Modern gaming -- but not as we know it

[Psion]

Playing with the Seventh Sanctum action film plot generator turned up this plot sketch for me:

In a world of war, a witch-hunter and a computer programmer search for freedom and fight lawlessness.

I immediately thought to myself "that sounds like a neat d20 modern plot idea." But yet, it doesn't sound like d20 modern for one reason: I typically picture d20 modern being on a world that is, on the surface, Earth. Of course, that is terribly limiting. I know if you constrain yourself to never changing overt structures of a world, many plot and background possiblities are extinguished.

It occurs to me that perhaps I (we?) need a more casual attitude about setting to give it what it is missing that D&D has -- to wit, a certain amount of GM freedom.

Does anyone run their d20 modern game in a world that is decidedly different from Earth, but has enough commonalities that familiar chargen bits still apply?

 

[Turanil]

"In a city of ghosts and panic, four kings and a super computer fight a mob of killers."

What else I could say?...

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

"In an empire of conspiracy, in a time of blood and demons, two professors oppose lawlessness."

These plots are a thousand times more interesting than any plots of actual action movies. Hollywood fails again.

And to address the topic, I always felt the problem with D20 Modern was a lack of setting variation. It's basically a system that could let you do thousands of things, which is good, but the ideas it gives are incredibly lame.

 

[Bagpuss]

Random Plot: "In a forbidden land of fear, in a time of mysticism and technology, a nun hopes to save the last living fertile woman."

On Topic: D20 Modern works fine for near future and near past games, and alternate Earth settings as well. I don't see where the problem is with using D20 Modern for most of the settings we've invented so far. You might have to come up with some custom occupations more suited to "a world of war" or "a time of blood and demons" or you could use the standard occuptions and have the change in setting being a recent thing.

IE: Create the characters as if Earth is pretty much normal, then have Earth be overrun by demons, how does Bill the Plumber react?

 

[King_Stannis]

Random Plot: "Sgt. Roger Murtaugh is having his fiftieth birthday. He's retiring from the police force. As he so aptly puts it, "I'm too old for this [feces]."

Okay, just kidding.

 

[Psion]

Good lord! The Nothingland remodeling is taking its toll!

 

[Bagpuss]

If it's down much longer I might start to like it here. :shudder:

 

[ragboy]

Random Movie:
In a distant kingdom of doom, in an age of fear, an engineer and a technician fight crime.

This sounds more like a Hollywood movie...

Does anyone run their d20 modern game in a world that is decidedly different from Earth, but has enough commonalities that familiar chargen bits still apply?

No, but I think d20 Future added fuel to the DM fires in that regard. At least it did mine. I had just started playing with d20 Modern when Future came out, so I haven't had a chance to digest all of it yet. After doing a few things with Modern, though, I was thinking: Why not use it for 'd20 Fantasy?' I love the generic nature of the basic system. You can really build anything you want off of that base and be somewhat more original than D&D or its knockoffs. I thought it would be very suitable for a Dark Sun kind of sci-fi/fantasy setting or anything where you don't want the 'rules-flavor' to overshadow the actual setting, characters and story (which I think D&D does in the extreme).

I'd really like to see alternate settings using the d20 Mod/future rulesets.

 

[Galethorn]

Ok, I've got a few that, I think, might fit the bill;
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In a crime-infested universe, in a time of dark magic and monsters, six policewomen attempt to save the last living fertile woman.

In a forgotten land of fear, in an age of lost souls, seven businesspersons quest for the truth and combat an evil supercoputer.

On a crime-infested planet of sin, in an era of virutal reality and wickedness, three martial artists and a cleric seek the truth and battle corrupt politicians.

In a godless land, an actor opposes crime.

In a demon-haunted empire of computerization, in a time of crime, six engineers seek the truth.
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Ok, that's enough for now. I'm starting to have horrible visions involving what would happen if Bruce Willis was one of the six engineers seeking the truth. <shudders>

 

[BrooklynKnight]

On a godforsaken planet of enchantment, an inventor combats lawlessness.

On a sinful planet, in an age of mystery, three impostors battle lawlessness.

On a terrifying planet, in an age of barbarism, a priest and a priestess hope to avert the apocalypse.

In a demon-haunted city of wickedness, in a time of blasphemy and death, four sailors and a clone attempt to find the cure for a deadly disease. On a crime-infested world, in an age of conspiracy, a queen and a sorceror search for the truth.