D&D 4E Converting 4E bits to 3.X

[Scurvy_Platypus]

I do see your point on this. I'd be open to putting in additional pre-requisites (perhaps, Dodge and Mobility?) for characters/creatures that were not size Small. Or, perhaps the pre-requisites would always apply regardless of creature size unless the DM gave it to the creature as a racial bonus feat?

One of the things you might think about is using the old Feat Point system offered up by Sean Reynolds to help you build the feat. You can find it here:
http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/misc/featpointsystem.html

One of the things I really like about what I've seen of 4th Edition is that combats look to be more mobile than they are in 3.x. I'm looking to bring that extra mobility into my 3.x game.

If that's the case, I'm not sure that the way you're going about it is quite right.

Feats are mostly limited to 1 every 3 levels, unless you're running something like BESMd20, where you can buy a feat (or more) every level if you want.

I'm not quite sure what to suggest as an alternative. One thing might be just rebuilding the classes a bit, and including a series of these things as options. If you go this route, one thing to think about might be the whole "dead levels" article they had a while back.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x

I've heard a number of people talk about how Book of 9 swords seems to have been an inspiration for how some of the 4E stuff works, so looking at the classes there might be an idea as well. I don't have the book though, so you'll have to hit someone else up about its mechanical bits.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Thanks for the input, Scurvy Platypus.

One of the things you might think about is using the old Feat Point system offered up by Sean Reynolds to help you build the feat. You can find it here:
LINK

An interesting thought. I'll have to take a look at it in more detail, time-permitting.

If that's the case [that you're looking for extra mobility in your 3.x game], I'm not sure that the way you're going about it is quite right.

You're probably right. I don't really know that much about 4th Edition. I've never played it. But, that shifty stuff the new kobolds can do is nice.

Feats are mostly limited to 1 every 3 levels, unless you're running something like BESMd20, where you can buy a feat (or more) every level if you want.

The game I'm running offers many more feats than the standard 3.x game. In place of the normal 1 feat per 3 levels of standard 3.x, all characters get two feats at 1st and 2nd level. Then, they get two more at every even numbered level. The power level of the game is set to work with Monte Cook's Books of Experimental Might I & II and a little from the new Pathfinder RPG that Paizo's working on.

I'm not quite sure what to suggest as an alternative. One thing might be just rebuilding the classes a bit, and including a series of these things as options. If you go this route, one thing to think about might be the whole "dead levels" article they had a while back.
Link2
Link3

I like the dead levels artilcle very much. I, also, enjoy what the author did on the http://www.wakinglands.com website in adjusting some of the classes, too. However, I've tried to limit my tinkering to the realm of feats. I've strayed some, but re-writing classes is something I'm a little leary of doing, myself. Though, I've got some ideas.

I've heard a number of people talk about how Book of 9 swords seems to have been an inspiration for how some of the 4E stuff works, so looking at the classes there might be an idea as well. I don't have the book though, so you'll have to hit someone else up about its mechanical bits.

Yeah... I don't have that book, yet, either. I'm trying to complete my general 3.x collection, but that one's still a ways down the list.

Thanks, again!

 

[digitalninja2k]

4thED to 3.xED

I've already integrated the dragonborn into my campaign world with a quick and dirty conversion. I plan to refine them as I go along. I've also included a couple minor things such as Residuum and Silvered Weapons.

One thing I want to add to the game is Rituals. One of my players is very adamant about it and I've told him that I'll see what I can do.

Has anyone already managed to convert rituals to 3.5ed? If so would you please message me with the details as we have a game coming up in a few days and I'd love to have the rituals available for play as it's the opening session of a campaign.

Thanks in advance.
-- Tom

 

[Achan hiArusa]

I would probably go with the Incantation system in Urban Arcana:

http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/ArcanaIncantations.rtf

allow it for spells below 6th level and make nonspellcasters spend a feat to be able to use knowledge (arcana or religion) to do incantations.

