Favorite d20 Settings

**fmitchell** · 08-01-2007, 10:51 PM

Since a previous thread got slightly muddled, I'd like to open this poll to find out what d20 Modern settings and rules people are using.

**fmitchell** · 08-02-2007, 10:04 AM

BTW, since I don't like d20 that much, but wanted to vote in my own poll, I'd have to say "other".

True20 looks interesting, but I've yet to play it. (And I forgot to add it to the poll.)
I sometimes raid d20/OGL sources for ideas, but end up converting them to FATE, GURPS, or RuneQuest. (Technically, RuneQuest is OGL ... but not d20-compatible by a long shot.)
While I appreciate the core d20 mechanic, I prefer skill-based systems. So I'm intermittently working on a rule set which uses *only* skills, even for areas normally covered by basic stats or levels. Actually, Blue Devil Games's Passages takes that approach, but they've yet to release a "generic" version.

In all honesty, though, I did play in Gary's "Midnight" game and enjoyed it ... except for the combats, which tended to drag with seven players. (Sorry, Gary.)

**Moritz** · 08-02-2007, 10:19 AM

Star Wars d20

**fmitchell** · 08-02-2007, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Moritz

Star Wars d20

Original or Saga Edition? I've heard some good things about Saga Edition.

Oh, and if the guy who voted for "Homebrew Past (incl. Fantasy)" could elaborate, I'd be very interested.

**Moritz** · 08-02-2007, 10:25 AM

I've not yet even touched the saga edition. And I've not played the d20 in over a year. I just like being all nostalgic and saying it. I do like the game mechanics of d20 but in this I chose Star Wars because of the fact it's Star Wars.

**rabkala** · 08-05-2007, 07:39 PM

I would have to say, Home brew future. I hate being overly constrained by a written setting. I tend to abhor the setting elitists which want to give a lecture about every minuscule detail. I guess my universe is just big enough to hold them all somewhere.

**Moritz** · 08-20-2007, 08:51 AM

Oh, I was doing a little reading on Buck Rogers yesterday and found that there's a d20 Buck Rogers RPG out there. I was shocked.

PS: Wilma in the blue jumpsuit was hawt.

**Jonas Boggs** · 08-20-2007, 09:32 PM

I voted for Dark Matter because we are starting a campaign with it now. However, I just got my Monte Cook WoD book and I am starting to flesh out a long term campaign of my own design, so I think that will soon be my favorite

**pawsplay** · 10-22-2007, 09:51 PM

I'm biased, but Dawning Star is a great sci-fi adventure setting.

**Drohem** · 11-27-2007, 02:24 PM

I ran a successful Urban Arcana campaign based in Hollywood, CA. I used to live in Los Angeles and most of the players still lived there, so it was easy to incorporate real places and landmarks into the campaign.

I really like the concept of creatures integrating into our world with no hope of returning to their old worlds. Also, the fact that their memories of their old world fade eventually.

**Snuffy** · 11-30-2007, 07:16 AM

Hello - I voted other simply because I haven't played any of the d20 games. I'm interested in checking the d20 out, but is there a core rule book for d20 or it by setting (ie Star Wars)? Thanks!

BTW - other for me was Rifts rules with some tweaks. I've been throwing their timeline out the window and tweaking some rules just to simplify/quicken gameplay sometimes.

**fmitchell** · 11-30-2007, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by Snuffy

I'm interested in checking the d20 out, but is there a core rule book for d20 or it by setting (ie Star Wars)?

EDIT: As Drohem mentions below, d20 is split into plain "d20" (the Open Gaming License, or OGL, parts of D&D) and "d20 Modern" (the subject of this subforum). Confusing matters further, WotC certifies a "d20" logo on all d20-based games that meet certain conditions, such as requiring the D&D books; games without this certification must call themselves "OGL". Informally, though, most people consider any game using the d20 SRD (System Reference Document) or d20 Modern SRD a "d20 RPG".

d20 Modern is the core book from WotC, with d20 Future, d20 Apocalypse, etc. as add-ons. WotC converted Dark Matter and Star*Drive, once settings for Alternity, to d20 Modern/Future.

Others have taken the d20 SRD or d20 Modern SRD and created settings (sometimes with new/modified rules) under the OGL license. Examples include Mongoose's OGL line, Spycraft, and Arthaus's Gamma World.

Star Wars started off as a setting for d20 (Modern?), but Star Wars Saga Edition is essentially its own d20-based rules system (on a par with True20). A lot of ideas from Saga Edition were trial runs of features slated for D&D 4e.

**Grinnen Baeritt** · 11-30-2007, 09:52 AM

Since there wasn't an option of "All the Above" I voted for "Other".

I'm not exactly enamoured by D20 period, however, the poll was "which do you use.."

Some of the reference material in the d20 books is very well set out and tend to contain some good ideas and information.

I own quite a few of the OGL sci-fi stuff (Modern, Armeggedon 2089, Farscape and a few others, these I will pillage as I see fit to use in my own games.. which aren't generally D20.

With respect to "Dark Matter", "Star*Drive" and "Aftermath" I MUCH prefer the Alternity rules.

**Drohem** · 11-30-2007, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Snuffy

Hello - I voted other simply because I haven't played any of the d20 games. I'm interested in checking the d20 out, but is there a core rule book for d20 or it by setting (ie Star Wars)? Thanks!

The 3.5 Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook is the core book for d20 fantasy and has no setting tied to it directly. Forgotten Realms and Eberron are the officially supported campaign settings for D&D by Wizards of the Coast and each has a separate campaign book detailing the settings, and setting specific rules.

The d20 Modern core book is the rulebook for non-fantasy d20 games. There is no specific setting tied to the d20 Modern core book, but it does have several campaign concepts briefly outlined to give the GM an idea. Urban Arcana is a d20 Modern campaign setting based in today's modern world, and has details on running a d20 Modern campaign with some D&D fantasy elements cross-over.

Unfortunately, d20 Modern hasn't been supported greatly by WotC. However, Green Ronin Publishing has produced some excellent d20 Modern books.

If you're an experienced GM and don't want to use pre-established WotC campaign settings, then all you really need for fantasy is the 3.5 Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual (these three together are the core books for d20 fantasy) or the d20 Modern Core book. There are enough suggestions and ideas in these core books so that you can create your own campaign settings.

Also, there is a sleigh-full of third-party d20 fantasy materials out there, so that literally any campaign setting under the sun could be found in print.

**fmitchell** · 11-30-2007, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Drohem

The 3.5 Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook is the core book for d20 fantasy and has no setting tied to it directly.

Since this is the d20 Modern subforum, I saw "d20 Modern" where the previous poster put "d20". Thanks for pointing out that "d20" encompasses both the D&D/fantasy ruleset and the Modern/Future/etc rules.

I've corrected my post above, for no other reason than I hate being incorrect.