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A Capsule Review by T.S. Evans
Introduction
On one of my weekly treks to one of the used bookstores in town I came across a practically-new copy of the D20 Modern roleplaying game on sale for an astounding $2. Though I had no previous interest in the game, for that price I imagined I could get what entertainment out of reading it as possible, steal any innovative mechanics for one of my homebrew systems, and then sell the book on Ebay for some profit. I also somewhere along the way got it in my head to write a review of the book for RPGnet. This is my first review for RPGnet, and while I am sure there are already many other reviews for this book by now, I'd like to think that I could provide a possibly new or unique outlook on the product for potential buyers. Though not free from biases, I like to believe I am a fair and evenhanded reviewer, but I'll leave that up to you to decide. That said, excelsior true believers!
Setting, or "Where Shadowrun Has Gone Before"
D20 Modern (DTM), as the title suggests, is set in the "modern world". Or, at least the modern world as seen through the cypher of Hollywood action films, videogames, and comicbooks. The book makes no bones about being a "cinematic" system. DTM, though obviously intended on some level to be a generic system for modern day cinematic roleplaying, tends to assume that most games using the rules will be incorporating a decent amount of fantasy elements. Magic and Psionic rules are provided, the "friends and foes" chapter provides stats for a bevy of classic D&D demihumans and dungeon dwellers, and almost all the illustrations display a supernatural element of some sort. Though these are all arguably optional rules, they take up a disproportionate amount of bookspace that one might describe DTM as "D&D Modern" without fallacy.
D20 Modern's rules are presented as rather generic (at least within the confines of its "action movie + fantasy" approach), but it does offer a chapter of "Campaign Models" to serve as examples or starting points for GMs. These include "Shadow Chasers" (investigative horror in the vein of XFiles), "Agents of Psi" (psychic espionage), and "Urban Arcana" ( D&D modern). The genre emulation posited by these campaign models, in place of the "noir", "martial arts action", and "espionage" models one might expect from a generic modern cinematic rpg, further reinforces my evaluation of this game as "D&D Modern".
Appearance, or "Is That a John Van Fleet Drawing or are You just Happy to See Me?"
Hardcover, 384 pages, and full colour, D20 Modern is well designed, with professional illustrations and clearly organized typeface. Though I've not owned the book long enough to make a proper evaluation, it appears to be well-bound with a sturdy spine.
There are a usefull table of contents and an index, the rules are presented chapter-by-chapter in a clear and concise manner, and the charts are easy to read. My one criticism is simply that the game presentation is not condusive to random browsing, which is generally how I tackle most of my RPGs. It is obviously meat to be read straight-through and then referenced later for rules clarifications.
System, or "In Which I Restrain from Ranting About Class and Level Systems"
The D20 system, popularized by the (Advanced) Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition RPG, consists at its most basic level of a player rolling a single 20-sided die, adding modifiers, and comparing the result to a target number set by the GM.
Characters are defined by a variety of attributes, including the six classic D&D ability scores, skills (replacing proficiencies), and feats, the latter a recent addition to the system that provides characters with unique advantages and powers. The Saving Throw system has gotten a much-needed revamp, though my personal opinion remains that they are an unnecessary device that could easily be handled by the ability scores.
D20 Modern is a class and level system, with all the baggage that entails, though the classes are not based upon the professions of the characters, but rather upon the characters' defining abilities. For example, a character with high charisma could choose the "Charismatic Hero" class, a character with high strength might choose the "Strong Hero" class, etc. Classes can provide a character with skills, feats, and special abilities as the characters advance in levels. There are also "Advanced Classes" which are much closer to specific professions, and to make matters a little more confusing, characters also choose "Professions", broadly-defined career groups that, like classes, provide bonuses, extra feats, and skills.
D&D's alignment system is abandoned for a much looser system of "allegiances", and abstract "wealth" and "reputation" mechanics round out a DTM character, both of which remind me of TSR's original Marvel Superheroes RPG.
Character advancement is handled in an atypical manner, with experience points garnered to provide level succession. A notable innovation is that players may roll their profession skill upon acheiving a new level with the possibilty of increasing their Wealth score.
Combat is handled pretty much as it always was in D&D: a roll for "Initiative", a roll to-hit, a roll for damage, etc. No complaints here, the system worked for 30-odd years and it continues to function. The "Attacks of Opportunity" rule, which made its debut in D&D 3E, is here as well, and presented in a much clearer manner than it originally was. It is a rule that inspires no great feelings in me for wrath nor joy, I suppose it is meant to add an extra level of "interest" to combat, or perhaps "realism". It functions well-enough in that regard I suppose.
DTM combat is also suprisingly (to me anyways) dependant on miniatures. While it is possible to play the game without miniatures, the game obviously assume you will use them, and most of the combat rules are clearly approached from a wargamming perspective. I suppose whether this is a criticism or not depends on your gaming style, but for me it is a big detractor.
Conclusions
All things considered, I think almost all of my criticisms of D20 Modern are based upon how it clashes with my personal gaming preferences. I could take this opportunity to rant about my distaste for class and level systems in general, or my thoughts on D20's pervasive effect on the industry, but I don't think that would be entirelly appropriate. This is a review, not a personal diatribe.
If anything, I am surprised I did not find more to complain about, with all the biases I had going in. The game does what it intends to do, and it does it competantly. The rules work and they are presented in a clear and understandable manner. The artwork is excellent and of a consistant level of quality, a rarity in the gaming market. I personally would never use the system to run a game because it does not provide what I am looking for in a game, but I would recommend the game to anyone who does enjoy the D20 system and would like to play the kind of games and genres that DTM supports.
