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Modern AGE Basic Rulebook

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Enter the Modern AGE!

Leap into exciting adventure in any era from the Industrial Revolution to the modern day and beyond. The Modern AGE roleplaying game allows you to shape the setting to suit your style—whether it’s gritty action or high adventure, urban fantasy or a dystopian future. With a new, classless character-building system, twenty levels of advancement, and optional rules for psychic and magic powers, you can create the heroes your world needs. Along with an innovative stunt system, rules for thrilling chases, and an introductory adventure, you’ll find all the action you’re after inside the Modern AGE Basic Rulebook.


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The Modern AGE RPG features:

  • A classless implementation of the Adventure Game Engine. Develop characters based on their backgrounds and experiences across 20 levels of advancement.
  • Focuses, talents, and specializations like Investigator, Hacker, and Martial Artist let you customize your character.
  • Fast-paced combat featuring modern weapons and high-octane vehicle chases.
  • A game based around action, exploration, and social stunts. Roll doubles on three six-sided dice and something cool happens!
  • Arcane magic and psychic powers for modern era games.
  • Advice for first time and veteran Game Masters, including ways to customize the system for gritty stories, two-fisted pulp, and cinematic high adventure.
  • Sample antagonists and other non-player characters, and an introductory adventure: everything you need to start playing right away.

Use Modern AGE in the campaign setting of your choice, including the World of Lazarus, based on Greg Rucka’s creator-owned comic series of near-future feudalism, or use it to run adventures in the world you create. Grab three six-sided dice, and you’re ready to play in the Modern AGE!

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Reviews (3)
Discussions (11)
Customer avatar
David P December 19, 2021 4:39 am UTC
Hi. I'm quite interested in purchasing Modern AGE at some point, but a few things are holding me back. Are there plans to make supplements totally dedicated to Martial Arts and Horror (especially Lovecraftian Horror)? Most importantly, a character generation tool/program/app? Thanks in advance.
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Customer avatar
Malcolm S December 31, 2021 5:12 pm UTC
The Modern AGE Companion has rules for horror and fighting styles in it, as well as rules for duels, so one book in the line already covers it. Martial arts is represented by stunts, character talents and specializations, and ability focuses in the core rules. Electronic tabletop support is ongoing. Making a character is nor especially complex.
Customer avatar
Brandon C May 21, 2020 12:13 am UTC
PURCHASER
Out of curiosity, how easy is it to use it for a Superhero setting?
Customer avatar
Mikko K July 25, 2019 5:47 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Is the PDF going to be updated soon, it doesn't seem to include the first printing errata?
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Customer avatar
Malcolm S November 12, 2019 9:22 pm UTC
I believe it has been updated since.
Customer avatar
Brandon C January 31, 2019 10:09 am UTC
PURCHASER
Would love a mobile version. Something to read during my breaks.
Customer avatar
Jonathan R January 17, 2019 6:48 pm UTC
Can I run a zombie apocalyptic campaign with this system? Are there rules for zombies?
Customer avatar
Gábor C December 10, 2018 8:43 pm UTC
Does this book offer proper tools for building a custom, near-future cyberpunk game? I mean: does it have at least a bare-bones system for cybernetic enhancements and a list of basic bio/cyberware? The "Modern" part of the title seems to hint at that, but I haven't seen anyone mention it.

Yes, I've seen a similar question below, and the answer it got was "nope". The book — especially the pdf (hey, we're talking about "modern" stuff here :)) — may have been updated since then, though.

If the book still has no cyberware, does the publisher offer a free or very low cost expansion / plug-in that does that, without having to buy a setting book?

Thanks,
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Customer avatar
Marko W July 23, 2019 12:00 pm UTC
PURCHASER
There are rules for extraordinary powers (basically magic and psionics) which can be used for flashy cybernetic effects. There’s also a catch-all talent for more subtle cybernetic effects.

Then there’s World of Lazarus, which has rules for some cybernetic implants. And there’s the Modern AGE Companion which has rules for a wide variety of extraordinary abilities, including cybernetics.
Customer avatar
September 15, 2018 1:31 am UTC
What about fantasy steampunk?
Customer avatar
Erin S July 06, 2018 6:21 am UTC
I want to run a tough, post-apocalyptic game with *no* magic. How central is the magic in this system? Is it inextricable like in D&D or simply optional, like in Savage Worlds?
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Customer avatar
Clayton L July 07, 2018 3:14 am UTC
PURCHASER
It's secondary. They're treated as purchasable talents you can choose to implement or not.
Customer avatar
Remy S June 21, 2018 4:28 am UTC
PURCHASER
Is there anything like cybernetics/cyberware in this book?
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Customer avatar
Jimmy P June 22, 2018 1:29 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Nope. However, on page 164 you have what they call 'Extraordinary Stunt' which is a talent that allows you to pull stunts for free. This is presented as an emulation for extraordinary stuff characters from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Sense8 and Orphan Black can pull. I would say it could be used to emulate some piece of cyberware. Nothing like a big list of cyberware, which is a shame because this system could be used for cyberpunk type play (it even has magic in there...)

