I haven't really specified anything yet, other than it would be set in mid-90s and the players would be a band of mercenaries from a large company, out to confront an army of some banana republic.
That's where I run into problems. While I quite love the idea of d20's wealth system, I'm not quite sure how it would work in this situation. I have envisioned that the players would gain payment from their contract every week (assuming they are making actual progress). How would this work? Would I just up their wealth every week for 1-3 points? From what I understand, the wealth system is created to simplify the complexities of work pay and taxes and so on. That is to say, an actual pay from everyday work is already calculated in your wealth value and you do not gain wealth every time you would gain a paycheck. You would gain wealth increase from monetary rewards for specific actions, loot, etc. So in this case, wouldn't their contract payment be considered as work pay and thus already calculated into their wealth level?
Paradoxally, their contract payment is not regular income, but a one-time lump sum of money. So if I gave it out as wealth increase on a regular basis, the players would be able to purchase an infinite number of any items that have a purchase DC that doesn't reduce their wealth value.
Basically, how -does- one go about granting lump sums of money in d20 system?
On the other hand, if I -should- grant them this wealth, does anyone have any expirience on scaling it trough levels, and so on?
Also I'd like some advice on detailing urban warfare. It was easy in D&D, all I had to do was sketch up a part of the street with a couple of huts/cottages. With combat moving completely into ranged, and higher range increments, I would have to map quite a part of the 'hood for urban encounters. Lots of debris as well, considering the cities are supposed to be largely devastated. This seems to me to be quite a work, and a time-guzzler. How do you play this out? Do you map the scene of the encounter, or do you just play it from your mental image? How detailed I should go with mapping the scene?
As to maps, I find detailed maps of combat areas crucial for my games when gunfire is going to be a main component. I tend to draw it all out so they can see it and make notes for myself about how much cover any given area gives. In fact this has let me make the terrain a much more lively part of the game, for example in a destroyed building I like to map out structurally unsound areas or walls that are so rotted they actually confer no cover at all after one hit. Yes it can be time consuming but I had such a positive reaction to the first very-detailed map I produced for my players I've kept it up each time. Be sure to include all manner of furniture/debris/appliances and make them really feel like they aren't playing in a completely barren warehouse/field.
1.) Snipers: This should be a Plot Device or GM NPC. Characters start adding up the munchkin bonuses and can get some incredible shots that make Carlos Hathcock look like he couldn't hit the broad side of the barn. One of my players argued the snot outta this when all the bonuses exceeded the range of the gun. "There's only so much powder in the bullet was my response."
Another headache was the instance of trying to shoot through primitive buildings (ZERO visibility but the rules allowed for shooting blind) and my insistance of NO which didn't sit well with the party.
2.) Money: Issue equipment out or assign "bundles". Players want to buy up the store and then look at you funny when you say NO to BIG items even though they still have $35k left over from the original cash. ENFORCE ENCUMBERANCE!!!!!!!
Starve the Mercs. Millions of people get a government check once a month, their's is delivered by their CIA handler along with the monthly Intel dump or Debrief. Do anything BUT a large lumpsum. This way the Mercs don't cut and run after being paid.
3.) Hardships. That pretty equipment is nice but what happens when it breaks? Are techs available? In a Banana Republic probably not and the local Governor/Druglord is more than interested in what you have to confiscate/steal. Oh wait, that local Governor/Druglord is vital to the success of the mission and owns the local airstrip.
Throw Murphy in the Merc's faces no less than twice a day. Equipment breaks and things get lost. Small things, Important things. Equipment gets lost/launched from normal (this being a VERY RELATIVE term) activities. Digging, Parachuting, Rappelling, Fast Roping, Swimming, Coastal Surveys, Running, Vigorously Seeking Cover, Climbing and so on....All of these things the Merc might have to perform at a moments notice and you can guess what happens to the "important" stuff.
4.) Fire. All the stuff that the Mercs tied down to keep from losing might need to be rapidly jettisoned to keep OTHER things from catching fire. Water mixing with some types of batteries can start fires.
Enjoy,
Doug
As far as maps are concerned, spend your creative energies on the important stuff, and get your maps from pre-existing sources like GoogleMaps. Utilize sources like Critical Locations and Modern Backdrops to save yourself a lot of time.
For military campaigns, borrow from old games like Top Secret. I have even seen some recent publications called d20 Afghanistan, and d20 Iraq which might be fun for you and your players. Good luck!
