Ultramodern Firearms d20
By Dave McAlister • Feb 23rd, 2008 • Category: ReviewsThe best ever RPG gun resource is back! Chameleon Eclectics original Ultramodern Firearms was a marvel of research and illustration. Now author Charles Ryan, fresh from his work on the Wheel of Time RPG and d20 Modern for Wizards of the Coast, has revisited Ultramodern Firearms and updated it for the d20 System. The text is written for gamers, not gun enthusiasts, so it is clear, well-organized, and easy to use, focusing on the features, advantages, and uses of over 300 weapons and sights. Over 200 precise illustrations complete the package. Ultramodern Firearms is an indispensable resource for any contemporary d20 game.
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Dave McAlister is a dedicated geek, combining his enjoyment of roleplaying games with website design and runs UK Role Players. Dave has been roleplaying for almost 25 years now, having played and/or run most mainstream systems. His current favourite though is Savage Worlds. Dave also likes talking about himself in the third person!
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Design
Ultramodern Firearms d20 is a hardback book comprising 160 pages. The cover is simple and uncomplicated with a colour image of some weaponry and ammunition on the front and an image of rows of weapons on the back, while the interior is printed on non-glossy paper. Almost every weapon listed within has a black and white image (those that don’t have an image are, in the majority of cases, similar in appearance to one those already presented). Finally, new rules are presented in an easy to digest manner adding to the view that the presentation and layout is of a very high standard.
Content
With a title of “Ultramodern Firearms d20″ it is fairly obvious as to its likely content. Divided into seven chapters (Pistols, Submachine Guns, Assault Rifles, Rifles, Shotguns, Machineguns, and Ammunition) with three appendices (Glossary, Weapons in Use, and d20 Game Statistics) the relevant information is easy to find.
In addition to the chapters, there is the Introduction, which serves to explain the purpose of the supplement in greater detail as well as exposing the majority of misconceptions regarding firearms (especially silenced weapons - my personal bugbear). Following this are additions to the d20 Modern rules system including a simple conversion to the damage value which makes allowance for those who which to use the supplement with the vitality point/wound point damage system (such as Star Wars and Spycraft). Also included are ten new feats for use with firearms.
At the end of the introduction is the Features Index. This handy table allows you, as player or GM, to see, at a glance, how weapons compare with each other in categories such as silenced, concealable, large magazine, common, and inexpensive.
Each chapter, apart from Ammunition, opens with two or three pages detailing how that particular type of weapon works, in layman terms, as well as supplemental rules for use with d20 Modern. Following this are the details of individual weapons, ordered by manufacturer. Each weapon follows a similar layout, detailing the weapon name (followed by different version names), calibre, length, weight, magazine capacity and type, a descriptive paragraph or two, d20 Modern rules for use (if applicable) and a stat block. The stat block provides the standard information required for play: damage, critical range, damage type, range increment, rate of fire, size, purchase DC and restriction.
The Ammunition chapter opens with four pages detailing the different types of ammunition available, and even provides outline images (at 1:1 scale) allowing players to understand just how big some of these rounds are (the .50 Browning rifle round might scare a few people!). Like the other chapters, it also contains some rules that supplement those presented in the d20 Modern rulebook.
Of the appendices, perhaps the most useful is Weapons In Use. This appendix lists individual countries further split by Service (army, police, special forces, etc) and details their primary weapons. This sort of information is a boon to the average GM in that it allows levels of realism to be maintained.
It must be said that, in a small number of cases, the information appears to be contradictory to real life experiences. Perhaps this is to be expected as converting something a complex as weaponry into game statistics can be a very subjective experience. Regardless, barring these very small contradictions, the information provided contains everything you need to use the weapons in your games.
Overall
An extremely well written supplement, Ultramodern Firearms d20 will be of instant use to all d20 Modern players. Its price compares favourably with its main competition (Spycraft’s Modern Arms Guide) and the addition of the damage conversion rule will no doubt be of interest to Spycraft players. Finally, the hardback format is a boon and will ensure that heavy use won’t shorten the shelf life of the supplement.