D20 Past
Encyclopedia
d20 Past is a d20 based role-playing game
released by Wizards of the Coast
in 2005 as a supplement to d20 Modern
, providing a framework and new rules for campaigns set any historic settings from the Renaissance
to World War II
, including new character options and rules for early modern firearms. It begins with an exploration of the historical period between around 1450 and 1950, then provides rules for creating characters and campaigns that blend realism and fantasy. d20 Past also presents alternative campaign models, along with all the rules needed to play swashbuckling pirate adventures, Victorian horror investigations, thrilling Pulp Era escapades, and more, including three ready-to-play campaign modules.
Further period background information was made available as a Web Enhancement
and society
. The concept was introduced in d20 Future
, to describe both the level of technology in the campaign as well as the technology levels of other species comparative to the human one. They are similar to the Tech Levels in GURPS
. Progress levels of six and higher were studied in d20 Future, with the default d20 Modern setting encompassing progress level five. In d20 Past, two progress levels are available: Progress level three (the age of reason) and progress level four (the industrial age).
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
released by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
in 2005 as a supplement to d20 Modern
D20 Modern
d20 Modern is a roleplaying game designed by Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, and Charles Ryan. It was published by Wizards of the Coast in November 2002, and uses the d20 System...
, providing a framework and new rules for campaigns set any historic settings from the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including new character options and rules for early modern firearms. It begins with an exploration of the historical period between around 1450 and 1950, then provides rules for creating characters and campaigns that blend realism and fantasy. d20 Past also presents alternative campaign models, along with all the rules needed to play swashbuckling pirate adventures, Victorian horror investigations, thrilling Pulp Era escapades, and more, including three ready-to-play campaign modules.
Synopsis
The book itself is divided into an introduction and five chapters:- Chapter One -How Real Is Your Past?- being a short essay on the different views on history and a discussion of the different modes of playing historical games.
- Chapter Two -Rules Components- provides player and games master with the specific new rules and deviations from established Modern rules for a historic setting.
- Chapter Three -Age of Adventure- provides d20 fantasy in a swashbucklerSwashbucklerSwashbuckler or swasher is a term that emerged in the 16th century and has been used for rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen ever since. A possible explanation for this term is that it derives from a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was applied with much...
setting. - Chapter Four -Shadow Stalkers- does the same thing to a setting combining elements from Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
, H.P. Lovecraft and the American Wild West. - Chapter Five -Pulp Heroes- is the third setting provided, it enables the player to be a more contemporary hero and take on anything from Nazi's or King KongKing KongKing Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
to J. Edgar HooverJ. Edgar HooverJohn Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
's F.B.I..
Further period background information was made available as a Web Enhancement
Progress Levels
According to Wizards of the Coast a Progress Level (PL) is an indication of the state of technology that exists in a particular society or Progress Levels are arbitrary measurements of how advanced a culture is, based on developments in technologyTechnology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. The concept was introduced in d20 Future
D20 Future
d20 Future is an accessory for the d20 Modern role-playing game written by Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker. It facilitates the playing of campaigns in the far future, using elements such as cybernetics, mecha, mutations, robotics, space travel, starships, and xenobiology...
, to describe both the level of technology in the campaign as well as the technology levels of other species comparative to the human one. They are similar to the Tech Levels in GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
. Progress levels of six and higher were studied in d20 Future, with the default d20 Modern setting encompassing progress level five. In d20 Past, two progress levels are available: Progress level three (the age of reason) and progress level four (the industrial age).