of the 1920s and ’30s. Here you are battling evil Nazi Scientists who want to take over the world with their wicked quantum mega-emitters (and yes, there is a Random Mad Invention Table). This is gangsters in Chicago and Spitfires above Europe, all wrapped up in a two-fisted tale that would make Doc Savage himself proud. Want more classes? How about the Gangster, Scientist and Flying Ace. And two more adventures.

So that’s four hundred plus years of history, nine Advanced or Prestige Classes and seven adventures in 96 pages of beautifully written and presented awesomeness. Phew!

Then there’s d20 Future. I’ve said before that I don’t like this supplement, and while my opinion has mellowed a little (I was pretty brutal in my review) it still feels too cramped and overambitious to me. Even though it’s two a a half times larger than d20 Past it feels crowded and sketchy in it’s presentation. Trying to cover space travel, giant Mecha, cybernetics, mutations, aliens and much more in a single “do everything” book is a laudable goal, but the end result is a book that, I feel, barely does any of the topics justice. I don’t think it helps that the single campaign setting chapter tries to squeeze no less than eight settings into just twenty pages, and that includes 6 Advanced and Prestige classes.

For example, the Bughunters setting (cloned space marines against alien insects!) is just over two pages long, and a page of that is the Bughunter Advanced class. I want a map of the star systems, a timeline, dropship rules, a random insectoid alien generator, encounter tables………..

It’s a shame as much of what d20 Future contains is very, very good indeed. You’ll just be left wanting more.

As is typical with these RPG Weeks, just like d20 Future I’ve barely scratched the surface. As a stand alone one book system, d20 Modern is right up there in the gaming Hall of Fame. Add the Urban Arcana uber-supplement and you’ve opened up a whole world of D&D into the present day. Add d20 Future and d20 Past, and you can take your gaming to places you’ve only dreamt of.

If you want to take a look at d20 Modern yourself the majority of the system is freely available under the OGL. Here’s a HTML version of the rules (mirror of the zipfile). Enjoy.

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Posted 19 May 2009 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: ,

d20 Modern RPG Week Day Six

Let’s talk monsters.

d20 Modern is a terrific system for shining the spotlight onto just one critter and making the players think just a little more about the foes they face. Drop a single Zombie into D&D and it’s barely even a speed bump. But a Zombie living in the basement of a Chicago apartment – that’s a story, right there.

The X-Files demonstrated this particularly well with their “Monster of the Week” episodes. Whether it’s a guy who can control fire (Efreet!), a Vampire or a Hairless  Cannibal (Orc!), these stories all centred on the weird and unusual, and how they would fit into the Real World – or not, as the case may be. This is prime d20 Modern territory. It’s trivially easy to crack open the d20 Modern core book, Urban Arcana or your D&D Monster Manuals, pick a beastie and work out a plot based around the monster existing in the modern world.

In fact, let’s do it right now.

My nearest tome is the Fiend Folio so I grab that and let it fall open to….. the Alkilith, a Demon who “appears as a shivering blob of phosphorescent green corruption surrounded by a cracked, leathery coating that constantly oozes, secretes, hardens, and splits open.” Lovely. Page 46, if you want to look it up.

Our heroes have been called in to investigate the disappearance of Philip Barbur, noted wealthy industrialist and owner of BarChem. Workers at the chemical treatment plant are also disappearing, and it is feared that there may be a killer with a grudge on the loose – BarChem is a very unpopular company with a poor environmental record. It turns out the Mr Barbur slipped and fell into a vat of his own goo following a scuffle with Joe Wallace (one of the protestors). His soul was rejected by Hell as his Tally of Souls had not yet been met (his company was supposed to kill thousands) and he has returned as an Alkilith, existing in the very chemicals that made his life, and his death.

X-Files, with a dash of Supernatural. See?

I’ve said it before: one of the big strengths of d20 Modern is that I could run this right off the page without alteration. D&D rules. Modern day style. I love it.

If you want to take a look at d20 Modern yourself the majority of the system is freely available under the OGL. Here’s a HTML version of the rules (mirror of the zipfile). Enjoy.

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Posted 18 May 2009 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: ,

d20 Modern RPG Week Day Five

Money money money money money money money money. Perhaps the most contentious and discussed rule in the d20 Modern system was the implementation of the Wealth system. This took everything to do with purchasing and effectively turned it into a simple skill-like check which answered the question “Can I afford it?”.

To our D&D-addled minds this was nothing less than blasphemy as we like to be able to count our shiny gold pieces, but personally I like it. Adventuring in the modern age shouldn’t be about collecting the gold; our world is too full of banks, credit cards, loans and banking to be able to keep track of it all without turning the game into Accountants & Agony. The Wealth check represents your overall purchasing power as a single abstract number which can change over time. Promotions, large purchases and the occasional Windfall (perhaps a reward for Saving the World) can make your Wealth go up or down without worrying too much about exactly how many dollars are in the pot.

