Playing a tabletop roleplaying game in an online format can be intimidating to new and veteran players alike. New players, who typically benefit from the immediate support they get from their friends around the table, are now left staring at a screen with nothing but a rulebook to get them through a situation. Meanwhile, veteran players will find many of the old conventions they have come to rely on are now very different, along with the standard interactions they have gotten used to over the years.
However, forum-based RPGs can be just as fun and rewarding to play, as long as you can keep some things in mind.
Gameplay Tips
-Although you may think otherwise, time is even more of an issue in a forum game. Even though a scene that would usually be resolved in an hour of playtime in an offline game would seem like it would be so efficient when played out little by little over the course of a few days online, it's actually not. Forum games can easily succumb to massive slowdowns, so it is very important to make your posts as efficient as possible.
Know what you are saying, and post all information in a clear and understandable manner. Try and simplify your dice rolls- rather than rolling 1 d6 5 times, roll 5d6. Make sure your math is correct. Understand what your feats and abilities do before you use them. There is nothing as irritating as having a player make a faulty post, and then having to backtrack through a days worth of posts and fix it, thus altering the events of all posts following it.
-Don't be shy. Talk to your other players and your DM. Use PMs, instant messenger, emails, anything you can. Communication is vital in tabletop RPGs, even if your kitchen table is currently devoid of anything resembling a playmat and dice. You NEED to let people know what is going on, particularly in the case of your DM. Do not fall into what I call the "MMO mentality." While this is an online RPG, it is not World of Warcraft. You have more than just a responsibility to your character and his development, you have a responsibility to everyone else in your game. It's still a social game- it's just being executed through an impersonal avenue.
-In a setting where intonation, facial expressions, and anything outside verbal statements are nonexistant, roleplaying becomes doubly important. Make sure your posts are fleshed out- don't just "I roll 1d6 and do 6 damage." Try "grasping your rapier tightly, and slashing the beast across it's chest, the blood spurting out like mist from a waterfall." Also, watch for spelling and grammatical errors. We all make them, and that's fine. However, nothing ruins the mood more than a comical error. I mean, if you were talking to an important NPC, how seriously could you take "Plz adventurers u must defeat teh dragon to save my dauhgter!"?
-On a related note, though, do not get carried away. Writing is good. Good writing is better. However, no one is expected to be Hemingway. In past games I've DMed, I have had problems with hardcore RPers getting too involved in their post-writing, spending literally hours writing a simple response. As a good rule of thumb, you shouldn't spend more than 15 minutes on a single post. There are exceptions, obviously, but in general, the amount of writing you can do in 15 minutes should be MORE than enough to summarize that 6 seconds we call a turn. Additionally, in regards to speaking- when you are addressing someone, you need to write as though you were actually speaking. Do not type up paragraph upon paragraph of dialogue, or large lists of questions. Follow the basic flow of conversation- say something, wait for a response, and then say something again. In my eyes, dominating a conversation (unless the situation calls for it, or it is in character) is almost as bad as double posting, if not worse, as you are taking away another players (or a DMs) ability to react to a situation and shaping the game to suit your own tastes specifically.
-Keep vigilant. Watch your thread. If you are the sort who logs onto MTGS daily (and I know most of us are), there is no excuse for you to have not stopped by the PnP Inn and made sure you have no outstanding posts to make. Making a post is relatively quick in most situations- and more importantly, it's necessary to keep the game moving. Do not keep people waiting on you. By the same token, don't let people keep you waiting. If someone has not posted and you need them to do so, track them down. PM them. IM them. Talk to a mutual friend to see where they are. Just make sure they know "Hey! I need you to post!"
-In the event you CAN'T post, let your DM know, and arrangements can be made to remove you from the situation at hand. This doesn't mean quitting the game, and most DMs will do everything they can to keep you involved.
-Movement and distance are problems in forum RPs, but that doesn't mean you can ignore them. Make a note of the actions you have taken- typically, I like to denote any action I take with a little tag, like this- "Photon Eater ran up to the charging orge (move action), and then lashed out at him with his flail (standard action.)". Also, keep things that account for range sensible. Just because we can't measure steps taken and distance, it does not mean that your fireball spell is effectively a WMD, or that your crossbow can hit something a half-mile away. Note to DMs: Be specific when describing how far away or how high up something is when you post- it really helps players not only clarify these otherwise murky issues, but it also paints a better image of what is going on.
-Make use of the features and opportunities a forum RPG allows. You have a lot more time to think your actions through in this format- you can come up with brilliant battle strategies, think up the perfectly witty reply to your party's wisecracking bard, or dream up a wonderfully poignant emotional reaction to a particular event. Consider to that you will have the opportunity to play with people from around the world, with players which you ordinarily would never have a chance to play alongside.
Glossary of Commonly Used Terms and Abbreviations This list is not a complete list of all terms, merely a list of commonly used slang, abbreviations, and meta-terms. For explanations and/or definitions for actual game terminology, please view the index starting on page 317 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, on page 304 of the Player's Handbook, or consult the System Resource Document.
All abbreviations are as I have seen them commonly. Other abbreviations may exist. Please feel free to respond with any items I may have missed, or with new items as they are released, and I will update them.
D20 Modern Base Class Abbreviations- Str- Strong Hero Tgh- Tough Hero Fas- Fast Hero Smt- Smart Hero Ded- Dedicated Hero Cha- Charismatic Hero
Common Game Mechanic Abbreviations- HP- Hit/Health Points SPD- Spells per Day PP- Power Points AC- Armor Class Def- Defense FF- Flat-footed BAB- Base Attack Bonus Grap- Grapple DC- Difficulty Check d2- 2 sided die d3- 3 sided die d4- 4 sided die d6- 6 sided die d8- 8 sided die d10- 10 sided die d12- 12 sided die d20- 20 sided die CR- Challenge rating CL- Class level ECL- Effective character level LA- Level Adjustment STR- Strength DEX- Dexterity CON- Constitution INT- Intelligence WIS- Wisdom CHA- Charisma Spd- Speed AoO- Attack of Opportunity Fort- Fortitude Save Ref- Reflex Save Wil/Will- Will Save GP- Gold piece SP- Silver piece CP- Copper piece AoE- Area of Effect SoD- Save or Die XP- Experience, Experience points AP- Action Points PrC- Prestige Class HD- Hit die/hit dice SLA- Spell-like ability PLA- Psi-like ability SQ- Special Qualities Rep- Reputation AL- Alignment/Allegiance LG- Lawful Good NG- Neutral Good CG- Chaotic Good TN- True Neutral LE- Lawful Evil NE- Neutral Evil CE- Chaotic Evil (Ex)- Extraordinary Ability (Sp)- Spell-like Ability (Su)- Supernatural Ability Mas- Massive Damage Threshhold DM- Dungeon Master GM- Game Master
Common Supplement/Book Abbreviations- PHB- Players Handbook DMG- Dungeon Master's Guide MM- Monster Manual MMII- Monster Manual II MMIII- Monster Manual III MMIV- Monster Manual IV XPH- Expanded Psionics Handbook CW- Complete Warrior CD- Complete Divine CA- Complete Arcane CV- Complete Adventurer CP- Complete Psionic CM- Complete Mage FRCS- Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting DLCS- Dragonlance Campaign Setting ECS- Eberron Campaign Setting RVCS- Ravenloft Campaign Setting DSCS- Dark Sun Campaign Setting PSCS- Planescape Campaign Setting SJCS- Spelljammer Campaign Setting DD/DmDe- Demigods and Deities MoI- Magic of Incarnum ToM- Tome of Magic FB- Frostburn SS- Sandstorm SW- Stormwrack CSc- Cityscape WoL- Weapons of Legacy OA- Oriental Adventures Drc- Draconomicon LM- Libras Mortis GW- Ghostwalk RoW- Races of the Wild RoD- Races of Destiny RoS- Races of Stone RoDr- Races of Dragon RoE- Races of Eberron BoED- Book of Exalted Deeds BoVD- Book of Vile Darkness FF- Fiend Folio MttP- Manual to the Planes AE- Arms and Equipment Guide HoH- Herrors of Horror HoB- Herrors of Battle MHB- Miniatures Handbook SpCm- Spell Compendium ELH- Epic Level Handbook PoR- Pool of Radiance RttToEE- Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil EtCR- Expedition to Castle Ravenloft UA- Unearthed Arcana dMOD- D20 Modern dFut- D20 Future dPast- D20 Past dCyb- D20 Cyberscape dApoc- D20 Apocalypse dWL- D20 Weapons Locker dMM- D20 Menace Manual CoC- Call of Cthulu DMCS- Dark Matter Campaign Setting UACS- Urban Arcana Campaign Setting
Common Slang and Meta-terminology- Nerf- To power down a class unfairly Magic-Psionic Transparency- A subset of optional rules that allows an interaction between 3.5 Psionics rules and the 3.5 magic rules. Tank- A character designed to soak up the brunt of the enemy offensive as a defensive measure for the rest of the party. Blaster- A character designed to deal severe amounts of damage via magic or special abilities. Broken- Any class, feat, spell, etc that is notably overpowered and disrupts game balance. Twink- A player that exploits loopholes to make his character more powerful than the current power level allows. Also called a min-maxer or a power-gamer. Save or Die- An effect that causes a character to make a saving throw or be completely debilitated, possibly slain (but not always). Temp-Inf- Short for "Temple of Infinite Lives", as in "I'm praying at the Temple of Infinite Lives", an expression used to convey one of two meanings- 1. A game in which the power level has scaled so greatly that PCs enjoy a sense of nigh invincibility, or 2. A character with a player that is recieving undue favoritism from the DM, ensuring they will never experience any real danger. Skill Monkey- A character (traditionally a rogue) that has an abundance of skills that allow him to work his way out of most situations. Dice Jesus- A player who routinely rolls high on dice rolls, without cheating. TPK- Short for Total Party Kill, or a situation in which an entire play group of characters is killed in a single encounter. Rocks Fall- A nod to a line from the webcomic, Something Positive, in which a character who is DMing says "Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies". It became popular for DMs who have become frustrated to repeat the line, typically to cause problematic players to bring an end to whatever behaviors irritated the DM in the first place. Hammer-gun- A term started on the Wizards Community D&D boards. To hammer-gun something is to call out it's state of blatant stupidity, often used in regards to awful house rules, bad DMing habits, or questionable character concepts. Build- A specific set up for a character concept. Monty Haul- A DM who is too permissible, often handing rewards to his players for little reason whatsoever. Bag o Rats- A reference to the infamous Bags of Rats Fighter build in D&D v.3.0. The build exploited the Great Cleave feat, as the fighter would release a bag of rats he carried on his person at all times, kill a single rat with his attack action, and then proceed to make nigh unlimited attacks in a single round. To call something a Bag of Rats is to state that it is abusing a known rules loophole. Core- A book that is accepted to be part of the canon game. Core Books for D&D include The PHB, DMG, and MM. Core Books for d20 Modern include the D20 Modern Handbook and Menace Manual. Splatbooks- Any book that is not core. The name originates from the fact that optional supplements would often sport an asterisk alongside the product title on order forms, which caused people to know them as "splatbooks", since they were the books with little "splats" next to their titles. Pooped a Hammer- An expression meaning that you rolled a natural 1 on a crucial d20 roll. Munchkin- A player who tries to play competively against the other players Powergamer- A player who focuses more on creating the most powerful character, within the rules, rather than creating a balance between statistics and roleplaying. Or something along those lines. Rules-lawyer- A player who tries to use his knowledge of the rules to gain an unfair advantage. Natural 20- Rolling a 20 on a 20 sided die, before adding any modifiers. Natural 1- Rolling a 1 on a 20 sided die, before adding any modifiers. Going Nova- To expend the majority of your resources in a single encounter. Common among psionic characters and spontaneous casters.
