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Unearthed Arcana Takes on Modern Magic
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<blockquote data-quote="Dan Helmick" data-source="post: 7699630" data-attributes="member: 6776668"><p><strong>RE: UA Modern Magic</strong></p><p></p><p>After the <em>Behind the Screens</em> article I wrote on my 5e d20 Modern campaign, I was raring to go on this, and there was a window for a nice little contribution. It was a fun article to write. Of course as a UA article, the most important bits are word count and a looming deadline, so a few of the concepts in the article are very rough. No time for playtesting - you talk it over with an editor and bounce things back and forth once or twice and that's it. Put it out on the 'Net and see what the fans think. So, yes, a couple of things are a bit broken - features like Online Casting in particular would need some reworking to make them viable - but if someone does that, it's not gonna be me, since I don't own the rights to the article. (Work-for-hire is like that when you're not too experienced.)</p><p></p><p>It was interesting to see how many people immediately asked me if any more <em>Shadowrun</em>-style game elements were being planned. I got a lot of e-mails and IMs asking for things like cybernetic enhancements or expanded 'decking' rules. While those game elements are certainly interesting, it was never my intention to set the rules in a cyberpunk setting, per se. I was more interested in a spin on modern Urban Fantasy with some meshing between magic and tech. When you describe magical elements and creatures making their way into the world outside your door, you have two choices: you make magic and tech not play well at all together, or you make it so that magic interacts with science in unexpected ways. The first has been done pretty often, so I was more interested in the second. That's not to say that you can't use the Modern Magic rules for a cyberpunk setting - by all means, if it floats your boat, go for it - it's just that my intention was never to make <em>Shadowrun</em>-lite.</p><p></p><p>With the advent of the DM's Guild and the new OGL, I no longer have to work through WotC to get more D&D Modern-inspired stuff out there into the electronic cosmos. Of course I can't afford reprint rights even from the UA article - thanks again, work-for-hire contracts - but I have a lot of other tricks up my sleeve so I'm not worried about replacing these three subclasses with something equally flavorful. Of course I can't borrow (read: rip off) things like spell names or classes from the d20 Modern books like I had in the article, but the beauty of designing spells in 5e is that you're only really beholden to some amount of game balance. Otherwise, the sky is the limit.</p><p></p><p>Designing a full system in the vein of this article was always my ultimate goal, and it was my (naive) hope that it would be something that might merit some consideration when I was still at the old 'dragon mill'. So I've been working on it on my own, at precisely the sort of perfectionist's pace that you can afford when you're not being paid for work except in endorphin rushes. I don't want to go off half-cocked and put out a rushed game, though. If and when I announce a Kickstarter for a full system book, expect it to be one executed with an eye towards quality rather than wanting to be the first (or third, or fifth, or fiftieth) kid on the block making a game about half-orcs with S&W .500s. During my time at WotC I made extensive contacts with people with whom I would like to work and who would like to work with me, and when my day job allows it, I'll do just that.</p><p></p><p>Thanks for the interest in the article. Reviews and comments are what keep an ex-D&D hack like me inspired.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dan Helmick, post: 7699630, member: 6776668"] [b]RE: UA Modern Magic[/b] After the [I]Behind the Screens[/I] article I wrote on my 5e d20 Modern campaign, I was raring to go on this, and there was a window for a nice little contribution. It was a fun article to write. Of course as a UA article, the most important bits are word count and a looming deadline, so a few of the concepts in the article are very rough. No time for playtesting - you talk it over with an editor and bounce things back and forth once or twice and that's it. Put it out on the 'Net and see what the fans think. So, yes, a couple of things are a bit broken - features like Online Casting in particular would need some reworking to make them viable - but if someone does that, it's not gonna be me, since I don't own the rights to the article. (Work-for-hire is like that when you're not too experienced.) It was interesting to see how many people immediately asked me if any more [I]Shadowrun[/I]-style game elements were being planned. I got a lot of e-mails and IMs asking for things like cybernetic enhancements or expanded 'decking' rules. While those game elements are certainly interesting, it was never my intention to set the rules in a cyberpunk setting, per se. I was more interested in a spin on modern Urban Fantasy with some meshing between magic and tech. When you describe magical elements and creatures making their way into the world outside your door, you have two choices: you make magic and tech not play well at all together, or you make it so that magic interacts with science in unexpected ways. The first has been done pretty often, so I was more interested in the second. That's not to say that you can't use the Modern Magic rules for a cyberpunk setting - by all means, if it floats your boat, go for it - it's just that my intention was never to make [I]Shadowrun[/i]-lite. With the advent of the DM's Guild and the new OGL, I no longer have to work through WotC to get more D&D Modern-inspired stuff out there into the electronic cosmos. Of course I can't afford reprint rights even from the UA article - thanks again, work-for-hire contracts - but I have a lot of other tricks up my sleeve so I'm not worried about replacing these three subclasses with something equally flavorful. Of course I can't borrow (read: rip off) things like spell names or classes from the d20 Modern books like I had in the article, but the beauty of designing spells in 5e is that you're only really beholden to some amount of game balance. Otherwise, the sky is the limit. Designing a full system in the vein of this article was always my ultimate goal, and it was my (naive) hope that it would be something that might merit some consideration when I was still at the old 'dragon mill'. So I've been working on it on my own, at precisely the sort of perfectionist's pace that you can afford when you're not being paid for work except in endorphin rushes. I don't want to go off half-cocked and put out a rushed game, though. If and when I announce a Kickstarter for a full system book, expect it to be one executed with an eye towards quality rather than wanting to be the first (or third, or fifth, or fiftieth) kid on the block making a game about half-orcs with S&W .500s. During my time at WotC I made extensive contacts with people with whom I would like to work and who would like to work with me, and when my day job allows it, I'll do just that. Thanks for the interest in the article. Reviews and comments are what keep an ex-D&D hack like me inspired. [/QUOTE]
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