D20 Future Q&A With Rodney "Moridin" Thompson and JD Wiker!!

[The_Universe]

Cut or not, d20 future is the most inspiring thing I've read in some time. Fantastic work, guys. I'm sorry that more of the original text didn't make it in.

I noticed that there is a table missing from the last chapter (table 13-5, I think.) I haven't yet gone over this thread in detail; if you haven't yet done so, could you please give us the missing details for the weapons in question? Thanks!

Here here!

 

[theRogueRooster]

Although no one would doubt that there could have been more in the book, as someone who has purchased it, I can say with some certainty that it is definitely worth owning.

I completely agree. Although it's pretty clear I'm underwhelmed by what is left of the starship chapter, the rest of the book is really good. Really, really good. I particularly like the Gadget and Mecha rules.

I think that a lot of folks, myself included, have a pet aspect of sci-fi that they'd like to see "just so." It's our precious. For some it's mecha, for others it's cybernetics. For me, it's starships. In hindsight, there's just no way that every aspect of sci-fi could be covered as indepth as everyone would like in the page count available.

Don't let one aspect of D20 Future that some find lacking keep you away from the other material that is worth the price of the book. And keep your fingers crossed that Wizards finds it in their heart to release a web enhancement for this book. Lots and lots of web enhancements.

-tRR

 

[FolcoTook]

I think that a lot of folks, myself included, have a pet aspect of sci-fi that they'd like to see "just so." It's our precious.

Yes! I think that hits it exactly. And I will "house rule" the parts that are too near and dear to me (using the existing rules as a guideline), but the rest will work for me just fine as is.

That said, I'd still love a web enhancement on starships.

-FT

 

[Katowice]

Maybe they could include the "expanded" starship rules in the d20Future SRD.

 

[Acid_crash]

Okay okay, you guys win...I'll check the book out when I see it and make a final decision at that point to either buy it or chuck it. I do apologize for my earlier comments, I was just bummed about what I was reading. I shouldn't let that stop me from checking the book out and deciding if I would find it useful or not.

 

[trancejeremy]

Okay okay, you guys win...I'll check the book out when I see it and make a final decision at that point to either buy it or chuck it. I do apologize for my earlier comments, I was just bummed about what I was reading. I shouldn't let that stop me from checking the book out and deciding if I would find it useful or not.

While I'm not saying you shouldn't buy the book, I would strongly suggest you get it online at a large discount.

Why? Well, let me plug a draft of a review of d20 Future which sums up my likes and dislikes of the book.

http://www.geocities.com/nofrills_reviews/d20future.htm

 

[Peterson]

Questions?

Oh, I have questions - lots and lots of questions.

Unfortunately, until I really get a chance to read this book and digest its contents, I'm not going to post any of them.

However, I need to express something - something I just need to get off my chest before I start trolling on the 3.5 WotC boards.

I love D20 Future. I love D20 Modern. The folks who have wrote these two books (along with Menace Manual, Weapons Locker, Urban Arcana, and any others I may have missed) have done an excellent job.

D20 Future - in my simple opinion - is worth far more than I paid for it (full book price), primarily because it was a tool kit and not a campaign setting. While I would love to see WotC (and 3rd party companies!) come out with dedicated Campaign Settings, I'm very happy that they didn't try to "force" their idea of a Sci-Fi setting down my throat the first time out. Immensely happy.

The way the book was formatted, the artwork, the mechanics - all very well done. Maybe not the way I would have done it, but darn it all - very well done and definately something to work with. I love that the book can be used as a "basis" for the things I want to do in Sci-Fi games.

Finally, despite all rumors (or truths) that WotC will (or will not) support D20 Future, we have to realize and appreciate that we have two of the writers here, answering our questions and listening to our compliants. A better form of Customer Service I really couldn't imagine (save maybe for tons of free stuff! but that's just greedy).

My extreme thanks to JD and Rodney for taking non-paying time out of their busy, and professional, lives to give us - the customers and (speaking for myself here) fanboys - a chance to give first-hand feedback and get our "near-as-possible official" answers.

Just speaking my mind - not trying to step on toes.

Peterson

 

[JDWiker]

A quote from that review:

One thing that irked me, is that a sidebar takes a cheap shot at Isaac Asimov's 3 laws of robotics. It says they are simplistic and not realistic, maybe so, but it doesn't provide any evidence to back that assertion up. Plus, it fails to mention that they were essentially a literary device - pretty much all of his robot stories are either based on them, either being experiments in logic (figuring out just how his robots would obey this laws) or actually pointing out the problems in the laws (by robots acting weird). The ideas it suggests are even sillier - giving robots a sense of morality.

"Cheap shot?"

Looks like I trod on someone's sacred cow.

JD Wiker

 

[Olive]

Ack, sorry, I missed this one.

There are two ways you can approach it. If you are talking about purchasing the templated ship from scratch, you can simply purchase all the components of the ship, including the upgaded ones. If you're applying the template's upgrades to an existing ship, however, you need only make Wealth checks on the individual components being upgraded.

The other option is to take each component, convert it to a dollar value, total that up, and then convert back to a Purchase DC.

Ok. So what about components like the covert cargo space on your Dagger-class template from Dungeon?

While you're looking at ones you missed, it would eb great if you could answer my questions about plus feats and advanced class BaBs as well. Thanks, I really appreciate all of the work you guys are doing in the thread...

"Cheap shot?"

Looks like I trod on someone's sacred cow.

Especially since you basically do admit that they were a literary device...

Anyway, like everyone else, I love the book. The sticking point is that the campaign I want to run involves the PCs being hired onto a small smuggler, and, after a few adventures, taking the ship over. I'm finding the process of stating the ship up a frustrating one...

The first 3rd party publisher that puts out a good book on starship construction and combat is going to have it sell like hotcakes!

 

[JDWiker]

Okay, That's Me

I'm off to Gen Con in the morning, so you won't be seeing responses to posts until at least next Thursday, maybe next Friday.

Hope to see some of you there! If you're in attendance, drop by the Green Ronin booth (where I'll be, most of the time) and say hello.

JD