Customer Reviews

True20 Adventure Roleplaying

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

True20 is an excellent evolution of the Dungeons and Dragon model into new territory. It uses an adaptation of the base rules system in Mutants and Masterminds (just roll D20 and add numbers) and focuses it down to apply to normal rather than costumed adventurers. It adapts systems from other role playing games (challenges from Iron Heroes, damage saves from Mutant and Masterminds) and blends them into a focused whole.

Overall the system runs like a charm; it is fast, fun and encourages the players to try things.

This book includes four settings which, I feel, do not show the power of the system and prevent me from giving this book 5 stars. The settings are:
Caliphate Nights. The good one focusing on playing tales from the 1001 Nights. New roles, new rules and the djinni!
Kaju vs. Mecha. Giant robots versus bigger monsters. Not my cup of tea but adds new sci-fi rules.
Lux Aeternum. An attempt to merge swashbuckling and sci-fi which feels a little like a Star Trek episode.
Borrowed Time. A great idea to do The Matrix with time manipulators but which doesn't include a complete setting or fully functional rules. A let down.

I have known about True20 for some time, but had been operating under some faulty assumptions about it that really prevented me from wanting to take a look at it further (for example, thinking that it used some version of Hit Points). I was most pleased to discover a system that had been adapted from the d20 SRDs into its own very well designed multi-genre game.

The Book Itself

True20 Adventure Roleplaying Revised Edition (henceforth just referred to as True20 when addressing the system) is a 264 page paperback printed in black and white. A quick flip through shows much of every page devoted to text explaining how the game works, interspersed with B&W art of varying quality. The print is a shade on the small side, but that allows for that much more information to be presented.

The System

True20 really boils down to the basics of d20: Attribute + Skill Rating + d20 to beat either a static Difficulty Check or opposed check. Where it differs from more "traditional d20" is that the middleman of the attribute number has been eliminated and the True20 Attribute is what would normally be the bonus from said d20 attribute.

While this is pretty easy to grasp, I can say from personal experience that not everyone will take to it so well as one of my gaming friends - who is well familiar with standard D&D 3.5 d20 - can't quite seem to make the disconnect and dislikes the idea of negative attributes rather intensely.

Chapter Breakdown


I'll be honest; I skip most of these sorts of bits in most books, and this was no exception. I did skim enough of it to find out that the Revised Edition not only has the errata fixes from the previous edition, but also has the better part of the True20 Companion folded in vice the original settings.

The Basics

As one would imagine, most the majority of the system is touched on in these seven pages, from how Difficulty Checks should scale to the flow of combat. A very good primer for what follows, and the majority of it can be previewed here: http://true20.com/files/grr1704_pre1.pdf.

Chapter One: Hero Creation, Chapter Nine: Role Creation

True20 still uses levels and Classes, but it has distilled down said Classes to three "all-encompassing" Roles: Adept, Expert and Warrior (http://true20.com/files/grr1704_pre2.pdf). The standard d20 attributes of Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis) and Charisma (Cha) are used, and six points are allocated to be distributed as the player desires.

One of my misconceptions about the system immediately became apparent, which is that True20 doesn't use an escalating Hit Point system - this was somewhat of a surprise to me. Instead, a Toughness Save is used which is a derivative of the Injury system (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/injury.htm) from Unearthed Arcana, where the damage determined is a static amount that then a character needs to resist. I like the idea in concept, but I think that if I played using the system I would probably switch to something that allowed for a damage roll instead (with then similar results for injuries).

Every class gets a pick of four Feats or Powers at level 1 and then a Feat/Power every level after that, which allows for significant differentiation between characters rather quickly.

Additionally, every character has a pool of points called Conviction which can be used for various in-game benefits (re-rolling poor rolls, etc.) with an additional use dependent on the "base" Class (read: level 1) that the character has chosen.

I have included Chapter Nine in this as well as it goes and breaks down how each of the three Classes have been configured from a balance perspective so that more specialized Classes can be made for specific character concepts/campaigns; this many points allotted for Feats, Skills, Combat Bonuses, etc. Seeing the "under-the-hood" of the design was quite a refreshing change for me personally, as I haven't personally experienced many games that have stepped through the "whys" of how things were done so that changes can be made that won't unbalance game play.

