True20 and Modern Games

[Breakdaddy]

Is there any way to convert the D20 Modern base classes over to True20 fairly easily? That would be a big step towards your goal I think.

 

[Master of the Game]

Gun-fu uses the True 20 damage system, but the classes are more akin to Call of Cthulu with only an Offensive or Defensive option.

My review is here.

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

A buddy and I are working on an SF setting and using the True20 system pretty much lock, stock and barrel.

We will have some rare psionics, and the Adept role will work fine for that. For all other character concepts, the Expert and Warrior roles should be just fine.

Want a scientist? Expert, with all of your extra feats going into more skills. Take the Skill Focus, Skill Mastery and Talented feats. Then lower your dex, str and con (if so desired).

Want an engineer? Expert with lots of craft skills.

Want a mercenary? Warrior.

Want a crafty merchant? Expert with lots of social skills and the Connected and Contacts feats.

We will be adding a few more feats (basically space and space-craft combat feats), but we are also thinking about taking the d20 Modern talent trees and incorportating them into the system as feats.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

I've been thinking about the same thing as Stormborn, though as of right now, I'm not really having a problem with the ultra simplified role system of True20. I think the current trinity can cover pretty much any concept, especially if backgrounds and paths are added for extra flavor.

That said, I have been thinking of translating the five basic d20 Modern classes to roles, replacing the Adept, Expert and Warrior. Backgrounds, Paths and Feats should be able to take care of the creation of virtually any character concept. Alternatively, the 5 basic classes could become something like Dedication, with a mechanic similar to backgrounds in that they shape your forte without necessarily shutting you out of other options.

Still thinking about it.

 

[Denaes]

I've thought about it. I agree with you on the classes - I was thinking of True20fying the Modern base classes, treating all the talents as feats restricted to particular classes, and possibly junking the advanced classes. In the latter case I'd transform their special class abilities to feats, with fairly hefty prereqs.

Green Ronin went through and turned all of the valid (non Attack of Opportunity or blatent HP) Talants and Feats from d20 Modern into Feats for True20.

I've been thinking about that sort of restriction. Rather than Martial & Expert, having them based on the Ability Score.

You don't need pre-reqs so much in True20. They tend to go without unless you're talking about a more advanced version of a Feat or an Ability directly based off of another Feat. Like requiring Firearms Use to use any gun based Feats.

I even went through the Advanced classes and there wern't but a few that would validly transfer to True20 that havn't already. Most are based on AoO, HP/Recovery or are already represented in True20.

Honestly I had the same thoughts as you did and sat there dumbfounded as I went through and found almost nothing to convert over. After my scan of the SRD I only see the Firearm Feats as worthy of transferring over.

I think True20's lack of automatic gun/weapon rules would be the largest deterrent for playing in modern.

 

[Denaes]

Has any one used, or thought long and hard about, True20 for a modern setting? I know that D20 Moder, Grim Tales, or Spycraft are more obvious choices for a modern game, and right now I am not sure it would work. The classes seem too broad and too fantasy oriented, basically the Adept class being the sticker here, for Modern.

Someone tell me I am wrong. Or explain why am so unbeliavbly right.

I agree with the Adept thing. usefull if you're using magic, otherwise it's not.

Most of the Feats/Talants are Feats in True20 already, just need some gun Feats.

Create some Occupational & maybe Cultural Backgrounds and you're pretty much good to go.

The Classes themselves arn't fantasy or anything oriented. They're basically generic. If you don't have magic/psionics in modern then you wouldn't use the Adept, but you can use Expert & Warrior just fine. They'll differentiate themselves by their Feat selections.

 

[Denaes]

We will be adding a few more feats (basically space and space-craft combat feats), but we are also thinking about taking the d20 Modern talent trees and incorportating them into the system as feats.

I'm not sure about Blue Rose if you're using that, but the True20 PDF already has the Talants incorporated as Feats

I had the same thought and as I went down the list of Talants I was like "this is coo... oh, it's already there. How about... no, thats there also. Aha! This one is... oh, it doesn't work with the damage system and there is another Feat that does something similar anyways."

By the time I was done going through I found no Talants, possibly a couple Abilities from Advanced Classes and some of the Firearms Feats that could do to be converted over to True20.

 

[carpedavid]

One of the settings that I was contemplating submitting for the True20 Setting search was very modern (even future-ish). Ultimately, I considered the concept too limited to be selected, but I still think that True20 can do modern just as well as fantasy.

 

[The_Universe]

Has any one used, or thought long and hard about, True20 for a modern setting? I know that D20 Moder, Grim Tales, or Spycraft are more obvious choices for a modern game, and right now I am not sure it would work. The classes seem too broad and too fantasy oriented, basically the Adept class being the sticker here, for Modern.

Someone tell me I am wrong. Or explain why am so unbeliavbly right.

I toyed with using low PL (no powers) Mutants and Masterminds for modern, though it would have to be very "pulpy" in order to mesh the time period and the system. Mutants and Masterminds is what True20 is based on, it's completely classless, and is bent toward modern in terms of system assumptions of time period.

I think M&M would work better than True20, because though they are very similar, they do have some important differences.

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

I had the same thought and as I went down the list of Talants I was like "this is coo... oh, it's already there. How about... no, thats there also. Aha! This one is... oh, it doesn't work with the damage system and there is another Feat that does something similar anyways."

By gum, you're absolutely right!

After making my post, I sat down with d20 Modern with an eye towards converting the talents to True20, and I found that Steve Kenson had already done it for me!!!

We'll I guess that's even less work to do on our SF setting...