EN World Presents the Year's Best D20!

[The_Universe]

The discussion on this thread (http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=110177&page=1&pp=20) has swung from the supportive to the crass, mostly based on various evaluations of the differing qualifications of 1) People here at En World, particularly Ennies Judges and 2) Monte Cook.

While speculation is all fine and good, I think there's some value in putting up or shutting up. So, Enworld - let's prove you know what's up at least as well as Monte does, and possibly better.

What are the best things in D20 from 2004?

It's all got to be D20 OGL stuff, so no protected PI can be posted here. Post the rule(s) itself if it would not offend your sensibilities or the original publisher, if not, at least reference where it can be found, and describe loosely what it is and how it works.

For the sake of readability, let's limit each post to no more than five things.

Let's put up or shut up!

PS - I think Monte's idea is really good, but I think we can come up with a good list, too!

THE CURRENT LIST (see below for details):

Bad Axe Games - Grim Tales
-Modern SRD Basic classes expanded out to 20 levels.
-Reworked and expanded talent trees.
-Creature creation rules (includes determining CR and ECL).*
-Spell Burn Rules
-"Skulls" for differing game types and moods within a base ruleset

Bad Axe Games - Slave Lords of Cydonia (Grim Tales)
-Mass Combat System

Blue Devil Games - Poisoncraft: The Dark Art
-Brings comprehensive rules for poison creation and use to the game.

EN Publishing - Elements of Magic Revised
-Spell List System

EN Publishing - Secrets of Theurgy
-?

Inner Circle Games - Denizens of Avadnu
-Epic Monsters and Feats

The Game Meachanics (Green Ronin) - Thieves Quarter
-Lots of in-depth info about an intriguing city.

Green Ronin - The Psychic's Handbook
-Skills- and Feats-based Psionics

Malhavoc Press - Chaositech
-?

Mongoose Publishing - OGL Horror
-Statting out organizations as characters**

Mongoose Publishing - Conan
-Alternate combat system (expanded finesse rules/increased deadliness)
-Allowing bonus skill points (for hight Int) to purchase any skill at 1-for-1 ratio
-Massive Damage Threshold Changes

Mongoose Publishing - Quintessential Aristocrat
-Expansion of Aristocrat class

Plot Device Publishing - Unlikely Heroes
-NPC Classes made worthy for players to use/take

Privateer Press - Iron Kingdoms Character Guide
-New Base Character Classes

Ronin Arts - Planar Factions Collected
-?

Ronin Arts - A DM's Directory of Demiplanes
-?

Silven Publishing - Libem Liborium
-everything for creating books in character.

ST Cooley Publishing - Buy the Numbers
-Classless/levelless D20

Troll Lord Games - Castles and Crusades
-Prime system for abilities

White Wolf/Sword and Sorcery Studios - Advanced Player's Guide
-Damage Save (replace Hit Points)
-Defense Options (replace AC)
-Spell Point System
-Talents and flaws for high and low ability scores
-Racial class abilities

Wizards of the Coast - D20 Future
-Rules for creating robots/android characters

Wizards of the Coast - Eberron Campaign Setting
-Warforged (new player race - living constructs)

Wizards of the Coast - System Reference Document
-Expanded Psionics Rules***

Wizards of the Coast - Unearthed Arcana
-Contacts system****
-Reputation system*****
-Class Defense Bonus

*Also appears in The Immortals Handbook, by Enworld's own Upper_Krust
**Also appears in Ronin Arts' Modern: 13 Conspiracies
***Also appear in Wizards of the Coast's Expanded Psionics Handbook
****Also appears in Ronin Arts' Fantasy Player's Companion: Contacts and Modern: Contacts
*****Also appears in WotC's Star Wars RPG, D20 Modern, etc.

 

[jaerdaph]

Okay, I'll start. I won't post any publisher's OGC, however. That's a whole 'nuther can of worms.

Grim Tales from Badaxe Games. I submit for consideration the modern SRD Basic classes expanded out to 20 levels. And the reworked and new Talent trees. And the creature creation rules. Oh heck, it's all good so I just submit the whole book for consideration!

 

[The_Universe]

My vote:

For my money, Bad Axe Games' Grim Tales "Spell Burn" system is hands down the best crunchy bit of 2004. It's elegant, simple, and let's you use everything you already have in essentially any kind of game. It begins on page 128 of Grim Tales.

Essentially, spellcasting is all based on Spellcraft skills, and a few feats - there are no spell casting classes (or needn't be). Casting spells causes damage to the caster, enforcing limits as to how many "spells per day" can be cast without delving into the realm of spell slots.

That's my vote. What are yours?

 

[jaerdaph]

One more submission for consideration:

The rules for Organizations in the Cults & Conspiracies chapter of Mongoose Publishing's OGL Horror by Gareth Hanrahan.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Grim Tales from Badaxe Games. I submit for consideration the modern SRD Basic classes expanded out to 20 levels. And the reworked and new Talent trees. And the creature creation rules. Oh heck, it's all good so I just submit the whole book for consideration!

I appreciate it.

And for the record, Grim Tales would not be what it is without a lot of excellent Open Gaming Content, including some very good mechanics from Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed.

For me, I'd nominate Upper_Krust's take on EL and CR (published in his own Immortal's Handbook and of course, in Grim Tales). Lots of ENworlders have since discussed and reworked UK's orginal work to make it even better, but it is the most noteworthy piece of crunch I've seen all year, or indeed since the release of 3e.

Wulf

 

[Rasyr]

Wouldn't this be covered by the picks of the ENnies judges for the 2005 awards?

Just asking.....

 

[GMSkarka]

The rules for Organizations in the Cults & Conspiracies chapter of Mongoose Publishing's OGL Horror by Gareth Hanrahan.

I'll second that. It's brilliant.

I'll also add:

The combat system for CONAN, by Ian Sturrock--especially the way it handles Finesse weapons.

 

[Darkness]

Wouldn't this be covered by the picks of the ENnies judges for the 2005 awards?

Just asking.....

They can only judge things that are entered. Judging from the first post, this thread does not share this characteristic so it's a different beast.

 

[The_Universe]

They can only judge things that are entered. Judging from the first post, this thread does not share this characteristic so it's a different beast.

Yeah - I just thought it would be an interesting exercise to see what the community as a whole thinks the best D20 OGL of 2004 is.

The Ennies are all fine and good (and formal) this is hardly the same.

The combat system for CONAN, by Ian Sturrock--especially the way it handles Finesse weapons.

Can you briefly describe how it differs from the "normal" D20 combat system?

 

[Berandor]

One more submission for consideration:

The rules for Organizations in the Cults & Conspiracies chapter of Mongoose Publishing's OGL Horror by Gareth Hanrahan.

So there are rules for organisations? In what way? Flowcharts? could you give me a little more detail on why it's good?

(Aside: See? Already people - not only me - are asking about nimonated product. I'm actually thinking about taking a look at this book.)