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Sell me on True20!
- Thread starter Brutorz Bill
- Start date
BSF
Explorer
Greylock,
hit the True20 website to see products and get to the forums, etc.
Though, the quickstart rules might be what you are really looking for.
hit the True20 website to see products and get to the forums, etc.
Though, the quickstart rules might be what you are really looking for.
Greylock
First Post
BSF said:
Thanks. Don't how or why I'd missed the quickstart rules before, but I had. And I don't really like trying to learn a new forum, at least not right away, when there's a resource like ENWorld available.
I am rather.... Uhm. Well... Those damage rules are a bit much. Yes. Much is a word. Would I be correct in assuming the damage rules get tossed a fair bit, or heavily modified?
bento
Explorer
As a GM you should think of True20 as a toolbox. I mean by this you can use it to run a wide variety of games, but there might be some up-front work for you to do before you run your first game. When you read the primary rule books you see all kinds of skills and feats that you'll need to winnow down for your players. (i.e. in our fantasy game please ignore all the feats dealing with using computers or high-tech gear). The Companion book is handy as it provides new options for fantasy, horror, modern day and sci-fi games.
If you get the revised True20 book which comes out this month, it will contain the original True20 book (rules but excluding the four settings that were included) and the content from the Companion book. Also I hear that some of the rules that were a bit vague are better explained in the revised. This revised version is just that, and not a 2.0 edition. I hear you say that you don't like PDFs, but you might consider it. I purchase all my True20 books as pdfs because I sometimes make handouts for my players containing specific rules.
I find True20 works best when you want to do cross-genre stuff. I've heard complaints from people who have used True20 to run a dungeon crawl, that it doesn't have the same feel as D&D. Well that's because D&D excels in this area, and True20 isn't specifically designed for this. Rather True20 works better when you have a variety of things at play. I've used it to run historical-horror and Asian fantasy, where it worked great. I also like True20 because it doesn't have that slavish "mini+battlemat" feel that D&D or other D20 games have. I have used a variety of methods for running melee encounters, like the traditional 1" hex map, a quickly sketched map or even just a description of an area. The game worked great in all three.
Another nice thing about True20 I've found is that it sometimes helps players come up with creative solutions to combat. With combat feeling a little more "lethal" (this is more perception on the player's part as in most cases they can use action points) my players are oftem more willing to parlay with NPCs and villains. I see more planning on their part and asking about things in the environment they can use.
Magic and technology are broadly defined in True20, so you find players using these more creatively than they would in most D20 systems.
My suggestion would be for you is to run a one-shot for your players. Don't take them through character creation just yet, but create a short adventure that has a variety of activities. Use some pre-generated characters (a warrior, a couple of skill-based characters, an adept) and then run a game. Use this adventure to introduce the rules of the game, let them discover what a character can do, and provide plenty of different encounters. Don't make anything too lethal as they are trying to adjust to the subtle differences between True20 and D20.
I did this a couple of times with my historical-horror. It was Three Musketeers meets demon hunters in 1500s France. I pre-gened two warriors (a swordsman and a pistollero) two experts (an assassin and a "face') and one adept (clergyman/demon hunter). The scenario was investigating a missing royal gameskeeper and I mixed in a witch trial and ultimately the BBEG - a demon. The players were given the basics (you travel to this town to find the gameskeeper, except the cleric - he was there for the witch trial), and let them loose. The two times I've run this game were completely different, but I basically let the players lead the game and I had specific NPCs they could meet who would give pieces of the puzzle.
Good luck and let us know if you have other True20 questions.
If you get the revised True20 book which comes out this month, it will contain the original True20 book (rules but excluding the four settings that were included) and the content from the Companion book. Also I hear that some of the rules that were a bit vague are better explained in the revised. This revised version is just that, and not a 2.0 edition. I hear you say that you don't like PDFs, but you might consider it. I purchase all my True20 books as pdfs because I sometimes make handouts for my players containing specific rules.
I find True20 works best when you want to do cross-genre stuff. I've heard complaints from people who have used True20 to run a dungeon crawl, that it doesn't have the same feel as D&D. Well that's because D&D excels in this area, and True20 isn't specifically designed for this. Rather True20 works better when you have a variety of things at play. I've used it to run historical-horror and Asian fantasy, where it worked great. I also like True20 because it doesn't have that slavish "mini+battlemat" feel that D&D or other D20 games have. I have used a variety of methods for running melee encounters, like the traditional 1" hex map, a quickly sketched map or even just a description of an area. The game worked great in all three.
