Maneuvers in d20 Modern?

[Ursus the Grim]

I've been tinkering with a custom campaign system that will, for most intents and purposes, be similar to d20 modern in terms of flavor and tech. But I've found that ToB adds something really nice to my games, and I don't know much about d20 Modern in practice.

This setting will feature completely homebrewed races, classes, and enemies, so Challenge Rating is even less meaningful than usual.

Does anything have experience in implementing maneuvers into d20 Modern? How? I'd like maintain some degree of verisimilitude, and maneuvers in general lean more towards melee characters (obviously, I suppose). Something like Mountain Hammer Shot stretches the setting and my suspense of disbelief. Thoughts?

(Also OMG finally hit my forum birthday. :D)

[DoctorGlock]

So, a while back I actually allowed ToB in my d20 modern... the results were not pretty.

D20m I discovered has a far far lower power level than 3.5. The character took 10 levels of warblade like an advanced class for a cybernetic street samurai and outperformed everyone else in the party next to the Binder, racking up over 60% of total damage and deflecting bullets and overall being more or less immune to everything. (Fast Hero/Marksman, smart hero/infiltrator, strong/warblade, charismatic/binder was the party composition).

Verisimilitude-wise, no problems. Fluff is infinitely mutable. The guy mountain hammered into a sealed vault and similar on a regular basis, he fluffed it as part of his cybernetic enhancements and specific maneuvers were often preset optimal combat programs downloaded into his cortex.

If you use urban arcana and people are sending fireballs via email, there is no reason not to allow warblades. Just be aware that there are balance concerns in a party without magic, the same as 3.5, with the caveat that magic is far more limited than 3.5.

[Ursus the Grim]

Interesting. Specifically, this is going to be a Halo campaign, so magic won't be existent, at least not unless its under the guise of Forerunner Tech. I can see where the maneuvers might be too strong, being tailored for a system in which magic is pervasive and powerful. I'm custom-creating the maneuvers, so I'll be able to moderate it.

[DoctorGlock]

Interesting. Specifically, this is going to be a Halo campaign, so magic won't be existent, at least not unless its under the guise of Forerunner Tech. I can see where the maneuvers might be too strong, being tailored for a system in which magic is pervasive and powerful. I'm custom-creating the maneuvers, so I'll be able to moderate it.

Well, they probably do not need to be toned down if everybody has them. How will they be implemented? In a halo campaign, the high tech means they could easily be combat programs for everyone. But that requires everyone, or you end up with the issue I had.

As to ranged, if you are not adverse to homebrew, i think there is a discipline called iron rain or something on the boards here that is generally considered well designed. If not, then strikes at range really don't hurt.

[Ursus the Grim]

Well, they probably do not need to be toned down if everybody has them. How will they be implemented? In a halo campaign, the high tech means they could easily be combat programs for everyone. But that requires everyone, or you end up with the issue I had.

As to ranged, if you are not adverse to homebrew, i think there is a discipline called iron rain or something on the boards here that is generally considered well designed. If not, then strikes at range really don't hurt.

I was going to have to get a feel for it before I decide exactly how to implement it. If there's too few of them, it may just be a communal pool, take feats to gain access to a selection of them regardless of class. But with the wide variety of classes I'm looking at, I can't guarantee that it would fit for everyone.

I'll go hunting for iron rain for some inspiration.

[Cespenar]

I was very much thinking of running a d20 Modern/ToB game around here once I got off and shook off my laziness (which means in the indefinite future), but it's good that other minds have tried/will try it as well. I was thinking more about Matrix/Equilibrium in terms of theme rather than Halo, though.



D20m I discovered has a far far lower power level than 3.5. The character took 10 levels of warblade like an advanced class for a cybernetic street samurai and outperformed everyone else in the party next to the Binder, racking up over 60% of total damage and deflecting bullets and overall being more or less immune to everything. (Fast Hero/Marksman, smart hero/infiltrator, strong/warblade, charismatic/binder was the party composition).

I believe it could balance fine if everyone in the party incorporated ToB classes into their builds. At least, that was what I thought of my potential game.

[Ursus the Grim]

I was very much thinking of running a d20 Modern/ToB game around here once I got off and shook off my laziness (which means in the indefinite future), but it's good that other minds have tried/will try it as well. I was thinking more about Matrix/Equilibrium in terms of theme rather than Halo, though.


Wait, Matrix and ToB? But how do you deal with ToB's obvious Wuxia inspirations?

Oh, wait. :smallbiggrin:

I'm currently thinking of running combat "tricks", which will be kind of a blend of maneuvers and feats. Certain classes would get bonus tricks, and certain trick trees would have special prerequisites, but it would actually be a common, central pool theoretically available to all classes.