Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Takes on Modern Magic

This month's edition of Unearthed Arcana from WotC's Dan Helmick takes on the topic of Modern Magic! Following on from an earlier column about d20 Modern items using 5E rules, this article "presents new rules for expanding the repertoire of spellcasting characters in a modern setting."

"A few months ago, Daniel Helmick described his adaptation for d20 Modern in a Behind the Screens article. He expanded on the rules for using firearms and explosives in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Now, what if we extended the D&D rules to cover a campaign not only touched by, but actually set in a modern era? The newest iteration of D&D features various archetypes, traditions, domains, and other options for the base classes, all of which present opportunities for customization. With that in mind, this article presents new rules for expanding the repertoire of spellcasting characters in a modern setting."

Find it here!

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[Yaarel]

The baked-in setting flavor is too distracting to ignore. It inflicts its unwanted setting flavor at every glance.

It is easier to add flavor than to remove it.

It is easier for me to rewrite and rethink the entire Players Handbook, than it is to ignore the unwanted baked-in setting flavor.

Then I can use these setting-neutral rules for any of my settings. Others can too. Add whatever flavor is appropriate for the adventure.

 

[SilentWolf]

Personally I haven't this problem.
I never had problems to reinterpret the D&D rules in a different way. It must be a matter of subjective feeling. I've no problem about using the Wizard to play a fringe technology student, who have changed his body to become a human 2.0 and to acquire "innatural" powers. I've no problem to describe this powers like nanomachines or cybernetic innests effects, instead of "Spells".
I've no problem about playing an Atheist Cleric or a Cop Paladin who fights for his city instead of for a god.

I'm not saying your complain is inappropriate or wrong (it is right that you claim the right to complain about what is not fun for you and about what you don't like). Simply, I think it's just a matter of personal taste as well as a question concerning the different ways in which each of us prefer to interact with the game, rules and/or flavor.
Some are comfortable with the rules as they are, others rightly feel the need to change them.

 

[Mercule]

I really don't see me ever using the D&D rules for a modern game. Still, I like that WotC is experimenting with some out-of-the-box thinking. What they did, here, looks pretty solid, should someone want to do d20 Modern, v5.

 

[SilentWolf]

Thant's what Dan Hermick said about his D&D 5e Modern rules:
https://twitter.com/JabJabSliceJab/status/628906137790746624

"If any rules are forthcoming, they will be through WotC's website. If you want more Modern D&D UA, buzz them! Thanks for reading!"

So, if any of you wish to see more D&D 5e Modern rules, be sure to make your opinion known to WotC.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Thant's what Dan Hermick said about his D&D 5e Modern rules:
https://twitter.com/JabJabSliceJab/status/628906137790746624

"If any rules are forthcoming, they will be through WotC's website. If you want more Modern D&D UA, buzz them! Thanks for reading!"

So, if any of you wish to see more D&D 5e Modern rules, be sure to make your opinion known to WotC.

I think I am going to start a letter writing campaign...

 

[SilentWolf]

A couple of reasons to support the creation of other D&D Modern Unearthed Arcana from Dan Hermick:
https://twitter.com/JabJabSliceJab/status/629769660947279872
https://twitter.com/JabJabSliceJab/status/629770535111540736

"If permitted, I think the next article would feature three builds for 'martial' classes and expanded modern equipment."

"After that, probably I'd lay down rules for computer systems, vehicle scenes, and wealth, if I had the word count."

 

[Yaarel]

I hope we see some of this in Modern!

The Wizard to play a fringe technology student, who have changed his body to become a human 2.0 and to acquire "innatural" powers. ... Describe powers like nanomachines or cybernetic innests effects, instead of "Spells".

 

[Yaarel]

It seems to me, the 5e Players Handbook has its cosmological setting flavor too specific and too deeply baked in, and is unsuitable for use for the other other settings that disresemble the polytheism of Forgotten Realms.

For this reason, other settings do benefit from having their own Players Handbooks, with the same rules mechanics featuring different flavors. (Additionally, it would be nice to have a 5e OGL that is just the rules with minimal setting assumptions.)

I hope to see a Modern Players Handbook, with all of the same rules with modern and near-future flavors, rewriting all of the classes.

But keep in mind, even a Modern ambiance must be usable for very different kinds of settings. Some Modern settings that come to mind right away are:

Technotopia: magic as sufficiently advanced technology (my favorite). Compare research by Kurzweil and others.
Superhero: magic and technology fuse. X-Men.
Mind over Matter: magic as powers of the mind. Compare Chronicle and Push movies.
Magical Realism: what if magic is real now, modern magic (love this setting flavor), compare Teen Wolf, Dresden Files, and Charmed Ones. Also compare the Twilight Zone, The Strange setting, and Urban Fantasy Romance genre such as the vampires of Twilight and the fae of the Fever novels.
Magic versus Technology: compare the Amethyst setting.
Cyberpunk Dystopia: compare the Shadow Run setting and the classic Blade Runner movie.
Post-Apocalyptic: technological self-destruction causes new Dark Age (less favorite). Compare Gamma World and Thundarr the Barbarian.

And so on.

The point is, even the Modern Players Handbook needs to flavor all of the rules of play while being mindful that DMs will need to use these rules for very different kinds of settings.

So, Modern needs both an open-ended ‘setting neutral’ Players Handbook - plus separate Setting Guides for different kinds of specific settings.

 

[Remathilis]

But keep in mind, even a Modern ambiance must be usable for very different kinds of settings. Some Modern settings that come to mind right away are:
Technotopia: magic as sufficiently advanced technology (my favorite). Compare research by Kurzweil and others.
Superhero: magic and technology fuse. X-Men.
Magical Realism: what if magic is real now, modern magic, compare Dresden Files and Charmed Ones (love this setting flavor). Also compare Twilight Zone and The Strange setting.
Magic versus Technology: compare the Amethyst setting.
Cyberpunk Dystopia: compare the Shadow Run setting and the classic Blade Runner movie.
Post-Apocalyptic: technological self-destruction causes new Dark Age (less favorite). Compare Gamma World and Thundarr the Barbarian.
And so on.
The point is, even the Modern Players Handbook needs to flavor all of the rules of play while being mindful that DMs will use these rules for very different kinds of settings.

The six examples you list are pretty much six separate games. In fact, many of them are already games and they are good enough that they don't need a knockoff D&D modern version. Shadowrun does cyberpunk well; Mutants & Masterminds is the de facto superhero RPG, etc. Personally, if I was making a modern RPG for WotC I would make a new Gamma World and a new Urban Arcana and tailor the games to those settings. A d20 game so generic as to support anything often does nothing well.

 

[Yaarel]

@Remathilis. I want you to be able to enjoy D&D.

At the same time, your advice tends to be unhelpful because I often dislike what you like.