Or even a general kinda-fuzzy 1e per-level DC chart so I can make a 1e to 2e conversion chart?
I realize that there might really be a dozen or so, because things like saves and skill checks for 1e per level are wildly different (which makes life soooooo much harder in 1e). I've taken a look in my 1e Gamemastery Guide but I didn't find anything. Any help???
I have that. Unfortunately it doesn't say anything about how to convert a 1e DC to a 2e DC, just use the level chart. I mean, it's pretty easy if all I want to do is make all the challenges an "at-level challenge". But what if something was meant to be easier or harder? What do I need to do then??? If something was meant to be a static DC, and so would be hard at 1st level but easy at 4th level what number should I use? And if it's only printed later in a book should I bump it because the PCs might be 4th level by the time they get there? Or would it be better to leave it lower?
I have that. Unfortunately it doesn't say anything about how to convert a 1e DC to a 2e DC, just use the level chart. I mean, it's pretty easy if all I want to do is make all the challenges an "at-level challenge". But what if something was meant to be easier or harder? What do I need to do then??? If something was meant to be a static DC, and so would be hard at 1st level but easy at 4th level what number should I use? And if it's only printed later in a book should I bump it because the PCs might be 4th level by the time they get there? Or would it be better to leave it lower?
You've really hit the key question - rather than look at the number itself and applying a specific formula, you need to know the intent of the DC in the original material. That's the part you should use as the basis to convert (which you probably have to guess at).
So if it's at-level, use the level's DC. If it's supposed to be easier or harder, use the level's DC + the DC adjustments on page 504. If it's supposed to be a static DC, use one of the Simple DCs from page 503 based on how proficient someone should be. For your specific example of a static DC that's usable for 1st and 4th level, the "trained DC" of 15 is the same as the level 1 base DC, so would be a pretty good choice.
In the case of bumping a static DC just because the characters are higher level - if you feel like that's an appropriate choice, it's probably not supposed to be a static DC.
Things that should not be static: DCs related to monsters, NPCs, hazards (e.g. traps), etc.
Things that should be static: skill check DCs related to things other than monsters/NPCs/hazards.
The DCs section starting on page 503 in the core book gives pretty good guidance here.
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from my own conversion guide,
Unfortunately, in First Edition it’s hard to figure out expected outcomes, due to the high variability of character statistics (at the same level, you might have three characters having a -1, +8 and +32 modifier, all facing a DC17). This means that as a GM, you have the full weight of arbitrating outcome difficulty. This can vary depending not only on the adventure, but on how your own group handles difficulty and challenge. If they want to face harsh odds and obstacles, you might harshen the checks, while if they prefer a more laid back approach, you can lower them. In most cases, however, setting a challenge level can be as easy as using the NPC’s given level. In others, there might not be an NPC of reference, making your job a little harder. This variability is also why this guide does not provide a conversion format for skill DCs.
It's something that bugs me a lot when doing conversion work. DCs are all over the place and make close to no sense. Scrap & set from scratch.