Converting 3.5 Monsters tips ?

[nighttree]

I'm going to need to do some of my first 3.5 monster conversions (Elemental Demons from Dragon Compendium) and was wondering if anyone could toss out some advice on things I should look for or pay particular attention to ?

I know about checking skills, creating CM & CMD etc.....but I guess I'm wondering if CR needs to looked at carefully, or if it pretty much transfers smoothly ?

[Tom Baumbach]

3.5 abilities that are now universal monster rules are the other big things that you should pay attention to. Disease, grab, natural attacks, poison, and regeneration in particular received some good revisions.

[sowhereaminow]

nighttree wrote:

I'm going to need to do some of my first 3.5 monster conversions (Elemental Demons from Dragon Compendium) and was wondering if anyone could toss out some advice on things I should look for or pay particular attention to ?

I know about checking skills, creating CM & CMD etc.....but I guess I'm wondering if CR needs to looked at carefully, or if it pretty much transfers smoothly ?

It's not much, but I have a conversion guide set up in my lab at d20pfsrd.com. I use it as a general guide for the people who volunteer to do conversions on the site. It has a few helpful reminders and a few shortcuts I've come across. Please feel free to use. One of these days, I'll even remember to link it to other areas of the site for ease of use...

CR can be hard to determine. After completing your conversion, look carefully at table 1-1 in the back of the Bestiary. Look at your creature's CR, and see if it is hitting close to the averages listed. If it is over or under in one or two categories, it is probably fine with it's current CR. If it is high or low in several categories, you might want to raise or lower it one CR for balance purposes.

Hope that helps!

[clff rice]

In the bestiary there are good guidelines for just about how much power a critter should have per cr as well some of the challenge ratings should be changed to reflect the new power scales but i don't imagine many being dramatically different.

[Tom Baumbach]

clff rice wrote:

.. but i don't imagine many being dramatically different.

Toward the end of 3.5 production, this is true; the powers that be had CR locked down pretty good by then. But earlier stuff had wildly inappropriate CRs.

Regardless, checking the final CR is good advice.

[DigMarx]

Not to threadjack, but what do you figure the CR adjustment would be for changing a (CR 5) mummy's fire vulnerability to fire immunity?

Zo

[Hexcaliber]

DigMarx wrote:

Not to threadjack, but what do you figure the CR adjustment would be for changing a (CR 5) mummy's fire vulnerability to fire immunity?

Zo

Zero.

Allow me to elaborate.

The creature's damage, hp, AC, attacks and special powers are not affected by this. Fire immunity over vulnerability has no real effect on the creature's ability to fight a party and fire vulnerability is only exploitable by 1 maybe 2 party members in a group. My current group back when they were 9th level fought a mummy with fighter levels and dazzling display as a feat. Between a paladin, a rogue, an agent, a brawler, a warlock, a ranger and an inquisitor (playtest version) no one had the ability to deal fire damage, thus immunity/vulnerability was irrelevant.

Now, if you wanted to add SR or take away damage reduction then we'll have something to discuss.

[nighttree]

sowhereaminow wrote:

It's not much, but I have a conversion guide set up in my lab at d20pfsrd.com. I use it as a general guide for the people who volunteer to do conversions on the site. It has a few helpful reminders and a few shortcuts I've come across. Please feel free to use. One of these days, I'll even remember to link it to other areas of the site for ease of use...

CR can be hard to determine. After completing your conversion, look carefully at table 1-1 in the back of the Bestiary. Look at your creature's CR, and see if it is hitting close to the averages listed. If it is over or under in one or two categories, it is probably fine with it's current CR. If it is high or low in several categories, you might want to raise or lower it one CR for balance purposes.

Hope that helps!

Thanks much for this, I think I will run the CR's through at least a quick check to make sure that nothing seems way off.

[sowhereaminow]

nighttree wrote:

sowhereaminow wrote:

It's not much, but I have a conversion guide set up in my lab at d20pfsrd.com. I use it as a general guide for the people who volunteer to do conversions on the site. It has a few helpful reminders and a few shortcuts I've come across. Please feel free to use. One of these days, I'll even remember to link it to other areas of the site for ease of use...

CR can be hard to determine. After completing your conversion, look carefully at table 1-1 in the back of the Bestiary. Look at your creature's CR, and see if it is hitting close to the averages listed. If it is over or under in one or two categories, it is probably fine with it's current CR. If it is high or low in several categories, you might want to raise or lower it one CR for balance purposes.

Hope that helps!

Thanks much for this, I think I will run the CR's through at least a quick check to make sure that nothing seems way off.

No problem. Always happy to help out a fellow converter!