which system for G.I. Joe d20?

[Lugh]

OK, I've only browsed d20 Modern and haven't had a chance to look at M&M. But, I still vote for Spycraft. It's MADE for GI Joe. That was one of the licenses they were kicking around before the game ever went to market (obviously, it hasn't happened. Yet). Especially with the Stargate rules for military ranks and streamlined gearing up.

There is no Joe character you cannot do with Spycraft. Period. The ultra-cool, all-around bad-asses like Duke and Lady Jaye are doable with healthy doses of soldier and pointman. The specialists are all easily do-able with prestige classes. In point of fact, I see each of the prestige classes in the Sol/Whl book as a Joe character, just taking the name of the prestige class as their code name.

The only character that really gets quirky is Snake Eyes. He's very doable, but that mystic ninja schtick is always going to be hard to pin down in game mechanics. I don't think any build would please all of his fans, even if they made a Snake Eyes prestige class.

BTW, the "Powered by Spycraft" GI Joe-inspired product mentioned earlier is called Strike Force 7, by Otherworld Creations, the company that brought you Forbidden Kingdoms. The web site claims that the book was supposed to be out last summer. I haven't seen anything about it since.

 

[Psion]

Not wanting to start a flame war, it is my impression that the only reason D20 Mod has been more popular [if it has] is due to its ties to DnD, WotC, and a huge distribution. Spycraft, OTOH, is a little harder to find [at least here in NZ] and has mainly spread thru word of mouth.

Locally, Spycraft seems more popular. But that could change.

 

[blackshirt5]

Damn, I've really gotta pick up Spycraft now and run myself a GI Joe game or something.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Damn, I've really gotta pick up Spycraft now and run myself a GI Joe game or something.

Ditto... I'm even tempted to run a PbP... Blackshirt, if your intrested in doing the same why don't you send me an email? It's in my profile, I would send you one but yours is locked for us commoners.

 

[HellHound]

Personally, I would go with psycraft just because of the Wound / Vitality system. This is CINEMATIC. People don't get hit very often, they just surrender after a while (so, once they find themselves with only wound points left) unless you are unlucky like Duke and take a snake-thing to the shoulder in a Critical Hit that goes straight to your wounds.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

A few things I'm curious about are the following...

How does combat run with a few PC and lots and lots of bad guys? M&M system is setup to handle this with the damage saves, I know if you use the optional hit point system in M&M that Captain American can't beat up 10 goons. Something in the middle is probably what I would be shooting for, but with the superpowers removed from M&M I might have found that balance.

Second, I’ve been told that spycraft can handle the diversified nature of the Joes training, but do you need to multiclass like in d20 modern? (I’ve had characters with 4 or 5 different classes before and I would rather avoid that nightmare again.)

 

[garyh]

I voted d20 Modern + M&M. I think Modern could handle all the standard characters perfectly, as the classes are so flexible, and the M&M rules would be perfect for the Snake-Eyes, Serpentor, Mindbender, Zartan crowd. Plus maybe using M&M's damage system.

BroShatterstone, if you run a PbP with Modern, M&M, or a combo, I'm hereby reserving a spot!

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

If you run a PbP with Modern, M&M, or a combo, I'm hereby reserving a spot!

I think it's a little soon to take reservations but who I'm I to stop you.

I love the damage save, it GI Joe after all and not The Sands of Iwo Jima, but the thing I love most is the classless character concept. I think the added skills and feats of Modern d20 would help shore up the lack of super powers in the character creation. Of course it would mean transferring the modern d20 weapons to the M&M d20 Hit point options and from their to the damage save.

I would have done that already but there seems so much more support for spycraft… Which has left me unsure on how to proceed, well atleast in till I see spycraft in my hands. My dream would be for everyone to have one real GI Joe, and maybe a homecreated one ("green shirt") and of course for at least 2 DMs/GMs so that I can play too.

 

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

A few things I'm curious about are the following...

How does combat run with a few PC and lots and lots of bad guys? M&M system is setup to handle this with the damage saves, I know if you use the optional hit point system in M&M that Captain American can't beat up 10 goons. Something in the middle is probably what I would be shooting for, but with the superpowers removed from M&M I might have found that balance.

In Spycraft most of the basic enemy goons are represented by minions - generally weaker than the Agents (for example, minions have no wound points, only vitality points), although there are ways of making them weaker or stronger, depending on the type of game you are wanting. Above these are the Henchmen and Masterminds that lead them (often from a big swivelly chair with a white cat. There are now rules for white cats. Woohoo., There are now rules for sharks. Now I want rules for 'frikkin' lasers to put on their heads). The Mastermind system is designed to set up missions at whatever difficulty level you want.

So you can have a few PCs and many agents. Mabe a lucky hit will hurt the agents, but such things happen.

Second, I’ve been told that spycraft can handle the diversified nature of the Joes training, but do you need to multiclass like in d20 modern? (I’ve had characters with 4 or 5 different classes before and I would rather avoid that nightmare again.)

Not that I know that much about GI Joe, but Spycraft classes are really well written. The main site has a resources page with a lite version of the Spycraft ruleset (under Files). This gives the first five levels of the six base classes, and a rundown of some the different rules. Well worth a look.

Take a look at the forums and ask a few questions, the people there are very helpful, and are sure to answer any questions that you might have. GI Joe has come up a couple of times in the past and a quick search will get you some information. Most should be easily statted up with a single base class and maybe a prestige class.

And while you're there, if you're bored, take a look at my thread here.

Hope this helps.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I have a new poll over in the "Talking the Talk" section of the PbP area... I think few of you will be happy but maybe you'll be intrested enough to try it my way. Link