Dark*Matter: d20M vs M&M

[Ranger REG]

Oh, and in case you didn't know. JD Wiker is now part of a company that pretty much support d20 Modern, thanks to Modern Player's Companion (volume 1, 2, and the compiled print), d20 Modern Screen, and the upcoming Martial Arts Mayhem!

One can only pray they get the license to publish Dark*Matter (or perhaps work out a deal in which Wizards can publish the main setting book and Game Mechanics can support the book with supplements).

BTW, the Menace Manual (co-written by JD Wiker) already have familiar D*M elements like the Fraals and the Hoffman Institute.

 

[Desdichado]

I think you mean d20 Modern author JD Wiker. Dark*Matter authors were Monte Cook and Wolfgang Baur.

 

[shadowlight]

One can only pray they get the license to publish Dark*Matter (or perhaps work out a deal in which Wizards can publish the main setting book and Game Mechanics can support the book with supplements).

I would love this as I'm sure most of the other D*M freaks! Has there been any discussion or rumors about something like this?

BTW, the Menace Manual (co-written by JD Wiker) already have familiar D*M elements like the Fraals and the Hoffman Institute.

I keep meaning to pick this up just for the D*M elements. If I decide to go with d20M I'll definitely get it.

 

[Desdichado]

I'd be surprised to see Dark*Matter published by a third party publisher (or Planescape either, for that matter.) Both campaigns seem to have been stripped of their better elements, and had that rolled up into the "core cosmology" of their respective settings (Planescape stuff is now core for D&D and D*M stuff is now core for d20 Modern.)

 

[takyris]

As an only tangentially related side note, remember that somebody with 90 hit points doesn't laugh off a shotgun blast that does 11 points damage. That high-level hero dives to the floor, covering his face and swearing, while the buckshot rips through the air where he's been standing, and the fringe of the blast tears through the sleeve of his jacket and grazing his arm.

This is not Final Fantasy. You do not get to just stand there and absorb damage.

We now conclude this hit-point rant.

 

[Jarval]

Having been directed to this thread by Thomas Hobbes, I thought I'd add my £0.02 A quick note about the game I'm running: It's D20 Modern with Dark*Matter elements, not Dark*Matter D20. As such, it's a little less gritty than the standard Dark*Matter setting, and has overall a higher magic/supernatural level.

If you're aiming to run Dark*Matter ala Alternity, I'd use the D20 Modern rules, but make a few key choices:

• Use lower end point buy. Around about the 25 point mark should work nicely if you're aiming less for the action hero and more for average Joe characters.
• Pick the advanced classes with supernatural abilities you use very carefully. For Dark*Matter, I'd be inclined to strip it down to just the Occultist and Telepath. Even if you decide to go a higher magic route, don't include the Acolyte. Magical healing runs counter to the feel of Dark*Matter (for me, anyway).
• Use your Alternity books. The conversion guide Thomas Hobbes linked to above is very handy, and combined with the Menace Manual should cover all of your creature needs
• Want combat to be more dangerous? Up the Fort save DC to resist massive damage to the 20-25 range. It can make your players never want to get into a firefight...

Hope these thoughts are some help.

 

[Krieg]

*cough*

Delta Green

*cough*

 

[Ranger REG]

I think you mean d20 Modern author JD Wiker. Dark*Matter authors were Monte Cook and Wolfgang Baur.

JD Wiker have also written 5 products for the Alternity, Dark•Matter, and Star*Drive lines:

Alternity Mindwalking: A Guide to Psionics
Dark•Matter Arms & Equipment Guide
Dark•Matter The Final Church
Dark•Matter Xenoforms
Star*Drive Alien Compendium: The Exploration of 2503

 

[shadowlight]

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys!

After looking through my Dark Matter, Urban Arcana, and Call of Cthulhu books, I decided to go ahead with d20 M (rather than M&M) as the base.

I think I'll use Incantations from Urban Arcana and the freaky dark magic from Call of Cthulhu.

For psionics, I'm thinking about using VP/WP from Star Wars and using the Jedi Powers as a base. This, I think, will accurately model the ability to use psi whenever you want to, but with the price of making you exhausted (paying VP for psi).

Rebuttal?

 

[shadowlight]

Also, that conversion guide looks great! I'll definitely try converting some Monsters and FX abilities.