ChampaignSupernova
First Post
Is there any advice someone can give on retrofitting 3.0/3.5 E prestige classes for 1E AD&D? I was thinking along the lines of say a Thief to a Thief-Acrobat in UA.
The problem with switching what class you take next level is the hit and save tables; 3rd Edition fixed this problem by introducing stackable hit and save bonuses. No such luck in 1E. My advice is to leave 3E prestige classes where they are, steal their 1E and 2E prototypes, and let your players do 1E human-style dual-classing with them.Is there any advice someone can give on retrofitting 3.0/3.5 E prestige classes for 1E AD&D? I was thinking along the lines of say a Thief to a Thief-Acrobat in UA.
The problem with switching what class you take next level is the hit and save tables; 3rd Edition fixed this problem by introducing stackable hit and save bonuses. No such luck in 1E. My advice is to leave 3E prestige classes where they are, steal their 1E and 2E prototypes, and let your players do 1E human-style dual-classing with them.
I hear ya. I collected every 1E book I could get my hands on to get the classes, and removed all multi-classing and dual-classing restrictions. It went a long way to adding spice to the mix. Even had a multi'd fighter-ninja eventually dual-class as a kensai. Good concept, good roleplay. Try it out and see how it works.Hmmm, ok. Thanks. I didn't really think there was a way to do exactly what I wanted. Was feeling a bit nostalgic for my 3E days, after going back to 1E. I like 1E, on the whole; but missing the concept of prestige classes, monster progression and monsters as PCs in my game.
Is there any advice someone can give on retrofitting 3.0/3.5 E prestige classes for 1E AD&D? I was thinking along the lines of say a Thief to a Thief-Acrobat in UA.
I like 1E, on the whole; but missing the concept of prestige classes, monster progression and monsters as PCs in my game.
I'm not quite following you, CS: can you elaborate further, please? It sounds like you're asking how to retro-convert a 3.x PrC to a Thief/Thief-Acrobat combo in 1e, but I'm not sure.
edit:
1e definitely includes some of these features, although not as broadly as 3.x does:
- monsters definitely can be stronger than standard versions/advance, in particular leader type monsters among humanoids and giants when encountered in their lairs; ixitxachitl and sahuagin also follow this model
- many monsters have ranges of HD (anhkheg, elementals, dragons, dragon turtles, many fish and dinosaurs, piercers, etc.), while in others their descriptions hint at larger versions (bulette) or there are variants hidden in strange places (hydras top out at 12 HD in the MM, but go up to 16 or 20 HD in Appendix E in the DMG, for example)
- half ogres are another variant PC race developed by both EGG (Dragon #29) and Roger Moore (I think, in Dragon #73); there's a half-gnoll in the old d20 supplement Valus (Different Worlds 2004) that could easily be adapted to broaden out the half-monstrous humanoid PC options, too
- nothing prevents you from playing another humanoid race or a full monster as a PC in AD&D, either---you just need to get the DM's permission, and then to work out the basics: stats min/max (there's some guidelines on Str in the DMG, MM has Int, the rest can often be inferred/defined from there and comparisons to other races), class level limits (D&DG and DMG both have info on levels for witch doctors and shamans, which may or may not substitude for clerics and druids and MUs), multii-classing options, and any applicable racial benefits/penalties
First, take (another) look at the bard in the PHB. Maybe also Heirophant Druids.
But otherwise, you will have to "just do it" using the their acrobat or bard as an example.
It will be work. Do you have a specific example in mind, or at least as a starting point?
One thing you could do would be to look at 2E, where some of these PrC (actually many of them) originated, at least in mechanical form.
In 2E this was approached through kits and specialty wizards and clerics.