TEXT: MODERNIZED
  gaming in the modern world
  MODER NIZED
  0
  7
  08>
  $0.00US $0.00CAN
  ﬁn.
  
  First Impressions
  First-time visitors to Morgan  & 
  Associates 
  receive 
  the 
  immediate 
  impression 
  that 
  this 
  establishment 
  has been around for a long time. The 
  exterior is built from weather-worn red 
  brick, and is almost entirely covered by 
  creeping ivy. A sign out front of the shop, 
  also showing its age, is printed with the 
  name of the establishment and the image 
  of a lit candle above a book. Although 
  the shop could be located anywhere 
  throughout the world, it seems more 
  appropriate for it to be located amidst 
  a maze of winding side streets or in a 
  similarly out-of-the-way place.
  The building’s front door is made from 
  thick and solid oak and is therefore quite 
  stout (Hardness 6, 30 hit points). All 
  of the interior doors are nearly as solid 
  (Hardness 5, 20 hit points). While the 
  windows are an obvious weak point, the 
  ones on the ground ﬂoor are protected 
  by iron bars (Hardness 10, 30 hit 
  points each) and all of them are wired 
  to an alarm (DC 25 Search or Spot to 
  notice, DC 25 Disable Device check to 
  deactivate). Lana is the only person who 
  has the front door key and the code for 
  the alarm.
  The store’s overt business is selling 
  books; the shop specializes in the 
  subjects 
  of 
  history, 
  anthropology, 
  religion, philosophy and language. 
  Should a customer be looking for a text 
  that the store does not have, Lana is also 
  willing to take on the assignment of ﬁnding a particular 
  title.
  The Grand Tour
  Refer to the map of the bookstore for each of the 
  following locations.
  1. Front Room
  The primary feature of this small room, just inside the 
  front door to the building, is the counter cash register 
  where business is conducted. There are also a couple 
  of small bookstands with recently acquired texts, along 
  with a bulletin covered with ﬂyers and pamphlets. 
  Should anyone be interested to ﬁnd out, there is 
  generally about $1000 in the cash register.
  The next few areas in the store are section devoted to 
  particular topics. Outside of the table and chairs in the 
  middle of Area 6, there is little more than bookshelves 
  and books in these areas.
  2. Philosophy
  3. Anthropology
  4. Religion
  5. History
  6. World Languages
  7. Restrooms
  These rooms provide the usual features. Area 7a is 
  the men’s room, while 7b is the ladies’ room.
  8. Storage
  At ﬁrst glance this area contains little of interest; 
  shelves on the walls to the left and right of the door 
  hold cleaning supplies, extra tape for the cash register, 
  and similarly mundane items. However, the inside wall 
  of the room has a secret door (DC 21 Search or Spot 
  to notice) that provides entrance to the hidden staircase 
  on the other side.
  9. Hidden Staircase
  These stairs provide access to the upstairs level by 
  way of Lana’s private library, as well as to the lower 
  level. Note that the door to the basement is the only one 
  that is plainly visible.
  10. Master Bedroom
  Furnishings in this area include a queen-size bed, a 
  chest of drawers and a dressing table. Hidden in the 
  back left corner of the top dresser drawer is Lana’s 
  extra key to the basement door (DC 18 Search check 
  to locate).
  11. Private Library
  In addition to the bookshelves that line the walls 
  in here, the room also boasts a writing table with a 
  personal computer and a ﬁling cabinet. The computer 
  is equipped with a scanner and a high-speed modem. 
  Contained in the ﬁling cabinet are all of the business 
  records for the bookstore. Both of these items are 
  protected from snooping; the computer requires a DC 
  21 Computer Use check to hack into it, while the ﬁling 
  cabinet requires Lana’s key or a DC 21 Disable Device 
  check.
  The books on the shelves here are mostly of a 
  mundane nature; while there are a few that deal with 
  the occult, most of Lana’s private collection is kept in 
  the basement.
  12. Guest Bedroom
  This room contains a bed and chest of drawers, both 
  of which are kept clean but empty unless a guest is 
  present.
  Morgan & Associates, Booksellers
  by Nate Christen
  
  13. Kitchen
  Outside 
  of 
  normal 
  trappings—a sink, gas stove, 
  dishwasher, 
  refrigerator, 
  microwave, kitchen table and 
  chairs—this area contains little 
  of interest.
  14. Pantry
  Anyone entering this area 
  who succeeds at a DC 5 
  Knowledge: connoisseur check 
  immediately recognizes that 
  Lana enjoys good food and 
  good wine; it is well stocked 
  with plenty of each.
  15. Bathroom
  Outside of the fact that it 
  boasts an old-fashioned, deep, 
  claw-footed bathtub, there is 
  nothing unusual to be found 
  here.
  16. Balcony
  A waist-high railing surrounds 
  the outside edge of this area. 
  The door to the kitchen has 
  the same stats as the building’s 
  front door, described above.
  17. Open Room
  Lana does her teaching in this 
  area, using it for lectures and 
  demonstrations. It also serves 
  for group meditation when 
  necessary. The surrounding walls are decorated with 
  various types of mystical artworks including Indian 
  mandalas, medieval alchemical diagrams and the like.
  18. Meditation Room
  When Lana or one of her students is looking for 
  private meditation, this area serves the purpose. The 
  room is fairly soundproofed, so Listen checks to hear 
  things on the opposite side of the door are made at a 
  –5 penalty. A small table in the room holds an incense 
  burner, various types of incense and a box of matches.
  19. Reading Area
  For those who have an interest in the arcane, this 
  area is probably the most interesting. Nearly the entire 
  collection of books that Lana has assembled is kept 
  here; it details an amazing variety of subjects related to 
  magic and the occult. In game terms, anyone looking 
  to research an arcane spell of ﬁrst- through fourth-level 
  can ﬁnd the necessary information here.
  20. Utility Room
  The building’s furnace and water heater are located 
  here.
  GM Characters
  Unless she is away on business, Lana can usually be 
  found on the ground level during business hours (9:00 
  am to 9:00 pm, seven days a week). At any given time 
  she is likely to have one employee who is also present, 
  although she’ll bring in a second when she’s away, 
  during the holidays or for other special occasions.
  Lana Morgan is an attractive woman in her early 
  thirties. She has black hair and green eyes. Her normal 
  dress is equal parts business casual and comfortable 
  academic; she normally has a couple of pencils tucked 
  
