I've played a lot of D&D, but I've never had the chance to play D20 Modern. I have read the rules, though, and there is a lot that I like: hero points, the wealth system, a healing skill that actually heals you, magic only in prestige classes, and lots more.
One of the things I like most about D20 modern is that they added material from the supplements into the SRD. For free you can download material from the SRD that was introduced in Urban Arcana, D20 Future, and the Menace Manual. With all that stuff, you could do just about anything with D20 Modern: a heroic fantasy campaign using the arcana rules, futuristic, whatever.
When I get home in about eight months, I want to run a D20 Modern campaign to introduce the game to my D&D group.
I only want to use what is available for free online in the D20 Modern SRD.
In order to showcase the wide variety of possibilities in the rules, I want a campaign that allows any type of character: a goblin wizard or a mutant mecha-pilot or a hard-boiled detective.
The only setting I can think of that could combine all of those elements is a post-apocalyptic future setting where magic has been re-introduced into the world. Examples: Shadowrun and most notably the RIFTS game.
The post-apocalyptic book for D20 Modern comes out in a couple of months. Hopefully it will have some more material that will be added to the D20 Modern SRD online.
So how would you modify the rules to accomodate all of those character types fairly? It seems like the futuristic aspects of the game would overshadow the fantasy elements. Why carry a sword when you can carry a laser rifle?
I have a couple of ideas to balance things:
#1 Make a rule that only archaic items can be enchanted. Maybe a +5 spell-storing sword can compete with a laser rifle.
#2 Raise the purchase DC of high-tech items and lower the purchase DC of archaic items.
What do you guys think of those ideas? Any other ideas I should consider?


