Poll over but... keep recommending d20 Modern books! (It's all good.)

[ValhallaGH]

d20 Past is total crap. Not just a waste of money, but a waste of the paper to print it. Not a single useful non-broken mechanic in it, and all the historical information can be matched or exceeded by simply reading a standard encyclopedia entry.

Weapons Locker (WL) is alright, though I prefer Green Ronin's Ultramodern Firearms (UF). They cover a lot of the same turf, and have similar design choices, but I find UF to be better balanced and more consistant than WL.

Urban Arcana is, to my mind, only worth picking up to see how they do level adjusted races. Which is interesting but available through the Modern SRD.

Critical Locations is pretty great, but just came out too late in the line for me to use it much. Bad timing on WotC's part.


I'm unfamiliar with Dark*Matter, though I've heard a lot of good things (and some bad ones). Summary: If you want a cthulhoid action-horror source book then you want that one. If you don't want such a book then don't bother.

Cyberscape and Future Tech continue the d20 Future tradition of being cool, lame, or broken, depending upon which section of the book you look at.


I'll second Rappy's endorsement of the Game Mechanics' modern products. From their GM screen to their settings to their players companions, you'll get some great stuff. You'll also get some stuff that makes you as God "why?" but that's unfortunately normal for the Modern line.

Dog House Rules' Sidewinder: Recoiled is probably the best Western genre supplement I've ever seen. Brilliant work, very simple, few new rules, yet highly evocative. If you're interested in a Western with d20 Modern rules then check it out.

And I realize you've already gone off, but I hope this was helpful anyway.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Weapons Locker (WL) is alright, though I prefer Green Ronin's Ultramodern Firearms (UF). They cover a lot of the same turf, and have similar design choices, but I find UF to be better balanced and more consistant than WL.

Same here. I Kept UF, and gave WL away. Not that it was terrible, I agree. But yeah, inferior - and with some serious overlap, of course - overall.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

D20 Past; it chocked full of modern gaming goodness.

 

[Knightfall]

Same here. I Kept UF, and gave WL away. Not that it was terrible, I agree. But yeah, inferior - and with some serious overlap, of course - overall.

Hmm, it sounds like Ultramodern Firearms is a good choice. Does it have any futuristic weapons in it?

 

[Greg K]

I reread d20Future and Future Player's Companion since my last post and my opinion of both has improved. I still have issues with each of them. However, I don't find either as disappointing as I did originally- Still, Future Player's Companion, is my least favorite d20M supplement of those I own.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Hmm, it sounds like Ultramodern Firearms is a good choice. Does it have any futuristic weapons in it?

Not really. Some stuff that was at late prototype stages when the book was written, a few other concept guns that never really went into production. Nothing particularly futuristic, though. Just a lot of the different models and makes of existing firearms and (mostly) appropriate game stats.

Neither UF nor WL looked beyond the present for firearms. But you can reskin the stats of some of their nastier weapons as assorted future guns with great ease.

 

[Wolv0rine]

Well, of course you've already made your decision and bought the book, but I can't let such a thread go by for 2 pages with no mention at all of Year of the Zombie. Which gives you zombie-killing goodness and post-apocalypse goodness, either of which you can take together or as a whole.

 

[ValhallaGH]

YotZ is good. Really good, especially the flavor text. The mechanics are often confused and clunky, but the new vehicle stats are much more appropriate and the Diaries of Becka are worth the price of admission by themselves.
However, if you've already got d20 Apocalypse, as you said you do, it's not that great. It merely expands upon what Apocalypse talks about. It expands in great detail, engrossing flavor text, and with a simple frankness that Apocalypse was afraid to use, but it's just an expansion. Any of the Deadlands: Hell on Earth supplements can give you similar inspirations and almost as much mechanical utility.

 

[Brutorz Bill]

I had forgotten about YotZ I may have to look that one up.

I can't recommend Darwin's World enough (but you already know that). I'm psyked that the whole line is going to print. I've already got a spot on my shelf for my soon to be expanded Darwin's World collection!
Dawning Star, especially Helios Rising is chocked full of stuff (dinosaur aliens, wolf aliens, power armor, tech yeah!), even if you don't use the core campaign setting, you should still be able to find something to use. Sidewinder Recoiled is great, I'm even gonna take elements from it to use in my P.A. Campaign. The Brave Advanced class will work perfectly for my Vengequan (from the old Shockforce minis game) and The Proud People. Might even use it for some of the Grey Runners (adapted from Redline RPG).
I picked up Solid! for a buck. Not quite my speed but it will be put to some use. A Retro-Seventies Gang "The Soul Sistaz" from my PA campaign are based on stuff from it. Along with Reverend Tyrone Jones...
I've heard the recently released Psi Watch pdf (based on the old Image Comics ; Stormwatch series) is good, but I don't have it yet.
I ordered Prime Directive d20 Modern today, I'll let you know how it is. Course the question is how do I work Andorian Commandos into my PA Campaign....Hmmmmm. ; )
Later,
Bill

 

[Knightfall]

Not really. Some stuff that was at late prototype stages when the book was written, a few other concept guns that never really went into production. Nothing particularly futuristic, though. Just a lot of the different models and makes of existing firearms and (mostly) appropriate game stats.

Neither UF nor WL looked beyond the present for firearms. But you can reskin the stats of some of their nastier weapons as assorted future guns with great ease.

Is there more than just firearms in d20 Weapons Locker? What about UF?

I like of mix of weapons and other gear for equipment based books. I really don't have the time (right now) to go to a FLGS just to browse through these two books. (Night classes must come first.)