D20 Modern used for fantasy [Archive] - Wizards Community

D20 Modern used for fantasy [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
i_am_some_guy
05-24-07, 02:47 PM I'm wondering if anyone has used D20 Modern for a medieval fantasy campaign.

I've thought about it but haven't quite setup a game to do so and I'm curious how well it worked out....
Ranger REG
05-24-07, 07:20 PM Google "classically modern" and "merlin's workshop".
j0lt
05-25-07, 12:24 AM I'm using d20 Modern as a base system to build a Shannara campaign setting. It's been done before with D&D, but it didn't retain the appropriate feel of the world.
The beauty of it is that by using d20 Modern's base classes, you can make ANY type of character you want in any setting - medieval, sci-fi, victorian steampunk, or whatever.
greatamericanfolkhero
05-25-07, 05:51 PM I'm using d20 Modern to run Expedition to Ravenloft. I've had to ajust a few things, but it's otherwise going great.
i_am_some_guy
05-29-07, 04:05 PM Awesome!

thanks for the information. I'll have to peruse the 10.5mb file and see what they've done. Looks like a ton of work.

Link to Merlin's Workshop (http://www.freewebs.com/merlinsworkshop/CMsap.htm).
Matrix Sorcica
06-22-07, 04:56 PM A little bit of necromancy....

You should check out Postmodern: Fantastic Classes by Big Finger Games.

It lists all SRD classes as modern classes, using talent trees, feats and so on. Highly recommended!
Charke
06-23-07, 01:17 AM I used Skortched Urf Studios' Fantasy Occupations - basically the professions from Modern applied to fantasy which worked well.

IMHO Modern is the better thought out 3.5, sort of a 3.75.

Of course Modern will work for fantasy. It's practically the same system. You have a defence bonus, reputation and the wealth system that is just as abusable as the skill system. I found wealth effecient but frustrating when the players tagged wealths of 30 or so by 10th level and Never EVER spent enough to lose wealth. And you only need one wealthy party member - that person just buys everything! (So that element is the one thing that is worse about Modern).

Mark Charke
Rhialto
06-23-07, 03:34 AM To me, the worst bit about Modern is having classes called "strong", "tough", etc. It totally takes away the flavour. I'd rather expand the prestige/advanced classes into full classes, and let a player choose those up-front.
j0lt
06-23-07, 04:51 AM To me, the worst bit about Modern is having classes called "strong", "tough", etc. It totally takes away the flavour. I'd rather expand the prestige/advanced classes into full classes, and let a player choose those up-front.

You can't think of Modern's base classes in the same way as D&D's. D&D's class as profession system is highly limiting. Why do you think WotC has to release 2 or 3 new base classes with each supplement?
Flavour doesn't come from "I'm the monk", flavour comes from character concept.
With D&D style classes, every monk is a carbon copy, even if you use different races, you'll still end up with the same character. With d20 Modern, character design is based on concept, not class. If you want an assassin, you could make a stealthy ninja-like assassin using the Fast base class. You could make an assassin who specializes in explosives and poisons using the Smart base class. You could even make an assassin who can talk their way into joining the target for dinner using the Charismatic base class.
With D&D, an assassin is ALWAYS Rogue/Assassin. They ALWAYS have spells and ALWAYS have Sneak Attack.

What you're suggesting would remove all the versatility of the more realistic character design from d20 Modern. :thumbsdow
/rant
Rhialto
06-23-07, 05:51 AM WotC's approach of releasing ten dozen splatbooks, each with ten dozen new classes, is equally wrong.

The approach I'd like to see, and which I'm working on for my own campaign, is to have about a dozen or so classes, and no prestige classes. Each of these classes would have a wide variety of options specific to that class, such that you could have two fighters (or whatever), and both would still be quite unique. Most of WotC's prestige classes could easily be folded into their base core class with this approach.

