D20 modern worth it?

[Darkness]

Moved to d20 Systems Games.

 

[Henry]

I'm going to move this to d20 system games, where it is likely to garner a better response.

For me, it's worth it, because there are actually a few instances (combat expertise, combat martial arts, and attacks of opportunity) that are streamlined compared to the other rules.

now, if the rules are all you want, instead of the flavor stuff, the rules themselves are available over at www.wizards.com/d20, as the "modern SRD". All the basic rules are covered here, minus the campaign settings and campaign-specific Prestige classes.

Darkness and I were of like mind, but he's the fastest Mod in the West (ern world).

 

[Razuur]

I think it is a necessary evil. It does have a lot of the rules that you will need to run modern games. Some of the rules aren't that great, and I have seen them covered in other places better (spycraft), but I would pick it up.

It is very generic. While I see the advantage of that, I think it is so generic that it is lacking that spark that gets you excited to play a game. It wasn't that inspiring to me. In fact I found it rather bland in all I found it rather bland.

To its plus, it has archetypical classes which is neat, and a neat wealth system. To its minus, I was really disapointed with the creatures section. Rather than rewrite standard monsters from the MM and dress them in pimp outfits and other such silly things. I would have rather had a bunch of uniques creatures or threats that fit a more modern supernatural setting. n aliens and such, not Gnolls, kobalds, and the like.

I won't say buy spycraft over D20 modern, cuz spycraft is pretty specific, but its rules implementations are better, IMO.

I say buy it, replace the rules you don't like with those in Spycraft. Together you have almost all you need to run some good Modern games.

I was rather disappointed w/ D20 modern. I would give it a 3 out of 5.

Razuur

 

[KenM]

Well I looked though it at borders, when I saw the class names a put it down and want NOTHING to do with it. C'mon, class names :strong, fast, smart, ect. It made me feel that it was the really bad marvel superhero RPG.

 

[Synicism]

I hate to say it, but no, I don't think so. If d20-Modern was going to actually do anything new or innovative, I might have picked it up.

However, it hasn't.

First of all, calling it a "modern-day" RPG is somewhat of a misnomer. That implies that the system is a multigenre system that supports a variety of modern-age gaming styles. It tried. A lot of people have said it was really generic, which was, IMO the way to go. The PH was supposed to be a generic fantasy book. This is sort of a generic modern-era book.

In reality, it's D&D 2000. Except for the allegiance system (a better version of alignments) and the wealth system (neat idea, but REALLY easy to cheese), all d20-Modern does is present the core D&D3E rules with different races and classes.

Yippee. It's the same D&D game, with guns. If you are planning to run a standard D&D-style game where cars and planes substitute for horses and flying carpets, and where assault rifles substitute for longbows, then d20-Modern might be worth it. But if your idea of a modern-age game doesn't involve gnoll pimps and mind flayer preachers (an admittedly scary concept), then you can live without it.

Just about anything you might need, short of the campaign ideas, is available in the SRD. And if you have the original core rulebooks, you already have the system between them and the SRD.

 

[Crothian]

THis is d20 Modern Fantasy. All the sample campaign worlds they give are modern fantasy. About half or a third of the book is fantasy support. It's a fine book, but many people seem to want to overlook the fantasy aspect. If you want sci fi, this book has very little in it for you.

 

[Jeph]

Synicism, isn't that kinda the definition of an OGL game? Same rules, different races/classes/other specifics?

I say, go buy it! It rocks! It has a picture of Meepo in cameo with a large firearm!

 

[Scud-O]

first: d20 Modern is fantastic.

second: to Synicism, just what genres is d20 Modern incapable of mimicking? i am not asking to be confrontational (ok, maybe a little) but i am really stumped as to what kind of "modern" game you would be unable to run with these core rules.

third: Bagpuss, yes, there are systems that are specific to certain genres (Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, the Buffy RPG). They are DIFFERENT systems. So, if the original question is "I want to run a cyberpunk campaign, which system should i use?" then the answer may well be SHADOWRUN (although, i don't ever want to roll that many six-siders again ). But when the question is, and i QUOTE:

I was wondering if D20 modern is worth picking up for modern/ sci fi settings? I have been gaming for 20 years, I like the DnD 3rd edtion rules.

...then the answer is, "Yes it is." if you like the DnD core rules and you want to do modern/sci-fi, then pick up d20 Modern. (although, if you want to run sci-fi, albeit VERY SPECIFIC SETTING-BASED sci-fi, use STAR WARS)

 

[Bagpuss]

first: d20 Modern is fantastic.

That's a matter of opinion not fact, the facts are some people think its great other people find it terribly disappointing, and some like myself fall somewhere in the middle. I happen think if the chap is considering spending his hard earned cash, he should be provided with a balanced view of the product.

second: to Synicism, just what genres is d20 Modern incapable of mimicking? i am not asking to be confrontational (ok, maybe a little) but i am really stumped as to what kind of "modern" game you would be unable to run with these core rules.

