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

[LuisCarlos17f]

If you can't use the same classes and subclasses then it is not the standard D&D.

For example you could play a campaign like the videogame "Dead Island" where barbarians and monks could be an useful class, but if the most of encounters are shootings with firearms then it can't be D&D. But the things could be necessary if some monsters or enemies can't be hurt by ballistic damage and then these have to be defeated in the old style.

Duskmourn(Magic: the Gathering) could be played like a D&D setting because there aren't firearms or these can't be found easily. "Outlaws of Thunder Juction" is fantasy far-west but the firearms are magic instead gunpowder. New Capenna has got "machine guns" but these are practically reskinned magic-wands.

In Final Fantasy you can stop bullets with your weapons but never it wanted to be "low fantasy" like "Game of Thrones" or "the Witcher".

A D&D version of "Gamma World" would be possible with the standard classes instead a new list if the firearms aren't too easy to be earned or found.

If you need a special or exclusive list of classes then it can't be the D&D we know but more a d20 Modern 2.0.

 

[Reynard]

The lethality of firearms is not a function of genre,it is a function of tone. Firearms don't have to be any more lethal than swords are in D&D to make sense within the action adventure tropes that drive the game.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

The elephant (dragon?) in the room with using D&D for modern world is always going to be firearms for me. It's not just an issue with D&D, a fair number of TV shows with super-hero related or "modern ninja" themes that rely heavily on hand-to-hand combat have to figure out why the protagonist isn't just shot dead by the bad guys. So either the bad guys are really, really bad shots or for some reason they decide to use their AR as a club.

...or we can go the video game route and just ignore it.
why can blazkowics take dozens of 9mm and 8mm kurz rounds without dying? because he's a bad motherf-er, that's why. why does ulysses take so much punishment before dying? because he's a tough bastard, that's why. you don't really have to overthink it.

Gunpowder doesn't exist or if it does it's easily hexed to misfire so firearms aren't really a thing. You could still have bit artillery pieces or very expensive firearms that are warded against the hexes but those are going to be rare.

this is utterly untenable for a properly contemporary setting. i shouldn't need to explain why.

Even if you want to do truly modern game, I'd make guns finesse weapons. A high caliber weapon or shotgun will have quite a kick and will be better controlled by someone with a decent strength. I want strength based characters to still be a valid option.

im redesigning zeitgeist firearms to be closer to the late victorian age (revolvers, lever actions, etc) and i basically ended up doing this. most rifles and pistols are still dex only, but shotguns can use either (blast through the recoil or time your shots and accept your cartoonish fate), and certain heavy weapons like elephant guns or early machind guns force strength unless you lay them on something.

 

[Remathilis]

More asking for clarification.

You're describing a not D&D setting using D&D rules.

I saw it as a D&D setting with different technology rules than the core book normally has. It has been argued that D&D can support settings with far lower technology (such as ancient Greece or Dark Sun) with minimal rewriting of the rules. This is the same idea in the opposite direction. And I would argue if D&D cannot support higher technology levels without extensive rewriting, I would say the same is true about those lower technology worlds as well.

If you want to still use D&D as is thats different. Its why I asked you about Phantasy Star. Very D&D low level high level starts branching into science fi.

I don't think level has anything to do with it. You can easily balance a fighter with a shotgun against a wizard with a wand of magic missiles (as much as D&D brothers to balance either).

Youre talking about going further than Eberron and Spelljammer? Ive been reading both recently and the DMG has antimatter rifles.

Yeah the premise is a world what would not look unlike our own save for magic and fantasy elements.

Complete rewrites essentially pointless as no one here will write it snd neither will WotC. How far do you want to go and is it essentially theory crafting? Thats what I'm asking.

This whole post is a "how could this be done" theory craft. I don't wager op is soliciting feedback for an actual project at this time.

 

[Zardnaar]

I saw it as a D&D setting with different technology rules than the core book normally has. It has been argued that D&D can support settings with far lower technology (such as ancient Greece or Dark Sun) with minimal rewriting of the rules. This is the same idea in the opposite direction. And I would argue if D&D cannot support higher technology levels without extensive rewriting, I would say the same is true about those lower technology worlds as well.


