Al-Qadim: Land of Fate (5e conversion)

[Quickleaf]

This is relevant to my interests!

I'll try to drop back in soon with my feedback as well as some of the work I've been doing on. My sha'ir is not much different from yours.

Thanks! My sha'ir is awesome thematically. Mechanically it retains the feel of the original sha'ir without the multi-round casting times waiting for the gen, so for sticklers for the old sha'ir casting method it probably only feels like a half conversion.

My wife showed me this thread with something disturbingly akin to lust in her eyes, so it appears that I have to run it at some point. Keep it up, please! She'll hurt me otherwise.

Also, a PDF would be awesome, since we don't have internet at home for the foreseeable future.

I suspect it won't be long before she tells you all about her character Anything in particularl you'd like to see converted that I haven't done already?

Usually I'm big on uploading PDFs of my conversions, but while my computer is down my Internet access is thru tablet, so I won't get around to making a PDF yet. Probably once I've got all the player conversions I plan to do done, I'll upload a PDF that collects everything.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Not sure if you guys are interested, as I have seen and like [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION]'s sha'ir conversion, but I have had a go at it in the Archetype Database here on ENWorld too.

In fact I got directed here by [MENTION=2167]Khaalis[/MENTION] when I posted it

Yours certainly does remain true to the original. I tried to make mine a little simpler, conforming more to the 5E mechanics. It is also for all 3 Warlock Pacts.

BTW: For your version, I did see something you might need to fix. The conjure elemental spell you grant access to will have a lot of trouble summoning genies. The spell summons a CR5 or less creature. The genies in the PHB are all CR11. Even casting it with higher slots won't get you there I used planar ally.

Anyway, check it out if your players want (and you allow) an easier (I hope) version to follow.

 

[Quickleaf]

Not sure if you guys are interested, as I have seen and like [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION]'s sha'ir conversion, but I have had a go at it in the Archetype Database here on ENWorld too.

In fact I got directed here by [MENTION=2167]Khaalis[/MENTION] when I posted it

Yours certainly does remain true to the original. I tried to make mine a little simpler, conforming more to the 5E mechanics. It is also for all 3 Warlock Pacts.

Finally got around to checking it out. Interesting work! I'll drop more comments over in your writeup in the database.

BTW: For your version, I did see something you might need to fix. The conjure elemental spell you grant access to will have a lot of trouble summoning genies. The spell summons a CR5 or less creature. The genies in the PHB are all CR11. Even casting it with higher slots won't get you there I used planar ally.

You have the rules right. I'd specifically intended "and you can use the spell to summon a genie of the type you choose" to be an exception to the CR5 rule.

Call a Genie: You learn the conjure elemental spell if you don't know it already, and you can use the spell to summon a genie of the type you choose (or by name, if you know a genie personally). Doing so breaks the normal limit on the summoned elemental's challenge rating. However, the genie is not necessarily friendly and its service must be won thru some combination of persuasion, threats, blackmail, payment, promises, and favors. Whatever terms of the agreement you come to, the genie is magically bound to uphold them.

 

[Eric V]

Just wanted to say this is great work. I am looking at converting the Kurtz mods into a super-campaign for 5e and this will be really helpful. Has anyone done any monster conversions for the Al-Qadim monstrous compendium?

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

[h2]Al-Qadim: Land of Fate (5e conversion)[/h2]

A while back some of us started converting AL-QADIM to 4th edition. This is my reboot of those ideas for 5th edition, starting with the character basics and then getting into the monster conversion & storyline later. My agenda for the next couple posts is to cover:

1. Classes
2. Sha'ir (Noble Genie warlock patron)
3. PHB Backgrounds & Variants
4. New Backgrounds (Barber-Surgeon, Caravaneer, Genie-Touched, Harem Slave, Pearl Diver)

Here's the old thread which has my original pitch (with a 4e emphasis but much of it still applies):
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?240388-Forked-Thread-Al-Qadim-Land-of-Fate-4e

Huray, so happy to be revisiting this project with the new edition! I just retrieved my old books from their hidden cave, including the famed Sha'ir's Handbook!

