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Posted by: crash2029 Apr 21 2011, 07:30 AM

For awhile I've had the d20 modern books and wanted to give it a whirl. I just never got to do it. I was wondering if anybody played it and if so what they thought? It seems like a solid enough system but you never know. Input appreciated. Thanks for reading this and hopefully chiming in.

Posted by: Tiralee Apr 21 2011, 08:44 AM

Erk, no.

I found this, when were were using his 3rd ED DnD stuff though.

http://www.pathguy.com/d20modern.htm

It might help - be warned, has a chunky load as the pages are in Java. His Ebaron stuff is good, the Pathfinder barely worth mentioning.

-Tir.

Posted by: CanRay Apr 21 2011, 12:35 PM

Doesn't D20 cause cancer?

Posted by: Wesley Street Apr 21 2011, 12:44 PM

Spycraft 2.0 is a much more solid OGL system than D20 Modern. D20 Modern is incredibly clunky, filled with half-formed ideas that didn't fit with D&D 3.X.

Posted by: nezumi Apr 21 2011, 12:46 PM

I used d20 one time for a guy who was allergic to math, had no interest in realism, but wanted more granularity than coin-flipping. The game ended shortly after. The only thing I saw going for it is first-grade math and it's the sort of mechanics you'd probably come to anyway if you were playing a game with a d20 and no rulebook.

I can't comment on the Modern books specifically, except to ask ... 'why?'

Posted by: the_dunner Apr 21 2011, 01:13 PM

Way back in 2004 or so, I ran http://members.cox.net/~mythictwilight/ using D20 Modern.

My intent when I was running it was that we'd try out the system, and then switch to something else after a few game sessions.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked for my purposes. No, it wasn't perfect. However, it worked well enough for what I was trying to do at the time.

Essentially, if you're more focused on trying to do something cinematic than you are on trying to do something realistic, it's functional. If you're more concerned about having rules that work well-enough rather than things that are mechanically ideal, then it's compatible enough with D&D to make use of those resource as well. That means that there are a lot of D20 resources out there that you can reach out and grab, it's pretty trivial to pull in other resources that also work "well-enough."

As for the causes cancer bit, well, I'm willing to accept that risk sometimes.

Posted by: Sixgun_Sage Apr 21 2011, 01:20 PM

I've played alot of D20 Modern and.... it's better than D&D, alot of differant optional mechanics and a huge amount of support.... including two firearms books. There are books for a few differant types of campaigns and fan books for campaigns based on movies so there is plenty of support out there, my favorites being the Terminator book despite the prestige classes being a bit... sloppy, and Resident Evil. Overall though I have to agree with Wes, Spycraft 2.0 is a superior product if a bit niche, I've only got the core book and "World On Fire" for it but both are incredibly well done too and I've been meaning to look for additional books.

Posted by: Yerameyahu Apr 21 2011, 01:42 PM

The class system looks wacky. I do know that D20 Future is basically Alternity warmed-over and crushed into the D20 mold. :/

Posted by: CanRay Apr 21 2011, 01:55 PM

I likes me my Apocalyptic games, myself, and pulled a few things from D20 Apocalypse.

Posted by: KarmaInferno Apr 21 2011, 02:50 PM

This.

A supposed verbal exchange by two Devs for Spycraft:

"We took the rules, and crushed & pounded them until all the crap got squeezed out."

"What was the stuff that squeezed out?"

"D20 modern."




-k

Posted by: Warlordtheft Apr 21 2011, 07:03 PM

Played it once as a player---the wealth mechanic is wonky and the gear costs are also wonky.

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Apr 22 2011, 02:53 AM

For me, modernity is about lethal weaponry. You don't get that from a D20 system. Just play Rainbow Six 3.

Posted by: Mr. Mage Apr 22 2011, 05:24 PM

I think for certain things, D20 Modern (and by extension, D20 Future and Apocalypse) are ok. I found the mecha and spaceship rules pretty useful for playing games based around those mechanics (like a mecha only game or recreating the battle of the death star).

Personally, I think the D20 system is really just a gateway game into roleplaying. Almost everyone I know, even the non-gamers, has heard of DnD. That's what you start them on and then when they decide to start playing regularly, go to Rifts or Shadowrun (IMO).

Posted by: CanRay Apr 22 2011, 05:45 PM

"Like Marijuana leads to heroin, D20 leads to Shadowrun..."

Posted by: Wesley Street Apr 22 2011, 07:20 PM

I played 2300AD and Shadowrun for quite awhile before touching a d20. As I'm a sci-fi nerd first, D&D had never interested me until recently (though that interest is quickly beginning to wane). I'm just weird like that.