Grim Tales Magic implementation

[one-end]

Hello everyone,

I am planning on using the Grim Tales magic system with my d20Modern game. I was curious if anyone else had done this and if so, how did you implement it.

Did you replace the class abilities for the Mage Advanced Class, ect?

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I replaced D20Modern with Grim Tales in its entirety.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

That's probably the easiest way If you don't want to do that, I'd suggest just using the Grim Tales feats and talents; they were designed to work without advanced classes in the first place.

 

[Denaes]

Does Grim Tales offer a Magic character as a base class?

I loved how d20 modern covered the Ability Score bases, but then that left magic in the cold relagated to using those boring "advanced classes" so we couldn't have any magic beginners

 

[Henry]

Does Grim Tales offer a Magic character as a base class?

I loved how d20 modern covered the Ability Score bases, but then that left magic in the cold relagated to using those boring "advanced classes" so we couldn't have any magic beginners

As in d20 Modern, you have the six base classes; "Magic Adept" is a feat you can take at 3rd level onward. However, if you can learn spells, you can cast them even as low as first level, all day long.

The Bad News? Grim Tales requires a skill check to cast the spell each time, and has spells doing ability damage as part of the effect. Casting a fireball at first level is neat, but taking a buttload of CON damage for doing it is no fun, prompting you to take the feats to reduce the drawbacks.

 

[Henry]

Hello everyone,

I am planning on using the Grim Tales magic system with my d20Modern game. I was curious if anyone else had done this and if so, how did you implement it.

Did you replace the class abilities for the Mage Advanced Class, ect?

If you want sparse magic, it's a great way to go. Also, if you have access to it, the Black Company game has an excellent magic system that can be used well with any other d20 game; it's based on a skill check like GT, but the effects aren't as dangerous as GT's are. For any character level between 1 and 20, you'll get something that's close to the equivalent of a 1st to 10th level D&D spellcaster, with managing drain as an additional complication. I like it, myself.

 

[Denaes]

As in d20 Modern, you have the six base classes; "Magic Adept" is a feat you can take at 3rd level onward. However, if you can learn spells, you can cast them even as low as first level, all day long.

In general, what does the Magic Adept Feat do? Does it allow you to cast spells you know without the Con hit?

The Bad News? Grim Tales requires a skill check to cast the spell each time, and has spells doing ability damage as part of the effect. Casting a fireball at first level is neat, but taking a buttload of CON damage for doing it is no fun, prompting you to take the feats to reduce the drawbacks.

Thats bad news?

Sounds like the best news I've heard today.

I like it when you're not just shut out, you have options to do things kinda untrained but with penalties/drawbacks.

I also hate automatic working magic & being limited by an arbitrary spells per day per spell level limit.

 

[Henry]

Let me see if I can put it detailed enough but not going beyond "fair use":

--Spells must be learned, one at a time; this is GM-controlled what you have access to.
--a spell does 1 dice of CON damage per spell level if cast, successful or not. That fireball could KILL you, as well as the foes. The die size is set by the GM based on campaign lethality.
--the feat changes CON damage to STR for first level spells, and provides a small buffer for the ability damage.
--other feats increase the level of spells you can cast as STR damage (sort of "increasing your caster level").

In GT, magic is meant to be something with a horrible penalty to its use, meaning you don't rely on it as a primary means of life, but something you can call on that the enemy won't expect. Personal abilities in GT matter more than guns, gadgets, or spells, though there's even some simple and direct rules for Cyberware in there, too.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

In GT you have a Burn Die (variable depending on how harsh the DM wants magic to be). The Magic Adept talent lets you subtract from the amount of burn damage you take, and changes the stat you take damage to. There is also an improved caster talent you can take multiple times to increase your spellcasting power.

In my opinion, GT cannot be more highly recommended for folks looking to do d20 modern/past/post-apoc better. Even if you don't use it whole-hog, the tool-kit approach to rules makes it second to none for poaching good ideas to incorporate into whatever ruleset you are using.

Edit: Yeah, what Henry said.

 

[Fenris]

Let me see if I can put it detailed enough but not going beyond "fair use":

--Spells must be learned, one at a time; this is GM-controlled what you have access to.
--a spell does 1 dice of CON damage per spell level if cast, successful or not. That fireball could KILL you, as well as the foes. The die size is set by the GM based on campaign lethality.
--the feat changes CON damage to STR for first level spells, and provides a small buffer for the ability damage.
--other feats increase the level of spells you can cast as STR damage (sort of "increasing your caster level").

In GT, magic is meant to be something with a horrible penalty to its use, meaning you don't rely on it as a primary means of life, but something you can call on that the enemy won't expect. Personal abilities in GT matter more than guns, gadgets, or spells, though there's even some simple and direct rules for Cyberware in there, too.

One minor note: Henry is refering to Talents here not feats. But they are correct descriptions. Oh and GT rocks, just switch wholecloth, you'll love it.