Menace Manual Errata - My Dark*Matter Players Stay Out!

[jaerdaph]

Sand Slaves (Dark*Matter Sandmen) will be playing an important part in the major story arc in my d20 Modern Dark*Matter campaign.

Unfortunately, the Hot Running ability in the Sand Slave entry in the Menace Manual refers to D&D-style nonlethal damage.

Has anyone seen any official correction from WotC for the Hot Running ability anywhere?

Or does anyone have any suggestions to fix Hot Running so that it conforms to d20 Modern-style nonlethal damage?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Psion]

Unfortunately, the Hot Running ability in the Sand Slave entry in the Menace Manual refers to D&D-style nonlethal damage.

I notice that. It sounds like some designers feel as fondly of Mr. Gray's take on nonlethal damage as I do.

For me, there is no solution since, well, I simply use D&D style nonlethal damage.

If that's not an option for you, you could read "ignore the effects of nonlethal damage" as referring to something such as a knockout result from nonlethal damage.

 

[jaerdaph]

I notice that. It sounds like some designers feel as fondly of Mr. Gray's take on nonlethal damage as I do.

For me, there is no solution since, well, I simply use D&D style nonlethal damage.

If that's not an option for you, you could read "ignore the effects of nonlethal damage" as referring to something such as a knockout result from nonlethal damage.

Thanks.

Reason to Love Grim Tales #253: D&D non-lethal damage!

 

[wingsandsword]

I am also running a d20 Modern Dark*Matter game. I also use D&D style Subdual/Nonlethal damage, because the d20 Modern version just doesn't work.

In my game Sandmen have shown up, but that was before the MM was out so I had to use my own homebrew conversion of the template. I made all the Blood Music abilities into a feat tree (since it was a skill they had to buy in the original version, and didn't all have that skill), the equivalent of Hot Running being:

Blood Music Expertise
You have learned much of the Sandman discipline of nanotechnology biocontrol
Prerequisites: Must possess Sandman template, Blood Music
You can force your body to produce large amounts of powerful stimulants on command. This means that once per day you can perform a standard action that heals all nonlethal damage and negates the following Conditions: Fatigued, Exhausted, Nauseated and Shaken

Maybe you can replace the book version of Hot Running with that effect?

 

[Tsuburu]

Newbie question here:
Dark*Matter D20 is just using D20 Modern with the Alternity Sourcebook? Or is there actually a D20 Dark*Matter Supplement?

 

[Psion]

Newbie question here:
Dark*Matter D20 is just using D20 Modern with the Alternity Sourcebook? Or is there actually a D20 Dark*Matter Supplement?

I think some folks did what you are talking about, but there was a Dungeon issue with Dark*Matter adaptation in it, as well as the fact that the Menace Manual featured several creatures from Dark*Matter (and Alternity in general), and the Menace Manual web enhancement had a bit on convering Alternity creatures.

 

[jaerdaph]

Blood Music Expertise
You have learned much of the Sandman discipline of nanotechnology biocontrol
Prerequisites: Must possess Sandman template, Blood Music
You can force your body to produce large amounts of powerful stimulants on command. This means that once per day you can perform a standard action that heals all nonlethal damage and negates the following Conditions: Fatigued, Exhausted, Nauseated and Shaken

Maybe you can replace the book version of Hot Running with that effect?

Many thanks - I think I'll go with that

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Newbie question here:
Dark*Matter D20 is just using D20 Modern with the Alternity Sourcebook? Or is there actually a D20 Dark*Matter Supplement?

Bingo. It was addressed well above, but I like to stick my nose in.

There's 2-3 of us around here with different cobbled-together versions of Dark*Matter running D20 systems.

If only WotC would listen to their market share ... y'know, me ... and totally re-release Dark*Matter. But alas, they did not, and I must make due.

--fje

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I am also running a d20 Modern Dark*Matter game. I also use D&D style Subdual/Nonlethal damage, because the d20 Modern version just doesn't work.

In my game Sandmen have shown up, but that was before the MM was out so I had to use my own homebrew conversion of the template. I made all the Blood Music abilities into a feat tree (since it was a skill they had to buy in the original version, and didn't all have that skill), the equivalent of Hot Running being:

Blood Music Expertise
You have learned much of the Sandman discipline of nanotechnology biocontrol
Prerequisites: Must possess Sandman template, Blood Music
You can force your body to produce large amounts of powerful stimulants on command. This means that once per day you can perform a standard action that heals all nonlethal damage and negates the following Conditions: Fatigued, Exhausted, Nauseated and Shaken

Maybe you can replace the book version of Hot Running with that effect?

Just a minor nitpick: When you`re nauseated, you can`t take standard actions, so the special ability is useless in this case. (Unless you add a special ruling regarding this)

 

[wingsandsword]

Bingo. It was addressed well above, but I like to stick my nose in.

There's 2-3 of us around here with different cobbled-together versions of Dark*Matter running D20 systems.

If only WotC would listen to their market share ... y'know, me ... and totally re-release Dark*Matter. But alas, they did not, and I must make due.

--fje

[sarcasm]Of course they won't make Dark*Matter. Nobody wants that. Everybody who buys d20 Modern only wants to play D&D in the modern world, that's why Urban Arcana is the default setting, and the core rulebook includes Illithids and Displacer Beasts, but not Grey Aliens and Sasquatch (monsters that non-D&D gamers have actually heard of).

Since most people only want to play D&D in a modern day we'll aim toward that, but we don't want them to also have to buy the D&D books they probably already have, so we'll put plenty of reprinted D&D creatures, races, and an entirely copied magic system in the rulebooks.

They know that everyone really wants Complete Reprinted Splatbook or Printed Out Web Content Folio III instead of a suppliment that actually supports a popular old setting, or explores a gaming genre other than magical fantasy. Oh, and just to be sure, Paizo can get rid of all d20 Modern support in Dungeon, because everybody just wants D&D stuff anyway. [/sarcasm]

But seriously, too bad Dark*Matter is being left unused. There was a attempt at a conversion at Polyhedron, but it had a lot of gaps (like PrC's for Voodoo, Shamanism, Enochian, and Mindwalking FX at least, and stats for the Ekkimmu too, normal d20 Vampires just don't fit them at all). I just don't think that within the allowed page space they could get all the mechanics to play out the setting (even with most of the creatures and some organizations in the Menace Manual), that were needed and lay out the setting.