Anyone know when D20 Modern/Future Might Be Out?

I'd buy a 4e if it looked less like 4e and more like the current d20Modern with the following incorporated:
- more Occupations and have them provide a few bonus ranks (like Modern20)
- more talent trees and some tweaks to the existing talents
- more skill points
- fixes automatic weapon fire
- Action Points work like M&M Hero Points
- Blood and Fists martial arts and ki fx
- Psychic Handbook for fx Mental Powers
- Elements of Magic: Mythic Earth for magic fx
- Foe Factory: Modern for GM ease of NPCs
- Hot Pursuit style chase mechanics
- Star Wars Condition Track or M&M Damage like Save.
- Limited 4e influence to the following
---- 4e unified save progression
---- Save as Defense
---- Skill challenges
 

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While I'm not a fan of the changes to D&D, the basic system itself sounds pretty decent and am interested in it for a Modern or Future game. Has Wizards discussed anything about their plans for Modern/Future d20?
Chris Perkins mentioned in a GRZ video interview that a new d20M is on the radar, but the current priority is D&D. No surprise there.

Pure speculation on my part: d20M 2e in 2010.
 



I'd buy a 4e if it looked less like 4e and more like the current d20Modern with the following incorporated:
- more Occupations and have them provide a few bonus ranks (like Modern20)
- more talent trees and some tweaks to the existing talents
- more skill points
- fixes automatic weapon fire
- Action Points work like M&M Hero Points
- Blood and Fists martial arts and ki fx
- Psychic Handbook for fx Mental Powers
- Elements of Magic: Mythic Earth for magic fx
- Foe Factory: Modern for GM ease of NPCs
- Hot Pursuit style chase mechanics
- Star Wars Condition Track or M&M Damage like Save.
- Limited 4e influence to the following
---- 4e unified save progression
---- Save as Defense
---- Skill challenges

Why, oh why can I never get you to sign up to one of the Decades Cycle games ;).

These are almost all of the issues which I believe have been 'resolved' by 3rd parties (though, of course, autofire skill needs some tweaks [to my eyes, without seeing a decent 'fix'])... the issue with skill points, I have found, can actually be resolved by the combining of skills similar to 4e, and I would love to figure out a way to really make the Condition Track work in my own games . . . but I don't have the book to work with to make the fixes 'on the ground'.

In all, this is the type of Modern I would love to see, and the type which most people gripe about being the 'necessary' fixes to Modern (i.e. lack of magic beyond 5th level, wonky martial arts rules, etc.) which can be resolved through some of the wonderful 3rd party materials present in the arena.

Things which, if the GSL continues as it will, will most likely disappear into the ether or be resolved through bad campaign books such as the horror which is d20 Past (though, begrudgingly, Cyberscape wasn't as bad as it could have been ;).)

Slainte,

-Loonook.
 

Or at least imply that we aren't likely to get an official announcement anytime soon. I'd guess that late spring would be the earliest that we might get an announcement and that an announcement at GenCon is more likely (and you might do better betting that we won't even get word then).

I think that a new edition of d20M based on SWSE would have the potential to capture a prominent role in the market as a generic rules set. 4e is great for the epic fantasy that D&D is known for. But, I just don't see how it could translate to flexible rule set in the way that d20M was intended to support a wide range of genres, if not styles of play. A new version of d20M would give Wizards a chance to recapture interest in d20 for other genres.

I think it will but and if, and then if it will be much later down the road. DDI seems to have taken control, and the GSL revision is still on the back burner, and Scott Rouse is having to light a fire under OBS to get the errata versions of the PDFs out as well the designers trying to get the announced D&D books themselves out.

So it does wing the door both way, just we don't yet know which way is safe to enter the door.

I doubt they would can it, but wouldn't put it past them since they are currently focusing on D&D and Magic to delay it for as long as possible in the hopes it survives via OGL.

was the modern that bad that it needed 4th edition anyway?
 

was the modern that bad that it needed 4th edition anyway?
I, for one, am in love enough with the changes to 4e that I would like to see a new d20M that incorporated them. It would definitely increase the likelihood that my group would actually play some d20M.
 

Look at the range of d20M products on RPGnow: Pulp, SF, Military, Western/Victorian, Cyberpunk, Supers, Spies, Mecha, and more. I just don't see that a d20M 4e would be flexible enough to support that wide a range of genres and play styles.
d20M PHB = Urban Arcana (swords and sorcery in today's times); d20M PHB2 = d20 Future (psychic knights wielding energy blades take on giant humanoid-shaped tanks).

IMO, 4e as is doesn't really support a "normal", realistic campaign. Then again, many might say D20 (or more specifically, the d20 mechanic) simply doesn't work for skill-centric modern games. I tend to agree. But I still love d20M.
 

IMO, 4e as is doesn't really support a "normal", realistic campaign. Then again, many might say D20 (or more specifically, the d20 mechanic) simply doesn't work for skill-centric modern games. I tend to agree. But I still love d20M.
I don't see anything so functionally different between 3.5 and 4e that would in any way change what genres a revised d20M could "support". E.g., I don't see how using 4e-style defenses instead of 3e-style saves would make any difference whatsoever in terms of genre.

I'm also not sure why rolling a d20 would make any difference in terms of "skill-centric modern games". I mean, Spycraft 2.0, anyone? :cool:
 

I, for one, am in love enough with the changes to 4e that I would like to see a new d20M that incorporated them. It would definitely increase the likelihood that my group would actually play some d20M.

I think the main problem is that the d20 system is dead. So you wouldn't see a d20 modern for 4th because that would give that name and the STL existence still meaning.

They would need to name it something else to accommodate 4th edition rules and distance from the d20 wouldn't they?

I have no problem with them making it, but they probably have to design everything specifically for it as the powers won't just translate over so easily.

I would wager a whole new game with 4th edition concepts and design in mind if modern or future got new editions.
 

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