C&C goodness converted from D20 vs. AD&D; your preference?

[Snoring Rock]

Ok, I am a Judges Guild freak. I am not a collector, but I love the Wilderlands. Bob Bledsaw III told me today, that he would try to get City State of the World Emperor up on Drive Thru RPG this weekend. Again, I am not a collector but I want the material that I can print and then write on and make notes and use. I feel bad marking up and original.

So, I have found that I like using the AD&D (not the Universal) and D&D versions of the material better than using the D20 versions; at least for adventures. I used Caverns of Thacia D20 in my campaign and found that although the D20 version was easier to follow, that the maps were not labeled correctly and there was some confusion mid-game.

All that said, I am wondering if anyone has experience running C&C games from the older versions of JG stuff; and if so, do you find using D20 or AD&D easier better, etc.?

I have both CSIO D20 and AD&D versions and was thinking of using the AD&D version to see how that works.

[Treebore]

Its definitely easier converting to C&C from the older editions. With D20 you have a lot of decisions to make. Do you keep the given attributes? Do you get rid of the Con bonus HP, or keep them so the monster lasts longer? What do you do about cool skills or feats? Do you make their saves M or P, or both in C&C? So yeah, converting from 2E and earlier is definitely easier than doing so from 3E and later.

[Snoring Rock]

All good points. I like the flavor too. It seems to me, that the additions made with D20 (Necromancer Games) version of the City State, have a slightly different "feel" to them.

I cannot say for the Wilderlands itself, as al I own id the Necro version. And I love it so.

[Lord Dynel]

I use 2nd Edition AD&D when I need conversions. There's almost no conversion necessary, and definitely nothing that has to be figured or calculated. Just flip AC, and make a rational decision on saves and you're good to go (in my opinion). Movement, too, but that easy enough (I think it's listed movement divided by 2.5 or something like that). I think 2e is closer to the power level of C&C than other editions of D&D. The 2e Monstrous Manual (and the whole MC series, actually) is a fantastic source for monsters, their combat tactics, ecology, and habitat.

[Treebore]

Ask my players here on the boards, the 2E MM is my favorite "go to" monster book. My old copies are so beat up I ordered two of the new reprints.

[Rigon]

I only go to 1e or 3e for a conversion if I can't find it in my 2e stuff. And LD has it right, 2e power level is closest to C&C.

R-

[kreider204]

I've only ever played 1st ed., so it's a bit easier for me to convert from that; having said that, I do own some 3rd ed. DCC modules, and they certainly aren't that much more difficult to convert, especially if you've got lots of C&C monster books handy - thank goodness for M&T and CM!

[Aladar]

I have always found it easier to convert the older 1st ED. AD&D modules to use in C&C. Mostly it is just adjusting the AC and a few other things. I ran 1st Ed. Tegel Manor (JG Version) in my C&C campaign and it was real easy to do on the fly.

Conversion of the d20 stuff was more of a challenge the first time I tried it, so I just used my old AD&D stuff. I use the three 1st Ed. AD&D monster manuals a lot for C&C.

[Julian Grimm]

Everything up to D20 D&D converts rather easily so I would go with that. The problems with D20 conversions have been stated above and you are better off finding a pre-d20 version of something to convert from. The only exception to this is spells where C&C uses the D20 0-9th level paradigm. Spell conversion is still easy though, as rule of thumb I tend to halve any damage or effects of a spell not found in AD&D/D&D and then go from there.