Converting a module from Pathfinder, Monster CR stay the same?
ccs
41st lv DM
Here's what I do:
If the monster also exists in 5e, then I just plug it in on a 1:1 tatio.
If it doesn't exist in 5e I just eyeball it.
Hd/hp & stats stay the same. As do resistances & imunities.
AC? Sometimes I'll lower it a bit.
#, types, & damage for attacks often stay the same.
I'll recalculate the attack bonus & any save dcs.
It's not an exact science.
If the monster also exists in 5e, then I just plug it in on a 1:1 tatio.
If it doesn't exist in 5e I just eyeball it.
Hd/hp & stats stay the same. As do resistances & imunities.
AC? Sometimes I'll lower it a bit.
#, types, & damage for attacks often stay the same.
I'll recalculate the attack bonus & any save dcs.
It's not an exact science.
Voadam
Legend
Do you know where I can find that conversion guide?
Jester David
Hero
If there’s a monster of the same CR, it will generally work fairly well. More or less.
Pathfinder 1 is a little more lenient with monsters being 3 or 4 CR higher than the party, so be wary about that. But 5e parties can be tough when pushed into a corner. And short rest mechanics let them spring back faster from tough fights.
But don’t be afraid to replace a leveled mook humanoid with 2 or 3 humanoids from the Monstre Manual rather than making a unique mook NPC. 5e deals better with lower level monsters being a threat for longer.
For named villains, use an NPC and slap on the monstrous humanoid’s traits.
Pathfinder 1 is a little more lenient with monsters being 3 or 4 CR higher than the party, so be wary about that. But 5e parties can be tough when pushed into a corner. And short rest mechanics let them spring back faster from tough fights.
But don’t be afraid to replace a leveled mook humanoid with 2 or 3 humanoids from the Monstre Manual rather than making a unique mook NPC. 5e deals better with lower level monsters being a threat for longer.
For named villains, use an NPC and slap on the monstrous humanoid’s traits.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
Certainly, the PDF can be found at https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/DnD_Conversions_1.0.pdf
Paul Farquhar
Legend
RAW 5e can go 10 over party level, since level caps at 20 and CR caps as 30.
Ath-kethin
Elder Thing
CR means slightly different things in Pathfinder and 5e. I look at the CR of the Pathfinder encounter and determine, based on Pathfinder's guidelines, how great a challenge the encounter is (Easy, Average, Challenging, Hard, Epic). Then I use the Kobold Fight Club calculator to ensure that the encounter is the same difficulty for PCs of the applicable level in 5e.
It's a little more time consuming, but if you want to be consistent I've found it to be the best way.
Note that some creatures have radically different CRs between the games, so beware.
It's a little more time consuming, but if you want to be consistent I've found it to be the best way.
Note that some creatures have radically different CRs between the games, so beware.
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I would recommend looking instead at whatever the CR of the encounter is (Encounter Level in 3.5) and the number of creatures. If your Pathfinder adventure has a CR10 encounter for APL 8 party then make a 5e Medium encounter for as many level 10 PCs are in your party. Your level 8 PCs would then see this as a Hard-Deadly encounter.
What this means is that you balance the number of bad guys as much as what their CR is. If there is an equivalent 5e monster that you have stats for, you can normally just use that stat block and include as many as needed to make a Medium encounter for the desired Encounter CR.
What this means is that you balance the number of bad guys as much as what their CR is. If there is an equivalent 5e monster that you have stats for, you can normally just use that stat block and include as many as needed to make a Medium encounter for the desired Encounter CR.
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