Almost forced back to d20 Fantasy

[uraniumdragon]

Ya know, I really hate to say this, but I'm almost forced to go back to D&D. I'm just not that good at creating scenarios and I need that accessory-support from All Y'all publishers to make a years worth of d20 Modern gaming. And since the well has dried up, i.e., no new scenarios via the d20Modern web site, I'm nearing the end of my Modern run.

Guess it's time to renew my subscription to Dungeon and box up Modern stuff.

Pitiful, huh?

[To some, this may be a cross-post, but I wanted to get opinions from those who don't post in WotC territory.]

 

[tadk]

well why not ask for help from people here....

here is a piece I did for the Lyric DM on here a while ago
feel free to scarf from it if you wish


Lavender Thistles a Modern Adventure for Low to Medium Level Characters



Inspired in part by the lyrics fm the song Innocent One by Michael Penn



Setting This adventure takes place in the modern world . The use of the d20 Modern
Rules would work the best in this case. Other similar systems would be just as good including Goodman Games Etherscope (where this really should be set at and if I have time I will expand it for that setting instead)


Plot A simple investigative side trek that could lead to more plots and campaign plot
hooks. Essentially a friend of the PCs or a particular PC asks for help in finding a missing friend of theirs. During the simple investigation the PCs come across hints of a secret society called The Agents of Discord and come into conflict either mystical or physical with the Agents of Discord.

Characters
Miranda A Smart/Charismatic NPC caught up in over here head. An old friend of the player Characters and the initiator of the side trek. She is a foil and plot hook in this side trek but could be easily expanded into a recurring NPC.
Charles A Strong/Fast NPC that is the missing friend. He has gone afoul of Agents of Discord. He is a young man who enjoys working out and listening to modern music. His explorations into outré online music led him to emailing members of the Agents of Discord who are attempting to summon aliens or alien gods via electronic music inspired by numerology and fractals.
Agents of Discord These are the main villains and can be expanded into an entire secret society as foes to the player characters. In a conspiracy oriented game they are conspiracy nuts who dream of conquest using music and alien gods to do their bidding. Very Cthulhuesque. In a game with magic they can hold some keys and secrets that might actually allow them to achieve what they want. The main hampering factor is their crackpot nature. A mixture of all belief systems in a smashed together fashion without a single underlying unifying theme. Have them talk in terms of the Illuminati, crop cicles, how the ancient powers walked on Atlantis and hide in caves away from sight and the power of the numbers of 1706 and 2112. Stats wise they can all be 1/2th the level of the players, about 3 times as many with no armor, no modern weapons, perhaps a few cheap mall import store style swords at the best or perhaps a lockblade or three. They would all be NPCs with a few levels in Smart or Charismatic classes. Decked out in Beatnik Black Turtle necks, pseudo-Goth jewelry and acne pocked skin.



Outline
The characters are asked to help their friend Miranda in tracking down her lost friend.
She relates he had some issues in life and while the players have not met him before they should feel some sympathy and be willing to help her out for old times sake. There is no money involved, no fame, but there should some difficult encounters, equal to 1 CR less than the average players levels, as well as clues to the Agents of Discord.


Locations Lavender Thistles A coffee bar where the PCs can get clues to the
missing man’s whereabouts. This is a mystical location that will allow for FX effects to function easier (-2 on Difficulty Checks or skill rolls). Otherwise there is a small room in the back that the local New Age devotees and the shop coven use for rituals as well as doing Tarot Readings for coffee or donations. The authenticity of these persons is determined by the campaign. If magic/FX is real then they are actual powers. If it is not a part of the campaign then they are just posers and wannabes who enjoy hanging out together. Feel free to decorate the back room with local poetry readers, Tarot Card readers, RPG players, boardgamers as well as comic book aficionados for flavor and misdirection.


The Depths This is a simple sewer system hideout. Some abandoned
subway stations, some large intersections that are dried out and blocked off, all decked out in pseudo-mystical tacky pawn shop styles hiding the true nature of the enemy. The Agents of Discord have their Salvation Army cast of sofas, purloined video game systems and chintzy chalked on the walls and floors sigils and signs all over their lair.

 

[Vigilance]

There are also some full length adventures for sale at the various PDF publishing stores (EN Gamestore, RPGNow) for d20 Modern.

Chuck

 

[Roudi]

Pitiful, huh?

The only thing pitiful here is that you want to put a whole game down just because you can't find scenarios (and like Vigilance said, there are several scenarios available from 3rd party publishers).

Personally, I find Modern adventures easier to craft. My players already understand the core setting and find character motivations easier.

 

[tadk]

Roudi, cool avatar

I agree that i like d20 Modern a bit better than stock 3.0/3.5 personally.

and some of the derivatives are incredible.
I think you could adapt easy enough

 

[Masada]

Modern Dispatch has done a series of adventure generators that would keep you coming up with good random ideas. But if you're not that great at (or just don't like) coming up with you're own game material/scenarios... then you need to be a player, man! Hehe. Get one of your mooks to run a few side games.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I'm not all that good at creating scenarios, actually. Modern scenarios are more difficult to craft than DnD scenarios because several easy-to-use fantasy plot devices are not available.

Also, some DnD DMs aren't good at coming up with their own scenarios.

I personally found reading novels can occasionally render a gem. I read Amazonia and turned it into an adventure. It even created interesting NPCs for me. I doubt the author has ever played any RPGs, either.

They're there, but not always easy to find. Do a search at RPGNow for Modern adventures. There's not that many per category, however.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Boy have WE got the thing for you, my friend.

Dark*Matter.

"What's that? Duck*Platter?"

No, friends, DARK*MATTER.

Step 1: Pick up the Dark*Matter campaign setting book for 5$ on RPGNow. This method involves some conversion of NPCs, but it's rather easy to switch them out with pre-statted NPCs from the D20Modern book or from The Menace Manual and almost all creatures featured there-in are in the Menace Manual as well.

Alternately, wait for September and pick up d20 Dark*Matter.

Either way, the core book will contain the info you need to start a new campaign AND at least one adventure (Exit 23). The Alternity book also contains (Raw Recruits), a second adventure.

Step 2: Pick up The Killing Jar a full length adventure for D*M Alternity but, again, rather easily converted for 5$. Also available is The Final Church a PDF-only Alternity resource (mostly fluff) on demon worshippers which includes a long and rather convoluted adventure.

Step 3: Stop by AlternityRPG.net to browse their Adventures section. Order by # Of Downloads. You'll find several professional adventures for free in PDF including ... "Of Ghosts and Goblins", "A Head For Business", "London Calling", and "The Kindness Of Strangers". There are also fan-submitted selections.

Step 4: Stop on by 12toMidnight's product page and check out some of their adventures. All are "modern horror" and all are set in Pinebox Texas, but they are rather easily adapted to Dark*Matter games by adding a "mission briefing" and moving them to various points around the country. Look for "Bloodlines", "Brainwashed", "Last Rites", and "Skinwalker". I, myself, haven't had a chance to run Bloodlines or Skinwalker as D*M adventures, but I have the other two and they worked out fine.

And, eventually, I'm putting together a website that, I hope, will have some additional things including adventures.

--fje

 

[genshou]

Two words: Dawning Star.

 

[SteveC]

Simple solution: get yourself the Second World Sourcebook, and then use it to combine traditional D20 Fantasy Goodness with D20 Modern Goodness.

The book has guidelines on using converting between D20 Fantasy (AKA D&D and similar products) and D20 Modern. Pretty good stuff.

--Steve