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Ultramodern4 and Amethyst
- Thread starter erleni
- Start date
bone_naga
Explorer
I've tried both of them and they are awesome. I've run cyber-espionage games, the biohazard zombie apocalypse one-shot, and I'm currently running a 4e version of Monte Cook's World of Darkness.
Dias Ex Machina
Publisher / Game Designer
DISCLAIMER: I wrote them.
Here are some review quotes pulled from our website.
Amethyst Review:
Marcelo Dior GoodReads: "This is the D&D book I was waiting for since I started playing D&D back un the 90's. There has been many attempts to adapt, convert, or simply use the Dungeons & Dragons rules for a science-fiction setting, and they all failed or fell short. But Chris Tavares Dias' iteration of this attempt has succeeded!"
Gnome Stew: “Where many critics of D&D 4e will say that the game has been made too simple or too much like an MMORPG, Amethyst is the opposite. The setting is rich and detailed, and you can feel the internal struggle in every page of the book. It is proof that the 4e rules are expandable, and that they can support a more complex campaign world.”
Neuroglyph Games: “Overall, I found Amethyst: Foundations to be an absolutely ground-breaking setting.”
Neuroglyph Games review of Biohazard playtest module: “Overall, the BioHazard Playtest Module is a very impressive demonstration into just how inventive the Amethyst Setting & Rule System is going to be. It’s also an excellent example of the Author’s imagination and game-design skills, taking the existing D&D 4e ruleset and taking it to a fun new place that will entice Players and Game Masters of science fiction, horror, and modern genres to the 4e experience.”
GnomeStew review of Biohazard playtest module: “Biohazard is a fun, action-packed adventure, that plays well, and is highly entertaining. The adventure can be run in a single evening, and can make nice break from your normal game. If you have any interest in what a 4e modern game would be like; this is the game for you.”
First Look from Living Dice: “Amethyst looks interesting and I like the more realistic take on how a modern society reacts to strange creatures in their midst.”
RPG Precipice: “I'm not a fan of the 3rd edition, 3.5 edition, and 4th edition DnD rules - however, just because you don't like the rules doesn't mean there is a lot of gold in a game world/concept regardless of the rules. I could see me running a game in the amethyst game world using any of the familiar rulesets that I have become accustomed to over the years.”
Lost Cause: “I'm still slightly frustrated at having to dig as much as I did to figure out what the Hammer was and so forth, but other than that I'm excited to play Amethyst.”
Kobold Quarterly: “All in all, the book is full of great concepts and shows a solid example of using the 4e engine in a technological setting, yet the book is too dense with often-confusing setting elements.”
Realms of Fantasy: “The amount of sheer detail in Amethyst: Foundations is boggling. There’s just so much great stuff, and the wonderful part is that any of it could be divorced from its setting and used piecemeal in any sort of homebrew setting, from near-future to space opera.”
RPG.net: “The mechanical aspects of the book are top notch and continue Goodman Games’ commitment to quality 4e products. The setting material provides a sufficient level of detail (sometimes misplaced) to allow DMs to run several campaigns and gain very different perspectives on the game world.”
World vs. Hero: “Genuine soul-searching like the kind provoked by the world of Amethyst Foundations is priceless; it is always the starting point or the end product of the best kinds of storytelling.”
Grand Experiment: “Overall, Amethyst looks like a very solid offering in the GSL for settings. I hope we see more of it.”
Paizo Fan Review: “Over all it's a really well thought out product and really helps 4e shine in a new way.”
The Hopeless Gamer: This blog has posted several reviews of Amethyst and even given it an award!
Amethyst Evolution Reviews:
World vs. Hero: "Amethyst Evolution brings so much to the gaming table - new lifepaths and destinies, new vehicles and weapons, alternate classes and paragon paths - that the book is well-worth its price and then some. But what Amethyst Evolution brings to truly engaged role-players is utterly priceless: the opportunity to create deep, complex, and memorable characters whose questionable motives and ideals will keep the players' campaign conversations heated and intense long after they have left the gaming table!"
Dave Knaap, RPGNow: "Excellent second outing for the Amethyst universe. The entire structure is brought in line with WoTC's new design, with 3 racial abilities and Essentials versions of all classes. Two new races fill the ranks, along with a new Techan melee class, the Vanguard. Foundation classes are boosted with new options as well. Expect to see some more fantastic fluff to go with the bulky crunch."
