Looking back at the d20 boom...

Marleycat · June 30, 2012, 07:18:42 PM

If "by the fallout of 4e" ie. GSL vs. OGL then yes the game is that. I thought you meant as direct competitor to 4e like Pathfinder. Spycraft has a far smaller fanbase than the whole of 3x style players of which Pathfinder aimed for directly.

daniel_ream · June 30, 2012, 08:12:44 PM

Quote from: beeber;555215some examples?

Multiple success levels instead of binary pass/fail, fate/destiny/hero points, PCs of different power levels, mechanics for specific types of action scenes (chases, plus gambling in one of the supplements), early dramatism-inspired mechanics.

I was exaggerating, but not by much.

The Butcher · June 30, 2012, 09:06:10 PM

Iron Kingdoms was probably my favorite, though I am also a huge fan of Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved.

FFG's Midnight and Dawnforge settings were also awesome.

And I wish I had the chance to play around with the 3.0e Oriental Adventures set in Lo5R's Rokugan (love the setting, not crazy about the system).

KrakaJak · June 30, 2012, 10:05:58 PM

I got down with McWoD: It obviously wasn't playtested, but it was a pretty good time anyway.

I really liked Star Wars SAGA, but I played SW d20 1st edition a bit more.

Call of Cthulhu D20 is an amazing game. I like it better then basic CoC.

I bought SpyCraft, it is way to fiddly for me to run. I would still love to run a Metal Gear inspired game from it though.

Tommy Brownell · June 30, 2012, 10:25:25 PM

The Midnight stuff and the White Wolf/Arthaus Ravenloft stuff.

Tommy Brownell · June 30, 2012, 10:27:34 PM

Quote from: Benoist;555134I played some good games with the Revised edition. I rather liked SAGA too, which is post-d20 boom I guess so out of the range of this thread, but if I was to run SW games now, I'd go back to the simplicity of d6, to be honest.

I didn't count Saga Edition because it was certainly post-boom, but it's the best Star Wars game (and best d20 game), IMO.

Piestrio · July 02, 2012, 07:47:59 AM

Anyone ever play the d20 Gamma world?

How was it?

AnthonyRoberson · July 02, 2012, 08:37:04 AM

I have a soft spot for BESM D20 and Silver Age Sentinels.

danbuter · July 02, 2012, 09:05:48 AM

Ptolus (Incredibly detailed city) - Malhavoc Press
Book of Fiends (demons and devils) - Green Ronin
Arms and Armor 3.5 (equipment book) - Bastion Press
Complete Book of Eldritch Might (magic stuff) - Malhavoc Press
The Banewarrens (adventure) - Malhavoc Press
numerous Dungeon Crawl Classics (short adventures) - Goodman Games
Wilderlands of High Fantasy (great setting) - Necromancer Games/Judges Guild
Bard's Gate (cool city) - Necromancer Games
Tome of Horrors (many old school monsters) - Necromancer Games
Wurst of Grimtooth's Traps (traps) - Necromancer Games
Lost City of Barakus (great adventure/campaign) - Necromancer Games
Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names (lists of names by ethnicity/including last names) - Troll Lord Games
The Ultimate Toolbox (lists of just about everything) - AEG

danbuter · July 02, 2012, 09:07:46 AM

Quote from: Piestrio;555582Anyone ever play the d20 Gamma world?

How was it?

It had some neat ideas. It sucked as a Gamma World game, though. They tried to turn a gonzo, anything-goes setting into a semi-realistic, gritty setting. Basically, an epic fail.

AnthonyRoberson · July 02, 2012, 09:15:49 AM

Quote from: danbuter;555596It had some neat ideas. It sucked as a Gamma World game, though. They tried to turn a gonzo, anything-goes setting into a semi-realistic, gritty setting. Basically, an epic fail.

Didn't Bruce Baugh write Gamma World? Wasn't he some sort of Weird Forge-ite type character?

Philotomy Jurament · July 02, 2012, 09:28:18 AM

Testament (Green Ronin)
Black Company Campaign Setting (Green Ronin)
Ptolus (Malhavoc)
Banewarrens (Malhavoc)
Rappan Athuk (Necromancer)
Demons & Devils (Necromancer)
Tomb of Abysthor (Necromancer)
Crucible of Freya (Necromancer)
Vault of Larin Karr (Necromancer)
Lost City of Barakus (Necromancer)

Testament is probably my favorite d20 supplement, just because it's different and cool. The combination of Ptolus and the Banewarrens is kind of like the definitive "3e setting/adventure," to me: it fully embraces the system and everything it implies. The result is not necessarily my favored approach to D&D, though, which is why I liked a lot of the Necromancer Games products; they were closer to my preferred approach and style, despite still using the 3e/d20 system.

danbuter · July 02, 2012, 09:39:18 AM

Quote from: AnthonyRoberson;555600Didn't Bruce Baugh write Gamma World? Wasn't he some sort of Weird Forge-ite type character?

Yes he did. I don't know anything about him and the Forge, though.

Caesar Slaad · July 02, 2012, 10:32:54 AM

Quote from: Gib;555222[patronizing chuckle]Okay,If you say so.[/patronizing chuckle]

Actually, she's correct on that count. FC and 4e were both announced at the same gencon. But 4e had been worked on behind the scenes for longer. But it's sort of hard to suggested in was born out of 4e fallout. Benefited from it, yes.

Caesar Slaad · July 02, 2012, 10:58:27 AM

There are many d20 products I enjoyed and still pilfer or use to this day. Fantasy Craft is still my go to system and is more flexible to different sub genres and feels than D&D without major work. And I just wrote an FC adventure for gencon using multiple Egyptian themed d20 products as resources.

Some recurring entries in my d20 "beat box" are:

Fantasy Craft, as mentioned.
Spycraft. 2.0 being my preferred edition, going beyond just D&D with magic rubbed of and exploring what it takes to make class based work for other genres.
Necromancer Games' and Goodman Games' adventures return to a good adventure sensibility.
Scarred Lands was a moody mythic dark/high fantasy setting
Malhavoc's Eldritch Might books, Chaositech, and Beyond Countless Doorways provide great fantasy setting fodder.
Many more I may edit in when I have something better than my cell phone to do it with.