Can the DnD classes exist in a "modern" world?

[Sir_Chivalry]

Let's say I wanted to play DnD, but set in a world that at the very least had trains, and possibly airplanes and automobiles.

Now of course, that's Eberron, but what modifications are needed for the classes?

If I restrict myself to tier 3 and below, am I better off? If firearms are even more available and efficient than usual, does armour cease to be important? Would the Defense Bonus and Armour as DR variants be advisable?

[zlefin]

if you wanted this, i'd recommend you use d20 modern.
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/modern/smack/srdhome.html

[Phelix-Mu]

High level magic availability makes all but the most sophisticated tech mostly irrelevant to pc classes. So at low-levels, play will be affected (enhanced mobility, more reliable and greater ranged damage potential, depending on firearms rules), but at high levels, tech is dwarfed by the earth-shattering potential of spells.

Overall, world balance would be tipped away from the very powerful, I think. Especially if you replicated real-life lethality of firearms (which is hard to do with the ruleset). IRL, guns are dramatically more lethal than more primitive martial methods, and in-game, this would likely continue to be true most of the way to 10th, I think. Finally, even an idiot with a gun is dangerous, and thus sophisticated, effective firearms might discourage mass combat in a sense, since it becomes little more than a meatgrinder and waste of resources. Air superiority and decisive damage potential via extreme range (a la snipers, howitzers, bombs, and so forth) would factor more, and coordinated fire volleys would only be relevant to political conflicts where massive armies can afford massive casualty rates.

Another major advantage of more tech is greater knowledge of how to avoid the kind of crap that keeps commoners from advancing. There would be less uneducated peasants, farming would be profitable enough to allow mass education of the youth, and eventually many humanoid races would dispose with the underclass (except maybe very tribal or chaotic races that reject such methods of self-improvement). Hence, more experts, more aristocrats (business owners!), and potentially a lot more magic users (as magic is still a good way to do stuff, even with tech, since most tech requires multiple people to produce it, at least without magic, and magic allows a bigger bang-for-buck ratio).

Anyway, good luck. This is a complicated kind of change to implement. A key thing to look at off the bat is will the magic level of the world be as standard, more, or less. High tech and high magic gives rise to a power curve rivaling Netheril, and high tech/low magic makes tech more valuable for longer in the campaign.

[dascarletm]

I'd say it depends on if you'd rather invoke the feel of guns being superior, or a character that is more powerful than modern technology.

If tech is more powerful:

Limit classes by tier as you said
Make armor by DR, and have guns penetrate them based off ammo used. (Unless you got like a flak vest or something.)
Put in the massive damage version from D20 modern, and keep guns more deadly through the levels.


If players are magic totin' bullet takin' tough sons-of-...:

Use the rules as they are in the DMG. (Guns then become fine weapons at low levels, and weak at higher)
Allow all the tiers! (Players are powerful and they know it, possibly allow scientists to develop magic nullification weapons (AMF))



Or mix it as you need.

I like the armour rules from Warhammer 40k RPG. Armor as DR, and weapons and armor come in primitive and non flavours. primitive weapons and armor are half effective against modern weapons and armor. (Though weapons have a penetration score...)

EDIT:

Finally, even an idiot with a gun is dangerous, and thus sophisticated, effective firearms might discourage mass combat in a sense, since it becomes little more than a meatgrinder and waste of resources.
"God made man, but Samuel Colt made them equal."

[Sir_Chivalry]

if you wanted this, i'd recommend you use d20 modern.
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/modern/smack/srdhome.html

I find the system poorly suited to the world I'm making.


High level magic availability makes all but the most sophisticated tech mostly irrelevant to pc classes. So at low-levels, play will be affected (enhanced mobility, more reliable and greater ranged damage potential, depending on firearms rules), but at high levels, tech is dwarfed by the earth-shattering potential of spells.

Overall, world balance would be tipped away from the very powerful, I think. Especially if you replicated real-life lethality of firearms (which is hard to do with the ruleset). IRL, guns are dramatically more lethal than more primitive martial methods, and in-game, this would likely continue to be true most of the way to 10th, I think. Finally, even an idiot with a gun is dangerous, and thus sophisticated, effective firearms might discourage mass combat in a sense, since it becomes little more than a meatgrinder and waste of resources. Air superiority and decisive damage potential via extreme range (a la snipers, howitzers, bombs, and so forth) would factor more, and coordinated fire volleys would only be relevant to political conflicts where massive armies can afford massive casualty rates.

Another major advantage of more tech is greater knowledge of how to avoid the kind of crap that keeps commoners from advancing. There would be less uneducated peasants, farming would be profitable enough to allow mass education of the youth, and eventually many humanoid races would dispose with the underclass (except maybe very tribal or chaotic races that reject such methods of self-improvement). Hence, more experts, more aristocrats (business owners!), and potentially a lot more magic users (as magic is still a good way to do stuff, even with tech, since most tech requires multiple people to produce it, at least without magic, and magic allows a bigger bang-for-buck ratio).

Anyway, good luck. This is a complicated kind of change to implement. A key thing to look at off the bat is will the magic level of the world be as standard, more, or less. High tech and high magic gives rise to a power curve rivaling Netheril, and high tech/low magic makes tech more valuable for longer in the campaign.

The sheer power of casters is curbed somewhat by only the warmage, beguiler, dread necromancer, bard, healer and shugenja (and factotum) being the only casters of some sort (I guess Paladin and Ranger too)

I'd guess in world a fairly controlled guild system would ensure that magic remains codified and oversighted.

[IamL]

I find the system poorly suited to the world I'm making.



The sheer power of casters is curbed somewhat by only the warmage, beguiler, dread necromancer, bard, healer and shugenja (and factotum) being the only casters of some sort (I guess Paladin and Ranger too)

I'd guess in world a fairly controlled guild system would ensure that magic remains codified and oversighted.

Of course, you could create a modern-day society that shuns magic in favor of tech, creating a civil war.