Back when the Rogue preview was released on Wizards' site last year, I started toying with creating a 4e version of Merisiel, but eventually concluded I didn't have enough information yet to do so satisfactorily. Well, with the full core rules release, that's no longer an issue. Here's my versions of the iconics at level 1. Let's start with design philosophy and guidelines.
The original Pathfinder iconics were not designed for mechanical effectiveness, but rather were inspired by the artwork. Therefore my goal is to translate the flavor first and the mechanics second. I want to respect the personalities as they've been described, and as the mechanics have informed them.
The original iconics were all built using the 3e standard array. However, unlike the 3e standard array, the 4e standard array has no ability with a negative modifier. In some cases, the negative modifier is an important aspect of the character - Merisiel doesn't seem like Merisiel without the Int 8. Therefore, the 22-point array I am using for all these characters is: 16, 15, 13, 12, 11, 8.
I've tried to keep the stat blocks recognizably similar to the 3e stats, while working reasonably well mechanically. Sometimes I've based my attribute assignments on the original rankings pre-racial modifiers, and sometimes on the final attributes post-modifiers. They all work out well enough in the end.
In this batch, I'm mostly sticking to concepts that directly translate into fourth edition - don't expect to see even a vague stab at Lem the bard. Conveniently, I'm also not going to touch the iconics we haven't seen stat blocks for yet pre-Second Darkness, so monk, barbarian, and druid are out. My one indulgence in 4e historical revisionism is an extra-apocryphal version of Seoni as Warlock. (Valeros passingly refers to her as "that witch", and it sounds as though the 4e sorcerer won't be terribly mechanically similar to the 3e version anyway. And while I could stat her out as a wizard, why step on Ezren's toes?)
Here we go. I welcome any feedback you have.
Starting from the original iconic, we present Valeros.
Valeros
Human Fighter 1
Fighter Weapon Talent: One-handed weapons
S 17 (+3) AC 17 (Hide Armor)
C 12 (+1) Fort 16
D 16 (+3) Ref 15
I 13 (+1) Will 11
W 8 (-1) Init +3
Ch 11 ( 0) Speed 6
HP 27; Bloodied 13
Surge 6; Surges/Day 10
Basic Attacks
Longsword: +7 (1d8 + 4 / Crit 12) or
Shortwsord: +7 (1d6 + 3 / Crit 9)
Shortbow: +5 (1d8 + 3 / Crit 11) Range 10/20
Feats
Two-Weapon Fighting
Two-Weapon Defense
Skills
Athletics +7, Endurance +5, Intimidate +5, Streetwise +5
Powers
At-will: Cleave, Reaping Strike, Sure Strike
Encounter: Passing Attack
Daily: Villain's Menace
Notes
Valeros keeps Dex as his highest attribute before racial mods. Originally outfitted with chainmail, I have given him hide armor here. His stats are identical to what they would be in chain mail except, being light armor, his speed is 6 in hide rather than 5 in chain. Scale mail is also a good choice, raising his AC to 18 and negating his armor check penalty, again at a cost of reducing speed to 5. The armor in his art doesn't scream any particular type to me; I think hide is as good a choice as any.
Two-weapon fighting no longer provides extra attacks, but the Passing Attack power lets Valeros make multiple attacks as he wheels his way through a crowd. And Villain's Menace makes for a nice one-on-one daily capstone.
I was apprehensive about how Valeros would translate to 4e, but I was really pleased by the final results here. He seems like a swift, daring type, capable of buckling a few swashes. I look forward to stating him out at Paragon tier at a later date.
Depending on how you want this build to go, you could give Valeros ranger multiclassing to better benefit from his two-weapon style.
Very good conversion! Valeros' armor kinda looks like Hide anyways.
I think its a lot easier to stat up PC's. NPC's are a bit harder I have found but not by much. Monsters are pretty easy, assuming you use the MM as a template for most of them.