The Mamelon Point-Buy System This seems to be a very popular system for ability score generation in our P&PI games. This stick'd thread is to just educate you on exactly what that system is, for those of you who are unaware.
Point buy systems are very simple. They usually have the character's scores all start at a base number, then the player is given points to distribute among their six scores to increase those scores, with the point cost of raising those scores increasing as you go higher.
Standard Point Buy All scores start at 8. The player is given 25 points. To raise an ability by 1 point up to as high as 14, it requires 1 point each. To go to 15 or 16 it costs two, 17 or 18 it costs 3.
Nonstandard Point Buy Same as standard in terms of starting scores and raising the abilities, but it depends on the power level of the campaign.
Low-powered: 15
Challenging: 22
Tougher: 28
High-powered: 32
Mamelon Point Buy All scores start at 10. The player is given 32 points. To raise an ability by 1 point up to as high as 16, it requires 1 point each. To go to 17 or 18 it requires 2.
Have Some Class- A Breakdown of d20 System Classes Following is a brief breakdown of the various d20 system classes, and the books in which they can be found. Classes are organized by the roles they play in a party- note that some classes occupy several positions, as they are flexible enough to be adapted to multiple roles (although often with less efficiency).
d20 System has many classes, and more are released each month. This list only contains classes from licensed WotC material, and is not a comprehensive list. If I have missed a class, or a new supplement is released with new classes, please respond and I will update this list.
Prestige Classes, as they are much more varied and incredibly specific, are not included in this list.
Warrior-
Fighter (Core)- A class that makes combat their forte Defining Qualities: More feats than any other class Barbarian (Core)- A class that uses berserker rage to aid their savage combat skill Defining Qualities: Rage ability, d12 hit die Paladin (Core)- A divine warrior with a plethora of helpful spells and abilities Defining qualities: Special mount, limited divine casting Ranger (Core)- The natural hunter who uses a variety of weapon techniques and natural magic. Defining qualities: Animal companion, weapon styles, limited divine casting Hexblade (Complete Warrior)- An arcane caster who can fight as well as he can debilitate his foes. Defining qualities: Hexblade curse ability, familiar, limited arcane casting Samurai (Complete Warrior)- An honor-bound iaijutsu user. Defining qualities: Iaijutsu abilities, staredown abilities Swashbuckler (Complete Warrior)- An agile warrior with wit and panache. Defining qualities: Dexterity based combat, higher skill points than other warriors Psychic Warrior (Expanded Psionics)- A psionic class with a variety of psychometabolic powers. Defining qualities: Almost as many feats as the fighter, moderate psionic power usage. Divine Mind (Complete Psionic)- A psionic class with a slew of helpful auras. Defining qualities: Useful auras that contribute to party combat, also limited access to psionic mantles Soulborn (Magic of Incarnum)- An incarnum-based class with helpful, alignment-based soulmelds. Defining qualities: Good BAB, access to a variety of soulmelds. Marshall (Miniatures Handbook)- A dedicated general adept at leading teams of warriors. Defining qualities: Capable of increasing the combat and tactical prowess of other characters Monk (Core)- A martial artist that excels in hand to hand combat. Defining qualities: Flurry of blows, a variety of useful abilities Knight (Player's Handbook 2)- A respectable warrior who excels in armored combat and duels. Defining Qualities: Can move quickly in heavy armor, can issue challenges Sohei (Oriental Adventures)- A warrior monk who can destroy a foe easily with her bare hands. Defining qualities: Superior BAB when compared to other monk classes, more weapon proficiencies than the monk Duskblade (Player's Handbook 2)- A shadowy warrior who slings spells and swords with relative ease. Defining Qualities: A true blending of mage and warrior with skills that provide synergy for both roles Soulknife (Expanded Psionics)- A warrior that can use his mind to generate a mystic blade of energy. Defining abilities: The ability to generate a mindblade
Support/Healer-
Cleric (Core)- The perennial band-aid box, also capable of breaking out the divine punishment. Defining abilities: The premier divine casting class, domain access, turn undead Favored Soul (Complete Divine, Miniatures Handbook)- A god-blessed soul who can spontaneously cast divine spells Defining abilities: Energy resistances, spontaneous casting, wings Mystic (Dragonlance Campaign Setting)- A spontaneous caster of divine spells. Defining abilities: Spontaneous divine casting Shugenja (Complete Divine, Oriental Adventures)- An exotic geomancer that controls the elements. Defining qualities: Elemental magic, shugenja order spells, can read the elements Druid (Core)- The guardian of the natural world, and a user of natural magic. Defining qualities: Wild shape, full casting ability Spirit Shaman (Complete Divine)- A spiritualist who draws power from the souls of nature. Defining qualities: Pseudo-spontaneous casting, spirit guides, fey-like traits. Ardent (Complete Psionic)- A powerful mentalist devoted to universal philosophies. Defining qualities: Psionic healing, and access to mantles. Bard (Core)- An arcane class that has moderate healing abilities and bardic music. Defining qualities: Bardic music, spontaneous casting, high skill points Healer (Miniatures Handbook)- A dedicated healer, as the name implies. Defining qualities: Accelerated rate of learning for spells of the healing subschool, unicorn companion Archivist (Heroes of Horror)- A learned practitioner of divine magic, and a scholar of the supernatural. Defining qualities: Can learn spells from any divine class list, can command the true name of outsiders and fey. Paladin (Core)- A divine warrior with a plethora of helpful spells and abilities Defining qualities: Special mount, limited divine casting
Offensive Caster-
Wizard (Core)- An enlightened scholar who can bend the will of reality to fit his own with prepared casting. Defining qualities: Familiar, item creation and metamagic feats, prepared casting Sorcerer (Core)- A charismatic being, possibly descended from a higher power, who can spontaneous wield arcane magic. Defining qualities: Spontaneous casting, higher spells per day than any other class Warlock (Complete Arcane)- A fiendish being who can generate unlimited amounts of eldritch power. Defining qualities: Use of eldritch blasts, invocations Psion (Expanded Psionics)- An introspective being who draws power not from the magical laws, but from his very mind. Defining qualities: Ability to specialize into one of 6 psionic disciplines, highest power progression and power point total Wilder (Expanded Psionics)- A talented psychic who holds great, if not somewhat unreliable, power. Defining qualities: Wild surge ability Wu Jen (Complete Arcane)- An esoteric hermit that yearns for a greater understanding of magic, and does so through unlocking spell secrets. Defining qualities: Spell secrets that enhance spell power, taboos Warmage (Complete Arcane)- A military mage that specializes in battle magic, in order to operate as sort of a living cannon. Defining qualities: Sudden metamagic abilities, spontaneous casting Bard (Core)- An arcane class that has moderate healing abilities and bardic music. Defining qualities: Bardic music, spontaneous casting, high skill points Shugenja (Complete Divine, Oriental Adventures)- An exotic geomancer that controls the elements. Defining qualities: Elemental magic, shugenja order spells, can read the elements Dread Necromancer (Heroes of Horror)- A grim magician who experiments on the dead by tapping into the power of taint. Defining qualities: Elusive "true" necromancer class, can make use of harmful taint. Dragon Shaman (Players Handbook 2)- A powerful sage who bargains for power from dragons themselves. Defining qualities: Has abilities that emulate the powers and special abilities of dragons Duskblade (Player's Handbook 2)- A shadowy warrior who slings spells and swords with relative ease. Defining Qualities: A true blending of mage and warrior with skills that provide synergy for both roles
Skill-Oriented-
Rogue (Core)- The ultimate skill-hound, the master of the sneak attack. Defining qualities: Sneak attack, highest skill points of all, evasion Monk (Core)- A martial artist that excels in hand to hand combat. Defining qualities: Flurry of blows, a variety of useful abilities Scout (Complete Adventurer)- A mobile class that moves quickly and excels while in transit. Defining qualities: Skirmish ability Ninja (Complete Adventurer)- A stealthy warrior who is part infiltrator, part ascetic. Defining qualities: Ability to become ethereal, sudden strike ability, invisibility Spellthief (Complete Adventurer)- An arcane thief who can pilfer spells and sabotage the plans of magic-users. Defining qualities: Steal magic abilities, limited arcane casting Bard (Core)- An arcane class that has moderate healing abilities and bardic music. Defining qualities: Bardic music, spontaneous casting, high skill points Lurk (Complete Psionic)- A shadowy individual who strikes from the darkness with psionic talents. Defining qualities: Lurk augments, psionic sneak attacks Artificer (Eberron Campaign Setting)- A skilled invidual who makes use of magic items and item creation. Defining qualities: Item creation abilities Beguiler (Players Handbook 2)- A charming magician who can bend another's will to her own goals. Defining qualities: A variety of charm spells and abilities Soulknife (Expanded Psionics)- A warrior that can use his mind to generate a mystic blade of energy. Defining abilities: The ability to generate a mindblade
Miscellaneous Role-
