A Matrix RPG

Has anyone heard anything in the works about a Matrix RPG? I was discussing this with a friend after seeing the movie and I can't help but think it is a brilliant idea and would be awesome to play. What do you guys think?

 

d20 Modern would likely be able to handle this without much effort.

 

Its what I was thinking, IM trying to work on something with it, I got a million ideas running through my head on making a Matrix like RPG using D20 Modern. I love having an imagination even though it goves me a headache at times.

 

I agree that D20 Modern would be the best bet for trying something like that.

 

Actually, Spycraft would be better for it. Spycraft characters are more suited for over-the-top action, and the classes have more special abilities.

But enough about me, let's talk about how quickly this thread will be shut down.

 

Ooh, I'll bite!

I'm giving it another day, at most.

 

But enough about me, let's talk about how quickly this thread will be shut down.

Nah, I'm inclined to let it go... it's not detracting from other SWRPG traffic...

And I was thinking of Spycraft as well, but the best thing to do, IMO, would be to combine d20 Modern with the Spycraft martial arts feats. Maybe it delves into it beyond the core Spycraft rulebook, but I didn't see anything in there that'd lend itself to the quasi-supernatural elements of the Matrix-world (not the "real" world, but the actual Matrix).

 

It would be interesting to see a system that can give its take on going in and out of the Matrix, heck I could see an entire sourcebook based on new details from a certain scene in Reloaded.

 

Hey, I'd be up for people in this thread wanting to write stuff up. I'm willing to help out...

 

Really cool idea. I wonder how the game would be able to write in certain abilities such as dodging bullets (granted, only Agents and Neo can do this) or jumping between buildings. Would they be class features, or would they be a condition of being freed from the Matrix? And then there's the training programs, allowing people to instantly learn martial arts, firearms, driving, and piloting skills. How would those things be written in. I would love to see a D20 interpretation of Neo's character or even Agent Smith.

 

dodging bullets and such could be a bonus feat for a class that is considered a 'free mind' and since you can download skills into your mind, all skills could be used untrained, even though you know how to do something doesnt make you good at it, so you would still need to spend skill points

 

If combat wasn't such a slow thing, GURPS would actually be ideal for this. (Sorry guys!)

Firstly, they have an Advantage in GURPS(like a feat, sort of) for Bullet Time - Accelerated Time Rate. Secondly, you would need essentially two characters. Why? 'Cause you have your own Thomas Anderson and Neo to play. The "real life" Anderson can't do half the stuff Neo can in the Matrix, so it's like having a 150pt character and an 800pt/1000pt Super. Furthermore, if you're doing d20 you'd need some way of representing the uploading/downloading of skills. In GURPS - you just select packages to match your mission criteria. You may download Lockpick, Piloting: Helicopter, and Driving: Sedan as your mission skill package to add to your Guns: EVERYTHING and Martial Arts skills. You can only add X number of skill points (in the case above, 200pts of mission based skills and Advantages/Disadvantages) to your "base" Matrix character.

If you were going to do it in d20 you'd need Epic levels and the like to do it properly. IMHO.
E_S

 

I agree, I don't think d20 can handle the "super" aspects of the Matrix. Maybe something based on a Super-Hero universe (something like the old Marvel system) can handle it better.

 

Well, I think you're wrong. I've already cooked up a way to run Matrix games in Spycraft.

Lose classes, and have a single "class" that every freedom fighter uses. Each level gives you a bonus feat, from any of the combat trees (basic, melee, ranged, unarmed).

While in the Matrix, you have a skill called Free (or something) that represents your ability to bend the Matrix. You can roll that to ignore the distance limit on the Jump skill (for those building-crossing jumps), or add a bonus to your Defense (to dodge bullets), or to take up to 10 feet of movement on a wall or other vertical surface.

As for uploading knowledge, each character is allotted a number of skill points each time he enters the Matrix. By spending an action die, the character can request a temporary bonus to one skill check and adds a certain number of those allotted skill points to a specific roll. It takes a full-round action to have knowledge uploaded and gain the bonus skill points.

Most everyone would play at 10th-18th level (though you could play less than 10th to represent stages of training), while levels 18-20 would be for Agents, the One, etc.

So, tell me again how you can't do it with d20?

