-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
d20 Modern Questions
- Thread starter molonel
- Start date
ValhallaGH
Explorer
I offer my apologies. That last post came off far harsher than I intended, especially considering that neither of those questions were actually directed at you, specifically, but at all those that have been replying to this thread since my first argument.Vigilance said:
Your courtesy is greatly appreciated, always, even if I do fail to make that clear.
Morgenstern
First Post
I tend to agree with Vigilance that a SEAL character shouldn't really achieve global domination until maybe 5-6th level, but it it is fun putting together 1st or 2nd level 'baby SEALs' that are easily recognizable as having been to the school if not necesarrily seasoned members.
For Spycraft 2.0, the skill list is shorter and skill points a little easier to come by, so a couple ranks in Athletics gives you a whole array of abilites like climbing, forced marches, and swimming. More bang for your ranks. You also choose your own weapon proficiencies in Spycraft, so you'll come out of the box with what you need without spending feats, and depending on class, may have enough left over to specialize in a weapon type at 1st level. [I'm thinking unarmed, handgun, rifle, and explosives. Add Tactical or Indirect if you plan on hauling around rockets or mortars. Some go in for edged weapons so they can do the deadly blur with a combat knife thing.]
Choosing an origin (think of it like your race in D&D) is a "pick one from colum A and one from colum B" exercise. For SEALs I favor:
Gifted Commando: You’re a natural prodigy, capable of amazing accomplishments in your particular field with military-grade training in low-intensity warfare and a knack for subtlety in battle.
• +2 to any 1 attribute, –2 to any 1 attribute.
• The lower of you Dexterity or Intelligence increases by 1. This bonus is applied after the attribute modifiers listed above. [You're a SEAL, no way either of those are dump stats]
• Choose 1 skill. This is always a class skill for you. Further, your result cap with this skill increases by 5 (maximum 60).
• Once per session, you may decrease the overland travel time of any 1 trip to 3/4 standard (rounded down).
• Choose 1 skill. Your threat range with checks made using this skill increases by 1. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at Career Levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. [Athletics? Survival? Tactics? You're gonna kick butt at something]
• Each time you gain ranks in the Tactics skill, you also gain an equal number of ranks in the Sneak skill (up to your maximum ranks in Sneak). [Soldier-based SEALs love this]
• Bonus Feat: Tactical Advantage. [you and your teammates all count double for determining who has numerical superiority in an encounter]
Navy Special Ops: You have served your country in a series of operations that will never be made know to the public.
• +2 to any, –2 to lower of Strength or Charisma.
• You gain the Profession (Military) skill focus. [All characters get a profession focus free at 1st level. you could grab a forte (double specialize) with this at 1st level and earn extra reputation for your missions ASAP]
• You gain the Explosives weapon proficiency.
• Once per session, you may decrease the overland travel time of any 1 trip to 3/4 standard (rounded down).
• At the start of each mission, you gain 6 skill points to assign until the end of the current mission. These ranks may only be used to improve your Athletics, Bureaucracy, Mechanics, or Survival skills. [flexible training available for every mission once you get your orders]
• You gain a +1 insight bonus with Sneak and Tactics checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at Career Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.
• You gain 4 additional skill points at Career Level 1, and 1 additional skill point for each Career Level gained thereafter. [training, training, and more training]
• Bonus Feat: Any Covert feat. (I suggest "Ambush Basics" or "Wolfpack Basics")
After that, the first level or two is really a question of which facet of SEAL-ness do you want to emphasize at the start of your career? Four of the twelve classes leap immediately to mind because of the class abilities they offer. Scout or Intruder are probably the most archetypical versions [the Stalker ability Scouts get at 1st level is bad(pause)a$$ for military types- perfectly coordinated assault entires and ambushes are both Tactics skill checks], but Soldier would give a great base for the camo-painted sniper sitting on overwatch with a .50 cal covering the front men
. A Pointman-SEAL makes for an outstaning team leader calling the shots. Even amongst SEALS there would be some specialization of roles, if you made a whole team each using a different class, the resulting synergies will rock the house. I've included the first 2 levels worth of abilities so you can see how the mixing and matching would work. Add in the feat all characters get at 1st level and all you need is a chalk time ! ("CQB Basics" FTW)
Intruder
The Intruder is the team’s “acquisitions expert.” He finds what’s needed, when it’s needed, through any means necessary. He’s also exceptionally skilled at breaking and entering, and adapting to unexpected situations, making him a team’s most effective stealth asset.