In our campaigns we used the Wealth system almost exclusively. Those rare times when a character rifled a villain’s wallet and took the money (For shame! Have you no honour?) they received cold hard cash. Wealth is a simple method of noting down how high the character sits up the money tree, and all the lifestyle options that entails. Your Wealth 22 superstar might live his life out of hotels and exclusive apartments while his brother at Wealth 3 eats hotdogs alone in a bedsit. We don’t need to work out how much the hotdog or hotel room cost – because the adventure isn’t about that. Wealth is just detail boiled down to a single number.

Additional supplements (which we’ll look at another day this week) took the d20 Modern system into the past and far future, and in some of those settings the Wealth system works less well. In post-apocalyptic New York, your wealth isn’t measured by the number of credit cards you own. When scavenging and barter is the order of the day Wealth is redundant. Similarly, as a Pirate of the Spanish Main wealth is everything, and any Pirate King worth his sea salt will know to the last doubloon the contents of his hoard.

But for the modern day whether you’re a spy, soldier of fortune, FBI man, psi-hacker or shadow hunter, the Wealth rules work.

If you want to take a look at d20 Modern yourself the majority of the system is freely available under the OGL. Here’s a HTML version of the rules (mirror of the zipfile). Enjoy.

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Posted 17 May 2009 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged: ,

d20 Modern RPG Week Day Four

Let’s look a little more at d20 Modern character generation.

One of the hold-overs from it’s D&D roots is the preconception that a character has to start at 1st level and work their way up. I much prefer the approach from Mutants & Masterminds where the GM sets the starting level and this helps round out the tone of the game. For example, if you’re running a high-energy spy campaign it might be more appropriate to begin around 6th level so that the characters are relatively well trained in their chosen fields and have access to a selection of Advanced Classes.

In general, there’s four levels that I earmark in d20 Modern as good starting points: 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th.

First is great if you want to start the heroes right at their beginning of their careers, but bear in mind that a single solid hit from a pistol could leave their hero below 0 Hit Points. That’s not quite as bad as it sounds – the hero is disabled and can only take a single move or standard action each round, but doing so means another hit point lost. That’s enough to drag themselves back under cover for first aid (Treat Injury is an essential skill!), and pretty well simulates heroes being shot in TV dramas. Remember, this ain’t D&D and combat isn’t everything!

Second level gives your characters a few more Hit Points, but more importantly it opens up a whole range of generation options. Do you multi-class to create your guy as a Smart/Strong type right from the start, or stick with the same class? Is she Tough but Charismatic, or just plain Tough? Being able to make these options at character generation means you can give your hero more of a backstory; this is the ideal starting point if you want your heroes to be established in some way.

Going up to Fourth level, and the Advanced Classes open up. These are mini-Prestige Classes that allow the character to specialize to some degree. The prerequisites are usually pretty light and there’s always a fast path which grants their use by 4th level. For example, if you want the Soldier Advanced Class, three levels of Strong Hero and you’re there. This is a good choice as a starting point if you’re running a one-shot game with pre-generated characters. Hand out a load of Field Scientist, Techie, Field Medic and Investigator sheets and you’ve got a ready-made CSI crew.

Finally, if you want movie-style epic adventures start at 10th level. This opens up setting-specific Prestige Classes as well as the entire talent tree for the Base Classes and the whole range (1st to 5th) of an Advanced Class. Your hero is not just a Soldier, he’s The Soldier, The Martial Artist or The Negotiator. This is a good choice as a starting point for solo play where you want the (only) character to well and truly be the centre of attention.

Here’s how it works in practice with a character generated both at 1st level and at 4th.

Meet James Newman. He’s an actor who has just made his first lucky break with a role in the movie “About a Dog”. This is a romantic comedy about a….. you’re ahead of me here, aren’t you? James played the dog’s owner and love interest to top Hollywood actress Teri Cruz. The movie did predictably well at the box office and our Jimmy is just getting used to seeing his face on billboards and newsstands wherever he goes. Picture a younger, skinnier Hugh Grant with a Hollywood accent, and you’re there.

Dirty little secret: James wasn’t the first choice for the role. He only got it because Amber the dog liked him.

James Newman, Charismatic-1 (Celebrity)
“Hey, aren’t you……?”

Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 16
Defense 11, HP 10, Init +1
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1

Bluff +7, Craft:Writing +5, Gather Information +7, Handle Animal +9, KS:Pop Culture +5, Perform:Act +8, Perform:Sing +7, Profession:Actor +5, Ride +3
Animal Affinity, Simple WP, Renown
Talent:Coordinate

Reputation +6, Wealth 11 (Affluent)

Combat oriented? Oh gods no. But a cool as fuck character to role-play. Whilst he’s a capable enough actor, his real talent is in leadership and managing other people. Were he to stay in the movie business he’d likely move behind the camera and eventually take the role of Director.