Chapter Two: Skills

As mentioned previously, Skills hew to the Attribute + Skill Rank + d20 roll vs. either a fixed DC or opposed check. Generating Skills is somewhat confusing, as the information as to what Skills a character starts with is somewhat buried in the text. I would have preferred to have the Skills be either one or the other as opposed to both, with my personal preference being a given number of Ranks per level for a trained Skill.

Characters begin with a number of Skills determined by Role plus Int at 4 Ranks; raising Skills is done with Skill points (again determined by Role plus Int). Most of the Skills are taken right from the d20 SRD with a few from the Modern SRD (Computers, Drive, Medicine and Pilot), so some of the skills would have little use in a modern/future setting. These can be seen here: http://true20.com/files/grr1704_pre3.pdf.

Each Skill is further defined by "Challenges" that may be used in conjunction with said Skill, which increase the DC of the Skill use to provide added benefit - thus making individuals who are highly skilled all the more likely to be capable of accomplishing great tasks.

Chapter Three: Feats

Feats are specialized game mechanics that allow characters to become specialized in whatever manner you'd like, and there is a fair variety for more-than-just-fantasy use. Mind you, many of the Feats are only useful for a fantasy-esque campaign ("Shield Training" immediately comes to mind) and I would have preferred that more modern Feats have been included. A full listing of the Feats available can be found here: http://true20.com/files/grr1704_pre4.pdf.

Chapter Four: Supernatural Powers

Powers in True20 work much the same way that Skills do, with the Power Rank (determined by Adept level) being added to Attribute + d20. The concept of having certain capabilities Fatigue the user is introduced, where each time a Power is used the caster/user makes a Fatigue saving throw or is weakened; this replaces the fire-and-forget style of magic that is otherwise largely prevalent in standard d20.

The Powers are of a decent selection, allowing for more modern sorts of adventures more readily than the Feat selections.

Chapter Five: Equipment

The equipment section begins with an explanation of a Wealth mechanic, which replaces the need to track specific expenditures - and thus reduce bookkeeping.

I tend to gloss over for most laundry lists of equipment, and past the Wealth mechanics I gave this section a cursory glance, making note that various sorts of weapons/armor/vehicles/etc. might be available, and there's a fair selection with varying degrees of explanation. More on this a little later.

Chapter Six: Playing the Game

The mechanics of the game are more explicitly gone over, starting with the differentiation of Physical and Social Actions.

Combat makes up the majority of this section, and much like the rest of True20 there are slight differences between it and regular d20. For example, all attack rolls are made with a Dex modifier to one's Combat bonus, while Ranged attacks are opposed by a Dex modifier while Melee is opposed by a Str modifier.

Damage works in a "death spiral" where failed Toughness saves result in either penalties to further Toughness saves or penalties to all actions, depending on the difference in Toughness save roll vs. damage dealt. This allows for a mechanical expression of one being wounded which I personally like.

Chapter Seven: Narrating the Game

Brief advice is given as to how to cover situations that aren't otherwise covered by the rules already presented, how to dole out Conviction points as well as how to advance characters.

Chapter Eight: Adversaries

The better part of the adversaries presented is largely geared toward fantasy gaming; I'll get that out of the way right now. Descriptions of various creature types are given for custom-making one's own beasties, along with a handful of premade critters.

Chapter Ten: Fantasy Adventures

The specifics of building a fantasy geared campaign are gone through rather thoroughly in this chapter, with both options for both players and GMs alike. Fantasy specific roles, particular styles of fantasy settings and more specific equipment is gone into in quite a bit more detail than previously examined early in the book.

Chapter Eleven: Space Adventures

Further delineation of what the system can be geared for regarding particular sorts of sci-fi/future settings are presented, giving many options for Skills, Feats and Equipment. Vehicular design is covered as well as possible adventure ideas, universe building and environments that would otherwise not be taken into account (i.e., vacuum).

