I Got d20 Modern

[Grytorm]

Hi, I found a copy of the d20 Modern core rulebook in a local bookstore for 15 dollars, so I picked it up. Did anyone play this game a lot and was it any good? I'm not certain when I will get to reading it but it does look interesting to me.

[Remuko]

I played a campaign in it. If you like(d) 3.0/3.5 its mostly the same with just modern tech and a few notable changes (like how wealth is handled). But if youre used to 3.x its really easy to get into and it can be fun.

[the_david]

I've played it. I suppose it's not the best system out there but it has its merits. Human is the default race. Classes are meh, but you're supposed to take your first level in an advanced class at level 4 anyway. There are occupations much like in 5e. Wealth is certainly different, and not that hard to optimize if I recall correctly.

I do like the vague setting ideas, but they seem a bit gonzo. I didn't like working for the default organisation. Too railroady.

[Mato]

d20 Modern is a great campaign but it's something you want to avoid level one on. D&D could easily kill lv1 characters and adding options for automatic buckshot and rocket launchers just makes it worse.

Overall it uses the 3.0 rule set, action points like Eberron, an abstract wealth system that can do just about anything on a good roll, but has a flaw of being generic. There are six base classes keyed after the six abilities scores and when it comes to optimization dexterity provides initiative, ac, and accuracy with weapons that roll several dice at once so there really isn't much to discuss other than why didn't you use the fast hero?

Coming into it really the main thing you'll want to read is the new gun options, specifically your rapid fire options. If you've ever played Shadowrun (video or tabletop) cover & concealment are your bread and butter just like real life. Once you get the basics you can tackle the best part of Modern, the timeline. Morden doesn't just give you the rules for playing a game in the 1990s, but it's designed to be compatible with D&D and stretches so far forward you can recreate your favorite mech or Star Wars settings. It even has an apocalyptic setting if you loved those dystopia future movies of the 80s or for some reason haven't had enough zombie apocalypses yet, and yes before you even ask it Modern allowed you to play Fallout before Fallout was a video game. You should see the list of weapon tweaks you can do in Future Tech.

[Agent 451]

It even has an apocalyptic setting if you loved those dystopia future movies of the 80s or for some reason haven't had enough zombie apocalypses yet, and yes before you even ask it Modern allowed you to play Fallout before Fallout was a video game.

Nitpick: Fallout 1 came out in 1997 (and was a spiritual predecessor to Wasteland, released in 1988), d20 Modern came out in 2002.

[Tohsaka Rin]

Not only that, but the guys who made Fallout 1 based it on their personal Tabletop RPG they'd been running for a while.

[SangoProduction]

D20 Modern is honestly my single most favorite of the D&D-3.5-like game systems...or it would be, if I had anyone to play it with. It has such a focus on multiclassing (so much so, that the "hero" classes are literally just there so that you will work towards your prestige classes). It just feels like making your own character. 3.5 has a similar idea, but it's not focused on multiclassing specifically, and even has penalties for such if you don't multiclass "correctly".

As for the bit about Dexterity being the "best" stat. Well, considering that's the most overpowered thing in the system...I'd say the balance is pretty good.

Combat's rather dull if you're used to 3.5's magic and (that book with the swordsage), and especially dull compared to 4.0's combat refinements, but...eh. I find people tend to act out and describe their combat actions more in D20 than 3.5, where they are happy to just "roll numbers at them until they die". That is merely correlation though, not causation. Not really sure why people do it more in D20, perhaps because there's less inherent fluff so they feel they must?

The wealth system is nice, but it's really...really...really stupid if you're like me and have an urge to optimize your spending. And doubly so at character creation, if you create someone higher than first level. It's easily abused (if the DM allows it)...but once you get past character creation, it's often a fairly simple affair, and you can actually have characters stay at hotels and eat vender food without the mechanical intrusion of dealing with money.

