D&D General Converting Bg3 to Tabletop

[Zardnaar]

Until Bg3 I can’t think of many modules that ran multi dimensional encounters. Until game of thrones I never really had dragons burn and move

Take the blighted village encounter- it’s simple but it obviously would need a little more work as monsters like the ogres don’t react to combat outside the door etc

Does roll20 or any online tool allow you to create this encounter with goblins elevated etc? That suprise round with the goblins there could be very challenging at low levels. What’s the closest wotc has come to something like just that in last few years. D&d has mostly been 2d .phandelver has an early cave where goblins were on elevation but it’s still mostly 2d on how to resolve

Some 2E material kind f did it.

But yeah its hard irl.

 

[TheSword]

So after a response to Reynard’s comment that Descent into Avernus isn’t a spin of BG3 it got me thinking.

DIA is more than just a prequel. It introduces so much of the plot and climate of BG3.

• It explains the presence of large numbers of tieflings in Act 1
• It introduces the troubles in Baldurs gate that can lead to Gortash taking over
• It introduces the dead three to a new generatiom
• It introduces Ulder Ravensgard and by extension Wyll.
• it introduces Zariel and the whole infernal element.

The follow up is question is of course: could DIA act as as an introduction to a BG3 TTRPG conversion. Run that through to level 10 then pick up with Baldurs Gate 3? Or with an experienced party with a bit of chaff cut out run to level 7 or 8

 

[UngainlyTitan]

So after a response to Reynard’s comment that Descent into Avernus isn’t a spin of BG3 it got me thinking.

DIA is more than just a prequel. It introduces so much of the plot and climate of BG3.

• It explains the presence of large numbers of tieflings in Act 1
• It introduces the troubles in Baldurs gate that can lead to Gortash taking over
• It introduces the dead three to a new generatiom
• It introduces Ulder Ravensgard and by extension Wyll.
• it introduces Zariel and the whole infernal element.

The follow up is question is of course: could DIA act as as an introduction to a BG3 TTRPG conversion. Run that through to level 10 then pick up with Baldurs Gate 3? Or with an experienced party with a bit of chaff cut out run to level 7 or 8

Probably, though BG3 tops out too early for it to really mesh. I have not read Decent into Avrenus but I understand that chapter 1 in Baldur's Gate is somewhat disconnected from he rest. Would staying in Baldur's Gate work better and run in parallel with the Avernus adventure?

 

[MarkB]

So after a response to Reynard’s comment that Descent into Avernus isn’t a spin of BG3 it got me thinking.

DIA is more than just a prequel. It introduces so much of the plot and climate of BG3.

• It explains the presence of large numbers of tieflings in Act 1
• It introduces the troubles in Baldurs gate that can lead to Gortash taking over
• It introduces the dead three to a new generatiom
• It introduces Ulder Ravensgard and by extension Wyll.
• it introduces Zariel and the whole infernal element.

The follow up is question is of course: could DIA act as as an introduction to a BG3 TTRPG conversion. Run that through to level 10 then pick up with Baldurs Gate 3? Or with an experienced party with a bit of chaff cut out run to level 7 or 8

The first question is, would you do the whole "de-powered by the tadpoles" thing to knock the party back down to low level after DIA? That happens in BG3 to characters like Wyll and Karlach, and is a good way to reconcile their high-level backstories with their current low levels. But that sort of enforced de-powering is something many players will not be comfortable with.

On the other hand, a 10th-level party may have solutions to potential ceremorphosis that aren't available to low-level characters, and that a DM will have a hard time disallowing. They may also have travel options that would realistically let them skip over much of the journey to Baldur's Gate, or even just head back to Elturel where they have allies and connections.

I would probably run them as separate campaigns with different characters, but feed in some major events from a DIA campaign as background to the BG3 campaign - recurring NPCs, accounts of the former party's deeds as seen from afar, etc.

 

[TheSword]

The first question is, would you do the whole "de-powered by the tadpoles" thing to knock the party back down to low level after DIA? That happens in BG3 to characters like Wyll and Karlach, and is a good way to reconcile their high-level backstories with their current low levels. But that sort of enforced de-powering is something many players will not be comfortable with.