Incarnate (Magic of Incarnum)- An incarnum user who draws power from alignment itself. Defining qualities: Alignment based roles and abilities Totemist (Magic of Incarnum)- An incarcum user who channels the souls of magical beasts. Defining qualities: Ability to emulate the signature abilities of various monsters Strong Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in combat prowess. Defining qualities: Best BAB of base classes, combat talents Tough Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in survival. Defining qualities: Damage reduction Fast Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in skill and stealth. Defining qualities: More action oriented skills than other classes Smart Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in knowledge and technical savvy. Defining qualities: Knowledge abilities, trick abilities Dedicated Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in intuitive talents. Defining qualities: Intuitive skills Charismatic Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in social skills. Defining qualities: Able to charm people of specific genders, socialization talents
NPC Classes-
Commoner (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A useless class with no real abilities. Defining qualities: Only class that can still do nothing on level 20. Worst BAB, worst saves, worst skills. Warrior (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A moderately trained combatant, more akin to a town guard or militia member than a hardened combatant. Defining skills: Best combat viability of NPC classes. Expert (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A professional who is skilled in a single area of expertise. Defining qualities: Very high skill selection Aristocrat (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A wealthy individual of affluence and political connections. Defining qualities: Average BAB and skill selection, higher starting wealth Adept (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A rudimentary magician who is a vital part of the community due to his healing powers. Defining qualities: Handful of useful, if slow progressing spells. Witch (Dungeon Masters Guide)- An eccentric natural spellcaster who specializes in charms and transformations. Defining qualities: Varies depending on version being used.
d20 Modern: a rundown for first-timersFirst of all, for those of you who simply want to browse through the system yourselves without all my window dressing, I'll direct you to the d20 Modern System Resource Document (SRD). It's an easy document to get through with a lot of resources, so take a look. And if you plan on playing d20 Modern at any point, download it for your own convenience.
Welcome to d20 Modern, people. In this system you'll find resources and materials to play out your favorite modern-day campaigns, from spy thrillers to Joss Whedon-inspired supernatural dramas; just about anything you could imagine, so long as it's set in the here and now. d20 Modern utilizes the (duh) d20 system, and is compatible with other materials under the system such as Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulu, et cetera. But for now, forget about those things. We're here to get the lowdown on d20 Modern itself. Let's begin.
How is d20 Modern different from D&D? How is it the same?
d20 Modern utilizes the same system as D&D, but puts some spin on it that makes for a (sometimes) more streamlined experience for players and DMs alike. It's different from D&D in some obvious ways, such as modern conveniences, wealth checks, and a more simplified class system. In other ways such as the flow of combat, skills and feats, and magic items, the system is incredibly similar to D&D. Generally, if you have any experience with D&D or any other d20 game, you'll feel right at home with d20 Modern. Conversely, if you're just getting into tabletop RPGs, d20 Modern is a great place to start because of its simplified interface.
What do I do first?
Well, before you do anything you'll want to read through the SRD or your copy of the Core Rulebook. If you're planning on playing, you can skip the part just for GMs. Decide on a class you want to play, or any combination thereof, and get to work making them. For aspiring GMs, you'll want to read the entire SRD/Rulebook and get to dreaming up an exciting story for your players to participate in. Monsters abd magic or crime lords and car chases, it's all up to you.
The Class system is kind of confusing. How do I begin?
You might prefer using a d20 Modern character sheet to record your character details. Feel free; I personally love the official sheets.
It's really easy when you get down to it. There are six archetypes (generally referred to as classes) that you can choose from n d20 Modern. They are as follows, accompanied by their primary ability score:
Strong Hero (Strength)- focuses on dealing damage to enemies
Fast Hero (Dexterity)- a swift combatant with a lot of rogueish tricks up their sleeve
Tough Hero (Constitution)- a powerhouse of HP and fortitude
Smart Hero (Intelligence)- a fast-thinking character with a knack for skills
Dedicated Hero (Wisdom)- a character whose primary concern is the well-being of others
Charismatic Hero (Charisma)- a huge presence who has an undeniable effect on others
Depending on your preferences, you'll want to play any one of these classes; maybe even a combination of them. Once you've made your decision and have come up with a name and vital stats for your character, get to rolling those ability scores!
You can determine ability scores one of two ways. Tne more traditional way is to roll 4d6 per ability score, dropping the lowest die and adding the rest together. For example, you roll two sixes, a three, and a one. Drop the one and add the rest together to get a fifteen. Good number.
The other way to determine ability scores is to use a point buy. If the GM allows this, players begin with a pool of points they can spend on their scores. Every score begins at 10 and can be added onto so long as points remain. Different point buys use different formulas, so ask your GM how it works if he or she decides to go that route.
After your ability scores are done, you'll want to buy skills, purchase feats, and buy some equipment for your character. Development is different in d20 Modern than in games like D&D, so pay attention to your character's growth and choose what you really need first before moving on to the fluffy stuff. For example, if you want a sword-wielding character you're going to have to get him Archaic Weapon Proficiency on first level. Weapon Focus and Cleave can come later, believe me.
What are Talents? How do they work?
Talents are unique abilities that characters can inherit in d20 Modern, giving them access to small, superhuman abilities or spell-like effects that can be used over and over. A character gains a talent every other level, so it's easy to build a cohesive talent tree in the matter of a few levels and give yourself an edge.
Unless otherwise stated in the book, talents are either always active (Melee Smash, for example) or can be used any number of times per day (the Charismatic Hero's Charm ability). Mostly, talents allow you to use smaller-scale abilities that normal characters would have no access to. How you develop your talents, along with your feat selection, dramatically influences the kind of character you build.
What's a Reputation Bonus?
Each character gets a reputation bonus on first level that increases with subsequent levels. Sometimes this bonus is miniscule, and sometimes it's huge. Reputation usually plays little part in d20 Modern, but with the aid of some talents and in a lot of social situations, it can come up.
Basically, reputation is how famous (or infamous) your character is in the game world. The higher the number, the more likely that random people and even monsters will know them. Charismatic heroes receive the highest base reputation bonus, since it's likely that if you're playing a movie star or famous singer, you'll take lots of levels in Charismatic. There are feats which can raise or lower your reputation bonus, if you'd like your character to be incredibly famous or keep a really low profile.
What about money? I don't see any gold or dollar amounts in the book.
Money in d20 Modern is measured through Wealth checks and bonuses. Every level gained, your character makes a wealth check (see page 70 of the Core Rulebook). Your wealth is constantly fluctuating so long as you're buying things, so it basically works the same way as money would in D&D, but it reduces the amount of bookkeeping players and GMs need to do.
Does combat work the same way as it does in other systems? Is d20 Modern combat heavy?
Combat in d20 Modern is pretty much identical to other d20 systems, but don't expect to see wizards slinging spells or druids summoning animal companions to save the day. What you can expect to see is drive-by shootings, rocket launchers, and tough heroes ramming people with motorcycles. If your GM allows that sort of thing, of course. d20 Modern is a little lower in power than, say, D&D, but that's mostly due to a lack of level 6-9 spells and other such details. You get more bang for your buck, though, because situations of struggle can be incredibly exciting for a party and really fun for a GM to see unfold.
Of course, skills play a huge part in d20 Modern as well. Every character has access to at least a serviceable amount of skill points per level, and a respectable list of class skills that can be used in a lot of different situations. Always try to remember your skills when playing; it's easy for the party's main combatant to keep on truckin' through a group of goblin thugs with his bastard sword, only to remember that he could speak Draconic a little too late to pump any of them for information. And in d20 Modern, it's actually possible for a fighter-type to have useable skills outside of combat. In the end, it's all up to the players.
So there's no magic in d20 Modern? what about psionics?
