Using previous D&D miniature games or boardgames to make a simpler D&D RPG?

Hi, I've been DMing and playing 5E for three months, having co-started a group with three persons, and switching off DMing with another fellow. We've been playing feverishly, like 2 to 3 times per week. Almost through the Starter Set, and we've run several other shorter adventures too. And having fun. Yet still...
Man, the game is a bit too complex for me. My brain shorts out.
The main fun is running through the stories (adventures), with all their different vibes.
I really think I'd have just as much fun (or more fun) if the game was about half as complex as it is now.
I'm digging the 5e "action economy": Action + Move. Cool.

Yet here are my design criteria:

-Start off as 0-level characters. With literally only one power. Like choose: Darkvision or one Cantrip or Proficiency in one weapon, tool, or skill.
-No bean counting. No XP.
-Just gain one power at the end of each session. A power is a single Spell, Proficiency, Feat, Class Feature, or Racial Trait.
-So the characters remain as "ordinary" folk for several sessions. The first sessions of the game would pretty much be about mastering the action economy, and a small handful of humble powers.
-No skills. Just ability checks. A Skill Proficiency +2 can be chosen as a power, but otherwise everyone just uses ability check.
-Simpler (actually usable) encumbrance system. Bulk points or something.
-A visual chart on the character sheet showing the backpack, bags, pouches, pockets, and hands. Or maybe don't keep track of mundane equipment at all, and just say that a player can generally pull out any piece of mundane equipment (from the PHB) which is necessary for the situation. ("It just so happens I do have a rope/candle/pen and ink/ball bearings!") Like in novels and films...who knows what's in the character's backpack? In fiction, the exact contents (of Frodo's or Harry Potter's backpack) are rarely listed out in full.
-Spells simplified to have no components and no Concentration (like B/X D&D). Having been raised on BECMI D&D, it's a downer to find out the Cleric can't effectively use, say, Blight (now known as "Bane"), Cause Fear, Hold Person, and Bestow Curse within a single encounter. Then why bother preparing the spells?
-Abstract wealth system. (Maybe something like d20 Modern.) How much "Coin" do I have?
-Still looks and feels like D&D, and is firmly connected with the D&D Multiverse. Can be used to model all of the existing tropes, adventure sites, spells, character classes, races, monsters, and worlds of the D&D Multiverse.
-Uses "roll higher" mechanics (so no THAC0).
-Any and all races, classes, and monsters, from all editions, can be represented in a boiled down form. So it's not simplified in the sense that everyone's just gotta be one of the four plain-jane Basic Rules classes. But all classes (from all editions) are simply boiled down into smaller bites.
-Has conversion rules for any edition of D&D.
-So any adventure from any edition can be run using this simpler D&D.
-Is still an RPG, not just a card game or boardgame.

Trying to get out from under the complexity. It's a bit stressful and time-consuming. And makes the players stressed about their character dying, since they spent like hours rolling them up and choosing their new powers as they advanced in level. Which is a damper on what's otherwise a great fun.

So this week I looked at a bunch of OSR, retro-clone, OGL, and kids games:

Basic Fantasy RPG
Searchers of the Unknown
Dungeon Crawl Classics
Knave
Maze Rats
Dungeon World
Savage Worlds
White Box
Castles & Crusades
Over the Wall
Microlite d20
Dagger
Lil' Wizards
Mutants & Masterminds
Tails of Equestria
Pathfinder Beginners Set
True20

They are all cool. And some of there features are fitting. Yet none of them meet my design criteria.

Also considered just going back to B/X, BECMI, or 2E Skills & Powers point-buy. Or restricting my table to just the 5E Basic Rules classes and spells. But those options don't really meet the design criteria either. (e.g. only one starting power, only one new power/spell per session, but access to a full array of features of the D&D Multiverse.)

Frustrated, I looked at the official D&D skirmish games, kids versions, and boardgames from years past:

Monster Slayers
Chainmail d20
DDM Original Edition (3e)
DDM Revised Edition (4e)
D&D Basic Game (3e)
D&D: The Fantasy Adventure Boardgame (3e) - only released in Europe.
Dungeon Command
D&D Adventure System (boardgames)

And I see some potential. The simplicity of their "character sheets" (cards) is about right. For example, DDM had only three ability scores: Fort Ref Will. Others have just AC, hp, and a power or two.
Maybe all that would be needed is a clarified conversion system, and also an advancement system, of one power per level. But those "simpler D&D" systems are about the complexity level I'm looking for.

