It's done!
The entirety of the Burnt Offerings adventure has been converted and is available for use. A number of recent encounters don't have maps to go along with them yet, though that shouldn't really prevent anyone from using them.
Still on the to-do list:
- Convert remaining bestiary monsters
- Compile final list of treasure parcel locations for ease of reference
- Make minor changes to a couple encounters
- Post maps for final encounters
Conversion of The Skinsaw Murders begins next week. Enjoy, and let me know how the converted encounters turn out (and if you have any suggestions) either here or as a comment on the blog!
It's done!
The entirety of the Burnt Offerings adventure has been converted and is available for use. A number of recent encounters don't have maps to go along with them yet, though that shouldn't really prevent anyone from using them.
Still on the to-do list:
- Convert remaining bestiary monsters
- Compile final list of treasure parcel locations for ease of reference
- Make minor changes to a couple encounters
- Post maps for final encountersConversion of The Skinsaw Murders begins next week. Enjoy, and let me know how the converted encounters turn out (and if you have any suggestions) either here or as a comment on the blog!
Thats some nice work you've done.... now if we can get someone who can create pdfs to collect it all and make it nice and printable... *insert devilish grin* :P
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Heya Scott,
Great work. I had a desire to help make a resource (a wiki) in which many collaberators could add ideas and concepts in a organized fashion for conversions for paizo products.
Now that I have Curse of the Crimson Throne wiki setup, I thought I'd offer to set one up for Rise of the Runelords if you think you might be interested.
Let me know, and great work all around.
Knight
Heya Scott,
Great work. I had a desire to help make a resource (a wiki) in which many collaberators could add ideas and concepts in a organized fashion for conversions for paizo products.
Now that I have Curse of the Crimson Throne wiki setup, I thought I'd offer to set one up for Rise of the Runelords if you think you might be interested.
Let me know, and great work all around.
Knight
If you'd like to link to the conversion blog on the Wiki, I'd be perfectly happy with that. I don't see a need for the material to be reproduced elsewhere online, however. I plan on organizing the blog in a way that will make each adventure easy to navigate.
I've been using Scott's blog to run my 4E version of RotRL, and it's been extremely helpful! At one point I thought I was going to overtake you Scott, but fortunately(?) we've been unable to play for the last three weeks (and tonight is looking iffy) so we've got some catching up to do again.
On the subject of sharing, I've been using Scotts enlarged maps but redrawn them in Dundjinni, so a wiki would be good to post those to. I only started this from the Catacombs of Wrath, but will be doing it for every encounter from now on.
I've been using Scott's blog to run my 4E version of RotRL, and it's been extremely helpful! At one point I thought I was going to overtake you Scott, but fortunately(?) we've been unable to play for the last three weeks (and tonight is looking iffy) so we've got some catching up to do again.
On the subject of sharing, I've been using Scotts enlarged maps but redrawn them in Dundjinni, so a wiki would be good to post those to. I only started this from the Catacombs of Wrath, but will be doing it for every encounter from now on.
I'm actually looking for a way to change how I create the maps I post to the blog. The hand-drawn battle mat map works, but it's sloppy. If you have any suggestions as far as a better way to do the maps, I'd be really interested in hearing them.
I've polished a few of the blog posts up, making changes to encounters where needed. I also added a converted version of The Sandpoint Devil to the bestiary. The first part of The Skinsaw Murders should go up this weekend.
I know James Jacobs stops in and reads these forums fairly often.
James, I'm sure that endorsing conversion material is off the table for the time being, but I would appreciate any opinions you could give me on the RotR conversions to 4th Edition. I'm navigating this pretty blind, with little to go on besides the 4th Edition rulebooks and a copy of the adventure. Any advice?
Scott, you're doing some great work with the conversion blog. I almost want to can my current campaign and start running Rise of the Runelords. If only I could find a way to play D&D more often...
Scott, you're doing some great work with the conversion blog. I almost want to can my current campaign and start running Rise of the Runelords. If only I could find a way to play D&D more often...
Thanks for the encouragement!
Let me know if you have any suggestions as well (feel free to write comments on the blog itself).
And don't worry, it's not like the conversion is going to expire. If you have a drive to try it out, there's plenty of time to get to it. It will only get more polished as time goes on.
You have totally been subscribed to.
