Ravenloft (The original) conversion

[MrCharm]

Hey all,

There seem to be lots of conversions here at enworld, but I can't seem to find the original Ravenloft module (or the 2e one, for that matter) converted. Has anyone done it?


TIA,

 

[DnDChick]

Hey all,

There seem to be lots of conversions here at enworld, but I can't seem to find the original Ravenloft module (or the 2e one, for that matter) converted. Has anyone done it?


TIA,

Towards the end of 2001 I was working on a full conversion of the module for House on Gryphon Hill. I had nearly finished it when I noticed that the Ravenloft official fansite (http://www.kargatane.com) has full rights to any previously published material. From the downloads page on their site:

"Here you will find some of the many free downloads of out-of-print material that has kindly been made available by Wizards of the Coast!

Please note that all of this material is still copyright Wizards of the Coast, and may not be distributed from any website other than Secrets of the Kargatane or the Wizards of the Coast website."


In other words, I might get in trouble if I finished my conversion and posted it here with the over converted adventures.

And besides...back when those modules were written the entire concept of Ravenloft hadn't come together as we now know it, and significant portions of the adventures are "obsolete" or paradoxical with all that has gone on since they were written.

For example, the House on Gryphon Hill adventure contains the first appearance of Azalin the lich. He is a lackey for Strahd...a gopher and a goon, just there to run interference. Hardly fitting for a creature with such significance and power in the current Ravenloft! Also...the Strahd in the modules is rather a lot different from the Strahd in currrent Ravenloft material.

So...long story short (TOO LATE!), I gave up the conversion and have never finished it.

 

[DnDChick]

PS. On a side note, I emailed the Kargatane and asked if I could finish my conversion (complete with pages of notes on how to make it fit within the current Ravenloft setting and get around all the paradoxical material), but they never answered me. I assumed, therefore, that their answer was a silent no.

 

[Wolfspider]

I think that they were talking about the actual written material from the modules and sourcebooks that are electronically published by WotC.

As long as your conversion does not include descriptions, flavor text, maps, and other material taken from the original books and only updates the rules to 3rd edition, I don't see what the problem would be. After all, WotC still owns the rights to ALL the material that was published throughout the years, including (of course) material that it has reproduced electronically as PDF files for sale and for free on their site. And WotC hasn't complained at all about the conversions that have been done at here at ENWorld, and they certainly know about it.

So, finish your conversion! Post it! I would think that they would be happy to see a 3E conversion, since it means more people would be open to buying the ESD....

 

[MrCharm]

I would tend to agree with Wolfspider on the legality, but since IANAL, my opinion may not matter much.

What I was specifically looking for was a conversion of I6, the original module. I don't really care for all the later Ravenloft stuff, as it all got to be a little wacky for me.

This is going to be a one shot, and I remember the first time I played it thru, everyone knew their character was going to die.
Most did, but not all.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[Kesh]

These guys are right. Take a look at my conversion of "Night of the Vampire" on the main site, and you'll see the format. (There's a template in RTF format to follow.)

Basically, all you do is go through the module and find spots where the old rules won't work anymore. You note the page number and paragraph, then write up a 3e version of that rule/monster/NPC. Occasionally you'll have to rewrite the whole paragraph for it to make sense.

 

[DnDChick]

House on Gryphon Hill is free for download on the WoTC site. Since they have released the entire module and all text, images, and maps as a free download, is it ok for me to convert the entire module?

I did conversions of Dungeonland and Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, and converted the modules lock, stock, and barrel because they are available for free at the WoTC site.

 

[Wolfspider]

This is what Jim Butler said doing conversions (taken from the main convesion page here at ENWorld):

We wholeheartedly encourage anyone to go through and make whatever conversion notes for various products they'd like. Just don't OCR the entire product in with those conversions and make the entire product available. Make them notes that can be used with the product, not a complete reprint.

We'll be releasing all of the older, out-of-print game materials over the website at some point in the near future. Some of these products will be available for free, while others will be pay-for downloads or subscription-based (your choice). You're free to make the conversions and include the entire text of the free products available. For the pay-for products, we ask that you stick with the conversions.

(I stuck in the bolding for emphasis.)

So there you go. Stop your worrying and get to converting!

 

[DnDChick]

Thanks Wolfspider! Ill finish up the HoGH conversion ASAP.

Note however, that I do not nor do I have plans to buy Ravenloft D20. My conversion and the solutions I have come up with to account for the lacks in continuity may not mesh with current RL concepts. Take my conversion with a grain of salt...and perhaps some garlic and a good holy symbol...and stakes....mallets....!

 

[Kesh]

Heh. Sounds good to me! I'm waiting to get Ravenloft d20 until I can actually see it, but it sounds pretty interesting. I'll probably go for it at some point.