D20 Modern - What are your house rules?

[RangerWickett]

Well . . . how much of this stuff is OGC? We should compile a "best of Modern house rules" book.

As for the nonlethal damage issue, I think it works perfectly fine. You and I punch each other for ten minutes, and we're grimacing in pain, but neither of us is much hurt. If I want to hurt you, it's harder. I have to aim for a vital body part like an eye or your groin, or I have to start going for arm locks and dislocations and well-aimed punches to break weak bones. This is represented by taking a -4 penalty to your attack so you can deal lethal damage.

 

[The Shaman]

As for the nonlethal damage issue, I think it works perfectly fine.

I think this makes you and I the only two people in the world using the non-lethal damage rules as written!

 

[genshou]

I think this makes you and I the only two people in the world using the non-lethal damage rules as written!

I think you're right...

I use very close to the RAW except for a house rule regarding critical hits when dealing nonlethal damage.

If a character scores a critical hit when dealing nonlethal damage, but fails to deal an amount of damage high enough to actually affect the target, the target must make a saving throw as if their MDT had been reached. Success means they are dazed (-1 to attack rolls for 1 round), failure means they are stunned for 1 round. If a character is stunned by any means and is struck by nonlethal damage, they are forced to make the save as if the nonlethal damage hit their MDT, with a -1 to the DC for every 2 points by which the damage was below their MDT, or +1 for each single point above.

 

[genshou]

Well . . . how much of this stuff is OGC? We should compile a "best of Modern house rules" book.

RW, all the variant rules I have ever used are OGC, and I'd be happy to formally write up the d20 Modern ones for you if you desire them.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

My big complaint is the fact that the unarmed combat rules are completely unrealistic.

Someone gets knocked down and I put a combat boot into the side of thier head, it's popping and thier crapping thier pants as the lines shut down. An accidental punch to the throat and it's Adios Muchacho. A good knuckle bust to the temple, above and forward of the ear, and thier dropping and thier lips are turning blue.

You CAN beat someone to death, but with the d20 Modern system, it's impossible. Take a look at it. You could hammer them for a week, and unless you pick up a 2x4, forget it.

I didn't like it, so we went to d20 Fantasy rules, or we use Blood & Fists.

Seriously, in a fight between Mike Tyson and some old woman in wheelchair, Mike Tyson couldn't kill her according to those rules.

 

[genshou]

My big complaint is the fact that the unarmed combat rules are completely unrealistic.

Someone gets knocked down and I put a combat boot into the side of thier head, it's popping and thier crapping thier pants as the lines shut down. An accidental punch to the throat and it's Adios Muchacho. A good knuckle bust to the temple, above and forward of the ear, and thier dropping and thier lips are turning blue.

You CAN beat someone to death, but with the d20 Modern system, it's impossible. Take a look at it. You could hammer them for a week, and unless you pick up a 2x4, forget it.

I didn't like it, so we went to d20 Fantasy rules, or we use Blood & Fists.

Seriously, in a fight between Mike Tyson and some old woman in wheelchair, Mike Tyson couldn't kill her according to those rules.

As has been stated, take a -4 penalty to the attack roll to reflect that you are attacking more vulnerable areas (such as the ones you mentioned). The mechanic for dealing lethal damage with an unarmed strike is the same as in D&D and other d20 System products, even if the nonlethal damage rules are different.

 

[The Shaman]

Seriously, in a fight between Mike Tyson and some old woman in wheelchair, Mike Tyson couldn't kill her according to those rules.

Yeah, because any in-game representation of a Tyson-like boxer is not going to include Brawl, Improved Brawl, Power Attack, and Streetfighting, nor be strong enough nor of high enough level that taking the -4 to convert a non-lethal attack into a lethal one is a practical option.

Where's a an eye-roll smiley when you need one?

 

[Denaes]

If I ever play again:

No Move/Standard actions. You just get two half actions.

Using the adj/verb backgrounds from Spycraft 2.0

Probobly a ton of feats from Spycraft 2.0... maybe even just use their feats and drop d20 Moderns versions of the feats.

Use D&D or Spycraft 2.0's non-lethal damage.

Using Spycraft 2.0's FlatFooted rule over AoO's. Basically anything that would, in D&D or d20 Modern, provoke an AoO like drinking a potion or loading a gun would make you flatfooted until your next action... which might be right after the first. Moving through an opponents threat area would require a check of some sort (I think athletics or acrobatics) and a failure stops you flatfooted. success means you make it through.

Frankly the only thing I don't like about SC2.0 is it's slight overdependance on assuming the group belongs to an organization which will give them equipment. There are freelancer rules, but it's pretty much the same concept.

 

[genshou]

Yeah, because any in-game representation of a Tyson-like boxer is not going to include Brawl, Improved Brawl, Power Attack, and Streetfighting, nor be strong enough nor of high enough level that taking the -4 to convert a non-lethal attack into a lethal one is a practical option.

What The Shaman said.

Where's a an eye-roll smiley when you need one?

I know! I miss

 

[Aussiegamer]

the major flaw with being FF was the rogues ability to do sneak damage, but since that is not used in most modern games (that I know of) then that seems like a good idea.

What about pilots and driver though?

the two half action measn if you have a spell caster they can cast two spells per round, and if hasted three