Oh, there's magic. And psionics, too; you just don't have access to them right away. If you choose for your character to take on an advanced class (see pg.164, Core Rulebook), you can build a pretty powerful mage, psion, or cleric. Magic in d20 Modern only goes to fifth level, but with condensed spell and power lists and a still-strong list of magic items to choose from (not to mention those talents), you can still hold your own with that magic missile.
Magic users and psionic characters actually have a lot to offer a part in d20 Modern because they can do things nobody else can. If your campaign has the slightest hint of arcane or divine influence, take the plunge and head for the mage or acolyte. And it goes without saying, but telepaths can fit into any modern-style campaign easily, given their comfortable sci-fi flavor.
So in the end, what can I expect from a game of d20 Modern?
Anything and everything. The great thing about tabletop games is that your imagination is the only limit. And with such hot properties as the Law & Order series, Buffy and Angel, Bones and CSI, and myriad thrilling and adventurous cinematic experiences for influence, any player or GM could come up with the best campaign every just by opening a couple of books. In the end, it's all up to you.
Some helpful reading for new players I think it would be a good idea to compile a list of resources and helpful articles for newer players to look over. I'll start the thread, and people may update it with their own contributions as they see fit.
System Resource Document- A generic adaptation of the d20 system rules for D&D and for d20 Modern. A must-read for those who have no books of their own. Character Class- A series of articles from WotC on how to play a variety of character classes effectively. Not all classes are present, but all of your core classes and a good majority of common supplemental classes have been featured. Updates monthly. Tactics and Tips Archive- Also from WotC, this is a series of articles on battle and gameplay tactics that will make your play experience easier overall. Ultimate Spell List- A reference thread containing a complete list of all WotC-supported spells and domains, along with the book and page number the spell data can be found on. 3.5 Psionics FAQ- Taken from the WotC D&D boards, which a variety of resources, links, and FAQs for all things Psionic.
Generally good references: The Hypertext d20 SRD - This site contains most of the information available in D&D core books, for free. Also Unearthed Arcana material. Guide to free D&D - A useful listing of all resources for D&D that are legally available for free online. Feel like you don't have options because you don't have books? Check this list out. Chet Erez's d20 Index Files - Chet did a good job at listing most things and where to find them. There is some information available, but not everything. Ultimate Spell List - Contains every WotC released spell for D&D 3.5, where to find them, and what domains they are on. Also where to find said domains. Pages and pages of magic. Rules of the Game Archive - Don't know the rules surrounding something? Chances are that this thing does.
Game Mechanics Explained: Gestalt Characters (SRD) - A variant we tend to play often, effectively allowing you to progress in two classes at the same time. Mamelon Point-Buy System - This is the first link you find when you google "Mamelon point buy system explained D&D", and it's all ours! Bwahahaha! d20 Point Buy System - This site explains every non-mamelon point buy that I have seen used.
I originally posted this on 4chan's /tg/ board under the name Recovering Powergamer a while back, and I thought I'd share it with y'all. As I explained there:
Good evening, /tg/. I've been playing the 3.5 edition of D&D for quite a while now, and my current group is particularily disfunctional. So I compiled twenty tips each for players and DMs, based on things they weren't seeing or doing. I know this list is subjective and up to opinion, but these things work for me in practice.
3.5 is a difficult thing to pull off, but I believe it is very rewarding when done right. I figured I'd share these with /tg/, perhaps some of you could benefit from some of these. Share your own tips for running successful sessions and playing memorable characters!
It bears repeating that these are entirely subjective, not set in stone, and are bound to change at times. I just found that they worked, and they were useful for players and DMs I associated with that frankly weren't too good at playing.
Tips for DMing:
1. Stick to CR, or at most CR+2 for notably more difficult encounters. Combats tend to go quicker, more is accomplished, and challenge can be made up for with intelligent tactics, if the monsters have decent INT.
2. Roll attack and damage dice at once, always have your stat blocks handy.
3. Have the AC, FF AC, and Touch AC written down behind your screen. You can skip asking them if an X hits, as well as keeping them in the dark about the modifiers to attack. Be sure to allow immediate reactions to an attack roll as normal.
4. Large numbers suck. 8 is the absolute maximum number of enemies, unless the rest are just 'props.' Most of the time, 1-4 is fine.
5. Always try to make the players feel like the game is real. Describe the landscape, the air, the sounds, the growls of the opponents.
6. Be flexible to wrenches the PCs will throw in your plans, and remember that nothing is set in stone until you say it. That man killing the blacksmith is at the same time the BBEG, and the psychotic minion of the BBEG, depending on if the players kill him.
7. Thing don't need to play like a video game. Be open to interaction, force some role-playing and creative thinking.
8. Nobody likes getting ****ed over, and it doesn't need to happen. The rule of thumb is that a character should only die if they made a deliberate mistake. If a single die roll causes a TPK, the adventure was too hard.
9. Remember that foes are self-preserving more often than not! If things look grim, they would reasonably retreat. You still get full XP regardless if your opponents are dead, captured, or fleeing.
10. Remember that NPC gear IS the loot... it should still be level-appropriate. Potions, scrolls, and expendable items should make up good portions of the loot. The enemies can and should be expending some of that. If there's a Flametongue Sword in the loot, the enemy fighter had damn well be using it! Opponents should doff the Potion of Shield of Faith +3 before ambushing!
11. Monsters can take class levels. Use non-associated class levels (3.5) to mix it up and provide more durable monsters. Ogres with levels in wizard, anyone?
12. The environment is a potent weapon and tool. Flat, smooth-surface fights are boring! Add in elevation, difficult terrain, line-of-sight blockage, traps, and more to make an otherwise easy fight hard or a formidable challenge piecemeal.
13. Adding a few low-level casters will only slightly raise CR while providing some vital utility and BFC to a solo opponent.
14. Not all encounters have to involve combat in the first place. A tricky negotiation, a clever ruse, or pure intimidation could provide alternate solutions to some encounters.
15. You must absolutely learn how to run your monsters! Too many DMs have sent Balors into melee combat without utilizing their Spell-Like Abilities. This goes for almost any creature.
16. Hand-pick feats and skills to be synergistic. Who knew that the opponent actually used the spring-attack line, tumbling away from AoOs?
17. Music can be great, but ensure it is unobtrusive, or brief. Short and substantial descriptions of the atmosphere are more important for immersion, and shouldn’t be shelved for a soundtrack.
18. Same is bad. Random is bad. Find a happy medium. Diverse, thematically linked encounters with shifting environments and tensions all contribute to more exciting combats.
19. Try to stay away from Save-Or-Die/Save-Or-Screwed effects used against players. Related to #8, getting turned to stone with no practical solution isn't fun.
20. Motivation. Everything should make sense. Why are we fighting these guys? What do we want from them? Why are we here? Fulfilling these questions adds to the plot and realism.
Tips for Players:
1. Roll Attack and Damage at the same time. Remember your modifiers to hit and damage.
2. Figure out your course of action during other people's turns, and the DMs interludes.
3. Remember your readied actions! Communicate with your fellow players, and use delay/ready to your advantage.
4. In general, it is more effective to remove someone from combat, or somehow prevent damage from happening, than it is to heal in combat. However, don't let your allies die!
5. If you're dropped to negatives, don't despair! Your allies will win, and heal you, before you drop to -10.
6. Defend your teammates. If the squishy people don't have to worry about defence, they'll be that much more helpful!
7. More damaging hits are better against damage reduction, more accurate against higher AC, more numerous against lower AC.
8. Aid another! If there's nothing better to do, give modifiers in combat and place yourself in a better position.
9. Don't be a one-trick pony. Versatility will save your hide. If you have a weak save or AC, deal with it somehow! Either prevent it coming into play or boost it up.
10. The player who does no damage is just as important as the player who does the most damage, and every ratio in between. Don't be discouraged if your DPS is low, because you're contributing in other important ways.
11. You're not playing a video game! Try to act in-character, but don't use that as an excuse to drain fun away. Fun comes first.
12. A solid concept and back-story make a character so much more memorable. Try some mannerisms or accents, but keep them tasteful and subtle.
13. On that line, develop in-character relations with the party! Your PC should have opinions on the swarthy dwarf, the bookish wizard, and the sly rogue!
14. Formulate plans even before the encounters start. Have a procedure set up, so that things go by even quicker and safer.
15. You need to be able to contribute to the goals of the party outside of combat. Don't completely commit yourself to fighting and be useless out of it! Casters can have utility spells, anyone can grab social skills, etc!
16. However, don't be useless inside of combat! A pure social fop is going to get killed quickly. Use feats, skills, and class dips to keep relevance in the red zone.
17. Know when enough is enough. Casters shouldn't burn through many high-level spells unless the situation is dire. Pace your per-day abilities, and make sure you're not being redundant. Filling a missing role will usually be more effective than doubling or tripling up.
18. POTIONS! It bears repeating as far too many players forget them. Doff them before initiating a fight, or (especially with quick draw) drink one in the surprise round if you have nothing better to do with your standard action.
19. Keeping out of game chat to a minimum not only allows the DM to focus, it will allow everyone more focus to get through things quicker, leading to a funner, better session.
20. Be respectful! If you have issues, politely raise them at the appropriate time. If in doubt, man up and deal with it or leave.
1: The Online Tabletop- Playing the Game by Photon Eater
2: Glossary of Commonly Used Terms and Abbreviations by Photon Eater
3: The Mamelon Point-Buy System by Alacar Leoricar and Mamelon
4: Have Some Class- A Breakdown of d20 System Classes by Photon Eater
5: d20 Modern: a rundown for first-timers by ethersphere
6: Some helpful reading for new players by Photon Eater
7: d20 University Handy Links by Amadi
8: 40 Tips for running 3.5 D&D by Talore
Most of the stickies from the d20 university are heading over here as we eventually retire that subforum.