Unfortunately, that’s not meant to be. Let’s fast forward and pick up James’ character at level 4.

Shortly after the release of “About a Dog”, Teri Cruz was kidnapped by an obsessive fan during a launch party. James Newman (with the aid of Amber and a few friends) managed to track down and apprehend the kidnapper, but not before Teri was killed trying to escape. {Let’s call this “Adventure One”} James & co set up the Teri Cruz Memorial Trust in her memory, dedicate to helping kidnap victims.

That’s when the calls began to come. Soon people from all over the US were contacting him begging for help to find their kidnapped sons, daughters, spouses and friends. Now, James works full time for The Trust as a kidnap negotiator using his skills as an actor and leader to return the victims home safely – most of the time.

The Trust is primarily funded by donations from Hollywood actors who fear that what happened to Teri Cruz could so easily happen to them. Knowing that The Trust is there 24/7 helps them sleep just a little easier at night.

James Newman, Charismatic-2/Dedicated-1/Negotiator-1 (ex-Celebrity)
“Hey, weren’t you……?”

Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16
Defense 14 (Leather jacket), HP 20, Init +1
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +5

Bluff +9, Craft:Writing +8, Diplomacy +11, Drive +3, Gather Information +10, Handle Animal +10, Intimidate +5, KS:Pop culture +6, Listen +4, Perform:Act +9, Perform:Sing +7, Profession:Negotiator +7, Ride +5, Spot +4

Alertness, Animal Affinity, Simple WP, Renown, Personal Firearms WP
Talents:Empathy, Coordinate, Conceal Motive

Reputation +6, Wealth 14 (Affluent)
Glock 20, 2d6, 40′

He’s still not combat oriented, though at least he’s passed his Firearms Proficiency Test after much persuasion from his friends. He’s a darker, more brooding person than he was just a few scant years ago. The few failures The Trust have had weigh heavy on his mind.

Note to Wizards of the Coast: Combat is not role-playing, and role-playing is not combat, ok?

That said, d20 Modern isn’t some elite snobbish anti-combat role-playing club. If you want to play a warrior-type (or at least someone who can hold their own) you can, very easily. Just remember that this ain’t D&D and Guns Are Deadly, especially at low levels :D

Here’s a quick example of such a character at 10th level.

Kay Constantine entered academic life on a fencing scholarship at the age of 18. Here he is thirty year on: Grail Knight of the First Order and last surviving relative of Sir Constantine, legendary Knight of the Round Table. He spends his days writing populist historical fiction, and his nights battling demons. Literally.

Kay Constantine, Fast-2/Strong-2/Archaic Weaponsmaster-4/Holy Knight-2 (Academic)
Str 15, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 11
Defense 26 (undercover vest), HP 87, Init +4
Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +6

Climb +7, Craft:Writing +8, Decipher Script +3, Diplomacy +11, Gather Information +9, KS:History +11, KS:Theology +10, Move Silently +9, Profession:Writer +7, Research +11

Archaic WP, AP:Light, Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Dodge, Power Attack, Studious, Simple WP, Weapon Focus:Longsword
Talents: Extreme Effort, Evasion
Weapon Specialization:Longsword, Imbue Weapon+1, Divine Grace, Sense Allegiance, Divine Spells 2/1

Reputation +3, Wealth 9
Longsword +12/+7, 1d8+5, 19-20

If you want to take a look at d20 Modern yourself the majority of the system is freely available under the OGL. Here’s a  HTML version of the rules (mirror of the zipfile). Enjoy.

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Posted 16 May 2009 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: ,

d20 Modern RPG Week Day Three

“So, how’s d20 Modern compare to other games, Grey?” Well, I’m glad you asked…..

What separates us from animals is that we like to compare and contrast. Hence the reason why we want to know what separates us from animals, I guess. Here’s a quick and dirty rundown of how d20 Modern compares to a few other systems. Feel free to add more to the list in the comments!

d20 Modern versus Mutants & Masterminds
The first most obvious difference between these two system is that d20 Modern isn’t a superhero role-playing game. Well, duh.

Except it’s a little more complicated than that. M&M is a rather excellent do-everything generic system in it’s own right and (especially at lower Power Levels) is more than capable of covering the same ground as d20 Modern. Roughly speaking, generate a PL4 character in M&M and you’re firmly into beginning level d20 Modern territory.

So, which is better for playing in the modern world?