Well anything with a decent sense of realism. Now personally I can live with or without realism in my RP games, they are after all escapism and fantasy. But D20 Modern is Fantasy with a capital 'F'. There are in my opinion some serious problems with the way they have handled firearms, particularly rules for burst fire, automatic fire, aiming, etc. even for a D20 game.

Plus you have all the sacred cows of D20, with the armour rules and hit points, some weird class setups, etc, etc. I could go on and on about these, but I won't because on the whole they don't matter to someone who likes D&D and a class/level system, just to say if you wanted a realistic modern game, I would not recommend D20 Modern.

third: Bagpuss, yes, there are systems that are specific to certain genres (Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, the Buffy RPG). They are DIFFERENT systems. So, if the original question is "I want to run a cyberpunk campaign, which system should i use?" then the answer may well be SHADOWRUN (although, i don't ever want to roll that many six-siders again ). But when the question is, and i QUOTE:

(see below this doesn't seem to like quotes within quotes.)

...then the answer is, "Yes it is." if you like the DnD core rules and you want to do modern/sci-fi, then pick up d20 Modern. (although, if you want to run sci-fi, albeit VERY SPECIFIC SETTING-BASED sci-fi, use STAR WARS)

I was wondering if D20 modern is worth picking up for modern/ sci fi settings?

Lets look at the original question and then look at my answer. The original poster didn't give much information on any particular setting. So all I said was if you have a particular setting in mind, then there may well be something better than D20 Modern.

There is nothing wrong with suggesting different systems. Just because you like D&D (which I happen to) doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to that.

Actually looking at his original question, "is D20 Modern work picking up for modern/sci-fi settings?" I think the answer is definately NO!

If the question didn't mention sci-fi then its a maybe (or probably as you like D&D).

D20 Modern provides very, very little for Sci-fi gaming, psionics and thats about it, no spaceships, no laserguns, aliens, doesn't really provide enough even for an X-files campaign. Let alone Stargate SG-1 or something like that then the GM will have a lot of work to do.

So in my opinion. D20 Modern is 'okay' at what it does and perhaps better than okay if you want to have psionics and/or magic in your modern setting.

Its only really worth buying because its a familiar rules system. There are plenty of equal good generic systems. I can't see the big selling point if you happy to use a system other than D20.

 

[Mistwell]

I hate to say it, but no, I don't think so. If d20-Modern was going to actually do anything new or innovative, I might have picked it up.

However, it hasn't.

First of all, calling it a "modern-day" RPG is somewhat of a misnomer. That implies that the system is a multigenre system that supports a variety of modern-age gaming styles. It tried. A lot of people have said it was really generic, which was, IMO the way to go. The PH was supposed to be a generic fantasy book. This is sort of a generic modern-era book.

In reality, it's D&D 2000. Except for the allegiance system (a better version of alignments) and the wealth system (neat idea, but REALLY easy to cheese), all d20-Modern does is present the core D&D3E rules with different races and classes.

Yippee. It's the same D&D game, with guns. If you are planning to run a standard D&D-style game where cars and planes substitute for horses and flying carpets, and where assault rifles substitute for longbows, then d20-Modern might be worth it. But if your idea of a modern-age game doesn't involve gnoll pimps and mind flayer preachers (an admittedly scary concept), then you can live without it.

Just about anything you might need, short of the campaign ideas, is available in the SRD. And if you have the original core rulebooks, you already have the system between them and the SRD.

I think you are wrong in so many ways I don't even know where to begin. I can only assume you have not read the book, and instead skimmed it or read the SRD (neither of which would be a good representation of the book).

I, for one, am ignoring all the fantasy monsters and spells in the book, which is only less than 20% of the book anyway, and all optional rules. How you took those small number of optional rules to be the entire game, I have no idea. Even a brief skimming of the book should have told you that it is not just Modern D&D.

As for the original D&D core rule books...you have got to be kidding me. A TON of stuff is changed (for the better) in d20M. You could not possibly get away with just the D&D books and make a legitemate attempt at playing d20M. Yes, the d20M SRD will help, but it also is insufficient to really play the d20M game. People keep throwing around figures like 98% of the d20M book is in the SRD. That just isn't the case, and is a major exageration. I would say the SRD is missing about 15% of the rules, at least. And, the text around the rules is what explains the rules - so if you want to be able to tweak the system to suit your own needs, it is a LOT easier to do that with those text sections intact.

I'm pretty stunned at the number of people who think the SRD is sufficient to run this game. If someone wanted to play D&D, without having played it before (but having played RPGs before), would you just tell them to read the SRD for D&D? I doubt it (though some might do that). More likely, you would tell them to buy the book. That's my advice for d20M as well. It's a fantastic system, the best incarnation of d20 yet, and well worth your support.