4e Modern | Future Settings: What do we want?

[Knightfall]

I feel that design of 4e would lend itself well towards more modern or future-based campaign settings. And those settings wouldn't have to be magical in nature.

There have been a few flirtations with such a concept (including Gamma World) and now E.N. Publishing is doing Santiago, which I think is a great idea. But what else is possible using the design of 4e?

And what do we want?

In a poll I posted in the 4e forum, I listed Urban Arcana as a possible choice as a new campaign setting option for 4e. And while that might be a good idea from a WotC perspective, it only scratches the surface of the modern/future genre.

For example, one of my favorite OGL creations was Dragonstar. I'd love for it to be updated to 4e, but since FFG hasn't created anything using the GSL, I doubt we'll ever see a 4e version of the setting.

But that doesn't mean that another company can't create something similar (but new) for 4e.

Other options could include...

● Star*Drive and/or Dark*Matter: I'd prefer the former to the latter, myself.

● Agents of Psi | Shadow Chasers | another official d20 Modern setting

● Star Frontiers

● StarCraft

● 2300AD

● Space 1889 [available through Savage Worlds]

● Skyrealms of Jorune: I'd buy this in a heartbeat.

● Pulp Heroes | Mecha Crusade | Iron Lords of Jupiter | any of the other d20 Polyhedron mini-games

● Bughunters | The Galactos Barrier | Kromosome | any of the other Amazing Engine System settings

Any other sugggestions for modern/future settings designed using 4e?

 

[Aldarc]

Are there future settings that would be inappropriate for a 4e Modern?

My own personal preference would be for the creation of a new space opera setting that would not require IP licensing fees.

 

[amerigoV]

● Space 1889

Savage Worlds owns the license now. And they did an awesome job with the release under their rules.

I've only played a bit of 4e. What features make you think it will play well under modern/future? HP based d20 systems seem to struggle with guns/blasters.

 

[dirklancer]

I actually created a homebrew version of 4E Modern a little while back for use in a sci-fi campaign and we have been using it for about a month and I was surprised that 4E did work. The setting is very space opera and 4E works well for that, much like Saga worked well for Star Wars. My biggest worry was the speed of combat, especially if you are going for the feel of an action movie, but liberal use of minions fills that gap.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I feel that design of 4e would lend itself well towards more modern or future-based campaign settings. And those settings wouldn't have to be magical in nature.

Agreed, though I would like to see options for incorporating magic or some other FX-based powers like psionics.

In a poll I posted in the 4e forum, I listed Urban Arcana as a possible choice as a new campaign setting option for 4e. And while that might be a good idea from a WotC perspective, it only scratches the surface of the modern/future genre.

D&D Modern would be a great idea for a Gamma World-style boxed set. I'm not sure you could fit it all into three products, though.

An Urban Arcana follow-up would be good. Problem is, I could see going two routes with this. First, it would be great for urban fantasy ala the Dresden Files. Second, you could merge it with some Cyberpunk rules for D&D's version of Shadowrun. And yes, I think Cyberpunk should be among them.

I would say that somewhere in there, there should be a section on pulp-era games as well. That could be a chapter and not a full-on book.

I will echo the sentiments for a D&D Future style game too. I think they should either reboot Star Frontiers, or maybe use the Alternity name. Or maybe just merge them all together.

For example, one of my favorite OGL creations was Dragonstar. I'd love for it to be updated to 4e, but since FFG hasn't created anything using the GSL, I doubt we'll ever see a 4e version of the setting.

I always wanted to play Dragonstar. I was hoping that the sci-fi license that EN World got would have been Dragonstar. That's okay, though, as Santiago looks neat. I'm going to have to buy the book.

 

[Knightfall]

Savage Worlds owns the license now. And they did an awesome job with the release under their rules.

I remember seeing that now. I simply listed it as an option because I'd heard it was a game that has quite a loyal following.

 

[Knightfall]

I completely forgot about the d20 modern minigame, Mecha Crusade! That would be a great D&D Modern 4e setting!

WotC could even throw in some FX-abilities into it. Sort of a Magitech Crusade.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I feel that design of 4e would lend itself well towards more modern or future-based campaign settings. And those settings wouldn't have to be magical in nature.

There have been a few flirtations with such a concept (including Gamma World) and now E.N. Publishing is doing Santiago, which I think is a great idea. But what else is possible using the design of 4e?

And what do we want?

I know what I don't want - magic! Or at least magic that doesn't make sense. That rules out Urban Arcana and Shadow Chasers right away. Dark Matter is a far more acceptable setting, and you can even see it on TV (it's called X-Files, Fringe, or any sci-fi TV series that doesn't suffer from Sunnydale Syndrome). I wonder... can you fit Agents of Psi into Dark Matter?

I'm personally a big fan of vigilante, true crime (either side of the fence) or military. Usually said settings have no FX or very minor advanced tech. (Considering how much I hate having cell phones in a campaign, I'd probably veto any advanced tech I saw, but I suspect marketing would require that be included in the setting.) My favorite so far was d20 Colombia, which gave a place to play, plots to breaks up, and NPC descriptions with undefined resources. (You had to make your own stat blocks though, which can be real fun.)

Sci-fi is a lot harder to do than modern, which is in turn harder to do than fantasy. Sci-fi tech invariably reacts badly with rules. More rules = bad, more tech = bad, high tech and loads o' rules = doubleplusbad. I've only seen the rules-light FATE and Bughunter systems work well with sci-fi. Alternity, GURPS Traveler and Warhammer 40K did passably well, Dark Heresy was overpowered and d20 Future was just terrible, and that was before you got into the settings (some of which were redeemable, if only by controlling tech). Even d20 Star Wars had tech problems, but the focus on cool class abilities and the Force meant the DM simply had other things to think about.

StarCraft is a universe I'd love to do, but there's two problems:
1) I'm far more excited about the setting than my players would be. While there are millions of StarCraft players, most aren't that interested in the lore.
2) It's so high-tech it would be problematic. (Star Trek, by contrast, would be worse!)

 

[The Shaman]

I'm always a little disappointed when I read a thread like this that most of the suggestions are simply retreads of stuff that's already been published, sometimes two or three times already.

Once upon a time, Space 1889 was an original idea; so was Skyrealms of Jorune, and so was Star*Drive.

Instead of offering yet another regurgitation of a published work, I'd like to see Whizbros release something new for a change. How about Edwardian 'boys adventure?' Or a sci-fi game set in our Solar System?


I'm not holding my breath, of course.

 

[Morrus]

As you mention, EN Publishing is doing SANTIAGO. It's magic-free (tech takes its place) although it includes rare cases of psionic power. Much of 4E can easily be reskinned - a healing potion is an adrenaline injection, for example; the hardest part is the new classes. So far we have (and this is not final):

• Frontiersman
• Engineer
• Psion
• Scoundrel
• Soldier
• As-yet unnamed class which includes medics, preachers, and the like

Monsters, aliens, NPCs, etc. are all very easy in 4E - just name a monster's ability "Laser pistol" and ave it do fire damage and voila! I've whipped up a sample, below.

We're largely ignoring space travel and combat (although SPACE FIGHT is based on 4E, so it would be compatible). Unless time is critical, space travel will be more a narrative device than a mechanical one.