Attributes: No matter what path the Intruder pursues, Dexterity lies at the heart of his skill set. A larcenous career requires a high Wisdom score as well, while a focus on deal-making and gear acquisition demands a high Charisma.
Vitality: 1d8 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 3.
Class Skills
The Intruder’s class skills are Acrobatics, Athletics, Blend, Bluff, Drive, Electronics, Mechanics, Notice, Science, Search, Security, Sleight of Hand, Sneak, Streetwise, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (8 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Dexterous: You excel at activities requiring nimble fingers and precise eye-hand coordination. Each time you spend 1 action die to boost a Dexterity-based skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. a Level 1 Intruder’s bonus of 1d4 becomes 2d4).
Class Abilities
Gear Prep: You always seem to have the best tools for the job at hand. At Level 1, during the Intel Phase, you or any of your teammates may choose a number of mission gear picks equal to your starting action dice as if the mission’s Caliber were 1 higher. If the mission is Caliber V, you may instead choose the same number of additional Caliber I mission gear picks of any type.
Evasion I: You can escape many sources of immediate harm. At Level 2, whenever you aren’t flat-footed and may make a Reflex save to reduce the damage suffered from an attack or event (such as an explosion or successful grenade attack), you instead suffer no damage with a successful save.
Pointman
The Pointman rigorously cross-trains to obtain the insight necessary to enhance or assist his teammates’ endeavors. He’s the most flexible team member available, capable of adopting nearly any combination of character options, though not to the focused degree that many of his fellows can achieve.
Attributes: No single attribute is most important for the Pointman, though Charisma and Wisdom are key for most of his pre-set class skill uses. They often come into play when he interacts with other people — something a good Pointman does a lot.
Vitality: 1d10 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 4.
Class Skills
The Pointman’s class skills are Cultures, Drive, Notice, Profession, Science, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Generous: Your attention to team tactics allows you to supplement your colleagues’ successes and make up for their failings. So long as a teammate can hear or see you when he makes a roll, you may spend and roll 1 of your action dice to boost the teammate’s result. When you use this ability, you always roll the die and add your own action die modifiers; the teammate’s modifiers are never applied. No single roll may benefit from this ability more than once, even if multiple Pointmen are present on the team.
Class Abilities
Versatility: One of your greatest strengths is your facility with new skill sets. At Level 1, you may choose 4 cross-class skills to become class skills for you.
Assistance I: You can streamline any group activity, though at some risk. At Level 2, you may increase the error range of a teammate’s skill check by 1 to reduce the time required to make the check to 1/2 standard (rounded up, minimum 5 minutes). This ability may target any skill check except one made as part of a Dramatic Conflict. Further, you may assist only 1 teammate at a time. You may not perform any other non-free actions when using this ability.
Scout
The Scout dominates the outdoor arena, finding uses for terrain and natural conditions visible to none of his teammates. He’s also a superb guerilla fighter, capable of luring his targets into powerful traps and team assaults.
Attributes: The Scout must be able to survive in hostile environments without logistical support. Thus, his Wisdom and Constitution scores are of paramount importance.
Vitality: 1d12 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 5.
Class Skills
The Scout’s class skills are Athletics, Cultures, Drive, Notice, Resolve, Search, Sneak, Survival, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Trailblazer: Your primary responsibility is ensuring that every member of your team survives in hostile environments. At the start of each session, you may choose a number of your Terrain feats up to your starting actions dice. Each of your teammates gains the chosen feats as temporary feats until the end of the current session.
Class Abilities
Stalker: You have a near-perfect sense of your environment at all times. At Level 1, each time you fail a Survival or Tactics check and don’t suffer an error, you still succeed as long as the check DC (or your opponent’s check result) is equal to or less than your class level + 20. If several grades of success are possible, you achieve only the lowest possible positive result.
If you gain the stalker ability from two or more classes, add together your levels in all classes granting you this ability before you add 20 to determine the DC against which you automatically succeed.
Rough Living: Your time in the wild has toughened you. At Level 2, you gain a +2 bonus to Defense, as well as with saves made to resist cold, fire, and heat damage, starvation, thirst, underwater dangers, and the effects of nature’s fury.
