I am posting this here in the rules section because, well, I want to understand exactly what I am doing.
I am converting Second Darkness to PFRPG (at least module 1 right now) and I am trying to figure out what Encounter Level the battles are. I think I have figured out HOW to recalculate, but I want to double check
So according to Core, a creature who has only Class Levels is CR Class Level -1, with things that are level 1 being CR 1/2 instead.
SO the first encounter in Second Darkness is as follows (Just CR's)
1 CR 1
5 CR 1/2
So the total XP Value here is 400 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 200 = 1400
A Creature worth 1400 XP is betwee a CR 4 and CR 5. So would the EL of this battle be between a 4 and a 5?
Based on the XP its worth that is.
If thats correct, then I am good to go, but I do want to verify this :D
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Want my advice on how to convert?
If a monster has PFRPG stats, use those instead. If you need a CMB or a CMD for an NPC or monster that doesn't have a PFRPG version, quickly calculate one. Otherwise, run as written.
Seriously, PFRPG and D&D 3.5 are so close that spending hours making "perfect" conversions is wasted time, in my less-than-humble opinion.
Want my advice on how to convert?
If a monster has PFRPG stats, use those instead. If you need a CMB or a CMD for an NPC or monster that doesn't have a PFRPG version, quickly calculate one. Otherwise, run as written.
Seriously, PFRPG and D&D 3.5 are so close that spending hours making "perfect" conversions is wasted time, in my less-than-humble opinion.
Well I was referring more to the NPCs with Class Levels. I fully intend to just use Monsters from the bestiary if I can.
So you suggest doing just a quick and dirty conversion of the big things (like HP, Spells, and CMD/CMB)?
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So you suggest doing just a quick and dirty conversion of the big things (like HP, Spells, and CMD/CMB)?
That's it in a nutshell. Hell, if the spell doesn't exist in PFRPG, I'd just use the 3.5 version (and if you don't have access to it, I'd guestimate what it was).
For a while, I was going to convert the Tomb of Horrors over to PFRPG. But ultimately I decided it was rather futile. Too many mechanics from 1E had either changed far too much or didn't exist at all any more for a PFRPG to really have the same spirit as the original without coming with a rather sizeable set of house-rules that heavily modified the PFRPG system. In short, it would just be easier to run it using a system that was more appropriate for it (any pre-3.X edition of D&D or a retro-clone).
Translating from 3.X to PFRPG or vice-versa has the opposite problem...the differences aren't really significant enough to make it worth the effort, in my opinion. If you spend 20 hours converting a module from 3.5 to PFRPG, the result is going to be a module that is almost exactly the same, only with CMB and CMD replacing the Grapple bonus. Yeah, there will be other slight differences, but nothing that's worth the conversion time.
I suggest you convert a few encounters, compare them, and decide if you think the differences are worth the effort. I wager you won't. But, as always, your milage may vary...
EDIT: Just a note, this isn't exactly popular advice around here. Some people get off on the conversion thing, I guess. But the way I figure, if Paizo went to all the troulbe to make PFRPG so compatible with 3.5, why not take advantage of that fact. Especially when the major thing that Paizo concentrated on keeping as compatible as possible was the 3.5 Pathfinder stuff.
So you suggest doing just a quick and dirty conversion of the big things (like HP, Spells, and CMD/CMB)?That's it in a nutshell. Hell, if the spell doesn't exist in PFRPG, I'd just use the 3.5 version (and if you don't have access to it, I'd guestimate what it was).
For a while, I was going to convert the Tomb of Horrors over to PFRPG. But ultimately I decided it was rather futile. Too many mechanics from 1E had either changed far too much or didn't exist at all any more for a PFRPG to really have the same spirit as the original without coming with a rather sizeable set of house-rules that heavily modified the PFRPG system. In short, it would just be easier to run it using a system that was more appropriate for it (any pre-3.X edition of D&D or a retro-clone).
Translating from 3.X to PFRPG or vice-versa has the opposite problem...the differences aren't really significant enough to make it worth the effort, in my opinion. If you spend 20 hours converting a module from 3.5 to PFRPG, the result is going to be a module that is almost exactly the same, only with CMB and CMD replacing the Grapple bonus. Yeah, there will be other slight differences, but nothing that's worth the conversion time.
I suggest you convert a few encounters, compare them, and decide if you think the differences are worth the effort. I wager you won't. But, as always, your milage may vary...
Dude the less work I have to do the better :P
I figure I can update the skills, add spells if needed, and change HP / Senses, and add CMD/CMB
That should be enough from the sound of it. So just leave the current CR's from 3.5 as well you think?
In terms of other changes:
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- Give NPCs an extra feat for every 6 levels they have.
- If they are supposed to be a 'smart' combatant or a diplomatic encounter, do a quick rebuild on their skills:
Class skill ranks + Int modifier +1 (favored class) +1 (human) = they have that many skills at max ranks.
- Remember to let them have access to all the class abilities appropriate for a character of their level.
Provided that the party is at the same level the adventure originally expected then that should work just fine. Most of these changes you can probably do on-the-fly.
Now if for some reason you're doing something crazy like using a high point buy with Gestalt characters who are a few levels higher... Well, compare how difficult the encounter was supposed to be originally then rebuild it until the XP Bucket method of encounter building tells you the fight is of the same difficulty. (Mind you, figuring out how much more powerful your party is than the 15-pt buy baseline is the real trick there.)
If you need to go to those extremes though (like I do in my PbP game), then you'll want a bit of automation to help. There's an encounter calculator that I use linked into my profile that helps with this. Also check out Combat Manager which can add templates, hit dice, etc. on-the-fly. Both tools are free.
For a while, I was going to convert the Tomb of Horrors over to PFRPG. But ultimately I decided it was rather futile.
FYI Wizards did most of the work for you and published a revised Tomb of Horrors under the 3.5 ruleset. And its free to boot!
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FYI Wizards did most of the work for you and published a revised Tomb of Horrors under the 3.5 ruleset. And its free to boot!
I'm aware of that. And it sucked most of the spirit and lethality out of the module. 3.X had a overwhelming need to coddle players by eliminating save (and take a good amount of damage anyway) or die.