Modern or sci-fi versions of 5e?

[sengmeng]

Has anyone seen any offcial or unofficial books or online support for a 5e compatible sci-fi or modern setting? My son and I have the core 5e books and he likes the game, but I know sci-fi is more his thing. We already know these rules pretty well, so of anyone knows some adaptations that can be made with minimum effort, id love to hear about it.

[ImproperJustice]

I don’t know of anything out there yet.

But the core rule set of 5e is so straightforward I think it would be super easy to refluff as needed.

You could go the route of true 20 or Stars Without Number and abstract everything down to the Roles of Warrior, Expert, and Adept.

Use Fighter, Rogue, and then the Spellcasting class that best fits your sci fi world.

Many class feature can become sci fi equivalents easily enough.
So action surge becomes an adrenal pump, cunning action becomes wired reflexes, second wind is healing nanites, etc....

If you want to open things up, allow subclass features from
Different classes to be swapped around.

It could be a quick and fun project for an afternoon

[Tiadoppler]

Edit: Note: This post assumes that you're using magic and standard D&D classes in your setting. If you're looking for a straight-up total conversion of D&D 5e to a sci-fi or realistic modern setting, look elsewhere.

My high-level campaign is (after a black-hole-induced time jump in a spelljammer and some planar travel shenanigans) currently set in near-future Earth. For small arms, I've been using a homebrew system for modern weapons (link in signature. I'm in the process of a big update.), which has some positives and negatives:


If you're going for realistic technology levels, firearms are not balanced. Spellcasters using cantrips and melee combatants will feel relatively weak in comparison. Ranged weapon damage becomes the new meta. Combat happens over much larger distances, and melee/spellcasting strategies need to be a lot smarter in terms of mobility, utility and defense.

5e is not well designed for fast, controllable vehicles at all. Several times over the last few months, I've sat down and tried to think of a way to build a good driving system for 5e. The issue is that fast, modern cars and tanks don't stay on a normal-scaled battle map for more than a round or two, so you have to use movement and range more like tabletop wargaming than a typical 5' square D&D battle grid.

Cell phones are OP. Sending at-will. Bonus to knowledge checks. Record sound and vision, and share it with others.


But, really, it works okay. I use published and UA classes without modification, and the game doesn't break too badly, as long as you've got PLAYER BUY-IN and nobody's getting upset about shifting power levels.


The biggest things I've had to think about:


How should I represent modern technology in game terms and mechanics?
What might change in modern society if magic was introduced?
How would people who have never seen magic before react to the sudden appearance of tieflings wielding fireballs on the Brooklyn Bridge?
If the fighter's gonna wield a ma deuce without proficiency, he'd better be tracking his encumbrance.
Tanks are frigging scary, even if you're level 20.
How does a D&D party even engage hostile aircraft?
How many damage dice should I roll for an airstrike?
What is the process for enchanting a nuclear warhead?

[noob]

Simplest solution: take D20 modern and 5eify everything since D20 modern presents no odd mechanics so all you have to do is apply bounded accuracy, transform the classes by replacing saves and bab by instead proficiencies and adapt the monsters.
In fact it will be more 5e than 5e and better balanced than 5e.

[OutOfThyme]

There's Esper Genesis, which is definitely a sci-fi version. I haven't tried it out myself, so I can't comment on how balanced it is, but it's at least got favorable reviews.

[8wGremlin]

Check out Hyperlanes,
htttps://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/212154/HYPERLANES-Corebook (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/212154/HYPERLANES-Corebook)

should have everything you need.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Rather than trying to sci-fi-ify 5e, your best bet is probably more along the lines of "5e-ifying sci-fi." Build your setting along the lines of something like Black Ocean (https://www.goodreads.com/series/187577-black-ocean), with literal magic co-existing with future tech. Pallet-swap swords for lightsabers and bows for blaster rifles, toss in the Modern Magic UA, and avoid big naval battles and you should be fine.

[JackPhoenix]

Simplest solution: take D20 modern and 5eify everything since D20 modern presents no odd mechanics so all you have to do is apply bounded accuracy, transform the classes by replacing saves and bab by instead proficiencies and adapt the monsters.
In fact it will be more 5e than 5e and better balanced than 5e.

