[v3.5] Converting OGL Spells to v3.5?

[Flynn]

Good afternoon, All,

My gaming group uses a lot of OGL sources for spells, such as Relics and Rituals I & II, the Pocket Grimoires, etc. With the transition to v3.5, a lot of these spells are suddenly no longer compliant with the new version of the game. I am looking for guidelines to help me in converting these spells over for the purposes of my campaign. These are spells that I suspect will not be updated by their publishers for v3.5, since they'd rather make new products than revisit old products. (And personally, I can understand that.)

With that in mind, does anyone know where I can find such guidelines? If not, can anyone make any suggestions as to what these guidelines should be?

I know, for instance, that spell durations have been reduced overall, but is there a pattern?

I know that cone and line effects have been given static areas, but again, is there a pattern to it?

What else have you noticed?

Any suggestions would be appreciated,
Flynn

 

[Selganor]

AFAIK Mongooses "Ultimate Arcane Spellbook" is supposed to be 3.5 (and I think that would include the spells from other sources as well). At least I understand Mongoose Matt's statement "the Ultimate Arcane Spellbook has over 1,000 spells in it, drawn from the SRD and the best OGC material on the market, all fully updated to 3.5. " that way.

 

[Flynn]

Ultimate Arcane Spellbook

Thanks, Selganor, but I already have that book (my second purchase at GenCon, immediately after Arcana Unearthed), and it doesn't touch Relics and Rituals II or a number of other spells, nor is it close to a total conversion of all spells from the sources they pulled from.

It addressed a few of my desired conversions, but not the spells that my party uses most often. (And since they use them so often, it's pretty easy to see that they definitely need some adjustments, to make other spells equally as attractive.)

One final note: The book is great, but it is not wholy updated to v3.5. The spell Greater Magic Weapon, for example is written up using the old 3E version of the spell, not the v3.5 version. I hope things like that are covered in some sort of errata sometime soon.

Still looking for some guidelines, if anyone has any suggestions,
Flynn

 

[Voadam]

stat buffs go from hour per level to the new duration (I forget off the top of my head whether these are 1 min/level?) so my group converted the elemental mark spells from BoEM I and made them the same duration.

This really knocked down the usefulness of a lot of my loremaster's all day focused spells but seems in line with 3.5

Generally turn save or die spells into massive damage ones if you can.

Spell school changes are pretty easy, teleport type spells are now conjuration and power words are now what, enchantment?

Conjuration damage ones are turned into evocations if they do reasonable damage or stay conjuration and are not subject to SR if they do low amounts.

 

[Voadam]

Re: Ultimate Arcane Spellbook

It addressed a few of my desired conversions, but not the spells that my party uses most often. (And since they use them so often, it's pretty easy to see that they definitely need some adjustments, to make other spells equally as attractive.)


Flynn

Provide some specifics and you might get more finely tuned suggestions.

In our campaign we had to deal with mostly converting BOEM I and II and T & B spells plus a few eclectic ones.

 

[Flynn]

Specific Examples

At the request of specific examples, here are a few from Relics & Rituals II that are frequently used: Essential Weapon and Quicklearn.

Essential Weapon is a spell that resolves all attacks as touch attacks and avoids hardness, for a minute/level. I think it's 5th.

Quicklearn gives the caster 3+caster level Ranks in any skill he already possess, for 1 hour/level. I can't remember its level, however.

I am equally interested in your BoEM conversions, if they are available somewhere.

Thanks,
Flynn

 

[Voadam]

Re: Specific Examples

At the request of specific examples, here are a few from Relics & Rituals II that are frequently used: Essential Weapon and Quicklearn.

Essential Weapon is a spell that resolves all attacks as touch attacks and avoids hardness, for a minute/level. I think it's 5th.

Quicklearn gives the caster 3+caster level Ranks in any skill he already possess, for 1 hour/level. I can't remember its level, however.

I am equally interested in your BoEM conversions, if they are available somewhere.

Thanks,
Flynn

For the mark and greater mark spells we reduced the durations to comply with the animal buffs, the loresight divinations and Jevicca's just reversal we left as is. The effect was I no longer memorize mark spells.

T&B energy buffer we left as is along with the orb attack spells.

From Quint wiz war mastery was left as is as well.