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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 04:15:24
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Anyone here bought or had a look at the D20 Modern source book?
When I got my copy of Dungeon 313, I noticed a section on Starships for the upcoming D20 Future source book coming out next month, and started thinking about making my own campaign set in the Future, however it appears that you need the D20 modern Source book to use D20 Future.
When D20 Modern first came out I looked at a couple of the WOTC excerpts and thought it had a really tacky Xfiles feel to it (Im not real interested in Monsters in modern day)so I left it alone.
So did anyone take a closer look?
Was it worth getting?
If you do have it any chance you could post the contents pages (or if someone else has already done that, post a link)
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Emperor Sigismund
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 04:25:39
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WoW  ... When did Dungeon hit the #300's
I have both purchased, and had a look at, the d20 Modern tome. And, while I've played several campaigns within the Modern setting of 'Urban Arcana', the only reason that I bought this particular tome, was because even from that early stage, I was aware that WotC were working on a tome for 'Future' settings. We'd been told two years ago, that you'd likely need the Modern tome to make full use of the Future supplement... so I looked ahead and made the purchase in June 2002.
I'll have to get back to you on more details though, I'm now late for class...
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 06:16:06
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| I have the book, but since I have far more books to fill my time than I have time to be filled, I've not done more than just flipped thru it. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 07:31:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
Anyone here bought or had a look at the D20 Modern source book?
When I got my copy of Dungeon 313, I noticed a section on Starships for the upcoming D20 Future source book coming out next month, and started thinking about making my own campaign set in the Future, however it appears that you need the D20 modern Source book to use D20 Future.
When D20 Modern first came out I looked at a couple of the WOTC excerpts and thought it had a really tacky Xfiles feel to it (Im not real interested in Monsters in modern day)so I left it alone.
So did anyone take a closer look?
Was it worth getting?
If you do have it any chance you could post the contents pages (or if someone else has already done that, post a link)
Well, I'm back from my lecture...
So, onto d20 Modern. To put it simply... it's only worth purchasing this book if you truly intend to game in a Modern setting. Or, if as you say, you are putting together a game in anticipating of the Future release.
I have no intention of starting a Future campaign from scratch. As I've said elsewhere here at Candlekeep, my first priority for the Future supplement is the resurrection of my Star*Drive campaign. I've already used some of the material (mainly feats and advanced classes) from the Modern tome to shape some of the elements from SD. But, it lacks the definitive edge that makes a setting truly sci-fi. Most of the stats, equipment, and other game specifics are mostly reality based. They are things that you would encounter in the real world. That's hardly a (complete) basis for building a "believeable" sci-fi setting. It's why WotC have developed Future.
Some people who purchase the tome, have had the hopes of converting some of the material in it, to their standard D&D campaigns. From what I've seen, the material that's been converted the most, is the Action Point system, which is now a moot point since we have Eberron. The feats are tailored strictly for a Modern setting, as are the weapons and magic system. The only mechanics I've used from the book, is the psionics/FX system... which is based heavily upon the Alternity psionics system.
As for the "tacky Xfiles feel", that's only really evident in the established campaign setting for the system, Urban Arcana. The core rulebook doesn't really contain that much setting information -- it's strictly a rulebook. I think you're probably referring to the shadowy Department 7. You can drop that though, in your Modern campaigns... it's simply a plot device for the world of Urban Arcana.
As for posting the contents page, that will have to wait until I get home from uni...
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Edited by - The Sage on 19 Jul 2004 07:32:53 |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 11:25:04
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The d20 Modern (if the SRD is anything to judge from) feels more like either a spy game or a "realistic" superhero setting. The later especially if you add in psionics. I never got an X-Files feel while looking through it -- though, of course, I've never watched X-Files.  |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 14:10:13
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You are correct in your assumptions, Bookwyrm. The d20 Modron SRD conveys the image of a 'spycraft' setting rather well. But, if you make the effort, and invest in the actual campaign setting tome for the Modern mechanics... you'd see that there's more to the "world of Modern" than just spying and intrigue.
Of course, adventuring in the Modern world, isn't everyone's cup of seve`... 
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 14:24:14
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Hmm
I might just get Future and if I like it enough get Modern to get the rest of the rules |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 15:12:10
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Dargoth, do you have any other sci-fi settings that have been published by TSR in the past?
Nope the only SCFI RPG stuff I have is the old SW Thrawn Trilogy source book from WEG which I used as Supplementary material for the Trilogy by Timothy Zahn |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 16:04:58
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
You are correct in your assumptions, Bookwyrm. The d20 Modron SRD conveys the image of a 'spycraft' setting rather well.
D20 Modron? I've not heard of that one!