I don't think level has anything to do with it. You can easily balance a fighter with a shotgun against a wizard with a wand of magic missiles (as much as D&D brothers to balance either).

Yeah the premise is a world what would not look unlike our own save for magic and fantasy elements.

This whole post is a "how could this be done" theory craft. I don't wager op is soliciting feedback for an actual project at this time.

Thats why I was asking them.

Guns aren't that much better than bows. Theyre equivalent to a +1 weapon.

More advanced ones roughly a rare magic item eg a vicious weapon.

Antimatter rifle is 8d6 damage per shot. Thats a lot. Not so good in an undead heavy campaign.

Advanced equipment for the most artis level 5 Generous DM with magic items.
Level 1-4 overpowered if common. 1 person could gave 1 i suppose of youre talking about balance. Everyone could if its a mundane gun.

Automatic rifles an advanced weapons are in DMG and you could import them from Star Wars Saga I suppose. A flametongue would outdamage a lightsabre which would be a finesse weapon 2d8 damage. Maybe not mix tech and magic. Here's my vicious heavy blaster (3d8+2d6 base).

Anti matter rifle thats a DM problem. Normal weapons could've treated as common magic items so energy bow is same as longbow but deals radiant damage.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Except in the areas of cybernetics, medicine, and internet interface. We still don't have fully functional prosthetics,

Sure we do. You aren’t very up to date.

for example, and a smart phone is no where near equivalent to a cyberdeck.

A smart phone is way more powerful than a 1989 cyberdeck in terms of of the range of things it can do. And it’s a lot smaller.

That’s the thing - modern technology is not familiar, it moves too quickly. The “familiar” world was the one we grew up in. Which would be the 80s or 90s for most of the people on this forum.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Modern weapons would be a thing, of course, and you would have to determine what counted as "simple" vs "martial" firearms, etc. There would also probably be some changes to the skill list, so deciding who was proficient in what would be necessary.

You would also prolly want to provide more ways to increase AC without significant armor. or just accept that a modern setting rewards dex even more.

 

[Zardnaar]

Sure we do. You aren’t very up to date.

A smart phone is way more powerful than a 1989 cyberdeck in terms of of the range of things it can do. And it’s a lot smaller.

That’s the thing - modern technology is not familiar, it moves to quickly. The “familiar” world was the one we grew up in. Which would be the 80s or 90s for most of the people on this forum.

We dot have cybernetic to the extent 1980s sci fi and Star Wars showed us.

We do have some advanced prosthetics. We dont have laser guns. Plasma guns, flying cars etc.
.

 

[AlViking]

...or we can go the video game route and just ignore it.
why can blazkowics take dozens of 9mm and 8mm kurz rounds without dying? because he's a bad motherf-er, that's why. why does ulysses take so much punishment before dying? because he's a tough bastard, that's why. you don't really have to overthink it.

People get shot at all the time in action movies and if they do get hit it's "merely a flesh wound" or solved by removing the bullet. Removing the bullet magically healing the wound really gets me - it's often better to leave it in.

this is utterly untenable for a properly contemporary setting. i shouldn't need to explain why.

Untenable for you, which is why I acknowledge it's not going to work for some people. I see no reason to limit the options by ignoring potential consequences of magic being real. You could also just say that saltpeter or some other ingredient simply doesn't exist.

im redesigning zeitgeist firearms to be closer to the late victorian age (revolvers, lever actions, etc) and i basically ended up doing this. most rifles and pistols are still dex only, but shotguns can use either (blast through the recoil or time your shots and accept your cartoonish fate), and certain heavy weapons like elephant guns or early machind guns force strength unless you lay them on something.

Like I said, up to 19th century I don't see much of a need to change much. Bows were replaced by crossbows and then firearms for quite some time not because they were better weapons but because they were easier to use.

 

[Tonguez]

Or you could make Guns v Magic a central pillar.

Obviously lightning and fireballs are gun killers, they make gunpowder explode, and metal weapons unusable.

At the sametime silver bullets are effective against werewolves and rock salt destroys ghosts, hags and fey.

Both sides start developing armour and countermeasures