Combining D&D, SW, SpyCraft, Dragonstar, WoT, Rokugan, etc...

[SWAT]

Last night I ran a one-shot adventure based on an organization that recruits people from the thousands of universes (prime material planes) to basically fix problems here and there. The concept was to mix a whole bunch of D20 games. There was smoke para-genasi ninja-jedi, a bladeback divine bard, a half-minotaur fixer, and an ex-dragon-soulmech wild shaper. Any mechanics problems were basically ignored because it was a one-shot.

However, it went so well that I'm looking to turn into a campaign, but to do so with any level of satisfaction I need to smooth out all the bumps. The following issues seem the most important to me and I'd like to know what you all think:

- Hit points or wound and vitality points or something in the middle (adding your Con to your hit points?). Corollary: what do critical hits do?

- Armor: defense bonus, damage resistance or both? If only damage resistance, how would you add a magical bonus to armor?

- Class defense bonus: yes or no

- Weapon damage: should blasters and/or firearms have their damage lowered?

Keep in mind that there'll be an equal mix of technology and magic. Swords, blasters, automatic rifles, all potentially magical.

Thanks.

 

[Voneth]

My advice is to go with a d20 game system that handles multi genre stuff, such as MnM, SAS, or Dragonstar. Each game has it's strengths and weaknesses. Though I do know a guy who is currently running a DnD/d20 Traveller crossover.

From my impessions and what I have read:

MnM and SAS, I have heard varying reports about which system is easier to use. Since SAS still keeps classes, it may be more compatable with d20 stuff.

I run a MnM Farscape game, and though I had some conversions for monsters and weapons, the headaches of different rules for cyborgs, psionist and highly skill people are gone.

If you really perfer to keep you game close to it's sources (such as have a player play a WoT class instead of approximate it with a d20 supers system.) The Dragonstar maybe the universe you want to play.

Funny enough, Kevin Sembida, the guy who owns Paladium games says that most of his games were like that, a mixture of cyborgs and wizards.

 

[Blacksad]

I think that you'll should go with the D&D, Dragonstar, Rokugan rules, and that the Second World Sourcebook would adress all of the issue you might have by transplanting character from fantasy to modern setting (I do not have it, but it seems to be what you need from the review by Psion).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I strongly recommend to tone down high tech weapon damage - the "old school" characters might feel shafted when they compare their 1d8 points of damage of a medium size sword against a 3d8 Blaster Pistol from Starwars.

Wound Points: You won`t find a concensus here, though I believe many people like them. I don`t, and suggest to use standard hit points. (combined with the reduced weapon damage, there is no real need to have these extra points).

Damage Resistance from Armor: I recommend against it, it doesn`t work well in the D&D System. (Think of the smaller characters using weaker weapons)

Class Defense Bonus:
If Magic is available to everyone, I think you don`t need it really. Be careful though with D20 Modern Classes, it might be that they become weak without it. But this is hard to tell before you playtested it a few times

Oh, and did you ever play Torg? If not, try to get it (might be difficult) - it is worth it, and it mixes every genre and time you can imagine, in an excellent matter.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Severion]

>>- Hit points or wound and vitality points or something in the middle (adding your Con to your hit points?). Corollary: what do critical hits do?<<

I would use the VP/WP system here and have all crits do wound damage (no multiplier) Cure X spells would do d4's instead of d8

>>- Armor: defense bonus, damage resistance or both? If only damage resistance, how would you add a magical bonus to armor?<<

Armor does DR, but the Magic bonus aids in defence

>>- Class defense bonus: yes or no<<

I say; Yes

>>- Weapon damage: should blasters and/or firearms have their damage lowered?<<

I wouldn't, but thats just me. (my players would find ways past this problem)

 

[Lugh]

Personally, I'd pull out d20 Modern. It's designed to mix modern weapons with supernatural elements. I think it's your best jumping off point.

Personally, I'm heavily biased in favor of Spycraft. I just think it's the best balanced system out there. So, I would recommend class Defense bonuses, VP/WP, and armor doing damage reduction. But that's just my personal preference, I don't think they have any inherent benefit.

You should be aware that you WILL encounter balance problems. Each system is designed to be internally consistent, not necessarily to be plug-n-play. For instance, the power level of Swashbuckling Adventures is higher than standard D&D, because they removed much of the magical benefit. Similar with Spycraft. Giving these characters magic on top of their natural benefits will make them kick @$$ over standard D&D classes.

One alternative to lowering the damage of futuristic weapons is to disallow the enchanting of modern weapons. Simply rule that the power of magic interferes with the delicate structure of circuitry, leading to an unstable combination. You can then take that farther, so that magic missile can do extra damage to robots, if you want. This is generally the tactic I use, so that characters will tend to stay mostly within their own genre.

You should also be aware that this will likely be an expensive proposition for you, unless you are already used to buying a large number of d20 products. Your players will inevitably start looking for crazy combinations (Marilith triggerman? Illithid jedi?), and probably from books you don't own. You may want to start with a restricted set of rules sets, both for balance and for your wallet.

 

[SWAT]

Thanks a lot for the replies everyone. It's given me a lot of stuff to think about. A few replies of my own:

Severion, why change healing spells from d8 to d4? I don't see it...

Lugh, upon reflection, there's no way I can do a D&D magic level and a class defense bonus, so the latter will probably have to go, which means there probably won't be that much imbalance, though this will only really be seen during play...

How to handle hit points is still up in the air, as well as armor, though making it provide only damage reduction might lead to a Final Fantasy situation: almost everyone hits all the time.

One thing I've been thinking about weapons is that if a futuristic organization had agents that preferred melee weapons, it would probably give them the best: mercurial, diamond-edged or -tipped, etc... Even non-magical melee weapons could rival blasters... maybe.

And as for funds, there's no need to worry. I play at my university's games club, and we already have most of the resources I plan to use.

 

[jonrog1]

I'd advise to stick with the defense bonus. PC's either get their defense bonus OR their AC boost from armor. More in tune with the idea of lightly-armored characters leaping around, dodging blaster. Using it in my straight D&D group and it's working just fine.

Ideally that should be conbined with Armor DR, but I'm not using it and as I said, seems okay.

 

[SWAT]

Hmmmm... I actually hadn't thought of that. But couldn't this lead to a fighter with cool magical armor who wears it for most of his career... and then just stops. Unless you also give it DR... maybe. Furthermore, monks would become utterly untouchable... it would kinda be like a double defense bonus for them.

As for hit points, I've realized that I have no choice but to you regular D&D hit points. Why? Because the characters won't only be facing humanoids and such. When both a 1st or 15th level character is carrying a blaster rifle, vitality and wounds are fine. But when you can also face dragons, who can do more average damage than you Con, wound points and thus the straight to wound crit rule become much too deadly. Maybe I'll just give everyone bonus HP equal to their Con... at least then 1st level wizards could take a bullet...

 

[drothgery]

Well, you could convert all Fighters into WoT Armsmen, who get Armor Compatibility (and more skill points, though they lose a few bonus feats).