d20 Modern Shadowrun

[w_earle_wheeler]

With Unearthed Arcana, Future, Future Tech, Cyberscape and the Weapons Locker, it seems like it would be pretty easy to run a Shadowrun game using d20 Modern rules.

Has anyone tried this?

I imagine that anyone who has Shadowrun wouldn't want to do this, but for folks who have all those d20 Modern books already, it seems like a neat option.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

With Unearthed Arcana, Future, Future Tech, Cyberscape and the Weapons Locker, it seems like it would be pretty easy to run a Shadowrun game using d20 Modern rules.

Has anyone tried this?

I imagine that anyone who has Shadowrun wouldn't want to do this, but for folks who have all those d20 Modern books already, it seems like a neat option.

"Out of the box", you will probably have some difficulties retaining the whole Shadowrun Flavour. D20 Spellcasting is very unsimilar to SR spellcasting. There is no concept of Essence in D20 Modern, either.

But some basic aspects can certainly be replicated - cybered characters and spellcasters infiltrating corporate buildings, stealing data, wares or even personnel can be certainly done with those books. Johnsons messing with the PCs is certainly viable with any system.

I'd say the more you want the rules to replicate the Shadowrun feeling, the more house rules and adaptions you will have to make. If you want to please a hardcore Shadowrun-Player, it will be next to impossible, but if you just want a game inspired by Shadowrun, D20 Modern is certainly a good choice.

There are certainly a few D20 Shadowrun conversions out there - I started one a few years ago together with some friends. One of them is still working on it, but I am no longer interested in it, especially after I have played a bit Shadowrun 4.0 (I am perfectly content with that incarnation and rules and see no longer a need to change the rule system).

 

[Klaus]

d20 Modern may not have Essence per se, but the Cybernetics rules in d20 Future state that cybernetics reduce the character's magic and psionic prowess (negative levels, IIRC).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

d20 Modern may not have Essence per se, but the Cybernetics rules in d20 Future state that cybernetics reduce the character's magic and psionic prowess (negative levels, IIRC).

But these negative levels do apply to all classes, not just spellcasting. Though it might make a good variation - each point of Cyberware reduces caster level by 1. (And Exceeding the 1+Con limit gives actual negative levels)

 

[Klaus]

I had to check d20 Future to make sure I wasn't misremembering.

A creature with more cybernetic attachments than (1+Con modifier) suffers 1 negative level per extra attachment. This incurs -1 to skill and ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws, and one less effective level or HD whenever those are called for in a die roll or calculation.

Now here's the part I was trying to remember:

Further, a character with psionic powers loses the ability to manifest one power of the highest level she can manifest, while a character with spellcasting ability loses the ability to cast one spell of the highest level he can cast.

If one was to mimic Shadowrun, a simple house rule can say that an FX-using character suffers negative level for each cybernetic attachment, regardless of Constitution, and can never take the Cybertaker feat.

 

[takyris]

Wouldn't the Grim Tales be pretty easy to convert into something Shadowrunesque? Or is my memory failing me?

My big worry, from the little I've seen of Shadowrun, is that combat would be a bit too easy and un-dangerous. Unless common-guard bad guys are hosing down the area with assault rifles on autofire every round (which I've done in one high-level game, killing a PC before I realized how effective it was), they likely won't be deadly enough to get the same level of fear and caution going.

Or again, that could just be my limited experience.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Unless common-guard bad guys are hosing down the area with assault rifles on autofire every round

Which is the only way I've ever seen common guards in ShadowRun. They may actually be used in a different style but that's the only one I've ever seen.

Not that I've played very much ShadowRun.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I had to check d20 Future to make sure I wasn't misremembering.

A creature with more cybernetic attachments than (1+Con modifier) suffers 1 negative level per extra attachment. This incurs -1 to skill and ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws, and one less effective level or HD whenever those are called for in a die roll or calculation.

Now here's the part I was trying to remember:

Further, a character with psionic powers loses the ability to manifest one power of the highest level she can manifest, while a character with spellcasting ability loses the ability to cast one spell of the highest level he can cast.

Yes, but that's also normal for negative levels - it is not really a special rule to hurt spellcasters more, it's just to make them suffer as much as the rest.

[/QUOTE]
If one was to mimic Shadowrun, a simple house rule can say that an FX-using character suffers negative level for each cybernetic attachment, regardless of Constitution, and can never take the Cybertaker feat.[/QUOTE]
That's a good option.

My big worry, from the little I've seen of Shadowrun, is that combat would be a bit too easy and un-dangerous. Unless common-guard bad guys are hosing down the area with assault rifles on autofire every round (which I've done in one high-level game, killing a PC before I realized how effective it was), they likely won't be deadly enough to get the same level of fear and caution going.

My last regular SR game is a while ago, but I don't remember common guards to be very dangerous - against mana bolts or stun balls, high reflex characters having 3 actions where the guards have 1, most of these guards have little chance to survive. The real thrill was from knowing that somewhere out there, a high threat response team (and if it was just from Lonestar) might be alarmed and arrive before the runners got away. Meaning stealth needed to be maintained as long as possible, but after the first contact, quick and dirty violence was the way to go...