Soldier
An unmitigated powerhouse in any combat, the Soldier is a team’s martial backbone, providing the firepower necessary to bring down any menace. Other characters may become competent fighters, but the Soldier was bred and trained for war. It’s his calling, and he answers without hesitation.
Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are the Soldier’s most important attributes. They ensure superiority in combat, and for a Soldier, nothing is more vital.
Vitality: 1d12 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 6.
Class Skills
The Soldier’s class skills are Athletics, Drive, Intimidate, Notice, Profession, Resolve, Search, Survival, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Accurate: Your finely honed physique is your deadliest weapon. Each time you spend 1 action die to boost a Strength- or Constitution-based skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. a Level 1 Soldier’s bonus of 1d4 becomes 2d4).
Class Abilities
Fight On: At Level 1, you gain 2 additional weapon proficiencies or 1 additional Basic, Melee, Ranged, or Unarmed Combat feat.
Fortunes of War I: Through a combination of luck and skill, you shrug off most minor damage. At Level 2, you gain 1 point of damage reduction (DR 1/—).
Further, as a free action, you may double the DR granted by this ability for 1 full round. You may boost your DR in this fashion a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.
d20 Modern can pretty much do these things too (there are some nice product out there that expand upon the talent trees with effects similar to these *nods at Vigilance*). Modern seems deliberately geared towards a slower power progression, so it's just a matter of setting the starting level higher. It's not trying to give you 1st level SEALs, so you shouldn't expect it to.
For Spycraft 2.0, the skill list is shorter and skill points a little easier to come by, so a couple ranks in Athletics gives you a whole array of abilites like climbing, forced marches, and swimming. More bang for your ranks. You also choose your own weapon proficiencies in Spycraft, so you'll come out of the box with what you need without spending feats, and depending on class, may have enough left over to specialize in a weapon type at 1st level. [I'm thinking unarmed, handgun, rifle, and explosives. Add Tactical or Indirect if you plan on hauling around rockets or mortars. Some go in for edged weapons so they can do the deadly blur with a combat knife thing.]
Choosing an origin (think of it like your race in D&D) is a "pick one from colum A and one from colum B" exercise. For SEALs I favor:
Gifted Commando: You’re a natural prodigy, capable of amazing accomplishments in your particular field with military-grade training in low-intensity warfare and a knack for subtlety in battle.
• +2 to any 1 attribute, –2 to any 1 attribute.
• The lower of you Dexterity or Intelligence increases by 1. This bonus is applied after the attribute modifiers listed above. [You're a SEAL, no way either of those are dump stats]
• Choose 1 skill. This is always a class skill for you. Further, your result cap with this skill increases by 5 (maximum 60).
• Once per session, you may decrease the overland travel time of any 1 trip to 3/4 standard (rounded down).
• Choose 1 skill. Your threat range with checks made using this skill increases by 1. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at Career Levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. [Athletics? Survival? Tactics? You're gonna kick butt at something]
• Each time you gain ranks in the Tactics skill, you also gain an equal number of ranks in the Sneak skill (up to your maximum ranks in Sneak). [Soldier-based SEALs love this]
• Bonus Feat: Tactical Advantage. [you and your teammates all count double for determining who has numerical superiority in an encounter]
Navy Special Ops: You have served your country in a series of operations that will never be made know to the public.
• +2 to any, –2 to lower of Strength or Charisma.
• You gain the Profession (Military) skill focus. [All characters get a profession focus free at 1st level. you could grab a forte (double specialize) with this at 1st level and earn extra reputation for your missions ASAP]
• You gain the Explosives weapon proficiency.
• Once per session, you may decrease the overland travel time of any 1 trip to 3/4 standard (rounded down).
• At the start of each mission, you gain 6 skill points to assign until the end of the current mission. These ranks may only be used to improve your Athletics, Bureaucracy, Mechanics, or Survival skills. [flexible training available for every mission once you get your orders]
• You gain a +1 insight bonus with Sneak and Tactics checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at Career Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.