  Lana Morgan (Female Smart Hero 3/Occultist 7): 
  CR 10; Medium human; HD 3d6+7d4; Hp 27; Mas 10; 
  Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 16, touch 16, ﬂat-footed 
  15 (+5 class, +1 Dex); BAB +4; Grap +4; Atk +4 (1d3, 
  unarmed), or +5 (ranged); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; 
  SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +10; AP 10; Rep +2; Str 10, 
  Dex 12, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 14.
  Occupation: Academic (class skills: description).
  Skills: Computer Use +13, Concentration +13, Craft: 
  visual art +9, Craft: writing +9, Decipher Script +18, 
  Diplomacy +8, Forgery +13, Knowledge: art +10, 
  Knowledge: history +16, Knowledge: occult +19, Read 
  Ancient Greek, Arabic, German and Latin, Research 
  +18, Search +13, Speak Arabic and German.
  Feats: Creative (Craft: art and writing), Educated 
  (Knowledge: history and occult), Extend Spell, Iron 
  Will, Occult Abjuration, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, 
  Still Spell, Studious.
  Talents: Savant (Knowledge: occult) and Exploit 
  Weakness.
  SQ: Order Membership, Rank.
  Possessions: Palm pilot, keys to the bookstore, 
  bookstore.
  Spells: (6/7/7/5/2) All cantrips; hypnotism, identify, 
  mage armor, magic weapon; fox’s cunning, locate 
  object, misdirection, obscure object; dispel magic, 
  haste, nondetection, suggestion; lesser globe of 
  invulnerability, remove curse.
  into her hair and a few books under one arm.
  Curious and friendly are two words that aptly describe 
  Lana, as beﬁts someone in her line of work. She is 
  equally comfortable hobnobbing at a social function or 
  sitting down with a stack of texts for hours of research. 
  Her interest in arcane matters began at a very young 
  age, since both her mother and father were practicing 
  occultists. Lana studied under their tutelage until she 
  was twenty-two, when they were killed in a tragic 
  accident. Since then she has taken over the family 
  business and continues to study on her own, and has 
  even begun to take on a few students.
  Generally, when she is approached by someone 
  with an interest in the occult who is looking for some 
  training, puts that person through a short series of tests. 
  These might include research assignments and similar 
  tasks, intended to determine whether the individual 
  in questions has the knowledge and commitment 
  necessary to pursuing arcane study. (These assignments 
  can be simulated by requiring two DC 16 Research 
  checks and three DC 18 Knowledge: occult checks.) 
  If the candidate meets with her approval, that person 
  is given an invitation to come for an after-hours lesson 
  along with her other students. Those students whom 
  she ﬁnds to be particularly trustworthy are sometimes 
  offered jobs and the bookstore.
  While the student-employees vary greatly in 
  description and background, they are all of a friendly if 
  rather bookish personality.
  Using Morgan & Associates in Adventures
  A few ideas for including Lana Morgan and her 
  bookstore and occult school in Modern adventures 
  include the following.
  - First of all, any occultist or other arcane spellcaster 
  might study under Lana at lower levels.
  - The heroes, as part of a search for an arcane relic, 
  might head to the bookstore in search of a particularly 
  obscure occult text. While Lana is hesitant at ﬁrst to 
  deal with them, she changes her mind when members 
  of a dangerous secret society raid the store in an effort 
  to steal the book for themselves.
  - Alternately, Lana might start using her occult magic 
  for an evil purpose; the heroes are called upon to 
  inﬁltrate he school and expose her dark practices.
  - Similarly, a rival occultist might frame Lana in a 
  series of grisly murders; it is up to the heroes to ﬁnd 
  the evidence needed to clear her name.
  - When new evidence is found concerning the deaths of 
  her parents, Lana might call upon the heroes to help her 
  uncover the truth of the matter.
  Typical Employee/Student (Smart Hero 3/Occultist 
  2): CR 5; Medium human; HD 3d6+2d4; Hp 17; Mas 
  10; Init -1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 11, touch 11, ﬂat-
  footed 11 (+2 class, -1 Dex); BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk 
  +3 (1d3+1, unarmed), or +1 (ranged); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +6; AP X; Rep 
  +1; Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 14.
  Occupation: Student (class skills: description).
  Skills: Computer Use +8, Concentration +8, Craft: 
  writing +8, Decipher Script +10, Diplomacy +6, 
  Forgery +8, Knowledge: art +8, Knowledge: history 
  +8, Knowledge: occult +15, Knowledge: popular 
  culture +10, Research +12, Search +8.
  Feats: Educated (Knowledge: occult and popular 
  culture), Silent Spell, Still Spell, Studious.
  Talents: Savant (Knowledge: occult), Exploit 
  Weakness.
  SQ: Order Membership.
  Possessions: Cell phone.
  Spells: (6/5) All cantrips; hypnotism, identify.
  
  - One of Lana’s students, while experiment with a book 
  of rituals that are too difﬁcult for him, accidentally 
  unleashes a powerful and evil creature into the city. 
  Only by tracking the beast to its unwitting summoner 
  and doing some research can the heroes discover how 
  to defeat it.
  New Advanced Class - The Occultist
  Occultists practice a tradition of mystical arts that are 
  known to the uninitiated as magic.  Knowledge is the 
  bread and butter of their craft; their quest is always to 
  gain more information regarding the mystic properties 
  of the world around them. Altruistic occultists use their 
  powers to help themselves and others; those who are 
  not so moral often try to gain power over those around 
  them. Whereas priests are generally free to practice 
  their faith openly in their cultures, occultists are usually 
  forced to keep their practices a secret.
  Requirements
  Knowledge (occult): 6 ranks.
  Special: The character must be initiated as 
  a member of some occult organization.
  Hit Die: 1d4
  Action Points: Occultists gain a number 
  of action points equal to 5 plus one half 
  their character level, rounded down, every 
  time they advance a level.
  Class Skills
  Alchemy (Int), Bluff (Cha), Decipher 
  Script (Int), Knowledge: history (Int), 
  Knowledge: occult (Int), Knowledge: 
  theology and philosophy (Int), Listen 
  (Wis), Research (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), 
  Treat Injury (Wis).
  Skill Points per Level: 5 + Int modiﬁer.
  Class Abilities
  Spellcasting
  Occultists do not prepare their spells, but cast them 
  spontaneously. They are limited in the number of spells 
  that they know, however; each occultist begins play 
  knowing all of the 0-level spells, and learns two more 
  with each level gained. (This reﬂects the long hours of 
  research and ritual practice undertaken by the Occultist 
  while not adventuring.) Additionally, Occultists may 
  learn spells from the notes of others on a successful 
  Knowledge: occult check, with the DC equal to 10 
  + the spell’s level. Should this check fail, it may be 
  retried once the Occultist has gained a class level.
  Occultists gain the usage of a certain number of 
  spells per day according to the following table.  
  Additionally, Occultists gain bonus spells according to 
  their Intelligence scores.
  Order Membership
  This ability functions in the same manner as that 
  of the Holy Warrior. Because of the secrecy usually 
  maintained by occult societies, Occultists are not 
  generally encouraged to seek quarter for their comrades, 
  although it is permitted.
  Rank
  Occultists also gain the Rank special ability, just as 
  Holy Warriors do, except that it can be used to recruit 
  smart heroes and other Occultists.
  Bonus Feats
  Occultists may select their bonus feats from the 
  following list: Alertness, Craft Minor Item, Dodge, 
  Educated, Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, 
  Heighten Spell, Iron Will, Low Proﬁle, Maximize 
  Spell, Occult Abjuration, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, 
  Spell Penetration, Still Spell.
  The Occultist Advanced Class
  Spells Per Day
  Level
  BAB
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  Def
  Rep
  0
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  1st
  +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Order Membership, Bonus Feat
  +1
  +0
  6
  3
  -
  -
  -
  -
  2nd
  +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  +1
  +0
  6
  6
  -
  -
  -
  -
  3rd
  +1
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Bonus Feat
  +2
  +0
  6
  6
  3
  -
  -
  -
  4th
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  +2
  +0
  6
  6
  6
  -
  -
  -
  5th
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Rank, Bonus Feat
  +3
  +1
  6
  6
  6
  3
  -
  -
  6th
  +3
  +2
  +2
  +5
  +3
  +1
  6
  6
  6
  6
  -
  -
  7th
  +3
  +2
  +2
  +5
  Bonus Feat
  +4
  +1
  6
  6
  6
  6
  3
  -
  8th
  +4
  +2
  +2
  +6
  +4
  +1
  6
  6
  6
  6
  6
  -
  9th
  +4
  +3
  +3
  +6
  Bonus Feat
  +5
  +2
  6
  6
  6
  6
  6
  3
  10th
  +5
  +3
  +3
  +7
  +5
  +2
  6
  6
  6
  6
  6
  6
  