 

[Doc Eldritch]

On the subject of getting rid of iterative attacks, I am somewhat torn. I don't mind them too much, and they do help the fighter close the damage gap with spellcasters. Some ideas I am thinking of for my game (since having tried 4e a few times I am leaning into the 'not for me' camp), include:

All fighter type classes getting a damage bonus on attacks equal to at least 1/2 level, possibly more
Spell damage is capped at 10 dice, period
You can sacrifice an attack if you have more than one, to move 10'. This is in addition to a normal move, and you can not move more than twice in a round in this way. Unlike a 5' step, you are NOT immune to provoking AoOs.
And I am working on some kind of manuever system for fighters. Based a bit on Combat Rituals (from AE), 4e Exploits, and some other odds and ends from places.

Other rules I think would port over well, include the Mook rules (though I was using something similar already), the Poison and Disease rules (especially Disease, that track works well for LOTS of things), and rituals.

 

[Davinshe]

I posted this back on the wizard's boards, but they seem to be largely dead. This is what I am using for minions in my 3.5 game.

Hit Points: Minions have a number of hitpoints equal to their HD+con modifier. So a 4HD ogre minion with a 15 con would have 6 hit points. Minions automatically die when reduced to 0 hit points.

Armor Class: Minions gains a +4 competence bonus to armor class.

Attacks: Minions gain a +8 competence bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls.

Saves: Minions gain a +4 competence bonus to saving throws.

Spell Resistance: A Minion with spell resistance increases it by 4. A minion without spell resistance gains no benefit.

Evasion (ex): as the rogue ability
Mettle (ex): as the hexblade ability (basically, evasion for fortitude and willpower saves).
Fast Healing: Minions gain fast healing equal to HD+con modifier.

Ultimately, this makes low CR monsters fighting higher level players more worth the XP the players gain for defeating them, as they usually can do a little bit of damage before being removed from the game. The template works best with fairly straight-forward monsters of CR2 or higher like minotaurs or hill giants. It produces poor results from monsters who depend on special attacks or spell-like abilities. Minions are generally designed to be about as effective at attacking as a monster of +4 CR, and are designed to be paired up with monsters of about that level.

 

[kcmopd1913]

On the subject of getting rid of iterative attacks, I am somewhat torn. I don't mind them too much, and they do help the fighter close the damage gap with spellcasters.

One thing I did was make a full attack a standard action instead of the full-round action. That really closed the gap for the martial characters as it allowed them to move and get multiple attacks dealing a good amount of damage in a round. Really the way its set up worked great for all classes once they had a high enough BaB to attack more than once. Of course I did allow creatures with more than one attack to do the same.

 

[Doc Eldritch]

Something else that worked pretty well for us, was using the Book of Iron Might. It did not ramp up fighter damage a ton, but it made them MUCH more versatile. I also used a house rule that melee classes could 'specialize' in the maneuvers from the book, cutting down the attack roll penalties on various things. It made fighters pretty good in combat, though they definitely don't (and should not) kill masses of creatures all at once. They did control the battlefield pretty well and smacked foes around.

 

[kcmopd1913]

Something else that worked pretty well for us, was using the Book of Iron Might. It did not ramp up fighter damage a ton, but it made them MUCH more versatile. I also used a house rule that melee classes could 'specialize' in the maneuvers from the book, cutting down the attack roll penalties on various things. It made fighters pretty good in combat, though they definitely don't (and should not) kill masses of creatures all at once. They did control the battlefield pretty well and smacked foes around.

Thats kinda funny you mentioned that. I used the same book along with the change to the full attack. It gave the fighters different types of attacks, not just swing and hit/miss. I especial like the Whirling Uppercut!

 

[hvg3akaek]

I run Mooks has HD = Hits so a 1HD mook requires 1 hit to kill (ie roll BAb if you hit the mook dies) it also allows for stronger mooks eg a 3HD mook requires 3 hits to kill

Not sure I like that idea...considering a player may do far more damage in one attack than another may do in three or more attacks.

If you compare a high roll, with skirmish or sneak attack damage, even at lower levels, when criticalled, to a simple roll with minimum damage, I think that you would need many of the latter to match the former.

Instead, i would just increase the mooks defences. Give them a bit more AC, even some DR (so hits dealing only 2, or 5 damage were ignored). That way, its still one-hit-kill, which is the beauty of the minion, and you just ignore low-damaging attacks.