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Majin_Gojira
2005-07-30, 04:27 PM
Conversion is one of those things a lot of younger gamers try and pull off. But it's not easy to do in the slightest bit. ESPECIALLY for d20 systems. It's just not adaptation-friendly. And then there is the issue of power. Sometimes people convert characters overzealously, such as 20+ level LotR character writeups. Other times, d20 is so powerful on itself, that the characters come out as very low level ("Was Gandalf a only a 5th level character?" article in Dragon Magazine).

This thread is for the display of our attempts to convert races, monsters and characters into D20.

I'll go first with one I've been toyng with for about 2 years until I picked up Savage Species and D20 Modern.

Vampire Slayer/Slayer

Species Traits
Size: Medium. Vampire Slayers have no special bonuses or penalties due to size.
Ability Modifiers: +6 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
Extra Starting Hit Dice: a Vampire Slayer starts with 5 hit dice (5d8 points). The Slayer’s constitution modifier applies to each Hit Die when determining hit points.
Base Speed: 30 feet
Natural Armor Bonus: Vampire Slayers have an enhanced muscle and bone structure, providing them with a +5 natural armor bonus to Defense.
Attack Bonuses: Vampire Slayers gain a +3 Base Attack Bonus from their starting hit dice.
Saving Throws: Vampire Slayers gain +1 to Fortitude Saves +4 to Reflex Saves and +1 to Willpower Saves from their bonus hit dice
Skills: A Slayer starts with 6x Intelligence modifier Skill points, with 4 more from their Humanoid hit die.
Low-Light Vision: Slayers can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Energy Resistance: Vampire Slayers have Acid, Cold and Electricity resistance 5
Energy Immunity: Vampire Slayers are immune to Energy Drain, such as a Vampire’s touch or the spell “Ghouls’ Touch”
Fast Healing: A Vampire Slayer heals 3 points per round. They still die at -10 hit points, however.
Memories of Slayers’ Past: A Vampire Slayer can tap into the lives of previous slayers for information they may have known. The character must make a concentration check against a DC 10 + 1 per character level (with appropriate penalties for distraction). If successful, they may make an unskilled check at any skill with a skill rank equal to her Wisdom bonus (other ability bonus is added to these ranks as usual) with a minimum bonus of +1. This is a supernatural ability and works even with trained-only or restricted skills. For skills that they already possess, they may add their Wisdom bonus as a competence bonus. This is a Supernatural Ability.
Spell-Like Abilities: A Vampire Slayer may cast Detect Undead at once per day per Hit Die, True Strike once per day, and can cast Dream once per week as an Acolyte of similar hit-die.
Allegiance: Vampire Slayers must begin play with an allegiance to Good.
Feats: Vampire Slayers gain the following Feats: Archaic Weapon’s Proficiency, Combat Martial Arts, Improved Initiative and Iron Will
Negative Feats: Vampire Slayers are burdened with the following Negative Feats: Adversary 5 – All creatures of evil alignment, demons, devils, Old Ones, their servants and Undead hate Slayers simply for existing and go out of their way to hunt, kill, and or convert any Slayers they come across, due to the fact that Slayers were designed to hunt and kill them. This extends to their reputation with other races. Slayers suffer a -5 on all Diplomacy and reputation checks with Shadowkind, but a +5 on Intimidate checks. This only applies to Shadowkind who know what they are. They also suffer an Obligation (Total) drawback as they are expected to fight the evil aspects of the Shadowkind until she dies.
Single Gender: All Vampire Slayers are born as female humans, but change when they hit puberty. There are no Male Slayers, and when polymorphed into a male, a Slayer loses their Slayer bonuses.

Level Adjustment is something I'm still working on. Right now, I think it's a 6, but I've never been good at ECL.

