I think D20 modern was killed by concepts like the smart hero instead of real character classes. Read The Dresdin Files. Start with any of the books. If magic worked like in Pathfinder, there would be wizards like him. He has a friendly enemy who is 100% paladin complete with an artifact holy sword. The police woman who tries to protect the mundanes from Dresdin's world, is very much a gunslinger, as are some of the mobsters.
I wrote a d20 version (using d20 modern + 3.5, this was back in 2004) of shadowrun 3rd ed. It's a 246 page pdf. If you would like a copy so you can gut whatever you can find useful there just let me know.
An example of something you might find useful: a full cyberware and bioware system.
I am interested in it at least...
As a curiosity, how does magic interact with the armor system? You were saying earlier that permanent magic items were going to be rare and extremely expensive, but does that +1 pistol penetrate through a standard vest any more easily? Does a +1 vest stop mundane small arms fire cold?
The armor system is DR based, because that best fits how modern armor works. Modern armor absorbs impact force, slowing the projectile and reducing injury to the wearer. Depending on the velocity and angle of the strike, a piece of shrapnel might do next to nothing or a bullet cause only a painful bruise, something might penetrate but cause a shallower wound, or something might tear right through. The damage system handles this perfectly, with glancing blows being represented by low damage rolls and head-on strikes by high damage rolls or critical hits. The lower mass and velocity something has, the lower the damage die and therefore the lower the chance of getting past armor. When you add in magic items, the system remains essentially the same, even if the vest has a little extra DR or the round a little extra damage potential.
I wrote a d20 version (using d20 modern + 3.5, this was back in 2004) of shadowrun 3rd ed. It's a 246 page pdf. If you would like a copy so you can gut whatever you can find useful there just let me know.
An example of something you might find useful: a full cyberware and bioware system.
Could you please send this to kelseymacailbert@gmail.com ?
See my organization topic. Some of your elves might be shippers, trying to develop the ultimate hybrid, just in case.
What does shippers refer to?
Anything d20 modern/future tried Shadowrun and World of Darkness did better or had alot more flavor.
The reason for this is because unlike D20 Modern/Future, Shadowrun and WOD have core settings that they support heavily. This meant they had tons more flavor.
Shoehorning in other stuff isn't going to make pathfinder better and imho is the reason d20 had issues they never had time to resolve.
What I'm doing is taking what works for Shadowrun and WOD and adapting it to the idea of modernizing Pathfinder. I see that as very different than shoehorning.
I want to post an actual piece of rules, but I don't know where to start. Should I start with weapons and combat? The class system? Vehicles?
Here is my Basic PbP Handbook. The name is mainly do to my only in person gaming group being total Newbs and want to get them used to the Base d20 rules. Hope the file helps you out. I think the only thing you might drop is the Words of Power System.
If you want I can open up a Wiki and you can post things as you finish them.
See my organization topic. Some of your elves might be shippers, trying to develop the ultimate hybrid, just in case.What does shippers refer to?
12) Shipping cults. These persons believe certain hybrid beings will lay low the Abberations who will someday free themselves to try to destroy the world. They get their name from shipping cases of Chateu Du Landshark to thoes they want to crossbreed. Chateu Du Landshark is a strange drink made from(among other things) Demon Icor. Anyone who drinks it will be romanticly attracted to very different creatures, and +5 to conceive young. One cult believes in a unicorn/dragon hybrid, while another believes in a unicorn/pegasus/pony hybrid called an Alicorn.
I'm not sure on shipping cults. Genetic experimentation is a yes, but aberrations are mostly a threat to space colonists, not the world.
I'll have an overview of the major countries up very soon, hopefully today. I'll have an overview of combat and equipment at some point, but I'm not sure when.
A Pathfinder equivalent of D20 Modern has been brought up more than once on these boards, and, inspired by some
Bear in mind that d20 Modern dramatically dampened down what magic could do, and that there was a good reason why firearms did so much damage.
If you noticed, the attack rolls for firearms tended to suck rocks. Only way you stood a reasonable chance of hitting was with a strong or fast hero type. Body armor didn't do much to improving your AC, either. Most of your AC came from class. When you did actually hit, it hurt, bad, and you could easily die from massive damage.
