There are exceptions to that rule, of course, with high-powered rifles that penetrate brick walls and heavy weapons that can provide suppressive fire to help the heroes advance on their objective. In a gunfight, the mechanical design of Everyday Heroes aims to keep players focused on cinematic action, not necessarily to fetishize weapons and armor. It’s the gunplay, Scott says, that really makes the game feel different from D&D. It will also include revised rules for chase scenes, expanded rules for the use of firearms, and all-new armor and cover mechanic rules. The launch lineup will include a core rulebook (which will be available both physically and digitally), with six character classes and 18 subclasses, 50 new professions and backgrounds, and 100 feats. Owner, serial entrepreneur, and author David Scott says fans can expect even more announcements once a crowdfunding campaign for Everyday Heroes goes live on May 17. Fans should expect everything from gritty military dramas to mind-bending science-fiction epics, with some post-apocalypse adventure and robots-versus-kaiju action thrown in for good measure. But the breadth of the films involved illustrates the breadth of gameplay that will be available in the final product. While actors like Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone won’t be making an appearance on the pages of the final retail product, the iconic characters they made famous will be there, and Evil Genius isn’t done with its reveals quite yet. They include Highlander John Carpenter’s Escape from New York Roland Emmerich’s Universal Soldier Rambo: First Blood, First Blood Part 2, and Rambo 3 Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall The Crow Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim and Kong: Skull Island. Polygon can exclusively reveal the first batch of hard-won licensing partnerships negotiated by developer and publisher Evil Genius Games.

Where the original d20 Modern merely offered generic action archetypes for its classes, Everyday Heroes is bringing in famous licensed characters and settings. Soon you’ll be able to get your ass to Mars as Douglass Quaid, rescue prisoners of war as John Rambo, and stride your Jaeger into battle against towering Kaiju. With the help of d20 Modern’s co-creator Jeff Grubb, Everyday Heroes will let players step into the shoes of classic action movie heroes.

A new game based on the open-source version of the 5th edition D&D ruleset will go a step further. Back in 2002, d20 Modern helped to breathe life into third edition Dungeons & Dragons, expanding the tabletop role-playing game into a far more contemporary setting - less swords and sorcery, more ninjas and automatic weapons.

D20 modern core rulebook