Best Paizo AP to convert to 5e?

[Eyes of Nine]

I've run Reign of Winter through the first three and they are fantastic, but it would be a lot of work to convert. Lots of non-MM monsters and witches everywhere. The farther along the Paizo timeline you get the more non MM monsters you will generally see because they have more bestiaries and non-PH classes to draw from.

Thematically I would think the classic themed APs would be the easiest to convert, so Rise of the Runelords, Curse of the Crimson Throne, Carrion Crown, Shattered Star, Giantslayer, etc.

I would think things like Iron Gods with its tech and robots or Jade Regent with a lot of (I would assume) Asian themed Non-MM monsters would be tougher. Traditionally about every other AP was going for a classic theme and every other one was a themed experiment pushing nonstandard concepts.

Partially it will also depend on how many Non-MM 5e monster sources you have, there are a lot of OGL and DMs Guild stuff out there that can give neat equivalents. Paizo uses a bunch of Kobold Press and Green Ronin stuff scattered throughout their APs.

I wonder if it's possible to take an existing 5e MM monster, and layer a different name and perhaps tactics on top of it? Maybe even pull the image from web? That's a bit of work, as opposed the "lot of work" of creating a monster from scratch...

 

[Voadam]

I wonder if it's possible to take an existing 5e MM monster, and layer a different name and perhaps tactics on top of it? Maybe even pull the image from web? That's a bit of work, as opposed the "lot of work" of creating a monster from scratch...

Yes. Definitely.

Its generally called reskinning. It generally works well with similar power level and similar combat roles for the monsters.

So two ranged attackers; or two brutes with high damage, high hp, and low AC; or two minion types. A manticore could replace an archer on a griffon. An Ogre could be a giant boar.

 

[S'mon]

Been running Rise of the Runelords in 5e for years - it's great! Mashed it up with Shattered Star which has good stuff (notably Book 2) but overall much weaker. I'd definitely recommend Rise of the Runelords. The use of mostly classic monsters is a big plus.

Converting skill DCs you just divide by 2, then add 5. Cap at 30 but there are not many PF listed DCs over 50 anyway.

 

[S'mon]

I'm not entirely sure how easy the APs will be to convert, however, given how eclectic Pathfinder NPCs are. Weird mixes of sometimes weird classes and oddball races or unusual templates. It'll be the NPCs that are the hard bit, IMO, since they're all built using PC rules.

For 5e, you want NPC stats that look like 5e MM NPCs - so you ignore most of the PF stat block, focus on converting AC hit points attributes saves to-hit & damage, maybe some skills, & spells if caster - use listed spells that match. I find it's easy enough to do on the fly during a session. Most of a PF NPC stat block never sees use during a PF game, never mind a 5e game.