Brave New World
Walrus-Men
Ever since the thannoi, or walrus-men, were introduced to Krynn in Dragonlance I’ve like the concept, but I never got the chance to use them until my current MCWoD campaign.
The adventures I ran in February involved three locations. I covered the location in Minneapolis in last month’s column
This month, I want to talk about revisiting Antarctica. Before I detail the return to this location, let me throw out the idea of using free D20 Modern adventure on Wizards website in any modern era D20 campaign.
Free D20 Modern Adventures
Free D20 Modern adventures are available from Wizards website. I don’t know how long they’ll still be up after May and D&D Insider so download soon if you want them. Here’s the link:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20modern/oaa/full
For a time crunched GM, these modules are unbelievable time savers. And several of the modules link together into mini-campaigns, allowing for multiple connected adventures.
I used the Heartless campaign modules already in my game. I’m planning to use the three Goes to Gone campaign after I wrap up this month’s adventures in Antarctica and in R’lyeh.
If you decide to use these modules for MCWoD PCs, remember that character level is actually three higher when compared to D20 Modern PCs except for skill point totals. So a 14th-level D20 Modern adventure is about right for four 11th-level Awakened and supernaturals.
These free modules are not cheesy, mediocre work. While the maps are weak, the content is not. Adventure levels range from 1st level all the way to 17th level which is quite impressive for free adventures. Almost all are written by D20 Modern professionals, ensuring a well thought and balanced experience.
I usually go through and change any major NPC in the adventure to a MCWoD NPC. So a D20 Modern vampire is changed to a MCWoD vampire (but three levels lower than the CR indicates). I usually give higher level NPCs a supernatural item or two. Many times, the adventure itself has an item I can use.
The only real difference I’ve found between the two rule sets is that the equipment bonus from armor in D20 Modern makes Defense higher than normal. You can covert by pulling out the equipment bonus to Defense and putting in MCWoD’s damage resistance based on armor.
MCWoD is actually a D20 Modern game, not a D&D 3.5 convert (the Vehicle chapter is lifted almost word for word from the D20 Modern SRD). Conversion is barely necessary, saving a tremendous amount of time.
Antarctica
The PCs recovered two idols introduced in the Wizards Heartless campaign modules. I expanded the supernatural power of the idols to make them maps and keys to unlock alien tech and supernatural power to help the PCs in their fight against the Iconnu.
The first idol lead the PCs back to Antarctica. I reused the now burned out research station (another free module) complete with a revenant of a Russian the PCs had beheaded.
I also introduced the thannoi and the vanar. Both humanoid animal races (one walrus, one wolf) were genetically engineered by the Mi-Go to guard their tech as their race headed for extinction.
Both races once hunted thunderbirds (D20 Menace Manual or SRD) together, but a falling out lead to estrangement and the dwindling of both tribes. Enter the PCs.
The PCs had to find a way to make peace between the two races to get the tools they needed to retrieve the Mi-Go tech. The roleplaying required mirrored the conflict the PCs themselves face: hunter and hunted having to work together.
In addition, the PCs had to kill the Mi-Go monster to prove their worth to both tribes. I used a terrestrial effluvium from D20 Modern to present a real challenge.
The PCs persevered and gained the aid of both races. The thannoi provide free blubber suits to each PC to protect them from the cold water. The vanar provided sea wolves, aquatic mounts, for the PCs to use cross the open sea to where the Mi-Go tech was hidden.
The Race is on
I really like the free stuff at Wizards. I’m going to miss it if it all goes away. I took the chase sequence from the free adventure for Star Wars Saga: The Traitor’s Gambit.
As the PCs prepared for their ride, an ice archon (converted from the fire archon Wizards presented for free in online Dragon) took off across the water on an ice hoverbike. It had stolen tech needed to power the Mi-Go tech and was planning to steal to steal it before the PCs could get to it.
And the chase was on. I updated the mushrooms and swamps in the module to ice and ice floes. I also raised the DC of all checks by 5.
My players complained a bit about the needed Ride checks. Because so many 10th-level MCWoD characters take Ride for use in the modern world. I liked the complaining. Meant I was doing my job.
The race worked well, with the sea wolves dodging ice floes and the PCs trading shots with the ice archon as they drew closer. The chase ended on the beach of an island. I was impressed at how well the chase sequence ran.
After the PCs caught and killed the archon, they moved inland. The icy land changed to steaming jungle.
Mi-Go Garden of Eden
A little slice of Mi-Go engineering, this jungle was hostile. The PCs tussled with monstrous Venus flytraps and a dread tree (D20 Modern again) before finding the tech they were seeking.
Mecha. Three of them. Huge size with room for a pilot and gunner.
Each looked a lot like a Huge walker mini from Star Wars actually.
Oh What the Mech
I was nervous about the mecha. I’d always wanted to use D20 Future mecha and the rpg CthuluTech just cemented that desire but I wasn’t sure how the players would react. They truly seemed to enjoy piloting them though, which set my mind at ease.
The mecha were water only and were needed to dive deep into the Pacific Ocean looking for R’lyeh were Cthulthu lies dreaming. I used D20 Future Mecha rules, but dropped the need for two mecha feats normally required for best operation.
While on the undersea trek, the PCs fought giant anacondas, megalodons, and sea serpents (you guessed it, D20 Menace Manual). One Awakened discovered he could repair his mecha using his own blood to power repairs. He was sharing a mecha with the vampire though, and was understandably nervous. When he vented his used blood into the water, he attracted the megalodons. Sometimes you can’t win.
Next Month
Sounds a little like what this month was going to cover. I had to move some material to next month since high levels cover so much territory.
Specifics on converting high-level free D20 Modern adventures to MCWoD. Mechs versus Cthulthu. And more world building: R’lyeh and the locations anchored to Fargo, ND a location which helps maintain the integrity of the Incursion. Take out Fargo, take down the Intrusion. But how to survive to get there?
Keep your Awakened close and your Supernaturals closer, Charlie