I await with eager anticipation for your conversion notes on Skinsaw Murders.
The Skinsaw Murders updates have started going up! Everything up until the Misgivings is now live on the blog. I'm going to continue work on it tonight. Let me know what you think.
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Wow. All I can say is "Wow".
Excellent work sir. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of 4E, I must say, top notch work sir, top notch. I may want to re-run RotRL in 4E now...
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Wow. All I can say is "Wow".
Excellent work sir. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of 4E, I must say, top notch work sir, top notch. I may want to re-run RotRL in 4E now...
Glad to hear it! Thanks for following along.
Blog is updated once again, everything within the manor is now converted. Lots and lots and lots of haunts.
The Misgivings, above and below, is now finished. Everything up to and including the party's encounter with Aldern is ready for play. I still want to add a skill challenge to exorcise the manor completely, so that will be coming soon.
I have also revised all the haunts to reflect the new rules for hauntings provided in Open Grave. A few other minor issues throughout the conversion project have also been fixed.
Outstanding work! Thank you. It will probably be a while before I start running this campaign, but I know where I'm going to look first for conversions.
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Scott, I just wanted to start off by saying thanks. Your conversion has been a great help in my quest to find adventures and a setting that I enjoy for a 4E game that I am starting this month.
I've played 4E a number of times but with only a "'meh" view of the game. But now my goal is to delve into the heart of 4E by GMing it and your work with RotRL has helped out a lot.
Kudo's !
Thanks for the encouragement!
The Foxglove townhouse has been posted, as well as a skill challenge for exorcising the Misgivings and a huge number of minor changes and additions all over the blog.
So that people can keep track of revisions I've made to previous posts, I've included a Recent Changes/Additions sidebar on the blog.
The Seven's Sawmill is now completely converted and has been added to the blog. I'm now caught up to my own game, which means that The Skinsaw Murders will be totally converted within a couple weeks' time.
Also, I've done the math and I'm on track to have the PCs hit 8th level by the end of the adventure. This is within the target range to hit mid-epic tier by the conclusion of the adventure path.
A few of the Shadow Clock encounters are up now, too.
Also, I have been reading through The Hook Mountain Massacre and have been very pleased with how easy it will be to plot out in 4th Edition. Most of the monsters in question are already right in the proper level range for my conversion, and I think there is a LOT of room for enough encounters to advance the party another four levels over the course of the adventure.
One of the things I've been struck by is that the nature of adventures has not changed between 3rd and 4th Edition. While the logistics of combat encounters is different, and the leveling scheme is spread wider, the party advances thematically at the same rate, and is capable of taking on the same kinds of adventures. For instance, Burnt Offerings and The Skinsaw Murders all focus on very local concerns, exactly the sorts of things geared towards Heroic-tier PCs. The Hook Mountain Massacre opens up into a region-wide threat with the shift towards the proposition of Mokmurian and his allies waging war on the Varisian frontier - exactly the types of threats that PCs are supposed to experience as they enter the Paragon tier.
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One of the things I've been struck by is that the nature of adventures has not changed between 3rd and 4th Edition. While the logistics of combat encounters is different, and the leveling scheme is spread wider, the party advances thematically at the same rate, and is capable of taking on the same kinds of adventures. For instance, Burnt Offerings and The Skinsaw Murders all focus on very local concerns, exactly the sorts of things geared towards Heroic-tier PCs. The Hook Mountain Massacre opens up into a region-wide threat with the shift towards the proposition of Mokmurian and his allies waging war on the Varisian frontier - exactly the types of threats that PCs are supposed to experience as they enter the Paragon tier.
One thing I like about 4e is the ridiculous ease it takes to adjust monsters (and traps?) up and down depending on the PCs level (i.e., +1 to hit per level up, +1 dmg every two levels, etc).
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Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this, but...
I'm currently working on converting D0 Hallow's Last Hope to 4e. While working on the Tatzlwryrm I came across a question. On pg. 184 of the DMG it says the highest ability score of a pair is equal to 13+1/2 the level. While the ability score that governs the primary attack is 3 highter. That I get.
But what about the remaining 3 ability scores? How does one typically figure those?
Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this, but...
