Got Urban Arcana! Summary & your questions answered!

Morrus · May 7, 2003

Sorry about the delays in answering questions, folks! I've been out of town for a few days.

I'll answer the latest questions tomorrow (although you'll be able to see it for yourselves in two days!)

MThibault · May 7, 2003

Felon said:
It's pretty lame to create a setting and then say you're not going to support it, that's all.

Shadow Chasers takes a more subtle, toned-down take on magic than UA (e.g. it offers the occultist advanced class in place of the fireball-tossing mage). As such, it would be cool to have an system of magic, maybe something that expands upon UA's incantations. I'll have a better idea when I see it.

If you start with a lower base DC you can make weaker incantations that are accessable to lower level PCs. Instead of DCs in the 30-35 range, make weaker effects and drop the DCs down to the 20-25 range and the same system will work. You might have to redefine the Seeds though.

Another option might be to allow any assistants above and beyond the minimum number required to perform the aid another check, to give the "caster" a better chance of hitting those high DCs at mid-levels. So if an incantation requires 6 people, then the 7th and 8th can perform the aid another action for each check and add up to +4 to the casters check.

From my initial reading (I got a review copy a few days ago) it looks like you can mock up a Shadow Chasers-style campaign premise (they are all set in the modern world, so they aren't really campaign "settings") by strategically selecting the bits and pieces you want. My home campaign is an Holy-Blood and the Holy-Grail/Buffy crossbreed and there's lots I am planning on pillaging from UA, even though the UA premise doesn't appeal to me personally.

Cheers

Dalamar · May 7, 2003

How are skill points handled with the Shadowkind races? Do they each read in their racial abilities that they get less skill points or is that stated in general before any of the races?

Also, are humans given any boons, considering that multiclassing penalties don't exist in d20 Modern (which makes humans lose 1/3 of their power when compared to D&D) and Occupations dilude their power somewhat (bonus feats)?

bolen · May 7, 2003

is there a world seting for UA. Is it set in modern day grayhawk or a mythic earth?

Morrus · May 8, 2003

OK, here goes. More questions answered.

The book is due for release tomorrow, BTW.

is there a world seting for UA. Is it set in modern day grayhawk or a mythic earth?

Earth.

How are skill points handled with the Shadowkind races? Do they each read in their racial abilities that they get less skill points or is that stated in general before any of the races?

There's a table at the beginning of the section which shows skill points per level for Shadowkind. It's all based on class - it lists every class in D20 Modern and Urban Arcana, and indicates skill points per level.

Also, are humans given any boons, considering that multiclassing penalties don't exist in d20 Modern (which makes humans lose 1/3 of their power when compared to D&D) and Occupations dilude their power somewhat (bonus feats)?

Humans as a race aren't dealt with in Urban Arcana - that's all aleady in the D20 Modern core rulebook.

I just want to make sure about something in UA. All of the magic and non human classes are not "out in the open". As much as I hate using a non D20 reference the best way to describe what I am asking is this. The Shadow Creatures and magic are hidden from mudanes ala World of Darkness but some know they exist. And any mudanes mentally write off what they see as hollywood or pranks correct?

Yeah. Everybody just assumes that there's a rational explanation for what they saw.

A quick question to Morrus: what kind of a advanced class is the Street Warrior?? A a fighting-one, or maybe a tracker?? Defensive or offensive abilities??

Brawling and improvised weapons.

Requirements:
BAB: +3
Skills: Knowledge (streetwise) 6 ranks
Feats: Streetfighting, Brawl
Other: Allegiance to gang

Class Info:
HD: 1d10 per level
Action Points: 6 plus half level
Skill Points: 5 + Int mod

Features
Urban Survival
Improvised Weapons
Bonus Feats
Street Cred
Improved Streetfighting
Weapon Spec
Improvised Weapon Damage
Advanced Streetfighting

To clarify my query a little - are there any 2nd level spells in UA which could be "maximised" (i.e. have variable features)?

Yep.

What prestige classes are available?

Gah! I've already types out the entire list somewhere. Not doing it again! If anyone can find the list, please post a link to it.

Morrus: I gotta ask this seeing as how I am one of the resident dragon lovin' people on these fine boards. What are the dragons like in UA?

Pretty similar to D&D at a brief glance. Some different breath weapon types, plus slightly different age catagories.

My other question was - are there any easy rituals, or are they all high-level spell replacements?

They're all more powerful than the highest level spells (which are 5th level), unless I've missed some weaker ones in my quick read through the section.