  New Skill - Knowledge: occult (Int)
  This skill replaces both Spellcraft and Knowledge: 
  arcane in the Treasure Hunter campaign.
  Check: Use this skill to identify an occult artifact, 
  recognize a spell cast by another occultist, learn a new 
  spell or recall information regarding the history of a 
  particular occult society.
  Try again? No. Until the situation has changed 
  signiﬁcantly (usually either by gaining an additional 
  clue, seeing a spell used again or gaining another rank 
  in the skill), Knowledge: occult checks cannot be 
  retried. 
  Time: Knowledge: occult checks are either a reac-
  tion or a full-round action.
  
  What Are Action Maneuvers?
  Action Maneuvers represent actions 
  that characters don’t require speciﬁc 
  training to attempt. Just like an exotic 
  weapon, a character can use an action 
  maneuver without being proﬁcient with 
  it, incurring a -4 nonproﬁciency penalty 
  to their rolls.  Characters can also take 
  a feat (Action Maneuver Proﬁciency) 
  to negate this penalty for an individual 
  maneuver.
  Action Maneuver Format
  What you need
  This will list the conditions that need 
  to be met for you to pull off the action 
  maneuver.  
  Roll
  The skill or save used to pull off the 
  action maneuver, and the Difﬁculty 
  Class of the roll.  All rolls made to 
  perform action maneuvers incur a -
  4 nonproﬁciency penalty unless the 
  character has the Action Maneuver 
  Proﬁciency feat.
  Time
  The length of time it takes to pull off 
  the action maneuver (free action, move 
  action, attack action, or full-round 
  action)
  Pulling it off
  What happens when you succeed at 
  your roll to pull off the maneuver.
  Screwing it up
  What happens when you don’t succeed at your roll to 
  pull off the maneuver.  Usually results in humiliation.
  Special
  Any other special circumstances, modiﬁers, factors, 
  or other things to note about the action maneuver.
  When to use it
  Some advice on using the action maneuver in-game.
  Wall-Running
  A martial arts movie favourite, this maneuver is all 
  about running along a vertical surface as though it were 
  the ground itself.  When you have no ledge to stand on, 
  and you have to cross a gap, being able to use a wall as 
  a runway is an invaluable skill.  It is also a good way to 
  prove to others that gravity is your bitch.
  What you need
  A vertical surface, with two horizontal surfaces as 
  your starting and ﬁnishing points.
  Roll
  Balance check (DC 25). The GM can use his 
  discretion to modify the DC based on the quality of 
  the surfaces used for the wall-run.  A GM of a more 
  cinematic campaign might opt to keep the DC static, 
  while the GM of a more gritty campaign might consult 
  the Climb skill description for DC modiﬁers based on 
  the type of surface.
  Time
  Move action.
  Pulling it off
  Move a distance equal to your ground speed along a 
  vertical surface.
  Screwing it up
  If you fail the Balance check by 5 or less, you fall 
  Prone at the starting point of the wall-run.  If you fail  
  the Balance check by more than 5, you fall Prone 
  somewhere between your starting point and your 
  destination (this can have disastrous consequences 
  depending on the situation). You may make a Climb 
  check to catch yourself from falling from a failed wall-
  jump attempt (see the Climb skill for more).
  Special
  You may move to higher or lower ground by wall-
  running.  If the destination is higher than the starting 
  point, for every 5ft higher, increase the Balance DC 
  by 2.  You may wall-run straight up.  If the destination 
  is lower than the starting point, for every 5ft lower, 
  decrease the Balance DC by 2.  You may not wall-run 
  straight down (this is called “falling”)
  When to use it
  The applications of this maneuver are obvious.  If your 
  progress is ever impeded by having no surface to walk 
  on, you might be able to use a wall or other vertical 
  surface to overcome the obstacle.  Wall-running can 
  also make a fast alternative to climbing.
  Wall Stunts
  by David S. Gallant
  modern action maneuvers
  prove to others that 
  gravity is your bitch
  
  Wall-Jumping
  A popular stunt from martial arts movies involves the 
  actors scaling huge barriers simply by leaping between 
  two surfaces.  By moving fast enough and jumping 
  back and forth between two walls, it is possible to 
  climb incredible distances in a short period of time.  
  Naturally, it is more dangerous than climbing, but it 
  looks way cooler than wearing that groin-pinching 
  climber’s harness.
  What you need
  Two vertical surfaces that are no less that 2ft apart 
  and no more than 20ft apart.  It helps to not be afraid of 
  heights or falling.
  Roll
  Jump check (DC 25). The GM can use her discretion 
  to modify the DC based on the quality of the surfaces 
  used for the wall-jump.  A GM of a more cinematic 
  campaign might opt to keep the DC static, while the 
  GM of a more gritty campaign might consult the Climb 
  skill description for DC modiﬁers based on the type of 
  surface.
  Time
  Move action or full-round action (see below)
  Pulling it off
  You may move a vertical distance equal to your 
  speed as a full-round action.  You may move up to half 
  that distance as a move action.  If you fail the Jump 
  check by 5 or less, you fall Prone.  If you fail the Jump 
  check by more than 5, you fall and take falling damage 
  based on the height you were trying to reach (as well 
  as becoming Prone).  You may make a Climb check 
  to catch yourself from falling from a failed wall-jump 
  attempt (see the Climb skill description for more).
  Screwing it up
  If you fail the Jump check by 5 or less, you fall Prone. 
  If you fail the Jump check by more than 5, you fall 
  and take falling damage based on the height you were 
  trying to reach (as well as becoming Prone).  You may 
  make a Climb check to catch yourself from falling 
  from a failed wall-jump attempt (see the Climb skill 
  for more).
  Special
  You may attempt “accelerated wall-jumping” which 
  allows you to move a vertical distance equal to twice 
  your speed as a full-round action (or a distance equal to 
  your speed as a move action).  Attempting accelerated 
  wall-jumping confers a -5 penalty to the Jump check 
  (this stacks with the -4 nonproﬁciency penalty).
  When to use it
  If you fail the Jump check by 5 or less, you fall Prone. 
  If you fail the Jump check by more than 5, you fall 
  and take falling damage based on the height you were 
  trying to reach (as well as becoming Prone).  You may 
  make a Climb check to catch yourself from falling 
  from a failed wall-jump attempt (see the Climb skill 
  for more).
  Wall-Leap Attack
  Surviving in melee combat requires any advantage 
  you can muster. Why should you let a wall get in your 
  way? By springing off the wall towards your opponent, 
  you can add the strength of your leap to the damaged 
  of the attack.
  What you need
  A vertical surface (typically a wall) and an opponent, 
  both adjacent to you on opposite sides.
  Roll
  Jump check (DC 15). This is rolled concurrently 
  with a melee attack roll. The attack roll receives a -4 
  penalty. The Action Maneuver Proﬁciency (wall-leap 
  attack) feat does not negate the attack roll penalty.
  Time
  Attack action.
  Pulling it off
  If both rolls are successful, 
  then you have made a successful 
  melee 
  attack 
  against 
  your 
  opponent. Your attack deals 
  additional damage based on 
  your Jump check.
  When 
  the 
  maneuver 
  is 
  resolved, you fall Prone unless 
  you make a Tumble check (DC 
  10).
  Screwing it up
  If either the attack roll or the Jump check fails, you 
  fall Prone.
  When to use it
  If you’re surrounded by walls, why not use them to 
  your advantage?  This maneuver is ideal when ﬁghting 
  an opponent one-on-one.
  Jump
  check
  Bonus
  damage
  15-19
  +2
  20-24
  +4
  25-29
  +6
  30-34
  +8
  35+
  +10
  
