D&D General EverQuest's Norrath via D&D. Any good conversions?

[Meech17]

Everquest is still around?

Wow. Didn't even know that.

I played Champions of Norrath once upon a time. Was a pretty great game.

No idea how to convert it to D&D though.

It's in a weird state as of late. If you log into EQ now and make a new character it'll feel like an apocalypse movie. Tons of empty zones and no one in sight. There is a pretty dedicated fan base filling out the higher level range however. Then every two years or so they launch a new progression server on both EQ and EQ2 and they tend to draw pretty impressive numbers. They peter out and die off usually just in time for the new one. I think the next launch for both is due this summer if you were wanting to get in on the action.

On the flip side there is Project1999 which is an emulated server trying to recapture the classic Everquest experience. They have three servers Red (The smallest, PVP server), Blue (The original server, which has a moderate population) and then Green (Was a progression server, launched a few years back starting at classic, and then slowly worked up through Kunark and Velious and is now locked at Velious content with Blue. This server is a bit more popular). I could be wrong, as it's been a while since I played but I think the total server population hovers around 500-1500 people between the three.

Just last fall Project Quarm launched which is another emulated server going after the classic experience like P99 but with some nice quality of life changes, and the intention to make it all the way to the Planes of Power expansion. I've been playing on here, and really enjoying it. Kunark is launching this summer, and they are doing a special event where the content will be unlocked, but travel to and from the continent will be disabled, so it'll be Iksar only for the first month.

There are a handful of other EMU servers floating around but none as popular as these two.

Champions of Norrath slapped. So did the PS2 Baldur's Gate game that was essentially the same game (Gameplay wise).

 

[Meech17]

While the spirit of Classic EQ is more AD&D than 5E and current EQ leans more to 5E (yes I know a 3rd ed official version came out, I own the core) would anyone know of a good 5E or OSR/AD&D conversion? I found some notes a fan made like 5-6 years ago, but perhaps someone might know of something more current?

Do you have links to the fan made content? I'd be interested in checking it out.

Also what kind of content were you hoping to find translated to D&D. I know you mention races and classes in the OP. I could definitely see a fun project in trying to come up with all of the races for a TTRPG. I wonder what direction you'd want to go though, without running into making some races obviously "The right choice" like Trolls or Iksar due to their natural regeneration. These were offset in game by making these races hated almost everywhere, so while one part of the game was made easier, another part was made much harder.

Would you want to impose strict class limitations on race like EQ? I like it from a flavor perspective but can see it being widely unpopular in the current environment. On that note it's funny how much of classic D&D made it's way into Everquest. Things like the race/class limits, and the hybrid classes having EXP penalties. Both EQ and D&D have since gotten rid of such design though, which is probably ultimately for the best.

As far as classes that aren't represented, do you think they'd translate well to a TTRPG? I can see trying to track things like buffs and debuffs that make classes like Druid, Shaman, and Bard all popular being an absolute nightmare at the table.

The stuff from EQ that I like the most and would like to see is all the lore and world building. I'd love a setting book based on Norrath, or perhaps just Antonica, and then maybe some subclasses to try and get some more EQ flavor in the game using D&D's existing structure.

I put a spooky forest in my world that appears safe enough on the surface, but after night falls the undead come out... The players went to the entire opposite side of the continent however, so I'll have to save it for a future adventure.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Other than a few new spells and monsters and maybe a new race or two (I haven't kept up with the most recent expansions, which keep coming out), EverQuest, which is intentionally aping AD&D, probably could be played with most versions of D&D, if one had a really detailed atlas.

Unfortunately, the game isn't as popular as Zelda or World of Warcraft or even Dragon Age, so I don't know if there ever was the demand for that kind of product. At this point, it seems like it would either require the developers releasing their setting bible to the public or an extremely devoted fanbase to create something from scratch, using the in-game coastlines and structures, etc., instead of just representing the flat zone lines as Allakhazam's does.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Do you have links to the fan made content? I'd be interested in checking it out.

