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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Li Shenron" data-source="post: 8040792" data-attributes="member: 1465">I mostly played only BECMI among old D&D editions so it's hard to tell, but I certainly don't think BECMI, 3e, 4e and 5e are compatible.I might have a too strict definition of compatibility, but IMHO the ultimate compatibility test is to drop a character or monster as-is from one edition into another edition rules and see if everything still make sense, without changes. With this in mind, maybe even 3.5 is not fully compatible with 3.0 as some stuff uses action types which don't exist in 3.0, and because of a different skills list and a few minor things.Converting adventures is not a big deal however. I have run TSR and 3e adventures in 5e. I convert them mostly on the fly.For standard monsters, I just use the 5e version. This is near-zero effort. I check the CR in case is too high for the PCs in which case I might replace the monsters with others or give some favorable conditions (e.g. monsters may be asleep, distracted, wounded, unarmed, frail/subpar...). But normally I run the game with a sandboxy approach so if you sometimes encounter a very hard monster, so be it.Unimportant NPCs are replaced with stock NPCs from the MM, with minimal variations (e.g. if the adventure mentions a particular weapon or ability).Important NPCs I prefer to redesign using PC classes because it's faster, but I don't go full details. For example I certainly do not bother with all known spells of a spellcaster, and maybe not even all their prepared spells, just those which I think they will use. Same with feats and other abilities.Unique monsters are potentially the worst, in theory I should use DMG rules and build them from scratch but I think it's just fine to replace with a similar creature from the MM, and add whatever special ability or two make the monster really unique. It needs to be said however that often "unique" monsters don't even have unique abilities.Non-combat challenges are described either with thief skills % or 3e DCs. Exact conversion on either to 5e DCs is possible but I don't think it's that important, as long as you stay in the range.Sometimes, especially old adventures refer to specific spells like "the magic doors open if a 7th-level Cleric casts Sticks to Snakes". Obvious if the spell doesn't exist in 5e, it has to be replaced.Magic items I make up even more, but I don't necessarily conform even to 5e DMG magic items in general, I usually prefer each magic item to be whatever. This includes also the possibility that I do not convert it at all, if it doesn't have a direct rules incompatibility or breaks balance.</blockquote>

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