Ultramodern Reviews:
Neuroglyph Games: "Chris Dias has done a remarkable job in transforming 4E rules into something very useful to gamers looking to take a break from heroic fantasy – but still get to play a 4E style game! The rules are very innovative, as are the new mechanics for character design, and I certainly wish the author all the best of luck with this release, and with the upcoming Neurospasta setting!"
Roleplayers Chronicle (Todd Crapper): "Ultramodern4 is a magnificent accomplishment in alternative game design and I can’t help but feel it is superior to D&D, even if it is required to play this game. It achieves what D&D could not because it was not held down to a particular reference point – previous versions of D&D – and capable of stretching its reach far beyond what many experienced players may have expected of these troubled mechanics. I only hope the GSL does not make this product a limited edition."
Solo Nexus: "Be warned! Ultramodern4 IS a “crunchy” book, although it is by no means a technical manual. Still, this is a product for those who WANT to take a very radical departure with their 4E game. Do not get this if you’re mildly curious about what a Dwarf Barbarian would be like armed with a rotary cannon. Get this if you truly want to bring modern and futuristic combat to life with the 4E system."
Points of Light: "This book feels like a good spiritual successor to 3rd Edition's D20 Modern. The lack of an implied setting or time period, coupled with the fact that you can mix and match content from either book makes it easy to do an Urban Arcana game, and I could see rolling in Gamma World to get something a lot meatier if that is your thing. Heck, why not lump it all together and have your very own 2nd Edition of Rifts, if even by name only?
RPGNow: "Overall I have to give this product a thumbs up, its quality is not only in its content but its layout as well, I personally have not had many 4e 3rd party products with the production quality that DEM puts in its products."
Here are some review quotes pulled from our website.
Amethyst Review:
Marcelo Dior GoodReads: "This is the D&D book I was waiting for since I started playing D&D back un the 90's. There has been many attempts to adapt, convert, or simply use the Dungeons & Dragons rules for a science-fiction setting, and they all failed or fell short. But Chris Tavares Dias' iteration of this attempt has succeeded!"
Gnome Stew: “Where many critics of D&D 4e will say that the game has been made too simple or too much like an MMORPG, Amethyst is the opposite. The setting is rich and detailed, and you can feel the internal struggle in every page of the book. It is proof that the 4e rules are expandable, and that they can support a more complex campaign world.”
Neuroglyph Games: “Overall, I found Amethyst: Foundations to be an absolutely ground-breaking setting.”
Neuroglyph Games review of Biohazard playtest module: “Overall, the BioHazard Playtest Module is a very impressive demonstration into just how inventive the Amethyst Setting & Rule System is going to be. It’s also an excellent example of the Author’s imagination and game-design skills, taking the existing D&D 4e ruleset and taking it to a fun new place that will entice Players and Game Masters of science fiction, horror, and modern genres to the 4e experience.”
GnomeStew review of Biohazard playtest module: “Biohazard is a fun, action-packed adventure, that plays well, and is highly entertaining. The adventure can be run in a single evening, and can make nice break from your normal game. If you have any interest in what a 4e modern game would be like; this is the game for you.”
First Look from Living Dice: “Amethyst looks interesting and I like the more realistic take on how a modern society reacts to strange creatures in their midst.”
RPG Precipice: “I'm not a fan of the 3rd edition, 3.5 edition, and 4th edition DnD rules - however, just because you don't like the rules doesn't mean there is a lot of gold in a game world/concept regardless of the rules. I could see me running a game in the amethyst game world using any of the familiar rulesets that I have become accustomed to over the years.”
Lost Cause: “I'm still slightly frustrated at having to dig as much as I did to figure out what the Hammer was and so forth, but other than that I'm excited to play Amethyst.”
Kobold Quarterly: “All in all, the book is full of great concepts and shows a solid example of using the 4e engine in a technological setting, yet the book is too dense with often-confusing setting elements.”
Realms of Fantasy: “The amount of sheer detail in Amethyst: Foundations is boggling. There’s just so much great stuff, and the wonderful part is that any of it could be divorced from its setting and used piecemeal in any sort of homebrew setting, from near-future to space opera.”
RPG.net: “The mechanical aspects of the book are top notch and continue Goodman Games’ commitment to quality 4e products. The setting material provides a sufficient level of detail (sometimes misplaced) to allow DMs to run several campaigns and gain very different perspectives on the game world.”
