3.5 or d20 Modern?

[RangerWickett]

Grim Tales is a great alternative. d20 Modern won't work well if you want D&D levels of magic, because you can't start casting spells until at least 4th level there.

I personally rather like 3.5 D&D. The books are all pretty, but you can always be cheap like me and use the SRDs, relying on generous players to bring actual books. *grin*

I'm currently working on an actual modern D&D setting, rather than d20 Modern with fantasy. Anyone here remember Savannah Knights?

 

[The Shaman]

Alternatively you could pick up the Mongoose Modern Pocket Handbook and Pocket PHB which list at 19.99 dollars and are sold by amazon in the US at about 17 bucks apiece. Then the only WotC you really need is the 3.5 Monster Manual.

Before following this recommendation, please bear in mind that these are both books that you can download for free, and that neither is "game-ready" - they are simply copies of the SRD and MSRD, and as such do not have information on character creation or level progression.

Some people like these as a convenience - personally I prefer the download price tag of "FREE!" much better.

 

[Piratecat]

I admit that Grim Tales was also a thought, but last I heard their "encounter calculator" sounded like more math than I really wanted to do ...

Hmm, you may have misunderstood. GT has an appendix with directions for a detailed breakdown of CR. It's a good tool, but you can run the game for an entire campaign and never have to use it. It's one more thing that can be handy, but isn't mandatory.

 

[scourger]

What's wrong with 3.0?

I suggest that you stick with 3.0, and here is why. I love the d20 system as it was originally developed. Remember the good old days when d20 was billed as a way that you can play any type of game using the D&D rules? It's taken me these 4 years to figure out that was right and to do it with as little new information as possible. I love the portability of 3.0 (and to an extent, 3.5). On balance, I would prefer to run 3.0. (As a player, I don't really have a preference.) The reason is that I felt like I had a certain level of mastery over 3.0 that I never felt I achieved with other games. 3.5 is the easiest transition because it is basically the same game; but there are enough changes to make it confusing in unnecessary ways. Bottom line: I never felt like changing anything in 3.0, but I continuously find myself wanting to change 3.5 (mostly to work like 3.0).

So, before updating, I encourage you to ask yourself if you're having fun and whether you really need to switch to something else. If so, get 3.5 (d20M is really different--although it is nice to have (almost) everything in one book), but don't get rid of your 3.0 books. You may find yourself wanting to return to 3.0 as I do.

 

[Von Ether]

I suggest that you stick with 3.0, and here is why. I love the d20 system as it was originally developed. Remember the good old days when d20 was billed as a way that you can play any type of game using the D&D rules? It's taken me these 4 years to figure out that was right and to do it with as little new information as possible. I love the portability of 3.0 (and to an extent, 3.5). On balance, I would prefer to run 3.0. (As a player, I don't really have a preference.) The reason is that I felt like I had a certain level of mastery over 3.0 that I never felt I achieved with other games. 3.5 is the easiest transition because it is basically the same game; but there are enough changes to make it confusing in unnecessary ways. Bottom line: I never felt like changing anything in 3.0, but I continuously find myself wanting to change 3.5 (mostly to work like 3.0).

So, before updating, I encourage you to ask yourself if you're having fun and whether you really need to switch to something else. If so, get 3.5 (d20M is really different--although it is nice to have (almost) everything in one book), but don't get rid of your 3.0 books. You may find yourself wanting to return to 3.0 as I do.

Some of the urge to switch to d20 M is also the idea of "one book" vs three. In my old age, I'm not so thrilled with the idea of lugging tons of books around. I also got the impression looking at the d20m SRD that the monster section was a tool-kit approach, how to tweak monsters from scratch. If I went more d20M, I'd like the book for the examples and such that expand on the info in the SRD. (hence my current tempation the new GR Advanced beast book of templates). So while I could keep my 3.0 books around, the idea of getting slightly updated stuff all in one book (and ltaking up less space on my shelf) is tempting. Then again ... the idea of having to convert stuff over to general d20 doesn't thrill me.

As for psionics, the major change goes beyond the classes not reaching higher. The big change is that focusing your powers on one attribute makes sense in d20 Modern. You can have a guy who goes from Strong hero to a psionic class without getting penalized.

... though I do have GR's psychic book already.

 

[buzz]

Some of the urge to switch to d20 M is also the idea of "one book" vs three.

Dude, you're never going to have just one book. Unless you're really good at homebrewing everything you need for your games, you're going to be drawing upon other books; especially if you're using d20M to run a D&D-style game.

Of course, again the SRDs are your friend in this regard. Have it all on a laptop or printed in a single binder.

As for psionics, the major change goes beyond the classes not reaching higher. The big change is that focusing your powers on one attribute makes sense in d20 Modern. You can have a guy who goes from Strong hero to a psionic class without getting penalized.

FYI, the 3.5 Expanded Psionics Handbook doesn't do the attribute-focus thing anymore, so this is a non-issue in 3.5.

... though I do have GR's psychic book already.

Good man!

 

[Christopher Lambert]

Does Grim Tales give out bonus armor feats to the Strong class? I heard a rumor to that effect.

 

[diaglo]

So if you were in my shoes, what would you think?

burn your 2000ed stuff

and buy OD&D material on RPGNow. SVGames or ebay.

 

[wingsandsword]

Before following this recommendation, please bear in mind that these are both books that you can download for free, and that neither is "game-ready" - they are simply copies of the SRD and MSRD, and as such do not have information on character creation or level progression.

Some people like these as a convenience - personally I prefer the download price tag of "FREE!" much better.

Actually, the Mongoose Handbooks are "Game Ready", they've got character creation and level progression information in them, they may be a little spartan, but they are certainly usable. They certainly aren't just SRD printouts.

For $10 less than the d20 Modern, Players Handbook, or Dungeon Master's Guide they are books that are substantially the same, just smaller and without the pretty pictures.

 

[Christopher Lambert]

Actually, the Mongoose Handbooks are "Game Ready", they've got character creation and level progression information in them, they may be a little spartan, but they are certainly usable. They certainly aren't just SRD printouts.

For $10 less than the d20 Modern, Players Handbook, or Dungeon Master's Guide they are books that are substantially the same, just smaller and without the pretty pictures.

A thread got locked describing these products here. Some poor GM bought the product for D20 Modenr on the assumption that they could play a game with them, and apparently he could not.