New Modern?

[drothgery]

Hmm... I'd think a revised WotC modern game would pretty much start with Star Wars Saga + the mechanics clean-ups that happened between SWSE and 4e (fixed HPs, standard attack progression across all classes, etc.), but keeping the bonus feats and talents model of abilities, rather than the powers model of 4e.

 

[Vigilance]

I'd argue that D20 Modern left a lot to be desired in terms of focus, artwork, and mechanics. It was a nice start, but I think a modern set of rules need to be extremely versatile so that it can be useful for the types of games people want to play. For this reason, and given the overbearing aspects of 4E design, I don't think that adapting 4th edition to modern could possibly be versatile enough to be successful. Further, I think that the best modern d20 rules out there are True20 and Modern20. Since these systems work so well, why not just pick the one you like the best and support it?

Dude, you mentioned my game in the same sentence as true20!

To Aus_Snow, I don't know, but I see no reason why not. RDP has been hitting it out of the park lately. I'm a fan.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Dude, you mentioned my game in the same sentence as true20!

Hey, you know, give credit where credit is due and all that. I really like the approach you took with Modern20. It's distinctly different than D20 Modern in a good way while avoiding the the things about True20 that doesn't resonate well with some people, like the lack of specialized classes and no hit points.

 

[Aus_Snow]

They are separate companies

Yeah. For some reason, when I was just having a look at the RDP stuff at the RPGObjects website, my mind took 'associated' to be something more like 'incorporated' or something. Eh, just a bit confused, there. Moving right along. . .

 

[Kheti sa-Menik]

I liked D20 Modern actually. I did think there were some problems, but on the whole it was a solid game.
There major major issues with some followup books (D20 Past and Urban Arcana, I'm looking at you) but some of those were cool, like D20 Future, Critical Locations, and Weapons Locker.

I am a huge fan of combining the base D20 Modern book with RPGObjects stuff, especially Vigilance's awesome Blood and Vigilance..in fact the whole Blood and ... series gets top marks from me. (Not to sound like a fanboy too much)

I admit however I am not a big fan of what I've heard of Modern20. I still need to buy a copy, but I've read the blurbs about it and some of it, if the description is accurate, kind of turns me off. BUT I would like to get my hands on a copy to give it a thorough read through since Vigilance has done me good in the past.


I think linking any of D20 Modern to any part of 4th Edition is bad bad bad news. 4th ED is so bad at being D&D, I can't imagine what it would do to my beloved D20 Modern.

 

[Knightfall]

I believe you will be able to buy it anywhere. And by anywhere, I mean the RPGO site, Amazon or your local game store.

Good to here. I'm definitely interested in taking a look at Modern20. How compatible is it with d20 Modern? Is conversion straight forward or is it complex? and are their conversion guidelines? I want to be able to use my d20 Modern library with Modern20 without having to re-write everything.

I don't think that adapting 4th edition to modern could possibly be versatile enough to be successful. Further, I think that the best modern d20 rules out there are True20 and Modern20. Since these systems work so well, why not just pick the one you like the best and support it?

Well said, Darrin. I hve no interest in a revised edition based on 4th Edition. It doesn't appeal to me at all. While I like True20, I really like Mutants & Masterminds. Therefore, it has become my modern game of choice for superheroic game play. I'd probably lean more towards d20 Modern for a straight-up modern game unless I wanted it to be really grim and gritty. For that, I'd use True20.

 

[Knightfall]

I liked D20 Modern actually. I did think there were some problems, but on the whole it was a solid game.
There major major issues with some followup books (D20 Past and Urban Arcana, I'm looking at you) but some of those were cool, like D20 Future, Critical Locations, and Weapons Locker.

I like d20 Modern except except for the fact that the core classes are too generic. I would have preferred it if they had used the old Alternity "classes." (I'll be fixing that on my own, eventally. Heck, I've already done it for Gamma World 6E.)

I am a huge fan of combining the base D20 Modern book with RPGObjects stuff, especially Vigilance's awesome Blood and Vigilance..in fact the whole Blood and ... series gets top marks from me. (Not to sound like a fanboy too much)

You know I've heard a lot about these "Blood and" series, but I don't know anything about them. What's the deal? What makes them great? Are the books a seperate ruleset from d20 Modern or are the books add-ons to d20 Modern?

I would appreciate a short, single-paragraph description regarding the "Blood and" series. . . please and thank you. Multiple perspectives would be good too.

 

[Sketchpad]

Nothing against True20 or Modern20, as I think they're both awesome systems But, with WotC, I'd like to see some specific stuff come out that would fit the d20 Modern mold (due mostly to copyrights): Star Frontiers (as a full game), GI Joe (which would be a great tie-in for 2k9), Gangbusters, Boot Hill, Gamma World and Top Secret. Single books for each with some web support would be great ... or even a few books.

 

[Ranger REG]

Nothing against True20 or Modern20, as I think they're both awesome systems But, with WotC, I'd like to see some specific stuff come out that would fit the d20 Modern mold (due mostly to copyrights): Star Frontiers (as a full game), GI Joe (which would be a great tie-in for 2k9), Gangbusters, Boot Hill, Gamma World and Top Secret. Single books for each with some web support would be great ... or even a few books.

As much as the TSR gamer in me want the above to happen, we have to be real, not overly nostalgic.

It needs a starting focus first, what with being a new game and franchise, not unlike the long-running D&D or well-established fan-derived Star Wars. They need to relaunch it with one setting in mind first. Later they can expand and add new settings, until the fanbase for d20 Modern can grow as much as D&D fanbase.

We need to reform the rules so that it is simple yet can emulate cinematic "movie" actions, from the grittiest of films, or over the top stunts (and somewhere in between). I hope that the rules do not derived from D&D 4e, even though the accountant in me says it's best to cater to the much larger D&D fanbase, which mean more customers can enjoy d20 Modern 2.0 better than the existing one, which means more profit coming in. (Of course, one can argue that most D&D fans only care for D&D, period.) Using the Star Wars rules is a good template for the new Modern rules. The rules also have to be modular, meaning I can plug-in or plug-out any elements I choose for my own type of Modern game. If I want to play with magic or without, I can do that. Plug-ins not only have to work seamlessly with the core rules but with other plug-ins. If I want to play magical mecha game, it should work with as little critical flaws as possible.

 

[Vigilance]

I would appreciate a short, single-paragraph description regarding the "Blood and" series. . . please and thank you. Multiple perspectives would be good too.

The Blood and... series consists of mainly add-ons to d20 Modern.

They take d20 Modern and give it more oomph in certain key areas.

Blood and Relics is a gothic modern horror rule set for running Davinci Code/Constantine/Omen/Tomb Raider type modern games.

Blood and Fists is a high action martial arts rule set for running games that resemble Jackie Chan movies or the Master of Kung Fu comics.

Blood and Guts is for military games and provides all the crunch you would need to run a game like the Unit or 24.

Blood and Vigilance is for supers games.

Blood and Secrets is for military games that are more SHIELD or GI Joe than the Unit.

In short, each is a killer app for a certain type of modern game, one that doesn't try to be Buffy, which is what d20 Modern is mostly geared for.