The fourth Supplementary Rulebook, the Ultimate Games Designer's Companion has landed on my desk, and a real heavyweight it is too! This tome has been designed to be a reference and encyclopaedia of rules for the d20 System, allowing gamers to put together unique scenarios, campaigns, and even full blown RPGs together quickly and easily, utilising the plug and play nature of the d20 System to the full. This will be of great interest to players looking to take their characters beyond the main rules, Games Masters wanting to inject something really different into a campaign and Games Designers (fledgling and otherwise) who want mto have a crack at building a new d20 System RPG. All genres are covered, from fantasy, through modern, and on to science fiction.
The Ultimate Games Designer's Companion has been designated 100% Open Game Content, allowing you to use whatever bits and pieces you wish!
This book is jam-packed with new ideas and new rules, so I'll just give a summary of the various headings here;
Chariots
A complete system to introduce chariot racing and combat to RPGs.
Chases
Ever run into the situation where the players give chase to the enemy and you find they all have the same base speed? These rules will give you everything you need to resolve exciting chases, whether it is on foot, horseback or starfighter!
Nautical Travel
Full rules for taking to the ocean waves, getting lost and facing mutiny.
Nautical Battles
And then, of course, you have to fend off the pirates. . .
Vehicles
Whether you are looking to model horse-drawn carts, modern cars or immense star-faring battleships, these vehicle rules scale well between characters and craft, while avoiding endless complexity. A version of these rules was certainly good enough for the Babylon 5 RPG!
Alchemical Elixirs
A range of nonmagical but potent mixtures.
Dwarven Craftsmanship
Including rules for blacksmithing and stoneworking, this is for the times when masterwork just does not cut it.
Poison Manufacture
For both Games Masters and players interested in exploring darker tools, a complete system for creating poisons, magical and otherwise.
New Skills
Generating a new range of skills is one of the core tasks of developing a new d20 System RPG - this (large) chapter gives a range of new skills covering multiple genres, allowing you to literally bolt together a new skill list.
New Uses for Old Skills
And, of course, there are those times when players want to do something that is not completely covered by existing rules. This chapter gives plenty of options on how to handle such tasks, as well as provide new angles for game design.
Trap Construction
A comprehensive system that allows the creation of quick and dirty traps, to be used by players and Games Masters alike.
Aerial Combat
While fast-paced jet aircraft and space combat rules are best handled with the Vehicles chapter, these rules will allow players to take to the skies on airborne mounts.
Called Shots
Adapted from the Quintessential Fighter, Called Shots will allow players to aim for specific locations on an enemy without making any core changes to the d20 System.
Cinematic Combat
One of my favourite chapters - a guide to making combat a lot more exciting in your games, with rules for Critical Fumbles, Dramatic Pacing, Improvising Weapons and much, much more.
Firefights
Whether it is with blackpowder weaponry or fully automatic laser rifles, using ranged weapons beyond simple bows can often cause problems for games designers - several new rules for handling aiming actions, rapid firing weapons and stray shots are detailed here. Plug and play firearms for your new game!
The Grim-n-Gritty Hit Point and Combat System
Needs no introduction, I think!
Jousting
Got a proud fighter or paladin in the party? Bored with just making attack rolls during jousts? There is a plug and play system for you to use in tournaments right here!
The Open Mass Combat System
Again from the Quintessential Fighter, the Open Mass Combat System has gone on to be used in Seas of Blood, the Rookie's Guide to Block Wars and the Slaine RPG, demonstrating its versatility for all genres. All the relevant rules needed for games design are included in this chapter, allowing you to create mass battles between warring Greeks or star-spanning empires with equal ease, without getting bogged down in rules.
Merchants and Trading
Fancy an Elite-style campaign, or perhaps your players have just picked up a few tons of commodities? A complete trading system is provided.
Panache
For when Dramatic Combat is just not enough! Fight with style! We used these rules in our office campaign recently, and they certainly add an extra edge. . .
Personality Traits
Quick and easy to use rules for giving advantages and benefits to your character to reflect his personality. Be warned though, as personality defects can surface at the most inopportune times. . .
Reputation
A complete system that can either be bolted onto an existing campaign or be made as a core mechanic in a new RPG, Reputation lets you know exactly who the big cheese in town is and what effects he has on those around him.
Social Combat
Entering high society and need a mechanic to reflect the cutting remark and withering comment? Not fast enough with the repartee yourself that you feel your character can perform effortlessly? This chapter has everything you
need.
Book and Libraries
A set of rules that will allow you to grade every library or database in your campaign world, as well as provide the tools needed to allow players to access vital information or perform much needed research.
Combat Locations
Not a set of rules for striking at arms and legs, but rather rules that provide Games Masters with the ability to conduct combat in adverse conditions such as slippery surfaces, varying gravity, harsh glare, while climbing and many others.
Hideouts and Secret Locations
Players or NPCs need to lie low for a while? A complete system to handle hideout creation and avoiding its discovery.
Tournaments and Tourneys
Need a break between scenarios? A complete set of rules for running a fair, together with plenty of options for players to test their mettle in an altogether less fatal way.
Town Guards and Policemen
Whether you want to model the local militia, the LAPD or the state's Thought Police, these rules allow you to quantify the abilities of a police force or other law agency, as well as define their capability to react to disturbances (caused by the players, no doubt).
Underwater Adventuring
Covering changes in senses, movement, combat and spellcasting, this is the definitive set of rules for taking scenarios and campaigns beneath the surface. . .
Damage Reducing Armour
Fancy trying a system that means armour actually reduces damage, rather than making you harder to hit? Fancy a system that does this without changing _any_ other d20 System rule, permitting you to insert it into any d20 game?
This is the one for you!
Drinking
It happens in most campaigns - the players challenge the local Dwarves to a drinking contest (or each other). All the rules you need to handle this are provided in this chapter.
Fishing
Just a one page set of rules, but it will allow players to compete with one another at the side of a river while they camp. . .
Training Animals
An advanced set of rules for making your pets far more useful. Usually.
Terrain Adaption
To round off this book, we have also included the Quintessential Druid web enhancement, previously cut from the main book due to space, permitting Druids to be located in any type of terrain.
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