d20 future: how good for gibsonesque future?

eXodus · Nov 10, 2004

for many many years i have longed to run a game in a william gibson-insprired world.

tried it first with shadowrun minus the magic and the metahumans. obviously the mechanics are what hampered that attempt. no one owned enough d6s. :lol:

then i tried it with cyberpunk. the mechanics were ok. the gear was alright, but it just did not get off the ground the way i wanted it to.

how is d20 future at creating something like neuromancer or mona lisa overdrive? the previews i saw onlie seemed to have everything from implants to mechwarriors, to alien invasions and living in space.

is there a good third party system out there i do not know about? is d20 future good enough? let me know what you guys think.

Wycen · Nov 10, 2004

No matter what the system, a Gibsonesque game will have the same problem. What to do with the net runner while the others are in the real world and vice versa?

I've played 2 sessions of Mongoose's OGL Cybernet. It is d20 cyberpunk or tries to be. The first session I didn't really have fun, because the group wanted to do a lot of research, (see net running above) but thankfully the GM took the easy route and just did it all with rolls, not a real jump into the cybernet.

I think Cyber Hero by Hero Games might work the best. I remember enjoying the system much better.

ragboy · Nov 10, 2004

eXodus said:
for many many years i have longed to run a game in a william gibson-insprired world.

tried it first with shadowrun minus the magic and the metahumans. obviously the mechanics are what hampered that attempt. no one owned enough d6s.

We tried the same thing with similar results. Never could enjoy the game because the system was so darn heavy.

eXodus said:
how is d20 future at creating something like neuromancer or mona lisa overdrive? the previews i saw onlie seemed to have everything from implants to mechwarriors, to alien invasions and living in space.

d20 Future is just a toolbox. It doesn't provide a 'campaign world' for you to work in. Just elements to build those worlds. All the flavor has to come from you... That being said, it's got all the elements that a Gibson world has...with the exception of a needler pistol and finger razors...but those should be easy to create...

I'm assuming you've seen this:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20modern/article/20040914a

And if you're just looking for the toolbox, grab the SRD, futz around with it and figure out if you think it's worth it before you buy the book.

eXodus said:
is there a good third party system out there i do not know about? is d20 future good enough? let me know what you guys think.

d20 Future, being based on d20 Modern, I think is ideal for this type of campaign. There's a core system that generic (strong, fast, dedicated, etc. heroes) with all kinds of bolt-on goodness (VRnet, implants, robots, hovertanks..etc, etc). But again, Gibson's world is about 99% attitude and flavor. All that still has to come from you.

Turanil · Nov 11, 2004

If you don't have d20 Modern and d20 Future, I suggest that instead you buy OGL Cyberpunk (of Mongoose Publishing) + d20 Future. OGL Cyberpunk can totally replace d20 Modern, but is twisted so it is better to portray a Gibsonian world, while d20 Future requires d20 Modern (or OGL Cyberpunk for that matter) and is still necessary for what you want to do.

Just my 2 cents of course...

hobgoblin · Nov 11, 2004

i dont see how mutch of d20future is needed to go cyberpunk. rember that to go out into space you either have to be damn rich or insane

ogl cybernet covers most of the bases. and for doing basic online research the research skill is perfect, all you need besides that is a analog frame (to use the cybernet term). no computer skill is needed, alltho you could combo it with a synergy bonus or similar...

eXodus · Nov 11, 2004

the attitude, the atmosphere, the feel of a gibson world i could produce easily and my players could easily add to it as well.

what i need is a good rule set to create dynamic characters, implant rules, good firearms combat rules, vehicle rules for those car chases, and netrunning rules.

i may have to hope for the best and try d20 future and the mongoose cyberpunk.

hobgoblin · Nov 11, 2004

ogl cybernet is basicly d20 modern with "new" classes, drug rules, cyberware rules and net rules (i kinda like the net rules in that the intrusion countermeasure (IC) software is made by basicly takeing a real live class and equiping it with combat utilitys).

i cant say i have looked mutch at the vrnet rules from wotc, and i dont like the way cyberware is handled in d20 future. except for basics cyberarms and cyberlegs you dont want to fill up your body to mutch as it eats away your con bonus (maybe more realistic but it dont match the cyberpunk feel of cyberware for everyone).

Turanil · Nov 11, 2004

Just a note: I said OGL Cyberpunk, but maybe the real name of that game is OGL Cybernet. In any case, there is only one game like that, by Mongoose Publishing.

hobgoblin · Nov 11, 2004

and i see that i presented the cyberware effect of d20 future wrong. the correct way is that you can have 1 implant, pluss one for every + of con bonus you have, without risk (higher TL prostetics and replacement limbs dont count here). if con bonus is negative you cant take a implant without risk. the risk is that for every implant above the safe number you get a negative level, ouch! that is, -1 to every test and save, and -1 on effective level every time level or hitdice is a factor. in my book that kills the usefullness of cyberware totaly...

ragboy · Nov 12, 2004

hobgoblin said:
in my book that kills the usefullness of cyberware totaly...

Seems to work out pretty well and balanced... not sure what the problem is...

d20 future: how good for gibsonesque future?

eXodus

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Wycen

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ragboy

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Turanil

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hobgoblin

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eXodus

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hobgoblin

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Turanil

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hobgoblin

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ragboy

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