Pendragon d20?

derverdammte · Sep 1, 2002

Has anyone done a (unofficial) d20 conversion of Pendragon? Just curious. If anyone has, I'd like to know what approach they took.

For that matter, does anyone PLAY Pendragon these days?

Teflon Billy · Sep 1, 2002

I like Pendragon a lot.

I'm in the process of converting it to a game about George R.R. Martin's A song of Ice and Fire series, and I think it's a good fit.

Mostly it (and the series) are about warrior Noblemen as PC's, with magic and magic-users being rare and and poorly understood background element.

D&D is abominable for that, as the magic system is about as Mystical as carpentry. Not that D&D couldn't be retrofitted to model ASoIaF, but Pendragon is most of the way there already.

derverdammte · Sep 1, 2002

Good point. I guess the main thing I wanted to get my hands on was a money conversion (which I haven't been able to do myself), so I can steal the mechanics in "Lordly Domains" for D&D. Other than tweaking Pendragon mechanics towards the "higher is better" philosophy, I don't see a good way to make it more d20-ish without losing it's flavor.

ColonelHardisson · Sep 1, 2002

I think it would be a good idea and very doable to convert Pendragon to d20. Some years back, I did a conversion to 2e, but the notes are long gone.

The approach I took - and would still take - is to dump the Pendragon combat system, or, basically, the BRP system in general, and keep the Pendragon-specific mechanics - Traits and Passions. With some thinking Traits and Passions could work really well in D&D, especially now with 3e.

The most recent edition of Pendragon - which I managed to buy at Half Price Books for somewhat less than half-price - includes a system for magic. Comparing that system to 3e, I would probably limit the available spellcasting classes to Adept, Bard, and Druid, and use the Witch from the DMG also. Occult Lore is a book that would make a fine resource for Pendragon, since it includes a lot about herbalism and site-based magic (ley lines and such). Alchemy and Herbalists would also be a great resource.

Issue 299 of Dragon has a great overview of knights and how they could be used in D&D. It also includes an interesting system for Honor.

I started a thread that is related to this subject in the Conversions forum -

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7661

Synicism · Sep 1, 2002

Originally posted by derverdammte Good point. I guess the main thing I wanted to get my hands on was a money conversion (which I haven't been able to do myself), so I can steal the mechanics in "Lordly Domains" for D&D. Other than tweaking Pendragon mechanics towards the "higher is better" philosophy, I don't see a good way to make it more d20-ish without losing it's flavor.

There is one thing that kills a d20 Pendragon game.

Magic.

In the Chaosium game, magic is rare, extremely dangerous, very subtle, and difficult to do.

In d20, wizards lob fireballs, disintegrate people and objects, and alter reality.

In the Chaosium game, faith is a very real attribute and can cause effects such as inspiration in combat and minor miracles.

In d20, clerics, raise the dead.

Magic is so powerful and so pervasive in D&D that it totally upsets the chivalrous fantasy world of Pendragon. A conversion would have to make magic a lot less powerful for it to maintain the flavor of the game.

Maerdwyn · Sep 1, 2002

A few months back, in the House Rules Forum, I helped work on a conversion of the traits and passions system for 3e - don't remember if it survived to this server or not. Anyway, I can post the versin of it I use in my campaign if you'd like.

ColonelHardisson · Sep 2, 2002

Synicism said:
There is one thing that kills a d20 Pendragon game.

Magic.

In the Chaosium game, magic is rare, extremely dangerous, very subtle, and difficult to do.

In d20, wizards lob fireballs, disintegrate people and objects, and alter reality.

In the Chaosium game, faith is a very real attribute and can cause effects such as inspiration in combat and minor miracles.

In d20, clerics, raise the dead.

Magic is so powerful and so pervasive in D&D that it totally upsets the chivalrous fantasy world of Pendragon. A conversion would have to make magic a lot less powerful for it to maintain the flavor of the game.

It would be as simple as making spell lists.

BiggusGeekus · Sep 2, 2002

Pendragon wins the "Biggus Geekus award for best merger of mechanics and role-play" *

You'd need to come up with some rules about magic. Magic in Pendragon would age you if you didn't sleep first.

I suggest 1 year of age/2weeks of sleep for every level of spell cast. This is doubled for evocation spells.

IMHO, of course.

-BG

* If you think about it, Paranoia is actually the best, but that's a thread unto itself.

ColonelHardisson · Sep 2, 2002

Maerdwyn said:
A few months back, in the House Rules Forum, I helped work on a conversion of the traits and passions system for 3e - don't remember if it survived to this server or not. Anyway, I can post the versin of it I use in my campaign if you'd like.

Sure. Post it here or in the thread I linked to above. Or both.

Tonguez · Sep 2, 2002

Synicism said:
There is one thing that kills a d20 Pendragon game.

Magic..

Spycraft is a D20 game with NO MAGIC!!! (okay it has gadgets and action dice but...)

the point is if the DnD Magic system doesn't work dump it and create one more appropriate to Pendragon.

IMC I use a D20 based system which allows for Periods of down time (ie Winter turns) when PCs and their factions (supporters) harvest crops, build schools, do research and train skills atm I'm working these at 1 Month per Turn, however I see no reason why this couldn't be extended to a Season, a Year or even longer.

I think its doable, however I personally don't know enough about the Pendragon mechanics to say much more but I say anything is possible...

Pendragon d20?

derverdammte

Explorer

Teflon Billy

Explorer

derverdammte

Explorer

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

Synicism

First Post

Maerdwyn

First Post

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

BiggusGeekus

That's Latin for "cool"

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow

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