D20M Campaign Themes?

[Azure Trance]

I made a similar topic like this a few months before D20 Modern was released, but unfortunately I lost the link :-/ I'd like to ask what type of campaigns you play in, or like to play in in the modern day 21st century world. There's also the question of whether including magics / psionics / superhuman powers to make it more unique; it's not just a La Femme Nikita, she was subjected to horrendous power-awakening experiments as well! I wouldn't suggest anything intensely focused on plain espionage though, since I already own Spycraft

My main problem is that, well, it's supposed to be realistic. Fun, yet realistic. It's not just a tromp through the country side and doing good deeds; they need a job and a SSN as well. Personally, I think I'd be keen on using some sort of FX; I've been reading comcs waaay too long to not do that, even if only in a teeny weeny bit. Ideas that allow a lot of latitude and interpretation:

::> Mercenary Group / Politics + Action
-Fortune and fame! Easily coupled with politics in different areas of the world. Lots of misfits can be coupled in together this way, whether free-willed or not.

::> Cop Drama / Investigation + Action
-FBI unless the campaigns quite centric in location, like NYC. Range from standard criminal / political to adding in the XFiles. More fun when unknown FX are involved A bit more grittier and down to earth, in my opinion.

::> Secret Organizational Backing / Any Theme
-Government Intelligence: Ex: CIA, KGB, or SD-6.
-Superscience: Government, corporate, or independent; they do genetic testing, watch or create metahumans (superheroes). Ex: Agents of PSI, Gen13.
-Unknown or Benign Benefactor: The purpose could be unknown, but looks to combat evil (or it's own ambiguous interests) Ex: WILDC.A.T.s (Covert Action Team), The Authority, Stormwatch
-ShadowChasers:Secretly battle with Vampire Nation. Fight monsters thought to be a fairy tale. Ex: Fables, Vaticans God Squad

::> Urban Arcana / Any Theme
-Personally, I think Shadowrun is more suited for this theme, but that's only my opinion. This layer could be added to any of the above.

So, shoot me with whatchya got!

 

[bwgwl]

a lot of my ideas for d20 Modern aren't even set in the "modern" day.

i'm working on starting a WWII d20 Modern game -- this seems pretty common, actually.

a wartime campaign can be interesting, but may not be for everyone. most gamers prefer to have more control over the actions of their characters, whereas in a military setting, especially at war, they are being told where to go and what to do most of the time. the only real choice they have is how they get the job done. i've seen a lot of gamers chafe under this kind of authority structure. also, an extended campaign during a war can get depressing and a bit heavy after a while.

i really want to do a steampunk game at some point with d20 Modern. set in the Victorian era, one of the main themes would be exploration: Darkest Africa, the mountains of high Tibet, the Moon, the canals of Mars, the steamy jungles of Venus, you name it! bring the light of reason and civilization to the benighted heathens! God Save the Queen!

another favorite idea of mine is post-Apocalyptic d20 Modern. Fallout and Mad Max are great examples of this. exploration is again a major theme, but with the breakdown of society (not to mention the creation of mutated monsters ) it ends up feeling a lot like D&D (which is often a good thing).

better suited for a one-shot or "limited series" than a full campaign would be to take a bunch of ordinary people and put them through hell together. it doesn't need to use "FX" (though a demonic invasion or hostile flying saucers would work quite nicely); it could be something as simple as civilians trying to survive in a warzone or a natural catastrophe. here the campaign isn't about trying to fix or avert the problem, it's merely to survive it.

anyone ever seen a old little game called Alma Mater? it's about roleplaying high school. no magic or other FX, just normal kids in school. rules for tests, fighting bullies, dating, and other stuff you might do during your four years of high school. a strange little game, but not without a little appeal. of course, you could add in all the weird stuff and end up with Illuminati University.

you mentioned cop drama; what about crime drama. the popularity of the Godfather movies and the Sopranos shows that we are also fascinated by those on the other side of the law. a campaign where the characters are all members of organized crime might be cool, and would have a lot of tension too -- we know that in the end they'll all probably come to a bloody end, unless they break the code of silence and defect to the good guys?

well i'm out of ideas for now.

 

[Azure Trance]

you mentioned cop drama; what about crime drama. the popularity of the Godfather movies and the Sopranos shows that we are also fascinated by those on the other side of the law. a campaign where the characters are all members of organized crime might be cool, and would have a lot of tension too -- we know that in the end they'll all probably come to a bloody end, unless they break the code of silence and defect to the good guys?

Urf. Why didn't I think about this?

 

[Desdichado]

Alternate histories -- WWII fizzled out leaving an Imperial Japan and a Nazi Germany still around for a multi-axis cold war is an idea I've tossed about.

Dark*Matter or X-files-ish intrigue and mystery; gives me an opportunity to add some limited FX.

Adopt Modern rules to fantasy by removing Computer Use, Drive, Pilot, etc. from the skill list. Makes for a bit of a low fantasy.

