What do others think about paizo doing a magazine on d20 modern and d20 future or even d20 past? I for one would like to see more periodicals on these games. I love the d20 system and would like to play the other games. It is hard to convince other gamers though. I think with more support, I could get others to play. Who am I kidding if I want it to happen my gamers will play, cause i'm good. (sorry damn ego again)
Anyway what does the rest of you think about paizo doing more to support the d20 modern?
I would quite like to see adventure support for these games. However, there is a big problem: d20 Modern and d20 Future are really 'toolkits' for games rather than games in themselves. An adventure for "Mecha Crusade" is probably useless to the majority of d20 Future games, while an adventure for "Urban Arcana" won't fit a "Dark Matter" game, and so on.
So, how do you produce a magazine to support this? If the adventures are all tied to different campaign models, most of the magazine will be useless to most of the target audience (with different portions being useless to different people, so you can't win). And I doubt sufficient people would buy a magazine that's 75% content they can't use.
Now, if someone were to develop a really good, shiny and new, non-licensed Space Opera game, and then support it with some really good adventures and its own magazine, I would be all over that.
Just do as I do, and convert adventures over to your favorite d20 system its alittle work, but not so much to be impossible.
I would like to see occasional d20 future/modern/past adventures in Dungeon, but from gleaning past posts on the issue, I don't think it's likely to happen. I loved Polyhedron because it was something different and there were many cool ideas in there that were useful for D&D even. The Iron Lords of Jupiter d20 mini-game was one of my favorites.
The d20 modern stuff I've found on the 'net is dubious quality at best and I'm not keen on tossing my money into something that's going to turn out to suck the bag--so if Paizo was to magically hire another editor for a quarterly "modern adventures" magazine, I'd be all over that.
There is one potential answer to this - that is to post what you've run in d20.
I've run a d20 Past adventure based around Atlantis. The idea being that the famous "mysterious" locations of the world (Stonehenge, Easter Island, etc.) were all aspects of a "power web" that used to connect the world into a world-wide power source that the Atlanteans used not only to power their technologies, but to transport themselves from place to place. The game took place in 1938, so there was plenty of opportunity for Nazis to get in the way, but it was mostly an archeological-based adventure, with the party racing to get the three "items of power" needed to activate each location. The Nazis wanted to activate it to gain control and therefore rule the world. The heroes wanted to activate it to stop them. A third party wanted NO ONE to activate it, so there was no end of bad guys. I incorporated steam-punk style Nazi "super-soldiers" walking around in clunky "mecha" style armor, Incantations that were leftover "words of power" from the Atlanteans, and even did a few spirits and undead as "reminders of what should not be dealt with."
Was a ton of fun.
One other (d20 Future)-
Different galaxy - a galactic war has just ended and the losers were a hive-mind race that is beginning to wake up to their individuality once more (think of a biogenetic "borg" like the Zerg, but without the Massmind to lead them). The party serves as a type of Imperial Inquisitor, answering to the Emperor/Empress, dealing with threats to the Empire. Eventually, they stumble on an attempt by particularly crafty hive-minders who are attempting to re-build their Hive Mind in secret, and have to track it down and destroy the thing before it reaches true sentience again...
And my last d20 Modern game -
The players are part of a "Crow" poser-gang in 2050's Los Angeles. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas style, they work their way up the power structure of Los Angeles, taking on Russian and Triad influences, all the while being influenced by Shadow attacks, until someone they think of as "crazy" clues them in on the realities of this world - at which point, they have to deal with a mega-corporation that is seeking to open the gates to Shadow on a permanent basis...
I would like to see occasional d20 future/modern/past adventures in Dungeon, but from gleaning past posts on the issue, I don't think it's likely to happen. I loved Polyhedron because it was something different and there were many cool ideas in there that were useful for D&D even. The Iron Lords of Jupiter d20 mini-game was one of my favorites.
The d20 modern stuff I've found on the 'net is dubious quality at best and I'm not keen on tossing my money into something that's going to turn out to suck the bag--so if Paizo was to magically hire another editor for a quarterly "modern adventures" magazine, I'd be all over that.
Agree with you there - I miss Polyhedron, as I felt it helped exposed a lot of interesting news and articles that I would have otherwised missed. Iron Lords of Jupiter gave me a warm, fuzzy Edgar Rice Burroughs feeling which I like. :P
I'd like a quarterly Polyhedron/all d20 products magazine out there as well. In Bend, if it's not Wizards of the Coast, I never see it, so I never get to peruse books from Green Ronin, Malhavoc Press, AEG, Sword & Sorcery...etc. I'm sure you get the idea. Being able to have a generic "all d20, all the time" magazine without having to be focused on the standard D&D Fantasy Staple would be sah-weet. :)
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Yes, Polyhedron was cool - I miss it!
Anyway, you're right about the d20Modern stuff on the web.
One tip though - I preordered the upcoming DARK*MATTER sourcebook. I always loved that setting and can't wait to have a look at it. My (complete) X-Files DVD collection is also a great source for my d20Modern game!
Yes, Polyhedron was cool - I miss it!
Anyway, you're right about the d20Modern stuff on the web.
One tip though - I preordered the upcoming DARK*MATTER sourcebook. I always loved that setting and can't wait to have a look at it. My (complete) X-Files DVD collection is also a great source for my d20Modern game!
My other half wants the Dark*Matter sourcebook a lot. I'll prolly get it for his birthday.
Other good d20 Modern stuff:Kolchak - The Night Stalker. The original, with Darren McGavin in it *cries*. You can pick up the complete series at Best Buy for maybe $40, if that. A show that was before its time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Supernatural. On the WB. We watched the first episode and we're cheering it on, screaming "This is SUCH a Beyond the Supernatural game!!!" Awesome storyline and fantastic acting. Can't get enough of the series.
Good d20 Modern publishers & books.
Hogshead Publishing. Check out their Crime Scene series - very neat stuff.
RPG Objects has a bunch of neat stuff as well - the Darwin's World books/setting looks intriguing.
The Pocket Modern Player's Handbook is handy as well.
Oh, and it appears Gamma World has made the transition to d20 - that sounds like such fun!
Dang...now I wanna run a postapocalyptic d20 game...:)
Dang...now I wanna run a postapocalyptic d20 game...:)
Don't get d20 apocalypse--go check out my review of the book here at Paizo.
Oh, and it appears Gamma World has made the transition to d20 - that sounds like such fun!
Dang...now I wanna run a postapocalyptic d20 game...:)
I bought all the GW stuff except Beyond the Horizon. Good stuff at an affordable price, at least that's what I told my wife <grin>. I have a world idea and most of Cryptic Alliances does not fit well into it. Others may find it useful. My biggest problem is that half my group refuses to even try GW or d20 Modern. And, yes, you need d20 Modern to run GW. There is some free GW stuff available on the web, but I like to make my own stuff. I would love to run or play Gamma World. It would be awesome to see GW supported in Dungeon or Dragon, even if it was once a year. I understand that White Wolf is now the publisher so it will not happen, but I can dream.
WM
Edit: I live North of San Antonio (Cibolo) if anyone is interested in a GW game.
Iron Lords of Jupiter was great stuff. I know I would pay for a d20 quarterly from paizo. I think it would be cool to see dungeon do an annual or bi-annual d20 issue with adventures for d20 modern or future.
I don't mind doing some work to get a campaign I like, but i find that ideas from others is always helpful and fun. That is why i check out dragon and dungeon magazine.
I guess I am looking for some support and more ideas from the d20 gaming commuity.