That made sense to me, imo. Modern firearms do far worse damage than a spear ever could. Ever see what simple hollowpoint ammo does to flesh? Then too, target practice has no bearing on one's ability to hit the target on the battlefield. In fact, almost all shots end up missing if you check the US military's records.
Also, however, this is a game based more so on fun than realism. Everything you say is correct except perhaps the damage comparison of a gun and of a spear (Realistically, getting stabbed with a large knife, which would be similar in size to a spearhead, is generally every bit as bad as being shot.). Missing 90% of your shots up close and even more in a large scale battle, while certainly realistic, isn't very fun, and fun has to take precedence over realism.
Well, the game system IS based on action movies, and those tend to have a bit more combat realism than your typical fantasy rpg.
Some action movies are also fantasy, horror, and or Science Fiction.
When a franchise steps outside it's area of expertise, they can mess up big. When the SciFi network made Tin Man, they had a human claiming he was made of tin. This is what happened to D20 Modern. The previews scared me off. If you make a game based on Indiana Jones, Predator, and Grimm, you start with my interest.
When some people were whining about how lethal the new gun rules were, I always fired back about "protection from arrows". A bullet has to do more than 10 to even touch the warded creature. Note that magic armor and shields with this option will have only about 60 points protection a day.
Note that a Saturday night special in the hands of a punk kid should be pitiful compared to a regulation gun in the hands of a seal team member adventuring while waiting for the call. I'm going to start designing zero level humans.
SciFi's Tin Man was about a group of what effectively was Cops called Tin Men...
Some action movies are also fantasy, horror, and or Science Fiction.
When a franchise steps outside it's area of expertise, they can mess up big. When the SciFi network made Tin Man, they had a human claiming he was made of tin. This is what happened to D20 Modern. The previews scared me off. If you make a game based on Indiana Jones, Predator, and Grimm, you start with my interest.
When some people were whining about how lethal the new gun rules were, I always fired back about "protection from arrows". A bullet has to do more than 10 to even touch the warded creature. Note that magic armor and shields with this option will have only about 60 points protection a day.Note that a Saturday night special in the hands of a punk kid should be pitiful compared to a regulation gun in the hands of a seal team member adventuring while waiting for the call. I'm going to start designing zero level humans.
It did. If you looked at the massive damage rules, the most realistic was that fort save kicking off at 10 damage received. It meant that it was possible to kill, easily, with nearly any firearm in a single shot. However, the larger the damage rating, and the more additional damage dice given due to various bonuses, the more likely this would happen. 3.5 back then didn't have that rule happen until 50 damage was taken in a single round. That's superheroic.
Now, the default was considerably higher than 10 to kick off the save, abbreviated MAS. I think it was supposed to be your Con score, not sure offhand. Been awhile. But still it was far nastier, with higher damage dice along with more of them, than 3.5 at the time.
Well, the game system IS based on action movies, and those tend to have a bit more combat realism than your typical fantasy rpg.
True, but action movies still have a ton of unrealistic aspects.
I'll have an overview of the major countries up very soon, hopefully today.
I have the information about the contries I need for a good overview. The problem is with naming all the nations and cities. I'm finding it difficult to come up with stuff.
As to this discussion on how guns do their thing, I'm looking towards Trailblazer for inspiration. Something similar to their action points may be what is needed here.
Well, the game system IS based on action movies, and those tend to have a bit more combat realism than your typical fantasy rpg.True, but action movies still have a ton of unrealistic aspects.
Of course. Less so than most of fantasy. Me, I object to different species like orcs and elves being able to interbreed with humans, but that's a part of the genre. Truly potent, or godlike magic like Wish, Time Stop etc are not really a part of the action movie genre.
Here's a good example: He Man versus Conan the Barbarian. The first is fantasy superheroics, the second is mostly action movie. Much different levels of unreality in each.
Of course. Less so than most of fantasy. Me, I object to different species like orcs and elves being able to interbreed with humans, but that's a part of the genre.Well, the game system IS based on action movies, and those tend to have a bit more combat realism than your typical fantasy rpg.True, but action movies still have a ton of unrealistic aspects.
I went around this by making humans, elves, orcs, and such all subspecies of one "pan-humanoid" species. Inbreeding between these subspecies is genetically similar to interbreeding between different dog breeds, which we all know is completely possible.
