Solid RPG system for modern/future campaigns?

[Felon]

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.

I agree that M&M is a great system. It seems to avoid a lot of the pitfalls that 3e fell into--such as bestowing lots of iterative attacks on each character--and one big pitfall that 4e has every indicator of falling into--trying to factor an ability score of the player's choice into everything.

Having said that, M&M very much requires a GM to have a firm hand when it comes to saying "no", because many powerful abilities are cheaply-priced (in terms of the points you're alloted to build your character), and that's even relative to the high-power nature of comics. Even at the default power level 10 campaign, you can build a psionicist or mystic that outstrips Professor X or Dr. Strange. Some see that as a bug, other a feature.

The Atomic Think Tank crowd are an erudite bunch that can be useful for gaining an understanding of the rules and crunching numbers. However, they're not very receptive of discussing ways to tinker with the system because they're so ensconced with the notion of it being perfect just the way it is (and using player/GM social contracts to resolve every rules issue).

 

[Flynn]

As a thought, the Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition, the most recent version of the Savage Worlds rules, only costs $10 and there's a complete game system in those 160 pages.

Just A Thought,
Flynn

 

[The Cardinal]

GURPS4e is the way to go - I've used it for everything from gritty fantasy and modern horror to weird science fiction, transdimensional supers, and post-apocalyptic fantasy: it always worked like a charm!

 

[dmccoy1693]

WEG D6 sounds about right for what you're looking for. D6 modern/Space/Fantasy all have slightly different names for the main ability scores, but its easy enough to figure out. Quality system (heavily playtested, since like the late 80's), cinematic, relatively rules light.

Biggest downside is that the best way to get product is PDF.

 

[whokan]

Based on everyone's terrific suggestions, I've spent a pretty big chunk of dough on games that are mostly d20 based.

Doh! Now it occurs to me that this could be money down the drain. Will D&D 4e kill them all or will these systems have legs? I guess this is a form of the question that many of you are debating...but, I don't want to wait for 4e modern/future products to come out.

(p.s. the systems that I speak are; m&m, spycraft, d20 modern, t20, savage world, grim, & hero)

 

[Starman]

Based on everyone's terrific suggestions, I've spent a pretty big chunk of dough on games that are mostly d20 based. Doh!

It now occurs to me that this is money down the drain. Will D&D 4e kill them all or will these systems have legs?

(p.s. the systems that I speak are; m&m, spycraft, d20 modern, t20, savage world, grim, & hero)

I think a few of those will still see support even after 4E. Regardless, though, the books don't suddenly dissipate if a new edition of D&D comes out. They will still be the awesome games they are now. I, for one, intend on continuing to play most of these.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Based on everyone's terrific suggestions, I've spent a pretty big chunk of dough on games that are mostly d20 based.

Doh! Now it occurs to me that this could be money down the drain. Will D&D 4e kill them all or will these systems have legs? I guess this is a form of the question that many of you are debating...but, I don't want to wait for 4e modern/future products to come out.

(p.s. the systems that I speak are; m&m, spycraft, d20 modern, t20, savage world, grim, & hero)

Its not money down the drain at all. Chris of Green Ronin has said that they will continue support of True20 regardless of what WotC does, and there are several publishers following them with support material. I happen to be working with one of them.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I would recommend looking into Torg. It handles multiple power levels and combining horror with demons with dinosaurs with fantasy is built-in, so to speak. But maybe a little to much of the rules are actually depending on the different cosmologies in the setting and it might not work so well if freed of that. Oh, and off course then there's the problem of getting any of the books in the first place.

I'd say Shadowrun isn't that bad. But if you want space combat, you'll probably have to create a lot of your own vehicles. But this might be true in most game systems...

The Dragonstar game (a d20 based system) from Fantasy Flight Games did combine everything of the D&D world with science fiction/space fantasy stuff.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Its not money down the drain at all. Chris of Green Ronin has said that they will continue support of True20 regardless of what WotC does, and there are several publishers following them with support material.

Likewise, Mutants & Masterminds. There are new books coming out for the system, both from Green Ronin and third party publishers. 4e hasn't done, and won't do, anything to change that fact.

 

[PetriWessman]

I recommend you take a look at Nemesis. It's free, lightweight, and works like a charm. While it's originally meant for Cthulhu-style modern stuff, my wife is using it to run a hard-scifi space opera / horror game at the moment, works fine.