How are you using True20?

[masshysteria]

I recently downloaded the the True20 pdf (thanks Green Ronin for putting it up for free today) and had a chance to browse through it and read a few different sections.

I like what I see. The attack roll looks like it might take a bit more thought to get used to, but shouldn't be anything too crazy. I like how fatigue works with magic. The condition track is probably less of an abstraction than hit points, but it adds more flavor and still is relatively simple.

But, my question is how are you using True20?

• Are you using any of the published settings?

• What products are must haves? And why?

• Are you incorporating house rules? Are these for flavor or to overcome limitations?

• What are your experiences with it?

 

[Krolik]

I am thinking about trying the Lux Aeternum setting for a small mini-campaign at the local FLGS. The publisher described it as Firefly meets Traveller and that's fairly close to my take on it as well. The next setting I will probably buy is the Calaphate Nights. I will probably also pick up the Darwin's World True20 material when more becomes available.

I think the Companion is must have. It gives you a lot of optional and expanded rules. It also contains a lot of additional material that I think most people will find useful in the average game.

 

[The_Gut]

I'm using it for a bog standard fantasy campaign, set loosely in the wilderlands. I've got several modules prepped out (D20 modules) for the campaign.

Hmm, Must haves? I haven't read the companion yet. The Beastiary is nice, since it does the work of converting the critters for you.

 

[jonrog1]

Definitely check out the forums for variants and where people have seen (minor) hinks. I personally am enamored of the Damage Variant that uses a damage track without having to adjust the Toughness Saves as that seems to be the bit that throws newbies. 3 boxes in Hurt, 3 in Wound 1 in Disabled and 1 in DYing.

Seriously, though -- it plays butter fast. A big chunk of the changes in SAGA everyone digs were in True20 earlier.

 

[Roudi]

Being starved for actual gaming, I haven't had a lick of chance to use True20 yet. There are a few things I would actually like to do with the game.

1) Play Blood Throne. Setting looks awesome. I have a thing for post-apocalyptic fantasy.

2) Play a modern conspiracy game. I'd like to actually use some of the material I hammered out for the Companion.

3) Play a cyberpunk game. Reasons should be obvious.

 

[bento]

• Are you using any of the published settings?

• What products are must haves? And why?

• Are you incorporating house rules? Are these for flavor or to overcome limitations?

• What are your experiences with it?

• I haven't set any of my games in the published settings, but I have used feats and equipment from them.

• Must haves - Beastiary, Fantasy Roles (stats for most all core fantasy classes), and the new Companion, chocked full of variant rules.

• House rules - not so much as "translating" other D20/D&D rules into True20. I tried "Honor" from UA but my players weren't into it. The new Companion book includes many "house rules" or variants that I'll probaby use. It's all for flavor and not to make up for deficincies

I picked it up True20 because I was frustrated with my gamers who all came from video game experience. They were hooked on killing monsters, taking their things and levelling up, giving little concern for any story that might be there. Some of them also had continued difficulties with grappling and AoO rules. True20 seemed to cure all of these.

We played two adventures. The first was a historical horror one-shot adventure set in 1550s France. I incorporated gunpowder and demon info rules from D20 source material. My players were luke warm by the end of it, but it had more to do with increased social interaction that I was requiring, which was taking some of them out of their comfort zone. FYI - I'm running this one shot again at the upcoming Dallas ENW Game Day!

The second adventure was in the Oriental Adventures campaign I was running. We completed one adventure in the OA game before it blew up due to scheduling reasons. This game is where True20 began to shine. I used the Complete books to draft sample "classes" for my players to use as guidelines, but I didn't require them to follow what I had written. During the game, the players began to interact with NPCs more, and ended up resolving the adventure non-violently to my surprise! They had a couple of combat encounters which were easy for them and they even tried new tactics.

I haven't broched the subject of using True20 with my current group because we're all meeting to play "D&D" and some of them are hardcore about it. I think if and when we take a break to run something different, I'll run a True20 one-shots to let them try it out. I notified them about the free give-away today so I hope they're taking advantage of it!

 

[Hjorimir]

I am running a homebrew sword and sorcery campaign. I've taken a lot of things I love from Howard, Burroughs, Cook, Lovecraft, and even some Norman to create a gritty, dirty, desperate sword and sorcery (which is different than what is typical of fantasy today, imo) setting.

I have a proclivity for houserules and I feel like like it is a lot easier with True20 than it is with D&D.

True20 is a wonderful breath of fresh air; it allows me to run the fantasy I want rather than what D&D presents it as.

 

[CaptainChaos]

The best True20 supplement is the Companion. Its got a lot of options and useful rules expansions for doing different genres (horror, scifi, fantasy, etc). With that and the core book you can do about anything. The Bestiary is great if you need critters. It’s fantasy focused but does have some scifi type creatures too.

I’m not running a campaign right now, but I’m considering doing a heroic ancient Greece game. I may convert over some stuff from GR’s Trojan War d20 book for that if I decide to move ahead.

 

[masshysteria]

True20 is a wonderful breath of fresh air; it allows me to run the fantasy I want rather than what D&D presents it as.

This is what I keep coming back to as I read the rules. D&D fantasy seems to be pretty well defined. I keep imagining this setting of a fantasy world entering a scientific and industrial revolution. Or setting influenced by fairy tales and fables.

Sure, I could probably cobble something together with D&D, but it seems like trying to hammer the square peg through the round hole. True20 looks like it gives me the flexibility to chart new paths.

 

[Hjorimir]

Oh, True20 definitely delivers the flexibility to do whatever you like. Honestly, to much my own fault, I have been trapped in D&D’s paradigm since 3E hit. Even the fantasy novels I read frustrated me as I would think “YEAH, I’ll do that!” only to come to realize what ever “that” was wouldn’t work well in D&D.

Since I’ve moved to True20 for my own campaign, I’ve really felt the weight slip off my shoulders. I can do whatever suits my fancy and I find that quite liberating. Today, at lunch, I snuck down to the book store and picked up Edgar Rice Burroughs Tales of Mars (a compilation of the first three books) and I’m very much looking forward to reading it and all the while mining it for inspiration for my homebrew.