I'm currently working on converting D0 Hallow's Last Hope to 4e. While working on the Tatzlwryrm I came across a question. On pg. 184 of the DMG it says the highest ability score of a pair is equal to 13+1/2 the level. While the ability score that governs the primary attack is 3 highter. That I get.
But what about the remaining 3 ability scores? How does one typically figure those?
Yeah, pretty much putting too much thought into it.
Monster ability scores matter very little. They have no bearing on attacks or defenses, which are simply assigned based on level, role and the DM's concept of the monster. The monster's constitution score affects its hit points a little, and they can conceivably come into play when a monster makes an ability check. That's basically it, though. For those three lower scores you can for the most part make them whatever you feel like. Heck, even for the high ones it doesn't matter that much if you stick to the DMG's rule.
A few changes have taken place, including the addition of unique Channeled Divinity feats for all non-evil Golarion gods - credit goes to Golarion Goblin/NChance for the excellent feat write-ups.
The remainder of the Shadow Clock is now live on the blog, and with that The Skinsaw Murders is completely converted. Enjoy!
Next week, The Hook Mountain Massacre.
I'm a little surprised that I'm still excited about this project two whole adventures into it. Fingers crossed that my interest will hold strong for another four.
Apologies for a lack of updates this week - my party spent the entire session trying to hunt down the Sandpoint Devil and put an end to its intermittent tyranny over the local farms. We'll start in on The Hook Mountain Massacre in earnest next week.
The first pieces of The Hook Mountain Massacre are up! The adventure's exposition, along with a couple encounters for the party to happen across on the journey to Turtleback Ferry, has gotten the conversion treatment. I've also posted the Ogrekin template stat block, which I'll be making heavy use of during the first half of the adventure. Enjoy!
In a word: WOW.
In another: THANK YOU! (Okay, you got me, that's two words. ;)
In a word: WOW.
In another: THANK YOU! (Okay, you got me, that's two words. ;)
You're welcome, and thank you!
A few notes about plans for the future of the adventure path:
Stone giants figure pretty heavily into the middle of the adventure path. The updated System Reference Document indicates that they'll probably be making an appearance in the Monster Manual 2 on May 19th. We'll see how swiftly my game progresses through The Hook Mountain Massacre, but I just did some rough math and it may arrive just in time for their appearance near the end of the adventure.
I spent a significant chunk of today going through all the old stat blocks I built for Burnt Offerings and reformatting them according to the new style I'm using. In the process I had the chance to make a lot of (mostly minor) changes to the monsters - I feel like I have a pretty good handle on monster construction at this point, but when I started doing this in July of last year I really didn't. My spring break comes up in a week, and I'll finish the rest of the reformatting then. I'll probably upload all the new stat blocks in one big go, so expect them in a couple weeks.
I'm really excited to start conversion work on Fortress of the Stone Giants, even though it's an entire adventure ahead of where my group is now. It makes me feel a little guilty, because The Hook Mountain Massacre is such a great piece too but I've found my mind jumping ahead.
I'd love to hear suggestions on what you think would make an interesting way to develop the Keeping the Keep article. I'd like to turn it into a 3-4 encounter optional side-trek but I haven't decided what direction to take it in.
Thank you so much for your amazing work! Your conversion blog is going to save me A LOT of work and worries (being a relatively new into the whole D&D bussiness - I played several RPGs when I was younger, but this is my first time with D&D AND being a DM ;) - I am not really confident with all that math ivolved in converting encounters and esp. monsters :P)
So thank you! :)
As for the Keeping the Keep article - I think it has a really great potential and I am looking forward your side-trek interpretation of it - I have unfortunately decided to base my PCs in Sandpoint so having the Keep as their base is kind of out of the picture (I know I can change my plot hooks and rewrite the pre-prepared parts but I do not really think my players would be very keen on keeping the keep - I am stuck with powergamers and killers for the moment ;P)
So transforming the Keeping the Keep part into a side-trek can really work for me. So far I was toying with these ideas:
1) When first searching through the fort, PCs find a clue there might be a hidden stash of unspecified richies. By following the lead, players have to solve a number of mostly intellectual encounters (I was thinking along the lines of Challenge of Champions from Dungeon Magazine issues 58, 69, 80, 91, 108 and 138 - to give my players something else than hack and slash they so far prefere...), maybe throwing one or two fights into the mix or maybe a skill challenge.
