Opinions on True20

[jdrakeh]

I appear to be some sort of freak, in that I don't see anything particularly special about True20.

Reading it didn't fire me up, and I don't think it really simplified anything in d20 (just shifted around where things are fiddly).

Well, at least you're a freak in good company

 

[jdrakeh]

I guess once 4E rolls out, True 20 is pretty much going to be the only game in town.

Not really. It might be the only 3.5-derived game in town but that neighborhood is only part of the larger city -- you have hundreds of burroughs to choose from insofar as games in general are concerned.

 

[Darrin Drader]

I switched my group away from D20 Modern and to True20. Why? The system really is a very streamlined version of D20 and its flexible enough to accommodate any genre you throw at it. Our results have been satisfactory - faster combat, which means more progress in each gaming session.

My company - Reality Deviant Publications - has produced the Blood Throne campaign setting, which first appeared in Worlds of Adventure. We just released Technothrillers, a true20 Espionage toolkit. The book is in need of a few revisions, but overall it's a great book, IMHO.

For the future, we have a TON of products planned; Vehicles, Cyberpunk, more Blood throne supplements (Blight Elves is very nearly finished and will be released in February), and very possibly a Cthulhu supplement!

So, if you want more True20 products, you should definitely keep an eye on RDP in 2008.

I just have to shout out at David Jarvis. I keep bumping into his stuff and finding myself liking it quite a bit. The Bloodthrone setting is very good if you like dark fantasy. I also recently started up a True20 Darwin's World game, and didn't even realize until after the first session that I was using his Lost Paradise supplement for it. Reality Deviant is one of the few small companies that has me actively watching their release schedule.

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

There are other publishers with licenses (like Crafty ), but I have to hand it to Green Ronin that making their license for free, a move that is likely to generate support for their game.

Not really. It might be the only 3.5-derived game in town but that neighborhood is only part of the larger city -- you have hundreds of burroughs to choose from insofar as games in general are concerned.

Heh, I guess I should have been a bit more specific. You folks are right of course.

Well, at least you're a freak in good company

woohoo! I like me some good company!

*ahem*...

I was really surprised at how flat True20 left me. I thumbed through Blue Rose and thought, "Hmmm, there's some potential cool stuff here." The setting itself I didn't have much of an opinion on. I've never read the Lackey books or anything like it, but don't hate the idea like some folks apparently do. At the end of the day, it just seemed like another fantasy setting to me. Not bad, but I've got plenty of settings already.

Maybe I just had a mis-formed impression of the rules, due to not really reading Blue Rose in depth (I've got the pdfs to actually read thoroughly at some point). In theory there's an awful lot of similarity to them. Somehow BR caught me where True20 didn't. Maybe it was just a matter of setting/rule integration, so True20 lost out by not having some sort of default setting to demonstrate the coolness of the rules for me. Maybe not. *shrug*

Depending on the reason(s) for being interested in it, True20 might be a good way to go.

 

[Nadaka]

The thing I do not like about true 20 is that it makes con a total dump stat, and makes dex even more valuable.

dex affects all attacks, not just ranged + finesse.
con does not affect the toughness save like it affects HP or W/VP in other games.

 

[jdrakeh]

Maybe I just had a mis-formed impression of the rules, due to not really reading Blue Rose in depth (I've got the pdfs to actually read thoroughly at some point). In theory there's an awful lot of similarity to them. Somehow BR caught me where True20 didn't.

I dunno, I had much the same reaction. The way that powers interact with the damage system gets overly cumbersome rather quickly, with several supernatural powers or abilities effectively having their own sub-systems for calculating damage. Additionally, many powers in and of themselves seem like their own systems at times, with regard to duration, range, etc.

This level of exception-based calculation really turns me of in what is supposed to be a generic, intuitive, game system. It also has a lot to do with why I don't like several Supers RPG systems, come to think of it. I guess, as a player and a GM, I prefer a lot of consistency in my rule sets. D20 is heavily exception-based to begin with but True 20 seems to take that lack of consistency to a new level of unwieldy.

I make allowances for D&D in this regard because, heck, it's D&D -- True 20 doesn't provide a play experience that is so unique as to warrant me giving it that kind of a 'pass' with regard to consistency.

 

[jaerdaph]

The thing I do not like about true 20 is that it makes con a total dump stat, and makes dex even more valuable.

dex affects all attacks, not just ranged + finesse.
con does not affect the toughness save like it affects HP or W/VP in other games.

Con is NOT a dump stat in True20. A low Con score gives you a noticable disadvantage when making Toughness saves...

Personally, I like that Dex is used for all attacks (melee and ranged), and Str is used instead for a damage bonus with melee attacks. I think it is far more elegant and makes more sense than standard d20.

 

[jaerdaph]

This level of exception-based calculation really turns me of in what is supposed to be a generic, intuitive, game system.

I will say I think this is a valid criticism of True20 with regard to powers. Not enough to turn me off personally, but valid.

 

[Greg K]

I will say I think this is a valid criticism of True20 with regard to powers. Not enough to turn me off personally, but valid.

I agree with this even though I , personally, don't find it complex.

 

[Nadaka]

Con is NOT a dump stat in True20. A low Con score gives you a noticable disadvantage when making Toughness saves...

Personally, I like that Dex is used for all attacks (melee and ranged), and Str is used instead for a damage bonus with melee attacks. I think it is far more elegant and makes more sense than standard d20.

How? I've read the true 20 quick play rules and con bonus is not calculated into the toughness save.