Why no Steampunk d20?

[MythicJustice]

You know. I'd love to see a Steampunk D20. I mean, Iron Kingdoms is a bit steampunkish but so far it contains more D&D traditional elements then steampunk ones.

Anyone else out there wish there were some D20 Steampunk material?

Chad

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Give it a couple of months, then I bet we will see a flood of Steampunk books hit the market at the same time.

To be serious- I have no idea why it does already exist. Perhaps no one believes the demand is high enough to work on it.

FD

 

[Marius Delphus]

I'm with you, MythicJustice.

I'm all for full-fledged steampunk such as that seen in the movie "Wild, Wild West" and the series "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.," "Legend," and "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne."

It would take me a very long time to adapt GURPS Steampunk, Castle Falkenstein, etc. to d20, and so I strongly wish someone would take the task off my hands.

So much for dismay and desire. Whatever happened to the Netbook of Steam over on FanCC? Did it just... vaporize?

 

[Furn_Darkside]

I'm all for full-fledged steampunk such as that seen in the movie "Wild, Wild West" and the series "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.," "Legend," and "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne."

Hmm, perhaps I was thinking too fantastic.

Have you checked out Deadlands d20?

I have heard good things about their Mad Scientist class, and they have a lot of that kind of weird tech stuff.

FD

 

[Marius Delphus]

LOL, I hit "Submit" too quickly I suppose. I'd be much *more* interested in a Magical Steampunk setting, naturally!

Were it only the "Mad Scientist" thing, I could probably get by with the Pulp d20 setting published in Polyhedron recently... the scientist class there operates more or less like the mechanician kit from "Complete Sha'ir's Handbook."

No, what I'm really looking for (and neglected to explain at all) is something more along the lines of Castle Falkenstein, except with a D&D flavor... call it "Greyhawk 1890" or some such. I have the Masque of the Red Death (Gothic Earth) conversion for Living Death... that's close, but I have a lot of problems with some of the specifics (for example, the classes don't seem well balanced against each other).

My picture of a "Greyhawk 1890" campaign would be one where "adventuring" had been reduced to more of a genteel sport than anything (of course, there would be some very important things going on that "gentleman adventurers" would be unaware of)... and the campaign would involve the characters starting in this class-conscious society that has developed magical steam tech... the really fancy stuff... I wouldn't know what sources to cite that reflect what I'm after. Anyone see the Amazing Engine setting book "For Faerie, Queen, and Country"?

Gothic Earth, only happier?

Castle Falkenstein, only not based on Earth?

Dragons destroying zeppelins... bulettes chasing steam automobiles, with the wizard firing lightning bolts from the rear... the tarrasque kicking over a locomotive and derailing the whole train... gentlemen in handlebar mustaches bravely firing revolvers at a lizardman cleric and his rifleman guards... dopplegangers kidnapping legislators by gaslight....

All very "wahoo" but at the same time soundly D&D and thoroughly Victorian... and NOT set on EARTH! I'm bloody tired enough of Earth, thanks all the same. Although the ruleset would be suited to an alternate Earth, of course, I just personally don't want one.

 

[Desdichado]

You might be able to get ahold of some old Space 1880 material (wasn't that the name of that old GDW game?)

Still, I imagine all these genres that we're still not seeing will eventually be flushed out. It's only natural that the first few years sees a relatively conservative approach to d20 material, that only gradually gets into the more esoteric types of settings.

 

[Jeeves]

The very excellent world of The City from the video game series THIEF is probably my favorite "Steam punk"-esque setting.

It is basically a world where guns never existed. It is psuedo-Renassance at first glance, with big fortified manors, very low rare-magic, and swords and armor... until the player happens upon the weird fusion-powered streetlights, camera secruity systems, elevators, and much more.

I really like that world. Very richly detailed, and vague enough to be interesting too without milking it out too much. You guys might want to check out http://www.thief-thecircle.com for the Keeper's annals on info from the world.

Why wait for a d20 steampunk to come out... be creative and make up your own!

 

[qstor]

I think someone wrote up a home brewed setting called Modus or Something...and posted a link to it on the old boards...

I for one would like a CF d20 a Greyhawk 1890 wouldn't be too bad either...Or Faerun 1890. I had that idea eariler this year but the work would be a LOT. And Im a lazy DM


Mike

 

[Dagger75]

Wasn't there a whole Dragon magizine issue on steampunk??

 

[Voneth]

Issue 277
The cover has a strawberry blood unseelie elf with a scar on her left eye and a mechancial pet on her shoulder, she's cleaning a recipcator pistol.

But the issue also looked at other time periods and came up with a Greyhawk 2000 article that shouldn't be two hard to use for GW 1890.