d20 Modern System Reference Document

1 1 ModernSystem Reference Document 2 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE 7 Dice Notation .. 7 Rounding Fractions .. 7 7 Basic Task Resolution System .. 7 ABILITY SCORES .. 8 Ability 8 Use of Ability Scores .. 8 Changing Ability Scores .. 8 ALLEGIANCES .. 9 Pledging Allegiance .. 9 Allegiances and Influence .. 9 STARTING OCCUPATION .. 10 Academic .. 10 Adventurer .. 10 10 Blue Collar .. 10 10 Creative .. 10 Criminal .. 11 Dilettante .. 11 Doctor .. 11 Emergency Services .. 11 11 Investigative .. 11 Law Enforcement .. 11 Military .. 11 Religious .. 12 12 Student .. 12 Technician .. 12 White Collar .. 12 REPUTATION .. 13 Fame and Infamy .. 13 Using the Reputation 13 WEALTH .. 14 Wealth Bonus .. 14 The Wealth 14 Wealth and the Starting Hero.

2 14 Shopping and Time .. 14 Taking 10 and Taking 20 .. 14 Try Again? .. 14 Aid 14 Losing Wealth .. 14 Wealth Bonus of +0 .. 15 Regaining 15 Wealth 15 Selling Stuff .. 15 16 Dexterity Modifier .. 16 Class 16 Equipment Bonus .. 16 Size 16 Other 16 Touch Attacks .. 16 SAVING THROWS .. 17 ACTION POINTS .. 18 DEATH, DYING, AND 19 Injury and 19 Effects of Hit Point Damage .. 19 Massive 19 Nonlethal Damage .. 19 Stable Characters and Recovery .. 19 Recovering with Help .. 19 Healing .. 20 Natural 20 Healing Ability Damage .. 20 Temporary Hit Points .. 20 Increases in Constitution Score and Current Hit 20 CONDITION SUMMARY .. 21 Ability 21 Ability Drained .. 21 Blinded .. 21 Cowering .. 21 Dazed .. 21 21 Deafened .. 21 Disabled.

3 21 Dying .. 21 Entangled .. 21 21 Fatigued .. 21 21 Grappled .. 21 Helpless .. 22 22 Panicked .. 22 Paralyzed .. 22 Pinned .. 22 22 Shaken .. 22 Stable .. 22 Stunned .. 22 22 ENVIRONMENT & HAZARDS .. 23 Darkness and Light .. 23 Heat and Cold .. 23 Catching on Fire .. 23 Starvation and 23 Suffocation and 23 Smoke .. 23 23 24 Falling 24 Poison .. 24 24 Acid .. 25 25 BASIC CHARACTER CLASSES .. 26 Basic Class 26 The Strong Hero .. 26 The Fast Hero .. 27 The Tough 28 The Smart Hero .. 30 The Dedicated Hero .. 31 The Charismatic 32 Multiclass 34 ADVANCED 36 Qualifying for an Advanced Class .. 36 36 4 Martial 37 38 40 41 Field 42 Smart Defense .. 42 43 Field Medic .. 45 46 Negotiator .. 49 ORDINARIES.

4 51 Starting Ability Scores .. 51 Hit Points .. 51 Action 51 Class Features .. 51 Advanced Classes .. 51 51 Challenge Ratings .. 51 Heroic GM Characters .. 51 FEATS .. 52 Feats .. 52 SKILL BASICS .. 60 Getting 60 Using Skills .. 60 Acquiring Skill Ranks .. 60 Skill Checks .. 60 Difficulty Class .. 60 Opposed 60 Trying Again .. 60 Untrained Skill Checks .. 61 Favorable and Unfavorable 61 Time and Skill Checks .. 61 Tools .. 61 Checks without Rolls .. 61 Taking 10 .. 61 Taking 20 .. 61 Aiding Another .. 61 Skill 62 Ability 62 Modifier Types and Stacking .. 62 SKILLS I .. 63 Skill Descriptions .. 63 SKILLS II .. 74 SPECIAL ABILITIES .. 85 EQUIPMENT BASICS .. 88 On-Hand 88 Restricted Objects .. 88 Purchasing a 88 The Black 88 Requisitioning 88 Mastercraft Objects.

5 89 Concealed Weapons and Objects .. 89 Living in Luxury .. 89 Carrying Capacity .. 90 EQUIPMENT (GENERAL) .. 91 General 91 Equipment Tables .. 91 Bags and Boxes .. 91 91 Computers and Consumer Electronics .. 92 Surveillance Gear .. 92 Professional Equipment .. 92 Survival Gear .. 93 Weapon Accessories .. 93 Bags and Boxes .. 93 Clothing .. 93 Computers and Consumer 94 Professional Equipment .. 96 Survival Gear .. 98 Weapon Accessories .. 99 Lifestyle .. 100 101 EQUIPMENT (WEAPONS AND ARMOR) .. 102 Weapons .. 102 Handguns .. 104 Longarms .. 105 Heavy Weapons .. 107 Other Ranged Weapons .. 107 108 Explosives and Splash 108 Explosives and Splash Weapons 109 Grenades and Explosives .. 110 Splash 111 Simple Melee Weapons .. 112 Archaic Melee 112 Exotic Melee Weapons.

