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View Full Version : Questions About Transitioning Over to Pathfinder/Looking for Advice



Tre of the Wood
2013-07-07, 08:46 PM
I am looking to transition over to Pathfinder from the last edition of D&D I have played, and it doesn't look to be a smooth transition. Before Pathfinder, I had played almost exclusively in 1st Ed. I have played a few games in later editions including pathfinder, and easily know enough to play a game as a player, but not as a DM. Mainly, I don't know enough about hoe challenging it should be to be able to set up proper encounters or campaigns. The group I am playing with wants me to DM and I would have to teach most of them the system for the first time. I can do that, but I don't have anything set up for them to play, and can't see myself being able to put something together in pathfinder. I was hoping to pick up some modules (and extra sourcebooks for my players) at a used gaming auction near my hometown, but I missed it, sadly. I don't know if they even had many pathfinder things there anyway. I do have a ton of modules and adventures prepared for 1st ed, though. Does anyone with experience with both know if it would be reasonable to try and convert them over directly? Would monsters in 1st ed appropriate for one level be appropriate for a similar level in pathfinder? I'd have to change up a few classes here and there (change a few clerics to oracles here and there, and the like) and homebrew a few items, spells, and monsters, but apart from that does anyone think it would work? Any other suggestions? I could always make my players work in 1st ed, but the new system is really much nicer, more fair, and smoother to play. Thanks!

Yora
2013-07-08, 02:46 AM
Like D&D 3rd Edition, Pathfinder is one of the few games that actually has clear guidelines for what encounters a party of characters should be able to handle. It's not exactly a precise system, but it's a start.
All creatures and NPCs come with a Challenge Rating, listed in their stats as CR. The CR is a number that indicates what level a group of four PCs should have to make this creature a good encounter. The rule of thumb also goes, when you double the number of creatures, the CR of that group (or the Encounter Level, EL) increases by +2. An ogre has a CR of 3. That means one ogre is an EL 3 encounter, 2 ogres are an EL 5 encounter, 4 ogres are an EL 7 encounter, and so on. 3 ogres, being in the middle between 2 ogres and 4 ogres, would be an EL 6 encounter. However, this system only is assumed to work with groups of up to 10 or 12 creatures. More than that number and their attacks and defenses will probably just be too low to be any danger to the PCs at all.

Enemies with an EL equal to the average level of the PCs (assuming a party of 4) is considered a good average encounter. Not too hard and the PCs should be able to do a number of those in a row before they start running low on spells and health. Make the EL lower and it will be easier, make it higher and it will be harder. However, an EL 4 points higher than the average party level is generally considered to be really hard with serious risk for defeat. An EL 5 or more above the PC levels will most likely be unwinable.

The main problem with CRs is, that the number is not actually calculated but simply a guess, and quite often the writers of the creatures heavily misjudged.

Aside from CR, you also have to watch out for special attacks and defenses. Even if the CR indicates a good encounter for a party of PCs, a very strong defense that can be overcome with special weapons, but weapons the PCs don't have, will be a lot tougher. Or fighting an incorporeal creature that can only be harmed by magic weapons and nobody has any magic weapons.

To convert old modules, I would look only at the type of enemies, like goblins, ogres, or hill giants, and then set their number at what would be appropriate under the Pathfinder challenge rating. A fight against 4 ogres might be too hard in Pathfinder for a party, but a fight against 2 might be very well doable.

DonEsteban
2013-07-08, 05:26 AM
If you have never DMed before, I would suggest starting with a published adventure and see how that works. After running one or three of those you can still decide to design your own campaign. There are a number of free modules for Pathfinder* and the adventure paths published by Paizo are generally considered good or very good. Certainly good bang for your buck. But if money is a problem, there are also tons of free material in the web. Of mixed quality, however. You can also try running 3.5 modules, usually with little or no changes in Pathfinder (but devil's in the details sometimes). Check out forums or sites like rpggeek.com or rpg.net for tons of reviews and recommendations!

*For example:
http://paizo.com/products/btpy8aw4?Adventure-Dungeons-Danger-Horror-at-Dagger-Rock
http://paizo.com/products/btpy8j5w?Pathfinder-Module-We-Be-Goblins
http://paizo.com/products/btpy82r0?GameMastery-Module-D0-Hollows-Last-Hope


I do have a ton of modules and adventures prepared for 1st ed, though. Does anyone with experience with both know if it would be reasonable to try and convert them over directly? Would monsters in 1st ed appropriate for one level be appropriate for a similar level in pathfinder?
I wouldn't recommend this for a first-timer (although it's certainly possible). You could search the nets, however, if someone has converted your module. That's not uncommon.
You can't just take a 1e module, plug in the stats of Pathfinder monsters and expect it to work. You would at least have to check the CRs and see if they seem appropriate (see above post). There's also the problem that many classes now have access to spells and abilities that might trivialize some of the challenges in your module. The power level of characters has generelly been creeping up and up through editions. (Although that may be less of a problem if your players are as inexperienced in the system as yourself.)

AttilaTheGeek
2013-07-08, 10:00 PM
I'd recommend an Adventure Path, commonly abbreviated to AP. They are long, complete adventures that take place from levels 1-18, but they can easily be stretched out to the full 20. The reason they go up to 18 is that each one is split into six chapter of approximately three levels each, and the first chapter of each AP can be run on its own. If you're looking for a well-done but standard adventure with a very "classic D&D" feel, I'd recommend Rise of the Runelords (http://paizo.com/products/btpy7zkr). Goblins and orcs and ogres, oh my! Do note that the middle chapters (especially chapter 2, where my campaign is) of it can be very dark if you like that kind of thing

Endarire
2013-07-09, 12:58 AM
Based on what I've seen, I +1 to Rise of the Runelords.

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