d20 Modern OR Spycraft

[Aopy]

Hello there,

The group that I currently play D&D with is getting a little bored playing the regular fantasy RPG. I was considering running a new campaign based in today's reality. I was thinking about a small squad based (to facilitate the number of players) mercanary group that would travel the world basically doing "missions". I envision the squad like the A-Team without all the cheese!

Anyway - I was wondering what system would be better equipped for this reality type campaign. d20 Modern or Spycraft? I have never really looked at d20 modern and was wondering if it can handle a no magic type of campaign?

Responses would be greatly appreciated along with reasons why one or the other is better suited.

Thanx.

 

[Starglim]

To me, d20 Modern is suited to a game starting with average people, such as uni students or random bystanders. It was the ideal system for Shadow Chasers when it first came out, and I'm forced to admit (as an Alternity GM) that it does all right for Dark.Matter.

Spycraft is much better suited for the A-Team, in fact at least partly written for the series. The budget/gadget point system assumes a support base, maybe an office somewhere or a wealthy backer. Even Martin Blank's secretary would be enough backing to run it.


edit: No problem at all running d20 Modern without magic. Urban Arcana is obviously not the best sourcebook for such a campaign, though.

 

[Dana_Jorgensen]

D20 Modern is the choice to make. Why? Better support. While WotC has produced a mere 4 books for the game system (plus about a dozen free advantures), D20 Modern has massive third party support, with a total of more than 100 available products on the market.

 

[C. Baize]

I actually have to AGREE with Dana, here.
D20 Modern and a supplement called Blood and Guts: American Military would be perfect.

 

[ddougan]

Anyway - I was wondering what system would be better equipped for this reality type campaign. d20 Modern or Spycraft? I have never really looked at d20 modern and was wondering if it can handle a no magic type of campaign?

For me, its Spycraft all the way.

D20 Modern can easily handle no-magic type of campaign, but Spycraft just does the A-Team/Mercenary game better (ie more realism, better modelling of the genre). Make sure you pick up the Modern Arms Guide for Spycraft though.

In D20 Modern, all your guns are basically the same. In Spycraft, your players will have favourite weapons - not just because they look cool, but because of their stats (not that there are clear weapons better than others - but because some players will want extra damage, or improved crit range, or suppressed weapons etc).

Also, Spycraft has that bit of added threat in the form of Vitality/Wounds (rather than the straight Hit Points that D20 Modern uses). Although I do use a home-brew variant of this, with vitality assigned to individual hit locations (armour provides no defence bonus - its Damage Reduction only, and obviously only applies to the locations the armour is worn in - helmets = head, kevlar vest = chest + abdomen etc).

Plus, Spycraft comes with a host of gadget equipment out-of-the-box.

The only downside is Spycraft isnt OGL, so you'll need another book (DnD Players Guide or D20 Modern) as well.

D20 Modern is a fun game, but for what you are after, you'll want Spycraft (in my opinion). In any case, since Spycraft is D20 System (rather than OGL), you'll need a WOTC Core Rule book - so you may as well by D20 Modern + Spycraft (and pick and choose any extras from D20 Modern you want).

 

[Breakdaddy]

I'm running a modern day special operations military style campaign right now. I use D20 Modern with Blood & Guts: Modern Military and the Big Bang series of firearms and have gotten a really nice and fairly "realistic" game out of it with only minor tweaks. I love spycraft, but for this type of campaign, my votes with D20 Modern.

 

[PCD]

Modern is pretty darn good. I'd say that it is the best D20 product out there to date...though Spycraft comes in a very close second. So, mix the two and have the best of both worlds.

 

[trancejeremy]

I would vote spycraft.

I like how it handles guns better (making them different, and giving them some special abilities, rather than treating them just about all the same in d20), I like how it handles damage (the VP/WP system), I like how it handles combat in general. Much better than d20 Modern, IMHO.

I really wish AEG would put out a more generic version of Spycraft, one with more generic classes. As it is, if you want to play something other than a spy game or A-team thing, you woul dhave to create several new classes. Which is tricky.

 

[Breakdaddy]

I like how it handles damage (the VP/WP system)

I would agree with this, which is why I use UA's alternate wound/vitality system.
As for your other argument about weapon damage, Im not going to disagree there either, however when using the proper supplements (ie Big Bang and even Full Auto) that becomes a minimal issue due to newer and grittier alternate rules we have implemented. Then you add B&G: MM and you have a group with a marine sniper, marine force recon, navy seal, and army green beret who now do black ops for the NSA. Its worked nicely for us! YMMV.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I would vote spycraft.

I like how it handles guns better (making them different, and giving them some special abilities, rather than treating them just about all the same in d20), I like how it handles damage (the VP/WP system), I like how it handles combat in general. Much better than d20 Modern, IMHO.

I really wish AEG would put out a more generic version of Spycraft, one with more generic classes. As it is, if you want to play something other than a spy game or A-team thing, you woul dhave to create several new classes. Which is tricky.

TJ's post pretty much sums up my opinion. I love Spycraft (and will shortly be running a game along the lines of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six...maybe we should compare notes in Email)