  New Advanced Class - The Stunt Specialist
  This advanced class for modern d20 games focuses 
  on perfecting action maneuvers and increasing their 
  usefulness.  Stunt Specialists are most common in the 
  ﬁlm industry, where their ability to pull impressive 
  stunts often ﬁnds them gainful employment.  There are 
  always a few intrepid individuals who use these skills 
  out in the real world.
  Requirements
  Skills: At least 6 ranks each in at least two of the 
  following skills: Balance, Jump, Tumble.
  Feats: At least one Action Maneuver Proﬁciency
  Hit Die: d6
  Action Points: 7 + one-half the character’s level, 
  rounded down, every time the character attains a new 
  level in this class.
  Class Skills
  Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Knowledge 
  (current events, physical sciences, popular culture) 
  (Int), Perform (act, dance) (Cha), Profession (Wis), 
  Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
  Skill Points Per Level: 3 + Intelligence 
  modiﬁer
  Class Features
  Action Talent
  At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, you 
  may select a talent from the following 
  talent tree.  No talent can be selected more 
  than once unless expressly indicated.
  Action Maneuver Proﬁciency: You gain the Action 
  Maneuver Proﬁciency feat for an action maneuver 
  of your choice.  You may select this talent multiple 
  times.
  Action Maneuver Mastery:  Choose an action 
  maneuver with which you are proﬁcient.  You gain 
  a +2 bonus to checks made to pull off that action 
  maneuver.
  You may take this talent multiple times.  Each time, 
  you may select another action maneuver or increase the 
  bonus to an action maneuver by an additional +2.
  Cool By Fate: Whenever you spend an action point 
  to modify an action maneuver check, you may add an 
  additional 1d6 to the dice rolled.
  Prerequisite: Action Maneuver Proﬁciency in at least 
  three different action maneuvers.
  Special: If you have the Action Boost feat, you may 
  add an addition 1d8 instead of 1d6.
  Impossible Recovery: On a roll of 1 on an action 
  maneuver check, you may spend an action point to 
  reroll the check.  You must take the second result.
  Incredible Recovery: On a failed action maneuver 
  check, you may spend an action point to reroll the 
  check.  You must take the second result.
  Prerequisite: Impossible Recovery.
  Showboater: Whenever you roll a 20 on an action 
  maneuver check (and succeed at pulling off the action 
  maneuver), you gain a permanent +1 to your Reputation 
  score.  Whenever you roll a 1 on an action maneuver 
  check, you gain a permanent –1 penalty to your 
  Reputation.  You only gain these bonuses or penalties 
  when your efforts are witnessed by at least three 
  others (your GM should use discretion in determining 
  whether an “audience” is appropriate enough to affect 
  your Reputation).
  Professional Stuntperson:  You gain a +1 bonus 
  to Profession (stuntperson) checks for each action 
  maneuver you are proﬁcient with.
  Prerequisite:  At least one rank in Profession 
  (stuntperson)
  Bonus Feats
  At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, you gain a bonus 
  feat. The feat must be selected from this list, and you 
  must meet any prerequisites.
  Acrobatic, Athletic, Action Boost, Action Maneuver 
  Proﬁciency, 
  Combat 
  Reﬂexes, 
  Combat Throw, 
  Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Elusive Target, 
  Focused, Lightning Reﬂexes, Mobility, Spring Attack, 
  Unbalance Opponent.
  New Feat - Action Maneuver Proﬁciency
  You have learned how to properly pull off a certain 
  action maneuver (congratulations!).  
  Beneﬁt:  Choose one action maneuver.  You no 
  longer take a –4 nonproﬁciency penalty to checks 
  made to pull off this action maneuver.
  Normal:  You take a –4 nonproﬁciency penalty 
  on checks made to pull off an action maneuver.
  The Stunt Specialist Advanced Class
  Level
  BAB
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  Def
  Rep
  1st
  +0
  +0
  +2
  +0
  Action Talent
  +1
  +1
  2nd
  +1
  +0
  +3
  +0
  Bonus Feat
  +2
  +1
  3rd
  +1
  +1
  +3
  +1
  Action Talent
  +2
  +1
  4th
  +2
  +1
  +4
  +1
  Bonus Feat
  +3
  +2
  5th
  +2
  +1
  +4
  +1
  Action Talent
  +3
  +2
  6th
  +3
  +2
  +5
  +2
  Bonus Feat
  +4
  +2
  7th
  +3
  +2
  +5
  +2
  Action Talent
  +4
  +3
  8th
  +4
  +2
  +6
  +2
  Bonus Feat
  +5
  +3
  9th
  +4
  +3
  +6
  +3
  Action Talent
  +5
  +3
  10th
  +5
  +3
  +7
  +3
  Bonus Feat
  +6
  +4
  
