Exile Game Studio

[AwesomeGuy]

I've always wanted to run a post-apocalyptic campaign setting for my buddies, but I could never find a system that I wanted to actually use. I was going to use d20 modern, but the clunkiness of the ruleset pushed me away. I still enjoy d20, and if there was a Pathfinderized version of d20 modern, I'll jump over that. That said, I don't really have the time these days to convert it on my own.

I've run exactly one session of HEX; a "solo" game with a friend to play out the rules and see how the system feels. I can definitely see how the rules contribute to the pulp feeling of HEX, and so I was wondering if anyone had any experience running modern ubiquity, like for a Fallout game or just a homebrew world.

I still like style points and how they allow the characters to be above and beyond normal people, and I still think the system could work for everything but a very gritty setting.

Any thoughts, tips, ideas?

[demon_llama]

Hay! Welcome to the neighborhood AwsomeGuy. Glad you found us and this neato little system.

I hope you will forgive me sounding a tad confused, but you refer to d20 Modern as “clunky,” yet you wish for a Pathfinder version of modern rules. Are they not similar systems? D20 Modern is basically 3.0e, with a mix of SW thrown in. Pathfinder is really just 3.65e. Just wondering.

As for Apoc, I’ve run an apocalypse setting using the HEX core and SotSW rules, just modified where necessary. I find the rules streamlined enough to adlib where I need to, and input from my players helped me keep things smooth. Worked well for us at least.

Anyway, good luck with your game. You’ll have to keep us informed on how it goes. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask (just about) anything. We’re a friendly bunch around here…
…just watch out for the guy selling “Genuine” Brontosaurus burgers (they’re really just ground Diatryma).

Oh oh oh ++rep to the new guy!
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...the rich

[Nestor]

I echo DL's greetings, although not necessarily his warning (man, you switch one batch of dino meat and they never let you forget it).

Although I haven't fully explored the flexibility of the Ubiquity system much (beyond some fiddling here and there), the fact that both a post-apocalyptic fantasy and a Musketeer-era supernatural RPG have come out using it (not to mention an upcoming Victorian adventure game), I'd say conversion shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Technically, HEX could count as a "modern" game, being set in the 20th Century. The two sourcebooks, Secrets of The Surface World (SotSW) and Mysteries of the Hollow Earth (MotHE), provide plenty of material useful for expanding the rules to fit a veriety of settings (for example, MotHE has rules for creating animals that work nicely for supernatural creatures too).

It's more of a flavor thing. If you want to encourage the players to attempt crazy stunts and go wild in the game (I'm thinking the Mad Max movies), then Ubiquity should be very useful in supporting that.

At the risk of promoting other games in this forum, if you're looking for a PA game, I might also suggest Atomic Highway form Radioactive Ape Designs, written by Colin Chapman, a distinguished member of this community.
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"I've got a degree in kicking arse and I'd have a doctorate in not giving a damn if I'd bothered to attend the ceremony."

[demon_llama]

[AwesomeGuy]

[AwesomeGuy]

[Nestor]

Well, feats sort of translate to Talents, at least in some regards. The biggest difference I can think of is that, in my experience, d20 feats tend to be more tactical-oriented (i.e. apply directly to rolls and combat situations), while a number of Talents in HEX are more flavor-oriented. Also, Talents aren't as "tiered" as feats are in d20. By that I mean that there aren't many Talents that have other Talents as prerequisites.

Increasing the number of Talents that characters can have shouldn't necessarily unbalance the game. One thing you could look at is how NPC characters are "ranked" for Resources such as Ally or Mentor. In one game I ran, I allowed the players to build their character using higher point levels, using the ranks as a guide.

As for the grit factor, there have been some discussions (my search-fu is weak, so I can't provide any links) regarding that subject. I recall one suggestion being to limit the number of Style points that a player can use in a turn, thus keeping stunts from getting out of hand. Another is making the use of Style points to reduce Wounds even more expensive.

The only caveat I can think of is to be careful with setting those house rules. I've found it pretty easy to make the game ultra-lethal once you start limiting how effective Style points can be.

Hope this helps!
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"I've got a degree in kicking arse and I'd have a doctorate in not giving a damn if I'd bothered to attend the ceremony."

[Sketchpad]

Having just ran a modern horror adventure last weekend, I would say that Ubiquity does modern well ... in fact, my players all commented how well they liked the rules for the genre
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DT Butchino | Writer, Illustrator, Designer
Sketchpad Studio

[lightsenshi]

There's no reason you can't use HEX right out of the box for modern day. Might require a bit of tweeking on the equipment tables but overall should prove ready to go.
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Claymore: Beginnings

[Moebius]

I've been hoping to see a Ubiquity powered espionage game someday. Modern indeed.
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the Hollow World
wave your Geek Flag

[Imajica]

Picked up Agents of Oblivion (http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=95686?affiliate_id=10761) recently over at RPGNow. One Espionage toolkit + the HEX rulebook = modern espionage fun. Fair enough, it's Savage Worlds, but that's close enough for Government purposes.
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Just remember who’s standing in your way, remember every black day I ever stopped you and then—AND THEN—do the smart thing: let somebody else try first.

[Nestor]

Another good source of Spy-Fi material is Agents of S.W.I.N.G., which hews closer to the James Bond / I Spy / Man from U.N.C.L.E. feel.

That one uses an offshoot of the FATE system, so conversion would be more conceptual than mechanical, but it still has lots of genre goodness to satisfy anyone.
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"I've got a degree in kicking arse and I'd have a doctorate in not giving a damn if I'd bothered to attend the ceremony."

[Moebius]

[Nestor]

Well then, you may or may not be aware they've come out with a supplement, Gosh, Spies! that covers the more Saturday-Morning cartoon genre, such as Totally Spies! and Kim Possible.
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"I've got a degree in kicking arse and I'd have a doctorate in not giving a damn if I'd bothered to attend the ceremony."

[Moebius]