However, forum-based RPGs can be just as fun and rewarding to play, as long as you can keep some things in mind.
-Although you may think otherwise, time is even more of an issue in a forum game. Even though a scene that would usually be resolved in an hour of playtime in an offline game would seem like it would be so efficient when played out little by little over the course of a few days online, it's actually not. Forum games can easily succumb to massive slowdowns, so it is very important to make your posts as efficient as possible.
Know what you are saying, and post all information in a clear and understandable manner. Try and simplify your dice rolls- rather than rolling 1 d6 5 times, roll 5d6. Make sure your math is correct. Understand what your feats and abilities do before you use them. There is nothing as irritating as having a player make a faulty post, and then having to backtrack through a days worth of posts and fix it, thus altering the events of all posts following it.
-Don't be shy. Talk to your other players and your DM. Use PMs, instant messenger, emails, anything you can. Communication is vital in tabletop RPGs, even if your kitchen table is currently devoid of anything resembling a playmat and dice. You NEED to let people know what is going on, particularly in the case of your DM. Do not fall into what I call the "MMO mentality." While this is an online RPG, it is not World of Warcraft. You have more than just a responsibility to your character and his development, you have a responsibility to everyone else in your game. It's still a social game- it's just being executed through an impersonal avenue.
-In a setting where intonation, facial expressions, and anything outside verbal statements are nonexistant, roleplaying becomes doubly important. Make sure your posts are fleshed out- don't just "I roll 1d6 and do 6 damage." Try "grasping your rapier tightly, and slashing the beast across it's chest, the blood spurting out like mist from a waterfall." Also, watch for spelling and grammatical errors. We all make them, and that's fine. However, nothing ruins the mood more than a comical error. I mean, if you were talking to an important NPC, how seriously could you take "Plz adventurers u must defeat teh dragon to save my dauhgter!"?
-On a related note, though, do not get carried away. Writing is good. Good writing is better. However, no one is expected to be Hemingway. In past games I've DMed, I have had problems with hardcore RPers getting too involved in their post-writing, spending literally hours writing a simple response. As a good rule of thumb, you shouldn't spend more than 15 minutes on a single post. There are exceptions, obviously, but in general, the amount of writing you can do in 15 minutes should be MORE than enough to summarize that 6 seconds we call a turn. Additionally, in regards to speaking- when you are addressing someone, you need to write as though you were actually speaking. Do not type up paragraph upon paragraph of dialogue, or large lists of questions. Follow the basic flow of conversation- say something, wait for a response, and then say something again. In my eyes, dominating a conversation (unless the situation calls for it, or it is in character) is almost as bad as double posting, if not worse, as you are taking away another players (or a DMs) ability to react to a situation and shaping the game to suit your own tastes specifically.
-Keep vigilant. Watch your thread. If you are the sort who logs onto MTGS daily (and I know most of us are), there is no excuse for you to have not stopped by the PnP Inn and made sure you have no outstanding posts to make. Making a post is relatively quick in most situations- and more importantly, it's necessary to keep the game moving. Do not keep people waiting on you. By the same token, don't let people keep you waiting. If someone has not posted and you need them to do so, track them down. PM them. IM them. Talk to a mutual friend to see where they are. Just make sure they know "Hey! I need you to post!"
-In the event you CAN'T post, let your DM know, and arrangements can be made to remove you from the situation at hand. This doesn't mean quitting the game, and most DMs will do everything they can to keep you involved.
-Movement and distance are problems in forum RPs, but that doesn't mean you can ignore them. Make a note of the actions you have taken- typically, I like to denote any action I take with a little tag, like this- "Photon Eater ran up to the charging orge (move action), and then lashed out at him with his flail (standard action.)". Also, keep things that account for range sensible. Just because we can't measure steps taken and distance, it does not mean that your fireball spell is effectively a WMD, or that your crossbow can hit something a half-mile away. Note to DMs: Be specific when describing how far away or how high up something is when you post- it really helps players not only clarify these otherwise murky issues, but it also paints a better image of what is going on.
-Make use of the features and opportunities a forum RPG allows. You have a lot more time to think your actions through in this format- you can come up with brilliant battle strategies, think up the perfectly witty reply to your party's wisecracking bard, or dream up a wonderfully poignant emotional reaction to a particular event. Consider to that you will have the opportunity to play with people from around the world, with players which you ordinarily would never have a chance to play alongside.
All abbreviations are as I have seen them commonly. Other abbreviations may exist. Please feel free to respond with any items I may have missed, or with new items as they are released, and I will update them.
Core/SRD Class Abbreviations-
Bbn/Brb- Barbarian
Bar/Brd- Bard
Clr- Cleric
Dru/Drd- Druid
Ftr- Fighter
Mnk- Monk
Pal- Paladin
Rgr- Ranger
Rog- Rogue
Sor/Sorc- Sorcerer
Wiz- Wizard
Abj- Abjurer
Evo- Evoker
Cnj- Conjurer
Nec- Necromancer
Ill- Illusionist
Trn- Transmuter
Div- Diviner
Enc- Enchanter
Psi- Psion
See- Seer
Kin- Kineticist
Nom- Nomad
Ego- Egoist
Tel- Telepath
Sha- Shaper
PsW/PsyWar- Psychic Warrior
Wil- Wilder
SKn- Soulknife
Common Supplemental Class Abbreviations-
Hex- Hexblade
Sam- Samurai
Swa- Swashbuckler
Wrl/War- Warlock
WuJ- Wu Jen
WMg- Warmage
FSo- Favored Soul
SSh- Spirit Shaman
Shu- Shugenja
Sct- Scout
Nin- Ninja
STh- Spellthief
Ard- Ardent
DMn- Divine Mind
Lrk- Lurk
Art- Artificer
Arc- Archivist
Eru- Erudite
Hlr- Healer
Mar- Marshall
Wit/Wch- Witch
DBl- Duskblade
DSh- Dragon Shaman
Beg- Beguiler
Kni- Knight
Mys- Mystic
SBn- Soulborn
Inc- Incarnate
Tot- Totemist
D20 Modern Base Class Abbreviations-
Str- Strong Hero
Tgh- Tough Hero
Fas- Fast Hero
Smt- Smart Hero
Ded- Dedicated Hero
Cha- Charismatic Hero
Common Game Mechanic Abbreviations-
HP- Hit/Health Points
SPD- Spells per Day
PP- Power Points
AC- Armor Class
Def- Defense
FF- Flat-footed
BAB- Base Attack Bonus
Grap- Grapple
DC- Difficulty Check
d2- 2 sided die
d3- 3 sided die
d4- 4 sided die
d6- 6 sided die
d8- 8 sided die
d10- 10 sided die
d12- 12 sided die
d20- 20 sided die
CR- Challenge rating
CL- Class level
ECL- Effective character level
LA- Level Adjustment
STR- Strength
DEX- Dexterity
CON- Constitution
INT- Intelligence
WIS- Wisdom
CHA- Charisma
Spd- Speed
AoO- Attack of Opportunity
Fort- Fortitude Save
Ref- Reflex Save
Wil/Will- Will Save
GP- Gold piece
SP- Silver piece
CP- Copper piece
AoE- Area of Effect
SoD- Save or Die
XP- Experience, Experience points
AP- Action Points
PrC- Prestige Class
HD- Hit die/hit dice
SLA- Spell-like ability
PLA- Psi-like ability
SQ- Special Qualities
Rep- Reputation
AL- Alignment/Allegiance
LG- Lawful Good
NG- Neutral Good
CG- Chaotic Good
TN- True Neutral
LE- Lawful Evil
NE- Neutral Evil
CE- Chaotic Evil
(Ex)- Extraordinary Ability
(Sp)- Spell-like Ability
(Su)- Supernatural Ability
Mas- Massive Damage Threshhold
DM- Dungeon Master
GM- Game Master
Common Supplement/Book Abbreviations-
PHB- Players Handbook
DMG- Dungeon Master's Guide
MM- Monster Manual
MMII- Monster Manual II
MMIII- Monster Manual III
MMIV- Monster Manual IV
XPH- Expanded Psionics Handbook
CW- Complete Warrior
CD- Complete Divine
CA- Complete Arcane
CV- Complete Adventurer
CP- Complete Psionic
CM- Complete Mage
FRCS- Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
DLCS- Dragonlance Campaign Setting
ECS- Eberron Campaign Setting
RVCS- Ravenloft Campaign Setting
DSCS- Dark Sun Campaign Setting
PSCS- Planescape Campaign Setting
SJCS- Spelljammer Campaign Setting
DD/DmDe- Demigods and Deities
MoI- Magic of Incarnum
ToM- Tome of Magic
FB- Frostburn
SS- Sandstorm
SW- Stormwrack
CSc- Cityscape
WoL- Weapons of Legacy
OA- Oriental Adventures
Drc- Draconomicon
LM- Libras Mortis
GW- Ghostwalk
RoW- Races of the Wild
RoD- Races of Destiny
RoS- Races of Stone
RoDr- Races of Dragon
RoE- Races of Eberron
BoED- Book of Exalted Deeds
BoVD- Book of Vile Darkness
FF- Fiend Folio
MttP- Manual to the Planes
AE- Arms and Equipment Guide
HoH- Herrors of Horror
HoB- Herrors of Battle
MHB- Miniatures Handbook
SpCm- Spell Compendium
ELH- Epic Level Handbook
PoR- Pool of Radiance
RttToEE- Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil
EtCR- Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
UA- Unearthed Arcana
dMOD- D20 Modern
dFut- D20 Future
dPast- D20 Past
dCyb- D20 Cyberscape
dApoc- D20 Apocalypse
dWL- D20 Weapons Locker
dMM- D20 Menace Manual
CoC- Call of Cthulu
DMCS- Dark Matter Campaign Setting
UACS- Urban Arcana Campaign Setting
Common Slang and Meta-terminology-
Nerf- To power down a class unfairly
Magic-Psionic Transparency- A subset of optional rules that allows an interaction between 3.5 Psionics rules and the 3.5 magic rules.
