AD&D 2nd Ed to D&D v3.5 - converting, can you help?

[Ogrepuppy]

May seem like a weird message board to ask this (why not on the WotC or EN World boards?!? you might wonder), but you all seem so friendly I thought I'd pick y'alls brains.

I'd like to convert an AD&D 2nd ed adventure over to 3.5. Is there a fairly straight 1:1 conversion that I can do with NPCs? For example, is a 5th level fighter in AD&D 2nd ed the same as a 5th level fighter in 3.5 regarding the CR or HD of the encounter? Or are the NPCs generated by 3.5 a little more (or less) powerful than the ones created in AD&D?

Will an AD&D adventure made for approx. 2nd level PCs be a challenge, be too easy, or be just right when converted for a D&D 3.5 2nd level party?

Any experiences or comments are welcome, and thank you (from me and Dr. House..... ).

[Treebore]

Which module are you looking to convert? Have you checked ENWorld to see if anyone has already posted a conversion?

Generally speaking, remember I used the word "general", there isn't any real divergance of the "power curve" until after 5th level. Yes, a 3E character will have a bit of an edge, maybe a levels worth by 5th. Then, starting with 6th level the power difference grows rapidly in favor of 3E.

The only adventure I fully converted from 2E to 3E was Ravenloft (I6). To have Strahd be just as powerful in 3E as he was in 2E I actually turned him into a CR 22. This is because in 2E his fighting ability is rolled in with his vampire levels. So and 8th level fighter with 10 levels of mage, plus the vampire template gets pretty powerful.

Straight single class characters to straight single class characters works much more like I said initially.

[Ogrepuppy]

Cool.

Yes, I posted on EN World.

The adventure is Horror's Harvest from Dungeon #38. I especially need conversion stats for the Doppelganger Plant.

My players are level 2 right now. Level 5 won't be coming along too soon, I was just using 5th as an example. But this is very helpful.

[Warduke]

I thought 3.5 pcs were tougher than 1st/2nd ed variants. But maybe since the monsters ramp up too it is all equal in the end.

[Treebore]

I thought 3.5 pcs were tougher than 1st/2nd ed variants. But maybe since the monsters ramp up too it is all equal in the end.

They are, its just that it really doesn't starting showing up until after 5th level. Until then they are pretty much on par with each other. Yeah, the 3.5 classes have a little bit of an edge, more if you really use skills, but it doesn't start becoming a chasm until mid level.

Even so, I think some of my old PC's could give the new guys a run for their money.

[Warduke]

Even so, I think some of my old PC's could give the new guys a run for their money.

I overheard Dave Arneson say the exact same thing at GenCon. He was talking about his old gaming group.

Sometimes I miss seeing that "AC -7." But not THACO. Don't miss that one bit.

Someone needs to tell Herschberger that he should change his online name from TacoJon to ThacoJon.

[tacojohn4547]

Someone needs to tell Herschberger that he should change his online name from TacoJon to ThacoJon.

Ha ha ha...that is funny. Only thing is, we never used Thaco back in the day. That was just too much math!

I've gone by tacojohn for so long - college nicknames seem to stick for ever - I can't imagine using anything but tacojohn or some variation of the same.

tacojohn4547
(a/k/a "thacojohn")

[gideon_thorne]

Someone needs to tell Herschberger that he should change his online name from TacoJon to ThacoJon.

(a/k/a "thacojohn")

Well. It's certainly appropriate especially if t.h.a.c.o. stood for The Helpful Adventure Conversion Operative"

Sorry. Couldn't resist, it just popped in there.