I’d say that at this level d20 Modern has the edge. It’s more granular, and the class-based structure really helps to keep the characters within solid roles. Modern-day gaming isn’t someplace where you want your characters to be aliens from the planet G’thargg, talking dogs or intergalactic psi-police. Unless, of course, that is what you want in which case M&M is the place to be :D

As both systems share the same parentage there are many similarities, though they diverge when it comes to the combat system. Given the choice I prefer M&M’s Toughness system over Armour Class and Hit Points, though either are good. As we’ll talk about tomorrow, Modern Day gaming is less about the combat and more about the bits between the combat. But that’s for another day.

d20 Modern versus GURPS
Ahhh GURPS. How I love thee. Just why I love thee is going to be the topic of a future RPG Week so we’ll leave that for now and look at how it compares to d20 Modern.

Like M&M, GURPS is a generic toolkit which is capable (or so it claims) of running any type of game in any era and any style. I’m not convinced GURPS is a good choice of system when it comes to superhero gaming, but for playing a campaign set in the Real World (or a fascimile thereof), it’s very good indeed. GURPS provides more than enough information and rules to run pretty much any modern day campaign from police procedural to hi-octane spy thrillers. Character generation is a particular strength of GURPS and no two characters are likely ever to be the same. The only disadvantage to this is that chargen can be pretty time consuming and not for the newbie gamer.

So, which is better for playing in the modern world?

That depends on you, and your group. GURPS is more simulationist and crunchy than d20 Modern’s more cinematic style. It also opens up the possibility to run time-hopping games where your characters begin in the modern age and leapfrog around the whole multiverse. Not that there’s anything to stop you from doing that in any other system (including d20 Modern), of course – just that this is one style of play that’s downright encouraged in GURPS.

I love both. d20 Modern is easier to play and prep that GURPS thanks to the wealth of resources and D&D compatability, whereas GURPS is…. well, it’s GURPS.

d20 Modern versus Savage Worlds
Here’s where I need your help. I’ve played Savage World once and really enjoyed it, but that’s not enough to really form an opinion of how it compares to other systems. Is it as easy to prep? Fluffier? Crunchier? More fun? Do tell.

Over to you.

If you want to take a look at d20 Modern yourself the majority of the system is freely available under the OGL. Here’s a  HTML version of the rules (mirror of the zipfile). Enjoy.

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Posted 15 May 2009 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: ,

d20 Modern RPG Week Day Two

“So what’s so great about d20 Modern, Grey?” Well, I’m glad you asked. And y’know what? I’m going to tell you.

Character-focused character generation
In d20 Modern, your character isn’t a Fighter, Rogue or Cleric. He’s a Smart Cop, a Tough Soldier or a Charismatic Preacher. Or, for that matter, a Smart Soldier, Charismatic Cop or Tough Preacher. Or he’s Smart and Tough. Or Quick and Strong. Or any combination of six different adjectives to whatever degree you choose as your level rises. Add pretty much any occupation you can think of as icing on the cake, and you’re ready to play.

I’ve said this before; d20 Modern chargen lets you say who your character is, as compared to D&D where you generate what he does. That’s a pretty fundamental difference between the two approaches to building your virtual buddy.

In d20 Modern you can tell your players to each generate a Soldier, and know you’re going to get a pretty diverse group. I’ve done this several times with different occupations including soldiers, police, journalists and even blue collar workers, to good effect. We had the Tough sergeant, Smart radio operator, Strong (but dumb) marine from Iowa and Fast ex-con. All took the Military occupation, but each one was as different as can be.

It doesn’t stop there though. Each adjective-based class has a number of talent trees which emphasize your particular character’s style of play. Your Charismatic Celebrity could charm the ladies, or your Charismatic Conman can fast-talk his way out of any situation. Both share the same basic class, but use their assets to different effect. As the character develops you’re free to multi-class freely between any of the other base classes or continue in your current one and further expand your talents.

Familiar ground
At it’s core d20 Modern is Third Edition D&D. There’s the same rules, the same resolution system, the same saving throws, hit points, AC (here called Defense) and monster statblocks. There are a few wrinkles – for example, the Defense Bonus increases with class level – but nothing any gaming group wouldn’t take on board within a single session.

This is a huge strength of the system. It’s accessible to existing D&D gamers, a notoriously conservative group when it comes to trying out new games. Try to get a group of D&D players to play GURPS or (heaven forbid) Rolemaster and you might as well be trying to herd flying cats. Whilst blindfolded.

But say “Hey, wanna play d20 Modern? It’s just like D&D!” and they’ll shrug and say “Sure!”. Just make sure you’ve packed plenty of pre-generated characters.

D&D supplements are d20 Modern supplements
A happy by-product of the system’s D&D compatibility is that all of those D&D goodies on your bookshelf are fully usable right out of the box with d20 Modern. If your books came in boxes, of course.

King of this particular hill (enough with the metaphors already!) are your Monster Manuals and other sundry bestiaries. Name any other modern-era role-playing game that has immediate access to literally thousands of monsters, critters and other nefarious folks.

