• Welcome to The Campaign Builder's Guild.
 

[poll] Is anything impossible?

Started by the_taken, July 04, 2006, 04:16:08 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Is it possible to aproximate any fictional character using any D&D and/or d20Modern rules.

Yes. Infact you only need the Core Rulebooks.
4 (22.2%)
Yes, if there\'s enough splat books available.
3 (16.7%)
Yes, but only so far. Rules, by definition, place limits on what you can do, but it\'s a very sweat comprimise.
10 (55.6%)
No, or not unless you pull some Pun-Pun style cheese. No sane DM would let you play Pun-Pun.
1 (5.6%)

Total Members Voted: 0

Print
Go Down Pages1 2
User actions

the_taken

July 04, 2006, 04:16:08 PM Last Edit: July 04, 2006, 09:57:07 PM by beejazz
Is it possible to aproximate any fictional character using any D&D and/or d20Modern rules.

Ninja D!

#1
July 04, 2006, 04:19:44 PM
I believe that you can, you just might need to re-work some rules.  In D&D, you can do that.

daggerhart

#2
July 04, 2006, 04:31:45 PM
core rules are all you need.   :)
Quote"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the two said in a statement that seemed to parody Scientology as science fiction. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!"

Numinous

#3
July 04, 2006, 04:36:39 PM
With the core rules to guide you, and homebrew material to fill in the gaps.  Of course, I count psionics as core and everything depends on what your DM will allow.
Previously: Natural 20, Critical Threat, Rose of Montague
- Currently working on: The Smoking Hills - A bottom-up, seat-of-my-pants, fairy tale adventure!

the_taken

#4
July 04, 2006, 04:46:36 PM
Ah, yes! EPH is core. Well, atleast the core psionics book.

Lmns Crn

#5
July 04, 2006, 04:48:55 PM
I'm an elementalist when it comes to mechanics; my aim has long been to reduce core mechanics to their simplest, most flexible, and least restrictive essence.

To put it practically, I like it when players find the perfect mechanic to support and describe a precise concept. But I prefer it when that "perfect mechanic" is a creative use of basic building blocks, rather than Incredibly Specialized Prestige Class #873.

To put it bluntly, I think the large number of splatbooks and they way they're written tends to guide players into a trap, wherein we start to replace "a compelling character" ("character" in a literary sense) with "a powerful set of numbers," and are trained to consider new feats, PrCs, and spells a valid substitute for interesting writing.

That said, core rules are not perfect either. If they were, I wouldn't have revised them.
I move quick: I'm gonna try my trick one last time--
you know it's possible to vaguely define my outline
when dust move in the sunshine

Hibou

#6
July 04, 2006, 05:28:44 PM
Only so far, in my opinion. Two things have always bothered me about D&D: how you can be an incredible warrior and also a powerful wizard (which would probably come out to good BAB, good HD, and access to 0th-9th level spells at the same time), which I've seen in some RPGs and stories, and how in a lot of stories a powerful person or adversary can be slain in not more than half a dozen hits (often just one or two), while in D&D unless they fail a spell save, fail a massive damage save, or just get dealt a lot of damage in one hit, they can take a lot of blows. The roleplaying kind of fixes these things up, but there are a lot of problems with them.
[spoiler=GitHub]https://github.com/threexc[/spoiler]

the_taken

#7
July 04, 2006, 06:13:56 PM
Quote from: Mezerous, Leader of the Witch-Hunt...how in a lot of stories a powerful person or adversary can be slain in not more than half a dozen hits (often just one or two), while in D&D unless they fail a spell save, fail a massive damage save, or just get dealt a lot of damage in one hit, they can take a lot of blows...
My companion thread, Breaking the limits of the d20: Getting the Impossible Cinamatographics into Your Game answers just that. Sorta.

beejazz

#8
July 05, 2006, 01:39:06 PM
I have no problem with character building... that part is always fun and interesting for me. It's just fun making spiker dread necromancers, four-armed mithral warforged gunslingers, and half-giant samurai with monkey grip and oversized two-weapon fighting.
My problem is with things you can't DO... like choking people, pulling an Indiana Jones and brachiating via whip, slamming people's head against a wall... stuff like that.
Beejazz's Homebrew System
 Beejazz's Homebrew Discussion

QuoteI don't believe in it anyway.
What?
England.
Just a conspiracy of cartographers, then?

