D&D 5E An Idea for D&D Next adventures (or how to make "edition inclusivity" a reality)

[Mercurius]

How about this: For every D&D Next adventure or product with a new creature or magic item of any kind, there is an online document that converts it to prior editions of D&D - or at least 4th, 3.5, 1st, BECMI, and OD&D. Anyone who purchases the product gets a passcode to access the conversion material (which would also be accessible to D&D Insiders).

Too much work? Maybe, but I think it would be worth it in terms of community health and may even balance out financially through driving sales of products (and Insider accounts) to players of other editions.

What do you think? Any possibility of this?

 

[Bedrockgames]

I think the problem is deeper than mechanics. My impression is the different groups also want different kinds of adventures (but I think your idea for the conversion code is a good one).

 

[Mercurius]

Well "different kinds of adventures" can be solved by having some kind of OGL...we can hope!

 

[steeldragons]

I see what you're getting at...however, I think you have it correct..."too much work." AND, most likely, something that would be a PAY service through the WotC website.

More likely...or, at least, I personally would rather see...sidebars in the module itself...

"If you are using XYZ module, then do this to Monster 1, this to Monster 6 and this to the final Big Bad.
...this to Encounter 8, 12, and 24.
...and this to Challenge 3 and 42."
etc...

Shouldn't/Doesn't have to take up a lot of space. Just think it'd be easier for the players to have it there, in front of them, in the print than saying "Go to Tax Credits & Incentives | First Advantage [or 3.5 or BECM or whatever].pdf for X playstyle adjustments."

Just my take. But one way or the other, yes I agree that in the printed modules (which I very much hope WILL be part of 5e), something has to be presented to allow people to weed through the "optional/modular rules" of varying playstyles.

I just feel, at no point for any play style preference, should a computer/internet access be required to play the game.
--SD

 

[Nagol]

I seem to recall some of the 3e/4e publishers talking about how a 3-->4 conversion almost necessitates reimagining the adventure -- the game expectations surrounding the the map (4e wants lots more space for shifting combats), the abilities available to the group, and so on are very different.

Are the two versions of War of the Burning Sky so similar a conversion document would make sense?

 

[Ahnehnois]

I don't think the adventures really matter one way or another.

 

[objectsession]

The main problem with this is that all new creatures and items would have to be limited to those that could be made compatible with all of the other editions. That, and the amount of work involved. Making a guarantee like that would inevitably lead to a lot of development time being spent that might not actually improve anyone's game.

 

[Mercurius]

In terms of the time factor, why not open it up to the community for a dedicated forum for conversions of adventures? Even with "official" or "sanctioned" converters that have the WotC seal of approval? License to Convert, so to speak?

I like the sidebar idea but thought that might get a bit messy, especially if we're talking about multiple editions. I think 4th, 3.5, and 1st at the minimum, but BECMI and OD&D would be nice as well.

 

[delericho]

For every D&D Next adventure or product with a new creature or magic item of any kind, there is an online document that converts it to prior editions of D&D - or at least 4th, 3.5, 1st, BECMI, and OD&D.

I don't know about tying it to the print products, but someone (Monte? Dancey?) noted that it's madness that D&D has all this material out there for the various editions - monsters, spells, magic items - and there's no central library of all of it, converted and ready for use for each edition.

I don't know what WotC's intentions for the DDI are, but it seems to me that if they are going to continue with it, it would be sensible to build up a Compendium for each of the editions, and to gradually work through the existing IP, converting everything to every edition. Once the infrastructure is done, it then seems a reasonably cheap way to generate value for the DDI, and could bring in subscribers across the entire edition spectrum.

 

[triqui]

I think this is quite the opposite of WtC intention. They want people who loves all editions to play 5e. They don't want people who loves other editions to keep playing those other editions with new content, because they attempt to lure people to buy the new edition, not the other way around.