Easier to convert Swords & Wizardry or Pathfinder to C&C?

[Corrilwynn]

Troll friends... I am just getting into Castles & Crusades. I'm very interested in Frog God Games products, in particular Hex Crawl Chronicles and the Northlands Saga. They offer both products in a Swords & Wizardry version as well as a Pathfinder version, and I'm trying to decided which version to get. Which of these systems would be easier to convert to Castles & Crusades? I understand Swords & Wizardry is based off of basic D&D, but I don't know basic D&D rules. I've been playing Pathfinder for a while, so I know it better, but my inclination is that S&W would be easier to convert because there is less crunch to deal with. Any help is appreciated.

[mgtremaine]

If you are converting on the fly then S&W and any pre 3rd D&D is easier. However if you put a little prep into it anything is easy to convert. Between the MOnsters & Treasures Book and Classic Monsters book almost everything is covered. When it is not I reach for the online 2ed Monterous Manual. When ever I use an existing dungeon I make some tear sheets with all the monsters stated for C&C that I'mm likely to need that game.

For example my son is currently in G3 Halls of the Fire Giant King... My sheet starts like so. From there you are ready to wing it....


Fire Giant:
Size: L (12’) HD: 12 Ac: 23 Int: Average Align: Lawful Evil
Mv: 40’ Xp: 1450 + 12 At: 2 (2d8), 1 Weapon (5d6)
Special: Twilight Vision, Darkvision 60’, Rock Throwing (450feet -> 2d10), Immune to Fire
Vulnerable to Cold (+50%)

*Elite Guard: As above AC: 24
*Snurre: Size 13’ Ac: 26 Hp: 92 Two-Handed Sword: +18 To Hit 7d6 + 6 damage
WhiteDragon Cloak +3 save versus Cold DR 50% [XP: 6500]
*Frumpy: Ac: 24 Hp: 74 Tohit: Iron Scepter +14 5d6 +4

Ettin:
Size: L 12’ HD: 10 HP: 70 Ac: 22 AL:CE
Morningstar [+10 to hit, D 4d4]
Javelins (3) [+10 to hit D: 2d6]
Masterwork Scalemail Armor
[3200xp]

Hell Hounds:
Size: L (5’+) HD:8 Hp: 45 Ac: 16 Int: Low Align: Lawful Evil
Mv: 40’ Xp: 810 + 8 At: 1 Bite (1d10) + 1d6 Fire
Special: Trip, Darkvision 60’, Twilight VIsion, Scent, Track, Immune to Fire, Breath 8damage
XP: 1170

-Mike

[finarvyn]

3E and d20 products (including Pathfinder) are harder to convert because they have so many darned numbers, but if you can bring yourself to ignore most of those you are fine. Peel away the skills and feats and such and 3E-based characters are pretty similar although stats and numbers area a little inflated.

On the other hand, I can convert OD&D, AD&D, OSRIC, S&W (and so on) on the fly because they have have fewer numbers to work with.

[serleran]

It is easier to use a "closer" system in numbers and lack of "features." If your game uses skills and feats, Pathfinder might be more suited; if it does not, then don't use it. The less you have to ignore or reinvent, the faster it goes.

[alcyone]

I'd get the S&W version. For one thing, if a monster exists in both the adventure and one of the C&C books, I'd use the C&C one anyway, and if I am to convert, I'd rather just do the AC flip, determine P/M primes, and adjust HD and be done with it and not have to wade through a lot of a stat block I can't use.

For another, traps in 3.5, don't know about Pathfinder, are usually a bunch of skill checks and have a stat block of their own, and I'd rather run them however I want.

Finally, adventures written for the 3x/PF family have skills as part of the game, so tend to get written with lots of skill checks and using skills as the primary way to solve problems. I haven't seen the PF versions of Frog God products, but the S&W one's I've seen don't have any such problem.

For me, it's more pain and more stuff to wade through going the 3.x/PF route, but as Serl said, if you are using a skill system you may find those parts useful.

[Treebore]

Its obviously easier to convert S&W, but I also convert lots of 3E and PF monsters and occasional NPC's, and I now think of that as easy too. I think of it much like trimming fat off of a steak to get precisely the meat to fat ratio you want. So with enough practice, I bet you would come to find it easy to convert either system to C&C. After all, you only need to know HD/level, decide primes, adjust AC if needed, deflate 3E/PF HP to a reasonable level for C&C, and convert any skills/feats you want into monster abilities or class skills.

[Corrilwynn]

Thank you everyone for the help. I just started posting on and checking these forums regularly, and am about to start my first C&C campaign, and everyone has been really helpful and friendly.

I ended up getting the Swords & Wizardry versions of Hexcrawl Chronicles and the Northlands Saga, and they are awesome!

[Relaxo]

Welcome aboard, Corrilwynn!
Enjoy the game!

[Treebore]

Thank you everyone for the help. I just started posting on and checking these forums regularly, and am about to start my first C&C campaign, and everyone has been really helpful and friendly.

I ended up getting the Swords & Wizardry versions of Hexcrawl Chronicles and the Northlands Saga, and they are awesome!

If you have questions about any other FGG adventures let me know, I do own all of them. At least as of two months ago, anyways.