Also what kind of content were you hoping to find translated to D&D. I know you mention races and classes in the OP. I could definitely see a fun project in trying to come up with all of the races for a TTRPG. I wonder what direction you'd want to go though, without running into making some races obviously "The right choice" like Trolls or Iksar due to their natural regeneration. These were offset in game by making these races hated almost everywhere, so while one part of the game was made easier, another part was made much harder.

Would you want to impose strict class limitations on race like EQ? I like it from a flavor perspective but can see it being widely unpopular in the current environment. On that note it's funny how much of classic D&D made it's way into Everquest. Things like the race/class limits, and the hybrid classes having EXP penalties. Both EQ and D&D have since gotten rid of such design though, which is probably ultimately for the best.

As far as classes that aren't represented, do you think they'd translate well to a TTRPG? I can see trying to track things like buffs and debuffs that make classes like Druid, Shaman, and Bard all popular being an absolute nightmare at the table.

The stuff from EQ that I like the most and would like to see is all the lore and world building. I'd love a setting book based on Norrath, or perhaps just Antonica, and then maybe some subclasses to try and get some more EQ flavor in the game using D&D's existing structure.

I put a spooky forest in my world that appears safe enough on the surface, but after night falls the undead come out... The players went to the entire opposite side of the continent however, so I'll have to save it for a future adventure.

Something like this but not made 5 years ago. Some of his stuff seems a tad OP, whihc is saying something for 5E

Races of Norrath

No description.

homebrewery.naturalcrit.com

 

[Meech17]

Other than a few new spells and monsters and maybe a new race or two (I haven't kept up with the most recent expansions, which keep coming out), EverQuest, which is intentionally aping AD&D, probably could be played with most versions of D&D, if one had a really detailed atlas.

Unfortunately, the game isn't as popular as Zelda or World of Warcraft or even Dragon Age, so I don't know if there ever was the demand for that kind of product. At this point, it seems like it would either require the developers releasing their setting bible to the public or an extremely devoted fanbase to create something from scratch, using the in-game coastlines and structures, etc., instead of just representing the flat zone lines as Allakhazam's does.

I know we had a copy of this Atlas at one point.

EverQuest Atlas: The Maps Of Myrist : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

This is a PDF scan of the EverQuest Atlas: The Maps of Myrist.

archive.org

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I know we had a copy of this Atlas at one point.

EverQuest Atlas: The Maps Of Myrist : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

This is a PDF scan of the EverQuest Atlas: The Maps of Myrist.

archive.org

Oh, nice. That's not bad. Ideally it would have used developer concept art rather than in-game graphics, but those may well be scattered to the wind at this point.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Oh, nice. That's not bad. Ideally it would have used developer concept art rather than in-game graphics, but those may well be scattered to the wind at this point.

That book still runs for a good amount on Ebay for some reason.

 

[Orius]

Judging by Champions of Norrath, which is the only piece of Everquest I've ever played, it seems like it could be used as a typical vanilla D&D setting. With the usual fantasy cliches and all the busty scantily-clad female NPCs, it looks like a typical setting created by a teenaged boy.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Judging by Champions of Norrath, which is the only piece of Everquest I've ever played, it seems like it could be used as a typical vanilla D&D setting. With the usual fantasy cliches and all the busty scantily-clad female NPCs, it looks like a typical setting created by a teenaged boy.

It actually is a generic fantasy world but the lore is pretty amazing and the races and classes are a tad different. Really though, I'd just use the lore and maps etc. Not looking to create whole new classes and magic systems etc etc.

BTW I still own a copy of Champions and it's sequel. Planning to sale them though.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Judging by Champions of Norrath, which is the only piece of Everquest I've ever played, it seems like it could be used as a typical vanilla D&D setting. With the usual fantasy cliches and all the busty scantily-clad female NPCs, it looks like a typical setting created by a teenaged boy.

Hey, there's a "god" living in a UFO hanging out in Qeynos! So it's only mostly vanilla. It's French vanilla!