Vampire (BtVS)

Traits:The Vampire template can only be applied to Humans and still uses all the base human’s scores and abilities except when notes below.
Level Adjustment: +5?
Undead: A Vampire has traits and immunities common to Undead
Hit die: Change do d12. Undead have no constitution score. They also gain a bonus 2 Hit Die when this template is applied.
Base Attack Bonus: From their bonus hit die, they gain a +1 to their attack bonus.
Saving Throws: From these extra hit dice, they also gain +2 to Will Saves.
Defense: A Vampire gains a +5 bonus to defense from their unnatural form.
Attacks: a Vampire gains a Bite attack that deals 1d6+str Slashing Damage.
Special Qualities:
Blood Drain (Ex): A Vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by first successfully grappling then biting an opponent. Unless the part of the body being bitten is armored, the vampire only needs to make a touch attack with a +2 bonus in order to bite the victim. Once a vampire takes hold with their fangs, they deal1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage per turn.
Create Spawn (Su): When a Vampire brings a Human victim down to 3 or less Constitution (but not below or at 0—where the victim dies) they may perform a ritual to turn them into a Vampire. They offer the victim their own blood to drink, they must succeed in a will save with a DC equal to 10 + ½ the Vampire’s total Hit Die + the amount of Constitution Drained + the Vampire’s Charisma Modifier. If they fail, they drink. If they succeed, they reject it. The victim then dies and will rise as a Vampire in 1d6 days. This spawn gains allegiances and gains an allegiance to Chaos and Evil, if they had any allegiances that opposed these, they are lost. A Vampire is often a twisted mockery of the person they once were.
Damage Reduction 10/- for Piercing Attacks only: A vampire’s undead body can be riddled full of holes with no real effect. The only exception is a Wooden Stake to the heart (explained below).
Damage Reduction 15/- for Massive Damage Only: Aside from being immune to death from massive damage, if a Vampire’s Massive Damage threshold is reached with a physical attack, that damage is reduced by 15.
Fast Healing (Ex): A Vampire heals 3 points per turn, unless they were dealt Holy or Fire damage, which heals normally.
Frightful Presence (Ex): When activated (IE: the vampire Bares its fangs) all those within 10ft must succeed a Will Save (DC= 1/2 Hit Die + Charisma Modifier + Reputation Bonus). IF they fail, they are shaken (-2 to all actions) for 1d6+charisma modifier turns. If they succeed, they are immune to the effect for 24 hours. If they succed more than 5 times, a target becomes immune to this ability. The Renown Feat increases the DC by 5.
Immune to Turning(Ex): Vampires are corpses animated by demonic spirits, and cannot be turned as Undead. They can, however, be turned as Outsiders.
Energy Resistance (Cold) 10(Ex): A Vampire ignores the first 10 points of Cold Damage from any cold-based attacks.
Energy Resistance (Electricity) 15(Ex): A Vampire ignores the first 15 points of Electricity damage from any electricity based attacks.
Darvision (Ex): Vampires have Darkvision at a range of 60ft.
Sire Connection (Su): If any Vampire is within (Wisdom Score) Miles of their sire, their sire may sense their presence through vague dreams.
Scent (Ex): A Vampire has a keen sense of smell and may use it to detect approaching enemies, detect hidden foes and track by their sense of smell. If there is very any blood involved, the DC to track a target is reduced by 2 based on the severity of the injury. (a minor wound reduced the DC by 2, a wound that reduces the targets HP by 5 or more reduces it by 4, 10 by 6 and 15 by 8). Blood also doubles the range of that the vampire can smell.
Weaknesses (Ex): A Vampire has several weaknesses described below. They may only be permenantly killed by these listed methods. Otherwise, they will recover (albiet slowly).
Direct Sunlight: Being exposed to even the smallest amount of sunlight hurts a vampire. Though, it must be direct sunlight. A Vampire can operate indoors, in shade or even covered by heavy clothing can minimize or negate the exposure. A Vampire takes 3d6 points of damage at the end of each turn it is in direct sunlight. If they are under heavy cover, this reduces to either 1d4 or 1d2 per turn, depending on the level of cover (Shade deals 1d4, hiding under a heavy blanket reduces the damage to 1d2). If it is within reach, a Vampire may attempt a reflex save (DC 20) to get out of the sun and under cover, thus only taking 1d4 damage. While in Direct Sunlight, they must also succeed a Reflex Save (DC 20) or catch on fire, suffering an additional 1d6 fire damage per turn until extinguished.
Crosses: When presented strongly, a Vampire cannot attack the wielder, only attempt to disarm him or her, and even then they must succeed a Will Save (DC 15+level of the Wielder) to even try. If the Cross comes in contact with their skin it deals 1d4 points of Holy damage. They cannot be killed in this manner, though they can be killed by other forms of Blessed weaponry.
Beheading: If a vampire is every beheaded, they are reduced to ash as if they were staked with a wooden stake. A Beheading only occurs on a critical hit with a slashing weapon, and even then, they must roll a 1d20 again, and get at least a 15 or higher to confirm that it was the head that was sliced off. A Vampire then has to make a Fortitude save (DC 25+Damage Dealt-Current Hit Points) or die and be reduced to ash. Failure means that the wound was not deep enough to decapitate. This may or may not mess up the Vocal Chords of the vampire (GMs discretion)
Fire: If reduced to 0 HP from fire damage, a vampire is destroyed and is reduced to ash.
Garlic: Because of their acute sense of Smell, a Vampire does not like Garlic a lot. They suffer a -1 to attack rolls when in 5 feet garlic cloves.
Inviolate Sanctuary: A Vampire cannot enter the private property of a Human without an invitation.
Mirror: a Vampire casts no reflection and can be detected with a Mirror.
Stake: Wooden Weapons that deal Piercing damage (stake, a pool cue, arrows, spears, etc) ignore the Vampire’s damage reduction on a critical hit. For a vampire, a critical hit occurs on a 17-20. It deals damage normally, but a Vampire must succeed fortitude save (DC 25+damage dealt-Current Hit points) or die and be reduced to ash. A failure means that the attacker missed the heart.
Holy Water: Prolonged exposure to Holy Water can destroy a vampire.
Allegiances: A Vampire gains an Allegiance to Chaos and Evil. If their sire is present when they rise, they also gain a minor allegiance to their sire. Certain rituals can change a Vampire’s allegiances.
Ability Scores: +6 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
Skills: Same as a human, including bonus skills. Vampires receive a +4 Bonus racial to Listen, Move Silently and Spot checks.
Feats: Same as the human, but they also gain Combat Martial Arts and Great Fortitude
Advancement: By Character Class

