d20 Modern System Reference Document available!

[Jürgen Hubert]

Of course, arguments could be made for either strength or dexterity being more useful here, but to be honest, I can't justify any one more so than the other. It DOES mean that those lead-spitting machine-gun maniac PC's are going to be sporting higher wisdoms than they normally would, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

That might be - but could their players role-play such a high Wisdom accurately?

 

[Ranger REG]

Does anyone else find it odd that the entire d20 Modern SRD was out within days of the game's release, but we're still waiting for stuff as basic as Monsters to be oficially released for the D&D-based SRD? Years later? What's up with that???

Not really. I think they shifted their priority to approve and release MSRD now so that third-party publishers can get a jump to supporting that Wizards' core rulebook. It's kinda like when Sony Playstation 2 was about to come out, a lot of third-party game developers are jumping on the bandwagon to take full advantage of the PS2 capabilities and the market.

 

[Voneth]

Having looked it over I have to ask:

Other than pretty pictures, flavor text, and the little campaign settings, is there any reason to buy the book now?

Am I missing something?

Unless I missing something, the SRD won’t have the XP chart or how to assign XP to encounters as well as the SRD considers nifty “guidelines” such as ECL ratings and advice on how to create new races and phrases like “to create a magic item, first find something similar and adjust the price or you can use these charts” as well as examples that explain the rules to be nonessential and are not reprinted.

For example, I have heard the Foes and Friends chapter is more like a monster design chapter instead of a Monster Manual. I haven’t had a chance to compare it to the SRD, but it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of “nonessentials” that would be helpful are “lost” in the translation.

Hey Bayle: I see you are a psionics fan. What did you think of d20 Modern’s take on the Psi rules?

 

[takyris]

Side note: Have people already figured out (and done to death) the equations of D20 yet?

IE: D&D

Good Save = (level)/2 + 2

Bad Save = (level)/3

Good attack = (level)

Medium attack = (level) x 3/4

Poor attack = (level)/2

d20 Modern

Bad save and attacks look pretty similar. Good save, though, looks, well, not really mappish. Closest I've gotten is:

(2x(level) + 6) / 5

Probably not vital information, but I did like being able to calculate stuff in my head without the books (ie, the Reflex Save of a 7th level Ranger), but I don't see myself calculating the Fort save of a 7th level Strong Hero any time soon 14+6=20/5 = 4? Hey, I got it. Yay!

-Tacky

 

[Voneth]

Hmmm it seems the Moreaus didn't make it either

Not that I am surprised, WotC has a nack of coming up with stuff I would think is cool and then ensure it's too vauge or needs more polishing before it finally gets into the SRD for a along time.

*cough* Psionics *cough*

 

[Darkness]

d20 Modern

Bad save and attacks look pretty similar. Good save, though, looks, well, not really mappish. Closest I've gotten is:

(2x(level) + 6) / 5

Probably not vital information, but I did like being able to calculate stuff in my head without the books (ie, the Reflex Save of a 7th level Ranger), but I don't see myself calculating the Fort save of a 7th level Strong Hero any time soon 14+6=20/5 = 4? Hey, I got it. Yay!

Myself, I remember it as: +1, increases at 2nd level, and then it alternates between increasing after 3 and 2 levels: 5,7,10,12,15,17,20.
Now, granted, d20 Modern classes go only to level 10 - but Wheel of Time and Star Wars classes go to level 20. And in these games, it's the "medium" save (since both categories from D&D also exist).

But your formula works perfectly (always rounding down, of course). Very cool, Tacky! Heh. I'll attach proof to this post.

 

[Darkness]

Hmm... Something I've been wondering about:

Occupations grant "permanent class skills" or +1 to the skill if it's already a class skill.

But are these "permanent class skills" class skills only for your first class, or always?

 

[Darkness]

(2x(level) + 6) / 5

Hmm... One a second thought, even though the formula works perfectly the way it is, the math-geek in me desires to make it work like the other two.

For that, I'll take the +1 at first level out of the division.
Then, I'll reduced 2*level to just level.

Which makes it look like this: 1 + (level + 0.5)*0.4

Or, simplified: 1.2 + 0.4*level.

(Always rounding down, of course.)

 

[Bagpuss]

Hmm, multiplying decimal fractions is SO much easier to do in your head. I think I will stick with the first one.

 

[Darkness]

Hmm, multiplying decimal fractions is SO much easier to do in your head.

For a math-geek like me it is easier, yes.

BTW, instead of 0.4*level, you can always use (4*level)/10 or (2*level)/5 if you find that easier.