On the other hand, a 10th-level party may have solutions to potential ceremorphosis that aren't available to low-level characters, and that a DM will have a hard time disallowing. They may also have travel options that would realistically let them skip over much of the journey to Baldur's Gate, or even just head back to Elturel where they have allies and connections.

I would probably run them as separate campaigns with different characters, but feed in some major events from a DIA campaign as background to the BG3 campaign - recurring NPCs, accounts of the former party's deeds as seen from afar, etc.

I think you are probably right.

The two big reasons not to for me would be.
1. There’s a lot of good low level play in BG3 and there isn’t much good low level player in DIA
2. It would mess up a lot of the NPC backstory/player backgrounds.

I never considered stripping PCs of powers, I agree that a lot of players would respond poorly to it.
If I was doing it I’d probably instead just level them up slowly.

DIA would probably make a better second part to a TTRPG version of BG1

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Take the blighted village encounter- it’s simple but it obviously would need a little more work as monsters like the ogres don’t react to combat outside the door etc

I feel like that's an RP thing. The ogres are too busy eating a tiefling, and I don't think that they care at all what happens to the goblins. If the PCs are fighting the nearby goblins, I'd have an ogre peek out (with the possibility of a PC spotting them) then shrug and go back inside.

 

[TheSword]

So onto other issues converting a CRPG to tabletop.

What about curing the parasite. The wee beasties are protected by shadow magic which prevents normal methods of removing them working?

What more creative ways can you think of to replace them… I’m thinking of things like decapitation then resurrection using a non-decapitated part. Potential solutions include.

• A soul that dies with a parasite inside it is consumed by the magic of the parasite and destroyed. Any cleric powerful enough to cast resurrection can tell them this.
• Resurrection brings the parasite back too because the shadow magic latches it to the soul as well as the body.
• There just isn’t resurrection magic available. Maybe Acerak is up to his tricks at the same time in a different part of the world. Or perhaps it has been used up by the rich and powerful affected by the reaper. I can see the absolute assassinating high level rival priests and stealing the scrolls.

Or just let it work. The PC is cured but the threat posed by the absolute is massive and hopefully they would still be incentivized to stop it.

What other issues with a straight conversion would you see.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

So onto other issues converting a CRPG to tabletop.

What about curing the parasite. The wee beasties are protected by shadow magic which prevents normal methods of removing them working?

What more creative ways can you think of to replace them… I’m thinking of things like decapitation then resurrection using a non-decapitated part. Potential solutions include.

• A soul that dies with a parasite inside it is consumed by the magic of the parasite and destroyed. Any cleric powerful enough to cast resurrection can tell them this.
• Resurrection brings the parasite back too because the shadow magic latches it to the soul as well as the body.
• There just isn’t resurrection magic available. Maybe Acerak is up to his tricks at the same time in a different part of the world. Or perhaps it has been used up by the rich and powerful affected by the reaper. I can see the absolute assassinating high level rival priests and stealing the scrolls.

Or just let it work. The PC is cured but the threat posed by the absolute is massive and hopefully they would still be incentivized to stop it.

What other issues with a straight conversion would you see.

I would go with normal resurrection does not work, only resurrection via Withers, and he cannot rid you of the parasite as he has his own plan, which includes the PC ending the threat of the Dark Triad and the Nethermind.

 

[MarkB]

I'd fall back on the old "soul must be free and willing to return" clause. Once infected by the parasite, your soul is bound inextricably to the Absolute and the only way it may freely return is if you allow the parasite to be resurrected along with the body. You could even make it that a live tadpole is required as an additional material component to be consumed by the spell if the target's head is no longer intact.

Don't leave this up to trial and error for the players to find out. Maybe have Nettie at the druids' grove tell of how they tried and failed to reincarnate an afflicted druid, and why it didn't work.

 

[TheSword]

Both good answers. Anything else folks might try to cure the little buggers?