D20 Modern - What sets it apart?

[jasamcarl]

Class skills

Class skills remain class skills despite later multiclassing. Where did you get the idea that they didn't in DND?

 

[Victim]

Re: Class skills

Class skills remain class skills despite later multiclassing. Where did you get the idea that they didn't in DND?

Probably from the rules. In DnD, the skill rank maximum to changes to that of a class skill, but skills are purchased at the cost for the specific class. For example, a fighter rogue can have Hide ranks equal to a rogue's, if he spends his fighter skill points there. However, when he levels up in fighter, he still buys rogue skills at double price.

 

[jasamcarl]

Ah

Gotcha...that's what you get when you've spent 3 hours playing Halo....

 

[cybertalus]

Yeah, what Victim said.

And just to clarify, based in the d20 Modern preview pages, not every class skill you get is always a class skill, you pick a few of them to always be class skills. How many varies by class.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Uhhh..

quote:
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Originally posted by jasamcarl
Class skills remain class skills despite later multiclassing. Where did you get the idea that they didn't in DND?
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originally posted by Victim
Probably from the rules. In DnD, the skill rank maximum to changes to that of a class skill, but skills are purchased at the cost for the specific class. For example, a fighter rogue can have Hide ranks equal to a rogue's, if he spends his fighter skill points there. However, when he levels up in fighter, he still buys rogue skills at double price.

according to my rule book (PHB pg: 56)

"For purposes of calculating maximum ranks, a skill is a class skill if at least one of the character's classes has it as a class skill ... If a skill is unavailable to a class (that is if it's an exclusive skill that a multiclass character's other class doesn't have access to), then levels in that class don't increase the multiclass character's maximum skill rank." (emphasis mine)

To me that means that the fighter in your example doesn't pay double price to advance his hide skill. Although the first part of the sentance seems needlessly confusing.

Hmm... on second thought maybe it appears that I can't read, I guess the first part of the sentance does make sense... better call up one of my players and tell him that I made a mistake and he needs to rework his skill points... that should please him to no end

 

[RangerWickett]

Class skills: who needs 'em? I don't. If you have skill points, I let you use them as you want. Why should I penalize a fighter who wants to take Knowledge (arcana), or a Rogue who wants Animal Empathy?

As you might guess, I don't much care for the whole, 'each class has a role' idea. A character has a personality. The class is secondary, covering what he can do, and how well. If two people want to be good at something, it shouldn't be a problem, since I want to have story- and character-emphasis games, not ones where everyone just gets to show off their nifty powers.

 

[shadow]

seriously, both CoC d20 and Spycraft are crafted to emulate a specific genre (CoC Lovecraftian low-powered horror and Spycraft super-spy/espionage). d20 Modern is generic enough that you could run just about any kind of modern-setting campaign with it.

This is why I'm looking forward to d20 Modern. Both of the aforementioned games are made for a specific style of play. I'm hoping that d20 Modern will be to the modern genre what D&D is to the fantasy genre - a set of rules generic enough to be used in a variety of settings.
I admit at first I didn't like the idea of classes being based on abilities. I'm beginning to like the idea, however. Basing the classes on abilities assures that the classes will be genre independant.
Hopefully d20 Modern will handle genres ranging from the outrageous "manapunk" (eg Final Fantasy 7) to modern special ops, to horror, and everything in between.

 

[cybertalus]

Nyarlathotep,

On that very same page under the heading "Advancing A Level", the third paragraph:

"Skill points are spent according to the class that the multiclass character just advanced in (see Table 4-1: Skill Points Per Level). Skills purchased from Table 4-2: Skills are purchased at the cost appropriate for that class." (emphasis mine)

Now I take that to mean that if I'm a wizard/rogue and just gained a rogue level that I'll have to spend 2 skill points to buy 1 rank in Concentration or Knowledge (Arcana).

 

[Nyarlathotep]

my bad

 

[nsruf]

seriously, both CoC d20 and Spycraft are crafted to emulate a specific genre (CoC Lovecraftian low-powered horror and Spycraft super-spy/espionage). d20 Modern is generic enough that you could run just about any kind of modern-setting campaign with it.

But it will also have a default spy/conspiracy background, IIRC. I just hope this will be clearly separated from the game mechanics.

BTW, if you want a system for gritty modern day roleplaying, you can also adapt the CoC rules easily enough by throwing out the supernatural stuff - not necessarily the sanity rules.

Still, a generic modern system endorsed by WOTC seems valuable as a common basis for publishers. And from the previews, there will be some interesting new material and ideas.

There's more to playing a game set in the 21st century than just taking the D&D Player's Handbook and tossing in rules for guns, cars, and computers..

Exactly. And the preview of the wealth rules for d20 Modern seems a good step in the right direction. Personally, I look forward to the game, even though I already own CoC.