I have a dream. One day, d20 Modern will find its way to compatibility with Pathfinder. And from there, we will see NPCs, modern magic, adventure paths, and all will be glorious. Until then - there's The Modern Path.
I'm not here to dismiss The Modern Path. I love the attempt. I like the idea of Archetypes, Training, and Talents. Shoot, I even like the abandonment of d20 Modern's Wealth check. GRC has an impressive vision and I like it. That said, there are three matters that I'm not keen with.
First, with Pathfinder armor having armor class, and d20 Modern having armor class, why can't The Modern Path do the same? DR just doesn't work for cross-compatibility in my book.
Second, GRC took pains to show us how cp/sp/gp/pp equate to the U.S. Dollar. But as a d20 Modern tool, too, GRC fails to show us the translation between MSRD's Wealth Check and the U.S. Dollar. (Seeing how much equipment is out there in d20 Modern that is based on the wealth system, it would seem logical to give us a translator for this, too.)
Third, with a new system like this - we need backdrop and adversaries. No NPCs in The Modern Path. No adventures. In time, perhaps. And I shouldn't fault GRC for not including these, but it seems logical to expect the inclusion of the adversaries at least to begin the game.
All in all, 3 stars. Not a bad vision. I am grateful for GRC's efforts. I was only hoping for a little more sense of compatibility and active engagement.
