I had a idea for a modern encounter a while ago, the PC's do somethin' stupid and before they know, a magic battering ram is breaking down their door, and gnomes in riot armor flood in and surround them "Department of Gnomeland security, put your hands in the air!".
Ugh. I am playing in a campaign that is set in actually 5 different eras, from ultra-modern, to traditional D&D. Same chars enter portals to move from one setting to another. I tell you, it feels ridiculous playing D&D in a modern setting.
I tell you, it feels ridiculous playing D&D in a modern setting.
Why does it feel ridiculous playing D&D in a modern setting?
I know, I know; most fantasies often take place in a more medieval environment. I find that trying settings that are new and fresh can bring amazing stories. I mean, a half-orc policeman, an elf hacker, a dwarf barrista, and a halfling store-clerk investigating strange things that are happening in their district and city. That is a campaign I would love to be a part of.
I've seen people play Tennis and have two video game characters fight each other using 5e mechanics. The video game one used strict 5e mechanics - the Tennis one, less so, but still largely 5e mechanics.
Hasbro's WotC has done everything they can to impress upon people to play their way.
If you want WotC to publish a modern setting, I have high doubts they will do that.
What they published in sourcebooks pretty much tells players and GMs that they can do whatever they want with it -- and they come out with new sourcebooks that try to reiterate that. Changing things includes settings and lores.
Really. The only wrong way to play is to not have fun. (Telling other people how they should play if they enjoy 5e in a different way is also quite uncouth.)
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
I tell you, it feels ridiculous playing D&D in a modern setting.
Why does it feel ridiculous playing D&D in a modern setting?
I know, I know; most fantasies often take place in a more medieval environment. I find that trying settings that are new and fresh can bring amazing stories. I mean, a half-orc policeman, an elf hacker, a dwarf barrista, and a halfling store-clerk investigating strange things that are happening in their district and city. That is a campaign I would love to be a part of.
Because the game was never designed to be played in a modern setting. Are the D&D mechanics malleable? To some extent. But you can't ram every single thing into its framework. You want to play checkers? Great. Just don't try playing with the rules of chess. There are who knows how many games out there set in some form of modern setting. Play one of them.
Fair enough, I don't think I would go as far as to make them inaccessible just much rarer.
Ah, I should probably clarify, I will allow them access to higher level spells, and in fact have a plan for that in my campaign's homebrew universe, however, in-game most people (NPCs included) would only cast up to 5th level since the world's access to magic is intentionally limited. However, I have certain material components (alla magic crystals basically acting as a fuel source) which would power higher level spells should they decide they want to cast them. Part of this world's major plot involves high level magic and their usage as magical WMDs almost.
Plus part of the game's mechanics do call in for some gunplay and other modern equipment, so I am still working out the balancing issue with regards to spellcasting and modern weaponry.
Fair enough, I don't think I would go as far as to make them inaccessible just much rarer.
Ah, I should probably clarify, I will allow them access to higher level spells, and in fact have a plan for that in my campaign's homebrew universe, however, in-game most people (NPCs included) would only cast up to 5th level since the world's access to magic is intentionally limited. However, I have certain material components (alla magic crystals basically acting as a fuel source) which would power higher level spells should they decide they want to cast them. Part of this world's major plot involves high level magic and their usage as magical WMDs almost.
Plus part of the game's mechanics do call in for some gunplay and other modern equipment, so I am still working out the balancing issue with regards to spellcasting and modern weaponry.
Handguns could be 1d8 with 10-round mags, pump shotgun 2d6 with 6-round internal mag, etc.
I'm currently working on a group of homebrew for my D&D group and others that want it, that can be used in modern, cyberpunk, and futuristic campaigns. Problem is, I'm not sure I'm allowed to release any parts of it that were in Unearthed Arcana or from the 3.5's Modern d20 SRD. Some of it is from the Modern Magic pdf and some of it is based on the 3.5 Modern d20 SRD, so if I'm not allowed to release those it'll be a little lighter in content than I want. It's still a ways away, but when finished I intend to release what I can as public homebrew that works with the character creator here and a pdf or docx version.
SladeTracey, did you ever finish this? I would love to take a look at it!
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C. Foster Payne
"If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around."
Plus part of the game's mechanics do call in for some gunplay and other modern equipment, so I am still working out the balancing issue with regards to spellcasting and modern weaponry.
That is the truly hardest part of all. Firearms and spells are hard to balance with each other, on its own (at least for me). That's why I am researching other systems to come up with a unique system of my own.
Once guns and field artillery become commonplace on a battlefield, wizards really become redundant- a cannon can keep firing all day so long as it's properly stocked with ammo and you let it cool regularly, while a wizard will run out of fireballs after a few minutes at most. The really usefulness of wizards would be long-range communication, combat engineering, espionage, and assassinations. With a single spell, a wizard could spy on an enemy commander to learn their plans or throw up a defensive embankment. They can instantly send orders across a noisy battlefield without risk of interception. And they can sneak into an enemy camp invisibly to perform all sorts of nefarious acts.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
If you want WotC to publish a modern setting, I have high doubts they will do that.
