WotBS 5e conversion of Zeitgeist or WotBS?

ratzofftoya · Dec 20, 2012

Has anyone attempted or even contemplated this? I was about to start a pathfinder Zeitgeist campaign, but am now REALLY interested in taking it over to 5e, but am not a super experienced DM so I'd have to have everything prepared/converted ahead of time. If no one has done it, can someone offer some advice or just let me know about a good way to take NPCs from pathfinder or 4e to 5e?

Thanks! And thanks to the creators/writers for their brilliant work on both of these campaigns.

Morrus · Dec 20, 2012

There are two problems with doing that. Sure, you could do it for yourself. But 5E changes every couple of months as. New playtest packets are released, so by the time you'd finished converting it you'd the out of date already. But more importantly, the playtest agreement would stop you sharing your conversion.

ratzofftoya · Dec 21, 2012

Like, sharing it with community members for fun (rather than profit)? That seems nuts!

And I do realize that 5E has had changes, but I mean utilizing some of the core mechanics and basically just creating some balanced NPCs based on that, without much regard for the "official" 5E line that comes down the pike. I just don't have a great sense of what sorts of powers/how high of an AC/how many HP to give these NPCs when converting them vis-a-vis the new PC stats.

Oh well! Here goes nothing.

ve4grm · Dec 21, 2012

ratzofftoya said:
I just don't have a great sense of what sorts of powers/how high of an AC/how many HP to give these NPCs when converting them vis-a-vis the new PC stats.

That's really the biggest hurdle - there is no official monster math yet. The best you could do (and the best place to start if you do this) would be taking an existing monster of the level you want, and just reflavouring it to suit your needs, with minor mechanical changes.

mdusty · Dec 22, 2012

My concern wouldn't be if it could be converted to 5e right now (because I don't think it would do it justice), but are there plans on an official 5e conversion once it is released?

Morrus · Dec 22, 2012

mdusty said:
My concern wouldn't be if it could be converted to 5e right now (because I don't think it would do it justice), but are there plans on an official 5e conversion once it is released?

Unless/until WotC announces some kind of license which would allow us to do that, our future plans don't currently include 5E at all, no. Right now, the only system we know we'll be able to legally produce for in a year or more from now is [notranslate]Pathfinder[/notranslate]. I hope we can do more, but we simply don't know at this point.

gideonpepys · Dec 22, 2012

Morrus said:
Right now, the only system we know we'll be able to legally produce for in a year or more from now is [notranslate]Pathfinder[/notranslate].

Does that have any implications for 4E Zeitgeist, which at its current publication rate, won't be complete by that stage?

Morrus · Dec 22, 2012

gideonpepys said:
Does that have any implications for 4E Zeitgeist, which at its current publication rate, won't be complete by that stage?

I hope not! With the d20 license, WotC was very good about a grace period.

ve4grm · Dec 22, 2012

It shouldn't affect the 4e version. Hopefully things stay as they are, but even if they don't there are numerous publishers who have figured out how to publish 4e under the non-revokable OGL. So even if you have to change licensing, you should be fine.

LightPhoenix · Dec 23, 2012

Morrus said:
Unless/until WotC announces some kind of license which would allow us to do that, our future plans don't currently include 5E at all, no. Right now, the only system we know we'll be able to legally produce for in a year or more from now is [notranslate]Pathfinder[/notranslate]. I hope we can do more, but we simply don't know at this point.

Would this stop someone unaffiliated with ENP from doing a fan conversion? What about a thread here that simply lists notes instead of any stats; for example, use this 5E critter for the red-armband thugs?