'D&D' with True20 -- thoughts?

[Akrasia]

Well, True20 Fantasy Paths by Ronin Arts, is a PDF detailing how to re-create D&D archetypes (clerics, paladins, rogues, etc.) with True20, plus a slew of ready-to-use NPCs stat-blocks done after these templates. IMO: extremely useful to run a D&D campaign using True20...

Yeah, I have this and agree that it's a very useful tool. Those stat-blocks are well worth the money.

They made some odd choices IMO (including both an 'assassin' path and a 'rogue' path, but no 'druid' or 'monk' path). But that quibble aside, a very helpful Narrator aid!

 

[Karl Green]

Next Saturday I am planning on starting my True20, Iron Kingdoms – ‘the Witchfire Chronicles’ and I can’t wait. I still want to keep Sorcerers as they are kind of important in the Iron Kingdoms settings so my solution is that I am going to make saves vs. fatigue just normal Fortitude saves. It’s a bit harsh BUT I am thinking that instead of needing a roll for every power used in an hour period I might allow them to cast a number of time equal to their main attribute without requiring a check (INT for Wizards/Arcane Mechaniks, WIS for Clerics/Druids and Blackclads/Paladins, and CHA for Sorcerers/War Bards/Gun Mages)

I will probably dump the Wealth system also. I am running a Fading Suns game using True20 and in that game I am keeping the Wealth system BUT for a more ‘D&D’ feel I want to coins and stuff. So I don’t hate the Wealth system, it just has its place for some games (where I don’t really care how much ‘cash’ the characters have per say).

 

[iwatt]

I'm reluctant to use Wisdom as the stat on which powers are based, as that would encourage adepts to max out Wisdom (given that it is also important for fatigue saves).

I'm not sure that it is that uber, as long as you make skills more useful in your games. True 20 doesn't have that many powers that replace skills, so a higher int is more valuable. Your idea of using Cha as a bonus to Conviction also helps power up the Cha sorcerors. I'm (very slowly) writing up my rules for Fantasy True20, specifically for my upcoming True20 AoW conversion. You can find them here:

Iwatt's True20 HRs

The spelling is atrocious, and it's still in a very unfinished state. Notice that in the skill sections I've borrowed from Iron Heroes and given skills the ability to increase the save bonus as a standard action (concentration for Will and Acrobatics for Reflex). This can be changed to a move action by taking the fast completion challenge. So you ahve the following ways of avoiding fatigues:

Int Caster: Higher Concentration modifier
Wis Caster: Better Will Save
Cha Caster: More Conviction


I need a skill to increase Fort saves, but I can't think of one.

 

[Karl Green]

So you ahve the following ways of avoiding fatigues:

Int Caster: Higher Concentration modifier
Wis Caster: Better Will Save
Cha Caster: More Conviction

I need a skill to increase Fort saves, but I can't think of one.

I like this idea... I will have to play around with it myself a bit...

 

[Akrasia]

... Your idea of using Cha as a bonus to Conviction also helps power up the Cha sorcerors. ....

That would be a worry if I had CHA-based 'sorcerers' in my campaign. But I really loathe that class in 3e (it makes no sense, IMO), and so have no problem eliminating the concept of CHA-based casters altogether for my game. For now, I'm sticking with the idea that all adept powers are based on 'words of power' that are INT-based.

I agree that WIS-based casters might not be too unbalancing if players understand how important skills are, but I think that (for my own campaign, at least) I'll stick with INT as the Adept spellcasting stat.

 

[Nyaricus]

That would be a worry if I had CHA-based 'sorcerers' in my campaign.

What about using my suggestion, as above: Cha goes to Will saves, Priests get Wisdom-based spellcasting, and Mages get Intelligence-based spellcasting.

Personally, I am slowly adapting my games for Cha>Will and a few otehr (related) changed to the spell system. When you consider that Cha ni D&D is 'force of personality', you can easily make the connection that adding it to will saves (ie not letting yourself be changed by another, or what have you) makes th bridge from Wisdom>Will to Cha>Will. Hope that little bit helps, or makes you think, in any case

cheers,
--N

 

[iwatt]

That would be a worry if I had CHA-based 'sorcerers' in my campaign. But I really loathe that class in 3e (it makes no sense, IMO), and so have no problem eliminating the concept of CHA-based casters altogether for my game. For now, I'm sticking with the idea that all adept powers are based on 'words of power' that are INT-based.

Heh. Different strokes and all that. I like Cha based casting. If I were to limit things, I'd probably go with Cha divine and Int Arcane.

In Iron Hereos, I'd change around the Arcanits classes access to feat masteries depending on the casting stat (Wisdom= Lore, Int=Tactics, Cha=Social). I think I'll come up with some casting-stat feats to recreate these differences bewteen casting traditions.

 

[ZSutherland]

Geeze. Why all the hate for the Wealth system?

Personally, the inclusion of the Wealth system is why I left True20 on the shelf. I got burned by it badly in the one time I tried to run D20 Modern and have despised it ever since. I just won't purchase a product that uses it, no matter how easy it would be to fix it with house rules, because I want people to stop using it.

 

[ValhallaGH]

That would be a worry if I had CHA-based 'sorcerers' in my campaign. But I really loathe that class in 3e (it makes no sense, IMO),

Really, I always thought the concept made the most sense of all the casters.

"I trick the universe into doing things for me that it's not supposed to do, either by deception or raw force of will."
"I convicne the gods to change things the way I want them to."

Either one makes a lot more sense to me than "I logic out how to break reality".

Now, "I intuit the cracks in reality and how to make them bend to my will" is also accpetable.

So yeah, if I was going to drop any of them it would be Int-based followed by Wis-based.

 

[Wrathamon]

Personally, the inclusion of the Wealth system is why I left True20 on the shelf. I got burned by it badly in the one time I tried to run D20 Modern and have despised it ever since. I just won't purchase a product that uses it, no matter how easy it would be to fix it with house rules, because I want people to stop using it.

But, HOW did you get burned by it?