Tank- A character designed to soak up the brunt of the enemy offensive as a defensive measure for the rest of the party.
Blaster- A character designed to deal severe amounts of damage via magic or special abilities.
Broken- Any class, feat, spell, etc that is notably overpowered and disrupts game balance.
Twink- A player that exploits loopholes to make his character more powerful than the current power level allows. Also called a min-maxer or a power-gamer.
Save or Die- An effect that causes a character to make a saving throw or be completely debilitated, possibly slain (but not always).
Temp-Inf- Short for "Temple of Infinite Lives", as in "I'm praying at the Temple of Infinite Lives", an expression used to convey one of two meanings- 1. A game in which the power level has scaled so greatly that PCs enjoy a sense of nigh invincibility, or 2. A character with a player that is recieving undue favoritism from the DM, ensuring they will never experience any real danger.
Skill Monkey- A character (traditionally a rogue) that has an abundance of skills that allow him to work his way out of most situations.
Dice Jesus- A player who routinely rolls high on dice rolls, without cheating.
TPK- Short for Total Party Kill, or a situation in which an entire play group of characters is killed in a single encounter.
Rocks Fall- A nod to a line from the webcomic, Something Positive, in which a character who is DMing says "Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies". It became popular for DMs who have become frustrated to repeat the line, typically to cause problematic players to bring an end to whatever behaviors irritated the DM in the first place.
Hammer-gun- A term started on the Wizards Community D&D boards. To hammer-gun something is to call out it's state of blatant stupidity, often used in regards to awful house rules, bad DMing habits, or questionable character concepts.
Build- A specific set up for a character concept.
Monty Haul- A DM who is too permissible, often handing rewards to his players for little reason whatsoever.
Bag o Rats- A reference to the infamous Bags of Rats Fighter build in D&D v.3.0. The build exploited the Great Cleave feat, as the fighter would release a bag of rats he carried on his person at all times, kill a single rat with his attack action, and then proceed to make nigh unlimited attacks in a single round. To call something a Bag of Rats is to state that it is abusing a known rules loophole.
Core- A book that is accepted to be part of the canon game. Core Books for D&D include The PHB, DMG, and MM. Core Books for d20 Modern include the D20 Modern Handbook and Menace Manual.
Splatbooks- Any book that is not core. The name originates from the fact that optional supplements would often sport an asterisk alongside the product title on order forms, which caused people to know them as "splatbooks", since they were the books with little "splats" next to their titles.
Pooped a Hammer- An expression meaning that you rolled a natural 1 on a crucial d20 roll.
Munchkin- A player who tries to play competively against the other players
Powergamer- A player who focuses more on creating the most powerful character, within the rules, rather than creating a balance between statistics and roleplaying. Or something along those lines.
Rules-lawyer- A player who tries to use his knowledge of the rules to gain an unfair advantage.
Natural 20- Rolling a 20 on a 20 sided die, before adding any modifiers.
Natural 1- Rolling a 1 on a 20 sided die, before adding any modifiers.
Going Nova- To expend the majority of your resources in a single encounter. Common among psionic characters and spontaneous casters.
Point buy systems are very simple. They usually have the character's scores all start at a base number, then the player is given points to distribute among their six scores to increase those scores, with the point cost of raising those scores increasing as you go higher.
Standard Point Buy
All scores start at 8. The player is given 25 points. To raise an ability by 1 point up to as high as 14, it requires 1 point each. To go to 15 or 16 it costs two, 17 or 18 it costs 3.
Nonstandard Point Buy
Same as standard in terms of starting scores and raising the abilities, but it depends on the power level of the campaign.
Low-powered: 15
Challenging: 22
Tougher: 28
High-powered: 32
Mamelon Point Buy
All scores start at 10. The player is given 32 points. To raise an ability by 1 point up to as high as 16, it requires 1 point each. To go to 17 or 18 it requires 2.
Here's a simple table.
Ability Score Point Cost
11 1
12 2
13 3
14 4
15 5
16 6
17 8
18 10
This system has proven effective in generating all-round, good-statted characters.
Any questions, feel free to ask.
d20 System has many classes, and more are released each month. This list only contains classes from licensed WotC material, and is not a comprehensive list. If I have missed a class, or a new supplement is released with new classes, please respond and I will update this list.
Prestige Classes, as they are much more varied and incredibly specific, are not included in this list.
Defining Qualities: More feats than any other class
Barbarian (Core)- A class that uses berserker rage to aid their savage combat skill
Defining Qualities: Rage ability, d12 hit die
Paladin (Core)- A divine warrior with a plethora of helpful spells and abilities
Defining qualities: Special mount, limited divine casting
Ranger (Core)- The natural hunter who uses a variety of weapon techniques and natural magic.
Defining qualities: Animal companion, weapon styles, limited divine casting
Hexblade (Complete Warrior)- An arcane caster who can fight as well as he can debilitate his foes.
Defining qualities: Hexblade curse ability, familiar, limited arcane casting
Samurai (Complete Warrior)- An honor-bound iaijutsu user.
Defining qualities: Iaijutsu abilities, staredown abilities
Swashbuckler (Complete Warrior)- An agile warrior with wit and panache.
Defining qualities: Dexterity based combat, higher skill points than other warriors
Psychic Warrior (Expanded Psionics)- A psionic class with a variety of psychometabolic powers.
Defining qualities: Almost as many feats as the fighter, moderate psionic power usage.
Divine Mind (Complete Psionic)- A psionic class with a slew of helpful auras.
Defining qualities: Useful auras that contribute to party combat, also limited access to psionic mantles
Soulborn (Magic of Incarnum)- An incarnum-based class with helpful, alignment-based soulmelds.
Defining qualities: Good BAB, access to a variety of soulmelds.
Marshall (Miniatures Handbook)- A dedicated general adept at leading teams of warriors.
Defining qualities: Capable of increasing the combat and tactical prowess of other characters
Monk (Core)- A martial artist that excels in hand to hand combat.
Defining qualities: Flurry of blows, a variety of useful abilities
Knight (Player's Handbook 2)- A respectable warrior who excels in armored combat and duels.
Defining Qualities: Can move quickly in heavy armor, can issue challenges
Sohei (Oriental Adventures)- A warrior monk who can destroy a foe easily with her bare hands.
Defining qualities: Superior BAB when compared to other monk classes, more weapon proficiencies than the monk
Duskblade (Player's Handbook 2)- A shadowy warrior who slings spells and swords with relative ease.
Defining Qualities: A true blending of mage and warrior with skills that provide synergy for both roles
Soulknife (Expanded Psionics)- A warrior that can use his mind to generate a mystic blade of energy.
Defining abilities: The ability to generate a mindblade
Defining abilities: The premier divine casting class, domain access, turn undead
Favored Soul (Complete Divine, Miniatures Handbook)- A god-blessed soul who can spontaneously cast divine spells
Defining abilities: Energy resistances, spontaneous casting, wings
Mystic (Dragonlance Campaign Setting)- A spontaneous caster of divine spells.
Defining abilities: Spontaneous divine casting
Shugenja (Complete Divine, Oriental Adventures)- An exotic geomancer that controls the elements.
Defining qualities: Elemental magic, shugenja order spells, can read the elements
Druid (Core)- The guardian of the natural world, and a user of natural magic.
Defining qualities: Wild shape, full casting ability
Spirit Shaman (Complete Divine)- A spiritualist who draws power from the souls of nature.
Defining qualities: Pseudo-spontaneous casting, spirit guides, fey-like traits.
Ardent (Complete Psionic)- A powerful mentalist devoted to universal philosophies.
Defining qualities: Psionic healing, and access to mantles.
Bard (Core)- An arcane class that has moderate healing abilities and bardic music.
Defining qualities: Bardic music, spontaneous casting, high skill points
Healer (Miniatures Handbook)- A dedicated healer, as the name implies.
Defining qualities: Accelerated rate of learning for spells of the healing subschool, unicorn companion
Archivist (Heroes of Horror)- A learned practitioner of divine magic, and a scholar of the supernatural.
Defining qualities: Can learn spells from any divine class list, can command the true name of outsiders and fey.
Paladin (Core)- A divine warrior with a plethora of helpful spells and abilities
Defining qualities: Special mount, limited divine casting
Defining qualities: Familiar, item creation and metamagic feats, prepared casting
Sorcerer (Core)- A charismatic being, possibly descended from a higher power, who can spontaneous wield arcane magic.
Defining qualities: Spontaneous casting, higher spells per day than any other class
Warlock (Complete Arcane)- A fiendish being who can generate unlimited amounts of eldritch power.
Defining qualities: Use of eldritch blasts, invocations
Psion (Expanded Psionics)- An introspective being who draws power not from the magical laws, but from his very mind.
Defining qualities: Ability to specialize into one of 6 psionic disciplines, highest power progression and power point total
Wilder (Expanded Psionics)- A talented psychic who holds great, if not somewhat unreliable, power.