Another nice thing about True20 I've found is that it sometimes helps players come up with creative solutions to combat. With combat feeling a little more "lethal" (this is more perception on the player's part as in most cases they can use action points) my players are oftem more willing to parlay with NPCs and villains. I see more planning on their part and asking about things in the environment they can use.
Magic and technology are broadly defined in True20, so you find players using these more creatively than they would in most D20 systems.
My suggestion would be for you is to run a one-shot for your players. Don't take them through character creation just yet, but create a short adventure that has a variety of activities. Use some pre-generated characters (a warrior, a couple of skill-based characters, an adept) and then run a game. Use this adventure to introduce the rules of the game, let them discover what a character can do, and provide plenty of different encounters. Don't make anything too lethal as they are trying to adjust to the subtle differences between True20 and D20.
I did this a couple of times with my historical-horror. It was Three Musketeers meets demon hunters in 1500s France. I pre-gened two warriors (a swordsman and a pistollero) two experts (an assassin and a "face') and one adept (clergyman/demon hunter). The scenario was investigating a missing royal gameskeeper and I mixed in a witch trial and ultimately the BBEG - a demon. The players were given the basics (you travel to this town to find the gameskeeper, except the cleric - he was there for the witch trial), and let them loose. The two times I've run this game were completely different, but I basically let the players lead the game and I had specific NPCs they could meet who would give pieces of the puzzle.
Good luck and let us know if you have other True20 questions.
jaerdaph
#UkraineStrong
The damage rules presented in the True20 Quick Start guide (and the original True20 Core Rulebook) are very confusing. The True20 Pocket Player's Guide version of the damage and recovery rules (which are now in the Revised True20 Core Rulebook), which GR has posted in their entirety as a free PDF here, as well as the Damage for Dummies PDF, an excellent one-page summary and play aid by Aazlain, made everything crystal clear for me.
Also, if you pick up the True20 Rules, be sure to get the Revised edition, which now includes the True20 Companion (and cuts out the sample campaign settings). It's only available as a PDF right now, but the print version is coming soon (May 28th).
Also, if you pick up the True20 Rules, be sure to get the Revised edition, which now includes the True20 Companion (and cuts out the sample campaign settings). It's only available as a PDF right now, but the print version is coming soon (May 28th).
BSF
Explorer
Greylock said:
I'm not quite sure how to interpret "much".
There are a lot more consequences for combat in True20. But it plays well for many types of games.
The core explanations are not as intuitive as they could be. Once you grok how the system works though, it runs reasonably smooth. There are a couple of alternative damage tracks as house rules that might be a little more clear. I am not aware of many people tossing the mechanic in it's entirety. However, it might be a topic of little discussion. After all, anybody familiar with D&D can easily patch in the HP/variable damage rules.
Vigilance
Explorer
True 20 is an amazing game.
It strikes just the right balance between flexibility and the core of what makes d20 great.
For example, there are classes (something d20 needs imo), but there are no class skills, and class abilities are feats, allowing the game to cover much more ground with only three classes.
I've ran modern action, a wild west game and post-apocalypse games under the system, and it runs really well. The damage system is just gritty enough to make players think twice before leaping into combat.
It's probably my favorite d20 rules variant.
Chuck
It strikes just the right balance between flexibility and the core of what makes d20 great.
For example, there are classes (something d20 needs imo), but there are no class skills, and class abilities are feats, allowing the game to cover much more ground with only three classes.
I've ran modern action, a wild west game and post-apocalypse games under the system, and it runs really well. The damage system is just gritty enough to make players think twice before leaping into combat.
It's probably my favorite d20 rules variant.
Chuck
Brutorz Bill
First Post
jaerdaph said:
Thanks, what I had seen/heard before about the Damage Track kinda confused me, I will definately look into these other sources. Thanks for the links/information. This has been really helpful!
Awesome! Looks like I've got a new gaming purchase to make on the 28th! Yippee!
Regards,
Bill
Brutorz Bill
First Post
Vigilance said:
Hey Chuck love your products! What True20 stuff have you put out?
What kind of PA game did you run? I think I saw where there is a True20 version of Darwin's World. Any plans for a True20 Blood and Vigilance?