So, take a system that was barely functional even with the mechanics it was made for, then half-assedly change mechanics to system that works very differently (it's not just saves and BaB), and it will somehow be better balanced and "more 5e than 5e" (whatever that even means)?

Heh.

I remember this (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?459300-Fifth-Age-A-hard-science-fiction-5e-conversion) as 5e sci-fi game, but I've seen only early version, and I'm not sure how it was updated since.

[Kane0]

Does this (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magehandpress/dark-matter-2) tickle your fancy?

[Lycurgon]

There are a fair number of 5e Sci-Fi adaptations, although most of them are still being developed, kickstarters that have not delivered yet. Some are kickstarters that are still active. There are a few options that I know of that have already been produced. Full discloser I have not played any of them so I can't judge how good they are.

I don't have privileges to post links yet you will just have to do searches for them yourself.

Finished Kickstarters that have not yet delivered -
Blades and Blasters (Rules for Aliens invading fantasy worlds)

Arcana of the Ancients (Rules for introducing Sci-Fi elements in Fantasy Worlds by Monte Cook Games.)

Dark Matter (Sci-Fi Fantasy - Magic and Technology combined in Space.)

Current Kickstarters that have not yet ended -
GeneFunk 2090 (Cyber/Bio Punk)

Spaceships and Starwyrms (Sci-Fi Setting and Rules)

Ultramodern(5) Second Edition (Rules for a range of Modern and Futuristic Genres)

Finished Produces currently available on DrivethruRPG-
Ultramodern(5) first edition (First edition of above project.)

Esper Genesis (Sci-Fi Rules and Setting)

[Damon_Tor]

[INDENT]If you're going for realistic technology levels, firearms are not balanced. Spellcasters using cantrips and melee combatants will feel relatively weak in comparison. Ranged weapon damage becomes the new meta. Combat happens over much larger distances, and melee/spellcasting strategies need to be a lot smarter in terms of mobility, utility and defense.

In my setting (1930s with magic, but close enough) firearms are exceptionally vulnerable to magical interference. A first level spell "inhibit combustion" effectively shuts them down entirely for a full minute. This creates a rock/paper/scissors effect, where firearms are superior to traditional weapons, but magic counters firearms, so you still need traditional weapons as an effective answer to spellcasters.

[noob]

In my setting (1930s with magic, but close enough) firearms are exceptionally vulnerable to magical interference. A first level spell "inhibit combustion" effectively shuts them down entirely for a full minute. This creates a rock/paper/scissors effect, where firearms are superior to traditional weapons, but magic counters firearms, so you still need traditional weapons as an effective answer to spellcasters.

Is it over an area of effect or on a target weapon?
Because a normal adventurer wears enough weapons on a cart they drag around to equip an army.

[Sariel Vailo]

The middle finger of vecna has a more futuristic setting entintled "dark matter" you should go join the Patreon and check it out.

[Phoenix042]

I actually have a player in my main group who is playing a full on cyborg in an otherwise fairly standard fantasy setting. He's got a sniper rifle and a pair of eight-shooter revolvers, and I've been designing a custom suit of power armor for him to find (a light weight, stealth-focused version, not like the power armor in that one supplement that's basically magic full plate).

Really, 5e's ruleset is powerful and flexible enough to easily accomodate things like this. Just refluff existing rules.

His weapons are basically a heavy crossbow (with a magically expanded range), and a pair of hand-crossbows with a magic property called "Eight Shooter" which gives them the ability to fire 8 times before you have to use an action to reload them, and replaces the loading property.

I've also written up a huge document full of options for special types of ammo, as well as a bunch of canisters he can launch out of his sniper rifle via an attached canister launcher (think like the grenade launchers attacked to some assault rifles).

[8wGremlin]

Finished Produces currently available on DrivethruRPG-
Ultramodern(5) first edition (First edition of above project.)

Esper Genesis (Sci-Fi Rules and Setting)

you missed https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/212154/HYPERLANES-Corebook . Hyperlanes in the Finished Produces currently available on DrivethruRPG- section

go check it out.