Next up is the genesis of this particular project, Merisiel. She's a tricky one, as her skill set was substantially rewritten for Pathfinder 2 and onward. I've gone with the original skills, because I like Intimidate for showing her as a little thug. And because I didn't notice her revised skills until later. =)
Merisiel
Elf Rogue 1
Rogue Tactics: Brutal Scoundrel
S 15 (+2) AC 16 (Leather Armor)
C 12 (+1) Fort 12
D 18 (+4) Ref 16
I 8 (-1) Will 12
W 15 (+2) Init +4
Ch 11 ( 0) Speed 7
HP 24; Bloodied 12
Surge 6; Surges/Day 7
Basic Attacks
m Rapier: +5 (1d8 + 2 / Crit 10) or
m Dagger: +6 (1d4 + 2 / Crit 6)
r Dagger: +8 (1d4 + 4 / Crit 8) Range 5/10
Class and Racial Features
Sneak Attack +2d6, First Strike, Group Awareness, Wild Step
Feats
Weapon Proficiency: Rapier
Skills
Stealth +9, Thievery +9, Acrobatics +9, Intimidate +5, Perception +9, Streetwise +5, Nature (untrained) +4
Powers
At-will: Deft Strike, Piercing Strike
Encounter: Torturous Strike, Elven Accuracy
Daily: Easy Target
Notes
Merisiel has undergone mechanical changes to bring her closer to her original flavor text. A straight translation from 3e would give her skill choices as Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidate, and Perception; but how can Streetwise not be on her list? Athletics might get a nod via Skill Training at a later date.
Merisiel's primary weapon, the rapier, is now a Superior weapon. It was just atypical enough a choice that I wanted to retain it for 4e, so that's where her feat goes.
Merisiel 3e had a +1 Str bonus, and a flat Cha modifier, so she goes the Brutal Scoundrel route - she's never been much of a thinker. Her new stats give a nod to this. Ranking her attributes from the highest, Merisiel had Dex, Wis, then Str and Con tied. This Merisiel has Dex, then Wis and Str tied, and then Con.
And, of course, Int 8. Always Int 8.
Third of the original four is Kyra, who demonstrates some of the speedbumps in conversion of clerics to the new edition.
Kyra
Human Cleric 1
Cleric of Sarenrae
S 13 (+1) AC 16 (Chainmail)
C 15 (+2) Fort 13
D 8 (-1) Ref 11
I 11 ( 0) Will 17
W 18 (+4) Init -1
Ch 12 (+1) Speed 5
HP 27; Bloodied 13
Surge 6; Surges/Day 9
Basic Attacks
Scimitar: +3 (1d8 + 1 / Crit 1d8 + 9)
Hand crossbow: +1 (1d6 - 1 / Crit 5) Range 10/20
Class and Racial Features
Healer's Lore
Feats
Weapon Proficiency: Scimitar
Sarenrae's (Pelor's) Radiance
Skills
Religion +5, Diplomacy +6, Heal +9, History +5, Insight +9
Powers
At-will: Lance of Faith, Priest's Shield, Sacred Flame
Encounter: Channel Divinity (Divine Fortune / Turn Undead / Saranrae's Radiance), Healing Word, Divine Glow
Daily: Beacon of Hope
Rituals
Gentle Repose, Comprehend Language
Notes
I miss having the abstraction layer of domains between clerical powers and the associated gods. With 4e, we can either rename an appropriate feat, or roll our own feats for each god. Apart from that, the translation is fairly straightforward. Her lack of Str leaves her a little weak, but not particularly moreso than in 3e.
Jumping ahead to Curse of the Crimson Throne, here is Ezren.
