What is it? What is the difference between it and the SRD?
Why should I try (or not try) it?

Look here and here for all the answers to your questions.

You should give it a try. It could have been so much more and so much better than it has turned out to be, in part because Green Ronin never wanted to do this product line (the product line they WANTED to do was Blue Rose); and I think they are unconsciously sabotaging their own game line to try to prove that people like me were wrong.   At least, their craptacular choice of settings certainly would point that way, as would some of the changes they've made to some rules.

RPGPundit

How many variant D20 systems does Green Ronin have by now?
(I kinda like the system, but when I hear "True20", I always want to shout "Death To False D20!")

Quote from: RPGPunditYou should give it a try. It could have been so much more and so much better than it has turned out to be, in part because Green Ronin never wanted to do this product line (the product line they WANTED to do was Blue Rose); and I think they are unconsciously sabotaging their own game line to try to prove that people like me were wrong.   At least, their craptacular choice of settings certainly would point that way, as would some of the changes they've made to some rules.

RPGPundit

You know, I don't think as popular as it is they're succeeding if that's their goal. But those settings only one I felt deserved in the book.

Quote from: SilverlionYou know, I don't think as popular as it is they're succeeding if that's their goal. But those settings only one I felt deserved in the book.

I have to agree with the opinions about the settings. The only one that has impressed me at all is Caliphate Nights. There are lots of great ideas for settings put forth by posters on the True20 settings board, and Freeport is being adapted for True20. I'm personally working towards adapting Birthright to True20 myself. The lack of a major setting for True20 is offset by how easy it is to adapt other settings to it IMO. I might also adapt Harn to True20 as well, as it seems to me to be the perfect system for it (for those of us who like the setting, but not the system designed for it).

Hmm, the True20 book had both Caliphate Nights and that weird Bullet Time stuff. This could make a nice Prince of Persia game...
(the new stuff, not the old bedsheet PoP)

"Total Party Kill, effendis!"
"Rewind, rewind!"

.


I was unable to find in the online stuff exactly how true 20 does levels...

Just looking at the quickstart and charsheet it looks like a version of d20 I could actually get behind. I can live with classes but what about the levels?

In M&M it does a type of "powerlevel" thing - which basically determines your PC's starting abilities, but that's about it.(It turns into point buy with XP from then on.) This is the type of "level" that I can live with.

Or does true 20 do the traditional: start at 1 and go to 20, with powerups along the way like regular d20. This is the type of level that I am unable to live with.



.

It's traditional leveling. And why should that be bad? You don't like characters getting better?

Quote from: Jaeger.


I was unable to find in the online stuff exactly how true 20 does levels...

Just looking at the quickstart and charsheet it looks like a version of d20 I could actually get behind. I can live with classes but what about the levels?

In M&M it does a type of "powerlevel" thing - which basically determines your PC's starting abilities, but that's about it.(It turns into point buy with XP from then on.) This is the type of "level" that I can live with.

Or does true 20 do the traditional: start at 1 and go to 20, with powerups along the way like regular d20. This is the type of level that I am unable to live with.



.

It has classes and levels, but the "powerups" are not assigned to any class. You get a feat every level in place of class abilities, so it's very customizable.

it's traditional leveling, except there are no experiance points. The GM decides when the characters level up.
Some people don't like it because they have a problem with the character getting better in so many areas al at once.

As for True20, I really dig it. It has become the game of choice for my group. I never saw the pdf version, so I don't know what rule changes were made between editions.
I will agree that the settings were but for the one, just crap. I think that the notes about how to adapt the game to varios setting should have been intheir place, or larger equiptment/gear tables- or just some more rules in general.
My understanding is that True20 is selling really well, which is a testement to Kenson's talent and the strength of the system, because the marketing for it has been crap so far.

.

Quote from: SosthenesIt's traditional leveling. And why should that be bad? You don't like characters getting better?

Yes, I like my PC's to get better, but...

It depends on the leveling.

I like more street-level, gritty games. Which is why I have gone to game systems like WHFRP, the Riddle of Steel, and Burning Wheel. And away from 3.5.

I like a street-thug in my games to always be a legitimate threat in combat. Even though the PC's may/will outclass him in skill, the ability to kill with one good hit must always be there.

It's basically the power creep that the basic/traditional 3.5/d20 leveling system has that annoys me. The bad guys have to keep getting bigger and badder. And that a dagger thrust from a 1st level street thug is just shaken off by a 10th level unarmored fighter.


Traditional leveling may not be bad for you. I'm down with that.

For my playstyle, and the types of games I like to be in/run, I have personally found that traditional leveling really gets in the way of my rightgoodfun.


.

Quote from: Jaeger.




Yes, I like my PC's to get better, but...

It depends on the leveling.

I like more street-level, gritty games. Which is why I have gone to game systems like WHFRP, the Riddle of Steel, and Burning Wheel. And away from 3.5.

I like a street-thug in my games to always be a legitimate threat in combat. Even though the PC's may/will outclass him in skill, the ability to kill with one good hit must always be there.

It's basically the power creep that the basic/traditional 3.5/d20 leveling system has that annoys me. The bad guys have to keep getting bigger and badder. And a dagger thrust from a 1st level street thug is just shaken off by your 10th level unarmored fighter.


Traditional leveling may not be bad for you. I'm down with that.

For my playstyle, and the types of games I like to be in/run, I have personally found that traditional leveling really gets in the way of my rightgoodfun.


.

I think you'd be happy with true20, in this case. The damage system is very different from d20 and a street thug is definitely always going to be a threat.

A higher level warrior is going to be harder to damage (as a more experienced combatant should be), but True20 uses a damage track instead of HPs, so if he takes damage, the dagger will hurt a high level warrior as much as it will a first level novice. It's kinda like the Grim and Gritty combat system for DnD, if you're familiar with it.

I'll add my votes for the grittiness of high-level True20 combat. If that's your only problem with "old-school" leveling, this should pose no problems. A True20 character will hit more often and have more combat options, if he's taking the warrior's path. But a dagger or crossbow will remain as lethal. Granted, there are some feats you can take to make you tougher. But even if you invest all your possibilites into that one, you won't become Bruce Willis. (Okay, you'll make the wealth-check for a ripped undershirt. But that's about it)

I know your pain. The RPG that took my gaming virginity had level-based hit points (with a huge starting offset). But that isn't neccesary. True20 is one of the games where a "level" is used to put a cap on certain ability, preventing min-maxing. Not much more.