D&D 5E (2024) Building A Contemporary Fantasy Setting For 5.5E

[Corinnguard]

What exactly do you mean by this, because it sounds like you are describing Eberron and Ravnica? If you want to have internal combustion, automatic firearms, electrical power grids, mobile phones, computers etc, you are going to need rules for them.

A contemporary fantasy setting would probably just need to tweak the skills to include modern day uses of them. Maybe even add some skills. For instance, Level Up has an Engineering skill when dealing with mechanical devices and the math behind them.

 

[Minigiant]

The ruleset would have to shift to being more based around high powered ranged weapons.

"Contemporary " Fantasy has all of Tier 1 being super deadly.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A contemporary fantasy setting would probably just need to tweak the skills to include modern day uses of them. Maybe even add some skills. For instance, Level Up has an Engineering skill when dealing with mechanical devices and the math behind them.

Even that is getting out of “setting” territory and into D20 modern reboot.

But what about when your players say they want to play as a marksman or a hacker? You need new classes for that, fighter and artificer don’t cut it.

 

[Remathilis]

Even that is getting out of “setting” territory and into D20 modern reboot.

But what about when your players say they want to play as a marksman or a hacker? You need new classes for that, fighter and artificer don’t cut it.

Why don't they? A marksman isn't that different that Matt Mercer's gunslinger (adjusting for firearm technology differences) and a hacker would easily be an artificer subclass focusing on controlling technology (computers and robotics), assuming your not adding a Cyberpunk like hacking mini-game (please don't).

Though I would agree that D&D in the modern era would be full of anachronisms that would have to be accounted for. Akin to latter Final Fantasy games where Cloud can ride a motorcycle but still uses a greatsword or Tifa can block a security droid's bullets with her gauntlets.

If the intent was for "20th century Earth and then the fey come back style" world though, I would wager a dedicated system would be ideal.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A marksman isn't that different that Matt Mercer's gunslinger (adjusting for firearm technology differences) and a

Which would be a new core class, which would fall outside of the scope of a setting book. Also, that particular class uses frequent weapon jamming as a core mechanic, it’s not designed for modern firearms.

a hacker would easily be an artificer subclass focusing on controlling technology (computers and robotics), assuming your not adding a Cyberpunk like hacking mini-game (please don't

An artificer is a fundamentally magical class, with spells and spell slots etc in its core abilities. You couldn’t use it for a non-magical hacker or other tech-using specialist.

If you have a setting where technology and magic co-exist, you have to allow for characters who choose technology.

 

[Tonguez]

I liked the notion in Tim Powers On Stranger Tides that Magic was always real on Earth but had faded due to human use of Iron Tools. It thus meant that real scorcerers had to avoid contact with iron tools.
So in setting terms
1. Magic has always existed
2. Magic doesnt like metal (no armor)
3. With modern use of Plastics/Ceramics Magic is back again

 

[Remathilis]

Which would be a new core class, which would fall outside of the scale of a setting book. Also, that particular class uses frequent weapon jamming as a core mechanic, it’s not designed for modern firearms.

Mercers gunslinger is a fighter subclass. Your mixing it up with Mage Hand Press base class. And I'm not suggesting Mercer's subclass would be a perfect fit, only a template you could use to build a more modernistic fighter.

An artificer is a fundamentally magical class, with spells and spell slots etc in its core abilities. You couldn’t use it for a non-magical hacker or other tech-using specialist.

Nonmagical hackers sit at a computer and code. That's a skill check, maybe a feat, or possibly a background.

If you have a setting where technology and magic co-exist, you have to allow for characters who choose technology.

I could see it as analogous to psionics: a base class "master of technology" with other classes getting subclasses blending tech with their specialty (fighting, magic, etc). Assuming of course we're talking fantastical technology that matches the scope and power of magic ala Final Fantasy and not just a D&D wizard with a handgun and blue jeans.

 

[Brendan Byrd]

From my point of view:
1. Games run on a ruleset.
2. Settings run on logic.

So, if I were to attempt to create a setting using only the features offered by a ruleset, the first thing I would want to do is decide which aspects are “iconic” to the ruleset, and to what extent they are to be highlighted.

I’m not convinced that the canon 5.x ruleset has enough components to accommodate a contemporary RW type setting.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Nonmagical hackers sit at a computer and code. That's a skill check, maybe a feat, or possibly a background

Non-magical hackers go on jobs with their cyberdecks. To not allow tech-based characters to be adventurers is equivalent to banning any class that can’t cast spells from regular D&D.

Shadowrun shows how it can be done. It’s quite possible, but it’s a full game not a setting book.

 

[Remathilis]

Non-magical hackers go on jobs with their cyberdecks. To not allow tech-based characters to be adventurers is equivalent to banning any class that can’t cast spells from regular D&D.

Shadowrun shows how it can be done. It’s quite possible, but it’s a full game not a setting book.

Shadowrun is cyberpunk, not modernistic technology. I'm assuming that the op wanted D&D but the world resembles our modern level of technology, not a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid. The RPG world is lousy with those.