Conversions

[BBQ]

I think it'll be about as easy to convert between older editions and 4e as it was to 3e.

 

[el-remmen]

I've never had any trouble converting modules, and I don't see how 4E would be any different.

Are people forgetting that all this encounter construction stuff is all guidelines? Nothing says you have to do it that way if you don't want to.

 

[MerricB]

The only thing that will be difficult is those monsters that have significantly changed their power level (e.g. Azer)

From 1e to 2e, there weren't many changes, but try running the Dragonlance or Giants series under 2e rules - as Dragons and Giant got a *lot* tougher, those points became invalid.

I happily ran Keep on the Borderlands, Desert of Desolation and several other adventure converted (often on the fly) for 3e without any trouble.

Cheers!

 

[Li Shenron]

Converting a PC and converting an adventure are two completely different things

I think that was is said by designers to be very difficult was probably converting a 3.x PC to keep it as close as possible to the originals.

Converting an adventure is a piece of cake IF the relative monster level of all the creatures are the same as the CR of the same creatures in the original adventure (but I don't know what to do with older editions with no CR). So if you have an adventure that used CR3, CR4, and CR5 monsters, and in 4e the same monsters are ML6, ML7, and ML8 (even if the actual level is changed), you can just use the new version of the monsters and say that now the adventure is perhaps for level 7 characters.

However, converting NPCs is perhaps just as hard as with PCs, and it's usually unlikely to have an adventure without any NPC villains, particularly in 3.x where classed monsters abound.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Another point to consider is the change to per-encounter resource management assumptions. That's going to alter how a designer looks at adventure-flow and pace. Designs that are just fine in 4E may be way too tough in earlier editions. And designs that were just fine in earlier editions may be too easy for 4E PCs.

Based on what I've heard so far, I'm coming down on the "conversion will be harder" side of the fence.

 

[Li Shenron]

Another point to consider is the change to per-encounter resource management assumptions. That's going to alter how a designer looks at adventure-flow and pace.

Yes that's right, the game does not remain the same, from that point of view.

But I think that this could be impossible to convert at all, no matter the effort. A Temple of Elemental Evil adventure was designed by knowing that the characters would need to retreat many times, while in 4e it might be possible to clear the whole dungeon in one run. That doesn't mean that ToE cannot be played in 4e, just that it will work very differently.

 

[sckeener]

But I think that this could be impossible to convert at all, no matter the effort. A Temple of Elemental Evil adventure was designed by knowing that the characters would need to retreat many times, while in 4e it might be possible to clear the whole dungeon in one run. That doesn't mean that ToE cannot be played in 4e, just that it will work very differently.

Now you've given me images of ToE as another SnowBlind game similar to Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance.

Hopefully 4e won't be such a hack-n-slash...though I still like to play those games.

Let me see if I got the posts straight...

• The Designers said conversions will be difficult
• Everyone agrees that Character conversions are going to be difficult.
• mixed feelings about whether adventures are going to be easy to recreate or not
• Easy to run monsters on the fly
• Have to rethink purpose of encounters
• Converting monsters with class levels is going to be as much a problem as it is with characters. More a problem for 3rd to 4e conversions.
• Resource replenishment will change the timing and difficulty of encounters and thus the feel of the original adventure

 

[BASHMAN]

Well, look out for those 25th level spells! I don't know exactly how those will convert over!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

If the designers are correct and it is easy to run encounters on the fly, then it should be easy to convret -- since all you are really doing in converting and adventure is rebuilding encounters.

 

[wedgeski]

The problem is that just because this encounter featured 6 Xorcs doesn't mean that 6 Xorcs in any way represent the same encounter in a different edition. The feats that Xorcs had in 3rd edition may have played an important role in how a particular encounter was interesting. With the feat gone, the encounter may be lacking. And the Xorc might turn out to be slightly weaker or slightly tougher relative to a party of a given level between editions. And if Xorcs turn out weaker, it may be that Zoblins turn out much stronger. So suddenly the Xorc encounter is a pushover and the Zoblin encouter is a TPK. So you'll find yourself fiddling with Xorc and Zoblin stats.

I think the question we all really want answered is whether Xorcs and Zoblins will be in the first MM, or whether they'll force us to buy supplements by putting them in later books. Damn you WotC! :shakes fist: