Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zylo_drizzt Jun 03, 2010 13:57:53	Well now that the regular dm does not have enough time to run a game, I stepped up, not because I wanted too but because there is only 2 other people in are group and they dont know rules quite so well. So instead of running dnd 3.5 I am gonna run d20 modern. I am gonna run an apocolypes campaign. Its gonna be run in a time that the ones who remember what happened are nearly extinct. Gonna be ran in PL 5 (thats the current era right?)  with sometimes really strange things happen like mecha possibilities and other high PL things so most anything could happen. So here is my idea. The apocolypse happened because of a very powerful meteor shower. These meteorites each had some strange single celled organisms on them, germs, parisites, invaders of the 3rd kind. Well I am gonna have at least 2 major alien virus on there. One is a mutation virus (and thus might be cureable) the other is zombie virus (and thus might also be curable). Now the way the zombie virus works is that if something dies, these single celled organisms search out the dead (no matter what died) and cause them to reanimate, sometimes in strange or fantastic ways (kind of like resident evil). Now this means that not everything will animate and maybe not everything will mutate or you know, all that good stuff. Gonna have 7 races and got maybe 4 or 5 figured out somewhat. My goal is to have a race for every stat. Gonna have humans of course. So here are a few ideas not full fleshed out yet. Str race: gonna be something that has powerful build. Think of these like super mutants in fallout 3. This race isnt able to reproduce easily, need thier special things to change humanoids of diffrent races. Int race: gonna be small, this race is kind of like junk engineers, think of them like grimlins in fact they may look like that as well. Dex Race or maybe wis race: thinking of some sort of nature humanoid. Maybe something that might use the very critters as weapons. Think of wis like natural cunning and dex is just because they are more agile though dont want both. These are like feral humanoids and not like the super mutants above which are still uncivilized but certainly not feral, just stupid. maybe other modes of movement like animals or extra senses or something like that, maybe natural weapons. I dont know just yet. Con race or maybe cha race: Thinking these will be a race that lives undergound in well vaults, like the vault dwellers in fallout 3 dont know much about what I plan for these guys other than that. any other suggestions are fine. Thanks in advance.
#2 TheRealOrion Jun 03, 2010 18:21:12	I have a little monster I whipped up that you can find here: modernd20unlimited.freeforums.org/sci-fi... It's an SF version of vampires and zombies as blood parasites. Feel free to use it, if it's helpful!
#3 zylo_drizzt Jun 04, 2010 3:39:54	Well what really helps out is the fact that that is another forum, probably better for this sort of thing since d20 modern is getting the shaft here. Anyways, came up with some stats and all. Orc (Looking for better name) +2 str - 2 int. Big and stupid Powerful build Darkvision 60ft +2 intimidate and  can use str instead of cha to determine ability modifier. Elf (Looking for better name) +2 dex -2 cha 2 MP +2 MP at 5th and every 5 levels equaling 10 total. Ability to change mutations at the begining of each day. Note: any mutation not gained with these points cannot be changed Goblin (Looking for better name) +2 int -2 str may be small but I carry a big...: can use weapons as if meduim Pretty much cuts costs and time to make things or destroy things, pretty much makes everything easier to make or break. +1 int checks and skills Mul (looking for better name) +2 con - 2 wis dr vs subdual cant be fatigued sleep less + saves vs certain effects heals at double rate or hp and ability damage carry more (he he like a mule) Dont know rest yet but tell me what you think and help me flesh out a bit such as nich and completing just what things do such as the cutting time and costs of making and breaking stuff. Still looking for cha and wis and prefer to get negatives to other 2 stats I havent taken a penalty to yet.
#4 insanityseanboy Jun 10, 2010 18:09:42	Well what really helps out is the fact that that is another forum, probably better for this sort of thing since d20 modern is getting the shaft here. What other forum?
#5 zylo_drizzt Jun 10, 2010 20:52:21	the forum in that link up there. so no one is gonna critique?