Chapter Twelve: Horror Adventures

Different styles of horror campaigns are discussed as well as new Roles presented for horror-specific styles of games. Sanity mechanics, as well as possible insanities that can be developed, are also gone into in some detail.

Chapter Thirteen: Modern Adventures

What I was really hoping to get out of this chapter - modern specific Feats - are not present; instead there is a fair amount of the chapter dedicated to how to obtain "hard to get" items via the Black Market. There is also a slight update of equipment, but on the whole this chapter seemed to have the least amount of usable information in it out of all the Adventure chapters.

Appendix: D20 System Conversion

The particulars of converting over all that D&D 3.X material you might have are gone over quite thoroughly for being covered by two whole pages.

Overall

I really liked True20 and can't wait to implement this in any number of game ideas I have been kicking around in my head. The setting specific information is - for the most part - superb and allows for quite a bit of focus that you might not otherwise think of while either adapting or creating a setting.

I would make some slight changes to the mechanics to suit my personal tastes, and the way that the mechanics are presented - with the "whys" of the way that many of them have been implemented - make those sorts of changes very easy to do.

I wasn't too fond of the way that the text was broken up; it seemed like most of the book had large black chunks that were fairly distracting. I will also say that the art wasn't spectacular, but it got the point across.

I'd also like to point out that while I can see it handling a number of genres particularly well, I wouldn't necessarily say it could be used to run everything. The Powers section makes a note that superhero games can be done, but given some of the alterations that would need to be taken into account I think that I would just use True20's close blood relative, Mutants & Masterminds instead.

There's a wealth of support for the system online as well as Quick Start Rules (http://true20.com/files/True20_quickstart.pdf) for further consideration.

Pros: The system is quick, streamlined, and open to limitless possibilities. Magic now requires a dice roll to cast a spell. The Caliphate Nights setting example in the back of the book is intriguing, although I don't like that is set in a quasi-historical world. The combat system is based on Mutant & Mastermind's system which is streamlined but some will miss their "hit points"...I for one won't.

Neutral: They use the D20 Modern Wealth score system (with Wealth checks to buy something.) I would have liked if they included the quick conversion rules to keep it currency based If one chose to do so.

Negative: Aside from the Caliphate Nights, the other three settings that are included (as examples of True20's versatility) are...um...goofy. Really, I cannot say anything good about the other three. Thankfully they don't take up too much space but I wish they had published the settings separately. Also, the artwork is really hit and miss. They should hire the artist who works with I.C.E.'s HARP line, whose pen and pencil drawings are excellent. The poor art can make this feel amateur-ish.

All in All...I highly recommend this game! Just stop reading once you finish the Caliphate Nights section. The other settings are sad really. There seems to be an active community on their forum boards which is always a good sign.

Not sure? Green Ronin (publishers) offer a free Quick Start guide on their True20.com website. Check it out!

I am not a fan of the d20 system. Its proliferation of feats, skills, prestige classes, and templates seems to always lead players to power gaming instead of role playing. Green Ronin's True20, however, gets it right and delivers a clean, fast playing set of rules that allow for play in fantasy, modern, or sci-fi genres, all in a 224 page rule book.

Character classes have been eliminated in favor of the three "Roles" of Adept, Expert, and Warrior. The feats and skills systems will be familiar to anyone who plays d20 games, but their application is more balanced and there are no prestige classes or templates to complicate matters. Spell casting is feat-based, so an Adept player must balance his spell acquisition against his need for useful feats as he progresses in level. Combat does away with hit points in favor of a damage track in which Toughness saves determine a character's injuries, leading to some fast and deadly engagements.

On the down side, the game uses a wealth system instead of having actual costs for items. Functioning somewhat like Resources in a White Wolf game, it eliminates the need for keeping track of a character's money and treasure but seems to drain some of the fun out of the fantasy side of the game.

The last 71 pages of the book are devoted to four sample campaign settings. Sadly, none of them are very well detailed or interesting. In my opinion, those pages could have been used to expand the equipment tables (which cover modern well but only glosses over fantasy/medieval items), increase the number of Power feats available to Adepts, or add more creatures to the bestiary.