Before getting into the nitty gritty, though, I have a bold first principles suggestion - How about we adapt the bonds themselves to Al-Quadim?

Think about that glorious first chapter of the book with its breakdown of the Al-Hadhar and Al-Badia and lengthy discussion of the values that drive all in Zakhara. Then consider how this list:

1. Personality Trait 1
2. Personality Trait 2
3. Ideal
4. Bond
5. Flaw

Might better reflect this list:

1. Honor
2. Family
3. Purity
4. Hospitality
5. Piety

Not to mention character aspects like:

• Al Badia vs. Al Hadhar (vs. Corsair)
• Enlightened vs Barbarian vs Foreign
• Status

Now some of the Al-Quadim elements are less particular than others (hospitality is hospitality is hospitality) AND some elements of the generic set are SO universal I would be loathe to abandon them (people in Zhakara certainly still have personality) BUT I think changing this list right from the start both provides a nice education in what makes this game different and starts the mood off right.

It's running late for me locally, but I'll follow any replies and, hopefully, come up with a model for what I'd be talking about given a hypothetical Askar (Urban Bravo) background.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

So Askar (Urban Bravo), I'm building the background off of the 'literate trustworthy local with potential' idea for the kit and the idea that any class could do it so long as they were willing to be called upon by the local community to work as a guard or in a similar post:

Skills: History, Perception
Tools: Artisan Tools of Choice
Language: Language of Choice
Equipment: Characteristic Local Weapon, token of appreciation from community, a scroll case packed with poems and fables, common clothes, and a regional map
Patron: all Askars learn their trade and their first bread in the house of a local pillar of the community, pick one from the following list:

• Ancient House
• Martial Academy
• Pleasure Garden
• Established Security Consortium
• Nouveau Riche Official
• Respected Association of Legitimate Men of Business
• Wandering Master
• Local Guards

So: Suggested characteristics - I see two potential avenues:

I. Back-end Customization: Where the DMG lists Good, Evil, Neutral, Chaotic, or Lawful in parenthesis at the end of the Ideals list - Al-Quadim lists Honor, Family, Purity, Hospitality, & Piety at the end of the bonds list.

II. Full Modification, of which I think there are a number of potential schemes here is one:

A. Pure Al-Quadim - Replace each list with one of the major AQ Motives:
Honor = A list of public points of honor for which the character is known, replaces personality trait #1
Purity = A list of private (to family and friends as well as the character) points of honor along which the character's personal sense of honor is aligned, replaces personality trait #2
Piety = A list of spiritual obligations to which the character may be dedicated, replaces Ideal
Hospitality/Obligations of Salt & Bread = A list of major bonds or debts of hospitality, feud, or fealty that bind the character, replaces (obviously) bonds
Family/Status = A list of scenarios that explain the character's status within the bounds defined by the background and, thus, the stakes in the character's career and behavior felt by his or her family, replaces (less obviously) flaws.​

So:

d8 x2, Once for Public Honor and Once for Personal Purity

1. I believe anything worth doing is worth doing right - I'm a Perfectionist
2. My Guard is never down.
3. True patriotism is returning home.
4. I'm well known for my work and want everyone to appreciate that. If I'm known for anything else it's as dreadful as not being known at all.
5. I am so confident in my good character that I do not mind sticklers.
6. I am so concerned for my good character that I am a stickler.
7. Good technique is a question of character and vice versa.
8. I let no challenge go unanswered.

d6 for Piety

1. Community. No man is alone with the law. Duty to others is faith itself. (Law, Old Kor)
2. History. To be ignorant of the past is to never pray for your father(s). (Neutral, Zann)
3. Steadfast. To stand aside from the demon's path is to follow it. (Good, Hajama)
4. Challenge. One does not pray for glory, one is prayerful in glory. (Chaotic, Najim)
5. Mastery. The fool sees in discipline a rope, the master sees in discipline a tapestry. (Selan)
6. Ambition. The champion does not exist for the city, but the city exists for the champion. (Evil, Jisan)

etc.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

So!

It appears that my group of players is amenable to doing a 5e Al-Qadim for our next campaign in maybe a little over a month's time.