 

[bwgwl]

Adopt Modern rules to fantasy by removing Computer Use, Drive, Pilot, etc. from the skill list. Makes for a bit of a low fantasy.

i've thought of doing this as well. works especially well for genres of fantasy where the heroes don't necessarily have a lot of access to magic and typically don't wear much armor (thank you class-based Defense bonus!) -- such as Conanesque swords and sorcery or Sinbadesque 1001 Arabian Nights style fantasy.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I don't like realistic games. d20 isn't made for that type of game, and I don't like it, either (realism is something I don't play, I have it the whole rest of the time, except when drunk....)

Consider d20 games to be fantastic/mystical, and d20 Modern games to be cinematic. Think Jambes Bond. Think The A - Team. Think Stargate. Think Buffy. Think Deus Ex. Think the Six Million Dollar Man. Think Pretender. Well, you get the idea.

My campaign Ideas:

"Modern Knights": It's what I used for a one-shot to introduce the d20 Modern rules to the other players (and the GM who will lead the actual campaign) The White Knights In Shiny Armor On The White Charger(tm) have become gunslinging daredevils. It's a little like A-Team mixed with Mission: Impossible. An influential, but not exactly state-sponsored organization looks out for individuals who are good at something (and we're not talking 'bout stitching here) and are used to take risks. They have gunslingers, tinkers, people with great strength, people who could persuade or fool just anyone ("selling a solarium to a drow" as I call that), people who can patch up other people, people who can blow things up, and so on, take them in (under covert observation at first), and put them together into teams. They are task forces to solve problems: Find missing people, cross drug lords, retrieve precious items.....

Of course, they could form up by themselves, without backing of a greater organization, or even fleeing from law like the actual A-team.

Reality Level: It's all very action-oriented, so don't bother to much about the to mundane things. FX abilities or other supernatural stuff is optional, but may not be appropriate for the campaign.

"World Conspiration": A mix between Deus Ex and the X-Files (Deus Ex Files? ). The characters start as part of a police force or secret service, and gradually become aware that there's more than to government than you think. This could be MJ12, The Illuminati, Aliens, the Freemasons' Lodge...

Reality Level: Deus Ex Style Implants are a good Idea, as is Psionics. Magic doesn't really belong here, though.

"Grayhawk 2003": As has been pointed out several times before: You take a fantasy setting (this need not be Grayhawk, you can take The Realms or Kalamar. Rokugan, Ravenloft or Dark Sun would actually give the whole thing a nice twist.) and drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century: Technology coexists with Magic, The races have set their old feuds aside to create new, more sophisticated feuds, aquatic and aerial races populate regions where normal people couldn't live to well, monsters are all but extinct, and Monster Safari into the great steppes and jungles is more like a leisure-time activity of modern-time adventurers.

Reality Level: Magic and Psionics have a firm place here, and especially magic interacts well with technology.

"War of the Worlds": Inspired from Signs, Darkskies, Predator, Independence Day, War of the Worlds, and similar stories, Aliens have arrived at earth and are busy fighting the natives. This could be because they need ressources (be it our planet or its population), because they like to kill things, or because of a terrible misunderstanding. The players would fight enemies whose powers aren't to well known, and need to defend themselves and others, and try to find out as much as possible about the invaders, in order to defeat them.

The actual Invasion could be big-time like in Independence Day, covert like in Darkskies (also see World Conspiracy), or smaller-scale like in Signs and Predator.

The enemy could have superiour physical power, advanced technology, or strange mental powers.

Reality level: Psionics clearly have their place here: The aliens might have it, but there could also be humans with strange mental powers (which could be the reason why the aliens are here)

 

[ichabod]

I'd love to revive my old Illuminati campaign. Take everyday people and dump them in the middle of an international conspiracy.

The other thing I alwasy wanted to run was a group of high tech, freelance thieves. They go around the world steeling stuff, occaisonally getting roped into other plots. Sort of like the Saint.

I also once worked up modern day earth, but assuming that magic had always existed, but had slowly been developed over time. So you had a tech/magic world similar to earth, but with fun twists: south american nazis, the west coast a japanese colony that gained independence, china small and isolationist, with the highest standard of living in the world, remnants of rome and the mayans still around.

 

[Chaldfont]

Crime!

I am working up a campaign inspired by Payback, Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Usual Suspects, Jackie Brown, Grand Theft Auto III, Max Payne, The Sopranos and such.

I am going to have the PCs be minor criminals in a fictional city with several criminal organizations. They will make allies and enemies of various organizations as they try to outwit and outgun them in order to make a dishonest living.
Crooked cops, double crosses, bags of money and John Woo gunfights are what I am going for.

 

[jeffhartsell]

The campaign I am working up is Agents of PSI Corp. where the company is backed by private sponsors. Toss in some urbana arcana for the bad guys and the Shadow migration. Mix in espionage and modern day missions along with the FX.

That will be enough to create any type of Indiana Jones to X-Files to Firestarter encounters.

It is simple and has minimal setup time since lots of rules come from the core example settings.

 

[The Little Raven]

I'm going to run a dark fantasy game using the d20 Modern system, along with the Sanity system from CoC. The low magic feeling of the game is perfect for this kind of setting.