Defining qualities: Wild surge ability
Wu Jen (Complete Arcane)- An esoteric hermit that yearns for a greater understanding of magic, and does so through unlocking spell secrets.
Defining qualities: Spell secrets that enhance spell power, taboos
Warmage (Complete Arcane)- A military mage that specializes in battle magic, in order to operate as sort of a living cannon.
Defining qualities: Sudden metamagic abilities, spontaneous casting
Bard (Core)- An arcane class that has moderate healing abilities and bardic music.
Defining qualities: Bardic music, spontaneous casting, high skill points
Shugenja (Complete Divine, Oriental Adventures)- An exotic geomancer that controls the elements.
Defining qualities: Elemental magic, shugenja order spells, can read the elements
Dread Necromancer (Heroes of Horror)- A grim magician who experiments on the dead by tapping into the power of taint.
Defining qualities: Elusive "true" necromancer class, can make use of harmful taint.
Dragon Shaman (Players Handbook 2)- A powerful sage who bargains for power from dragons themselves.
Defining qualities: Has abilities that emulate the powers and special abilities of dragons
Duskblade (Player's Handbook 2)- A shadowy warrior who slings spells and swords with relative ease.
Defining Qualities: A true blending of mage and warrior with skills that provide synergy for both roles
Defining qualities: Sneak attack, highest skill points of all, evasion
Monk (Core)- A martial artist that excels in hand to hand combat.
Defining qualities: Flurry of blows, a variety of useful abilities
Scout (Complete Adventurer)- A mobile class that moves quickly and excels while in transit.
Defining qualities: Skirmish ability
Ninja (Complete Adventurer)- A stealthy warrior who is part infiltrator, part ascetic.
Defining qualities: Ability to become ethereal, sudden strike ability, invisibility
Spellthief (Complete Adventurer)- An arcane thief who can pilfer spells and sabotage the plans of magic-users.
Defining qualities: Steal magic abilities, limited arcane casting
Bard (Core)- An arcane class that has moderate healing abilities and bardic music.
Defining qualities: Bardic music, spontaneous casting, high skill points
Lurk (Complete Psionic)- A shadowy individual who strikes from the darkness with psionic talents.
Defining qualities: Lurk augments, psionic sneak attacks
Artificer (Eberron Campaign Setting)- A skilled invidual who makes use of magic items and item creation.
Defining qualities: Item creation abilities
Beguiler (Players Handbook 2)- A charming magician who can bend another's will to her own goals.
Defining qualities: A variety of charm spells and abilities
Soulknife (Expanded Psionics)- A warrior that can use his mind to generate a mystic blade of energy.
Defining abilities: The ability to generate a mindblade
Defining qualities: Alignment based roles and abilities
Totemist (Magic of Incarnum)- An incarcum user who channels the souls of magical beasts.
Defining qualities: Ability to emulate the signature abilities of various monsters
Strong Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in combat prowess.
Defining qualities: Best BAB of base classes, combat talents
Tough Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in survival.
Defining qualities: Damage reduction
Fast Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in skill and stealth.
Defining qualities: More action oriented skills than other classes
Smart Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in knowledge and technical savvy.
Defining qualities: Knowledge abilities, trick abilities
Dedicated Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in intuitive talents.
Defining qualities: Intuitive skills
Charismatic Hero (d20 Modern)- A generic class that specializes in social skills.
Defining qualities: Able to charm people of specific genders, socialization talents
Defining qualities: Only class that can still do nothing on level 20. Worst BAB, worst saves, worst skills.
Warrior (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A moderately trained combatant, more akin to a town guard or militia member than a hardened combatant.
Defining skills: Best combat viability of NPC classes.
Expert (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A professional who is skilled in a single area of expertise.
Defining qualities: Very high skill selection
Aristocrat (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A wealthy individual of affluence and political connections.
Defining qualities: Average BAB and skill selection, higher starting wealth
Adept (Dungeon Masters Guide)- A rudimentary magician who is a vital part of the community due to his healing powers.
Defining qualities: Handful of useful, if slow progressing spells.
Witch (Dungeon Masters Guide)- An eccentric natural spellcaster who specializes in charms and transformations.
Defining qualities: Varies depending on version being used.
Welcome to d20 Modern, people. In this system you'll find resources and materials to play out your favorite modern-day campaigns, from spy thrillers to Joss Whedon-inspired supernatural dramas; just about anything you could imagine, so long as it's set in the here and now. d20 Modern utilizes the (duh) d20 system, and is compatible with other materials under the system such as Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulu, et cetera. But for now, forget about those things. We're here to get the lowdown on d20 Modern itself. Let's begin.
How is d20 Modern different from D&D? How is it the same?
d20 Modern utilizes the same system as D&D, but puts some spin on it that makes for a (sometimes) more streamlined experience for players and DMs alike. It's different from D&D in some obvious ways, such as modern conveniences, wealth checks, and a more simplified class system. In other ways such as the flow of combat, skills and feats, and magic items, the system is incredibly similar to D&D. Generally, if you have any experience with D&D or any other d20 game, you'll feel right at home with d20 Modern. Conversely, if you're just getting into tabletop RPGs, d20 Modern is a great place to start because of its simplified interface.
What do I do first?
Well, before you do anything you'll want to read through the SRD or your copy of the Core Rulebook. If you're planning on playing, you can skip the part just for GMs. Decide on a class you want to play, or any combination thereof, and get to work making them. For aspiring GMs, you'll want to read the entire SRD/Rulebook and get to dreaming up an exciting story for your players to participate in. Monsters abd magic or crime lords and car chases, it's all up to you.
The Class system is kind of confusing. How do I begin?
You might prefer using a d20 Modern character sheet to record your character details. Feel free; I personally love the official sheets.
It's really easy when you get down to it. There are six archetypes (generally referred to as classes) that you can choose from n d20 Modern. They are as follows, accompanied by their primary ability score:
Strong Hero (Strength)- focuses on dealing damage to enemies
Fast Hero (Dexterity)- a swift combatant with a lot of rogueish tricks up their sleeve
Tough Hero (Constitution)- a powerhouse of HP and fortitude
Smart Hero (Intelligence)- a fast-thinking character with a knack for skills
Dedicated Hero (Wisdom)- a character whose primary concern is the well-being of others
Charismatic Hero (Charisma)- a huge presence who has an undeniable effect on others
Depending on your preferences, you'll want to play any one of these classes; maybe even a combination of them. Once you've made your decision and have come up with a name and vital stats for your character, get to rolling those ability scores!
You can determine ability scores one of two ways. Tne more traditional way is to roll 4d6 per ability score, dropping the lowest die and adding the rest together. For example, you roll two sixes, a three, and a one. Drop the one and add the rest together to get a fifteen. Good number.
The other way to determine ability scores is to use a point buy. If the GM allows this, players begin with a pool of points they can spend on their scores. Every score begins at 10 and can be added onto so long as points remain. Different point buys use different formulas, so ask your GM how it works if he or she decides to go that route.
After your ability scores are done, you'll want to buy skills, purchase feats, and buy some equipment for your character. Development is different in d20 Modern than in games like D&D, so pay attention to your character's growth and choose what you really need first before moving on to the fluffy stuff. For example, if you want a sword-wielding character you're going to have to get him Archaic Weapon Proficiency on first level. Weapon Focus and Cleave can come later, believe me.
What are Talents? How do they work?
Talents are unique abilities that characters can inherit in d20 Modern, giving them access to small, superhuman abilities or spell-like effects that can be used over and over. A character gains a talent every other level, so it's easy to build a cohesive talent tree in the matter of a few levels and give yourself an edge.
Unless otherwise stated in the book, talents are either always active (Melee Smash, for example) or can be used any number of times per day (the Charismatic Hero's Charm ability). Mostly, talents allow you to use smaller-scale abilities that normal characters would have no access to. How you develop your talents, along with your feat selection, dramatically influences the kind of character you build.
What's a Reputation Bonus?
Each character gets a reputation bonus on first level that increases with subsequent levels. Sometimes this bonus is miniscule, and sometimes it's huge. Reputation usually plays little part in d20 Modern, but with the aid of some talents and in a lot of social situations, it can come up.
Basically, reputation is how famous (or infamous) your character is in the game world. The higher the number, the more likely that random people and even monsters will know them. Charismatic heroes receive the highest base reputation bonus, since it's likely that if you're playing a movie star or famous singer, you'll take lots of levels in Charismatic. There are feats which can raise or lower your reputation bonus, if you'd like your character to be incredibly famous or keep a really low profile.
What about money? I don't see any gold or dollar amounts in the book.
Money in d20 Modern is measured through Wealth checks and bonuses. Every level gained, your character makes a wealth check (see page 70 of the Core Rulebook). Your wealth is constantly fluctuating so long as you're buying things, so it basically works the same way as money would in D&D, but it reduces the amount of bookkeeping players and GMs need to do.
Does combat work the same way as it does in other systems? Is d20 Modern combat heavy?
Combat in d20 Modern is pretty much identical to other d20 systems, but don't expect to see wizards slinging spells or druids summoning animal companions to save the day. What you can expect to see is drive-by shootings, rocket launchers, and tough heroes ramming people with motorcycles. If your GM allows that sort of thing, of course. d20 Modern is a little lower in power than, say, D&D, but that's mostly due to a lack of level 6-9 spells and other such details. You get more bang for your buck, though, because situations of struggle can be incredibly exciting for a party and really fun for a GM to see unfold.
