* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : cONVERTING 1E MODULES TO oD&d Started at 05-30-04 01:12 PM by protonik Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=249267 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : protonik Date : 05-30-04 01:12 PM Thread Title : cONVERTING 1E MODULES TO oD&d My players are feeling either nostalgic or want to know what pre3e was like and asked me to run some old stuff so I have been scrambling to find the GDQ series in the original formats (cheaper that way for some reason) and was thinking of converting them to OD&D and using the rules Cyclopedia (I may just use 1e because that is my favorite edition, tied with 3rd but hey) unless I get the 1E material I have been bidding on on EBay (sold all my stuff for 1e about 5 years ago when I got out of the hobby). So, how hard would these suckers be to convert to OD&D or even 3E for that matter? Jason -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : James McMurray Date : 05-30-04 01:34 PM They shouldn't be too hard to convert. The difficulty in fighting most creatures remained fairly standard across all editions. You may have to completely convert demons yourself, or find replacement monsters. I don't remember if OD&D had demons. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : sandskimmer Date : 05-30-04 02:41 PM You may have to completely convert demons yourself, or find replacement monsters. I don't remember if OD&D had demons. They did. In the Immortal boxed set (or Wrath of the Immortals if you're using the Rules Cyclopedia edition). They were called fiends and there were only a hand full, but you got demogorgon & orcus! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : vader42xx Date : 05-30-04 04:16 PM Not really on topic, but just as a side note; I'm pretty sure that the Immortals Boxed set works with the Rules Cyclopedia just as well as (if not better than) Wrath of the Immortals. I know Wrath of the Immortals was an update of the Immortals Boxed set to go along with the Rules Cyclopedia but I've always found the boxed set to work just fine without any modifications (after all, the immortals boxed set pretty much changed everything anyway). Now many people have found Wrath of the Immortals to be a more simplistic system (and it is...) but I also find that it lacks some of the best things about playing an immortal character. Anyway, not really on topic as I said, but just wanted to post my thoughts on the above. :) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : Kheldren Date : 06-01-04 05:54 AM If by OD&D you mean the basic-expert-companion... series (as I do but I have seen people say not) then you could face one HUGE difficulty: In OD&D a character's race was his/her class. All elves are fighter/magic-users (unless Hollow World, but that is not so relevant here). No halflings are thieves etc. This could give you huge problems when trying to adapt the drow etc, no clerics or rogues... Basically OD&D did not have any classes/races that could gain xp other than the basic selection (unless you used the Creature Crucibles and Gaz10). Whilst trying to use the old modules for "feel" is fun, OD&D really does not support any AD&D modules - the systems were too different in the fundamental of levelable classes. I would say you are far better off playing AD&D with them (if you could borrow a copy of the rules) or sticking to OD&D modules for OD&D rules. Sorry, but this is how I feel - I don't remember ever seeing a module I reckoned would convert to OD&D. TSR who used to suggest that conversion was easy never published AD&D->OD&D guides that I saw. As for Demons - in addition to the immortal ones there are lesser ones - look up Death Demons in the original Creature Catalog. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : James McMurray Date : 06-01-04 08:22 AM What's wrong with just having some (perhaps all female) drow act as Cleric / Fighters instead of Wizard / Fighters? Have them otherwise be the same as elves for class abilities. It seems to be pretty straightforward to me. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 7] Author : rogueattorney Date : 06-01-04 12:16 PM Thread Title : Re: cONVERTING 1E MODULES TO oD&d Originally posted by protonik My players are feeling either nostalgic or want to know what pre3e was like and asked me to run some old stuff so I have been scrambling to find the GDQ series in the original formats (cheaper that way for some reason) and was thinking of converting them to OD&D and using the rules Cyclopedia (I may just use 1e because that is my favorite edition, tied with 3rd but hey) unless I get the 1E material I have been bidding on on EBay (sold all my stuff for 1e about 5 years ago when I got out of the hobby). So, how hard would these suckers be to convert to OD&D or even 3E for that matter? Jason I'm going to completely disagree with Kheldren and say that converting 1e modules to OD&D is not particularly difficult and can often be done on the fly. For NPC's just use the class and level as is, w/ rangers=fighters (or paladins if high enough level), illusionists=m-u's, assassins = thieves, monks=mystics. If they are a non-conforming demi-human (i.e. a dwarvish thief), then just treat them as a member of the human class of the proper level, with the non-class powers of the demi-human class (detection, saving throws, languages, etc.) There is an expanded spell list in 1e, so if you don't have access to the 1e materials, you might have to change some of the NPC's spells to those in the RC. Also note that fighters, clerics and thieves all have more hp in AD&D than OD&D. So you'll need to re-roll NPC hit points with the proper hit dice (or you could just subtract 1hp/level of the NPC). For monsters, just use the stats in the stat block of the module. For most of the monsters from MM1, they are identical to the monsters from the B/X rules anyway. OD&D characters might be a tad less powerful than their AD&D counterparts at the same level, so you might want them to be at the upper end of the suggested levels for the module. R.A. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:20 AM.