D&D 4E Conversion: 3.x to 4e

[Li Shenron]

Don't do it.

I've dragged players through converting existing characters through many game systems, and experience tells me is that you rarely get a player who feels that the conversion was fair. Unless all of your players primarily appreciate the thematic elements of their beloved characters, I'd avoid it like the plague.

I agree.

4e characters have too different powers compared to 3e, and the number of powers is very different as well: many more stuff for the martial types, many less spells for the casters. This means that whatever you convert, will end up feeling very different in actual play.

Try to see the positive side: by creating the characters from scratch, they will have a new edge. Or maybe, even take the opportunity to play a completely different character once in a while

 

[Cyronax]

Didn't I read one of the developers say that levels 1-20 in 4e correlate to levels 4-14 in 3e? I'd suggest your 3e level, minus four, times two.

I like that range. It keeps the mid-level 3.5 feel longer ..... before the epic 'i'm a god' crap.

c.i.d.

 

[Cyronax]

But its not as if the conversion manual actually worked. It just gave the illusion of correct conversion, but didn't actually keep things correct. Really the best advice is to let everyone use the new rules and figure out what's best.

I thought the conversion manual worked fairly well. It enabled me to transfer a mid-level 2e campaign to 3e with little problem.

The only problem then as I imagine now, will be the clunkiness of re-starting a campaign with a new ruleset that didn't start from the 1st level.

Don't discount the difficulty of grasping rules for non-1st level characters in an untested (at the home table game). That fact makes me lean towards simply starting a new 1st level campaign. (Plus most of my players are pro-4e).

c.i.d.

 

[hong]

I'll also have to think of some villain to enact a gnomish genocide .

This is a feature, not a bug.

 

[Cyronax]

This is a feature, not a bug.

Nice.

I'm thinking it'll be one of their own, a gnome that was never quite accepted in gnomish society. This misanthrope enjoyed swamp boat rides, thievery, and reductionary nose jobs.

He'll also wear a hair piece.

c.i.d.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Nice.

I'm thinking it'll be one of their own, a gnome that was never quite accepted in gnomish society. This misanthrope enjoyed swamp boat rides, thievery, and reductionary nose jobs.

He'll also wear a hair piece.

c.i.d.

Nice... hehe

Internal Gnomish Genocide, sounds awesome!

(not to rain on the parade here, but gnomes exist in 4e. They're in MM1 and have rules for being playable as characters. They simply don't get space in PH1.)

 

[Cyronax]

(not to rain on the parade here, but gnomes exist in 4e. They're in MM1 and have rules for being playable as characters. They simply don't get space in PH1.)

sshh......

Gnomes were my favorite race to play after humans. I'm trying to be as dramatic and bitchy as possible without a nod toward reality.

.....please stop being an anti-gnomite.

c.i.d.

PS - I'm one of the sad people who spent good tokens to buy the 'gnome card' at DDXP. Yes, now I too can be a gnome in LFR. Hopefully it power games well with wizard

 

[malraux]

I thought the conversion manual worked fairly well. It enabled me to transfer a mid-level 2e campaign to 3e with little problem.

I dunno, just the conversion of abilities scores can throw off the balance. A character with exception strength in 2e would end up with 20+ in 3e before racial adjustments, something a character created within the rules couldn't ever be. That alone tells me that formulaic conversions aren't going to work.

 

[drjones]

Strongly disagree with this one. I'd say new level ought to be 1, or at most equal to current level.

And level 1 will be a power boost for them to boot.

 

[the Jester]

I think the hardest thing in adventure conversion will be finding enough room for all the monsters and pcs to fight.

Hello "clusters" of rooms!