Of course, skills play a huge part in d20 Modern as well. Every character has access to at least a serviceable amount of skill points per level, and a respectable list of class skills that can be used in a lot of different situations. Always try to remember your skills when playing; it's easy for the party's main combatant to keep on truckin' through a group of goblin thugs with his bastard sword, only to remember that he could speak Draconic a little too late to pump any of them for information. And in d20 Modern, it's actually possible for a fighter-type to have useable skills outside of combat. In the end, it's all up to the players.
So there's no magic in d20 Modern? what about psionics?
Oh, there's magic. And psionics, too; you just don't have access to them right away. If you choose for your character to take on an advanced class (see pg.164, Core Rulebook), you can build a pretty powerful mage, psion, or cleric. Magic in d20 Modern only goes to fifth level, but with condensed spell and power lists and a still-strong list of magic items to choose from (not to mention those talents), you can still hold your own with that magic missile.
Magic users and psionic characters actually have a lot to offer a part in d20 Modern because they can do things nobody else can. If your campaign has the slightest hint of arcane or divine influence, take the plunge and head for the mage or acolyte. And it goes without saying, but telepaths can fit into any modern-style campaign easily, given their comfortable sci-fi flavor.
So in the end, what can I expect from a game of d20 Modern?
Anything and everything. The great thing about tabletop games is that your imagination is the only limit. And with such hot properties as the Law & Order series, Buffy and Angel, Bones and CSI, and myriad thrilling and adventurous cinematic experiences for influence, any player or GM could come up with the best campaign every just by opening a couple of books. In the end, it's all up to you.
System Resource Document- A generic adaptation of the d20 system rules for D&D and for d20 Modern. A must-read for those who have no books of their own.
Character Class- A series of articles from WotC on how to play a variety of character classes effectively. Not all classes are present, but all of your core classes and a good majority of common supplemental classes have been featured. Updates monthly.
Tactics and Tips Archive- Also from WotC, this is a series of articles on battle and gameplay tactics that will make your play experience easier overall.
Ultimate Spell List- A reference thread containing a complete list of all WotC-supported spells and domains, along with the book and page number the spell data can be found on.
3.5 Psionics FAQ- Taken from the WotC D&D boards, which a variety of resources, links, and FAQs for all things Psionic.
The Hypertext d20 SRD - This site contains most of the information available in D&D core books, for free. Also Unearthed Arcana material.
Guide to free D&D - A useful listing of all resources for D&D that are legally available for free online. Feel like you don't have options because you don't have books? Check this list out.
Chet Erez's d20 Index Files - Chet did a good job at listing most things and where to find them. There is some information available, but not everything.
Ultimate Spell List - Contains every WotC released spell for D&D 3.5, where to find them, and what domains they are on. Also where to find said domains. Pages and pages of magic.
Rules of the Game Archive - Don't know the rules surrounding something? Chances are that this thing does.
Good Reading for Beginners:
Character Class Archives - A serie of articles from WotC that explains how to play a class effectively. Not all classes are covered, but a lot of them are.
Tactics & Tips Archive - Also from WotC, a lot of handy.. Tactics and tips.
The Online Tabletop- Playing the Game - Photon's great explanation on how to play online.
d20 Modern: A rundown for first-timers - Very handy. If you're starting d20 Modern, read this.
Game Mechanics Explained:
Gestalt Characters (SRD) - A variant we tend to play often, effectively allowing you to progress in two classes at the same time.
Mamelon Point-Buy System - This is the first link you find when you google "Mamelon point buy system explained D&D", and it's all ours! Bwahahaha!
d20 Point Buy System - This site explains every non-mamelon point buy that I have seen used.
If you still have questions..:
Generic d20 Question/Discussion Thread - Go ahead and ask them here.
It bears repeating that these are entirely subjective, not set in stone, and are bound to change at times. I just found that they worked, and they were useful for players and DMs I associated with that frankly weren't too good at playing.
Tips for DMing:
1. Stick to CR, or at most CR+2 for notably more difficult encounters. Combats tend to go quicker, more is accomplished, and challenge can be made up for with intelligent tactics, if the monsters have decent INT.
2. Roll attack and damage dice at once, always have your stat blocks handy.
3. Have the AC, FF AC, and Touch AC written down behind your screen. You can skip asking them if an X hits, as well as keeping them in the dark about the modifiers to attack. Be sure to allow immediate reactions to an attack roll as normal.
4. Large numbers suck. 8 is the absolute maximum number of enemies, unless the rest are just 'props.' Most of the time, 1-4 is fine.
5. Always try to make the players feel like the game is real. Describe the landscape, the air, the sounds, the growls of the opponents.
6. Be flexible to wrenches the PCs will throw in your plans, and remember that nothing is set in stone until you say it. That man killing the blacksmith is at the same time the BBEG, and the psychotic minion of the BBEG, depending on if the players kill him.
7. Thing don't need to play like a video game. Be open to interaction, force some role-playing and creative thinking.
8. Nobody likes getting ****ed over, and it doesn't need to happen. The rule of thumb is that a character should only die if they made a deliberate mistake. If a single die roll causes a TPK, the adventure was too hard.
9. Remember that foes are self-preserving more often than not! If things look grim, they would reasonably retreat. You still get full XP regardless if your opponents are dead, captured, or fleeing.
10. Remember that NPC gear IS the loot... it should still be level-appropriate. Potions, scrolls, and expendable items should make up good portions of the loot. The enemies can and should be expending some of that. If there's a Flametongue Sword in the loot, the enemy fighter had damn well be using it! Opponents should doff the Potion of Shield of Faith +3 before ambushing!
11. Monsters can take class levels. Use non-associated class levels (3.5) to mix it up and provide more durable monsters. Ogres with levels in wizard, anyone?
12. The environment is a potent weapon and tool. Flat, smooth-surface fights are boring! Add in elevation, difficult terrain, line-of-sight blockage, traps, and more to make an otherwise easy fight hard or a formidable challenge piecemeal.
13. Adding a few low-level casters will only slightly raise CR while providing some vital utility and BFC to a solo opponent.
14. Not all encounters have to involve combat in the first place. A tricky negotiation, a clever ruse, or pure intimidation could provide alternate solutions to some encounters.
15. You must absolutely learn how to run your monsters! Too many DMs have sent Balors into melee combat without utilizing their Spell-Like Abilities. This goes for almost any creature.
16. Hand-pick feats and skills to be synergistic. Who knew that the opponent actually used the spring-attack line, tumbling away from AoOs?
17. Music can be great, but ensure it is unobtrusive, or brief. Short and substantial descriptions of the atmosphere are more important for immersion, and shouldn’t be shelved for a soundtrack.
18. Same is bad. Random is bad. Find a happy medium. Diverse, thematically linked encounters with shifting environments and tensions all contribute to more exciting combats.
19. Try to stay away from Save-Or-Die/Save-Or-Screwed effects used against players. Related to #8, getting turned to stone with no practical solution isn't fun.
20. Motivation. Everything should make sense. Why are we fighting these guys? What do we want from them? Why are we here? Fulfilling these questions adds to the plot and realism.
Tips for Players:
1. Roll Attack and Damage at the same time. Remember your modifiers to hit and damage.
2. Figure out your course of action during other people's turns, and the DMs interludes.
3. Remember your readied actions! Communicate with your fellow players, and use delay/ready to your advantage.
4. In general, it is more effective to remove someone from combat, or somehow prevent damage from happening, than it is to heal in combat. However, don't let your allies die!
5. If you're dropped to negatives, don't despair! Your allies will win, and heal you, before you drop to -10.
6. Defend your teammates. If the squishy people don't have to worry about defence, they'll be that much more helpful!
7. More damaging hits are better against damage reduction, more accurate against higher AC, more numerous against lower AC.
8. Aid another! If there's nothing better to do, give modifiers in combat and place yourself in a better position.
9. Don't be a one-trick pony. Versatility will save your hide. If you have a weak save or AC, deal with it somehow! Either prevent it coming into play or boost it up.
10. The player who does no damage is just as important as the player who does the most damage, and every ratio in between. Don't be discouraged if your DPS is low, because you're contributing in other important ways.
11. You're not playing a video game! Try to act in-character, but don't use that as an excuse to drain fun away. Fun comes first.
12. A solid concept and back-story make a character so much more memorable. Try some mannerisms or accents, but keep them tasteful and subtle.
13. On that line, develop in-character relations with the party! Your PC should have opinions on the swarthy dwarf, the bookish wizard, and the sly rogue!
14. Formulate plans even before the encounters start. Have a procedure set up, so that things go by even quicker and safer.
15. You need to be able to contribute to the goals of the party outside of combat. Don't completely commit yourself to fighting and be useless out of it! Casters can have utility spells, anyone can grab social skills, etc!
16. However, don't be useless inside of combat! A pure social fop is going to get killed quickly. Use feats, skills, and class dips to keep relevance in the red zone.
17. Know when enough is enough. Casters shouldn't burn through many high-level spells unless the situation is dire. Pace your per-day abilities, and make sure you're not being redundant. Filling a missing role will usually be more effective than doubling or tripling up.
18. POTIONS! It bears repeating as far too many players forget them. Doff them before initiating a fight, or (especially with quick draw) drink one in the surprise round if you have nothing better to do with your standard action.
19. Keeping out of game chat to a minimum not only allows the DM to focus, it will allow everyone more focus to get through things quicker, leading to a funner, better session.
20. Be respectful! If you have issues, politely raise them at the appropriate time. If in doubt, man up and deal with it or leave.