Ninja D!

#9
July 05, 2006, 01:58:26 PM
Hey, yeah!  I wanna choke someone!  Stuid grapple rules are all...stupid...and stuff...

Epic Meepo

#10
July 05, 2006, 02:06:19 PM
Quote from: Mezerous...and how in a lot of stories a powerful person or adversary can be slain in not more than half a dozen hits (often just one or two), while in D&D unless they fail a spell save, fail a massive damage save, or just get dealt a lot of damage in one hit, they can take a lot of blows.
My problem is with things you can't DO... like choking people, pulling an Indiana Jones and brachiating via whip, slamming people's head against a wall... stuff like that.[/quote]Sword and Fist[/i].  The same book has the lasher prestige class, which can braciate using a whip.  Just update from 3.0 to 3.5 and you're good to go.

As for slamming heads into walls, that's either an ordinary unarmed strike attack or an ordinary slam attack.  Don't believe me?  Check out the Combat entry for the vampire spawn in the Monster Manual.  It describes their slam attacks as "hammering their foes with powerful blows and dashing them against rocks or walls."
The Unfinished World campaign setting
Proud recipient of a Silver Dorito Award.
Unless noted otherwise, this post contains no Open Game Content.
[spoiler=OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a]OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Modern System Reference Doument Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Walker.

Swords of Our Fathers Copyright 2003, The Game Mechanics.

Mutants & Masterminds Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing.

Unearthed Arcana Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman.

Epic Meepoââ,¬â,,¢s forum posts at www.thecbg.org Copyright 2006-2007, E.W. Morton.

Cebexia, Tapestry of the Gods Copyright 2006-2007, the Campaign Builder's Guild.[/spoiler]

beejazz

#11
July 05, 2006, 02:10:42 PM
Quote from: Black Jack DaveyHey, yeah!  I wanna choke someone!  Stuid grapple rules are all...stupid...and stuff...
that they are... and stuff.
Beejazz's Homebrew System
 Beejazz's Homebrew Discussion

QuoteI don't believe in it anyway.
What?
England.
Just a conspiracy of cartographers, then?

Ninja D!

#12
July 05, 2006, 02:28:53 PM
Quote from: beejazz
Quote from: Black Jack DaveyHey, yeah!  I wanna choke someone!  Stuid grapple rules are all...stupid...and stuff...
that they are... and stuff.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Honestly, the confusion of grappling has never been worth it to me.

Xeviat

#13
July 05, 2006, 03:57:45 PM
With an open DM with a sound head on their shoulders, anything can be done. Beejazz does have a big point, and my counterpoint is that it is up to the DM to create rules for things which require new rules.

An example: a player once wanted to tackle someone to the ground. This effectively combines a charge and a grapple, with making your opponent prone as the outcome of your grapple check. Because there is a downside (you're prone as well), I let him do it with grapple damage as well; he charged the opponent, made a touch attack, then a grapple check, and when he succeeded he dealt grapple damage and they were prone.

As many here know, I am not shy with making new rules. But in a manner similar to Luminous Crayon, I'd rather not add rules willy nilly.

As for creating any character, that comes down to the world too. If a character archetype has no business being in the world (an X-Man style mutant being in a standard D&D game for instance) than a player shouldn't be able to make it. But if it's reasonably fitting (such as a all fighter fencer or an all fighter two-weapon fighter, who are currently weaker than other fighters), then a DM should add material to make it possible.

Then again, I don't condone over saturation of PrCs.
Endless Horizons: Action and adventure set in a grand world ripe for exploration.

Proud recipient of the Silver Tortoise Award for extra Krunchyness.

Ninja D!

#14
July 05, 2006, 04:11:24 PM
Quote from: XeviatAs for creating any character, that comes down to the world too. If a character archetype has no business being in the world (an X-Man style mutant being in a standard D&D game for instance) than a player shouldn't be able to make it.

If the campaign includes psionics, something X-Men style might actually not be too bad.  Maybe some people in a village withing a few miles of some mage's tower start changing...
Print
Go Up Pages1 2
User actions