 

What about max Skill ranks per level?



"Look behind you Moridin! Oh my god, look quick! You're missing it!"

//runs away

E_S

 

What about it? I'm not following you...

 

I could see something of a race template for the Matrix rpg campaign as well. Let's say those released from the Matrix are Pod-Born, and those born free on Zion are Zion-Born. Of course, the Pod-Borns would be the only "race" capable of entering the Matrix, but Zion-Born effectively function as Operators, which the Pod-Born Freedom Fighters naturally require. There could even be a non-human race template for computer programs within the Matrix, kinda like the Exiles.

 

Moridin, it was a joke...


An elaborate joke at that. And it failed significantly...


E_S

 

Agents would have to be powerfull. Possably a level cap of 20 for PCs and the agents and Neo would be 25-30. You would only need one character, unless the freedom fighters concentrate on their actions, they behave the same way inside the matrix as they would outside. They would be able to do this as long as they were not distracted (Neo on roof top and agent, first time Neo dodged bullets, got hit in arm and leg, lost concentration). They would have to role a wisdom check to enter this state and it would last for a number of rounds equel to 5+the number of points the check exceded the DC. The DC would be somewhere around 10+ 2 for every wound point lost. They would also get double or even triple vitality while in this focus. There would be a feat for dodge bullets, one problem, a requirement for the feat is 21 char level, which means only agents and Neo have it. Hmmm... thats all I can think of now.

 

A friend of mine cooked up a Matrix game using the DC Heroes system (the old Mayfair games version), and it worked pretty effectively. The only thing is that character creation is a real pain in the neck. We only played one test game, which had me doing a freeway chase similar to and inspired by the chase in the new Matrix movie. This was several months ago, but even then there was enough talk about that freeway scene to know about it.

 

MMMM GURPS......

First time i've seensomeone else mention it here, and it's a great system, capable of handleing almost anything, as long as you don't mind rolling a few extra dice. I could see a matrix/GURPS campaign.

 

Mwahahaha! I have enter the Matrix, and can therefore try to help on this.

The skill to bend, twist, break and otherwise hack the Matrix would be known as Focus. When a player decides to use a Focus-enhanced power that round, they spend "Focus-Points". The longer and more difficult the manuver, the faster the "Focus Point" resivour drains. Moves lie "Dodge-Bullets" and "Insane Punch" would use incredible amounts of Focus Points, of which Neo would have an unlimited supply of. Smith would have thousands of points. Other Agents would have three-hundred, or something like that. Characters' focus points would restore fairly quickly. About ten a round, after a two round waiting period.

One exampe would be Wall Run. The character spends ten focus points to bend gravity, and another five for every five meters s/he ran to keep gravity twisted. The results of the manuver would give the user a +10 bonus to defense, plus a +5 bonus because of the insane speed reached when Focusing.

In the Matrix, an Operator could make a computer use check DC 10 (easy since a below average operaator would be level 8, with 11 ranks in computer use, and every bit of help they can get) to give a character five ranks in any Intellegence based skill, which lasts until they jack out of the Matrix the next time. The operator could increase the skills given, which means a high level operator like Tank or Spark could load ten or fifteen ranks into someones mind.

When someone is freed from the Matrix, they gain somewhere along the lines of twenty Focus points, but they must succeed at a Will saving throw of twenty (the first time), decreasing five points every level and one point each time the character succeeded the throw (showing how s/he learn to "free his/her mind")

Also, the newly freed person begins an intense training program, gaining Martial Arts feats like crazy, as well as going through weapons training and Focus training (the "Jump Program")

 

the thing is that the ranks gained aren't temporary, and there's nothing that says you can't just plug in and download everything you will ever need, the focus point expenditure sounds like a good idea though

im too tired to think of any more lol

 

Perhaps you need to spend a "force point" for lack of better terms, to download the info, and the character can't go over a certain limit of downloaded skills before s/he looses other skills.
Oh, when a character performs a Focus-enhanced manuver, anyone who is not free must succeed a Will save or go flat-footed.
"Holy Cow! He just ran straight up the wall!"
Wall Run would work alot like 'Up the Walls' in the Hero's Guide.

 

You would have to make a check for that. And if you fail, you fall off the wall.