Eosin the Red
First Post
Make that two converts. You may have already won me over - I will have to wait until I get my hands on Slaine to say for sure 
d20 Sci-Fi: where is Babylon 5?
- Thread starter Winterthorn
- Start date
GiantInThePlayground
First Post
Winterthorn: I haven't gotten to look at T20 yet (what can I say, my plate is full!) but I fully intend to. Some of it might work well with a B5 d20, although my impression of Traveller overall is that it puts a lot of detail into realistic technology, where I feel B5 is more about story, and sometimes happily ignores realism by simply declaring certain races "more advanced" and leaving it at that.
I don't necessarily think d20 Modern will be just right, though parts of the rules should be usable. The "Fast Hero/Smart Hero/etc." doesn't really fit B5, a universe where every character has a definite, specialized role. It seems more applicable to a setting where there may many characters of a similar background that need to be differentiated, such as Buffy: TVS (all the characters are HS students). Using d20 Modern for B5 would, I think, result in 420,000 Prestige and Advanced classes to replicate the abilities displayed onscreen during the series; why not just create a set of appropriate core classes at that point?
And about issues with B5 liscensed stuff disappearing before being released: Warner Brothers seems to be very strict with this particular liscense, pulling it from both the B5 Collectable Card Game and the very well done B5 Wars Starship Combat Game.
(Side note: If you want the B5 Wars tactical game at dirt cheap prices, AOG has to sell their entire inventory by 10/31 or then destroy it. Check out Agents of Gaming for details. I can't recommend this game enough for B5 fans!)
I don't necessarily think d20 Modern will be just right, though parts of the rules should be usable. The "Fast Hero/Smart Hero/etc." doesn't really fit B5, a universe where every character has a definite, specialized role. It seems more applicable to a setting where there may many characters of a similar background that need to be differentiated, such as Buffy: TVS (all the characters are HS students). Using d20 Modern for B5 would, I think, result in 420,000 Prestige and Advanced classes to replicate the abilities displayed onscreen during the series; why not just create a set of appropriate core classes at that point?
And about issues with B5 liscensed stuff disappearing before being released: Warner Brothers seems to be very strict with this particular liscense, pulling it from both the B5 Collectable Card Game and the very well done B5 Wars Starship Combat Game.
(Side note: If you want the B5 Wars tactical game at dirt cheap prices, AOG has to sell their entire inventory by 10/31 or then destroy it. Check out Agents of Gaming for details. I can't recommend this game enough for B5 fans!)
Baraendur said:
No.
Mongoose_Matt said:
No you can't comment? or No, you didn't pick up the license?
Darrin Drader
Explorer
You know, I've decided to edit my comment about Mongoose above. I didn't mean to put them on the defensive, and I have a great deal of respect for a number of the products that they have released.
If Matt did mean no, he can't comment rather than no, they don't have the license (i.e. they have the license, but just can't tell us about it yet), I'm going to be fully onboard with this and enthusiastic about it.
As for the mystery publisher that has the license now, if it is in fact not Mongoose, could you please break the silence soon? I would love to hear more about any plans for an officially released RPG (please make it D20!).
If Matt did mean no, he can't comment rather than no, they don't have the license (i.e. they have the license, but just can't tell us about it yet), I'm going to be fully onboard with this and enthusiastic about it.
As for the mystery publisher that has the license now, if it is in fact not Mongoose, could you please break the silence soon? I would love to hear more about any plans for an officially released RPG (please make it D20!).
tetsujin28
First Post
why bother with classes?
Why not just use the system from d20 Call of Cthulhu, so that everyone can customize their PC the way they want? I'm sure it would be easy to adapt it to B5.
Why not just use the system from d20 Call of Cthulhu, so that everyone can customize their PC the way they want? I'm sure it would be easy to adapt it to B5.
Hey Giant...
You might want to give D20 MOdern a really good look when it come out. I can't comment too much on what it has in it that will work (NDA's and such) but I think you might want to rethink your possition of using it over standard d20.
D20 Modern is scheduled to arive in a couple weeks so.........
Eric the Dread0395
PS: Your stuff rocks that's been on the WotC boards!
You might want to give D20 MOdern a really good look when it come out. I can't comment too much on what it has in it that will work (NDA's and such) but I think you might want to rethink your possition of using it over standard d20.
D20 Modern is scheduled to arive in a couple weeks so.........
Eric the Dread0395
PS: Your stuff rocks that's been on the WotC boards!
GiantInThePlayground
First Post
I don't have a "position" just an impression. I have seen no more of d20 Modern than the previews in Polyhedron and the WOTC website, so that was all I could comment on. It may very well be perfect, but I know that a system custom tailored to the setting would be perfect (or could be, if done properly). For example, I suppose you could do Star Wars with d20 Modern, but the Star Wars rulebook does it better.
Besides, I don't like the idea of abandoning all efforts to stretch the d20 system just because d20 Modern exists. I like screwing around with the rules, writing new ones, etc., so why not?
At any rate, I don't work for the company with the liscense, so my opinions are largely moot. I fully intend to pick up d20 Modern and examine it carefully, I'm sure I'll like what I find. Doesn't mean I won't keep writing my own custom stuff.
Besides, I don't like the idea of abandoning all efforts to stretch the d20 system just because d20 Modern exists. I like screwing around with the rules, writing new ones, etc., so why not?
At any rate, I don't work for the company with the liscense, so my opinions are largely moot. I fully intend to pick up d20 Modern and examine it carefully, I'm sure I'll like what I find. Doesn't mean I won't keep writing my own custom stuff.
Darrin Drader
Explorer
I echo Giant's sentiments here.
However, just because this is the direction that we're decided to go in for a joint fan created publication, this doesn't mean that you wouldn't be able to use D20 modern classes instead (or C0C, or Spycraft).
I have taken a look at the final D20 modern product, and I'm pretty impressed with the way it all fell into place. The nice thing about that set of rules is that it will make it pretty easy to do any modern or future game setting with a minimum amount of tweaking necessary.
However, just because this is the direction that we're decided to go in for a joint fan created publication, this doesn't mean that you wouldn't be able to use D20 modern classes instead (or C0C, or Spycraft).
I have taken a look at the final D20 modern product, and I'm pretty impressed with the way it all fell into place. The nice thing about that set of rules is that it will make it pretty easy to do any modern or future game setting with a minimum amount of tweaking necessary.
Thimble the Squit
First Post
Some more praise for Giant...
Just to swell your head, GiantInThePlayground, I loved your B5 d20!
It's a shame that it had non-OGL stuff in it but I have to say, even in its earliest stages, it already makes a more playable game than the colourful, but ultimately rather poor, Titan Books attempt.
It would be worth finding out who has the new license and getting yourself on their books somehow -- who knows, we may yet see your stuff in print.
Just to swell your head, GiantInThePlayground, I loved your B5 d20!
It's a shame that it had non-OGL stuff in it but I have to say, even in its earliest stages, it already makes a more playable game than the colourful, but ultimately rather poor, Titan Books attempt.
It would be worth finding out who has the new license and getting yourself on their books somehow -- who knows, we may yet see your stuff in print.
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