D&D 4E Will I Be Able To Continue My Campaign In 4E?

[mattcolville]

I can't imagine that it would not be possible to convert in that sense, where one takes the basics of the character and simply re-constructs the character along similar lines.

That's how I felt. In fact, I took it for granted. But when Bill said "just start a new campaign" the warning bells went off.

How different must 4E be for him to say "don't even bother, just start a new game."

 

[2WS-Steve]

I wouldn't try a conversion -- but not because it would be impossible to do.

Instead because when we start a 4e game the players (and me) are going to want to experiment and play around with the new options. We'll also want to see what it's like for a 1st level character in the new game, and how the game changes over the tiers of advancement.

Fortunately for me, my current campaign should close out right around the time 4e comes up (if not earlier -- we've recently discovered that 13th level character fighting giants creates volatile survival chances: one way or the other it's over in three rounds).

 

[glass]

That's how I felt. In fact, I took it for granted. But when Bill said "just start a new campaign" the warning bells went off.

How different must 4E be for him to say "don't even bother, just start a new game."

They said there is no direct mechanical conversion. There never has been on any edition change, I am glad they are being honest about it this time around.


glass.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Bill Slavicsek said, as I recall, that there'd be no point in trying to "convert" your 3.5 game to 4E. "You'd be better off just starting a new game," I believe he said. Or words to that effect.

I think he was mistaken to say that. Most things can be reimagined.

In other words, I hope to be able to translate the character, not the stats on the sheet, and end up with something that is recognizably, narratively, the same character.

Do you think this is possible?

Mostly. It depends on their class, and how closely your conception of the character is tied to specific class features.

The "Four Core" are clearly covered, but others less so. We do have a specific quote from one designer (I forget who) that there is currently no way to recreate the Swordsage. Likewise any Sorcerers will have to choose between Wizard and Warlock for now. Druids will either have to wait a while or perhaps go with a Fey-pact Warlock (hardly an ideal situation, since you lose Wildshape).

I'm not worried about most of the common races being available. No one's playing a Displacer Beast, are they?

 

[mattcolville]

No one's playing a Displacer Beast, are they?

Man, that's ALL they're playing! It's a freakin' All Displacer Beast Party. The Wizard has the Gelatinous template!

 

[JohnSnow]

I think he was mistaken to say that. Most things can be reimagined.

I actually think he meant, directly, that they won't support "conversions." Part of that is the limited number of options they can cover in the first Player's Handbook. They just won't have direct conversions in any way.

As far as reimagining to keep the campaign going, that's clearly always possible. I think people are reading far too much into the Wizards guys saying "you can't convert your campaign." They meant "you can't directly convert," but NOT "you can't keep the campaign going."

 

[Tewligan]

Man, that's ALL they're playing! It's a freakin' All Displacer Beast Party. The Wizard has the Gelatinous template!

 

[Kwalish Kid]

While I see the PCs characters being translated, what about adventures? :\

Will all the pre-existing plots go out the window? Will the core assumptions of D&D get changed so much that a GM will have to completely re-think everything?

It will be very easy to convert adventures. If the monsters are as easy to group into encounters as claimed, it will be easy to substitute them. If the DM wants to keep a different history from that presented in the core rules, that's too easy.

 

[Dire Bare]

Bill Slavicsek said, as I recall, that there'd be no point in trying to "convert" your 3.5 game to 4E. "You'd be better off just starting a new game," I believe he said. Or words to that effect.

Only, that's not what he said at all. Slavicsek, and other designers, have stated they won't be providing a game system conversion guide for CHARACTERS, as they did for the transistion from 2E to 3E.

He said absolutely nothing about not being able to transition your campaign over to 4E. If we're going to get all worried about the upcoming new game system, let's at least worry about things that have actually been stated by the designers.

 

[mattcolville]

Hah! Brilliant.