D20 Modern: The Matrix?

[AereonBlaze]

Salutations! Your friendly neighbourhood lurker here hoping to find some sagely advice for an upcoming campaign I would be DM'ing

I just picked up d20 Modern today (I love the system) and was tossing around some campaign ideas and ended up thinking of running a game based on the movie the Matrix (I hope you've seen it! ). I know that my group would love playing this, and I've been trying to come up with ways to make the rules/campaign work. Here's what I have so far:

The characters begin the game as normal people, leading (relatively) normal lives, without knowing that the campaign is based on the Matrix. Through some circumstance, they all meet and happen to witness something amazing. Maybe this is a person jumping 40 feet in the air ("That's impossible.") or perhaps a fight between an Agent and a rebel. Slowly, they'd uncover the truth, and likely become hunted because of their knowlege (or also sought out by those "freed" from the system).

Here's what I'm asking of all you kind folk: do you have any input or ideas for the game/rules? Such as...ideas for stats of agents, interesting mission goals, or just any plain idea which might help me as I stumble along?

I am thinking of implementing the FX spells/psionics as ways of "warping" the Matrix, but again, would like further input.

Any help would be much appreciated,

-Aereon

 

[Alzrius]

Someone has to say this, so I'll say it anyway:

Make sure to watch the next movies!

Seriously though, from what Ive heard, Matrix Reloaded is soon to be out, and it should have some new ideas for you to implement, as will that third Matrix movie when it comes out.

You might also want to pick up a copy of the soundtrack and play it at various points when roleplaying. Obviously you'll use the fight scene music for when the players are in combat and doing those "freeze-and-shift-view" moves.

Aside from that, not much I can offer, since I don't have d20 Modern yet.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Two things I would suggest:

1. Take a look at some of the on-line comic strips at whatisthematrix.com for ideas of characters other than hackers as heroes.

2. Possibly consider looking at the "four colour to fantasy" rules... since the Warchowski (sp?) brothers once said that they did the Matrix because they wanted to have an environment where ultimately you could have "real" superheroes with a good background explanation.

Cheers

 

[AereonBlaze]

Ah...I plan on seeing the Matrix sequels as soon as they're out
I think Reloaded should be out in March, though that may have been May.

Trying to incorporate some of the music and the style of fights definitley might work.

I have indeed checked out the comics and fiction at the website, and plan on drawing a lot from those, as they seem to provide a great background to the whole universe (I don't plan on the characters running into anyone from the movies for a long time, if at all).

Thanks so far...keep 'em coming!

 

[Henry]

Aside from that, not much I can offer, since I don't have d20 Modern yet.

I know it's not the same as the book, but the complete game rules are at:

www.wizards.com/d20

check the d20 Modern SRD - it was released just last thursday!

 

[Mirth]

You might also want to check out a DC comic called The Invisibles by Grant Morrison (almost all of it has been collected into trade paperbacks, I think). This is where the Wachowski brothers stole all of their ideas for the Matrix from. Morrison sued them, but since WB and DC are both owned by the same parent company, DC made Morrison drop his suit. Very cool reading, nonetheless. Lots of good ideas for a campaign.

 

[Jeph]

I reccomend Ken Hood's d20 Skils and Feats Psionics, and d20 Skills and Feats Martial Arts. Email me if you want them.

I also suggest using VP/WP, as VP regenerate SUPERFAST, and dudes like Neo or an Agent could KO every time with an unarmed attack. You might want to use the critical multiplier mechanic instead of crit=WP damage, to keep the action fast-paced and give the characters a chance of survival.

As an aside, intorduce this terribly broken game mechanic: A class skill called Timeframe Acceleration. Only let characters start taking ranks in Timeframe Acceleration after they've been exposed to the reality of the matrix. You should give them at least 1 free rank per character level that they already possessed, due to training and stuff, if they go through an experience like Neo did aboard that hover craft named after that biblical kingy dude, and give them 1 free rank every time they level up. Don't let them go above max ranks, though.