World vs. Hero: “Genuine soul-searching like the kind provoked by the world of Amethyst Foundations is priceless; it is always the starting point or the end product of the best kinds of storytelling.”
Grand Experiment: “Overall, Amethyst looks like a very solid offering in the GSL for settings. I hope we see more of it.”
Paizo Fan Review: “Over all it's a really well thought out product and really helps 4e shine in a new way.”
The Hopeless Gamer: This blog has posted several reviews of Amethyst and even given it an award!
Amethyst Evolution Reviews:
World vs. Hero: "Amethyst Evolution brings so much to the gaming table - new lifepaths and destinies, new vehicles and weapons, alternate classes and paragon paths - that the book is well-worth its price and then some. But what Amethyst Evolution brings to truly engaged role-players is utterly priceless: the opportunity to create deep, complex, and memorable characters whose questionable motives and ideals will keep the players' campaign conversations heated and intense long after they have left the gaming table!"
Dave Knaap, RPGNow: "Excellent second outing for the Amethyst universe. The entire structure is brought in line with WoTC's new design, with 3 racial abilities and Essentials versions of all classes. Two new races fill the ranks, along with a new Techan melee class, the Vanguard. Foundation classes are boosted with new options as well. Expect to see some more fantastic fluff to go with the bulky crunch."
Ultramodern Reviews:
Neuroglyph Games: "Chris Dias has done a remarkable job in transforming 4E rules into something very useful to gamers looking to take a break from heroic fantasy – but still get to play a 4E style game! The rules are very innovative, as are the new mechanics for character design, and I certainly wish the author all the best of luck with this release, and with the upcoming Neurospasta setting!"
Roleplayers Chronicle (Todd Crapper): "Ultramodern4 is a magnificent accomplishment in alternative game design and I can’t help but feel it is superior to D&D, even if it is required to play this game. It achieves what D&D could not because it was not held down to a particular reference point – previous versions of D&D – and capable of stretching its reach far beyond what many experienced players may have expected of these troubled mechanics. I only hope the GSL does not make this product a limited edition."
Solo Nexus: "Be warned! Ultramodern4 IS a “crunchy” book, although it is by no means a technical manual. Still, this is a product for those who WANT to take a very radical departure with their 4E game. Do not get this if you’re mildly curious about what a Dwarf Barbarian would be like armed with a rotary cannon. Get this if you truly want to bring modern and futuristic combat to life with the 4E system."
Points of Light: "This book feels like a good spiritual successor to 3rd Edition's D20 Modern. The lack of an implied setting or time period, coupled with the fact that you can mix and match content from either book makes it easy to do an Urban Arcana game, and I could see rolling in Gamma World to get something a lot meatier if that is your thing. Heck, why not lump it all together and have your very own 2nd Edition of Rifts, if even by name only?
RPGNow: "Overall I have to give this product a thumbs up, its quality is not only in its content but its layout as well, I personally have not had many 4e 3rd party products with the production quality that DEM puts in its products."
ReportedBarnhill8
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He just quoted someone else's post from somewhere and put up some spam with it. You couldn't see it because he made his text match the background color.Experience Points
erleni:
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Dias Ex Machina
Publisher / Game Designer
"Look good"
Seriously though, Amethyst and Ultramodern4 have identical base rules. Where Amethyst differs is that it was designed to be fully compatible with Dungeons & Dragons without breaking 4E philosophy (much) while Ultramodern4 changes significant concepts.
For example, Amethyst still uses enhancement the same as D&D, forcing you to buy new gear as you advance through levels, where with Ultramodern4, you gain enhancement for free as you advance, allowing you to keep your 1st level pistol throughout your character's life. Ultramodern4 also adds ladders, which can not only greatly affect Ultramodern4 classes, but can also be applied to D&D classes as well.
Amethyst classes are all combat-based, military-themed. Ultramodern4 classes, though having nearly all the same powers as Amethyst, also have classes that have no attack powers which inflict actual damage. Yes, there are classes which are non-combatant.
The final big difference is that Amethyst is a campaign setting. Most of Foundations involves it's setting, not it's crunch. I do believe though, that you need both Foundations and Evolution to properly play Amethyst. Ultramodern4, although containing two adventures, has NO established setting.
HOWEVER, we hope to have a new setting out this year. Several people have heard about it; it's a political / espionage / cyberpunk setting. What's important about that book is that you can either use Amethyst or Ultramodern4 with it, though I think Ultramodern4 is a better fit.
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