I wonder if anyone has seen or written a systematic way of converting D&D characters into Chainmail d20, DDM, Dungeon Command, or Adventure System rules?

First, the only thing you will find that will fit all (or half of) of your design criteria is a system you build yourself. So, either do that or consider the following;

Just use the Basic Rules, or just the PHB. Don't allow all the other books. IMO, The only reason characters take more than 30 minutes to roll up is because of; a) unfamiliarity with the classes/options (hence why sticking to the Basic Rules alleviates much of this), or b) a compulsion to optimize the character.

There are several sets of 0-level rules out their. One I know of comes with an adventure on the DMsGuild. After that, use milestone leveling.

As for equipment, XP, and all the minutiae you don't like. Don't use it, simple. Just say 3 weapons, 1 set of armor and "regular stuff". Or, use Fantasy Grounds or D&D Beyond and let it track all that stuff for you.

Components, other than materials that cost money are ignored if you use spell casting focus. Spell concentration is a major factor for class balance. Get rid of it at your own peril. 5E is not about putting up ten buff spells prior to or at the start of an encounter, you will at least have problems with bounded accuracy if you do.

In short, if the details don't add to your fun, then don't use them and don't track them. I worry about encumbrance about 1 in 100 sessions. Spell components (other than costly items) never. I think my players track their encumbrance, but why should I worry about it? Therefore I don't.

DDM didn't have just 3 ability scores, those were the 3 saving throws that were built off the 6 ability scores plus the class level benefits. The rules behind the cards and the mechanics were full 3E/4E, but they just only listed the saves since everything else was already factored into the attacks, damage, etc.

IMO, you will find going back to B/X etc is really not any simpler than 5E. Plus those systems have all sorts of holes in them that you will have to houserule.

And, their is no systemic or formulaic way to convert from 5E to the other systems. That's because each system makes its own assumptions, hence a formula for converting AC, HP etc is not always going to be "right". The easy way is to just use the creatures witht he same name from whatever edition you are going to use. i.e. Why convert an orc from B/X to 5E, just use the 5E orc. And if you do decide to convert, again, don't worry about minutia, who cares if the correct damage output is 2d6+4 or 1d10+5? It's all close enough.

I cast summon @diaglo .

I'm not super fluent with Chainmail to be honest.

Its hard to look at the list of games you've tried and be able to offer you any real advice on a system... nearly all of that list are games that I would imagine suitable for me, if I was in your shoes. I hope you can find something that works for you.

You may have some work to do.

Whitebox
Knave
Maze Rats

Are probably starting points.

You didn't mention Black Hack... maybe check that out: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/255088/The-Black-Hack-Second-Edition

But if you want... just pick a system closest to what you need and tweak it.

Travis Henry said:

Hi, I've been DMing and playing 5E for three months, having co-started a group with three persons, and switching off DMing with another fellow. We've been playing feverishly, like 2 to 3 times per week. Almost through the Starter Set, and we've run several other shorter adventures too. And having fun. Yet still...
Man, the game is a bit too complex for me. My brain shorts out.
The main fun is running through the stories (adventures), with all their different vibes.
I really think I'd have just as much fun (or more fun) if the game was about half as complex as it is now.
I'm digging the 5e "action economy": Action + Move. Cool.

Yet here are my design criteria:

Click to expand...

I thought you just said 5e was too complex for you?

Some of what you want already exists. And in this edition.

Some of what you want is pointless
(ex: explain the functional difference between adding up encumbrance vs bulk points)

Your wish for an equipment inventory log/map can be solved with a Google search. Or a piece of paper + #2 pencil....

Your ideas for simplified wealth & Schroedinger's equipment is poor.
And contradicts your need for an equipment map, bulk rules. And will make overcoming challengers boring. convenient.

You don't need to change the rules concerning concentration & spell components for the rest of us. Just ignore them on your own.

And your ideas on zero lv characters & only gaining 1 single feature at a time? While that might work as a one off idea now & then to change things up, it'd be boring as hell to play through on a regular basis as the default.