Who's using d20 modern for a Sci-Fi campaign?

[thomden]

So I've devoured the d20 Modern book <burp> - excuse me. I like it, but I still think d20 Cthulhu handles the modern genre much better.

I'm wondering if anyone is using d20 Modern for a sci-fi campaign? Or are you using Traveller or something else instead?

I've been considering starting a hard science fiction game (no lazer swords or "force" or anything hokey like that), but I'm debating between converting d20 Cthulhu, or using d20 Modern of Traveller d20.

 

[psychognome]

Well, I might run a Mecha Crusade campaign once I get my hands on D20 Modern. Stupid slow Finnish postal service, mumble mumble...

 

[LrdApoc]

Well, I might run a Mecha Crusade campaign once I get my hands on D20 Modern. Stupid slow Finnish postal service, mumble mumble...

Why wait.. download the SRD and then you can learn the system until the Modern book is released.. besides with Mecha Crusade all the stuff you need is in the article and SRD.

By all means support the game when it is released, but don;t let a little thing like international shipping hold you back!!

 

[jaults]

    I am working up to running a SF/Mecha game over email with some friends of mine. The focus of the campaign is going to be exploration of The Verge, with lots of setting stuff taken from Star*Drive. I figured that, with all of those hostile planets, the explorers could use a little help in the way of mecha-enhanced abilities...

    Jason

 

[Kesh]

I'm considering a campaign set in the Dragonstar world, but with d20 Modern as the base instead of D&D. I'd have to convert some classes to Advanced classes and do some damage adjusting on weapons, but I think it's a better base.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

Trinity d20

I have created a conversion of White Wolf's Trinity game for Modern d20. It uses the spells and powers from the Modern d20 book, the Modern d20 supplement (especially those spells that affect the modern world), The Mind's Eye (on the wizard's website), The Psionic's Handbook, and the converted spells from If Thoughts Could Kill (Malhavoc Press) all reorganized into the different specialties from that game. I am using Mecha Crusade for the VARGs and Mutant's & Masterminds for the Aberrants.

Starting Level is 4th with characters taking at least one level in a psychic class (each specialty is its own class, modelled after the Telepath from Agents of Psi). Bioware is treated as the bonded weapon of the Psychic Weapons Master (without the sentience), so weapon bonuses and other bonuses are based on XP-expenditure.

Other changes I have made are:

1) I use the Polyhedron Shadow Chaser's Threat Ranges and CoCd20 critical multipliers and gun damages (for Lasers I use Star Wars Blasters but use a x2 critical, as lasers cauterize any wound they make and would not cause hydrostatic shock).

2) I have instituted a Three Strikes and Your Out rule. The first massive damage save results in a fatigued result when successful. The second an exhausted result if successful (if the character is still fatigued). If the character is exhausted then he automatically fails his next massive damage save. This reflects the damage penalties from the White-Wolf game.

3) Subdual damage is tracked as per d20 (yes I know it makes the brawl feats very powerful, but so what?)

These three factors should make combat much less likely.

Sincerely,



Sammy Grimes

 

[Ranger REG]

So I've devoured the d20 Modern book <burp> - excuse me. I like it, but I still think d20 Cthulhu handles the modern genre much better.

Unfortunately, CoC d20 cannot be used by any third-party publishers. Chaosium got the lock on that product, provided they hurry up and release the Pulp Cthulhu setting and supporting supplements. (They promised last year, now they promised this year.)

Other than lowering the massive damage threshold (see d20 Modern, page 196, Reality Level sidebar), what else do you think CoC d20 (designed to kill or make your PC crazy in almost every session ... eventually) is more appropriate for modern-day genre than d20 Modern?

The way I see it: CoC d20 can do cop shows like NYPD Blue or Third Watch while d20 Modern can do shows like Buffy or that upcoming TV series Veritas or Miracles.

I'm wondering if anyone is using d20 Modern for a sci-fi campaign? Or are you using Traveller or something else instead?

I've been considering starting a hard science fiction game (no lazer swords or "force" or anything hokey like that), but I'm debating between converting d20 Cthulhu, or using d20 Modern of Traveller d20.

Define "hokey," since psionic is considered an unnatural element yet common to most science fiction, including Traveller, albeit a low-psionic game.

If you want hard sci-fi, Traveller T20 is the only one available for d20.

 

[Skade]

I run something we call 2028. It has a bunch of differnt subtitles, but Neon Apolcalypse is in the front running.

It is a near future alt-earth where governments are going bankrupt after some very costly conflicts and private companies and organized crime are picking up the slack in the privatization of the "administration" sector. There is a lot of semi-hard science fiction that runs amok, in the areas of bioengineering, Near AI, chemically assisted fusion, nanites, cybernetics and the revelations that magic and monsters have always existed. This is not like the Shadow from the Modern book. It's pretty specific. there are demons (think Fiends from MM), creatures from beyond (think cthullu), angels, fae, werewolves, vampires, mummies, and magic, but there are no beholders, bullettes, or rust monsters. It is not a DnD fantasy world. It is what my adled mind thinks a world whose tech sped up a bit would think if our more traditional magic and monsters were real. Its still sci-fi because the actions, the reasons, and teh plot are all about the advancement of the human condition, through, or in spite of the technology we are creating every day.

Here is the real gist. Imagine that every movie we make about our world is real. John Lee from the Replacement Killers has no clue that tenyears before Jack Burton fought Lo Pan in Big Trouble in Little China, in the exact same alleys. Neither of these men knew that there are creatures murdering men and women in New England to sate the appetites or a nameless god. The Vampire Lestat is drinking coffee 10 feet from Action Jackson. The world has plenty of room in it for all of these things to happen, and never interfere with one another.

 

[Crowe]

Wow Skade... that sounds exactly like the sort of setting im trying to do for my group.

Did you just use D20 Modern? or did you add in anything from "other" D20 materials.

And do you allow your Players to be "non-human" ?

 

[Skade]

Wow Skade... that sounds exactly like the sort of setting im trying to do for my group.

Did you just use D20 Modern? or did you add in anything from "other" D20 materials.

And do you allow your Players to be "non-human" ?

I have only just begun transferring the game to Modern. Mostly I am using the rules in Modern, with modified rules from Mech Crusade and Genetech polyhedron issues. I have been wrting up new advanced classes and such, but am a long way from complete. Though CoC rules would make sense, I wanted this to still be a little more "heroic" so no insane characters unless its in the players mind.

So far everyone is human, but that could easily change. The original game was actually done in the storyteller system and it included a mage, a werewolf super spy, a cyborg pilot, a half-mekaryn awakened bodygaurd (mekaryn are body snatcher like aliens, long story), a physicist, a hacker, and one clockwork golem from the 14th century.

I was thinking of puutting up a website. I'll post the link here when I do if youre interested.