Okay, 'fess up

[Mouseferatu]

The big problem is that intelligence is nearly useless for a 4e rogue, but very important for a 3.x swashbuckler (which synergized nicely with the one-level dip in Artificer she needed for Windwright Captain).

Well, I could argue that the problem there isn't 4E's options, but the 3E swashbuckler, which should never have had Int as a major ability in the first place. I think swashbucklers, I think swift and acrobatic (Dex), and charming and witty (Cha). Int really ought never have entered into it.

But of course, that's theory. It doesn't at all help you out in terms of practicality, does it?

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Without knowing the details of the character, this one doesn't seem *too* hard to me. Seems like it'd be a character focussed on Wis, possibly a bit of Int and/or Cha?
I think it'd work very well as a cleric/multi-class wizard (illusionist-build), or even a wizard (illusionist)/multi-class cleric. Care to share why you don't think it'd work? Perhaps we can help?

It wasn't exactly that the conversion didn't work. I was pretty able to approximate the abilities (and the DM worked with me to houserule small things...like as a specialty priest he originally had a spell per day, so I got that as a spell like ability). It was essentially a "homebrew prestige class".

The difficulty with the conversion was that 3e played more "tightly" than 2e. For one, we used a battlemat. For two, there were specific rules for many new things (eg. grappling, etc). Illusions themselves felt different to me...which might have been a function of the 3e rules for illusions, a function of illusions not changing at all but the context of the other rules changing, or merely a misperception on my part. In any case, the only thing that changed was the ruleset. My DM was the same guy, and my playing group was the same.

It could also have been that 3e COULD be played exactly like 2e, but that my DM felt "driven" by the rules to present the game in a different way.


So, in essence, I feel that each new edition creates a new "environment" in which your characters exist. Even getting the character perfect could leave them feeling very different. It's like putting Sherlock Holmes on Athas (or Elmer Fudd in Call of Cthulhu). It would be very hard to run him in the same way.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I thought about it, but none of my favourite 3e characters really work under the 4e ruleset unfortunately... maybe I just have odd tastes in characters, or maybe 4e just isn't customisable enough.


The first (and only still living) character was Bokaru, a lightly armored Samurai/Monk/Iaijitsu Warrior whose word was his honor. Avenger (especially mutliclassed into a fighter/kensai) kind of works, although is wrong for a number of reasons:

I think you need to choose the core of his character. Anyone can be an honorable fighter.

From your list, it sounds like Rogue is the best fit for this character. You want him to be a Dex/Cha character. He would have all the appropriate skills. Take proficiency in Rapier and call it a "Longsword" or "Katana" or whatever. Unless there's something about Rogue in particular you think doesn't fit.

The second was Vrax, a weakling, egotistical kobold dragon-pact sorceror. I could possibly make him as a warlock or wild-magic sorceror, but the whole dragon heritage/dragon blood thing was a big part of the characters story. The other option would be to change him from a 6 Str weakling into a high strength dragonmagic sorceror. Neither option really captures the spirit of Vrax well for me. Can't see a good way of making this character.

Dragon Blood Sorcerer is a good option if you want to increase his strength. Otherwise, be a Chaos or Storm Sorcerer, but take mostly "Dragon" powers.

Otherwise, what was his shtick in combat? Mostly AoE fire attacks? Did he use magic to increase his strength and attack? I think this is the important part of deciding which class to make him. The Dragon Pact is entirely roleplaying. You can walk around as a warlock, sorcerer, wizard, or invoker really saying "I can cast spells due to my pact with a dragon".

 

[Voadam]

I've recreated my iconic screen name character Voadam in GURPS and Shadowrun, and considered aspects of how I'd make him in various White Wolf systems, 4e, and other systems, though not with the 4e CB. I've played him using 2e, 1e, 3e, 3.5 Everquest RPG, and pathfinder beta using various builds (fighter, mage/magic user, (1e and 2e), ranger, barbarian, monk, and wizard, (3e, 3.5 PF) and ranger and rogue (Everquest) classes have all factored in at various times). It was discouraging that making a wizard who uses a sword was the one multiclass concept that didn't work well off the bat in 4e (though warrior with a little magic does).

 

[gribble]

From your list, it sounds like Rogue is the best fit for this character... Unless there's something about Rogue in particular you think doesn't fit.

Well, fully aside from flavor issues, the main problems with Rogue are:
1) he would never attack a foe from behind (aka flanking) so he'd be fairly mechanically gimped by missing out on one of the rogues main class features (sneak attack).
2) he wielded his katana 2 handed, so the best approximation is a bastard sword or even greatsword, not a rapier.
3) the "flavor" of rogue powers is even worse than the flavor of avenger powers (sneaky, dirty tricks as opposed to channeling divine energy).
4) skill-wise, rogues are worse than avengers too - he certainly was never trained in stealth or thievery... and 4e rogues are also missing diplomacy from their skill list.

No, I think avenger is the best fit in 4e at the moment, even if it isn't ideal. Maybe if/when a swashbuckler-type character is released (presumably Dex/Cha), it'll work better.

Dragon Blood Sorcerer is a good option if you want to increase his strength.

As I said, him being a weakling was fairly central to the character, so this isn't a good option.

Otherwise, be a Chaos or Storm Sorcerer, but take mostly "Dragon" powers.

Again, this mechanically gimps the character, as he won't be able to benefit from the strength rider effects of those "Dragon" powers.

Otherwise, what was his shtick in combat?

If I had to sum it up in a word "acid". If I could add another word "draconic". His main spell was acid orb, he had acid breath and acid sheath (and obviously acid splash). He had the acid reserve feat from Complete Arcane. His secondary spells were all dragon-like - dragon skin, wings of the dragon, that sort of thing.

Unfortunately, I just don't think there is a good 4e analog. This character did end up dying, so the conversion was purely a hypothetical exercise. I was just curious whether 4e could do my favourite 3e characters. Apparently not.