Post Modern: Rules Changes

Explicit Omissions

There are a few pieces of the d20 Modern ruleset that Post Modern explicitly omits from the set of standard rules to be used while running a Post Modern game. They are as follows:

  1. The entirety of the 'FX' subsystem of rules, which pertains to the use of magic in a modern setting. There is no magic in Post Modern.
  2. All fantasy-derived creatures listed within the 'Creatures' section of the d20 Modern SRD. Non-human humanoids, fey, fairies, etc, do not exist in Post Modern
  3. All armor and weapons listed in the 'Equipment' section of the d20 Modern SRD are obsolete, and not generally available to the public. They are replaced by the equipment that is listed in the Equipment section of the Post Modern rules.

Changes to Existing Classes

Dedicated Hero

The Dedicated Hero can add the Cybernetic Surgery feat to the list of available Bonus Feats they may take.

New Classes

(info here soon. maybe.)

Changes to Existing Skills

Profession (Wis)

See "The Profession Check", under "Changes to the Wealth System", below.

Additional Skills

(info here soon. maybe.)

Changes to Existing Feats

Burst Fire

Additional Feats

(info here soon. maybe.)

Changes to Combat Rules

Massive Damage

In addition to the typical effects of massive damage, when massive damage does occur, there is a chance that the damage will permanently damage the character, requiring either cybernetic or genetic modification in order to bring back full functionality.

Any time a character fails their save against massive damage, roll a d100, and consult the following table to see if a permanent injury occurs:

d100 RollResult
01-75normal Massive Damage effects
76-85normal Massive Damage effects and loss of one arm
86-95normal Massive Damage effects and loss of one leg
96-100normal Massive Damage effects and loss of a random organ

In cases where the result is the loss of a random organ, consult the following table to determine which organ:

d100 RollResult
01-05loss of one eye
06-10loss of both eyes
11-15loss of hearing in one ear
16-20loss of hearing in both ears
21-30loss of heart function
31-40loss of lung function
41-50loss of liver function
51-60loss of kidney function
61-70loss of stomach function
71-80loss of pancreas function
81-90loss of intestinal function
91-100loss of spleen function

Additional Combat Rules

Changes to the Wealth System

Losing Wealth

Any time a character purchases an object or service with a purchase DC higher than his or her current Wealth bonus, or one with a purchase DC of 15 or higher, the character's Wealth bonus goes down. How much the Wealth bonus is reduced depends on how expensive the object is.

Object or Service Purchase DCWealth Bonus Decrease
1-5 points higher than current Wealth bonus1 point
6-10 points higher than current Wealth bonus1d3 points
11-15 points higher than current Wealth bonus1d6 points
16 or more points higher than current Wealth bonus2d6 points

Along with this loss, any time a character buys an object or service with a purchase DC of 15 or higher, the character reduces his or her current Wealth bonus by an additional 1 point.

A character's Wealth bonus only goes down if he or she successfully buys an object or service. If the character attempts to buy something and the check fails, his or her Wealth bonus is unaffected.

Temporary Wealth Bonuses

There are times when a character will be awarded a Temporary Wealth Bonus. This does not increase a character's wealth permanently. Instead, it grants a bonus to the character's wealth for a single purchase. Thus, such bonuses do not give a long-term increase in wealth to a character, but they may help make it possible to purchase particular pieces of expensive equipment or services.

Temporary Wealth Bonuses can be held onto and used at any time that the character wishes. They may also be stacked together to form a single larger bonus. However, when applying multiple Temporary Wealth Bonuses to a single purchase, the total Temporary Wealth Bonus may not exceed +5.

A Temporary Wealth Bonus is only used up if a character successfully buys an object or service. If the character attempts to buy something and the check fails, the Temporary Wealth Bonus is unaffected.

The Profession Check

As in d20 Modern, characters in Post Modern make a Profession check when they gain a new level. This check results in gaining wealth based on the proficiency of a character in their chosen profession.

However, in Post Modern, there is a minor addition to the rules for the Profession check. If a character has at least 1 rank in any Craft skill, they may make a check against that skill in an attempt to grant a bonus to their Profession check.

In order to make a Craft check in an attempt to grant a bonus to a Profession check, a character must have the equipment and facilities required to actually perform that craft. The DC of the check is 10 plus the character's current Wealth. If the check succeeds, the character is granted a +2 bonus to their Profession check.

If a character has ranks in more than one Craft skill, they may make more than one Craft check to try to grant a bonus to a Profession check. The bonuses granted by multiple successes stack. However, a character can only make as many Craft checks to grant a bonus to a Profession check as their character level. (i.e. 1 at level 1, 2 at level 2, etc)