"Eh...I could pay for a night in a hotel for fluff reasons, but...I really want to save up for that shiny sword. I'll just sleep outside, and reap the benefits." Or the situations where they question why you're not charging money for this. And...yeah, basically, it helps with the little stuff that make the world seem a little more immersive.

[Alcore]

Good system. Get the other books though; the core rule book is kinda bland with a capital B. (There is a modern srd now)


Wealth is narrative in a way. Hard to abuse depending on how you use it. See the higher it is the harder it is to increase solely on wealth checks. So if the game starts at 5 and the GM doesn't allow you to buy thing between those five levels it's hard to increase wealth without spending a skill point per level.

I've noted wealth in character creation stays low until you get up there (like 10) and expensive things lower it no matter what. Story awards of flat +4 or higher do more (and salvage from future) to get you to the point of buying the good things (cars, homes, starships)


99% of characters live with their parents or hotels.

[frogglesmash]

There are two major problems that frequently come up in d20 modern.

1. The wealth system is very abusable, but this mostly a problem at character creation, otherwise the amount of time involved in making wealth checks makes it hard to properly abuse the system. To prevent abuse at character creation there's a couple things you can do. You can either assign premade kits for starting gear, or you can disallow the use of "take 20" on wealth checks during character creation. Another issue that some people have with the system is that getting a wealth bonus as a reward isn't as satisfying as getting $5,000, cash. This isn't a problem at all tables though.

2. D20 modern uses its own system for nonlethal damage. I can't remember exactly how it works, but the result is that two untrained combatants can punch eachother in the face for days on end and still not fall unconscious. I strongly recommend using the 3.5 nonlethal damage mechanics.

Another problem is that they use the 3.0 rules for psionics, though this probably won't come up in most campaigns.

[Alcore]

I was under the impression you couldn't "take X" with wealth rolls and this is the first time it came up.

Edit: to clarify I meant during character creation.

[Grytorm]

Good to hear that I made a good choice . I'll definitely think about getting a hold on some sourcebooks when I get the chance. So looking it up, it seems like there are three and a half generic books. Menace Manual, Armory, and Critical Locations (and sort of Future Technology) while the rest are theme/setting books? Seems like they did a good job. I like how they implemented their straightforward theme.

[frogglesmash]

I was under the impression you couldn't "take X" with wealth rolls and this is the first time it came up.

Just checked, it's definitely a thing, however you can't take 10 or 20 of your wealth bonus is +0.

[Alcore]

while the rest are theme/setting books? Seems like they did a good job. I like how they implemented their straightforward theme.

They are as much a setting book as the core rule book; they ain't. Too generic for any one setting.

Just checked, it's definitely a thing, however you can't take 10 or 20 of your wealth bonus is +0.

I also checked. Which comes right after the shopping. It also talks about it taking time; a thing you can't 'pay' during creation. Which lends itself to another problem I remembered;


Too much is left to interpretation.

[The_Dodger]

Good to hear that I made a good choice . I'll definitely think about getting a hold on some sourcebooks when I get the chance. So looking it up, it seems like there are three and a half generic books. Menace Manual, Armory, and Critical Locations (and sort of Future Technology) while the rest are theme/setting books? Seems like they did a good job. I like how they implemented their straightforward theme.

First of all, d20 Modern is an excellent and very modular system in my opinion. With all the books, you can use it to build just about any type of setting you care to play, from basic modern, to post-apocalypse, to space opera, to steampunk historical, to high fantasy epic and anything in between. Yes it has it's flaws, but nothing game breaking, especially if everyone at the table is on board with having fun and not trying to abuse the system.

There are actually no official settings for the system, only themes. The closest one to being a full setting is Urban Arcana. the books are: d20 Modern core, d20 Future, Urban Arcana, Menace Manual, Critical Locations, d20 Apocalypse, Future Tech, d20 Cyberscape, Weapons Locker and d20 Past. I recommend getting your hands on all of them as they each offer new equipment, feats, starting occupations, advanced classes, setting themes and enemies.