A companion has been announced and Cyberware could (should) be included there.
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Customer avatar
Michael J March 08, 2019 6:49 pm UTC
Don't hold your breath if it is like the releases for Fantasy Age, you would be better off getting something like Fate, Savage Worlds or the Cypher System which all have this built in already - or actually go for Cyberpunk or Shadowrun - Green Ronin don't support their products.
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Customer avatar
Malcolm S May 13, 2019 12:38 am UTC
Sorry dude there are already three support products for the game.

Modern AGE GM Kit (screen, reference cards) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/251859/Modern-AGE-Game-Masters-Kit
World of Lazarus (setting based on the comic series) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/259704/World-of-Lazarus
Modern AGE Companion (lots of rules and character options) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/274989/Modern-AGE-Companion

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Customer avatar
Malcolm S May 13, 2019 12:46 am UTC
The Modern AGE Companion is out, and does include rules for extraordinary abilities which can be used for cyberware.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/274989/Modern-AGE-Companion
Customer avatar
Timo M June 16, 2018 3:30 am UTC
Not knowing the system at all:
How lethal is combat in the system, specifically on the gritty setting (which I assume is supposed to be the most "realistic"), regarding gun and knife wounds?
And on the other side of the spectrum, does the system operate with different classes/powerlevels of foes, such as "mooks/grunts/cannonfodder" / lieutnants / main antagonists?
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Customer avatar
Malcolm S June 16, 2018 8:13 pm UTC
In Gritty Mode, a hit where you spend stunt points to increase damage or activate certain other stunts can make a knife have a chance of mortally wounding a character who isn't especially (15 Health) tough (spending 5 SP can make a dagger inflict an extra 2d6, + 1d6+1). A semiautomatic handgun inflicts 2d6 + Stunt Die (1d6) damage. 5 SP could increase this to 4d6 + Stunt Die (5d6 total) so the average damage would instantly kill a 15 Health opponent and threaten a character with 23 Health (just about the highest you can start with)

So in Gritty, a character can take a not-unrealistic number of blows from these weapons before being downed unless the attacker rolls especially well and wants to kill their target.

In Pulpy and Cinematic, characters are tougher, especially as they go up in level.

The game does have options for "extras," who can be one-shotted, and Minor NPCs, who aren't quite so tough and have some of their features streamlined.
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Customer avatar
Timo M June 16, 2018 9:10 pm UTC
Great, thank you for the info Malcolm, greatly appreciated =)
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Customer avatar
Roc W June 19, 2018 3:12 am UTC
PURCHASER
Currently playing a Dragon Age RPG (DARPG) campaign that AGE and Modern Age are based upon (and owning and have read the original PDF--the updated PDF I haven't had a chance to look over yet--so I can see the similarities) I found that there was a bit of initial trial and error to setting up encounters. Neither rules set give enemies levels as such and it is up to the GM to determine the lethality of an encounter (DARPG doesn't have a built in gritty mode but a GM could include it with little effort if they like).

There are no level one 'monsters' for a party of level-1 players for example. There are minor threats, moderate threats, and major threats where the GM decides how many baddies to field against the PC's (say two minor threats per PC as an level-3 encounter example). Or the GM may assign less 'monsters' but add more HP to them, etc. In my group's DARPG playtest stages I have found that a major threat single encounter (1x monster) with added STR and HP's was easy game for a party of four...See more
Customer avatar
Ols Jonas Petter O June 15, 2018 2:08 pm UTC
Hi there, can we expect a printed version of this book to be forthcoming?
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Customer avatar
Jon L June 16, 2018 12:06 am UTC
PURCHASER
I used to work for GR and yes, I know for certain that a print version will be coming "soon". They typically release the PDF before sending the book to print so they can get corrections from the fans that the editors missed.
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Customer avatar
Todd S June 16, 2018 1:31 am UTC
The print version is already on pre-order through their website. I don't think they do POD on their stuff.
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Customer avatar
Roc W June 19, 2018 2:51 am UTC
PURCHASER
You can preorder the basic print version (there is no deluxe, collector, or other special option) for the usual price of such a product plus postage, and for an extra $5, you can get the PDF immediately which is up to its second release version.

Heads up for Aussies: Buying the preorder + postage + the $5 PDF will set you back over $AUD80. That is for the basic rule book without any extra flash like GM screen or poster-sized maps or I assume, no dice included--just a rule book as advertised. That's not cheap but I really wanted it so I bit the bullet, others may need to be aware of that.
Reply
Customer avatar
Ignacio R August 03, 2018 9:05 pm UTC
Thank you mates! You have helped me so much!
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File Last Updated:
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This title was added to our catalog on June 12, 2018.