Don't be too certain; they have surprised us before. Then again, we did have that Unearthed Arcana a few years ago, dealing with Modern Magic. While it was indeed the brainchild of just one individual, it still shows up on their website; could be considered "official" Unearthed Arcana. Then again, many others took it as a challenge and gave us some interesting homebrew solutions.
Sometimes, I'm okay with homebrew solutions, but others would be a nice official material. Theros didn't need to be official material (imo) but Ravnica was a good option for official material. Ravenloft is a necessary setting guide (considering its long illustrious history within D&D). Eberron was also a necessary setting guide, considering its popularity. An official "modern" setting with special modern rules for certain tech and spells would be amazing, but I too have sincere doubts that they will. But as I said earlier, they have surprised us before.
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I had a idea for a modern encounter a while ago, the PC's do somethin' stupid and before they know, a magic battering ram is breaking down their door, and gnomes in riot armor flood in and surround them "Department of Gnomeland security, put your hands in the air!".
Mystic v3 should be official, nuff said.
Ugh. I am playing in a campaign that is set in actually 5 different eras, from ultra-modern, to traditional D&D. Same chars enter portals to move from one setting to another. I tell you, it feels ridiculous playing D&D in a modern setting.
Why does it feel ridiculous playing D&D in a modern setting?
I know, I know; most fantasies often take place in a more medieval environment. I find that trying settings that are new and fresh can bring amazing stories. I mean, a half-orc policeman, an elf hacker, a dwarf barrista, and a halfling store-clerk investigating strange things that are happening in their district and city. That is a campaign I would love to be a part of.
I've seen people play Tennis and have two video game characters fight each other using 5e mechanics. The video game one used strict 5e mechanics - the Tennis one, less so, but still largely 5e mechanics.
Hasbro's WotC has done everything they can to impress upon people to play their way.
If you want WotC to publish a modern setting, I have high doubts they will do that.
What they published in sourcebooks pretty much tells players and GMs that they can do whatever they want with it -- and they come out with new sourcebooks that try to reiterate that. Changing things includes settings and lores.
Really. The only wrong way to play is to not have fun. (Telling other people how they should play if they enjoy 5e in a different way is also quite uncouth.)
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Because the game was never designed to be played in a modern setting. Are the D&D mechanics malleable? To some extent. But you can't ram every single thing into its framework. You want to play checkers? Great. Just don't try playing with the rules of chess. There are who knows how many games out there set in some form of modern setting. Play one of them.
Ah, I should probably clarify, I will allow them access to higher level spells, and in fact have a plan for that in my campaign's homebrew universe, however, in-game most people (NPCs included) would only cast up to 5th level since the world's access to magic is intentionally limited.
However, I have certain material components (alla magic crystals basically acting as a fuel source) which would power higher level spells should they decide they want to cast them. Part of this world's major plot involves high level magic and their usage as magical WMDs almost.
Plus part of the game's mechanics do call in for some gunplay and other modern equipment, so I am still working out the balancing issue with regards to spellcasting and modern weaponry.
Handguns could be 1d8 with 10-round mags, pump shotgun 2d6 with 6-round internal mag, etc.
Mystic v3 should be official, nuff said.
SladeTracey, did you ever finish this? I would love to take a look at it!
C. Foster Payne
"If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around."
That is the truly hardest part of all. Firearms and spells are hard to balance with each other, on its own (at least for me). That's why I am researching other systems to come up with a unique system of my own.
Once guns and field artillery become commonplace on a battlefield, wizards really become redundant- a cannon can keep firing all day so long as it's properly stocked with ammo and you let it cool regularly, while a wizard will run out of fireballs after a few minutes at most. The really usefulness of wizards would be long-range communication, combat engineering, espionage, and assassinations. With a single spell, a wizard could spy on an enemy commander to learn their plans or throw up a defensive embankment. They can instantly send orders across a noisy battlefield without risk of interception. And they can sneak into an enemy camp invisibly to perform all sorts of nefarious acts.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Don't be too certain; they have surprised us before. Then again, we did have that Unearthed Arcana a few years ago, dealing with Modern Magic. While it was indeed the brainchild of just one individual, it still shows up on their website; could be considered "official" Unearthed Arcana. Then again, many others took it as a challenge and gave us some interesting homebrew solutions.
Sometimes, I'm okay with homebrew solutions, but others would be a nice official material. Theros didn't need to be official material (imo) but Ravnica was a good option for official material. Ravenloft is a necessary setting guide (considering its long illustrious history within D&D). Eberron was also a necessary setting guide, considering its popularity.
An official "modern" setting with special modern rules for certain tech and spells would be amazing, but I too have sincere doubts that they will. But as I said earlier, they have surprised us before.