[Damon_Tor]

Is it over an area of effect or on a target weapon?
Because a normal adventurer wears enough weapons on a cart they drag around to equip an army.

It targets one weapon per spell level, but it can be cast as a reaction if the caster is ready for it (which just means "spell focus in hand" in practice) so it can cause the shooter to waste an attack.

[Vulsutyr]

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Byx44op3KqQ2flhIV1pKSzRIbFBtbjk4T0x OTlNzVi0yTEpRREV4ZnZCNjJWd25GOFR5VW8&usp=sharing

This is a d20 Modern to 5e conversion that I like. Gear and backgrounds work well, but you don’t have to use the classes. The normal 5e ones will work fine.

[noob]

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Byx44op3KqQ2flhIV1pKSzRIbFBtbjk4T0x OTlNzVi0yTEpRREV4ZnZCNjJWd25GOFR5VW8&usp=sharing

This is a d20 Modern to 5e conversion that I like. Gear and backgrounds work well, but you don’t have to use the classes. The normal 5e ones will work fine.

I do not think so: they do not have the right theme and even with refluffing they stay incoherent with modern(I mean how do you refluff having magical powers or having learnt arcane magic in something non supernatural?).
You would at least a ban list of obviously abormal spells such as throwing a fireball (like how do you explain why that person can not share his grenades?) or the teleport spell(I mean it would no longer be modern but instead far away science fiction)
for healing spells explaining is easier if we lengthen casting time a bit.(you are stitching back the patient and doing other quick procedures against wounds)

Also I did read part of this doc and I can say that the rule for weapons integrated in other weapons does not works for placing a bayonet: it makes a single more expensive weapon while in real life bayonets are not hard to fit on a rifle and can be bought separately.
Why do they mention bayonets as an example of the use of that rule?
It is utter nonsense.
Furthermore smartphones might be cheaper than high end laptops but the cheapest laptops and desktops are usually cheaper than the cheapest smartphones.

Also the rule for alternate weapons allows to integrate a machinegun into a revolver and have a machinegun for only 12 and also allows to use the machinegun at any time instead of having to install it.
(or integrate the machinegun into a sap for having an easier buy check)

[Klaus Teufel]

There are a fair number of 5e Sci-Fi adaptations, although most of them are still being developed, kickstarters that have not delivered yet. Some are kickstarters that are still active. There are a few options that I know of that have already been produced. Full discloser I have not played any of them so I can't judge how good they are.

I don't have privileges to post links yet you will just have to do searches for them yourself.

Finished Kickstarters that have not yet delivered -
Blades and Blasters (Rules for Aliens invading fantasy worlds)

Arcana of the Ancients (Rules for introducing Sci-Fi elements in Fantasy Worlds by Monte Cook Games.)

Dark Matter (Sci-Fi Fantasy - Magic and Technology combined in Space.)

Current Kickstarters that have not yet ended -
GeneFunk 2090 (Cyber/Bio Punk)

Spaceships and Starwyrms (Sci-Fi Setting and Rules)

Ultramodern(5) Second Edition (Rules for a range of Modern and Futuristic Genres)

Finished Produces currently available on DrivethruRPG-
Ultramodern(5) first edition (First edition of above project.)

Esper Genesis (Sci-Fi Rules and Setting)

You missed ongoing kickstarter GRIMMERSPACE (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agrestasaurus/grimmerspace)

[LtPowers]

Check out Star Wars 5e (https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/8zkfhk/star_wars_5e_players_handbook_v120/). Homebrew, totally unofficial, but well done.


Powers &8^]

[Luccan]

Well, there are rules for some modern and future weapons in the DMG. And there's a UA somewhere with some more technological archetypes for Clerics, Warlocks, and Wizards, as well as giving baseline rules for each class's fire arm proficiency. 5e itself is straightforward enough you probably wouldn't need to change much. If you don't want it to have "magic" you can apply subtle spell to all casting and call it psionics or something. Different races could be aliens or mutants or something. I would look into tools/skills relevant to a modern or future game, but you probably would only need to add one or two.