#6 insanityseanboy Jun 11, 2010 1:41:49	the forum in that link up there. so no one is gonna critique? Sure. They are unbalanced. A +2 bonus to a physical ability need to be offset by either: -2 to a different physical ability. -2 to two mental abilities. A +2 bonus to a mental ability need to be offset by: -2 to any other ability. So Orc, Mul and Elf are all OP just from their racial ability modifiers. Don't replace int with str when determining the keyed ability to intimidate. Lots of people justify this by saying 'muscly guys are scarier': Watch a tv show where there is some intimidating going on (eg. 24 when Bauer is interrogating the accountant) - it's clear that it's all about knowing what will scare someone and convincing them that you are willing to do it. What you could do instead, of you wanted strong guys to be intimidating, is let the player make a strength check DC whatever to get a +2 bonus on his intimidate roll. Otherwise most of their abilities are OP. BUT - maybe you want your characters to be rule-breaking - which is fine.
#7 zylo_drizzt Jun 11, 2010 9:17:51	wow rule breaking, really? I am the rules arent I? who says that the mental stats have to be set up that way? I have always thought half orc was a very weak race. anyways, how bout this, are they balanced against each other? Is there any real big problems you knowtice? the goal is to have a race for each stat and hoping that these races help to fill multiple roles. Humans, gain low light vision. Gulg +2 str -2 int Powerful build Darkvision 60ft movement 30ft +1 str based checks intimidate based on str Skrall +2 dex -2 cha mp equal to half level rounded down, minimum 1 can redistrubute points once per day, this takes 1 hour to do. if you got other mutations those cannot be changed with this ability +1 dex checks climb is dex based low light vision 30ft movement Trog +2 con -2 wis regrow body part in 1 week dr vs subdual equal to half level rounded down, minimum 1 skills as human 1 hour of sleep a night heals damage at double rate (ability damage as well) survival is con based low light 30ft movement Gobbers +2 int -2 str small move 30ft darkvision can use weapons as a meduim creature when you go into town you are treated as trading for everything you will need until you declare what it is also items you recieve are already considered declared. you can only have undeclared tu equal to lvl X int mod recharge this when you can go to someplace that has equal or more tu as you. 1/4 hd per day minimum 1 you can undeclare tu equal to half your hd. +1 int checks escape artist is int based Vaultians +2 wis -2 con darkvision 30ft movement healing pool deliverd by touch equal to lvl X wis mod can hurt undead +1 wis checks +3 flanking and aiding other diplomacy wis based Cratians +2 cha -2 dex has pp equal to cha on xph extra pp chart based on cha (saves as well) manifesting level is 1/2 lvl if taking a manifesting class, treat primary as 2 higher instead of above as well as powers saves and manifesting lvl. gain a 1st lvl power at 1st level gain a 2nd level power at 5th and so on and so forth can change those powers after taking 1 hour a day. +1 cha checks sense motive is cha based hope that makes sense. gonna use xph for psionics, allowing psionics up to lvl 10 from lvl 1 action points will be usible per day equal to 1/4 lvl minimum 1 no Damage threshold unless you can give a compelling argument no magic 32 point buy. only able to choose races from this list. might be more mods want characters to be heroes, facing impossible odds because they will be impossible, I am a malicious dm.
#8 insanityseanboy Jun 12, 2010 2:44:18	wow rule breaking, really? I am the rules arent I? who says that the mental stats have to be set up that way? I have always thought half orc was a very weak race. anyways, how bout this, are they balanced against each other? Is there any real big problems you knowtice? want characters to be heroes, facing impossible odds because they will be impossible, I am a malicious dm. Yes you're the DM, so you can choose which of the core rules, if any, you want to follow. The rules are only there to make balancing encounters easier on you, so if you are happy balancing monsters, traps, and npcs to adapt to your heroic players then for sure - go ahead and break the rules. Like I said, so long as that's your intention, it's fine! As for balancing them against each other, I think you need to consider what you would choose if you were a player. Each race is specialised in their appropriate field, so think to yourself: which races would a strong hero pick? Which would a dedicated hero pick?... etc. At the end, if one race is represented more than the others then it's probably better than the others.
#9 zylo_drizzt Jun 12, 2010 12:28:00	yes I concidered that, each one has a stat associated with the class and are likely to be picked more for for those classes but I can see each one being viable for each base class. Who wouldnt want to use a bigger weapon? who wouldnt want to be able to mutate daily? Who wouldnt want to be tougher? who wouldnt want to have all sorts of goodies at thier disposal when needed? Healing is good for everyone and so is teamwork right? and who wouldnt want some powers to use that could be chosen daily? am I right or wrong about this? tried to go with design philosophy of 4e that no race would make a weak anything just not quite as good as an optimized race though close. everything but a cha penalty I can see as being at least reasonable cost vs stat boon. because cha only says how likeable you are.