Monster Books & Conversion from D20/3e

[Snoring Rock]

Ok, I know Treebore will jump on this one for sure.

I have the Mother of all Encounter Tables by Necromancer Games. I really like it, and since I am running my campaign in the Wilderlands, based on the Necromancer Games version, it fit nicely.

The book however references the D&D MM, Creature Collection, Creature Collection II, and Tome of Horrors. You really cannot use it without those books. Anyway, I have them all, but as you guessed, they are all D20/3e. I know how to convert to C&C but on average there are always little tidbits that do not covert exactly. 3e is a power-up on C&C.

Does anyone have extensive experience doing this, and anyone familiar with monster books above, tell me how it went for you. Dos it work out ok? Conversion on the fly?

[serleran]

I have extensive experience.

It takes all of about 30 seconds.


But, it really depends on the depth of conversion. If you want full-out stat blocks it takes a little longer; if you want playable, it is pretty much:

AC = AC, but I prefer to reduce AC above 30 at a 2:1 so a 40 becomes a 35.

Pick save categories -- generally, if the 3 they have all are "good" then they get All; otherwise its probably P. Spellcasting monsters and very intelligent ones get M.

Drop feats or make them a special attack / ability.

Cut modifiers in half, at least, and maybe even subtract 10 first.

[Snoring Rock]

So you find that they convert swell enough to not need to make a lot of adjustments over what the standard conversion rules are that you have listed?

Most of these baddies work in your games ok then? I assume since you are telling me. I have all these books and figure I would just put them to use. Last GenCon I picked up the newest Tome of Horrors Complete by FFG in Swords and Wizardry. I am happy with it.

I have all these great books but have been hesitant to incorporate them all. I have been sticking to M&T, Classic Monsters, M&T of Aihrde.

[serleran]

Yes I find they convert readily enough given some simple guidelines. Tailor in suit, or to fashion as you will since everyone has a different idea of what they need.

I have abandoned using preexisting monsters however preferring to develop my own. Most of Classic Monsters will appear in Tome of Horrors (the first one) so there is little that would need to be done for that. Other d20 monster tomes might take more of a gander, like Book of Templates but its a theory work so could be done relatively easily....

[DMSamuel]

I have done the simple standard conversions from every D&D edition into C&C and it works perfectly fine. I didn't run into any problems.

For conversion from d20 I use the same HD that the stat block lists, but I ignore any bonus HP and bonuses to damage. If the damage bonus is really high, I just add a die to the damage roll instead of using the static bonus.

For saves... If a creature's best save is fortitude or reflex, then I assign it physical prime. If a creature's important saving throw is will, then I assign it mental prime.

It's very easy and it works. As long as you don't go wild with special abilities for them you should be able to use them almost directly.

[Snoring Rock]

Thanks fellas.

[Omote]

When I consider monster conversions, I almost never get down to the nuts and bolts of a codified version of the converted monster. It seems that you Snoring Rock are a by-the-numbers sort of fella. It makes you comfortable to have hard facts sitting in front of you. I could be wrong, but it seems that if there is a fully converted version of a monster sitting in front of you on the written page, you can write off any excuse for monsters being "too hard" or too easy." Whereas if you convert on the fly, perhaps your players might call you out on it saying that the conversion was poo-poo because the encounter was either too easy or hard depending on the circumstances. If that theory is even remotely accurate, you could always blame the conversion writer and sluff off responsibility on some mamby-pamby writer. I don't buy into that way of thinking. As a CK you (and I don't mean you in particular Snoring Rock) need to take responsibility for your conversions. Own up to the harsh world of creating settings and enemies and presenting them to your players. This may seem obvious, but it's important to make note of.

As for my personal conversions, I almost always convert those monsters on the fly. I don't quibble too much over something being slightly over powered of under-powered. And if I make a mistake, I like to describe to the characters in game the reasons for those mistakes. For example, "that bunch of monsters appears to have been mutated or some feral, slightly pre-historic version of the monsters that would normally be seen in the area." I would use that example if the encounter proved to be a little too hard on the characters based on their assumptions of the game. I never come out and say, damn I really screwed that one up -- unless it was a seriously egregious error.

So, don't sweat the 1d8 damage per attack or 2d6. Are the saves of this creature M, P, or M+P; if you don't know set the CC at 15 and continue the encounter in an exciting manner for the plauyers. After the encounter, it will usually turn out for the best. Be confident, and show the players, in character, any mechanical game issues that happened during the encounter that may have proved unbalancing.

Roll on.

~O