Advice on Supplements for a d20 Future Game

[Salcor]

AD,
I have to agree with Justin, you should really check out Dawning Star. It is well made system, very good continuity in the world. Plus there is room for just about any style of sci-fi you can want (except maybe the Cyberpunk 2020/shadowrun feel). From looking around it is also the best product for supporting D20 Future. At the moment they have 4 adventures (1 in main book, 1 free on website, 1 published product, and 1 in terraformer). They also have the Terraformer, a monthly e-zine which they have been using to flesh out the world. So far they have 6 issues ranging from a prestige class, to an adventure, which tons of crunch and fluff to book. I am sure it will only get better with the release of Helios Rising.
Other D20 Future products I would recommend is the Future Armada PDFs. I believe that they are the best quality starship releases for D20 Future, and everything is included - stats, art, and maps. I HIGHLY recommend them.
I hope this helps.

Salcor

 

[Peterson]

Wow. I'm really surprised no one mentioned the Future Player's Companions by The Game Mechanics (former WotC employees who had a great deal to do with d20 Modern). Their stuff (including the Modern Player's Companions) are top-notch and available either in print form or pdf. The website: www.thegamemechanics.com I honestly can say I've used the FPCs in EVERY d20 Future-based game I've ran. Every one.

Peterson

 

[lkj]

Wow. Thanks everyone. I'm going through all these suggestions now . . . Very much appreciated.

AD

 

[Masada]

Wow. I'm really surprised no one mentioned the Future Player's Companions by The Game Mechanics (former WotC employees who had a great deal to do with d20 Modern). Their stuff (including the Modern Player's Companions) are top-notch and available either in print form or pdf. The website: www.thegamemechanics.com I honestly can say I've used the FPCs in EVERY d20 Future-based game I've ran. Every one.

Those hacks? hehehe...

By the way they are also listed and offer a number of great freebies on their website. But no future freebies if I recall correctly. But they are definitely one of the best and perhaps the most reputable.

 

[arscott]

Raylis-- I'm not familiar with Dark*Matter. I know it was from the old Alternity game (with which I'm also unfamiliar), but is it more of 'modern' rather than a 'future' setting? Wasn't entirely clear from the description I saw at WotC, other than it only mentions the Modern book.

Yeah, Dark•Matter is a modern day setting. It's got some sci-fi elements, but not in the d20 future sense.

Regarding the Menace Manual: While you should certainly make sure any given book is going to be right for you and your campaign, I think that the folks telling you to avoid this book are mistaken.

The Menace Manual is, In my opinion, the best d20 Modern book that WotC has made. And while it might not be as valuable in a futuristic campaign as it is in a modern campaign, the tremendous variety of stuff in that book means that pretty much any GM can get good use out of it. Most of the creatures work well in any time period, Most of the organizations can easily be advanced or modified to fit a futuristic setting, and most of the NPCs are an equipment change away from inhabiting your futuristic world.

 

[kingpaul]

Should I get the Menace Manual?

Most of the critters in the Menace Manual can be found as part of the MSRD, which is free.

 

[Stormborn]

Well, there have been lots of suggestions for mechanical sources. At this point you probablly need to work on solidifying your setting to better sort through your mechanics. If you do not go with Dawning Star that is.

My suggestion, for what its worth: Start the PCs as members of a human civilization that has spread into the stars very slowly. Most starfaring members of the race are cyberneticaly or genetically engineered to allow for some racial diversity. The core of the setting would be a PL 7 colony world that serves as a base for activity with in a designated sector of space, say about a dozen systems. Operating within this sector on the human side can be Private Merchants and Scouts (who survey planets and sell the data to colonists), a small contingent of Stellar Navy whose main job is to deal with the next group, which would be the Pirates (many of whom are privateers hired by rival corporations to prey on one another and circumvent anti Corporate Warfare laws.) Campaign begins as news is circulating that a missing colony ship was attacked by mysterious forces on the far side of the sector. From there players discover that the following is also in that sector:
- several "pre-warp" civilizations, the highest is capable of planet to planet travel but not system to system all the way down to stone age
- a "sooner" colony - illegal social experiment by outlaw humans
- remains of several highly advanced alien outposts with no clue as to why they were abandoned and many with tech thats so incomprehensible its not even useable
- an alien race (one with a few servitor races) that is on a similar PL level as the humans, but have developed in a different direction. The sector is on the edge of their space just as it is on the edge of human space, but they have been monitoring human activity for a while and so intially are in a better tacticle position.

FTL or similar travel is possible, but not efficent over long distance or prohibitively fuel consuming. Thus the sector is largely cut off from outside aid for several years.

The PCs can then be millitary, corporate, pirate, or private and deal with the which ever agenda and goals they wish. With only a dozen systems, and little or no option for travel beyond that, you should have a managable but fun setting.

 

[Jack of Shadows]

Wow. I'm really surprised no one mentioned the Future Player's Companions by The Game Mechanics (former WotC employees who had a great deal to do with d20 Modern). Their stuff (including the Modern Player's Companions) are top-notch and available either in print form or pdf. The website: www.thegamemechanics.com I honestly can say I've used the FPCs in EVERY d20 Future-based game I've ran. Every one.

Peterson

I have to second Peterson here. This is a definate must have for a D20 Future game.

Jack