D&D 2E Darksun converted to 5e, trying to be true to 2e

[Coroc]

This is great- just OOC, are you concerned that the Half Giants are, well, too much?

No, not really, they got loads of disadvantages. They need much more water. They might not get suitable equipment in their size and if so they have to pay much more for it (So the 2d4 for unarmed attack might be their unvoluntarily choice). Maybe they just fit in some narrow passages. Maybe this causes them to be the virtual meat shield for a party, preventing anyone else to be hit?

Enemy controller casters (do not forget psionics ) would go for the big guy first. and so on.

Otoh i did not go for attributes bigger than 20 for them e.g. str 22 or 24 but they have to get compensation for that. The 1d4 extra damage in melee just does the job fine. Maybe they should get reach? Yea i think they should get reach eventually.

 

[Coroc]

If you want, have a look at my Conversion Notes. We've been playing a Dark Sun Campaign (Fury of Freedom) with 5e rules since 2017, and it's working very well!

Will definitely do that, maybe i can steal something to even improve my solutions. Hope you do not mind if i do.

Edit : Just scrolling around a bit i your stuff (i am a superfast reader), like chapter 6 and 8 already

Scrolling in your campaign cite "He focused too hard on his mental powers. His head exploded. " ROFL how did this happen in game?

Edit: @Delazar Haha your character roster with death causes : Trampled by a raging mekillot. (A halfling also!)

That reminds me of YASD posts when i played nethack i nthe 90s, great, i have to read it all in depth, i guess.

 

[Zardnaar]

This is great- just OOC, are you concerned that the Half Giants are, well, too much?

You can power creep the other races say a bonus ASI at level one.

You can give them oversized weapons a'la 2E vs 5E. I've seen a centaur for example in 5E large size but treated as medium for weapon size.

This means a half giant can use two handed weapons in one hand but a bonus feat narrows that gap. I would probably let them get to 22 strength.

A Darksun human for example I would make them the default phb human with a bonus feat.
2E races were also a bit more powerful and abo us feat at level one is a reasonably popular houserule.

And lower the CR for critters by 1 or one step.

 

[Delazar]

Scrolling in your campaign cite "He focused too hard on his mental powers. His head exploded. " ROFL how did this happen in game?

Well, this was a case of the player being tired of his character, so he asked me for a way to remove him ASAP. Since we're playing an adventure called Dragon's Crown, where there's some sort of psionic disease spreading, I thought to make him go with a literal BANG!

 

[Coroc]

On defiling:

I did make up my mind now on what defiler should be class wise. Since 2e did not have sorcerers and the wild magic thing sounds fun but defiling is not actually about wild magic but about enhancing your casting with evil forbidden powers i will go the way that a defiler is the necromant subclass wizard.

That way i also save on extra mechanics but could give metamagic as a boon to defiling.

The necromatic damage in a 30 ft / spell level radius like i posted further upthread is the base side effect for defiling.

When defiling the mage can add one metamagic effect of the following to his spell:

Distant spell (needs minimum intelligence 12)
Empowered spell (needs minimum intelligence 12)
Extended spell (needs minimum intelligence 12)
Heightened spell (needs minimum intelligence 16)
Twinned spell (needs minimum intelligence 14)

Thereby a defiler can invest as many "sorcererer points" as his intelligence bonus is.

Same goes for preservers using defiling but for them it might have alignment consequences and the veiled alliance might condemn them for their action.

So this is neither overpowered nor toned down.

 

[Zardnaar]

It is also what created much of the wastelands Darksun now is.
It is working on all things living. It should be drastic. Not only plants dying but also living beings taking damage.
Defiling is a mainly NPC thing for enemy defilers and but for the PC party preserver it can be an emergency last resort act.

So i would suggest that all plants wither around the caster and every living being takes 1d4 necrotic damage per spell level on a failed constitution save. 0 if the save succeeds, because it should be totally resistable, that is what the preserver always does "the other way round" when casting, i hope you get what i try to express.
Radius would be 30 feet / spell level the save dc is the dc of the caster.
If it is a spell lasting more than 1 round the damage continues respective it requires another save.

Has to be playtested a bit but i believe that works. If some higher being, e.g. a sorcerer king defiles then the damge and radius should be bigger. Defiling should never discriminate between freind and foe, so allys of an freind or enemy caster would get damaged as well eventually, so there is always a price to pay.

Now to the effect for the spell to be cast. I guess everything can be game here. form reroling all 1s and 2s on the damage dice to metamagics. I still have to think about that a bit what might be best.

Defiling causes pain not go damage. Exception is defiling from Dragons and normal defiling deals damage to plant based creatures.

 

[Coroc]

Defiling causes pain not go damage. Exception is defiling from Dragons and normal defiling deals damage to plant based creatures.

Yep, but the only way to portray pain properly i n5e would be to give disadvantage. And that is tougher than the damage most of the time. The damage causes pain btw

 

[Zardnaar]

Yep, but the only way to portray pain properly i n5e would be to give disadvantage. And that is tougher than the damage most of the time. The damage causes pain btw

You can add in the 2E penalty but disadvantage works for one round if the people get tagged by the defiling.

Defilers could also get disadvantage on charisma checks. 5' radius per spell level or 2Es system.