Using d20 Future in D&D worlds?

I was thinking about expanding the d20 Future Progress Levels for use in describing areas in D&D.
http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/FutureProgressLevels.rtf

The pre-modern ages:

PL 0: STONE AGE
PL 1: BRONZE/IRON AGE
PL 2: MIDDLE AGES
PL 3: AGE OF REASON
PL 4: INDUSTRIAL AGE

Obviously, these are too broad to say much about a typical D&D world (let alone parts within one), since probably 95% are in PL2 (which ranges from (arguably) ancient Rome to early gunpowder weapons). I would like to split these into 10 parts each (0.0, 0.1, etc.).

As an example, here's PL1 as best I can figure off the top of my head:

0.9: Meteoric copper first utilized
1.0: Copper use widespread; weapons, farm implements, and other tools using copper are common
1.1: Bronze developed; armies formed of the upper classes (who can afford bronze) dominate warfare
1.2: Chariots?
1.3: Large cities form thanks to improved agricultural techniques
1.4: Stirrup developed, saddle improved; cavalry appears
1.5: Iron worked, allowing armies to expand to include the less wealthy; vast empires form
1.6:
1.7:
1.8:
1.9: Crude steelworking developed, allowing stronger and more flexible weapons and farming implements


Corrections, re-ordering, and additions are welcome.

Oy. I'd love to help, but this is a more elaborate and open ended project than I think you realize.

The PL are based on EFFECTS achievable, not how they're achieved. To reduce them to this level of specifity is to reduce them to a timeline, when they're meant to be more abstract than that. PL 1 is when you're swinging metal, PL 2 is when you're slinging bolts, PL 3 is when you're slinging lead, PL 4 is when you're thundering machine guns, PL 5 is when you're launching wire-grenades, PL 6 is when you're hurling plasma, PL 7 is when you're lasing light, PL 8 is when you're projecting tachyons, PL 9 is when you're firing graviton cannons - it's how it relates to DnD on a highly abstract level. What TOYS do you get? What FUN GADGETS do you get to throw around?

Beyond that, it's all too fine-grained and fluid to use this system for.

I was thinking more along the lines of actually pulling in d20 future to a D&D world.

For example, maybe a settler ship from another galaxy lands in a lowly populated part of the D&D world. All hell breaks loose as the settlers who don't believe in magic, come to grips with fireballs, and Wizards come to grips with plasma cannons. Classes like gunner and combat engineer get mixed up with wizard and cleric.

Any thoughts on doing something like that?

Heck, I thought this was about trying to make a "Blackmoor" style campaign or using the various races in d20 Fantasy.

Zepherus Bane said:

I was thinking more along the lines of actually pulling in d20 future to a D&D world.

For example, maybe a settler ship from another galaxy lands in a lowly populated part of the D&D world. All hell breaks loose as the settlers who don't believe in magic, come to grips with fireballs, and Wizards come to grips with plasma cannons. Classes like gunner and combat engineer get mixed up with wizard and cleric.

Any thoughts on doing something like that?

Click to expand...

I have long dreamt of doing something like this, but I never go through with it. That is just becaiseI am lazy.

I know what you mean about the "lazy" part. The new d20 future book gives the tools but not the time and motivation... Maybe if we wait a few months someone else will put together a good pdf we can get from rpgnow.

D20 Past (I dunno how they picked that name) will have some of the early PLs, but nothing that goes back really far. It might happen later though. wotc plans on releasing smaller softcover books for d20 modern from now on.


no good sentences, sleeeeepy.

I think this is an interesting project - and if extrapolated, very useful for my new sci-"fi" campaign for giving levels to other civilisation and such.

It may be a good idea to create a parallel thingy for social/mental capacities for civilisations. I.e. very advanced species may have crude technology, but superior mental and social capacities, like telepathy and unitary sense of community and so on.

I will post ideas as soon as I get some, but my will probably be centered about modern to post-modern levels.

I imagine you want a relatively realistic model, not some arbitrary classifications?