• You gain 4 additional skill points at Career Level 1, and 1 additional skill point for each Career Level gained thereafter. [training, training, and more training]
• Bonus Feat: Any Covert feat. (I suggest "Ambush Basics" or "Wolfpack Basics")
After that, the first level or two is really a question of which facet of SEAL-ness do you want to emphasize at the start of your career? Four of the twelve classes leap immediately to mind because of the class abilities they offer. Scout or Intruder are probably the most archetypical versions [the Stalker ability Scouts get at 1st level is bad(pause)a$$ for military types- perfectly coordinated assault entires and ambushes are both Tactics skill checks], but Soldier would give a great base for the camo-painted sniper sitting on overwatch with a .50 cal covering the front men
. A Pointman-SEAL makes for an outstaning team leader calling the shots. Even amongst SEALS there would be some specialization of roles, if you made a whole team each using a different class, the resulting synergies will rock the house. I've included the first 2 levels worth of abilities so you can see how the mixing and matching would work. Add in the feat all characters get at 1st level and all you need is a chalk time ! ("CQB Basics" FTW) Intruder
The Intruder is the team’s “acquisitions expert.” He finds what’s needed, when it’s needed, through any means necessary. He’s also exceptionally skilled at breaking and entering, and adapting to unexpected situations, making him a team’s most effective stealth asset.
Attributes: No matter what path the Intruder pursues, Dexterity lies at the heart of his skill set. A larcenous career requires a high Wisdom score as well, while a focus on deal-making and gear acquisition demands a high Charisma.
Vitality: 1d8 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 3.
Class Skills
The Intruder’s class skills are Acrobatics, Athletics, Blend, Bluff, Drive, Electronics, Mechanics, Notice, Science, Search, Security, Sleight of Hand, Sneak, Streetwise, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (8 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Dexterous: You excel at activities requiring nimble fingers and precise eye-hand coordination. Each time you spend 1 action die to boost a Dexterity-based skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. a Level 1 Intruder’s bonus of 1d4 becomes 2d4).
Class Abilities
Gear Prep: You always seem to have the best tools for the job at hand. At Level 1, during the Intel Phase, you or any of your teammates may choose a number of mission gear picks equal to your starting action dice as if the mission’s Caliber were 1 higher. If the mission is Caliber V, you may instead choose the same number of additional Caliber I mission gear picks of any type.
Evasion I: You can escape many sources of immediate harm. At Level 2, whenever you aren’t flat-footed and may make a Reflex save to reduce the damage suffered from an attack or event (such as an explosion or successful grenade attack), you instead suffer no damage with a successful save.
Pointman
The Pointman rigorously cross-trains to obtain the insight necessary to enhance or assist his teammates’ endeavors. He’s the most flexible team member available, capable of adopting nearly any combination of character options, though not to the focused degree that many of his fellows can achieve.
Attributes: No single attribute is most important for the Pointman, though Charisma and Wisdom are key for most of his pre-set class skill uses. They often come into play when he interacts with other people — something a good Pointman does a lot.
Vitality: 1d10 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 4.
Class Skills
The Pointman’s class skills are Cultures, Drive, Notice, Profession, Science, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Generous: Your attention to team tactics allows you to supplement your colleagues’ successes and make up for their failings. So long as a teammate can hear or see you when he makes a roll, you may spend and roll 1 of your action dice to boost the teammate’s result. When you use this ability, you always roll the die and add your own action die modifiers; the teammate’s modifiers are never applied. No single roll may benefit from this ability more than once, even if multiple Pointmen are present on the team.
Class Abilities
Versatility: One of your greatest strengths is your facility with new skill sets. At Level 1, you may choose 4 cross-class skills to become class skills for you.
Assistance I: You can streamline any group activity, though at some risk. At Level 2, you may increase the error range of a teammate’s skill check by 1 to reduce the time required to make the check to 1/2 standard (rounded up, minimum 5 minutes). This ability may target any skill check except one made as part of a Dramatic Conflict. Further, you may assist only 1 teammate at a time. You may not perform any other non-free actions when using this ability.
Scout
The Scout dominates the outdoor arena, finding uses for terrain and natural conditions visible to none of his teammates. He’s also a superb guerilla fighter, capable of luring his targets into powerful traps and team assaults.
Attributes: The Scout must be able to survive in hostile environments without logistical support. Thus, his Wisdom and Constitution scores are of paramount importance.
Vitality: 1d12 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 5.
Class Skills
The Scout’s class skills are Athletics, Cultures, Drive, Notice, Resolve, Search, Sneak, Survival, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Trailblazer: Your primary responsibility is ensuring that every member of your team survives in hostile environments. At the start of each session, you may choose a number of your Terrain feats up to your starting actions dice. Each of your teammates gains the chosen feats as temporary feats until the end of the current session.
