Conversionalizing

[The Grumpy Celt]

When 3E came out, a booklet was released that covered converting characters from 2nd Edition to 3rd. Is there anything like that with 4E? If there is, I’ve missed it.

 

[The Little Raven]

The conversion book for 3e was rubbish. Just remake the character at an equivalent level using the original concept and the new rules.

 

[half-dragon dragon]

Just to expand a bit, WoTC has stated they will not be providing any guidelines on how to convert from 3E to 4E because its essentially impossible to directly convert. I never saw the conversion booklet myself, but I can say that I haven't really heard anything good about it.

As mourn said, the best advice I've heard about converting characters (between editions and even other games) is to start with the concept. Essentially what defined the character, made them who they are. Then work within the frame of the rules and make the closest approximation you can.

 

[BendBars/LiftGates]

What they said.

The designers haven't really done a good job, in my opinion, of calming people down over this. They kind of boldly said "the conversion booklet for 3e didn't work, so don't convert your campaigns this time and instead just start at level 1." While I see a certain logic to starting your campaign anew at level 1--try out the system from the ground up, a clean slate, no baggage or prior expectations, no internal consistency lapses, and no difficult shoehorning conversion job--I really don't see that it would be difficult to convert most of the characters in my current campaigns to 4e when we start playing it, and whatever is missing (e.g. kalashtar for Eberron) can be made up to fit as needed. The designers really should have told people that it'll be okay, but they'll just need to apply some independent logic when converting their campaigns rather than following a prescribed formula like the 3e booklet attempted. Their reassurances have, in my observations, seemed far more discouraging than they needed to be.

 

[Jer]

The designers haven't really done a good job, in my opinion, of calming people down over this. They kind of boldly said "the conversion booklet for 3e didn't work, so don't convert your campaigns this time and instead just start at level 1." While I see a certain logic to starting your campaign anew at level 1--try out the system from the ground up, a clean slate, no baggage or prior expectations, no internal consistency lapses, and no difficult shoehorning conversion job--I really don't see that it would be difficult to convert most of the characters in my current campaigns to 4e when we start playing it, and whatever is missing (e.g. kalashtar for Eberron) can be made up to fit as needed.

Meanwhile, my current group has decided that our campaign is pretty much impossible to convert right now because 3 of the five characters are a Druid (whose concept is centered on shapeshifting), a Monk, and a Barbarian. The Sorcerer/Rogue would probably be easy to convert - other than the "reality shift" that would turn him from a hopelessly incompetent character into a fairly competent one under 4e - and the Cleric could move over directly. We might even be able to tweak up a Fighter to get a decent "in spirit" conversion of the Barbarian. But in the end we'd have to probably write up at least 2 new classes to move over - 2 classes that will probably be showing up "officially" within the next year anyway, I might add - and we've decided it isn't worth it.

(Also - the tactics of combat are different enough that as a DM I want to start at level 1 for my first campaign anyway - this is the first new edition of D&D that I've seen since I started playing the game in the 80's that makes me think I want to start from the "ground up" to actually learn the game, rather than converting an old campaign over.)

The designers really should have told people that it'll be okay, but they'll just need to apply some independent logic when converting their campaigns rather than following a prescribed formula like the 3e booklet attempted. Their reassurances have, in my observations, seemed far more discouraging than they needed to be.

Eh. I recall this question coming up on the podcasts and Dave Noonan pretty much gave the exact spiel you give above - you can do it if you don't expect to have a mathematical conversion and you worry about carrying the characters over "in spirit" instead of directly in form. I think I've seen similar postings from mearls and from keith baker, IIRC.


IMO, I think they're right to set low expectations for this - any party made up of even vaguely "nonstandard" core classed characters is going to be tough to convert right out the gate - like I said, even my party with classes entirely from the 3e core rulebook would be more trouble to convert than it's really worth, so I can't imagine what it would be like if I were contemplating switching a party over that contained a Ninja, or a Favored Soul, or a Swashbuckler or any other of the splatclasses. Better to lower expectations and let the lucky few who are easily able to make the conversion be pleasantly surprised than to raise expectations and have a larger chunk of gamers angry because they were "promised" something that wasn't delivered.

 

[Byronic]

Meanwhile, my current group has decided that our campaign is pretty much impossible to convert right now because 3 of the five characters are a Druid (whose concept is centered on shapeshifting), a Monk, and a Barbarian.

Isn't Necromancer Games supposed to bring out an Advanced Players Guide containing those classes for 4ed?

 

[Orryn Emrys]

Ironically, I think that my group's newest party, now four sessions into War of the Burning Sky, is almost ideal for conversion. Particularly since they're only 2nd level at this point. (Note that I do not think I could say the same of any group of PC's they've previously designed.) They've even already shown an unusual focus on operating as an effective tactical unit. And they're seven strong: a cleric, a paladin, two rogues, a wizard, a fighter and a ranger... four humans, a half-elf and two halflings.

It's tempting... but I'd also have to convert the campaign material. That sounds like a lot of work.