2) One of my PCs a ranger who has just started to look for his beast companion (is that the right term?) - but I do not want him to just go to the market and say "Is this snow wolf fresh?" ;) So spotting a rare animal pack/herd whatever in the surrounding of the keep may be a good reason for the PCs to transform the keep into a temporary "hunting lodge" - and if they do not want to hunt and tame the companion, they can still make profit from selling/killing/using the rare beast (I don't know, maybe rare ritual components or reagents or something). I always wanted to do a hunting adventure - woods, tracking, foraging... I think it might be a nice longer-term skill challenge with some fight encounters inbetween...
I do not know if my ideas are worth anything, I just felt I would like to show my support and passion for what you do ;) Also, please do excuse my English, I am not a native speaker ;)
Thank you so much for your amazing work! Your conversion blog is going to save me A LOT of work and worries (being a relatively new into the whole D&D bussiness - I played several RPGs when I was younger, but this is my first time with D&D AND being a DM ;) - I am not really confident with all that math ivolved in converting encounters and esp. monsters :P)
So thank you! :)
Glad to help! Thanks for following along.
As for the Keeping the Keep article - I think it has a really great potential and I am looking forward your side-trek interpretation of it - I have unfortunately decided to base my PCs in Sandpoint so having the Keep as their base is kind of out of the picture (I know I can change my plot hooks and rewrite the pre-prepared parts but I do not really think my players would be very keen on keeping the keep - I am stuck with powergamers and killers for the moment ;P)
So transforming the Keeping the Keep part into a side-trek can really work for me. So far I was toying with these ideas:
1) When first searching through the fort, PCs find a clue there might be a hidden stash of unspecified richies. By following the lead, players have to solve a number of mostly intellectual encounters (I was thinking along the lines of Challenge of Champions from Dungeon Magazine issues 58, 69, 80, 91, 108 and 138 - to give my players something else than hack and slash they so far prefere...), maybe throwing one or two fights into the mix or maybe a skill challenge.
2) One of my PCs a ranger who has just started to look for his beast companion (is that the right term?) - but I do not want him to just go to the market and say "Is this snow wolf fresh?" ;) So spotting a rare animal pack/herd whatever in the surrounding of the keep may be a good reason for the PCs to transform the keep into a temporary "hunting lodge" - and if they do not want to hunt and tame the companion, they can still make profit from selling/killing/using the rare beast (I don't know, maybe rare ritual components or reagents or something). I always wanted to do a hunting adventure - woods, tracking, foraging... I think it might be a nice longer-term skill challenge with some fight encounters inbetween...I do not know if my ideas are worth anything, I just felt I would like to show my support and passion for what you do ;) Also, please do excuse my English, I am not a native speaker ;)
I like your first idea a lot. In fact, I believe Mike McArtor and James Sutter had an idea along the same vein when they designed the random events for the article - a short quake opens up a previously hidden passage beneath the keep. That could make for an interesting hook to draw the players in, and allows them to make use of their skill as adventurers. I'll post my thoughts as I go.
Turtleback Ferry, the encounter with Kibb and Rukus, and the first couple encounters of the Graul farmstead have been added to the blog! Pounding out the traps on the first floor of the farmhouse was interesting. Though each of them is a miniature challenge in itself to overcome, they don't combine well into a single tactical encounter. In that sense, they're pretty uninteresting. On the other hand, I think their primary purpose here is not necessarily to seriously impede the party but to flavor the experience of wandering through a house that could be taken straight out of a Halloween freak show maze. Enjoy!
This upcoming week is spring break, so my game won't continue until the following week. Instead of adding new encounters and such, I'll be replacing all the old stat blocks with the new version. I have made a couple minor revisions to the mechanics of some stat blocks (mostly for the sake of consistency). Double-check to make sure you're using the most recent version once they go up.
All the Burnt Offerings stat blocks have been updated. Some monsters have seen significant revisions (Nualia got an extra ability, Koruvus is now elite), some have seen minor changes and others have been left mechanically intact.
I'll be finishing the rest of them in the next couple days.
My 4E RotRL campaign finally kicked off last night and I want to thank you for making this material available for 4E newbie GMs like myself. It's an amazing resource and I'm extremely grateful for all your hard work in doing this.