Truly potent, or godlike magic like Wish, Time Stop etc are not really a part of the action movie genre.
I prefer my magic commonish but lower level.
Here's a good example: He Man versus Conan the Barbarian. The first is fantasy superheroics, the second is mostly action movie. Much different levels of unreality in each.
I prefer the Conan approach for this setting.
Then if you prefer the much more "action movie" mechanic, take a good look at the d20 Modern setting books, Dark Matter or Urban Arcana.
I didn't like the D20 Modern character class mechanic. Urban Arcana used that too much. The setting wasn't rules system portable. I'm not sure about Dark Matter. I had stopped buying that line of rulebooks.
I have the D20 Modern core book and the Urban Arcana SRD, but not Urban Arcana the book, or Dark Matter.
Check my facebook page. My sister is trying to sell my excess rulebooks for me. I'll tell her to repost them. I think I only had Dark Matter the box game, but I might have the Urban Arcana book up for sale.
I have a series of Spells for use with my Modular Spell Slots System that my group was planning on using for a d20/Pathfinder "Final Fantasy" Setting.
These might be too close to standard Pathfinder for what you need, but have you checked out any of our Anachronistic Adventurer products? There are currently 5 base classes (Daredevil, Enforcer, Investigator, Luminary, and Tough) and we'll be releasing the 6th one, the Sensitive, later this week. There's also a short, cheap PDF called "6 Anachronistic Armors", which covers using modern armor in Pathfinder as well.
You can see them all here: http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/s/superGeniusGames/pathfinderRPG/anachroni sticAdventurers
Check my facebook page. My sister is trying to sell my excess rulebooks for me. I'll tell her to repost them. I think I only had Dark Matter the box game, but I might have the Urban Arcana book up for sale.
I'll be fine without them. I need my money for important expenses.
I have a series of Spells for use with my Modular Spell Slots System that my group was planning on using for a d20/Pathfinder "Final Fantasy" Setting.
What did these spells do?
These might be too close to standard Pathfinder for what you need, but have you checked out any of our Anachronistic Adventurer products? There are currently 5 base classes (Daredevil, Enforcer, Investigator, Luminary, and Tough) and we'll be releasing the 6th one, the Sensitive, later this week. There's also a short, cheap PDF called "6 Anachronistic Armors", which covers using modern armor in Pathfinder as well.
You can see them all here: http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/s/superGeniusGames/pathfinderRPG/anachroni sticAdventurers
Sorry. Too many IRL expenses right now.
The spells scale with power by the Spell Slots you use.
Like the Fire, Ice, and Lightning were (1+Spell Slot Levels)d6+1 per Caster Level. Either dealt HP Damage or Stat Damage. HP Damage scaled as the Fire, Ice, and Lightning while the Stat Damage it just increased the Die Size of the damage.
It also increased the Save DCs. Basically it was a redone Words of Power style system.
It took me about a week longer than I planned, and I have less than I wanted to have, but I do have something of an update to offer. I have three countries:
If there is any information you think I should start adding or elaborating on in these country briefs, please tell me so that I can do so.
I love it.
I've got three more organization that players could join. One for each of the newly written out nations:
The Sidewinders: This Alexan military unit began over 150 years ago as a unit of horse cavalry. Famous for it's daring and bravado (as well as their red neckerchiefs), it never got disbanded, instead becoming a motorized company after horses fell out of military use. It has a mixture of armor and mechanized infantry, and the neckerchiefs are still part of the uniform, but only when not in a combat zone.
Banshee Squadron: Baira has a military doctrine that revolves around never letting an invader get ashore. It's military lacks equipment such as tanks, aircraft carriers, transport aircraft, and nuclear submarines, instead placing that money into fighter/attack aircraft and their pilots. The idea is for them to fight their way past an attacking fleet's air cover and then take out as many amphibious assault and supply ships as possible so that an invasion can't be sustained.
Banshee Squadron is an Air Force unit formed from the most promising academy graduates. As the best pilots available, they will be the ones trusted to go head to head with enemy fighter pilots and escort ships so that the other squadrons have breathing room to go after the landing forces and supplies.
The Shield's Wardens: The Greywood is a massive forest ranging from south central Borida into the west coast, as well as a good deal of the northwest. It is the largest continuous forest in the world, as well as the most dangerous. It is the strongest enchanted forest around, and has a large number of fae. The spontaneous creation of undead is common, as is lycanthropy. The available natural resources are so valuable, however, that people do live here or near here.
