D&D 5E Running the classics in 5e - best of the best?

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I've a healthy amount of old mods from all editions I'd like to see used in 5e. When adapting older adventures, do you recalculate treasure?

My game is only 3rd/4th level, but thus far I normally halve to quarter cash from 1st/2nd edition adventures. Potions I leave as is, some scrolls I leave as is. I drop at 2 "plusses" from magic items (though not to -1). So a +1 sword just becomes a regular sword, a +2 sword becomes a non-magical quality sword, etc. I've been big on giving out consumables, making those much more common than 5E assumes, but since they are going on a slower advancement track (and don't always have a healer other than the paladin), they also use more each level.

As far as older adventures, I'll always stump for Return to White Plume Mountain as a fantastic adventure, better than the original.

 

[Nebulous]

I would recommend B10 Night's Dark Terror (available from DnD Classics/RPGNow). It is a really cool adventure for Basic D&D that was released well past the heyday of Basic, so not many people have played it.

I'd also second Gates of Firestorm Peak - one of the best 2E adventures published.

Oooh. You know, I've been working on splicing Return to White Plume Mountain with Lost Mine of Phandelver, but it's not 100% jiving with me, RtWPM, also written by Cordell. Maybe i should check out Firestorm instead and see how that works.

 

[Raunalyn]

The Slave Lords campaign is surprisingly easy to convert. I've just gotten my players captured by the Slave Lords, so I'm about to run them through part 4.

 

[Luz]

The Slave Lords campaign is surprisingly easy to convert. I've just gotten my players captured by the Slave Lords, so I'm about to run them through part 4.

I am also running this campaign in 5th. Although we are still only at Darkshelf Quarry, the conversion has been very simple so far. I would also highly recommend The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, but I'm not sure if it's available on pdf at DnD Classics.

 

[phantomK9]

Unfortunately unavailable* on PDF, I like the Thunder Rift line of modules for their shortness and generally ease of use. (Thunder Rift campaign setting, Assault on Raven's Ruin, Quest for the Silver Sword, Knight of Newts, Sword & Shield, In the Phantom's Wake, Rage of the Rakasta, The Goblin's Lair, and the Haunted Tower.) They're a bit pricey on eBay however.

I'm actually toying with doing this myself when I finally run a 5th Ed game. I actually still* have the modules for the Thunder Rift setting as well as Assault on Raven's Ruin, Quest for the Silver Sword, Rage of the Rakasta, In the Phantom's Wake and the old boxed set for the Fighter's Academy.

So far it looks like the treasure would be the biggest hassle to convert as generally the monsters would all be the same. Also there are some very odd basic assumptions to the setting that would need to change (like the major "city" in the setting states it has a population of only 200, which is way off). But I'm finding it very easy to just change the numbers to conform to 5e assumptions and then add in more towns (because it only has 3).

*In no way did I search the internet and download the PDFs. I most assuredly still had all the modules, not just the maps.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm actually toying with doing this myself when I finally run a 5th Ed game. I actually still* have the modules for the Thunder Rift setting as well as Assault on Raven's Ruin, Quest for the Silver Sword, Rage of the Rakasta, In the Phantom's Wake and the old boxed set for the Fighter's Academy.

So far it looks like the treasure would be the biggest hassle to convert as generally the monsters would all be the same. Also there are some very odd basic assumptions to the setting that would need to change (like the major "city" in the setting states it has a population of only 200, which is way off). But I'm finding it very easy to just change the numbers to conform to 5e assumptions and then add in more towns (because it only has 3).

*In no way did I search the internet and download the PDFs. I most assuredly still had all the modules, not just the maps.

Yeah, TR needs a bit of spit-and-polish to make work, but its worth it.

If you want some additional info and ideas to borrow from: http://www.pandius.com/thndrift.html

 

[Grakarg]

Running/converting Red Hand of Doom, great adventure!
Party is going slow however, as we only meet once a month...

 

[TerraDave]

I am doing some "B" modules right now. I think the only ones that would be hard to convert might be some 3/PF/d20 ones and 4E ones...but in part because the earlier ones are so easy. You may need to drop some treasure. Check encounters to see if the monsters or some equivalent are in the MM and there are enough of them (though remember that adjacent opponents can reinforce each other). NPCs are probably the hardest. Use the back of the MM as the starting point and tweak from there. For a few that are really important, then you have to use the notes in the DMG. Oh, and for traps and hazards, just use the description in the source and the standard 5E DCs and trap damage...which are right on the 5E DM screen. Just remember for old school (or any) modules, perception may give you a clue, but should not solve puzzles or bypass the more ingenious traps.

Here are some popular older modules

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...re-YOUR-all-time-favourite-adventures-and-why

Related question. For those of you who've run BECMI/1E/2E modules in later editions... Have you found that the encounter areas are often too small and/or regular to make for the sorts of more active/dynamic combats that 3E, 4E, and 5E encourage? What've you done to adjust?

I have been doing this since 4E--which is quite a bit harder to convert. A few things:

1) remember they are 10 by 10 foot squares (easy, but can be forgotten)
2) There often are unrealistically large and elaborate areas in many older modules
3) in 5E not all encounters have to be a big thing--though some should be
4) you can always have the encounter break across multiple rooms and through the halls, which is fun anyways
5) reinforcements and retreats--which may be perfectly consistent with the opponent and set up--help with 4 and are also fun.
6) the ability to move around opponents without OA also make fights a little more fluid, like the good old days

 

[redrick]

Related question. For those of you who've run BECMI/1E/2E modules in later editions... Have you found that the encounter areas are often too small and/or regular to make for the sorts of more active/dynamic combats that 3E, 4E, and 5E encourage? What've you done to adjust?

We ran B2 keep on the borderlands in 5e and had no problem with tight encounters. Once you switch the grid scale from 10' to 5', some of the areas feel quite spacious.

Running X2 Castle Amber now and the areas are all HUGE. If I were to do it again, I might shrink the map a little.

Anywhere from 4-6 PCs in our group on any given day.

 

[Uller]

Once we finish up HotDQ/RoT, I'm thinking of running the original classic supermodule: G1–G3, D1–D3, and Q1

Expect some significant rework with G1-G3. Im currently running G1 for a party of six 10th level characters. I had to nerf it pretty substantially and even then after the first foray into the steading I had the giants send out a couple of war parties to try to find and kill the party to allow the PCs a chance to fight some isolated groups of giants. Having destroyed two of those groups they can now enter the steading again and have half a chance.