I’ve run games equipped with the d20 Modern rulebook and a copy of the 3rd Edition Fiend Folio. Oh, and a word to the wise – the Book of Vile Darkness makes for an excellent d20 Modern supplement. Bwahahahahaha, etc.

…. Familiar, but new territory
It’s D&D, but it’s not. This is the modern age complete with cellphones, cars and shotguns. It’s entirely up to you just how D&D you want your game to be meaning d20 Modern can be used to run anything from gritty cop dramas (ewwww…. gritty cops) to epic Shadowrun style Elves-in-New-York games. Or anything in between.

I’ve found that d20 Modern plays at it’s best when the fantasy elements are kept to a minimum. A crime drama where the villain (or better yet, victim) is a werewolf is a Good Thing. But one where everyone on the street is a werewolf, demon, elflord or golem is less fun. Of course, YMMV in this. The point is that d20 Modern is an uber-toolkit where you’re in control of the volume dial. Set it to zero, or set it to 23. The choice is yours.

OGL! OGL! OGL!
I seem to inflict some kind of curse with these RPG Weeks. First there was Dragon Warriors where we linked to the Underdogs site and that died. Then there was Classic Marvel. Ouch. Thanks to the miracle that is the Open Gaming License, d20 Modern can never die (despite Wizards of the Coast’s best attempts to the contrary) so I feel on pretty safe ground this time around.

The power of the Open Gaming License can’t be over-estimated. It is awesomeness personified in a collection of Terms & Conditions that are as good as they are fair. The fact that WoTC has abandoned it is, without a doubt, the stupidest most stupid stupid thing that they have done. And let’s face it, they’ve done some pretty stupid things over the past 18 months (*cough* taking Dragon magazine off the print rack *cough*). But this is the stupidest.

d20 Modern is, thankfully, covered under the OGL and that means there were no shortage of superb, brilliant and wonderful supplements created by games companies and fans alike including Stan!’s own Players Companions and the entire Blood &….. range of supplements. The birth of 4e D&D meant that Wizards stomped over folks’ rights to sell stuff for Third Edition D&D and this put third party d20 Modern supplements right into the greyest of grey areas.

Thankfully most folks chose to ignore it, and d20 Modern third party support is as alive and well and radiant as ever. Booyah!

The TV is your plotline generator
Like Supernatural, Ghost Whisperer, CSI, Buffy, Law & Order, The Shield or The Mentalist? If so, there’s your d20 Modern Idea Generator, right there. Or grab the latest news headlines, give it a suitably cinematic/pulpy/fantastic twist, and that’s your prep done for your next d20 Modern game.

Game in the world of Today, and the whole internet is your resource centre. Google Maps is your battlemat (if you’re wont to use such things) and Google itself is one freakingly huge game supplement. Want to start an adventure in the Starbucks closest to the White House? You can. Want floorplans of a nuclear bunker? Check. Train times to Zurich? Yups. All of this information (and more!) is at your beck and call and ripe for your Modern-age game.

If you want to run a game in your hometown with characters modelled after the players themselves, you can do that too. Sure, it’s cheesy. But let’s face it – what gamer group hasn’t done this at least once?

Role-playing, not combat
Take all of the combat specific rules out of 4e D&D and you’ll end up with a 32 page booklet, and 16 of those will be artwork. Take all of the combat specific rules out of d20 Modern and you’ll still end up with a pretty hefty tome.

This is a game that expects folks will do much more than just fight. The skill system gets an awful lot of coverage as does car chases, FX (magic, psionics and other weirdness), allegiances and social interactions. We’re introduced to the mysterious Department-7, an organization that can be whatever you want it to be. The overall goal is to give the players a feeling that they’re a part of something bigger than they can comprehend.

In other words, d20 Modern is a complete package. What’s not to love?

Next time: “So, how does d20 Modern compare to other games, Grey?” Well, I’m glad you asked…..

If you want to take a look at d20 Modern yourself the majority of the system is freely available under the OGL. Here’s a  HTML version of the rules (mirror of the zipfile). Enjoy.

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Posted 14 May 2009 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: ,

d20 Modern RPG Week Day One

The Past, so they say, is a big place – and the Future doubly so. But the Now….. the Now is infinite.

d20 Modern is a role-playing game that exclusively deals with the Now in all it’s infinite variety, and additional supplements pushed this rather excellent and under-rated game toward the Future and back into the Past. More on those though, another time.