Ezren
Human Wizard 1
Orb Mastery
S 12 (+1) AC 14 (Cloth)
C 13 (+1) Fort 12
D 11 ( 0) Ref 15
I 18 (+4) Will 15
W 15 (+2) Init +0
Ch 8 (-1) Speed 6
HP 23; Bloodied 11
Surge 5; Surges/Day 7
Basic Attacks
Quarterstaff: +3 (1d8 + 1 / Crit 9)
Dagger: +3 (1d4 + 0 / Crit 4) Range 5/10
Hand crossbow: +0 (1d6 / Crit 6) Range 10/20
Class and Racial Features
Feats
Expanded Spellbook
Human Perseverance
Skills
Arcana +9, Dungeoneering +7, History +9, Nature +9, Religion +9
Powers
At-will: Cloud of Daggers, Magic Missile, Thunderwave
Encounter: Force Orb
Daily: Sleep
Rituals
Animal Messenger, Silence, Tenser's Floating Disk
Spellbook
Acid Arrow, Flaming Sphere, Sleep
Notes
We have no ability modifiers for age category in 4e, so Ezren gets the standard stat block. I've gone with Orb Mastery to complement his wisdom, although we could also possibly pass his cane off as a staff if we wanted to go that route. His first level feats don't really have fourth edition counterparts, but Expanded Spellbook is a generally good Wizard ability, and the save bonus provided by Human Perseverance complements nicely his ability to increase the saves against his own spells via his orb. We could also go with a weapon proficiency for cane-club or crossbow if we felt those were particularly important to Ezren's character. Note that he's equipped with the crossbow, even though he has no proficiency in it. Presumably it's just for show.
From Curse of the Crimson Throne, Seelah, Paladin of Iomedae.
Seelah
Human Paladin 1
Paladin of Iomedae
S 16 (+3) AC 20 (Plate Armor & Heavy Shield)
C 15 (+2) Fort 15
D 11 ( 0) Ref 12
I 8 (-1) Will 14
W 15 (+2) Init +0
Ch 12 (+1) Speed 5
HP 30; Bloodied 15
Surge 7; Surges/Day 12
Basic Attacks
Longsword: +6 (1d8 + 4 / Crit 12)
Longbow: +2 (1d8 + 2 / Crit 10) Range 20/40
Class and Racial Features
Feats
Weapon Proficiency: Longbow
Weapon Focus: Heavy Blade
Skills
Religion +4, Endurance +3, Heal +7, Insight +7, Intimidate +6
Powers
At-will: Divine Challenge, Lay on Hands (2/day), Bolstering Strike, Holy Strike, Valiant Strike
Encounter: Channel Divinity (Divine Mettle, Divine Strength), Piercing Smite
Daily: Paladin's Judgment
Notes
3e paladin abilities are mostly covered by Paladin class features that don't require decisions to be made. Iomedae's portfolio includes Sun and War, and the paladin's powers are focussed around combat and radiant energy enough that most choices fit. The Longbow proficiency was taken solely because Seelah has one in the artwork; like Ezren, we could probably leave her untrained in it and take some other feat, but it is a martial weapon, so Iomedae would probably approve.
Harsk, the crossbow-wielding dwarven ranger. An odd build, since so much of Harsk's character is that he is an atypical dwarf.
Harsk
Dwarf Ranger 1
Archer Fighting Style
S 15 (+2) AC 15 / 17 vs. OA (Leather Armor)
C 15 (+2) Fort 13
D 16 (+3) Ref 14
I 11 ( 0) Will 12
W 14 (+2) Init +2
Ch 8 (-1) Speed 5
HP 27; Bloodied 13
Surge 6; Surges/Day 8
Basic Attacks
Greataxe: +4 (1d12 + 3 / Crit 15)
Heavy Crossbow: +5 (1d8 + 2 / Crit 10) Range 20/40
Class and Racial Features
Hunter's Quarry +1d8, Prime Shot, Cast Iron Stomach, Dwarven Resilience, Encumbered Speed, Stand Your Ground
Feats
Defensive Mobility
Lethal Hunter
Skills
Dungeoneering +9, Endurance +4, Heal +7, Nature +7, Perception +7, Stealth +8
Powers
At-will: Nimble Strike, Twin Strike
Encounter: Fox's Cunning
Daily: Split the Tree
Notes
We have no equivalent to Rapid Reload for Harsk, but multishot powers include reload time, so he won't be too hard up for actions. We'll probably go with Dodge Giants at second, since the giant hatred is one of the more typically dwarven things about Harsk.
