Winging it

[Snoring Rock]

Who converts on the fly? I have a lot of old Judges Guild material, and I mix it with Paizo 3.5 and Pathfinder adventure path stuff, with old TSR and Necromancer games goodness. If its out there, I use it from 1e, 3.x, Pathfinder and even some C&C. Oh, and my home brewtions.

I have found that if I convert to C&C before hand, I overthink it sometimes. I may spend lots of time on something and the party just walks right by it. Then I do it on the fly and it seems to work but I lose flavor sometimes or get hung up reading or I find the magic items are too plentiful or too powerful. Oh, and sometimes you end up with a +2 Wisdom boosting sword or chaotic feat deflection. That never converts to C&C very well.

In those cases, I just do not give out the item. I wing it on hp on converted stuff and yank it from the M&T on the fly. I just wonder who else is as manic as I am.

[Treebore]

I don't consider myself "manic", but I do convert from 3E/Pathfinder and 4E to C&C on the fly. I don't worry about doing it the same every time either, I look at it as a template from which I pick and choose what I want each time I do it.

[Buttmonkey]

I convert on the fly readily from 0E, 1E, and B/X. That is really easy, especially if you don't overthink it. (For example, don't worry about substituting the stat block for C&C versions of monsters. Just use whatever is in the module. Who cares if the AC is off by 1 or if the monster abilities are slightly different?) I haven't tried to convert 2E material, but assume it would be as easy as 1E. I don't speak 3E, Pathfinder, or 4E, so I haven't tried to convert those materials (I don't own any, either, except for 1/3 of the 3E Rappan Athuk). I'm told that converting the newer edition materials is pretty much a matter of simply ignoring everything in a stat block that doesn't look old school.

[Omote]

I virtually convert everything on the fly. If there is a big fight coming up, particularly against a BBEG or some such opponent/trap/spell, etc. I will do some homework and pre-convert. I have learned long ago to not sweat the small stuff. I got away from v3.5 to precisely get away from all of the prepwork that was involved as GM. Now, I'll take a few notes from time-to-time, and in most cases completely wing it. I do not know if I am good at it, or bad at it, but the players seem not to mind.

~O

[Lurker]

I convert on the fly readily from 0E, 1E, and B/X. That is really easy, especially if you don't overthink it. (For example, don't worry about substituting the stat block for C&C versions of monsters. Just use whatever is in the module. Who cares if the AC is off by 1 or if the monster abilities are slightly different?) I haven't tried to convert 2E material, but assume it would be as easy as 1E. I don't speak 3E, Pathfinder, or 4E, so I haven't tried to convert those materials ... .

... I don't worry about doing it the same every time either, I look at it as a template from which I pick and choose what I want each time I do it.

Rgr on those, the few times I ran a game (too long ago) I just winged it and had fun.


As for your

... or I find the magic items are too plentiful or too powerful. Oh, and sometimes you end up with a +2 Wisdom boosting sword or chaotic feat deflection. That never converts to C&C very well.

In those cases, I just do not give out the item. ...

I was like that back in my 1e & 2e days so I'm doubly so in C&C

[Rigon]

I wing it every where. No need to worry about pre-converting because it's so easy to do on the fly.

R-

[serleran]

I do a lot of both. Winging and full-out conversions, but the latter is only to hopefully bring some attention to systems I like and others might not, or haven't heard of, use, or considered for C&C in any way such as my take on The Arcanum and Arduin posted a while back. In game, I'll just make stuff up. Supposedly good at it but that's not my decision -- the players say they have fun and that's what is important.

If I were to do a complex conversion, such as Warhammer Fantasy Role Play , I'll take down a few notes regarding the math and other things (like Movement/Initiative corresponds to Dexterity) or whatever but I don't convert every single thing.

[Lurker]

... , I'll just make stuff up. Supposedly good at it but that's not my decision -- ... .

That is the understatement of the week!

[PeelSeel2]

I hate preparation. I just convert on the fly. I ran Castle Whiterock for 3.5e using Castles and Crusades and just used the stat blocks mostly as-is. It offered no issues.