Alternate RPG system recommendations sought for Eberron campaign

[buzz]

I guess I am rather predictable. I do try to confine those recommendations to when I have stuff pertinent to the topic.

Spread the HERO-love, baby!

 

[arscott]

How well would d20 Modern work in Eberron?

Not that well for your purposes, I'm afraid. I'm usually a champion of d20 Modern, but it's essentially the reverse of what you want

1) Tightly themed PCs whose range of abilities doesn't diversify significantly over the course of the campaign.

Modern's Basic/Advanced class model emphasized flexability and multi-classing over the more archetype-specific D&D classes

2) Less death-centric than D&D - I want PCs and NPCs to survive.

D20 Modern's Massive Damage rules mean that characters drop (but don't necessarily die) more quickly than their D&D eqivalents. Modern characters also tend towards mid-range hp (very few classes have d10 or d12 hp, and none have d4).

3) PCs that have the ability to keep adventuring all day long. Abilities usable as many times as they need, and fairly quick recovery times.

Most abilities are either per day or require the expenditure of action points. Spellcasting is essentially the same but three levels lower that D&D classes. Non-magical medicine is much slower and less effective at restoring characters than clerical magic.

4) Fast-paced, straightforward, and exciting combat. No effects that require 5 minutes to resolve.

Generally, the rules aren't different enough from D&D to speed up combat. Fewer spells and magic items can lead to slightly less complex combats, but that seems to defeat the purpose of eberron.

 

[blargney the second]

Thanks for the heads-up, arscott.

I've had a chance to have a boo at Iron Heroes, and it's pretty close to what I'm looking for. I'm not very familiar with the stuff in Unearthed Arcana - are there any variant rules in there that would accomplish what I'm looking for?

 

[Nomad4life]

Another voice for True20.

 

[blargney the second]

Hmm. True20 and Savage Worlds both have death spirals. How well does that mesh with my initial requirements?

1) Tightly themed PCs whose range of abilities doesn't diversify significantly over the course of the campaign.
2) Less death-centric than D&D - I want PCs and NPCs to survive.
3) PCs that have the ability to keep adventuring all day long. Abilities usable as many times as they need, and fairly quick recovery times.
4) Fast-paced, straightforward, and exciting combat. No effects that require 5 minutes to resolve.

Do death spirals help, hinder, or have no effect on those goals?
-blarg