My 4E RotRL campaign finally kicked off last night and I want to thank you for making this material available for 4E newbie GMs like myself. It's an amazing resource and I'm extremely grateful for all your hard work in doing this.
You're welcome!
My secret spring break project has seen its first draft!
The entire conversion of Burnt Offerings, plus the conversion information for the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide, can now be downloaded in a PDF format designed to mirror the original adventure.
There's still a little editing work that needs to be done, and it might be worthwhile for me to go back and revisit a couple of the earlier skill challenges, but the current draft is very usable.
Give it a look, and let me know what you think!
I don't play 4th edition, and I'm not currently planning to, but I have to say you do good work, and some of your running the game tips and filler encounters are very interesting.
Good work sir!
Hey, I Love what you are doing. Thank you very much. I've been running this from your posts and my group just finished the glass works and are going int the catacombs. This PDF will make it a lot easier to follow. Thank you. One thing i noticed is Warchief Ripnugget's power Cheap Shot says recharge, but not what dice.
Also the Warchief is listed as a tiny immortal devil. But other then those nitpicks this is great. I've been following your conversion from the beginning Scott and I love it. Once I wrap up my Age of Worms campaign I'll be running Rise of the Runelords using your work.
My secret spring break project has seen its first draft!
The entire conversion of Burnt Offerings, plus the conversion information for the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide, can now be downloaded in a PDF format designed to mirror the original adventure.
There's still a little editing work that needs to be done, and it might be worthwhile for me to go back and revisit a couple of the earlier skill challenges, but the current draft is very usable.
Give it a look, and let me know what you think!
Scott,
This is fantastic and totally appreciated! I am just starting up Savage Tide for 3.X but when I finish that I want to do RotRL in 4E, and I really hope you continue so the whole thing is 4E ready!Have you thought of updating things like the Goblin druid to using the Druid from PHB2, or are you happy with the stuff you made up?
Thanks again,
Thooly
My secret spring break project has seen its first draft!
Give it a look, and let me know what you think!
Since I downloaded your work I feel the need to commend you on your efforts, Excellent job.
Hey, I Love what you are doing. Thank you very much. I've been running this from your posts and my group just finished the glass works and are going int the catacombs. This PDF will make it a lot easier to follow. Thank you. One thing i noticed is Warchief Ripnugget's power Cheap Shot says recharge, but not what dice.
Also the Warchief is listed as a tiny immortal devil. But other then those nitpicks this is great. I've been following your conversion from the beginning Scott and I love it. Once I wrap up my Age of Worms campaign I'll be running Rise of the Runelords using your work.
This is exactly the sort of stuff I need to know in order to improve this. Thanks for pointing these things out. Ripnugget's Fight On You Slugs is also missing that stuff - these are things that cropped up when I converted the stat block to my new format. Ripnugget is a medium natural humanoid. Both Cheap Shot and Fight On, You Slugs! recharge on a 5 or 6.
I'm glad you're finding the PDF useful.
My secret spring break project has seen its first draft!
The entire conversion of Burnt Offerings, plus the conversion information for the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide, can now be downloaded in a PDF format designed to mirror the original adventure.
There's still a little editing work that needs to be done, and it might be worthwhile for me to go back and revisit a couple of the earlier skill challenges, but the current draft is very usable.
Give it a look, and let me know what you think!
Scott,
This is fantastic and totally appreciated! I am just starting up Savage Tide for 3.X but when I finish that I want to do RotRL in 4E, and I really hope you continue so the whole thing is 4E ready!Have you thought of updating things like the Goblin druid to using the Druid from PHB2, or are you happy with the stuff you made up?
Thanks again,
Thooly
I actually like Gogmurt as he is. If I turned him into a straight-up templated NPC druid he would lose any powers that interact with Tangletooth. One of the nice things about converting to 4th Edition is that when it comes to creating monsters I can feel free to stay faithful to the original monster's flavor without feeling like I need to adhere to a particular class structure. I think Gogmurt's current incarnation has a lot of goblin flavor.
Since I downloaded your work I feel the need to commend you on your efforts, Excellent job.My secret spring break project has seen its first draft!
Give it a look, and let me know what you think!
Thanks!
I don't play 4th edition, and I'm not currently planning to, but I have to say you do good work, and some of your running the game tips and filler encounters are very interesting.
Good work sir!
Thank you!