Adventure - Trinity, Aberrant, etc

[Ranger REG]

Its sounds more like d20 Modern Talent trees to me.

 

[Von Ether]

IOW, will d20 gamers embrace this new game as much as they would embrace Mutants & Masterminds? Can't really make a prediction or wager off the cuff.

I can only speak for myself, but after looking at the one and only Preview PDF, I'm not really excited for the product. For now, I'm taking a conservative "wait-n-see" attitude.

For the record, I love MnM, but I found that with my play style and the players I get, I need something where I don't have to use such a strong hand.

"I know you said that in the rules there's nothing saying you can't take 14 feats. And I am telling here is such a rule, the one that says it's my call. Why do I find it unbalacing? I told you five times. You don't have to play in my game, you can leave ..." etc.

 

[Karanov]

Its sounds more like d20 Modern Talent trees to me.

Having read up on the Talent Trees from D20 Modern (in the SRD) I can confidently say that the only thing in common between the Background Feats and the Talent Trees is that you sometimes need to take one Talent/Feat before you can take the 'next' one (not unlike Feats like Power Attack, Cleave and Greater Cleave). Other than that Background Feats are not class based, although some classes do gain bonus Background Feats. And you can take a Background Feat as a normal Feat. In effect they are completely indistinguishable from other Feats other that they can sometimes be taken as bonus Feats by some classes.

The Knacks on the other hand function more like Talent Trees. That is a character with the Psychic or Superhuman Template gains a Knack when it receives the Template and one additional Knack every 3 levels there after. Difference being that you need to take additional 'racial levels' in the appropriate Template to be able to take a higher level Knack (there are 3 levels of Knacks in total). Also, you can pospone taking a Knack till your character gains access to higher level Knacks... at which time you can take a Knack of that level. Knacks function more like a power-point based spells than anything else, though.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, I got a first glance (literally, so don't ask me detailed questions) at Adventure! d20 rulebook. And I have to admit, it's much like the original Pulp Heroes mini-game ... but expanded. Like d20 Modern, the standard core classes are only 10 levels (there is an optional rule where you can advance beyond 10 level -- and go 20 levels -- in a core class, if your DM allow it), but that's the only difference. The core class is based on the more common archetypal figures you find in a pulp story universe: scoundrel, warrior, scientist, aristocrat, etc.

It also has prestige classes: disciple, barbarian, spy, mercenary, etc.

The skills and feats are a combination of d20 and d20 Modern elements, with a few changes. Don't worry if you only have the Player's Handbook as most of the relevant d20 Modern skills and feats are printed in the Adventure! book. d20 Modern owners will just have to ... uh, endure the ink and pages devoted to them.

Sorry, that's all I have for first glance. But where I was skeptical before, I'm now impressed with the package that White Wolf/Sword & Sorcery have offered.

Oh, I almost forgot. The hardcover rulebook is priced at about $35 (US).

 

[mhacdebhandia]

One of my favourite features of d20 Adventure! is that you can run a very pulp-flavoured game without even thinking about the Inspired, because the base classes are very well-written and flavourful.

The d20 template mechanic is an intuitive analogue for the transformational process common in Storyteller games. The association of short classes with the templates is an excellent choice.

It's very, very cool. Plus it has a Minion template - how can you go past that?

 

[Longshadow]

Is there anyone else out there who's got the Adventure D20 book yet who's found how youplay a pilot? Okay, there's the Ace PrC, but none of the base classes have Pilot as a class skill? How do you qualify for it? At 10 ranks toget in you couldn't get into it until 18th level!!

Am I just missing something? Is there a feat or something that give you access to it Pilot as a class skill??

Ben

According to comments by the developer, that's one for the errata. Aristocrat and Warrior should both have it as class skills. Oh, and BTW, Superhuman has it as a class skill IIRC -- Go figger.

 

[Unseelie]

Still working my way through D20 Adventure but I think they made a mistake by making it a D20 rather than a D20M game. Using the 6 base classes from D20M would have made a lot more sense than saying 'use the PBH, but use our classes instead'.

That having been said, making inspiration a template? Pure genius!

I'll finish reading through the system stuff and try a 1 shot before I tweak it, but my gut says that following in the steps of D20M or perhaps making it OGL and taking the M&M approach (1 class) would have been better.

 

[Von Ether]

Personally, I think what will make d20 Aberrant work will be if the Inspiration rules carry over. The dramatic rules AND super powers should do the trick.

 

[Ranger REG]

Still working my way through D20 Adventure but I think they made a mistake by making it a D20 rather than a D20M game. Using the 6 base classes from D20M would have made a lot more sense than saying 'use the PBH, but use our classes instead'.

Perhaps, but unfortunately, there are more Player's Handbook owners out there than d20 Modern owners. The business gotta go where the audience is much larger.

I'll finish reading through the system stuff and try a 1 shot before I tweak it, but my gut says that following in the steps of D20M or perhaps making it OGL and taking the M&M approach (1 class) would have been better.

Hmm. Then again, there are others who believe that this is the best course. I believe the webmaster for Thrilling Adventures would like this format since he is a fan of the original Pulp Heroes mini-game (Dungeon #90) and not a fan of the d20 Modern adaptation (Dungeon #102).