  Future Armors
  by Shane O’Connor
  personal protection in the ages to come
  Each new age of the future is deﬁned 
  by the technologies it introduces. 
  Inevitably, almost every new technology 
  is widely applied to the art of warfare. 
  Advancements in fusion, gravity, and 
  energy weapons create a need for 
  greater defense. In response to this, new 
  materials and techniques are discovered 
  in order to make stronger and more 
  protective armor… for vehicles.
  Every era of the future introduces new 
  forms of mechs and starships, each with 
  a bewildering new array of armors and 
  gadgets that can be used to increase their 
  ability to protect their operators. But what 
  about the people who operate without a 
  vehicle? If powerful substances such as neutronite or 
  neovulcanium can be developed to protect a mecha or 
  a starship, so why can’t it be made into a suit of armor 
  for an individual as well?
  Now it can. This article takes the mecha and starship 
  armors presented in the Future d20 rules and adapts 
  them for personal use. Each of these is a suit of armor 
  meant for a single person to wear, and follows all of the 
  armor rules laid out in the Modern System Reference 
  Document. Give yourself the same defensive options 
  available to starships and mecha by using these future 
  armors. 
  Progress Level 5
  Duraplastic Breastplate
  This single piece of hardened polymer represents 
  the cutting edge of lightweight body armor for the 
  Information Age. Lighter than similar armors, it also 
  provides less ﬂexibility
  Alumisteel Suit
  Designed for greater comprehensive protection than 
  the tactical vest, this armor comes with a large vest 
  of alumisteel to protect the torso, along with separate 
  pieces for the wearer’s upper and lower arms and legs.
  Alloy Armor
  Made from the same material as space shuttles, this 
  is nothing less than a modern version of plate mail. It 
  is usually worn by soldiers who must blaze a trail into 
  extremely hostile terrain.
  Armor
  PL
  Size
  Type
  Equipment 
  Bonus
  Nonprof. 
  Bonus
  Max Dex 
  Bonus
  Armor 
  Penalty
  Speed 
  (30ft)
  Speed 
  (20ft)
  Weight
  Purchase 
  DC
  Restriction
  Duraplastic Breastplate
  5
  Light
  Tactical
  +3
  +1
  +5
  -2
  30
  20
  5 lbs.
  15
  Lic (+1)
  Alumisteel Suit
  5
  Medium
  Tactical
  +6
  +2
  +2
  -4
  20
  15
  25 lbs.
  17
  Lic (+1)
  Alloy Armor
  5
  Heavy
  Tactical
  +10
  +3
  +0
  -10
  15
  10
  60 lbs.
  20
  Res (+2)
  Polymeric Shirt
  6
  Medium
  Tactical
  +4
  +2
  +4
  -2
  25
  15
  20 lbs.
  15
  Lic (+1)
  Resilium Defensive Wear
  6
  Medium
  Tactical
  +5
  +2
  +3
  -3
  20
  15
  30 lbs.
  16
  Lic (+1)
  Vanadium Covering
  6
  Heavy
  Tactical
  +7
  +3
  +2
  -6
  15
  10
  40 lbs.
  18
  Lic (+1)
  Duralloy Plate
  6
  Heavy
  Tactical
  +9
  +3
  +0
  -8
  15
  10
  50 lbs.
  20
  Lic (+1)
  Deﬂective Suit
  7
  Light
  Tactical
  +2*
  +1
   +4
  -2
  30
  20
  10 lbs.
  19
  Res (+2)
  Cerametallic Armor
  7
  Light
  Tactical
  +4
  +1
  +4
  -1
  30
  20
  5 lbs.
  17
  Lic (+1)
  Neovulcanium Gear
  7
  Powered
  Tactical
  +9
  +3
  +0
  -9
  15
  10
  55 lbs.
  20
  Lic (+1)
  Crystal Carbon Covering
  7
  Heavy
  Tactical
  +9
  +3
  +0
  -7
  20
  15
  45 lbs.
  21
  Res (+2)
  Neutronite Aegis
  7
  Powered
  Tactical
  +7
  +3
  +1
  -6
  20
  15
  55 lbs.
  16
  Lic (+1)
  Ablative Vest
  7
  Light
  Concealable
  +5
  +1
  +5
  -1
  30
  20
  2 lbs.
  18
  Lic (+1)
  Reactive Armor
  8
  Medium
  Tactical
  +6
  +2
  +2
  -4
  25
  15
  22 lbs.
  17
  Lic (+1)
  Nanoﬂuidic Suit
  8
  Heavy
  Tactical
  +8
  +3
  +2
  -5
  20
  15
  30 lbs.
  21
  Res (+2)
  Megatanium Juggernaut
  8
  Powered
  Tactical
  +12
  +4
  +0
  -12
  20
  15
  85 lbs.
  24
  Mil (+3)
  * +6 versus energy attacks
  
  Progress Level 6
  Resilium Defensive Wear
  This armor is essentially a suit of light combat armor 
  with resilium alloy replacing the interior armor. It does 
  not, however, include a helmet.
  Polymeric Shirt
  This shirt is made of carbon-ﬁber polymers, covering 
  the wearer’s torso and arms. Specially-weakened 
  polymers in the shoulders and elbows allow almost all 
  of the wearer’s upper body to be protected by a single 
  piece of armor, allowing for decent mobility without 
  requiring multiple parts.
  Vanadium Covering
  Interlocking plates of vanadium cover the wearer’s 
  torso, limbs, and head. Lighter polymeric materials 
  are used for the joints, granting the wearer full-body 
  protection.
  Duralloy Plate
  Much like alloy armor, this is a total-body covering 
  of extremely thick armor, meant to offer extreme 
  protection. It is slightly lighter than alumisteel, allowing 
  for even greater freedom of movement and ﬂexibility.
  Progress Level 7
  Cerametallic Armor
  A simple torso and helmet combination, cerametal 
  armor offers excellent protection against most attacks, 
  while still being relatively light and cheap.
  Deﬂective Suit
  A deﬂective suit is composed of shiny polymers, 
  formed into a hooded shirt and pants that are worn over 
  clothes. The suit is tight but stretchy, so it always hugs 
  the wearer’s form. Deﬂective armor is highly resistant 
  to energy, but offers relatively poor protection against 
  physical damage.
  Neovulcanium Gear
  This suit of powered armor is made of neovulcanium, 
  granting it extreme protection.  The cost of this 
  protection is the sacriﬁce of a high degree of mobility. 
  Crystal Carbon Covering
  Crystal carbon is a substance that is as nearly as 
  hard as diamond.  It is as strong as neovulcanium 
  while being lighter to carry. Because a suit of crystal 
  carbon covering must be specially “grown” for the 
  person wearing it, it is extremely expensive and hard 
  to acquire. This armor has the ultralight composition 
  gadget.
  Neutronite Aegis
  The Neutronite Aegis is the standard in tough 
  armor for the Gravity Age. This powered suit offers 
  considerable protection, at the cost of a moderate loss 
  of speed, all at a reasonable price.
  Progress Level 8
  Ablative Vest
  An ablative vest is amazingly thin; it’s little more than 
  a silvery, stiff shirt, and is easily worn under clothing 
  to conceal itself. It offers an incredible amount of 
  Strength of the Future
  Looking over the new armors listed here, you may 
  realize that, in terms of statistics, armors from one 
  Progress Level are relatively the same as another. A 
  Vanadium Covering, for example, doesn’t seem that 
  much different than a Neutronite Aegis. However, given 
  that the latter armor was developed in the future from 
  the former, shouldn’t it clearly offer better protection?
  In regards to weaponry from previous eras, it does. 
  When weapons from a lower PL than a suit of armor 
  are used against it, the wearer gains DR X/--, where X 
  is the different in their Progress Levels. For example, 
  while wearing a Nanoﬂuidic Suit (PL 8), you would 
  have DR 2/-- against damage from a Laser Pistol (a 
  PL 6 weapon). When a weapon from a certain PL is 
  used against armor from a lower PL, the weapon gains 
  a circumstance bonus to the attack roll equal to the 
  difference between their Progress Levels. For example, 
  someone using a Laser Pistol against a target wearing 
  a Duraplastic Breastplate (PL 5), would have a +1 
  circumstance bonus to their attack roll.
  If you’re using FX in your game, then consider 
  altering the above rules slightly. Magic (or psionics) 
  transcend the limits of the physical universe, and make 
  it possible for even a primitive weapon to penetrate a 
  powerful armor (or for a weak armor to resist a futuristic 
  weapon). When using FX, armors of a higher PL than 
  an attacking weapon gain DR X/magic. Likewise, 
  weapons of a higher PL than the armor they’re attacking 
  do not gain the circumstance bonus to the attack roll 
  if the armor has an enhancement bonus. Fantasy d20 
  weapons and armor are all Progress Level 2. Natural 
  weapons and unarmed strikes are PL 0.
  Archaic Items and Pricing
  All of the new armors listed here are either tactical or 
  concealable. However, for characters from planets or 
  times with more advanced technology, they’re relics. 
  For characters of a given Progress Level, any item 2 or 
  more Progress Levels lower than their native PL should 
  be considered archaic.
  The Future d20 rules suggest that, for items from a 
  lower PL than the current Progress Level, a cumulative 
  -2 should be applied to the item’s Purchase DC. 
  However, that doesn’t reﬂect the rarity of these older 
  items. When new technologies are developed, obsolete 
  ones are quickly abandoned, and such items become 
  harder to ﬁnd. If you wish to emphasize that ﬁnding 
  items from a lower PL is difﬁcult, you should instead 
  add +2 to the Purchase DC of an item for each PL lower 
  it is than the current Progress Level.
  
