4e modern: Harry Dresden style

[GMforPowergamers]

OK so we are trying something new out. Every other saterday (Instead of our normal D&D we are runing a game that takes place in loosely the Dresden world.

Are immediate influences (Besdes butcher of cource) are Angle, Supernatural, Warehouse 13, Special Unite 2... and basicly modern fantasy.

SO what are we doing for system? Well 4e D&D. We have 5 PCs (Only 4 where able to make character gen night tonight) and here is what we have:

Artaficer: He is a White COuncle low level wizard. He owns an old junk yard, and his staff is one of those large iron pry bars...

Warlock: He is a WHite COuncle low level wizard who was born in money... he is a bit of a dilatante...

Cleric: He is an Archivast for the order that backs up the Knights of the Cross, and he owns a old book store in town

Paliden: He is a hopeful fut weilder of a Sword of power...he is a private eye, and the more physical side to the above cleric

So far we have only had to do minor refluffing so it looks good. I have hit one snear though... the Arcane PCs want to know how expensive makeing magic items are (If you read the dresden books he always says it is) and I have to do a $ to gp conversion here...

but other then that so far so good...

 

[Rechan]

4e may be able to handle the Evocation portion, but not the Thamutergy. For instance, there's nothing in 4e that says "So, you got dude's hair. You can nuke his face."

There is someone building the 4e Modern system on a blog. But I can't seem to find it.

 

[Nightson]

Well, rituals provide a framework although obviously it would need to be tweaked.

 

[brainstorm]

Hey, I was going to try this myself. When I started giving it some thought, I got hung up on how to stat-up modern weaponry, so I put it on the back-burner. Let us know how your game goes, especially if you write-up any game material.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

4e may be able to handle the Evocation portion, but not the Thamutergy. For instance, there's nothing in 4e that says "So, you got dude's hair. You can nuke his face."

I am working on a bunch of new (Limited to this setting) rits for that... and am allowing alot a free form.

Hey, I was going to try this myself. When I started giving it some thought, I got hung up on how to stat-up modern weaponry, so I put it on the back-burner. Let us know how your game goes, especially if you write-up any game material.

well I cheated on the modern weapons...

the cleric has a 'mace' that is an allumnum base ball bat, and I used the bow/ cross bows for guns...

Light Pistol +2 1d6 10/20 2 lb.
Low power Rifle +2 1d8 15/30 4 lb.
Semi Auto Rifle +2 1d10 20/40 3 lb.

you may recognize the two crossbows and long bow that had the names filed off...

I am going through the compandiaum later today for cops, mooks, and some bad guys for game 1... I will let you know.

 

[Rechan]

Another thing.

In the DF books, it gives the impression things are a whole lot grittier. Generally, "If it got its claws on me, I'd be toast".

So what you might do is reduce the amount of healing surges folks have dramatically, and have fewer fights.

OR, you could only allow one Rest per Adventure. This way, it's not only more dramatic (You get your one super move spotlight time per book), and it lets you draw out the healing surges.

As a side note, just FYI, the Dresden Files RPG is coming out (supposedly) at Origins.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Another thing.

In the DF books, it gives the impression things are a whole lot grittier. Generally, "If it got its claws on me, I'd be toast".

So what you might do is reduce the amount of healing surges folks have dramatically, and have fewer fights.

OR, you could only allow one Rest per Adventure. This way, it's not only more dramatic (You get your one super move spotlight time per book), and it lets you draw out the healing surges.

I assume just more often then not harry doesn't get extended rests mid adventure... and that is how I plan to play it after like level 3 or so, but I wanted to start out small...

As a side note, just FYI, the Dresden Files RPG is coming out (supposedly) at Origins.

we discused that after we did all this, but this really started as just a d20 modern game that well throwing around idea's it kinda morphed into this...

 

[UngainlyTitan]

For modern firearms I would also allow a suppression power for any automatics and also usable as a party power if several character work together.

Basically a ranged burst effect that attacks will, does no damage but immobilses the bad guys for a round.

 

[Herobizkit]

Hey, I was going to try this myself. When I started giving it some thought, I got hung up on how to stat-up modern weaponry, so I put it on the back-burner. Let us know how your game goes, especially if you write-up any game material.

Light Pistol +2 1d6 10/20 2 lb.
Low power Rifle +2 1d8 15/30 4 lb.
Semi Auto Rifle +2 1d10 20/40 3 lb.

This could be just me, but it seems like the basic weapon damage for most of the standard 4e weapons got a die upgrade from their 3e counterparts. If I were DM, that's prolly what I would do with modern firearms, too:

2d4 -> 2d6 -> 2d8 -> 2d10 -> 2d12

I'd cap damage at 2d12 since the only two weapons in Core d20M that do this damage are a .50 cal sniper rifle and a heavy machine gun, both of which likely wouldn't see a lot of action in a Dresden-style game. If you want real lethality, introduce "exploding dice" to the mix: if you roll max on a damage die, you re-roll it and add it to the total.

4e is designed to be a combat game, so the 4e classes as-is are also built with that design in mind - they take a lot of abuse, have many ways to easily recover damage, and have abilities that just don't run out, ever. You may want to keep combat to a minimum (but increase the amount of skill challenges), or find a way to make PCs more fragile.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

This could be just me, but it seems like the basic weapon damage for most of the standard 4e weapons got a die upgrade from their 3e counterparts. If I were DM, that's prolly what I would do with modern firearms, too:

2d4 -> 2d6 -> 2d8 -> 2d10 -> 2d12

keep in mind 4e has X[w] attacks... so a 1d6 pistol on a 2[w] encounter power i already 2d6+stat, where as a high level sniper with a 3 or 4 w power could throw

(Sniper rifle d12) 4d12+9 (+5 dex+2 focus+2 magic) witch is way more then modern every had,,,