You should of course turn off all the layers unless you really need to know where easements are...
http://wspwit01.ci.tacoma.wa.us/govMe/Maps/Inter/MapGuideCS/MGMain.aspx
GovME (Government Made Easy)
That's where I run into problems. While I quite love the idea of d20's wealth system, I'm not quite sure how it would work in this situation. I have envisioned that the players would gain payment from their contract every week (assuming they are making actual progress). How would this work? Would I just up their wealth every week for 1-3 points? From what I understand, the wealth system is created to simplify the complexities of work pay and taxes and so on. That is to say, an actual pay from everyday work is already calculated in your wealth value and you do not gain wealth every time you would gain a paycheck. You would gain wealth increase from monetary rewards for specific actions, loot, etc. So in this case, wouldn't their contract payment be considered as work pay and thus already calculated into their wealth level?
Paradoxally, their contract payment is not regular income, but a one-time lump sum of money. So if I gave it out as wealth increase on a regular basis, the players would be able to purchase an infinite number of any items that have a purchase DC that doesn't reduce their wealth value.
Basically, how -does- one go about granting lump sums of money in d20 system?
On the other hand, if I -should- grant them this wealth, does anyone have any expirience on scaling it trough levels, and so on?
Simple, each time they complete a mission, have them roll a Profession Check. Since this is a team, perhaps give it to them as a team fund, because the Wealth system instantly falls apart when you try to spread a reward evenly between people who have different wealth levels. And that way, only one person has to spend skill ranks on the profession skill (usually the "face" or leader of the group).
Nice campaign idea, BTW, sounds like fun!
Well, I've thought about just giving cash value, it seemed to me a simpler system for this situation. I remember seeing the table for conversion somewhere, probably would take me some time initially to mentally align myself to the modern price scales, but it would work smoothly. But I kinda wanted to give the wealth system a chance, I'd like to test it out a bit first before I dump it. And team funds sound interesting, not something I could do with cash.
Going after a whole army, the party is going to encounter massive loot in terms of weapons and, to a lesser extent, armor. Considering a small country like, say, Bosnia (which is, by the way, my neighboring country, I'm from Croatia), how much of this should they, broadly, be able to sell to various weapon dealers, smugglers, etc.?
I'm thinking of dealing out numerous different weapons with different ammo calibers, which I think would prevent item hoarding, as a player with a 7.62 AK-47 rifle has no use for a dozen boxes of 9mm cartridges. Is this worth the time, or should I instead aid the players by "dropping" ammo and weapons of mostly the same caliber?
I don't know much about existing resources, is there any d20 book where I could find example maps of urban areas, to get me started? Are those the books Ice_Miller mentions?
I wasn't aware of snipers being such a bother. Thanks for the warning! One of my players wanted to play a sniper and I already saw this would be a problem for the rest of the party, as he was aiming for the long-range loner version. I could talk him into playing a designated marksmen, if that's any better? We'd try and keep the modifiers simple anyways.
The "lone sniper" concept is death to roleplaying. They don't do RP encounters, they don't get into exciting combat, they just hide and pick people off. Designated Marksman is a much better idea.
After you assertain he is in position, you ask,
"Are you ready to start Spot Rolls for targets or just hide?"
If he makes the mistake of saying he's gonna roll for targets, you grab a d20 & match him roll for roll. When he asks if that is a NPC Hide check, that is when you mention you are rolling for the NPC CounterSniper trying to spot the PC Sniper.
You wanna roll 15 times? Ok, lets both roll 15 times... Its the classic sniper battle, he who spots lives, he who dont... dont.
Do you have a link to d20 Iraq? Its not on Holistic Design like d20 Afghanistan, d20 Somalia, or d20 Colombia.
Nah, that didn't bother me really, but it bothered the rest of the party, which is consisting of a knifing expert, a hand grenade fetishist and a one-man-supply-center. They were bit inspired by some (poorly chosen) JA2 characters. Anyways, I just let them sort it out at whar range increment they want to play. They do realize that the whole party should function, generally, on the same range.
I'd still like to see one such battle of wits and stealth, tho.
Hmm, d20 Colombia? That sound like something I could really use.
@ Ice Miller
Do you have a link to d20 Iraq? Its not on Holistic Design like d20 Afghanistan, d20 Somalia, or d20 Colombia.
Gosh, I can't remember where I saw that. The R.P.G. Store perhaps? I read the item description and it seemed like a low-budget (but cool) O.G.L. product. Did you do a Google search? If you find it, please re-post.
@ Ice Miller
Do you have a link to d20 Iraq? Its not on Holistic Design like d20 Afghanistan, d20 Somalia, or d20 Colombia.
I found it! It's a product on sale at The R.P.G. Shop by OtherWorld Creations Inc. and it's called Operation Dead Drop (d20 Modern). It costs $10.55.
It's actually an adventure that takes place in Iraq.