How are you planning on Using Modern20?

[Urizen]

I'm Just curious.

I think this system has great utility and I'm interested in hearing how everyone plans on using it.

Some people have expressed an interest in a Future setting.

What about other modern games?

 

[Johnny Angel]

I'm looking into it as a possible alternative for running my Star*Drive game. The first step, however, will be to get a feel for it as it stands. I've generated a four-page lists of steps it would require to strip my chargen spreadsheet and rebuild it to generate Modern20 characters as per the Modern20 core rules. But of course I won't be able to proceed much with that until the December break.

Subsequently, building it up to support all the elements that go into the Star*Drive campaign setting will take a bit of work -- it's a world that includes aliens, mutants, robots, cybernetics and psionics. But the core system should be play testable with my Urban Arcana group as is, especially since as of yet no one has picked up any arcane classes, so there won't be any conflict with that.

I'm also looking to use the skill system as a model for my revision of D&D 3.5 skills.

 

[Urizen]

I'm looking into it as a possible alternative for running my Star*Drive game. The first step, however, will be to get a feel for it as it stands. I've generated a four-page lists of steps it would require to strip my chargen spreadsheet and rebuild it to generate Modern20 characters as per the Modern20 core rules. But of course I won't be able to proceed much with that until the December break.

Subsequently, building it up to support all the elements that go into the Star*Drive campaign setting will take a bit of work -- it's a world that includes aliens, mutants, robots, cybernetics and psionics. But the core system should be play testable with my Urban Arcana group as is, especially since as of yet no one has picked up any arcane classes, so there won't be any conflict with that.

I'm also looking to use the skill system as a model for my revision of D&D 3.5 skills.

I'll admit I don't know all that much about Star*Drive, but from what I've heard it's pretty cool.

Do you have your chargen spreadsheet available to the public for download?

I have to admit, I wasn't all that happy with Urban Arcana. It just seemed to over-the-top for me. For a modern system I prefer _low_magic with focus on folklore and a hodge-podge of concepts like paganism, transcendental magic, herbalism, deep south voodoo/hoodoo and a smattering of Catholicism.

How do you handle magic in your UA game?

 

[Johnny Angel]

Star*Drive is a setting in which you have a lot of corporate, national and interpersonal intrigue set against the background of a looming war with a mysterious alien menace. It would be easy to accuse it of being too generic, since it is clearly designed to accomodate whatever elements of science fiction you want in one setting -- cyberpunk, space opera, planetary exploration, magic-like percursor artifacts, interstellar diplomacy, bughunting, first contact, psionics, ect. But it even for as short lived as the setting was, it was richly detailed. If I had the time I'd make a conversion for every system. But as far as actually playing it, d20 Future has been good enough, but the Modern20 system answers a number of my gripes.

The Star*Forge sheet is at the link in my .sig. Some aspects of it are relatively crude compared to other chargens out there, but it does have certain advantages even if you're not doing Star*Drive in the d20 system.

So far, I've just been doing the adventures that came with the Urban Arcana core book, but there hasn't been a whole lot of magic there. Of course, that will tend to change, as the world of shadow becomes less and less a mystery to the party. There's one NPC who can cast a couple of healing spells per day, and this has been a boon to the party, but hopefully doesn't make the existence of this miracle seem mundane. The party is already requisitioning a Video Cam of True Seeing, but hell even in D&D it takes a while before a party can hope to access True Seeing at will. Lots of luck with that, newbs.

 

[SQuigley316]

Well I am really looking forward to seeing how you handle Magic20 as well, because I really like the looks of Modern20 and would like to adapt it to a Dresden Files setting. I like the down and dirty style of magic you have been referring to and think between Modern20 and Magic20 I'll finally be able to stop making so many changes to the d20Modern/Urban Arcana stuff and have a nice working game. And I know that Evil Hat is doing a Dresden Files game but I love me my d20 game rules over Fate/Fudge.

 

[Dr. Halflight]

I'm looking to run a game inspired by Hellboy/BPRD. I've downloaded Blood & Vigilance & B&V: Mystic Arts for some inspiration. My set up is that the Enhanced Talents are presumed dead & the PC's, mostly highly trained agents, have to step up. I'm also looking at Green Ronin's Psychic's Handbook, but I'll probably use Perks & Feats to get what I'm looking for from PC's. What I like about Modern20's skill & perk system is that it is as modular & simple to eyeball as Chaosium's BRP, but far more robust in every way.
The only other item I'm looking at is either changing HD gain (similar to how Conan D20 does it) starting around Level 5 or out of the gate lowering HP's (similar to how B5 D20 does it).

 

[Wraith Form]

I'd love to see Clint Lee Van Eastwood Cleef Modern20, personally.

 

[mikelaff]

Personally - I'm planning on writing a version of Wizards and Wiseguys that's compatible with it - -still talking with Vigilance about how we'll make that work though....

 

[Urizen]

Well I am really looking forward to seeing how you handle Magic20 as well, because I really like the looks of Modern20 and would like to adapt it to a Dresden Files setting. I like the down and dirty style of magic you have been referring to and think between Modern20 and Magic20 I'll finally be able to stop making so many changes to the d20Modern/Urban Arcana stuff and have a nice working game. And I know that Evil Hat is doing a Dresden Files game but I love me my d20 game rules over Fate/Fudge.

I like dresden files too. (sucks they cancelled it. Oh well, I'll just keep reading the books)

I think you'll be able to pull off that style of game without a hitch.

 

[Urizen]

I'd love to see Clint Lee Van Eastwood Cleef Modern20, personally.

Ok this sounds interesting.

Care to share more info?