  protection, particularly for covering such a small area.
  Reactive Armor
  Reactive armor consists of a cerametal chest plate 
  and helmet, along with arm and leg guards, that have a 
  tightly-compressed gas injected into small gaps in the 
  material.
  Nanoﬂuidic Suit
  This full-body armor is composed much the same 
  way reactive armor is; overlapping plates of neutronite 
  have a gel (actually tens of trillions of nanites) inserted 
  between them. The nanites cushion blows and move 
  with the wearer, boosting ﬂexibility.
  Megatanium Juggernaut
  The megatanium juggernaut is the ﬁnal word in 
  protection. Composed of two layers of neovulcanium 
  with a ferromagnetized layer of crystal carbon between 
  them allow for a level of defense that leaves the wearer 
  all but invulnerable. Because the lightweight crystal 
  carbon materials are magnetized, they work to offset 
  the weight of the neovulcanium. This armor has the 
  ultralight composition gadget. 
  
  In modern games that have arcane 
  matters as their subject, magic items 
  are bound to happen.  Sometimes it is 
  a rare sword that one uses to dispatch 
  undead, or a holy relic of some sort.  d20 
  Modern has some interesting ideas on 
  how to bring mystically-driven modern 
  items into your games.  Here is just 
  an example of modern items with an 
  eldritch appeal.  
  Spitting Vipers
  The Spitting Vipers were a pair of 
  handguns crafted in Romania, sometime 
  around the turn of the twentieth century. 
  Cornellius Araskova was an enterprising 
  Romanian Baron who had two speciﬁc 
  problems. The ﬁrst was that he had a 
  neighboring Baron who was ruthless in 
  his acquisition of more land for his ﬁef. 
  The second was that within his borders, 
  Araskova’s people were being preyed 
  upon by a vampire coven.  Araskova began 
  to tinker with an idea that would help 
  him eliminate both enemies in one swift 
  stroke.  Using engineering and technical 
  skills he had learned while attending 
  some of the most prestigious schools 
  in the West, as well as generations-old 
  mystic techniques known by his people, 
  Araskova produced a line of ﬁrearms 
  beyond anything that currently existed.  
  He named his creations the Araskova 
  Vipers.  Called the Spitting Vipers by 
  those that saw them, the Vipers are 
  pistols about the size of a sub-machine 
  gun.  They are most often seen in pairs, though they 
  may be encountered singularly on very rare occasions. 
  They are composed of a dull gray metal, inscribed 
  with arcane marks and bearing what looks like serpent 
  scales near the barrel.  
  Shortly after their creation, Araskova gave several 
  Vipers to the lord of the vampire coven in exchange for 
  amnesty towards his people.  As part of the bargain, the 
  vampire lord promised to wipe out the enemy Baron 
  and his forces.  Araskova never told the vampire that, 
  while the Vipers were designed to give the unholy 
  night creatures a tactical advantage over the superior 
  forces of the Baron, they were also designed to destroy 
  the vampires who used them in the process.  In the end, 
  both of Araskova’s enemies obliterated each other in 
  a bloody skirmish, leaving Araskova satisﬁed with his 
  victory.  He governed benignly for several years until 
  he was assassinated. The last remaining pair of the 
  Vipers was stolen around the same time.  
  The Vipers are ornate, large caliber pistols that have 
  a hand guard and some incredible ﬁligree along the 
  surface.  They always come in pairs.  There does not 
  appear to be any trigger to speak of near the handle, 
  and holding them by the barrel reveals little in the 
  way of how they operate. The handles contain a coiled 
  spike that springs from the handles into the wrist of the 
  holder: anyone gripping the Vipers by the handle must 
  make a Reﬂex save (DC 12) or suffer 1d4 points of 
  piercing damage.   Those that fail their Reﬂex save and 
  get stung by the handle must then make a Will save (DC 
  12) to “cast down” the pistol and throw it away.  If the 
  person chooses not to let go (by voluntarily failing both 
  saves), the weapon will keep the barb in the person’s 
  wrist long enough to establish a “relationship” with its 
  new host.  From this point on, the “host” can ﬁre the 
  Vipers by thought alone so long as he is holding them.
  At this point, the true nature of the Vipers becomes 
  apparent.  The weapons can never be separated from 
  their “host” for more than ten feet except by way of 
  a remove curse spell.  Any attempt to separate them 
  further will cause them to instantly teleport to the master. 
  The host must also carry them as a set, as leaving one 
  behind will have the same effect.  Once the host has 
  held onto the weapons, he instantly and permanently 
  loses 1d6 hit points; the price of ownership.  
  The weapons do not use standard ammunition to ﬁre. 
  Instead there is a large spike directly under the barrel. 
  Loading the weapon requires the host to ram the pistols 
  into the body of an enemy.  
  The host must make a successful grapple check 
  against an opponent and then a successful melee 
  touch attack (all of 
  this requires a full-
  round action which 
  provokes an attack 
  of 
  opportunity).  
  Once 
  both 
  rolls 
  are successful, the 
  Vipers start draining 
  blood and life force 
  Mythitech
  by Walt Robillard
  modern magic items
  Spitting Viper
  Damage: 2d8
  Critical: 20/x2
  Damage Type: Ballistic
  Range Increment: 40 ft
  Rate of Fire: S, A, Scatter
  Magazine: Special
  Size: Medium
  Weight: 4 lbs
  Purchase DC: Not for Sale
  Restriction: N/A
  