My plans/ambitions thus far:

1. Use the honor rules from the DMG but replace the honor attribute with status. Explain that if you play a Beggar it would be appropriate to have low status and for a Faris to have high status, BUT a beggar who can demonstrate enlightenment, excellence, and adherance to the law as a Beggar (or an appearance of same) could functionally have a higher Status than a dim, incompetent, and corrupt Faris of the noblest bloodline.
2. Borrow a bit from DungeonWorld:

• For each kit in the Al-Qadim & Sha'irs Handbook books I will produce a background
• For each background, I will produce a brief DungeonWorld style Playbook
• For each kit where it may be appropriate, I will append 'background+' instructions on the mechanical aspects of picking that playbook
• Player's will come in on the first session, pick a Playbook that has the relevant background and instructions for character creation and we'll go from there
• Each kit will likely only have between 3-4 different bond options per category (as the DMG recommends) and I'll likely adapt the list of options themselves to Al-Qadim, as my example above

3. What I'd like to do is adapt Princes of the Apocalypse, it seems like a great fit for the setting theme-wise and like a well put together adventure.
4. I may thrown in some additional rules permutations to fit mine and my party's playstyle
5. The most significant aspect of which might be a decision on my part to 'epic up' the character creation a bit. Bigger stats, but also more significant basic assumptions for the character paths laid out by the playbooks. The beggar kit being adapted into the Beggar-Prince playbook, for example, where it's assumed that you are either a Prince in disguise or a Prince of disguises.
6. In line with above, I'm tempted to introduce some sort of hero-point and/or aspect system with each kit/playbook providing a specific range of stunts that are especially empowered for that character-type.

Any thoughts or interests in this project?

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=6533]Dr. Strangemonkey[/MENTION] Sounds like it will be a blast! I'll be very interested to hear how your adaptation of Princes of the Apocalypse to Zakhara (or whatever setting you're using) goes.

My only thought at the moment is about the whole playbook/hero point thing. One trick you can do is provide alternate uses for Inspiration (instead of gaining advantage) unique to each character archetype. For example, the Beggar-Prince might be able to spend Inspiration to pass off a flawless disguise or fade into the background of a group of people who simply assume he belongs there.

 

[MessiahMushroom]

@Dr. Strangemonkey Sounds like it will be a blast! I'll be very interested to hear how your adaptation of Princes of the Apocalypse to Zakhara (or whatever setting you're using) goes.

My only thought at the moment is about the whole playbook/hero point thing. One trick you can do is provide alternate uses for Inspiration (instead of gaining advantage) unique to each character archetype. For example, the Beggar-Prince might be able to spend Inspiration to pass off a flawless disguise or fade into the background of a group of people who simply assume he belongs there.

I love this idea, [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION]. I'd replace the word 'Inspiration' with 'Fate' thereby tying in the 2e idea of invoking the power of Fate without having to add a whole new mechanic.

So I'm pitching Al-Qadim to my playgroup this Friday and have been working on a PowerPoint covering the main ideas behind the campaign as well as the special considerations used in character creation.

In homage to the importance of character kits in the original edition, I'm going to suggest my players start by picking a specialized background first followed by a limited choice of class, race, etc. respective to their background. For instance, a character who had chosen the Desert Rider (background) would be required to be a Fighter, Ranger, or Rogue from an Al-Badian society. Each background would include a unique Fate (Inspiration) ability befitting the role.

Do do you guys think this would be too limiting or complicated? I'm wanting to emphasize the importance of role playing and help immerse my players into the uniqueness of Zakhara.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=6789613]MessiahMushroom[/MENTION] Interesting user name!

More important than emulating kits, IMO, is getting the players familiar with the settin and various character archetypes. For those of us who grew up with Western Fantasy, there's a lot of new stuff in Al-Qadim. I'd look for touchstones they are familiar with; so if you video gamers in your group emphasize Assassin's Creed & Prince of Persia, or if they're familiar with old swords & sorcery emphasize Sinbad and Conan.

The various conversions in this thread should be sufficient to cover most archetypes.