In order to protect these people, Borida's Forest Service has formed a ring of outposts inside the Greywood called The Shield. The Shield is staffed with forest wardens who are specially trained in how to deal with the forest's threats.
(A forest warden is the Boridan equivalent of an American park ranger or Canadian park warden. Most forest wardens are trained for self defense but not combat. The Shield's wardens, however, have extensive combat training do to the large amount of fighting they have to do to maintain The Shield.)
I want to make a mechanic similar to haunts for enchanted forests. I think they are cool, and I want the game to support them.
Also, I'm making organizations an important part of the game, as adventuring is hard to get away with when law enforcement and the military don't like vigilantes and mercenaries. It's easier to let the PCs be the law enforcement and military instead.
I love it.
Thanks.
I forgot to mention a couple things. Magni means Earth Human. It comes from Cro Magnon, and is used because Human refers to the species that Elves, Dwarves, Magni, and such all belong to. Since everybody is Human, I needed a new term for our kind of Human.
You'll notice as I make more countries that a lot of them have significant Mironan populations. This is because multiple civil wars pushed out about eighty percent of the population over about 50 years. It's like the Irish Diaspora from real life, but bigger.
Could somebody please do me a favor? I no longer have access to Deviantart (some students at Job Corps got stupid with certain kinds of art that are there), so could somebody send the pictures linked to in the OP to kelseymacailbert@gmail.com
Will do!
Thanks.
No problem. Sorry for the odd way it was sent. Still getting used to Gmail's new setup.
i had an interesting thought. what if there small pockets of a "mutt" race starting to crop up in areas of high population density and relative racial acceptance. it would make for an interesting player option, as well as a source of in game material. such a race would make for prime candidates as a new nazi party that believe that they are the new master race.
I really think having Cure Minor Wounds might be an interesting spell for this.
It could be as effective as a First Aid Spell. Make a Wand of it and viola. Now it might be cheap healing but 375 for 50HP of healing isn't that much for a high level character but for lower level characters it could last for ages. I mean you could have an Adept that casts it to heal the occasional accident that a chef or carpenter has. A Cleric can use it to heal the wounds surviving soldiers have.
If you use the Vigor & Wounds System then it could be made to heal 1d3 or 1d4 Vigor or 1 Wound or just heal 1 Vigor.
No problem. Sorry for the odd way it was sent. Still getting used to Gmail's new setup.
Thanks. I got the pictures just fine. I need them because every one of them is something that actually happens in this world.
I'm thinking I'll just track paychecks but ignore minor purchases like food, drink, and so on. It would actually probably be easier than trying to make a working wealth system.
i had an interesting thought. what if there small pockets of a "mutt" race starting to crop up in areas of high population density and relative racial acceptance.
Well, with pretty much every player race falling under the Human umbrella, all races being prone to crossbreeding, and nations that are pretty much all multi-racial, something like this could very easily happen.
it would make for an interesting player option, as well as a source of in game material. such a race would make for prime candidates as a new nazi party that believe that they are the new master race.
Yes, though it could also make a nice target for such a party.
If you use the Vigor & Wounds System then it could be made to heal 1d3 or 1d4 Vigor or 1 Wound or just heal 1 Vigor.
I'm probably using the Vigor/Wound system, but I may tone down healing for flavor reasons. I like the idea of a medic frantically trying to control the bleeding from a wound or a surgeon not being sure if someone is going to make it through surgery. Trailblazer's analysis of the D20 system makes it obvious to me that healing is not absolutely necessary, and Vigor makes it less so, so I'm confident that this won't make the game overly hard, especially since I'm lenient with the dying condition (I let the people linger quite a while).
Healing magic exists, but, while faster than natural healing, it isn't fast enough to make a difference when dealing with trauma. What healing magic can do is eliminate scarring, restore lost limbs and organs, and so on. So, in the battlefield, emergency room, trauma center, and so on the wound will be dealt with using non-magical methods, and magic will be used later on to remove scarring and replace lost body parts (it's much cheaper to let it heal naturally and apply magic afterwards to clean up scarring than to accelerate the healing with magic). Magical healing only works on injuries.