[Berenger]

I love it, particularly with the Shadow Chasers and Urban Arcana campaign settings (Urban Arcana has a whole book dedicated to it, in addition to the short description in the core rulebook). Our game group uses it for one-shots and quick, improvised campaigns because with the proper supplements it can do past, present and future settings (with or without magic and psionics) reasonably well and character creation is quick.

There are, however, two weak points: the wealth-system is an interesting idea, but can be easily abused and is too random. But it can be replaced by actual, hard currency rather easy. The other point is nonlethal damage. Our group disregards it completely and just uses the one from 3.5. It works fine for us.

Another thing to remember is that a "level 1 character" has nowhere near the same strength than a D&D starting character, barring min-maxing and incredibly high stats. Our rule of thumb is the following: schoolchildren age 13 and above = level 1, young adult (student or apprentice) = level 2, adult with complete job training = level 3, retired person with a "normal" amount of life experience = level 4-6. Those are, obviously, "ordinary" levels, not "hero" levels in most cases.

[weckar]

Most of d20 modern, at least the way I read it, has two assumptions:

--You'll be playing between lv 5 and 15.
--You are either a criminal, or you are law enforcement.

[Berenger]

Most of d20 modern, at least the way I read it, has two assumptions:

--You'll be playing between lv 5 and 15.
--You are either a criminal, or you are law enforcement.

Most of the time, we play criminals, law enforcement, spies, soldiers and "soldiers of fortune" of various stripes. Because, let's face it, Guns & Violence! (tm) are awesome in RPGs and those are the people that tend to encounter and survive Guns & Violence! (tm) in modern western societies. But we also played campaigns in different time periods or alternate settings (zombie apocalypse, science fiction, old west, a pirate campaign in the caribbean, a variation of The Purge or in the Urban Arcana setting) where more average people tend to be drawn to action and adventure and calling the cops just isn't a option.

[thorr-kan]

I'm a big fan of d20 Modern and its supplements, even though I've never had a chance to play them. I've often felt that a few 3.5 fixes to it would make it the perfect low magic fantasy RPG:
1. Adopt 3.5's nonlethal mechanics, detail above in this thread.
2. Avoid abusing the Wealth system. I actually like a more abstract system, rather than tracking treasure.
3. Simplify gun damage. Make it a little more generic, to fit the melee weapons descriptions. Longsword = how many type of real life swords? Go for light pistol, heavy pistol, light rifle, etc.
4. A different FX system. I've also been in love with Green Ronin's True Sorcery for a long time, but I acknowledge it is probably too complicated for the average player. Instead, I've been looking at porting d20 Conan's sorcery rules and d20 Babylon 5's telepathy rules into Modern. But lately I've been reading reviews of Spheres of Power, and I wonder if that might not port backwards better.

[Luccan]

I enjoy d20 modern. It has flaws but every system does. It is pretty generic, but I think that can be a good thing. With the various books backing you up, you can just about run whatever setting you want, with the only exception probably being fantasy closer to high level D&D (where your characters just become gods). As someone said above, it's incredibly tempting to only run criminals/law enforcement/soldiers etc. because most skills, feats, and abilities support that. Very few plumbers have Hide, Move Silently, and Treat Injury. If you start at level 1 and don't want that, I would make most of the challenges interaction and problem-solving, rather than fights to the death. Find a way to make those non-adventuring skill worth taking.

I never actually had a Modern character die at level 1, but that's because if they didn't have a gun, they stayed away from monsters and the people who did. Keep in mind that if you start at level one, even though you are one of the rare people with the "hero" versions of classes, you're still a regular person probably encountering danger for the first time. Yeah, high Dex is important, but you don't have to play a fast hero. I usually played smart heroes. Also, mixing some of the advanced classes into a campaign is going to result in power disparity. Mages beat out Occultists every time, for instance, so unless you need a non human contact, there's no point in playing one.

You may want to use some house rules. After all, according to the core rulebook, an infant can have a Strength of 12.