Realistic d20 Modern

[takyris]

ErichDragon: Not entirely true. A martial artist has no better defense against a drive-by shooting than anyone else, sure -- and but for Kevlar, there IS no defense against a drive-by shooting -- but if his training covers gun defenses, he has options against an idiot with a handgun that non-martial artists do not.

Yes. He does. Really. I promise.

Perfect options? No. Guaranteed victory options? No. Options that put him at an automatic advantage over the guy with the gun? No. But if you dedicate a decade or more of your life to learning how not to get killed by stuff, you pick up a few tricks.

-Tacky

 

[Saeviomagy]

Dan Stack - I'd suggest NOT stripping back feats and talents from the character classes.

The abilities gained from talents and feats are relatively low-key. Perhaps you could ban certain feats or talents, but I think removing them entirely is a bit much. Personally I like to see SOME mechanical development for my characters.

Removing the advanced classes is fine. They're really just flavour anyway, and a couple are a bit too flashy.

Personally I hate the sanity system from CoC. But I suppose if you like it, you can keep it.

As to making firefights more deadly? The damage threshold thing is a good one. I'd also suggest some sort of penalty for a successful save against massive damage - temporary stunning or nausea, application of negative levels (ie a cumulative -1 to all saves, attacks and skill checks) or something similar. Otherwise it's just too easy to get a fort save which makes you all-but unkillable, and you're back into wading into firefights without a thought again.

 

[Ron]

I don't see much need to change d20 Modern Massive Damage Threshold. However, I agree that d20M is very cinematic game, not enough realistic to a horror campaign.

In my opinion, much of the problem is about how d20 treats hit points. Not only they represent the amount of physical punishment the character can stand, but also a not well defined ability of avoiding taking the damage. The first one appears to be a more less fixed amount, while the second something that can be trained, as it increases with new levels.

In D&D thats ok, however, in games such as d20M and The Wheel of Time, there is also a defense stat that includes exactly what is included in the second factor of hit points. Not only this is inconsistent, but also a poor design option.

My suggestion is to forget about MDT, keep defense as it is and fix hit points in a low value. I would recomend the constitution score or an easy formula such as 10+Con bonus or 10+Con and Str bonuses.

Using such rules, your game will be very gritty, without adding more complexity to the rules. Actually, you'll be dropping some of it.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

That's pretty much what the Grim-n-Gritty system I mentioned earlier does. You hitpoints are your con bonus plus a very small amount per level (as per fighter BAB if the hit die was previously 1d10 or 1d12; as per cleric BAB if hit die was d8 or d6; wizard BAB if hit die was d4), and represent only your toughness.

 

[Ron]

That's pretty much what the Grim-n-Gritty system I mentioned earlier does. You hitpoints are your con bonus plus a very small amount per level (as per fighter BAB if the hit die was previously 1d10 or 1d12; as per cleric BAB if hit die was d8 or d6; wizard BAB if hit die was d4), and represent only your toughness.

Perhaps, but the Grim-n-Gritty system extends for over 15 pages and I'm to lazy to read more than one page long house rules.

 

[Pall Bearer]

Hi Thomas,

That's pretty much what the Grim-n-Gritty system I mentioned earlier does. You hitpoints are your con bonus plus a very small amount per level (as per fighter BAB if the hit die was previously 1d10 or 1d12; as per cleric BAB if hit die was d8 or d6; wizard BAB if hit die was d4), and represent only your toughness.

I just read through this and I love this system. Wow! This might actually make 3rd ed. D&D playable for me. Thank You for posting this!

It does seem to make mortality too likely in a D20 Modern game though, to keep any kind of cinematic feel. An automatic rifle in the hands of a comptent user (not an expert, just compotent) though is just too powerful get around though. Without re-reverse engineering the system yet again it seems that it would make a well armed street punk too bloody tough for any D20 Modern type game.

I know the idea is "grim and gritty" but you loose too much of what makes D20 Modern unique (IMO) to use it here. After all, there is still alot of easy access to old style Chaosium CoC type rules systems to need another one isn't there?


Pall Bearer

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Perhaps, but the Grim-n-Gritty system extends for over 15 pages and I'm to lazy to read more than one page long house rules.

A valid point. I managed to summarize it in one page to distribute to my players (one page if, that is, you take the philosophy that size 12 font is for weaklings and deviants). I can post that if you're interested.

Pall Bearer- Your welcome! I was very glad that Gwolf pointed it out to me elsewhere on these boards. I don't know how vaild your protests are, having not played the game myself yet with those rules (but soon, so very soon! I can't wait.) I did do a bit of modification to the system to make it fit d20 modern, though (most notably, armor isn't useless). But I think it'll work out allright. My group and I will just have to see, now won't we?

After all, there is still alot of easy access to old style Chaosium CoC type rules systems to need another one isn't there?

Apparently not, because I've never seen 'em. Any idea where I could find them?