D&D (2024) Running A 3.0 Adventure in 5.5

[Zardnaar]

So yesterday's session I decided to run a 3.0 adventure in 5E. I chose Tears for Twilights Hollow. Written by sone guy Chris Perkins. It's from Dungeon Magazine 90.

Basic idea is a bad faith Cleric of Ilmater who actually follows Lovitar having a devourer consume the soul of a Paladin she grew up with.

I'm running a BG3.5 inspired game. I love the hook just change the deities around. Ilmater becomes Selune. Lovitar becomes Shar.

Creatures from 3.0 become 5E equivalents. Shambling mound becomes shambling mound add 60% more hit points. 2 willing of wisps becomes 6 (only CR 2 in 5E). Skill DCs ad hoc lowered by 5 or 10 depending.

Devourer is still a devourer tweaked for it's capture soul ability so the body stays behind.

Carious NPCs from 3.0 are replaced with NPCs. Mid level fighter types becone dark justiciars (tweaked Gladiators CR 6). Rogues becomes bhaalists allied with Shar's faith. Stick Mykuls unholy symbol on the devourer and throw in a Banite to represent the dead 3/ebon Triad.

Lovitars followers becomes Shars. Change the fluff.

I'm buffing 2014 critters. Mostly a minor change eg lightning hastes a shambling mound. Devil's sight abd darkness abilities on NPCs lotal to shar. Custom spell lists things like that.

I have run the adventure before in 2002. It's always lingered in back of my mind. Using Shar and Selune instead also dates back years.

 

[Chaltab]

Honestly other than 4E it's generally pretty easy to convert adventures between editions. In 4E it can be trickier because there areso many variations of every monster type and 5E likely doesn't have obvious equivalents.

 

[cbwjm]

I ran some thunder rift modules in 5e, tended to just use a 1 to 1 conversion between editions and just used some other stats that were similar in the old dnd modules to other creatures. For instance the newts in knight of newts became goblins, the water elemental remained a water elemental.

I remember my players got swarmed by a ridiculous amount of rats because I didn't adjust the numbers either.

 

[Li Shenron]

I have run many old BECMI, AD&D and 3.x adventures in 5e. The only things that may need some work are important NPCs and unique monsters. For everything else I don't even "convert" them as such but just use the 5e equivalent. If they are higher or lower CR than expected in the original adventures I don't really care, the adventurers will adapt, although if something is really much more difficult, then I'll just run the adventure for higher level PCs.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Balance isn't really a thing anymore, so I would just go with:

• Replace all the monsters with the closest equivalent in the 5.5 monster manual by name.
• Replace all skill check DCs with 15.
• See what happens.

 

[Zardnaar]

Balance isn't really a thing anymore, so I would just go with:

• Replace all the monsters with the closest equivalent in the 5.5 monster manual by name.
• Replace all skill check DCs with 15.
• See what happens.

You can do that. Some monsters increase or decrease the frequency. Last session I used 6 willow of the wisp vs 2.

This week it's rest of Tears for Twilights Hollow.

Lovitar has been replaced with Shar. Dark justifies are gladiators modified with unholy auras (charisma to saves), they deal psychic damage and so e other buts.

Dead 3 minions are in the dungeons under the village.