Yes, I think everybody agrees that you can take d20 and make a good game out of it, but you have to abandon some of the assumptions of D&D.

Six ability scores, skills, feats, classes, the core mechanic, it all works. The problems are in the details.

Spoiler: Random thoughts
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So, I have vague ideas for a more intrigue focused variant of d20, which I'll outline below. I'm still assuming a fairly traditional fantasy setting.

I'm changing the stats a bit, to Brawns, Grace, Wit, Charm, and Resolve. Originally it was Beauty/Brains/Brawn, but I decided Septuagint being graceful from being charming and willpower from intelligence would be more useful. It's essentially three six stats with Strength and Constitution put into one stat. Modifiers only, to make it simpler.

Skills are being reduced, not sure of the exact ones I'll use but I'm planning on around 20 (with everybody receiving 4+int skill points per level). No class skills.

The classes are the Courtier, the Duelist, the Minstrel, the Scholar, and the Spy. They reach have a similar progression of abilities, increasing in potency with levels (although multiclassing is encouraged for versatility).

Feats work as normal, and ate the only way to learn spells. Spells cost HP to cast, but HP is explicitly narrative importance/fate, and restored whenever characters can catch their breath (in exchange for only being equal to 10+level*brawn).

Combat us radically changed in some respects. Anybody can take a feat to learn a weapon style (and duelists get one for free), which gives an initiative bonus, attack bonus, and damage bonus. Damage dice on a successful attack are a number of d6 based on your level (so more powerful characters ate more likely to get a character in a position where they can be seriously hurt). PCs and major NPCs who run out of HP ate still in the fight, but start taking injuries and other Setbacks unless they surrender. I'm considering making it more complicated, making you need to gain advantage before attacking someone, but I'm unsure how to implement it outside of duels.

The idea is that PCs well spend the entire adventure in one city or on a country estate, so there's little in there for dungeon delving. It's also relatively low magic, so characters won't have many 'push button' solutions. An alternative would be to go fill Exalted.