Felon · May 8, 2003

MThibault said:
If you start with a lower base DC you can make weaker incantations that are accessable to lower level PCs. Instead of DCs in the 30-35 range, make weaker effects and drop the DCs down to the 20-25 range and the same system will work. You might have to redefine the Seeds though.

Seeds? A la ELH spell seeds?

Another option might be to allow any assistants above and beyond the minimum number required to perform the aid another check, to give the "caster" a better chance of hitting those high DCs at mid-levels. So if an incantation requires 6 people, then the 7th and 8th can perform the aid another action for each check and add up to +4 to the casters check.

OK, not quite sure what you're talking about there but hopefully I will by week's end lol.

From my initial reading (I got a review copy a few days ago) it looks like you can mock up a Shadow Chasers-style campaign premise (they are all set in the modern world, so they aren't really campaign "settings") by strategically selecting the bits and pieces you want.

Well, the designers refer to them as "settings" y'know (see the latest Bullet Points, for instance). At any rate, of all the PrC's presented, how many actually work for a Shadow Chasers campaign, where overt, "spellpunk" supernatural abilities (e.g. the speed demon class) aren't appropriate?

MThibault · May 8, 2003

Seeds? A la ELH spell seeds?

I'm no expert on the ELH, but that is the inspiration.

OK, not quite sure what you're talking about there but hopefully I will by week's end lol.

You can't cast incantations solo (none that I can recall, anyway). I'm just proposing that you get a bonus to your Knowledge check if you have extra incanters with some knowledge of the subject. That will let a slightly lower level *group* hit the high DCs at earlier levels if they work together.
(That's a lot of rolling and risk, though, and there is still problems with backlash and miscasting.)

Well, the designers refer to them as "settings" y'know

I know. They call them settings right in the d20 Modern rulebook. I just think that they are using the term because it is familiar not because it is the most accurate. My Urban Arcana and your Agents of Psi camapaigns can both be *set* in New Orleans, but they have completely different premises.

I like splitting hairs, sometimes.

Cheers

Bran Blackbyrd · May 8, 2003

Vrylakos said:
Well, GC, if you want to save 14.79, cancel your order and go here:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=33657242&loc=106

Yeah, but after adding in the minimum shipping charge of 4.30 your savings are actually less than through Amazon (which will ship the book for free).

I don't know. I've ordered computer hardware from Buy.com, but never books. I did get a copy of D20 Modern from Amazon and I wasn't happy with the condition it was in. I always make sure that the D&D books I get are in the absolute best condition possible when I buy them. The copy of D20M in question had the corners blunted rather badly. The surface was intact, but the corners were staved in. I ended up giving it to a friend since I hadn't gotten him anything for Christmas (he doesn't care so much about the condition of his books, or maybe I'm a tightass about mine...) and I knew if he had a copy it would be easier to get our group interested in playing it.
I bought my copy from a store where I could check it's condition first.
This has made me wary of ordering a book again. Sure, I can return it if it's in bad shape*, but that's a pain. What condition do the books from Buy.com usually arrive in?

EDIT: *Although Amazon's return policy states that they don't accept damaged items...

Vrylakos · May 8, 2003

Bran Blackbyrd said:
Yeah, but after adding in the minimum shipping charge of 4.30 your savings are actually less than through Amazon (which will ship the book for free).

I don't know. I've ordered computer hardware from Buy.com, but never books. I did get a copy of D20 Modern from Amazon and I wasn't happy with the condition it was in. I always make sure that the D&D books I get are in the absolute best condition possible when I buy them. The copy of D20M in question had the corners blunted rather badly. The surface was intact, but the corners were staved in. I ended up giving it to a friend since I hadn't gotten him anything for Christmas (he doesn't care so much about the condition of his books, or maybe I'm a tightass about mine...) and I knew if he had a copy it would be easier to get our group interested in playing it.
I bought my copy from a store where I could check it's condition first.
This has made me wary of ordering a book again. Sure, I can return it if it's in bad shape*, but that's a pain. What condition do the books from Buy.com usually arrive in?

EDIT: *Although Amazon's return policy states that they don't accept damaged items...

Hm, looks like buy.com has changed their free shipping deal. It does note that free shipping is limited to in stock items only. I guess the glory days of free shipping are over for books.

I've never paid for shipping from any of my rpg books from them, and have always gotten my books within 5-9 days. I received d20 Modern, a bunch of Exalted Books, the MM2, and never paid shipping.

Sorry its not as good a deal any more.

Vrylakos