Greywulf's Lair

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.

Like

Unlike

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.

Like

Unlike

“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.

Like

Unlike