  from the victim.  The gun drains 1d4 hp from the victim 
  this round and each following round where the wielder 
  succeeds on a Grapple check.  The Vipers store every 
  point of hp they drain and use it to craft malevolent 
  ammunition.  The pair of Vipers have a joint pool of 
  hit points (max. 30 hp); ﬁring a Viper in any one of its 
  three attack modes uses 1 hp. 
  Variable attacks:  The Vipers have three attack modes: 
  single shot, full auto, and scatter shot (20ft cone, Reﬂex 
  save DC 15 for half damage).  The weapon deals 2d8 
  damage.   Switching attack modes is a free action.
  Vampric Ammo:  The Vipers are cursed in a sense 
  that they require blood to operate.  If the reservoir run 
  dry, they either have to be reﬁlled or can run off of 
  the host.  If the Viper’s hp pool is depleted, they may 
  use the host’s hp.  If the Vipers drop the host to 0 hp, 
  they continue to drain the host until he dies.  At death 
  the Vipers will mystically disconnect from the host and 
  can be claimed by anyone.  
  The Vipers will remain “loaded” indeﬁnitely so long 
  as they are connected to a host or they have hp in their 
  pool. Should the Vipers run dry, the host will have 
  to make a Will save (DC 18) to avoid “plugging” an 
  opportune target to reﬁll the Viper’s resevoir.
  The Vipers can also heal their host.  As an attack 
  action, the host may expend up to 5 hp from the Viper’s 
  pool to heal the same amount.
  Caster Charms
  On tour in the late nineteen nineties, Erica Dane, Pop 
  Star extraordinaire, was promoting her latest album.  
  Famous for her wild rhythms and fusion of multiple 
  musical styles, Dane composed the way some people 
  breathe.  A natural in the realm of her chosen profession, 
  her true skills lie in her deepest secret, kept long away 
  from the eyes of the public.  Erica was a sorceress.
  While visiting some of the local shops in Italy, Erica 
  came across a new type of charm bracelet.  The bracelet 
  appeared much like a modern men’s watch: links of 
  metal joined together by elasticized clips.  Each link 
  could be easily inserted or removed. They created an 
  elegant looking bracelet with all the novelty of charm 
  jewelry, while remaining sleek enough to be worn to 
  any affair.  
  Erica had a clever idea and began to experiment with 
  her new found jewelry.  After several attempts, Erica 
  managed to create a charm bracelet that stored spells 
  much in the same manner as mystic scrolls or tattoos.  
  Each charm link can be scribed by the mage to contain 
  one spell per link.  
  Erica had a life in which the press hounded her every 
  moves.  It is difﬁcult to escape their watchful eye.  Erica 
  has thus stacked her personal bracelets (she wears two) 
  with mostly escape and evasion type spells in order to 
  ensure her privacy.  
  The Caster Charm bracelets were initially crafted by 
  Erica but she has secretly contracted several enterprising 
  young mages to scribe them en masse.  She sells normal 
  un-magicked ones under the banner of a company that 
  she owns by way of various dummy corporations.  The 
  world at large knows that the company that sells Caster 
  Charm Bracelets is the trendiest seller of this type of 
  jewelry in the United States.  Those in the know who 
  want to obtain bracelets that have been “charmed,” 
  must do so through back door channels.  
   Activating a link on a caster charm works in the same 
  way one would operate a mystic tattoo.  Once the spell 
  is expended, the image on the link disappears.  
  Some sample links follow.
  Link of Spiderclimb
  The wearer can climb on vertical surfaces and 
  ceilings for 30 minutes.  The wearer gains a climb 
  speed of 20 feet and need not make a climb check to 
  scale a surface.  The wearer cannot take run actions 
  for the duration of the effect.
  Type: Wondrous Item
  Caster Level: 3rd
  Phantom Watchdog Link
  You can summon a spectral creature to guard an 
  area where it was summoned. It is visible to only the 
  caster.  It will last for 2 hours or until discharged. 
  If the animal attacks an intruder it will last for one 
  round per caster level.  It will cover an area of 40 feet 
  and the wearer can move up to a hundred feet away 
  from the area.
  Type: Wondrous Item
  Caster Level: 7th
  Link of Invisibility
  The wearer vanishes from sight, even from Dark 
  Vision.  The invisibility lasts for three minutes.  All 
  the usual caveats and disadvantages to the invisibility 
  spell still apply.
  Type: Wondrous Item
  Caster Level: 3rd
  
  Mythic Heroes
  by Frank J. Eastman
  15 on the d20 scale
  “Mythic Heroes” is a 25 page rules 
  supplement from BadAxe Games LLC, 
  for use with games of the d20 System.  At 
  the outset, it centers around incorporating 
  the “Hero’s Journey” of Joseph Campbell 
  fame to d20 role playing; adding a new 
  system by which the traditional heroic 
  archetypes can be utilized and realized 
  within the game system itself.  At the 
  core, however, “Mythic Heroes” is very 
  much about the “Action Points” concept 
  and its mechanical implementation into 
  the game.  Those familiar with BadAxe 
  Games most likely know of them 
  through one of their ﬂagship products; 
  “Grim Tales”, a pulp sword and sorcery 
  campaign toolkit which also includes and 
  introduces the “Action Point” mechanic.  
  Likewise, Action Points are a part of the 
  d20Modern Role Playing game and the 
  Eberron Campaign Setting for Dungeons 
  and Dragons.  Essentially, then, most of 
  the market for Mythic Heroes will have 
  at least heard of the Action Point concept 
  before now.
  Visually, Mythic Heroes is exemplary 
  of the BadAxe Games usual PDF styling. 
  Those who have read my reviews in 
  the past know that my personal taste in 
  aesthetics runs toward the austere, so 
  Mythic Heroes is right up my alley.  This 
  is the type of product those who enjoy 
  printing out their PDFs will appreciate, 
  as by stripping the cover and the end 
  advertisements from the print job will 
  produce an ink-conscious package.  The 
  cover and ﬁnal advertisement are full color, while the 
  interior of the product is entirely monochrome.  Text 
  is clean, standard two-column fare without borders or 
  speciﬁc illumination.  Section headings are off-set with 
  horizontal rules and little else.  Interior art is usually 
  rather large, on average 1/3 or 1/4 page, but all pieces 
  are evocative of a classic “Fantasy Novel” feel and 
  add quite a bit to the tone of the product.  The art, and 
  even the product itself, seems to contain no attribution 
  beyond artist’s marks on the works themselves.  
  The content of “Mythic Heroes” is split up into 
  four sections.  The introduction is about half a page 
  and describes somewhat the shared myth, the Hero’s 
  Journey, and what the product hopes to bring to the 
  game table.  The next section introduces the Action 
  Point mechanic as it is used in Mythic Heroes.  Mythic 
  Heroes’ Action Points are largely the same as those 
  found in Grim Tales, but for those without Grim Tales 
  this section can be a great resource.  If you are familiar 
  with the mechanic from other sources, be sure to read 
  this section carefully, as Mythic Heroes functions 
  somewhat differently from, say, D20 Modern.  Even for 
  those who own Grim Tales, Mythic Heroes introduces 
  a few new concepts to the mix, such as “Shadowed” 
  Action Dice.  What is especially nice in this section 
  is a bit on “Behind the Numbers”, explaining exactly 
  what the new dice concepts do to the averages.  While 
  not every GM may need or want to know these 
  numbers, it can be useful and is interesting if nothing 
  else.  Next is the “Mythic Campaign”, introducing the 
  seven Archetypes and the various “Mythic Gifts” they 
  receive as they advance in level.  The ﬁnal section is on 
  “Challenges”, alternate options for skills and combat 
  rolls that will allow characters to take advantage of the 
  larger numeric results they can obtain through the use 
  of Action Points, usually by taking a penalty to their 
  attempt for some additional beneﬁt should the attempt 
  succeed. 
  Of the 25 pages in Mythic Heroes, 19 contain product 
  text.  The other pages contain the cover matter, OGL, 
  and advertisements for other BadAxe Games products. 
  The Action Points mechanics themselves take up only 
  two and a half pages, with an additional half-page 
  devoted to new Action Dice concepts.  Nine pages 
  are devoted to “The Mythic Campaign”, including 
  explaining what the archetypes are, what the mythic 
  gifts they gain are, the archetypes themselves, and tables 
  showing the mythic progression of each archetype.  
  This is the “meat” of the product, and probably why 
  most people will purchase it (after all, if you just want 
  to add Action Points to a D&D game you can look 
  up the rules in the Modern SRD).  As a resource, this 
  section is very strong, and from the moment I read it 
  I’ve been wanting to include it in my next game.  (At 
  the same time, this section is the area of the product 
  I would have most liked to see improved.)  The last 
  section is on “Skill and Combat Challenges” and is 
  six pages long.  It includes rules for standard “Skill 
  Challenges”, as well as introducing Critical Failures 
  and Successes with skills (something found in Grim 
  Tales).  Speciﬁc skill challenges are included for many 
  skills, as well as speciﬁc penalties for critical failure.  
  The Combat Challenges section follows and takes up 
  only one half of the last page on challenges.
  If you’ve ever thought that an RPG “Adventuring 
   a new system by which the 
  traditional heroic archetypes 
  can be utilized and realized 
  
