Converting 3.X spells to PF

[Helldog]

Any suggestions or guidelines on converting 3ed spells to Pathfinder?

[Douglas]

Most of them can be just taken exactly as is. The one big systemic change Pathfinder made is the elimination of XP costs - all spells with XP costs have it replaced with a material component with a gp cost 5 times what the XP cost was. For example, Wish has a 25000 gp material cost instead of a 5000 XP cost.

Variations on Dispel Magic may require adjudication for how many spells they are capable of dispelling, as that got severely limited in Pathfinder and relaxing that limit became an extra advantage of Greater Dispel Magic relative to Dispel Magic.

Polymorph and variations thereof got severely nerfed in Pathfinder, so spells based on those may need to be examined carefully. Spells made with the Polymorph subschool rules from PHB2 are probably fine as is, though.

[FMArthur]

Spells that perform combat maneuvers and affect skill checks will also need some tweaking. Otherwise I think you could convert most things seamlessly.

[Helldog]

I don't have time (for now at least) to be analyzing the spells, so I know little and only from what I read here, Minmaxboards or other boards, so I miht be wrong, but weren't Save-or-Die spells changed into damage spells? something like 10 points of damage per caster level?
And weren't most of the Save-or-Suck spells nerfed by giving them a save (or two) if they didn't have one?

[Douglas]

I don't have time (for now at least) to be analyzing the spells, so I know little and only from what I read here, Minmaxboards or other boards, so I miht be wrong, but weren't Save-or-Die spells changed into damage spells? something like 10 points of damage per caster level?
Oh yeah, they did change save-or-die into save-or-take-lots-of-damage. Though if I remember the numbers correctly I think their definition of "lots" is a bit low.


And weren't most of the Save-or-Suck spells nerfed by giving them a save (or two) if they didn't have one?
And then they added new stuff like this (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/murderous-command)... at level 1.

[stack]

Ah murderous command. So much fun taking it with an oracle, using the trait to reduce metamagic costs one level for one spell, then adding bouncing spell. What are the odds TWO enemies appropriate for a level 1 party will make their saves?

[Douglas]

Ah murderous command. So much fun taking it with an oracle, using the trait to reduce metamagic costs one level for one spell, then adding bouncing spell. What are the odds TWO enemies appropriate for a level 1 party will make their saves?
Once you've got a few more levels, try adding Pathfinder's version of Persistent Spell. What are the odds of a level appropriate enemy making a will save TWICE? For extra lulz, make it a Bouncing Persistent Extended Murderous Command.

[stack]

Extended...there's a thought. Just need two more levels to get second level spells and another feat (currently at 2).

[tyckspoon]

Oh yeah, they did change save-or-die into save-or-take-lots-of-damage. Though if I remember the numbers correctly I think their definition of "lots" is a bit low.


Except Flesh to Stone and Baleful Polymorph, which still do exactly what they used to (aside from the general change in how Polymorph effects are designed, which makes Baleful Polymorph a bit less dangerous assuming you can make the Will save to keep your mind.) It's not so much that Paizo decided to change the concept of 'save-or-die/lose' in general as that they seem to have said "ok, here's a bunch of specific spells people always complain about/say are too good for their level. Change those spells" without stopping to consider why those spells should be changed.

[Coidzor]

Thinking things halfway through, it's a quite popular pastime.

Don't let it be true of your conversions.

[Douglas]

Except Flesh to Stone and Baleful Polymorph, which still do exactly what they used to (aside from the general change in how Polymorph effects are designed, which makes Baleful Polymorph a bit less dangerous assuming you can make the Will save to keep your mind.) It's not so much that Paizo decided to change the concept of 'save-or-die/lose' in general as that they seem to have said "ok, here's a bunch of specific spells people always complain about/say are too good for their level. Change those spells" without stopping to consider why those spells should be changed.
Ah, but those two are save-or-lose, not save-or-die. They can be fixed much more easily and quickly than death. Stone to Flesh for one, Dispel Magic for the other, and the victim's fine in no time. With death, you have to spend expensive material components, 10 minutes casting, and deal with the negative levels afterwards which requires another batch of expensive material components plus (if you use the cheapest option) also waiting a week. Death has much more severe long term consequences.

That's what I think Paizo's reasoning is, at least, and they do have a point.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Note that a lot of the dispel and polymorph variants are "As X, except noted here." Just keep in mind that X has changed.

[Starbuck_II]

Not all death spells were changed: the wizard spell Phantasmal Killer still kills.

[Doug Lampert]

Not all death spells were changed: the wizard spell Phantasmal Killer still kills.

And it still sucks. Save or save.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Yeah, I was going to say there's a reason no one complained about Phantasmal Killer.