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View Full Version : D20 Modern and D&D.



Galileo
2010-01-31, 12:42 AM
My DM is considering running a game where a technologically advanced universe and a high fantasy universe have collided. However, instead of the party attempting to fix it shortly after the event, they're just living their lives a century or so later. The world's become a lot more deadly, what with the dragons learning how to use rocket launchers, and the orcs finding some shotguns and deciding the letter K is cooler than C. Also the tyrannosaurs in F-14s.

Naturally, the player races have developed new ways to combine technology and magic. For example, Energy Substitution on C4 to make acid explosives; jet engines, permanent fly spells and an aircraft carrier combined to make a magic flying aircraft carrier (which the dragons with rocket launchers take off from).

If anyone has any ideas on what could be done with present-day level science combined with anything at all from D&D 3.5, speak up. We'd really appreciate it. We're also looking for suggestions on how to bring the Modern classes up to par with D&D classes, since we may not use Action Points.

Various things we've already come up with:
GP is the standard, everyday money. Wealth is more for big things, and as such only large companies and organisations have Wealth scores.
Energy Substitution can be attached to flamethrowers, explosives, and the like.
Some creatures will have DR X/Ballistics, to make melee weapons still viable.

golentan
2010-01-31, 01:14 AM
UNLIMITED COSMIC POWER!!!!

Seriously speaking. A single casting of Unseen Servant would be a good power generator on a hand crank electrical device. Forget body armor, everyone goes with a charm of Protection from Arrows. And it works GREAT. Translator Voxes, Hypnotism in Psychotherapy, Magical Healing combined with modern diagnostics, Disguise Self cosmetics, auto mechanics go out of business (repair), and all that's just the Level 1 and 0 spells. We're looking at unlimited free energy, all sorts of new information of the fundamental laws of physics (through divinations), revolution in weapons and defensive technology (somehow I don't think those dragons would compete against the F-series' adaptation to the new world), a whole new legal system (zone of truth), and a million other things. I would personally be disappointed if there weren't permanent lunar colonies within 2 years of learning how to use magic, and pushing the edge of the solar system in 5 given the current state of our knowledge.

Altair_the_Vexed
2010-01-31, 05:40 AM
d20 Modern's Urban Arcana deals with a lot of the issues for you... but yes, D&D caster classes are generally more powerful than the d20 Modern classes.
On the flip side, the d20 Modern classes are generally more powerful than the mundane D&D classes. A Strong Hero is better than a Fighter - he gets more feats, which is all the Fighter ever got.

I've been playing with similar ideas for a year or so. What I've found is that the best blend to keep the d20 Modern classes at a significant level, when comparing them with other d20 system classes, is to add in features that are only useful to mundane types.


The d20 modern feats are (marginally, but definitely) more awesome.
Make occupations an option only for d20 Modern classes - D&D classes have an occupation built in - and then enhance those occupations: give them more free feats, skill points, or whatever.
Add in the combat moves from Conan d20. I did a conversion over here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7065389&postcount=1)Seriously, these make fighting classes rule the battlefield along side the casting classes for many more levels than in the standard game.

Zincorium
2010-01-31, 11:13 AM
The class situation really doesn't seem solvable, and conceptually it doesn't even make sense. I'd really go for one or the other, if you offer both then the D20 Modern classes really end up being dips or traps. Even in core D20 Modern, you're not advised to stay in them once you qualify for an advanced or prestige class- and many of those are just flatly overshadowed by what's available in D&D. And, yes, I'm thinking about defense bonus.

Defensively, equipment from D&D is just flat better, as are melee weapons. Guns make ranged combat halfway worthwhile, but unless you're using the massive damage threshold rules from D20 modern, they're not really as frightening as perhaps guns should be. An Orc with a greataxe wouldn't have any real damage upgrade from picking up an AK-47, and even with proficiency factored in, would hit less.

bosssmiley
2010-01-31, 02:02 PM
*ahem* Shadowrun sir. /Jeeves