6 113 Improvised Weapons .. 113 Armor .. 114 Armor Table .. 114 EQUIPMENT (VEHICLES) .. 117 Vehicles .. 117 Civilian 117 Civilian Cars .. 117 Civilian Motorcycles .. 117 Civilian Trucks .. 118 Civilian Water 118 Other Civilian Vehicles .. 118 Military Vehicles .. 118 Civilian 118 Civilian Cars .. 118 Civilian Motorcycles .. 119 Civilian Trucks .. 119 Civilian Water 120 Other Vehicles .. 120 Military Vehicles .. 120 122 Combat Statistics .. 122 Hit Points .. 123 Speed .. 123 Saving Throws .. 124 124 124 Actions in Combat .. 124 Action 125 Attack Actions .. 126 Move Actions .. 126 Full-Round Actions .. 127 Miscellaneous 128 Use Feat, Skill, or Talent .. 128 Attacks of Opportunity .. 128 Movement and Position .. 128 Flanking .. 129 5 Combat Modifiers.

7 129 Special Initiative Actions .. 131 Special 131 VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND 137 Collisions and 140 Fighting from Vehicles .. 141 Attack Options .. 142 Damaging Vehicles .. 142 Repairing 143 CREATURE OVERVIEW .. 144 144 Type .. 144 Defense .. 144 Natural 145 Manufactured Weapons .. 145 145 146 Skills .. 146 Feats .. 147 Advancement .. 147 Acquiring a Character 147 CREATURE TYPES .. 149 Aberration .. 149 150 Construct .. 150 151 Elemental .. 151 152 152 152 Magical 153 Monstrous 153 Ooze .. 154 154 Plant .. 155 Undead .. 155 Vermin .. 156 CREATURES .. 157 Ape .. 157 Bat .. 157 Bear .. 157 Bugbear .. 157 Cat .. 158 158 158 158 Ferret .. 159 Fiend .. 159 Flesh Golem .. 160 161 Gnoll .. 161 Goblin .. 161 Hawk .. 162 Herd 162 Horse.

8 162 Invisible Stalker .. 162 163 Medusa .. 163 164 Monkey .. 164 Monstrous Flytrap .. 164 Monstrous 165 Mummy .. 166 Ogre .. 167 Owl .. 167 Puppeteer .. 167 168 Raven .. 168 Replacement (Template).. 168 Robot .. 169 169 Skeleton (Template).. 169 Snake .. 170 Terrestrial Effluvium .. 171 Tiger .. 171 Toad .. 171 Tooth Fairy .. 171 Troglodyte .. 172 Troll .. 172 Vampire (Template).. 173 Werewolf (Template).. 174 Wolf .. 176 Wyrm .. 176 Zombie (Template) .. 177 Researching Creatures .. 177 Creature Weaknesses .. 177 Source 178 FX BASICS .. 180 Spells .. 180 Casting a Spell .. 180 FX 180 How to Read a Spell 182 183 Level .. 183 Components .. 183 Casting 183 Range .. 184 184 Effect .. 184 Area .. 185 Duration .. 185 Saving Throw.

9 186 Spell Resistance .. 186 Descriptive Text .. 187 The Spell s 187 Spell 187 Arcane Spells .. 187 Preparing Arcane Spells .. 187 Arcane Magical 187 Divine 187 Preparing Divine Spells .. 187 Divine Magical 187 Psionic 187 Manifesting a Power .. 188 Power Points .. 188 How to Read a Power 188 Key 188 188 Level .. 188 188 Manifestation 188 Range .. 188 6 Target, Effect, 188 Saving Throw .. 188 Power Resistance .. 188 Power Point 188 Descriptive Text .. 189 Power Failure .. 189 SPELLS .. 190 Spell Descriptions .. 191 210 How to Read a Power Description .. 210 Power Failure .. 210 New Feat .. 210 Power 210 Power Descriptions .. 211 FX ITEMS .. 219 Using FX Items .. 219 Size and FX Items .. 219 Limit on FX Items 219 Saving Throws against FX Items.

10 219 FX Item Saving Throws .. 219 FX Item Descriptions .. 219 Armor .. 219 220 221 Rings .. 221 Scrolls .. 222 Staffs .. 222 222 Wands .. 223 Wondrous Items .. 223 DEPARTMENT-7 .. 225 LEGAL INFORMATION .. 226 7 This material is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License THE BASICS Dice Notation These rules use the following die notations: d4 = four sided die d6 = six sided die d8 = eight sided die d10 = ten sided die d12 = twelve sided die d20 = twenty sided die d% = percentile dice Die rolls are expressed in the format: [#] die type [+/- modifiers] Example: 3d6+2 means: "Roll 3 six sided dice. Add the result of the three dice together. Add 2." Rounding Fractions In general, if you wind up with a fraction, round down, even if the fraction is one-half or larger.