Class Abilities
Stalker: You have a near-perfect sense of your environment at all times. At Level 1, each time you fail a Survival or Tactics check and don’t suffer an error, you still succeed as long as the check DC (or your opponent’s check result) is equal to or less than your class level + 20. If several grades of success are possible, you achieve only the lowest possible positive result.
If you gain the stalker ability from two or more classes, add together your levels in all classes granting you this ability before you add 20 to determine the DC against which you automatically succeed.
Rough Living: Your time in the wild has toughened you. At Level 2, you gain a +2 bonus to Defense, as well as with saves made to resist cold, fire, and heat damage, starvation, thirst, underwater dangers, and the effects of nature’s fury.
Soldier
An unmitigated powerhouse in any combat, the Soldier is a team’s martial backbone, providing the firepower necessary to bring down any menace. Other characters may become competent fighters, but the Soldier was bred and trained for war. It’s his calling, and he answers without hesitation.
Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are the Soldier’s most important attributes. They ensure superiority in combat, and for a Soldier, nothing is more vital.
Vitality: 1d12 + Con modifier per level.
Starting Weapon Proficiencies: 6.
Class Skills
The Soldier’s class skills are Athletics, Drive, Intimidate, Notice, Profession, Resolve, Search, Survival, and Tactics.
Skill Points at Level 1: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Core Ability
Accurate: Your finely honed physique is your deadliest weapon. Each time you spend 1 action die to boost a Strength- or Constitution-based skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. a Level 1 Soldier’s bonus of 1d4 becomes 2d4).
Class Abilities
Fight On: At Level 1, you gain 2 additional weapon proficiencies or 1 additional Basic, Melee, Ranged, or Unarmed Combat feat.
Fortunes of War I: Through a combination of luck and skill, you shrug off most minor damage. At Level 2, you gain 1 point of damage reduction (DR 1/—).
Further, as a free action, you may double the DR granted by this ability for 1 full round. You may boost your DR in this fashion a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.
d20 Modern can pretty much do these things too (there are some nice product out there that expand upon the talent trees with effects similar to these *nods at Vigilance*). Modern seems deliberately geared towards a slower power progression, so it's just a matter of setting the starting level higher
. It's not trying to give you 1st level SEALs, so you shouldn't expect it to.ValhallaGH
Explorer
Morgenstern
First Post
Vigilance said:
That sounds very plausible for entering an advanced class based on delivering concentrated SEALs-y goodness
.Could you post one of the MOS feats so we can see what kind of benefits those are providing? (I don't see any weapon proficiencies, so I'm guessing those are folded into the MOS somehow?)
Morgenstern
First Post
ValhallaGH said:
Heehee. Not counting psionics you came up with 31 groups - almost the same number as we picked for skills (30). Sounds like fairly similar thinking on how far you should be able to strech a skill point in a d20 environment
.ValhallaGH
Explorer
What an odd coincidence. Of course, I ended up inventing a dozen or so groups because of the class skill lists of various advanced classes.Morgenstern said:Heehee. Not counting psionics you came up with 31 groups - almost the same number as we picked for skills (30). Sounds like fairly similar thinking on how far you should be able to strech a skill point in a d20 environment
Vigilance
Explorer
Morgenstern said:That sounds very plausible for entering an advanced class based on delivering concentrated SEALs-y goodness
Could you post one of the MOS feats so we can see what kind of benefits those are providing? (I don't see any weapon proficiencies, so I'm guessing those are folded into the MOS somehow?)
Prerequisite: Personal Firearms Proficiency or
Officer Candidate School
Skills: Choose any three of the following as
permanent class skills: Climb, Craft (structural), Demolitions, Disable Device, Drive, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (tactics), Navigate, Search, Spot, Survival and Tumble. If a skill you select is already a class skill, you receive a +1 competence bonus on checks
using that skill.
Bonus Feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Air Assault Training, Amphibious Assault Training, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, heavy), Athletic, Burst Fire, Combat Martial Arts, Combat Reflexes,Confident, Cover Fire, Dead Aim, Desert Warfare College, Endurance, Exotic Firearms Proficiency, Far Shot, Forced March, Jump School, Jungle/Swamp Warfare College, MOS Mastery, Mountain Warfare College, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, SERE, Signaling, Strafe, Teamwork, Urban Warfare College, Weapon Focus
So the MOS expands the range of skills available as well as determining the bonus feats your classes grant access to.