For those that don’t know, d20 Modern is Wizards of the Coast’s unloved bastard stepchild rule-system. It was released with much fanfare and net coverage back in 2002 and promptly divided the potential fanbase between those who loved it, and those who hated it. Any of this sound familiar?

d20 Modern’s own official website has seen ne’er an update since 2007; to all intents and purposes the system was cruelly dropped by Wizards of the Coast without so much as a farewell or so long and thanks for all the fish. The site itself is excellent and well worth a trawl through; it’s chock full of adventures, modern day maps, hints, tips and web enhancements. There’s more than enough to keep any campaign going for years, and the quality speaks highly of just how much the developers (including Jeff Grubb and Stan!) loved the system they’d created.

And so they should. The most damning criticism I’ve heard of d20 Modern is “I don’t like the Wealth system” – and if that’s all folks have to complain about it must be good, right?

Oh gods yes.

And I’ll tell you why. Tomorrow.

If you want to take a look at d20 Modern yourself the majority of the system is freely available under the OGL. Here’s a  HTML version of the rules (mirror of the zipfile). Enjoy.

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Posted 13 May 2009 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: ,

Classically Modern

Classically Modern by Antony Walls (with additional contributions from the WoTC d20 Modern message boards) is a comprehensive set of documents based on the d20 Modern and D&D System Reference Documents. What they set out to do is provide a version of the d20 Modern system with classes, occupations and rules for as many settings as possible, including any combination of:

  • Fantasy
  • Tribal
  • Archaic
  • Medieval
  • Oriental
  • Renaissance
  • Modern
  • Future

The documents cover low-magic Base, Advanced and Prestige Classes as well as F/X-based classes for Magic and Psionic settings. As the classes and occupations are clearly separated into eras of play, this is the perfect engine for multi-genre play. In short, if you’re looking for a d20-based system to replace GURPS, this is it. Add in the d20 Modern SRD for combat rules and monsters, and you’re done.

Classically Modern has become increasingly difficult to obtain online. The original domain hosting the site – www.merlinsworkshop.co.uk – is now a spamsite (don’t go there!), and any information about this system on other sites is either very out of date or links back to that domain.

In the spirit of high praise, I’ve put a zipfile of the collected pdfs online for download here (11Mb). If anyone can provide a more recent release or link to an official site, I’ll gladly revise and link there.

UPDATE: The files are available for direct download here.

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Posted 30 December 2007 † greywulf § RPG ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Blood and Brains: Zombies. The perfect cure to Christmas!

This has to be one of the best blogpost titles of all time. I can’t lay claim to it however – Blood and Brains is a d20 Modern supplement, and this is my review.

Now, this is how to make a d20 Modern supplement!

Blood and Brains provides everything you need to know to fill your game with the best (and worst) that zombie horror has to offer. Everything from They Eat Your Brains! style 1950s “classics” to more modern renditions such as Resident Evil and Evil Dead. What might seem like such a narrow focus is written with such depth and – dare I say it? – love for the genre that it’s hard not to like this supplement.

It’s a real roller-coaster of a ride through zombie-fandom that covers all aspects of zombies and schlock horror. As is fitting, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still manages to cover literally everything you need to know about the walking, shambling dead and how to fight them. Any supplement which includes professions including Cheerleader, Nerd, Prep and (my personal favourite) Scream Queen has to be good :) We’re also introduced to the NCRPC, the National Center for Reanimation Prevention and Control, and Y-Mart, the hardware store for all your zombie-killing needs.

If you come from a D&D background, you’ll be thinking that there’s only one kind of Zombie, and you’d be sadly mistaken. Blood and Brains offers no less that 21 different types including dreaded Fog Zombies, Bloodsucking Zombies, Atomic Zombies, Radiation Zombies and Video Zombies. These are all templates which can be added to a base creature, and are further backed up with a huge random table to further define a zombie’s Hunger, Defenses, Movement, Senses, Vulnerability and much, much more. If you like your zombies to be more than brain-sucking, shambling type that can only be killed with a headshot, this table is for you. There’s also stats for a variety of zombie-creating beasties including an alien race dedicated to (what else?) global domination and the wonderful Sumatran Rat Monkey that causes zombification with it’s diseased bite.

We also have a handful of Advanced Classes that are particularly well suited as Zombie Masters. There are the Bokor voodoo priest, classic Mad Scientist and arcane Necromancer. For a little variety we have the Carrie-like Psychokinetic. While it’s not got much to do with Zombies, it is a welcome addition to the game.

Thankfully it’s not all about the bad guys. Ok, it’s mostly about the bad guys. Along with the Occupation list (which comes straight out of every bad horror movie you’ve ever seen) we have one Advanced Class in the shape of the Zombie Hunter. Picture Ash or the Vampire battling heroes in From Dusk Till Dawn and you have the right idea. While it seems slim pickings, I can’t think of any other Advanced Class they could add which isn’t already covered by the d20 Modern Core Book anyhow as that already gives us the Soldier, Gunslinger, Acolyte, Field Scientist and Medic. That’s more than enough!