  Party” was too far removed from the heroes of a 
  story, then this is a product for you.  Instead of “a 
  well balanced party” including Tanks, Melee Damage, 
  Arcane Magic, Rogue Skills, and Divine Magic you 
  can create a give and play by introducing The Fated, 
  The Hero, The Oracle, The Trickster, and The Maiden. 
  Each archetype plays off of its traditional mythical 
  roles, which will be most familiar to fans of fantasy 
  literature (where these archetypes are quite visible).  
  The archetypes, however, are really rather core to 
  good storytelling, and as such they can ﬁt into ANY 
  genre (with just a touch of tweaking).  Almost all 
  of the Mythic Gifts have to do with special ways of 
  using Action Points:  The Hero, for instance, may use 
  Heroic Immunity to become immune to some special 
  attack of “The Enemy” for a few rounds by spending 
  one of his Action Points.  The Fated may use Reversal 
  of Fortune to spend an Action Point when he rolls a 
  Natural 1 to re-roll the die.  These abilities play into the 
  speciﬁc archetypes and create special party dynamics 
  where characters gain or lose Action Points based on 
  the actions of OTHER members of the party.  The 
  Trickster may place a bet on the success or failure 
  of another character’s check, or the Mentor becomes 
  stronger when attempting a skill with another character 
  to “show them the ropes”.  This will steer players 
  toward enacting their archetypes in-game.
  All is not roses and sunshine, however.  I feel that 
  the section on The Mythic Campaign is far too short. 
  While taking up 9 of 19 pages, 7 of those pages are 
  full-page tables detailing the progression and Mythic 
  Gift abilities of each archetype. One page is devoted to 
  mechanical considerations; “What is an archetype?”, 
  “What is a Mythic Gift?”, “Can there be more 
  than one of an archetype in a given party?”, etc etc.  
  Only a single page is devoted to DESCRIBING the 
  archetypes themselves; and this is where I think the 
  major oversight lays.  The archetype descriptions read 
  like notes passed down from cribbed lectures on Jung 
  and Joseph Campbell.  While technically accurate, and 
  outlining somewhat how to play each archetype, the 
  text is rather scanty and leaves quite a few questions. 
  If I weren’t already familiar with the material from a 
  misspent youth in graduate English I would probably 
  have difﬁculty assimilating the various archetypes into 
  my game.  I’d have liked to see some more writing 
  here on incorporating the archetypes into a game, on 
  using them in different genres, and how the archetypes 
  interact with one another.  What’s really missing here is 
  something on running a Mythic Campaign.  There are 
  no notes to the GM on how to prepare a campaign to 
  give it a “Mythic” feel.  The concept of “The Enemy” 
  is raised several times in the Mythic Gifts of various 
  archetypes, but the only real reference to it is contained 
  within The Hero’s description.  We all know that the 
  enemy is what the characters are challenging and 
  attempting to overcome ... just capitalizing it doesn’t 
  exactly suggest how to make the bad-guy Mythic.  
  Each of the archetypes are very genre-inspeciﬁc, 
  meaning that they could equally apply to any literary 
  tradition, but for one.  The author even felt it needful to 
  point out that in a campaign without a focus on magical 
  abilities, or not including magical abilities, The Oracle 
  will be inappropriate.  Of the twenty Mythic Gifts the 
  Oracle receives, eight directly relate to The Oracle’s 
  ability to use magic.  While almost half of the number 
  of gifts, I think an alternate progression could have 
  been created that focused on the Oracle’s ROLE but 
  not the Oracle’s class-related abilities.  As the “seer” 
  or voice of prophecy, The Oracle could be embodied 
  by a character with psychic abilities rather than 
  magical, or even a character prone to reliable hunches. 
  Additionally, while the text itself makes no mention 
  to BadAxe Games’ “Grim Tales”, the magic-focused 
  mechanics of The Oracle relate rather directly to how 
  magic functions in that game, rather than “general” 
  d20.  This leaves one archetype that may not ﬁt into 
  quite a few campaigns, for one reason or another, and 
  made the product feel a little lopsided.  I can come up 
  with an alternate progression myself (and already have 
  for a game), but it seemed to me a glaring difference 
  between that archetype and the others.  
  Action Points, as a mechanic, are one of my favorite 
  d20 mechanics, and the incarnation found in Mythic 
  Heroes is probably my favorite to date.  Mythic Heroes 
  suggests a real give-and-take relationship between the 
  Game Master and the Players, using Action Points as a 
  form of currency.  Normally, bad things “just happen” 
  to characters, but Mythic Heroes Action Points form an 
  underlying control surface for the GM to increase the 
  pressure a little ... for instance, a critical skill failure 
  isn’t just a random occurance of a 1 on the d20, but 
  “activated” by the GM by giving the player an Action 
  Point.  Thus the GM increases the character’s danger and 
  their challenges, while giving them the added ‘umph’ 
  to overcome those challenges.  Mythic Heroes takes 
  that idea even a step further by introducing ways for 
  the players themselves to move, trade, and steal Action 
  Points from one another during the game through their 
  chosen archetypes.  It makes for a very different, yet very 
  entertaining table experience.  While perhaps focused 
  the archetypes are really 
  rather core to good 
  storytelling 
  
  slightly on the “fantasy” genre, Mythic Heroes seems 
  to be equally suited to others.  The Space Opera genre, 
  for instance, often showcases very obvious archetypal 
  characters (Campbell even used Luke Skywalker, of 
  Star Wars fame, to illustrate many of his points of The 
  Hero’s Journey).  Crime Dramas often include Heros, 
  their Shadows, Tricksters, Mentors, and Maidens.  The 
  author even included “The Unfolding Myth”, allowing 
  characters to advance into other archetypes during 
  play, which can create the doggedly luckless anti-hero 
  of Noir fame (Hero/Fated) or the conﬂicted ronin of 
  chambara (Shadow/Hero).  
  While not perfect, I think Mythic Heroes is one of 
  those products with an extremely strong core that could 
  become a central resource for some gamers, used in 
  many different games spanning many different genres. 
  The mechanics are clean and easily strapped onto new 
  games or even existing games, and the added sense 
  of drama should appeal to many role players.  I give 
  Mythic Heroes a 15 on the d20.
  
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