d20 Capatibility/Wheel of Time in D&D

[JoeGKushner]

Are there any rule alterations that need to be made to the core classes if one was going to use them in a regular D&D campagin? Can the armor class bonus and reputation scores go without effecting the balance of the character class?

In using the monsters, they have challenge codes, not challenge ratings. Why weren't both numbers included?

I don't want to have to do a lot of conversion work and it looks like this unique take on the d20 system may require that.

Then again, Star Wars has it's own unique threads, and the upcoming Call of Cthuluu looks like it too will have little nuiances that make it different than the core rules. Will it use challenge codes intead of challenge ratings for example?

Any help?

 

[drothgery]

WoT classes, almost without exception, have
1) More skill points than their D&D counterpart.
2) Worse saves than their D&D counterpart.
3) Fewer supernatural abilities.

Throw in Defense, Reputation, alignment, and a huge difference in the availability of magic items and it seems to me that the PC classes don't really convert all that well between the two systems.

It's easy enough to make system-approriate D&D classes based on WoT classes, and vis versa (though D&D spellcasters would have issues in Randland) but straight ports have problems, I think.

 

[Eosin the Red]

What Dave said.

Few would choose the WoT character classes: fewer feats, less sneak attack damage, and no minor magic use. They do have more skills though.

PrC's also present a problem. Most have at least some minor supernatural aspect to them - which doesn't mesh well with d20.

My suggestion is to use WoT - if you need something from d20 odds are someone else has converted it. Several good web sites with some conversions.

 

[Regdar]

Bah!

With a little work and effort they convert fine, it all depends on what you want to do and how anal you are.

 

[Eosin the Red]

BAH Yourself

With a little work and effort they convert fine, it all depends on what you want to do and how anal you are.

Bah, Regdar is an Iconic what would he know about WoT, he isn't even in the same universe.


PS - I think I said the same thing as Regdar but it may not have come across that way. I would just start with WoT as a base, not d20.

 

[JoeGKushner]

It's too bad the two don't mesh well. Is this a failing of the Wheel of Time RPG, the d20 license, or lack of a follow up with details on how to mesh these games (WoT, Star Wars, CoC) with the standard book. I mean what good will it do to have all those nifty Old Ones if they have Challenge Codes instead of Challenge Ratings and Vitality Points?

In addition, some aspects of WoT seem more interesting than core rules like reputation. A useful little tool for certain situations. (Isn't this in Star Wars too?)

Members of my group were looking at the Noble, Wanderer (good way to play a roguish character without being a rogue), Woodsman (good way to be a natural character without being a ranger or barbarian), and several of the prcs. Ah well, if they want to do the conversions, I'll adjust and balance as necessary.

 

[Tsyr]

I'm with Redgar... Magic-users aside (And that's more for balance and flavor reasons, not mechancial) classes are very easy to adapt. I use the Woodsman class in my games, as well as the magic users (long story)... I would probably allow any of the others if a player asked. You do have to up their saves a bit, a couple other things... but it's no effort to do. Just glance at a "similar" class (Woodsman = Ranger, Channeler = Wizard/Sorc/Druid/Cleric (however you envision them), Armsman=Fighter, etc... and see how they should be) You might also drop the skillpoints a notch, but since I raised the amount of skillpoints across the board in my campagin it's just fine for me.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

I think they mesh fine. A few of the prestige classes are almot identical to D&D ones. Perhaps they are slightly weaker but that can be fixed easily. It depends on your game too. In a dungeon hack campaign you certainly don't want to bring a Noble. In an intrigue ridden city a Fighter can be pretty useless.

 

[drothgery]

It's too bad the two don't mesh well. Is this a failing of the Wheel of Time RPG, the d20 license, or lack of a follow up with details on how to mesh these games (WoT, Star Wars, CoC) with the standard book. I mean what good will it do to have all those nifty Old Ones if they have Challenge Codes instead of Challenge Ratings and Vitality Points?

It's more a function of the settings being different. In D&D, everyone except arcane spellcasters wears armor; in WoT, no one but soldiers wears armor. In D&D, everyone has some defense against magic; in WoT, if someone uses the Power against you and you can't channel, you're screwed.

 

[JoeGKushner]

It's more a function of the settings being different. In D&D, everyone except arcane spellcasters wears armor; in WoT, no one but soldiers wears armor. In D&D, everyone has some defense against magic; in WoT, if someone uses the Power against you and you can't channel, you're screwed.

This is a good point, but wouldn't a chapter on using WoT in standard D&D have saved everyone a massive headache? I mean how much effort would it have taken to put CR's in parenthesis next to the Challenge Code?