Do old D&D basic, expert, companion and master modules work with D&D 3.x?
- Thread starter Ghost2020
- Start date
I run a few of the Basic modules with my 3E group, and I've also run X1 - The Isle of Dread.
The main thing to watch is the level of characters required - substitute in a 3E monsters for the challenges of the modules, and have a look at the encounter levels they make. That should give you a rough guideline.
For instance, X1 is a tough module for 4th-5th level characters - too tough in 3.5E, I think. It's fun to see the PCs running away from the dinosaurs, though! However, with slightly higher level PCs it works well.
B2, the Keep on the Borderlands, was a huge amount of fun for my 3E group when I ran it; similiarly B9, Castle Caldwell and Beyond and B6, The Veiled Society both were very entertaining.
So, yes, they do work - just be prepared to drop the number of monsters on occasion (remember, they were designed for 6 PCs as well) or to run higher-level PCs through them.
Cheers!
The main thing to watch is the level of characters required - substitute in a 3E monsters for the challenges of the modules, and have a look at the encounter levels they make. That should give you a rough guideline.
For instance, X1 is a tough module for 4th-5th level characters - too tough in 3.5E, I think. It's fun to see the PCs running away from the dinosaurs, though! However, with slightly higher level PCs it works well.
B2, the Keep on the Borderlands, was a huge amount of fun for my 3E group when I ran it; similiarly B9, Castle Caldwell and Beyond and B6, The Veiled Society both were very entertaining.
So, yes, they do work - just be prepared to drop the number of monsters on occasion (remember, they were designed for 6 PCs as well) or to run higher-level PCs through them.
Cheers!
johnsemlak
First Post
Old modules can be very playable, but I think htey work best when you take liberties to make them moreinteresting in 3e
Add prestige classes where necessary. OD&D didn't have them at all but they can be fun for flavor. Always watch CRs carefully, adjust monster strength to fit your PCs.
Remember, that while many monsters are tougher in 3e than in older editions, also consider that older modules were designed for larger adventure parties.
One particular thing about Basic and Expert modules, and to a lesser extent companion and Master modules:The list of monsters available in the core rules was very short, even comared with AD&D. AD&D had a separate hardback full of monsters, pluss supplement hardbacks. OD&D's monsters were all in very short chapters in the boxed sets. IMO this led to choosing some monsters that might seem inappropriate for D&Ders used to a larger list of monsters. Some modules compensate for this by having interesting new monsters (X4, X5, B3 stand out for example)
I'm currently running X4-5 (see my sig). I've done a lot of things to make it more interesting to 3e players. spoilers follow: I'm making several prestige classes to represent elite servants of the master. I'm using the Zhenturiam Skymage to represent the mage flying the wyvern in X4, and have make such mages a regular occurance. I'm using ogre war hulks (from the minis handbook) as an elite force of ogre warriers of the master's army. I'm going to create one/two PrCs to represent the secret agent Diviners of the master. I've swapped the monsters in numerous places where I feel appropriate. I"ve made the monster make-up of the Master's army less 'random' (it seemed to be a potluck of every evil monster in the OD&D rules); I made it mostly humans, ogres, some giants, orcs, and a few fantasic beasts, plus some exotic mounts like wyverns and axebeaks.
I have yet to convert the Great Pass section of X5, but I'm definitely going to change the monster selection there. Again, some monsters just seem to be there for no partiuclar reason. The medusas for example. I don't want to runn a Greek-myth themed campaign. So I'll probably drop them.
Add prestige classes where necessary. OD&D didn't have them at all but they can be fun for flavor. Always watch CRs carefully, adjust monster strength to fit your PCs.
Remember, that while many monsters are tougher in 3e than in older editions, also consider that older modules were designed for larger adventure parties.
One particular thing about Basic and Expert modules, and to a lesser extent companion and Master modules:The list of monsters available in the core rules was very short, even comared with AD&D. AD&D had a separate hardback full of monsters, pluss supplement hardbacks. OD&D's monsters were all in very short chapters in the boxed sets. IMO this led to choosing some monsters that might seem inappropriate for D&Ders used to a larger list of monsters. Some modules compensate for this by having interesting new monsters (X4, X5, B3 stand out for example)
I'm currently running X4-5 (see my sig). I've done a lot of things to make it more interesting to 3e players. spoilers follow: I'm making several prestige classes to represent elite servants of the master. I'm using the Zhenturiam Skymage to represent the mage flying the wyvern in X4, and have make such mages a regular occurance. I'm using ogre war hulks (from the minis handbook) as an elite force of ogre warriers of the master's army. I'm going to create one/two PrCs to represent the secret agent Diviners of the master. I've swapped the monsters in numerous places where I feel appropriate. I"ve made the monster make-up of the Master's army less 'random' (it seemed to be a potluck of every evil monster in the OD&D rules); I made it mostly humans, ogres, some giants, orcs, and a few fantasic beasts, plus some exotic mounts like wyverns and axebeaks.
I have yet to convert the Great Pass section of X5, but I'm definitely going to change the monster selection there. Again, some monsters just seem to be there for no partiuclar reason. The medusas for example. I don't want to runn a Greek-myth themed campaign. So I'll probably drop them.
I have run several of the old modules under 3.0. They work quite well, but, as with all games when converting, take a little bit of preparation. I have a mini-campaign using the U1-3 series (Secret of Saltmarsh, etc.). It's taken some work to get it up to 3.0 speed, but it was highly enjoyable work and, I think, will work wonderfully.
Of course, this is coming from a guy who converted all of these to GURPS at one time, also.
Of course, this is coming from a guy who converted all of these to GURPS at one time, also.
I ran my group through B6: Veiled Society as the lead-off to my new campaign. Changing the NPCs wasn't too bad. Changing the monsters was a bit more work, and I ended up winging a lot "on the fly" to adjust HP and what-not until I got a feel for it.
One of the things that the old-style adventures were known for were random encounters that don't really make a lot of sense. At one point in B6, the players come across a group of hobgoblins who are using humans for slave labor and making them dig a tunnel under an old woman's house. It's never explained why they're down there digging, and the group theoretically would never encounter any other hobgoblins during the rest of the adventure.
So, I found that most of my time was spent coming up with logical reasons for things like this. Knowing that I was going to end up using the Banewarrens later on, I just decided that the hobgoblins were wearing Bone Rings and were using the humans to dig for the location to the Banewarrens but were in the wrong place.
One of the things that the old-style adventures were known for were random encounters that don't really make a lot of sense. At one point in B6, the players come across a group of hobgoblins who are using humans for slave labor and making them dig a tunnel under an old woman's house. It's never explained why they're down there digging, and the group theoretically would never encounter any other hobgoblins during the rest of the adventure.
So, I found that most of my time was spent coming up with logical reasons for things like this. Knowing that I was going to end up using the Banewarrens later on, I just decided that the hobgoblins were wearing Bone Rings and were using the humans to dig for the location to the Banewarrens but were in the wrong place.
Similar Threads