Timeframe Acceleration (None)
You move at superhuman speeds.
Benefit: You do not make Timeframe Acceleration checks, but a rank in Timeframe Acceleration grants you 5 Speed Point (SP). SP regenerate each round, and can only be used in the Matrix and similar worlds.
You may spend 4 SP to gain an extra Move Equivalent Action, 5 to gain an extra Attack Action, or 9 to gain an extra Full Round Action.
For every rank that they have in Timeframe Acceleration, they gain 1 extra Attack of Opportunity each round. Multiply a character's jumping distance by their ranks in Timeframe Acceleration.
For every 3 full ranks that a character has in Timeframe Acceleration, they gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls. For every 2 full ranks they have, they gain a +1 bonus to Defense. For every rank they have, they gain a +1 bonus on Reflex saves, Tumble and Jump checks, and Initiative rolls.
Characters may take 5' of a move on a wall or other verticle surface for every 2 ranks that they have in Timeframe Acceleration. They may take 1' of a move on an overhang for every rank in Timeframe Acceleration that they possess.

That's just a rough sketh.

 

[AereonBlaze]

I have a copy of the stuff by Ken Hood, and admittingly haven't really looked at them...I'll check them out later tonight.

The Timeframe Acceleration skill sounds like a great idea, I'll definitley play around with that and see what I can come up with.
I'm a fairly big comic fan, I'll also take a look at The Invisibles when I get the chance as well

Thanks for the help so far, all!

 

[teitan]

You might also want to check out a DC comic called The Invisibles by Grant Morrison (almost all of it has been collected into trade paperbacks, I think). This is where the Wachowski brothers stole all of their ideas for the Matrix from. Morrison sued them, but since WB and DC are both owned by the same parent company, DC made Morrison drop his suit. Very cool reading, nonetheless. Lots of good ideas for a campaign.

Urm... zzzt... wrong. Morrison didn't sue and DC doesn't own the Invisibles, Grant Morrison does. Grant got angry that the Wachowski's used similar ideas and complained about them stealing them and not crediting him. Grant knew he couldn't sue because the INvisibles and the Matrix are different enough that nothing would have come of it. Grant also lifted the idea from early twentieth century occultism's philosophy of an ideological and invisible was between a Great White Brotherhood and a Black Lodge that seeks to subjugate mankind and make it their slave.

DC didn't make Morrison drop the suit, Grant said he would not work for DC again, thinking he was Alan Moore reborn. See how long that lasted.

Invisibles and the Matrix are similar in scope and ideas but they are two very,very different creatures.

Jason

 

[Mirth]

Urm... zzzt... wrong. Morrison didn't sue and DC doesn't own the Invisibles, Grant Morrison does. Grant got angry that the Wachowski's used similar ideas and complained about them stealing them and not crediting him. Grant knew he couldn't sue because the INvisibles and the Matrix are different enough that nothing would have come of it. Grant also lifted the idea from early twentieth century occultism's philosophy of an ideological and invisible was between a Great White Brotherhood and a Black Lodge that seeks to subjugate mankind and make it their slave.

DC didn't make Morrison drop the suit, Grant said he would not work for DC again, thinking he was Alan Moore reborn. See how long that lasted.

Invisibles and the Matrix are similar in scope and ideas but they are two very,very different creatures.

Jason

Sorry, Jason. Apparently, you are correct and I was perpetuating one of those internet rumors about the lawsuit (although I swear I read about this initially in Wizard magazine). Anyway here's a quote from Grant himself:

"I never had a lawsuit against the makers of The Matrix. It’s one of those weird stories about me that appear all over the Internet and have no foundation in reality. I’m sure I COULD have sued if I’d wanted to. The parallels are legion and eyewitness accounts from on set have confirmed that the Wachowski’s were heavily influenced by THE INVISIBLES Volume 1, but in the end... I liked the film. I’m looking forward to the next one. It proved they have excellent taste in comic books if nothing else. The Matrix took powerful Gnostic, Grofian themes, wrapped them in fetish and introduced them into the mainstream entertainment market. That’s exactly the kind of ripple effect I’d hoped THE INVISIBLES would create so in the end I realized there was no point in getting angry or jealous about the success of my own spell."

Of course, this is what Morrison originally had to say about the film:

"People seem almost scared of The Invisibles, and as I've said, [The Matrix directors] the Wachowski brothers already stole the theme, the characters, the code names, the leather, the bald heads, the torture scenes, the magic mirror, the insect-machine bad guys, the evil agents with special powers and shades, and just about everything else that would have made The Invisibles look great on film."

And here is a great point-by-point comparison of the film and the comic.

Regardless, it still seems to me that The Invisibles could be used as great source material for a d20 Modern version of Th Matrix, or vice versa. The comics are great and the film was pretty damn good. I stand by my original suggestion that the two could be combined into one kick-@$$ campaign.

Jay