But that would never happen, because it won't sell so many books.
j0lt
06-23-07, 06:15 AM That sounds a lot like what they did with Star Wars Saga Edition.
I still prefer d20 Modern's class system over anything else I've seen to date though.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
i_am_some_guy 05-24-07, 02:47 PM	I'm wondering if anyone has used D20 Modern for a medieval fantasy campaign. I've thought about it but haven't quite setup a game to do so and I'm curious how well it worked out....
Ranger REG 05-24-07, 07:20 PM	Google "classically modern" and "merlin's workshop".
j0lt 05-25-07, 12:24 AM	I'm using d20 Modern as a base system to build a Shannara campaign setting. It's been done before with D&D, but it didn't retain the appropriate feel of the world. The beauty of it is that by using d20 Modern's base classes, you can make ANY type of character you want in any setting - medieval, sci-fi, victorian steampunk, or whatever.
greatamericanfolkhero 05-25-07, 05:51 PM	I'm using d20 Modern to run Expedition to Ravenloft. I've had to ajust a few things, but it's otherwise going great.
i_am_some_guy 05-29-07, 04:05 PM	Awesome! thanks for the information. I'll have to peruse the 10.5mb file and see what they've done. Looks like a ton of work. Link to Merlin's Workshop (http://www.freewebs.com/merlinsworkshop/CMsap.htm).
Matrix Sorcica 06-22-07, 04:56 PM	A little bit of necromancy.... You should check out Postmodern: Fantastic Classes by Big Finger Games. It lists all SRD classes as modern classes, using talent trees, feats and so on. Highly recommended!
Charke 06-23-07, 01:17 AM	I used Skortched Urf Studios' Fantasy Occupations - basically the professions from Modern applied to fantasy which worked well. IMHO Modern is the better thought out 3.5, sort of a 3.75. Of course Modern will work for fantasy. It's practically the same system. You have a defence bonus, reputation and the wealth system that is just as abusable as the skill system. I found wealth effecient but frustrating when the players tagged wealths of 30 or so by 10th level and Never EVER spent enough to lose wealth. And you only need one wealthy party member - that person just buys everything! (So that element is the one thing that is worse about Modern). Mark Charke
Rhialto 06-23-07, 03:34 AM	To me, the worst bit about Modern is having classes called "strong", "tough", etc. It totally takes away the flavour. I'd rather expand the prestige/advanced classes into full classes, and let a player choose those up-front.
j0lt 06-23-07, 04:51 AM	To me, the worst bit about Modern is having classes called "strong", "tough", etc. It totally takes away the flavour. I'd rather expand the prestige/advanced classes into full classes, and let a player choose those up-front. You can't think of Modern's base classes in the same way as D&D's. D&D's class as profession system is highly limiting. Why do you think WotC has to release 2 or 3 new base classes with each supplement? Flavour doesn't come from "I'm the monk", flavour comes from character concept. With D&D style classes, every monk is a carbon copy, even if you use different races, you'll still end up with the same character. With d20 Modern, character design is based on concept, not class. If you want an assassin, you could make a stealthy ninja-like assassin using the Fast base class. You could make an assassin who specializes in explosives and poisons using the Smart base class. You could even make an assassin who can talk their way into joining the target for dinner using the Charismatic base class. With D&D, an assassin is ALWAYS Rogue/Assassin. They ALWAYS have spells and ALWAYS have Sneak Attack. What you're suggesting would remove all the versatility of the more realistic character design from d20 Modern. :thumbsdow /rant
Rhialto 06-23-07, 05:51 AM	WotC's approach of releasing ten dozen splatbooks, each with ten dozen new classes, is equally wrong. The approach I'd like to see, and which I'm working on for my own campaign, is to have about a dozen or so classes, and no prestige classes. Each of these classes would have a wide variety of options specific to that class, such that you could have two fighters (or whatever), and both would still be quite unique. Most of WotC's prestige classes could easily be folded into their base core class with this approach. But that would never happen, because it won't sell so many books.
j0lt 06-23-07, 06:15 AM	That sounds a lot like what they did with Star Wars Saga Edition. I still prefer d20 Modern's class system over anything else I've seen to date though.