Solid RPG system for modern/future campaigns?

[Arkhandus]

From what I hear, Mutants & Masterminds (a sort of d20 derivative) can handle just about anything.

Although it's tailored for the superhero genre, the way it works can probably handle most other genres as well. Especially if you get one of the books that has some variant rules in it (IIRC, the 2nd Edition of M&M excluded the variant rule for using hit points and various other stuff, but that might've been reintroduced in one of the supplements; the Mastermind's Manual or whatever, I think?).

The Ultimate Power supplement goes into significant detail on making different powers and gives many example powers built with it. As I understand it, you can link the powers to technology or whatnot through particular additions.....though I don't have the books myself, so I can't remember specifics (I just know what I've read on the 'net).

 

[Starman]

First off, is there a way to search for a topic other than paging through the threads?

I forgot to mention in my previous post that there is a way to search EN World without being a Community Supporter.

1) Go to Google
2) Type in your search criteria
3) After your search criteria, add "site:www.enworld.org"

This sends Google looking through the site for you. I use it all the time.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Mutants & Masterminds allows you to run, well. . . anything. And without having to try to squeeze characters into classes, class combinations, and so on. How many times do PCs or NPCs simply not work as a such-and-such class or mix? Yeah - been there. Also, you set the power level where you want it, and that's where it stays, unless you particularly want it to move, when appropriate. None of that 'levelling up' business. Oh, and no HPs.

You can also draw upon lots of d20 material, with ease, as feats & skills, saves and so on are still there.

Uh, anyway. It's a thoroughly playable and enjoyable, brilliant, 'any-genre' toolkit game, masquerading as a superhero RPG.*

I'd strongly recommend the second edition.

The folks at atomicthinktank.com are also very helpful, whether you're discussing crunch or fluff.


* Though it's great as one of those, of course.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

SLA Industries. I don't know if the setting will do anything for you, but I really like those rules, and see them working very well for the kind of stuff you're looking for.

Cheers,

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Another vote for Spycraft - a game designed to be modified, with the campaign qualities suggestion ways to do so. I currently have two games rolling - one Steampunk, the other Delta Green, two very, very different feels. The Steampunk game has a weird Scooby Doo vibe going, while Delta Green is, well, Delta Green - professional agents against the Cthulhu Mythos. In a few weeks I will be running a Steampunk game set in British India and the Middle East - I am trying for a Rudyard Kipling feel for that one, mixed with a bit of James Bond. (Jewel in the Crown is the campaigns title, hearkening back to the Great Game.)

Supplements are coming out on PDF to support different styles, for example, combat heavy games can benefit from Practice Makes Perfect, which adds in more combat options (bought using weapon proficiency slots) and feats, while Fragile Minds adds rules for sanity and Lovecraftian critters. (My first use of Fragile Minds had a character dying when his will snapped like a twig, and he tried to flee from the Dark Young emerging from the swamp.... Fun for the whole family!)

Back to Basics is much more useful if you are converting from D20 Modern to Spycraft - direct conversions of the classes from D20 Modern, brought up to a full twenty levels. While I have it none of my players have made use of it, they are using the standard Spycraft 2.0 classes quite happily. The Bag Full of Guns supplements add more guns, they have seen use, but are not game changing. The most use I have gotten from them has been the Soviet underwater assault rifles....

Origins of the Species adds fantasy races, with Light of Olympus adding Centaurs, Fauns, Gorgons, and Tritons, while Classic Fantasy adds Dwarfs, Elves, Orcs, and Pech (Halflings). While I have them, and like them, I have not used them - they do not fit either of my current campaigns. But someday... someday....

The Auld Grump

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My personal first choice would be HERO. No game is more flexible.

Second would be Mutants & Masterminds, second only to HERO in flexibility, and actually somewhat simpler (though its simplicity does have some drawbacks).

Third would be a tossup between D20 Modern or Spycraft. One real advantage is the sheer amount of source material, especially if you're aiming for modern urban fantasy or present day sci-fi. Green Ronin has Modern Magic to expand the D20M magic system and its Psychic book is pretty good for a modern style game. Ultramodern Firearms D20 is excellent, and Second World is one of the best 3rd party sourcebooks out there. Another major advantage is that the current dominance of the D20 system in general- it will flattten the group's learning curve and you'll find no shortage of players.

If you're familiar with 2Ed D&D, you might find Alternity (OoP though it is) to be your cup of tea- its somewhat of a "missing link" (design wise) between 2Ed and 3Ed.

GURPS could do the job, but I don't particularly like it. Still, it has many positve aspects if you can stomach the system- mainly, it has a plethora of some of the best supplemental sourcebooks out there- second only to the combined output of the various D20 publishers. Even people who don't like GURPS buy some of their supplements...like me, for instance.

Generally speaking, though, any good supers or sci-fi game you and your fellow players agree on could do the trick. All you'd have to do is fiddle with the power level.

 

[whokan]

Well I've gone and spent a big chunk of my bonus on some core source books--I should have probably ran them by the group first. Some of them are big $ (I don't mind supporting good causes) and some are hard to find. I'm excited for my Amazon boxes of treasure to arrive.

Here's what I have so far;

- d20 Modern Core, d20 Future
- Grim Tales: High Adv, Low Magic
- Savage Worlds Explorers Edition
- Hero System 5th Ed. (rev)
- Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Ed.
- True20 Adventure Roleplaying

Not in stock/Back ordered:
- Traveller RPG Core Rulebook (hard to figure out the best Traveller book to get?)
- Spycraft 2.0

If you have any suggestions/advice or an absolutely must have source/supplement to go with these please share...

Thanks again.

 

[Zoatebix]

3.) Archetypal D&D sword+board fighter except he's an anthropomorphic dinoneichus(sp?) who follows a variant of the Bushido code and views kobolds as holy emissaries of the Heavenly

Deinonychus, I think.

Edit: Also, download Spirit of the Far Future. It's Traveler done with the FATE 3.0 (what Spirit of the Century is made out of) rules. It's not exactly what you're looking for, but what do you have to loose? It's free!

-George Austin

 

[Darrin Drader]

Well I've gone and spent a big chunk of my bonus on some core source books--I should have probably ran them by the group first. Some of them are big $ (I don't mind supporting good causes) and some are hard to find. I'm excited for my Amazon boxes of treasure to arrive.

Here's what I have so far;

- d20 Modern Core, d20 Future
- Grim Tales: High Adv, Low Magic
- Savage Worlds Explorers Edition
- Hero System 5th Ed. (rev)
- Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Ed.
- True20 Adventure Roleplaying

Not in stock/Back ordered:
- Traveller RPG Core Rulebook (hard to figure out the best Traveller book to get?)
- Spycraft 2.0

If you have any suggestions/advice or an absolutely must have source/supplement to go with these please share...

Thanks again.

For True20, I'd highly recommend the Companion and the Bestiary.

Since its setting neutral, the best way to run it is to have the core book and then a setting book. Since the core book includes three settings, you can pick up an additional four mini-settings in the True20 Worlds of Adventure. If you like those, most have been expanded out into full-on campaign settings by the publishers.

Of course if you're looking for a good True20 space opera setting, wait a month and pick up Reign of Discordia.

 

[Zoatebix]

Somehow, I had not heard about Reign of Discordia. Thanks for the tip!