D20 Modern / Future

[Human Paragon 3]

I'm playing a d20 future game IRL, and I have to say, I really like the system. It's like a much-simplified and streamlined D&D. It's also much more balanced, and less head-ache inducing.

Apart from an appreciation thread, I guess I'd also like to ask if there's any official or very good 3rd party material out there beyond the core books?

[Tyndmyr]

I'm playing a d20 future game IRL, and I have to say, I really like the system. It's like a much-simplified and streamlined D&D. It's also much more balanced, and less head-ache inducing.

You say that now. Realistically, it's just broken in entirely different ways than D&D. As a trivial example, absolutely any party can start with an arbitrarily large quantity of explosives at char creation.

Apart from an appreciation thread, I guess I'd also like to ask if there's any official or very good 3rd party material out there beyond the core books?

Future has some good stuff, past has the occasional good bit.

The Menace Manual is kind of wild though. Apparently someone had a serious fear of clowns.

[Human Paragon 3]

Ha, I suppose I should mention that we completely through out the wealth and reputation system.

[Tyndmyr]

Ha, I suppose I should mention that we completely through out the wealth and reputation system.

This is good...much of what's broken is in the wealth system.

That said, literally all problems can be solved by application of enough explosives. The last char I played had heroic surge and crates of grenades. A possible four grenades a round basically destroyed all. Note that thermite grenades do 6d6 base damage, and point blank shot is still a thing.

There's that build, there's your sniper build, and there's your dual wielding burst fire build. Those three builds tend to utterly crush most things. In theory, melee could keep up, but realistically, a build like a sniper is highly unlikely to take nearly as many hits as he dishes out.

The scaling is a bit wonky late game as well...guns get remarkably weak unless they're triggering massive damage saves. So, quantity of massive damage saves becomes an important tactic. Expect to see Heroic Surge on absolutely everyone.

There's also minor issues, like the Strong talent tree choices. Let's see...choose "ignore 1 point of hardness" or "+1 damage". Why would anyone ever choose the first option?

[Human Paragon 3]

Indeed, a lot of the talent trees leave something to be desired. There's also a great deal of crap feats available, as in 3.5, and one needs to be able to sift through and pick out the correct options.

I'm actually playing an unarmed combat type. I'm happy with the level of support it receives in the core books. The rest of the party consists of a han solo / malcolm reynolds scoundrel with a heart of gold, type, dual wielding pistols, and the a computer hacker / arcane technologies expert. The game is low-op, and heavily RP and skill-based, with combat taking place usually once a session. We have come across enemies that are a lot stronger than us due to better tactics and technology, but given that its an RPG, we always manage to come out on top, even if just barely.

For my curiosity, what's the sniper build?

[nyarlathotep]

I'm playing a d20 future game IRL, and I have to say, I really like the system. It's like a much-simplified and streamlined D&D. It's also much more balanced, and less head-ache inducing.

Apart from an appreciation thread, I guess I'd also like to ask if there's any official or very good 3rd party material out there beyond the core books?

Umm modern is in fact rather balanced sans wealth system but future it rather stupid in what it considers balance. First and foremost d20 future cannot mix with any of the other d20 modern products without making most of their options irrelevant. Second mech combat cannot work period. Third space combat works fairly well but should not be mixed with ground combat in any way whatsoever.

[hiryuu]

There's also minor issues, like the Strong talent tree choices. Let's see...choose "ignore 1 point of hardness" or "+1 damage". Why would anyone ever choose the first option?

Two points of hardness, actually. The progression is 2, 4, and 6. It's still not very good, but not that terrible.

If you plan on punching a lot of walls instead of monsters and the minions of Crimson Scorpion.

I guess maybe you might need to punch through a bank safe someday.

[Fouredged Sword]

I realized d20 future was wacky when I realized it was cheaper to build a shotgun that did 6d12 damage than it was to buy a mecha weapon that dealt less damage.

[Narren]

I remember my players realizing that the flying cars had fewer hitpoints and were easier to hit than the people flying them. Chase scenes became rather lame after that.

[horngeek]

The best 3rd party supplement I know of is Naruto d20.

[Tyndmyr]

For my curiosity, what's the sniper build?

Step 1: Get the biggest sniper rifle you can. A .50 is not at all bad for 2d12, but you can easily get 4d6 or better if you can find larger toys. Note that these have long ranges. A personal favorite choice that sacrifices some range is the Beowulf, because large mags are great.

Step 2: Read the situational bonuses, and realize that being prone gives you advantages to hitting, and advantages to not being hit with ranged. Realize you will never, ever let anything close enough to punch you and that dropping prone is a free action and do it at every opportunity.

Step 3: Take the Double Tap feat(and prereqs). Instead of 2d2, you're now dealing 3d12. Ignore those lame sniper feats that waste turns "aiming" for minor to-hit bonuses.

Step 4: Take Heroic Surge, because 6d12 is better than 3d12.

Step 5: Read the Massive Damage rules. Laugh a lot. Realize that at level 1, each shot averages 19.5 damage, so basically every bullet you fire, in addition to being a LOT of damage, is a save or die.

That's really all you need. But...if you're playing my char, you do the following:

Step 6: Dab around in strong/fast for your initial levels for fun stuff. Get all the prereqs for both Soldier and Negotiator(you'll use this one first). Take only two levels of Negotiator. Also, take Improved Init, because it's funny. Then, go Soldier, and select your sniper rifle for both Weapon Focus and Weapon Spec, because more hitting and more damage is always good. Also, slap every upgrade on your firearm you are allowed.

Level 2 of negotiator(attainable at char level 5) allows you to act first ALWAYS in any situation where you have been talking with them. It explicitly calls out loudspeakers, radios, etc, to be valid. This is a free full action, not a mere surprise round. So, use that, heroic surge, probably beat them on init, heroic surge again. That's four rounds of double taps, so it's looting time now.

I realized d20 future was wacky when I realized it was cheaper to build a shotgun that did 6d12 damage than it was to buy a mecha weapon that dealt less damage.

I have found that mechas end up being ways for the chars to basically get extra hp in any situation where they can justify using them, and are otherwise mostly irrelevant. They are...odd.

[Sir_Mopalot]

As far as 3rd party stuff, this and its sequel are almost mandatory purchases. It's written by some of the guys who worked on the core book, and the preface says basically straight out that its content they had to cut to fit the book in their size constraints. D20 Modern is a great system, although like every other system, if there isn't agreement as to the tone and level of optimization that the group's going for, it can be silly broken. Avoid this, and it's a flexible toolkit that can be used to run just about any type of game.

[Hypersmith]

As far as 3rd party stuff, this and its sequel are almost mandatory purchases.

I'm so sorry to thread necro, but its driving me crazy that I don't know what this is

[thorr-kan]

I'm so sorry to thread necro, but its driving me crazy that I don't know what this is

Modern Companion Volumes 1 & 2 by The Game Mechanics. e-files now out of print. Hard copy available from amazon.com.

What?!

[Hypersmith]

thank you, it was driving me crazy. Now to somehow get my hands on this backwards strategy...