'Tis not often I comment on misspellings or typos, but I like that one!  |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 16:07:14
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| Methinks the Sage has been working on some PS material overmuch. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2004 : 18:40:25
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| That is a beauty. Whatever you do, Sage, don't correct that mistake |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 00:02:45
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Now if I remeber correctly Modrons where they creatures from LN plane and they generally looked like a Square or rectangle with Legs
So does that mean a "D20 Modron" is Modron with a 20 sided dice for a body? |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 00:41:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
Now if I remeber correctly Modrons where they creatures from LN plane and they generally looked like a Square or rectangle with Legs
So does that mean a "D20 Modron" is Modron with a 20 sided dice for a body?
Aagh! It's a walking D20! Run for your lives!  
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 07:49:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Dargoth, do you have any other sci-fi settings that have been published by TSR in the past?
Nope the only SCFI RPG stuff I have is the old SW Thrawn Trilogy source book from WEG which I used as Supplementary material for the Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
I was curious, because I've noted that many players who are intending on purchasing Future have said that they are going to use pre-established settings, running on the d20 Future mechanics. That's essentially what I'll be doing. I'm intending on looking past the fact that the tome is a Modern supplement, and using it to support my own Alternity material.
I'm hoping that I won't have to refer to the Modern tome at all. The best idea I think, if you're interesting in buying the Future supplement, is just to wait until the reviews start coming out. That way, you'll have some idea about how necessary the Modern book really is, and whether or not it is a WotC ploy to get more gamers to buy the Modern rulebook (as so many gamers believe).
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 08:06:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
You are correct in your assumptions, Bookwyrm. The d20 Modron SRD conveys the image of a 'spycraft' setting rather well.
D20 Modron? I've not heard of that one!
'Tis not often I comment on misspellings or typos, but I like that one!
Whoops! Thanks for catching that Wooly .
quote:
Methinks the Sage has been working on some PS material overmuch.
It wouldn't be the first time I've been accused of that...
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That is a beauty. Whatever you do, Sage, don't correct that mistake
If you think it's worth it, I'll leave it as is  .
quote:
Now if I remeber correctly Modrons where they creatures from LN plane and they generally looked like a Square or rectangle with Legs
That's a quadrone, just one type of modron.
quote:
So does that mean a "D20 Modron" is Modron with a 20 sided dice for a body?
Good stuff Dargoth...
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 08:38:03
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If a professor of mine had kept up with D&D and other RPGs over the years, I'd be tempted to buy the d20 Future for him. His favorite RPG was apparently a scifi one -- perhaps that Star*Drive you mentioned, Sage.
Unfortunately, he hasn't done anything since the early half of 2e D&D, so I don't think he'll have much inclination to learn a new system, much less have the time or opportunity to do so.
We still toss the occasional D&D joke, though, which normally no one else gets. Like to opperate a particular device, you need a Wisdom check. Or if you can't find something that was in plain sight, obviously someone switched your glasses (we both wear them) for glasses of blindness. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 08:45:28
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Well, I'm assuming that this professor you refer to is, like myself, and many other true sci-fi fans, a person who likes their science-fiction to have at least some grounding in real-life, accurately established scientitifc concepts.
If that's so, then it was mostly likely Star*Drive, since it was the most "scientifically possible" of the sci-fi settings that were published for Alternity.
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 20 Jul 2004 08:46:31 |
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hammer of Moradin
Senior Scribe
USA
758 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2004 : 22:18:01
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| I've looked through it, but never bought it due to time constraints. Now that d20 Future is just around the corner I will invest in both to get Star Frontiers and Knight Hawks back up and running. |
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Lady Kazandra
Senior Scribe
Australia
921 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2004 : 03:43:02
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I never played the Knights Hawks game that much myself. The Sage enjoys a run through on ocassion, but he persists in using the rules presented in the original rule book for the setting  .
For myself, I could never quite understand the basics about the ADF and MR stats... Perhaps if I had paid more attention to the rules, and been not so engrossed in my character, this wouldn't be so much of a problem .
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2004 : 06:36:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Lady Kazandra
I never played the Knights Hawks game that much myself. The Sage enjoys a run through on ocassion, but he persists in using the rules presented in the original rule book for the setting .
For myself, I could never quite understand the basics about the ADF and MR stats... Perhaps if I had paid more attention to the rules, and been not so engrossed in my character, this wouldn't be so much of a problem .
Well, we did try using d20 SW mechanics for the starship portions of the game, but they're inflexible. That's why I had to resort to using the original ruleset.
I'm hoping that d20 Future will have a starship ruleset that will be streamlined enough for a DM to integrate it into any sci-fi environment.
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Anyone here own or had a look at D20 Modern?