As Harsk advanced in 3e, he gained the Endurance feat. I wanted to get some Dungeoneering in for him, but Skil Training: Endurance would also not be inappropriate in his future.
BONUS!
For our final entry, we have the one cross-class conversion I tried. Here's Seoni, fey pact warlock.
Seoni
Human Warlock 1
Fey Pact
S 8 (11) AC 14 (Leather)
C 12 (+1) Fort 12
D 15 (+2) Ref 14
I 13 (+1) Will 16
W 11 ( 0) Init +2
Ch 18 (+4) Speed 6
HP 24; Bloodied 12
Surge 6; Surges/Day 8
Basic Attacks
Quarterstaff: +1 (1d8 - 1 / Crit 7)
Dagger: +5 (1d4 + 2 / Crit 6) Range 5/10
Class and Racial Features
Misty Step (5 squares), Prime Shot, Shadow Walk, Warlock's Curse +1d6
Feats
Astral Fire
Improved Fey Pact
Skills
Arcana +6, Bluff +9, History +6, Insight +5, Intimidate +9
Powers
At-will: Dire Radiance, Eldritch Blast, Eyebite
Encounter: Witchfire
Daily: Curse of the Dark Dream
Notes
It should be no surprise that, lacking a Sorcerer class, Seoni took more adaptation than most. The most gratuitous change was that I eventually knuckled down and exchanged her Int and Wis scores, for solely mechanical reasons. I manage to sleep at night by rationalizing that if I were TRULY out to minmax her, I would have swapped her Int and Dex. Spell Focus is gone, replaced by Astral Fire for a focus on certain spell types.
She's different, no doubt, but she seems like a fine Varisian witch. Of all the conversions, I think she and Valeros were the two that surprised me most and made me want to play them myself.
This is fun. I frequently use art work or a good miniature figure to inspire the character design. Those who are converting stuff from Pathfinder to 4E can use them too. And anyone who just wants some pre-gens.
I just wish DDI was up so we could share this type of thing there. :(
Depending on how you want this build to go, you could give Valeros ranger multiclassing to better benefit from his two-weapon style.
I considered this, but I liked the design challenge of sticking with straight fighter. I think that between the two feats and focusing on fighter powers that provide multiple attacks, it's an interesting example of how you can make The Two-Weapon Guy who FEELS like one without actually going for the Ranger powers.
Thanks! This kind of post is what I'm looking for about the 4E... You just save me a lot of work... :-)
Hey, is there a 4.0 Character Sheet PDF somewhere? I don't go to other boards. Does that make me Agoraphobic or Xenophobic?
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Hey, is there a 4.0 Character Sheet PDF somewhere? I don't go to other boards. Does that make me Agoraphobic or Xenophobic?
The DSM-IV-TR doesn't have an entry for you, sorry, so we'll have to make one for you. Hopefully it can be included when the DSM-V comes out soon. So take your pick:
Apaizophobic? Paizoxenophobic? Gleemaxiaphobic?
Oh, and sheets are here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/charactersheets
Hey, is there a 4.0 Character Sheet PDF somewhere? I don't go to other boards. Does that make me Agoraphobic or Xenophobic?The DSM-IV-TR doesn't have an entry for you, sorry, so we'll have to make one for you. Hopefully it can be included when the DSM-V comes out soon. So take your pick:
Apaizophobic? Paizoxenophobic? Gleemaxiaphobic?
Oh, and sheets are here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/charactersheets
I hate this. No 4.0 character sheet on the WotC site. Bet they thought they would have DDI up. So why make a PDF? Figures.
I hate this. No 4.0 character sheet on the WotC site. Bet they thought they would have DDI up. So why make a PDF? Figures.
Hmm. You're right, that link doesn't lead to 4E sheets! My bad, I thought it did and linked it without following it. They did post 4E sheets, but I'm not sure where. I found the link here, so I never really learned where on their site they're located. I'll go see if I can find 'em now ...
Edit: Huh. Looks like the first link had one DnD too many. I'll be. These should treat you right.
Oops. Now I feel bad for having bad thoughts about WotC. OK, I don't feel to bad...