Deiselpunk system?

[snickersimba]

I have been using a homebrewed mix of D20future/modern/PFmodern and original pathfinder tech and races in one entire game.

I need an actual system for this. Any ideas? The requirements are:

Must be completely sourced online, without any downloads.

must be modern or near future

must have some fantasty/scifi elements

Help and advice is needed.

[Edymnion]

I do not, but the diesel version of steampunk is more commonly referred to (in my experience) as dieseldog, not dieselpunk, so you might be able to expand your search with that term.

[Scott Wilhelm]

I don't have a lot of advice: mostly just go for it! I think it will work great with minimal tweaking. I recommend using the Pathfinder rules as a base, because they have streamlined the opposed rolls out of the system, instead going for the CMD, and I like that. You could do any of a lot of things for deciding how to reconcile things like Improved Trip in d20 Modern vs the Core Rulebook. You could just say that they are different feats of the same name, and that they stack, but Greater Trip requires the Pathfinder Improved Trip, and no other one will do. That's my advice.

As a precaution, have your characters map out their builds many levels in advance, so you know what do expect. Then reconcile your interpretation of the rules with what they hope for to come up with a framework in partial collaboration with them as to what kind of campaign you are running.

What else do you need: adventure hooks?

The party is going fishing, and they hook Godzilla.

Zombie apocolypse.

Ben? the rats/ants/killer bees decide to organize and kick humanity's butt.

Urban renewal, street gang, tough caring teacher movie drama.

Aliens invade or infiltrate.

War: special forces counter operation to stop an elite unit of Nazi werewolves.

Sounds like a lot of fun. Go for it!

[avr]

Mutants and Masterminds might be simpler to use. In many ways characters in PF/D&D are superheroes, and it's set in the modern day/near future with fantasy/SF elements.

[Scott Wilhelm]

I'm not familiar with Mutants and Masterminds. I've been curious about it, though.

[Edymnion]

Scott Wilhelm wrote:

I'm not familiar with Mutants and Masterminds. I've been curious about it, though.

If you are willing to invest the time in character creation, it is hands down the best system I have ever played.

There is literally nothing you can't make in it, and it all pretty much works together seamlessly. Its the only system I've ever seen that could put Goku, Mr. Spock, Wolverine, and Aang the Avatar into a single party and have them all be balanced and playable.

Only downside is that your entire first session is going to be character creation. Its an entire point buy system for everything from your stats to your powers, so there is a LOT of juggling to do.

Good side though is that it is not a leveling system by default, so you make the character you want from the start, and you play that character all the time, so once they're made you don't have to really worry about bookkeeping anymore.

[ericthecleric]

The Veranthea Codex might be something you're interested in once it comes out, Snicker.

[snickersimba]

Erm, its a bit rules light for my tastes. Rules light is not something I enjoy, because I am a strange person and I can't wrap my head around that stuff.

Pretty much, there is one big brother organization that is pulling all the strings and making sure nothing interferes with humanity growing, but have no qualms about forcing alien parents to hand over babies so they can experiment on them and develop new weapons.

They use a mixture of cloned supersoliders and robotic death machines for martial tasks.

I am using occult adventures, the nanite bloodline, androids, kathasa, lashauntas, triaxians and d20 futures classes.

Humans are common, there is no magic outside of the few occult classes, using the sanity system and a bunch of other stuff.

Its less complex than it seems

[Scott Wilhelm]

snickersimba wrote:

Erm, its a bit rules light for my tastes. Rules light is not something I enjoy, because I am a strange person and I can't wrap my head around that stuff.

Pretty much, there is one big brother organization that is pulling all the strings and making sure nothing interferes with humanity growing, but have no qualms about forcing alien parents to hand over babies so they can experiment on them and develop new weapons.

They use a mixture of cloned supersoliders and robotic death machines for martial tasks.

I am using occult adventures, the nanite bloodline, androids, kathasa, lashauntas, triaxians and d20 futures classes.

Humans are common, there is no magic outside of the few occult classes, using the sanity system and a bunch of other stuff.

Its less complex than it seems

So you have sort of a Paranoia game environment in mind where the players are employees of some big corporation, like the Umbrella Corporation or the Aperture Corporation. That's cool.

But what are you referring to as being "rules light?" The Veranthea Codex is rules light? maybe, I'm not familiar with it. Mutants and Masterminds is rules-light? I've only peeped Mutants and Masterminds, but from what I gather, it's not particularly rules-light, either. Are you saying my suggestion is rules-light? My advice is exactly the opposite. My suggestion is to incorporate all the rules of your d20 systems into your game. I'm suggesting more rules, not fewer: I am rules-baroque!

I'm merely curious about what you meant. I stand behind my advice for how to incorporate d20 Modern, Pathfinder Future, and d20 Modern into one game, but however you decide to blend those sundry and disparate rules into your own homebrew, I'm sure it will be delicious.

[snickersimba]

I meant the mutants and masterminds.

theres nothing hard and fast that allows me to make sure its all working.

No, the players aren't employees of this company, becuase employees live in a massive spaceship and never are allowed to leave.

You work until you die, there is no retirement.

your children are automatically considered employees.

employees who are unsatisfied with work will become test subjects, food or targets.

Its more or less this group is so powerful, with so much influence, theres nothing a planetary goverment can do to stop them.

[true_shinken]

M&M is many things... but it's NOT rules light.

[MikeMyler]

Scott Wilhelm wrote:

The Veranthea Codex is rules light? maybe, I'm not familiar with it.

Dieselpunk bits

Pilot skill and a few vehicles

There's quite a bit more in the book, which I'm in the middle of editing the PDF for now (and another freebie you can download now covering mechanical devices, the Scientific Innovator alchemist archetype). :D