D&D 1E Hit Points/Hit Dice Conversion D&D/AD&D 4e/1e

[KVNDV1]

Greetings, all! I have a problem which could use some resolving. I'd like to do some converting of monsters from D&D 4e to AD&D 1e, but I don't have a clue how to proceed, especially regarding the hit points to hit dice. is there a correlation between the massive (to me, anyway...no offense, I'm just not used to that) amounts of hit points used in 4e to the hit dice used in 1e or 2e? Thanks for your help in advance! (Also, if this topic has been covered in an earlier thread, I'd appreciate knowing where it is, as I'm a newbie here. )

 

[the Jester]

Instead of converting hps to HD, maybe start with level?

I'd guess that a level 30 monster in 4e is about the equivalent of a 20 HD monster in 1e. So I'd say HD = approximately 2/3 level.

 

[3catcircus]

I've never played 4e so I don't know how many "new" monsters were introduced. Are you looking to convert only new ones, or trying to convert ones that already have 1e stats?

 

[the Jester]

I've never played 4e so I don't know how many "new" monsters were introduced.

There are some. Also, there are of lot of customized monsters, e.g. "Zophar, troglodyte cleric of Orcus" type things where the monster has very flavorful, character-specific stats.

There are a number of 4e monsters that I think are ripe for classic status: some new hags (pact hags, especially), the banderhob (SUPER creepy), some of the homonculus types (especially the arbalaster, I really like that one!), etc.

 

[KVNDV1]

I've never played 4e so I don't know how many "new" monsters were introduced. Are you looking to convert only new ones, or trying to convert ones that already have 1e stats?

Only the new ones.

 

[KVNDV1]

There are some. Also, there are of lot of customized monsters, e.g. "Zophar, troglodyte cleric of Orcus" type things where the monster has very flavorful, character-specific stats.

There are a number of 4e monsters that I think are ripe for classic status: some new hags (pact hags, especially), the banderhob (SUPER creepy), some of the homonculus types (especially the arbalaster, I really like that one!), etc.

Exactly. The customized monsters I can more or less guess at, if I decide to use them. The level reduction idea kind of helps, but so far the 4e pattern looks somewhat willy-nilly to me. No offense meant, I'm just not used to it. Even the "D&D for Dummies" book didn't help. *confused*

 

[KVNDV1]

Instead of converting hps to HD, maybe start with level?

I'd guess that a level 30 monster in 4e is about the equivalent of a 20 HD monster in 1e. So I'd say HD = approximately 2/3 level.

I saw your Monster Project. (Impressive!) I do know about the AD&D monster levels chart given in the first DMG based on XP. Are these levels based the same way? That may help. Thanks!

 

[KVNDV1]

Instead of converting hps to HD, maybe start with level?

I'd guess that a level 30 monster in 4e is about the equivalent of a 20 HD monster in 1e. So I'd say HD = approximately 2/3 level.

So what did you do in your conversion from classic monsters to 4e in regards to HD/hps? What I want to do is the reverse of that. The other stuff I think I can more or less figure out using the Conversion book, as that didn't change very much.

 

[the Jester]

I saw your Monster Project. (Impressive!) I do know about the AD&D monster levels chart given in the first DMG based on XP. Are these levels based the same way? That may help. Thanks!

Thanks, glad you like it!

The monster levels in 1e are I through X. They don't correspond well to HD or to 4e level, but rather correspond to certain ranges of xp value (a level I monster in 1e is worth 20 xp or fewer; a level X is worth 10,001 xp or more, IIRC).

So what did you do in your conversion from classic monsters to 4e in regards to HD/hps? What I want to do is the reverse of that. The other stuff I think I can more or less figure out using the Conversion book, as that didn't change very much.

Sorry, I totally winged it. What I did was decide (entirely arbitrarily!) what the lowest level party that should be on equal footing with a monster was, and go from there. But it was completely making it up out of whole cloth.

 

[KVNDV1]

Thanks, glad you like it!

The monster levels in 1e are I through X. They don't correspond well to HD or to 4e level, but rather correspond to certain ranges of xp value (a level I monster in 1e is worth 20 xp or fewer; a level X is worth 10,001 xp or more, IIRC).




Sorry, I totally winged it. What I did was decide (entirely arbitrarily!) what the lowest level party that should be on equal footing with a monster was, and go from there. But it was completely making it up out of whole cloth.

Sorry I didn't make myself clearer, Jester. I appreciate your answers, and think you put together awesome conversions. What I want to do is a reverse of that for the new monsters that got into the game at 4e, like I mentioned before. Basically, whether there was any rhyme or reason on the hit points totals used, and what the formula (formulae?) was in deciding that (for them, not you, unless you were doing this completely different ). I can probably proceed keeping in mind the 2/3 rule you suggested. I've been playing since 1978 (D&D) and the AD&D game since 1979, when the DMG was released. I still remember waiting on pins and needles while my roommate's cousin, who had an "in" with Greenfield Distributors, was getting the DMG for me. He came through in October 1979. I got out in 1996, but returned in 2012, and have been playing catch-up ever since...*sigh* Is there a Challenge Level Chart for 4e, separating by xps or whatever, that I'm not aware of? I probably overlooked it....