Ok, who else wants to try one?

And for the Record, it was far easier to writeup a Slayer for Chaosiums Call of Cthulhu. And that frightens me beyond reason.

MrNexx
2005-07-30, 07:38 PM
You made their damage reduction to piercing wooden weapons way too low... don't forget the "cheesecloth ribcage" effect, so wonderfully shown when Willow uses a mage-hand equivalent telekinesis to stake one with a pencil.

I would also make "Slayer" an accquired template, giving them the Augmented Human subtype. They should also have some ability to overcome some types of damage reduction.

Majin_Gojira
2005-07-31, 12:02 AM
Damnit, Someday I'll get it right!

jdrich
2005-07-31, 12:19 AM
Someday

Running off preexisting material is hard. Much harder than making things up as you go. Not to mention you've got guys like MrNexx who know the details of every episode! (Kidding)

Majin_Gojira
2005-07-31, 12:28 AM
Hey, I consider that an honor! :P

MrNexx
2005-07-31, 01:09 AM
Running off preexisting material is hard. Much harder than making things up as you go. Not to mention you've got guys like MrNexx who know the details of every episode! (Kidding)

*chuckle* Only for the first 3 seasons... and part of 4th and 5th, and all of this is fading, since I haven't seen the show in about 3 years (my wife hates it, though I've gotten her to like Angel).

Overall, though, I do want to add that the conversion isn't bad... it just had some weak points, like most initial conversions do.

Personally, I've always wanted to sit down and convert the Tzen, from Robert Aspirin's "The Bug Wars"... militaristic lizardfolk with some innate psionic abilities, fighting a war against semi-intelligent giant bugs.