Blog-It Llama!

By Nick - October 15, 2009

I was never into d20 modern. I’m a big Fallout fan (which is pretty easy to tell) but my friends never really expressed great interest in a more realistic setting. Tabletop roleplaying requires a little more fantasy to it or it might feel a little too real at times to be appealing as a form of escapism.

Dave Chalker (calls himself “The Game” on this website) has taken it upon himself to translate d20 Modern into 4th Edition D&D’s set of rules, using the minimization of options as his guideline for gameplay. I wouldn’t call this a system overhaul since it is essentially compatible with anything that is 4th Edition. The contrast is the balance. These classes get far less when compared to their D&D counterparts. The one exception is that a few of these classes get far more skills than even a Rogue or Ranger from 4th Edition. The weakness of these characters also plays a part of the simplicity. Classes share the same powers list, but depending on the class you’ve chosen the power will grant an extra effect. Asides from the modern setting, I really dig the ease to understand all of this. It brings D&D back to what it was in 2nd Edition, when it was all about naming your character, picking a race, and getting killed almost every adventure. These characters are quick to throw together and not meant to make it through an entire campaign. It’s refreshing and helps this 4th Power Project stand out asides from just setting.

If you want to check it out more throughly, here are the articles that are out so far.

Core Design Elements

Core Classes Part 1

Core Classes Part 2: At-Will Powers

Categories: Articles, Dungeons and Dragons
Tags: 4th Edition, d20 Modern, Dragon, Dungeon, Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons, Roleplaying Game, RPG, Tabletop Gaming