In conclusion, I recommend True20. It is fast playing, fun, and allows the players and game master to customize characters and game elements to their tastes without unbalancing the game, offering a leaner, rules-light version of the d20 system that I find very refreshing.

True20 is a generic universal game using a slightly different version of the d20 rules which currently house the most popular game in roleplaying today. Strength, Dex, Con, the gang's all here, along with saves and feats.

That being said, True20 utilizes the versatility of Feats by breaking down the traditional class abilities (of Rangers, Clerics, etc) into Feats and dividing them into three distinctive Roles (which are the Classes renamed for this game): Warrior, Expert, Adept. Warriors are those characters bent on combat, Experts are those characters bent on skills, and Adept are those bent on Supernatural powers. The game makes no distinction from Divine, Arcane, and Psionic abilities.

Also, these Roles are much more general than their predecessors, the classes. Someone wishing to play a Barbarian could easily see himself utilizing all three roles, the Warrior for the D&D barbarian, the Expert for the traditional Howard barbarian, or even an Adept barbarian shaman. There are also rules for taking on multiple roles as one advances in level.

The game uses the same level system of D&D (1-20) with one noteworthy exception: There are no guidelines for how to advance in level. It just happens when the GM sees fit.

Also gone are the Hit Points of yore. This game uses a Toughness save, which works a lot like the other save throws (Fort, Reflexes, Will) except it only covers damage. If you are familiar with the Mutants and Masterminds Damage Save (renamed Toughness in the second edition), it is virtually the same system, except it doesn't advance with levels.

Alignment is replaced with Nature, which is a Virtue and Vice that can be roleplayed to regain Conviction, which are a metagame resource mechanic allowing the player some level GM fiat.

In my opinion, this game is a viable alternative to d20 in all ways, save two minor slip-ups.

1) The absract Wealth system. It's just plain uninspiring. While the new system makes people who want everything streamlined happy, it really kills any excitement from gathering or losing money. It's a bad aspect of roleplaying, I know, but most still want to know exactly how much money their character has.

2) The settings, IMHO, weren't bad. But certain changes made by them were unintelligible. Especially Borrowed Time, which was chosen as a winner of the setting search, and had a good concept, but it's rules were horribly, horribly flawed (making Dex a god-stat and having overwhelming uber-Feats).

Otherwise, a great game (This coming from a d20 hater). I have nothing bad to say about it.

Yes, I played D&D quite a bit over the years. Mostly AD&D and 3. whatever....I bought this because I have been very pleased with Green Ronins books in general and Mutants & Masterminds has become my Supers RPG of choice. I was not disappointed. This book is well laid out, easy to read and equally easy to grasp.
It's what d20 should have been . Please, give it a try and you won't be going back to all that Wizards of the Coast stuff. Combat is quick and...hell, it's just a fun game.

Green Ronin's True 20 Adventure Roleplaying uses a system that is modified and based off of the D20 system that is used to run the present version of the Dungeons and Dragons RPG. It's greatest strength is that is that it slims down and simplifies many of the rules from it's parent system (Damage, Character Attributes, Skills), while granting the player a greater degree of customization through the use their own collection of D&D styled feats. The result is a set of rules that disappears into the background at the table, which is great for gamers who wish to concentrate more on the exciting situations and events that RPGs can create.

A very interesting spin on d20 gaming. If you play Mutants and MAsterminds and d20 D&D you will find much of it very familiar and mixed together in an incredibly versatile way that gives me perfect character builds for games set in Arthurian Legends to high fantasy. A system very worth looking at and using.

The way the system is designed works for a wide variety of game types. The way the system handles damage is unique and gives the player a variety of ways to mitigate either being hit or taking the damage from said hit.

The only real issue I have is with the d20 itself - the die roll can be a 1 or a 20, with no way to ensure that you have a proper average. This is a personal nitpick however - the ease of use for the game outweighs that considerably, especially in the hands of a good GM.

A great game for new GM ST AND DM getting in to role playing game's.
The True20 system is a great fun and easy system to you's so have fun with it. :]