When it comes to actually fighting the Zombies we have a good handful of cinematic feats that do a great job of reproducing action from the movies. We have Backhand Slash which grants you a free attack against critters directly behind you while you’re wielding a slashing weapon, Chainsaw Impale, Rifle Spin (allowing you to cock a rifle one-handed). Oh, and Virgin. Yes, it’s a feat. Don’t ask.

There’s also an impressive weapons list which focuses on messier side of combat. We have machetes, dynamite, the ubiquitous Chainsaw and much more, including a few shotguns (and excellent rules), a new rifle and a generic handgun, along with advice that said handguns aren’t much use against zombies! We’re also presented with a Critical Hits table specifically for zombie mutilation which gives results that seem more in line with Rolemaster than d20! It’s certainly too gory to use against the players, but for carving up the zombies (or poor bystanders), it’s perfect, complete with blood spurt rules. I kid you not. Remember that some Zombie blood may carry infection, so that adds yet more danger to the poor heroes.

The fun doesn’t stop there however. We’re given rules for Madness and Trust. Where the former has obvious repercussions when bodies begin to walk, Trust is a more interesting mechanic. This comes into play if you want to persuade the catatonic innocent to take your hand and jump, or need to convince the rest of the party You Will Return to save them.

The game is rounded out with a good collection of new spells – Zombie Belch being a personal favourite – and magic items. These are short on the ground though, as only the Shotgun of Zombie Slaying and Chainsaw of Sharpness are of use to the heroes. The rest – Plague Powder, Zombie Powder and Zombie Cucumber (no, really) deal with creation. I’d have liked to see more magic items, and none of this out-dated “X of Y” silliness. Why can’t we just call it a Zombie Slaying Shotgun and be done with it? Out of the entire supplement however, it’s only a teeny tiny gripe.

In all, this is a terrific supplement that shows how it’s possible to focus exclusively on just one critter and come up with more ideas than could be used in a single campaign. Yep, campaign. While I suspect this supplement will be used mainly to throw a zombie-filled adventure in as a one-shot scenario, there’s more than enough material in here to run an entire Resident Evil style game – just add one city, a few floorplans, drop one of the (many) zombie templates over the ordinary human stats from the Core Book, and you’re done.

What really makes this supplement outstanding though is that the enthusiasm for the subject really shines in the writing, and it’s contagious. In comparison, d20 Future is just flat, dull and sterile. This spark is what can turn even the most rules-broken supplement into a brilliant one – fire more than makes up for any amount of brokenery. Blood and Brains has both however – good, solid rules and a genuine passion for the subject.

Highly recommended.

In other news: I’ve been told by d20 Future review is a little too harsh, so here’s a little clarification. Bits of d20 Future are great. The character generation stuff is top notch. The Mech rules are good enough, and the robotics, cybernetics and mutations rules are very good indeed. The problem is that there’s no consistency across the board, and the entire chapter on starships and space travel is just plain unusable for reasons I’ve already covered. I don’t like that cybernetics, robotics and mutations are all handled differently. In a book that tries to be so ambitious, a little more consistency and better editing would have helped reduce the page count. It’s a shame because it’s “official” status means that other parties end up using these rules as a baseline for their own works. As the saying goes; if the foundation is broken, the house don’t stand.

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Posted 27 December 2006 † greywulf § RPG § Review ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

D20 Future Review

Oh dear oh dear. While d20 Modern is a glowing example of how to create a flexible role-playing system for a modern-age setting, it’s d20 Future supplement misses the mark, badly.

It’s main failing is quite simply that the future is a big place, and d20 Future tries to cover all bases in one go. As a result, the coverage is just too shallow for areas that matter most. There are badly constructed rules mixed in with half-complete information, all of which makes this a supplement that ought to have gone back to the editing table well before it reached publication. It’s a shame, but this is a case of ambition outstripping page count.

The supplement aims to cover anything remotely futuristic, from Starship Troopers style bug hunting to Dimension travel to sci-fi horror to genetically-enhanced warriors to Mech warriors to Traveller style space exploration to post-apocalypse Mad Maxery. It’s just too much. Far, far too much. This is what happens When Brainstorms Go Wild. Some of the settings get little more than a two-page nod complete with obligatory token Advanced Classes, while others (most notably the Mech setting) gets a whole chapter devoted the iconic sit-in-and-ride robots. If you’re not using Mechs, it’s a waste of page space. If you do, then there’s other chapters equally useless to you. As I said, it’s a mess.

