Any tips/advice for converting 1ed-2ed monsters to 3.5 on the fly?

[Pika...]

So far I have done this twice, basically using the size as the same, and switching out the amount of hit-dice it states (where on earth do I find out what hit dice???) for the equivalent of what I think the monster's type would be in 3.5 (example I gave the Spaceworms Magical Beast Hit Dice). Then I see what kind of damage it has, and use that straight. As for attack, well I base the BAB on how many hit dice + the type I assign to see what kind of BaB it should have.

Am I doing this right, or extremely wrong?

Any tips for doing this on the fly?


Many Pikas in advance.


ps. Oh, and for the AC I take the AC/Thaco and subtract it from ten. Then I add ten to it.

[holywhippet]

What monsters are you trying to convert that don't already exist in 3rd edition? Some only exist in campaign world specific books - like the crawling claw (although it changed from undead to construct for some reason).

You could try finding creatures that are similar and just adjust their scores a bit to match.

[Pika...]

What monsters are you trying to convert that don't already exist in 3rd edition? Some only exist in campaign world specific books - like the crawling claw (although it changed from undead to construct for some reason).

You could try finding creatures that are similar and just adjust their scores a bit to match.

I run sandbox, so I can not plan everything (such as stats) for each direction they can possibly choose.

[holywhippet]

But how exactly are you deciding what monsters they are running into? If you control the list of possibilities, why are you chosing ones that don't exist in 3rd edition?

[Allanimal]

See if you can find a copy of the Tome of Horrors Revisited. It contains 3.5 conversions of very many (300+) monsters from 1st and 2nd Ed. That were never printed by WotC. Search for older threads here - there was a "let's read" about it not too long ago.

[Pika...]

But how exactly are you deciding what monsters they are running into? If you control the list of possibilities, why are you chosing ones that don't exist in 3rd edition?

Sadly the Spelljammer Monster Manuals and other books have tons of monsters not converted.



But how exactly are you deciding what monsters they are running into? If you control the list of possibilities, why are you chosing ones that don't exist in 3rd edition?


See if you can find a copy of the Tome of Horrors Revisited. It contains 3.5 conversions of very many (300+) monsters from 1st and 2nd Ed. That were never printed by WotC. Search for older threads here - there was a "let's read" about it not too long ago.

Again, the issue is I need them on the fly.

[Allanimal]

Again, the issue is I need them on the fly.

what do you mean by "on the fly"?

Edit: Sorry, reading comprehension fail. I reread what you are doing and understand now, just ignore me...

[Tvtyrant]

Sources for Spelljammer conversions that I know of:
3.0 conversion (http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/frpg/spelljam/)
3.5 (http://www.spelljammer.org/sj3e/)

[Archwizard]

Sadly the Spelljammer Monster Manuals and other books have tons of monsters not converted.

Again, the issue is I need them on the fly.

Yeah, because Spelljammer was a terrible, terrible idea.

Honestly, I would say "don't". I played in a 3E campaign right after it came out and that DM used a 2E module, and my god was that a terrible experience.

You'd be better served finding analogues and plugging them in (re-skinned to be whatever monster you want need them to appear to be). I.e., use pages 318-319 of the 3.5 MM to see the CRs of things and use them to challenge your players.

[Tvtyrant]

Yeah, because Spelljammer was a terrible, terrible idea.

Honestly, I would say "don't". I played in a 3E campaign right after it came out and that DM used a 2E module, and my god was that a terrible experience.

You'd be better served finding analogues and plugging them in (re-skinned to be whatever monster you want need them to appear to be). I.e., use pages 318-319 of the 3.5 MM to see the CRs of things and use them to challenge your players.

Yup, just like Forgotten Realms and Planescape. Advanced civilizations and dimensional portals in my D&D???!/Sarcasm

[Pika...]

Yeah, because Spelljammer was a terrible, terrible idea.

Funny, I find it to be my favorite setting (excluding my main homebrewed one) I have ever played. Simply love each page of my 2ed Spelljammer books as I go through them. To each his own my friend. :smallwink:

[Tvtyrant]

Funny, I find it to be my favorite setting (excluding my main homebrewed one) I have ever played. Simply love each page of my 2ed Spelljammer books as I go through them. To each his own my friend. :smallwink:

It is my favorite as well!

Conversion is difficult even with the conversion booklet in front of you, because some monsters become much stronger and some much weaker on conversion. I would suggest using books like Lords of Madness to get as many of the monsters from AD&D converted as possible for you. Neogi change drastically in 3.5 for instance, in an attempt to make them make more sense.

[Archwizard]

Funny, I find it to be my favorite setting (excluding my main homebrewed one) I have ever played. Simply love each page of my 2ed Spelljammer books as I go through them. To each his own my friend. :smallwink:

Very true, very true. Ravenloft was by far my favorite 2E realm. I still wouldn't try to straight convert it to 3E (or later).