It doesn’t help things that the chapter about space travel begins with a big expose about space travel being all-but-impossible. That’s like the Monster Manual going into excruciating detail about why Dragons can’t exist. It kills the magic, and eliminates the entire reason we buy the book. We’ve bought the pseudo-science, accept it and give us the rules to make it happen. Don’t kill the dream, ok? The rules for FTL travel, warpgates, etc, are presented in such a “well, if you must have it” kind of way, I hardly know why the author bothered. If doesn’t help that the starships rules themselves barely acknowledge these engine designs, that Jump Drives (long the staple of sci-fi travel) are only apparently available at the highest given tech level (AKA Nirvana, where anything is only a replicator away), or that the starship rules themselves are just plain terrible. These should be cool, exciting, and (if it suits the setting) let the players have access to – if not outright own – a starship of their own for cool adventures through the stars. The purchase DCs for starships are far too high, far too abstract and much too arbitrary to be usable. Any ship can take any weapon, engine or equipment provided it’s available at the given Progress Level. There’s no limits due to ship mass, no limits to…well, anything, really. Shipbuilding 101, this isn’t. Traveller circa 1977 had it better than this, and that was 30 fricking years ago. Have game designers learned nothing?? It doesn’t help that the Wealth system which works so well in the Modern cinematic era just doesn’t in many Future settings. Your classic Elite-style space trader needs to worry about the Credits, to feel the value of an offer of 5,000Cr to ship an unmarked package halfway across space. Similarly, in a post-apocalyptic world, barter is the name of the game and the Wealth system again has no place. It should have been scrapped in preference to hard currency for the Future setting, with a nod in some appendix to work out how to convert back should the need arise.

The starship section (I struggle to call it a construction system, as it isn’t) is a good case in point. To work out the purchase DC of a complete starship, here’s what you do:

  1. Determine the item cost (in dollars, by referring to a table) of the starship and each of it’s systems
  2. Total them up
  3. Cross reference back on the table to find the final purchase DC of the finished article.
    Which begs the question – why not just put the costs in dollars/Cr in the first place, then just add them up to find the final purchase DC if you’re using the Wealth-based system?

Not that the purchase DCs are realistic in any way in the first place. In the given example, a Fast Freighter costs $20million, yet the ion engines are a mere $20,000 and the autopilot is just $1,200. I don’t know why they bothered with prices if they’re going to be silly. Really, I don’t.

As an alternative to buying a ship, they suggest borrowing one, requisitioning one (probably the best option), renting one or stealing one. The renting option suggests a DC for renting one for a day. Given that the starship engine rules make it clear that it’s barely possible to get to the moon and back in a day, what’s the point in that? Again, Traveller 1977 got it right, this misses completely.

In another example of rules ineptitude, here’s the rules for how to land a starship:

Entering a planetary atmosphere safely requires a Pilot check (DC20) each round for 1d20+20 rounds it takes to slow the ship using friction alone. Success means that the ship takes only 3d6 points of fire damage each round. Failure means that the ship’s angle is too low…the ship takes 6d6 points of fire damage each round…..fails by 5 points or more….10d6 points of fire damage each round…..

I don’t think anyone would ever expect a player to make on average 30 Pilot checks just to see if they landed the ship ok! By those rules, the law of average states that even the best Pilot is going to roll a 1 at least once and the ship is going to take damage. It’s not clear if the ship’s hardness is deducted from this damage. I hope so, or every single starship will be destroyed on re-entry. Realistic? Nope. Badly broken and unusable rule? Yep!

Starships use scale terms from standard d20, but they are used to represent difference sizes here. The smallest starship is Huge size which means anything up to 250’ long. That’s larger than Colossal everywhere in d20!!! If you’re going to use the terms, at least be consistent.

The combat rules are repeated, just for starships, including rules for grappling. No, really. There’s even some grappling arms you can add to a starship. It’s a clear case of equipment being invented just to justify the rule.

It all amounts to a terrible, terrible waste of ink where starships are concerned.

Did I mention that there’s no rules for world and star system generation or that the Environments section is just a bad rehash about the dangers of Radiation? It’s not worth bothering over, honestly.

It is a shame, because there’s a lot in here that’s actually good. Thr advanced classes are good, as is the future equipment, uses for skills and starship weaponry. A few of the Campaign Models deserve more in depth treatment – most notably Bughunters and Genetech, but the others appear to be there to please Alternity fans, who probably wouldn’t play this anyway.

This should have been two books – D20 Space which takes D20 Modern to the stars with solid starship rules for taking cinematic action to the stars. It should have given campaign settings for space opera, plus varying mixes of D&D critters to provide horror-in-space and fantasy-in-space excitement. There should have been the Spelljammer campaign setting, not some gawd awful Alternity Star*Drive tripe.

The second book, D20 High Tech, should give rules for Mech, genetics and other futuristic setting where starship travel isn’t the focus. It could have looked at bringing Warforged into D20 Modern as high-science robotic AI creations, and provided rules for creating near-future Bladerunner adventures.

Alas, instead we get this unholy mess.

One to avoid.

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Posted 21 December 2006 † greywulf § RPG § Review ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: