Conversion Help/Challenge

[Boneguard]

In the Ravenloft subforum on the Piazza, I have my Dwarven Domain that I am building and I would like to solicitate your help with some conversions from AD&D 2nd Edition to [System X]

The character to convert would be a:
- Mountain Dwarf Fighter (12th level);
- Duergar Specialty Priest/Psionic of Laduguer (8th/7th level (which is Equivalent to a 10th level Priest)) and;
- Derro Savant (8th level).
A word Document with the three lords in 2nd edition rules can be found here

The System I would like to convert into would be :
- OD&D/BECMI;
- AD&D 1st Edition (which I can do);
- 3E D&D;
- HackMaster;
- Pathfinder;
- 4E D&D;
- 5th Ed D&D;
- Savage World;
- Legend/Runequest/BRP/D100;
- RoleMaster 2nd Ed (Which I can do);
- 13th Age.
- WOIN Fantasy
- Castle and Crusaders
- DCC

Which I think would cover the Main Popular Systems, that could interest other potential GM.

The problem is that the vast majority of those systems are unknown to me (RuneQuest II and BRP, 1st ed AD&D and RoleMaster 2, I know well enough), so trying to those conversion myself would be foolish and pointless, thus my call for your help.

If you are interested in helping me, I would give you the 2nd edition stats/background info/motivation, and your conversion would be added in an appendix at the end of my Domain Document with credit of course (either you full name or your Fraternity ID).

Anyone up for that challenge?

[Hell_Born]

Alright, as one of the few 5e fans here on the boards, and with my MM and DMG at my side...

First thing I need to know, for the trio, are you intending to write them PC style or Monster style? 5e goes back to the AD&D paradigm where monsters and PCs operate on different rules.

Second thing is, there's no real support for psionics in 5e yet. There's some creatures in the MM that have a psionic option - I'll cover them below - but there's no real mechanical uniqueness associated with psionics at this point in time either.

Finally, the derro savant is going to be a problem because there's no 5e mechanics for the Derro yet. It'll convert easily enough, but you need to figure out what defines the character's race, either as a general enemy or as a PC race, depending on your answer to question 1. I'll provide the PC/enemy rules for dwarves as they currently stand, hopefully that'll help out.

Also, Pathfinder is something you'll need to be careful with; I don't recall if Duergar exist in it, but I know that the Derro do, and have been redesigned to be more like their original inspiration (read: psychotic sadistic cannibalistic morlockians who abduct surfacers for bizarre experiments and who're addicted to a psychotropic fungus).

D&D 5e Dwarves

VIEW CONTENT:

Dwarf Race:
Ability Score Increase: +2 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet, not reduced by heavy armor
Darkvision: 60 feet
Dwarven Resilience: Resistance to Poison and Advantage on saving throws against Poison.
Dwarven Combat Training: Proficiency with Battleaxe, Handaxe, Throwing Hammer, and Warhammer.
Tool Proficiency: You are proficient with your choice of one of the following options; smith's tools, brewer's supplies or mason's tools.
Stonecunning: You are always considered Proficient when making Intelligence (History) checks relating to stonework and add double your normal proficiency bonus to the check.
Subrace: Choose the racial traits of either the Hill Dwarf, Mountain Dwarf or Duergar.

Hill Dwarf:
Ability Score Modifier: +1 Wisdom
Dwarven Toughness: +1 Hit Point, and increase your Hit Point Maximum by +1 each time a level is gained.

Mountain Dwarf:
Ability Score Modifier: +2 Strength
Dwarven Armor Training: Proficiency with Light Armor and Medium Armor.

Duergar:
Ability Score Modifier: +1 Strength
Superior Darkvision: Your Darkvision has a range of 120 feet.
Extra Language: Undercommon
Duergar Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against Illusions, Charming and Paralyzation.
Duergar Magic: When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Enlarge (self-only) and when you reach 5th level, you can cast Invisibility (self only). Both spells can be cast via this trait once per short or long rest. You cannot cast these spells if you are in direct sunlight, but sunlight does not dispel them once they are cast.
Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on sight made whilst you or your target is in direct sunlight.


Duergar Enemy Writeup:
Medium Humanoid (Dwarf) [Lawful Evil]
Armor Class: 16 (scale mail, shield)
Hit Points: 4d8 + 8 (26)
Speed: 25ft
Str: 14 (+2)
Dex: 11 (+0)
Con: 14 (+2)
Int: 11 (+0)
Wis: 10 (=0)
Cha: 9 (-1)

Damage Resistances: Poison
Senses: Darkvision 120ft, Passive Perception 10
Languages: Dwarvish, Undercommon
Challenge: 1 (200 XP)

Duergar Resilience: The duergar has advantage on saving throws against poison, spells and illusions, as well as to resist being charmed or paralyzed.

Sunlight Sensitivity: While in sunlight, the duergar has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions:
Enlarge (Recharges after a Short or Long rest): For 1 minute, the duergar magically increases in sizes, along with anything it is wearing or carrying. While enlarged, the duergar is Large, doubles its damage dice on Strength-based weapon attacks (included in the attacks) and makes Strength checks and Strength saving throws with advantage. If the duergar lacks the room to become Large, it attains the maximum possible size in the space available.

War Pick: Melee Weapon Attack, +4 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. Hit: 1d8+2 (6) piercing damage, or 2D8+2 (11) piercing damage while enlarged.

Javelin: Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack, +4 to hit, reach 5ft or range 30/120ft, one target. Hit: 1d6+2 (5) piercing damage, or 2D6+2 (9) piercing damage while enlarged.

Invisibility (Recharges after a Short or Long rest): The duergar magically turns invisible until it attacks, casts a spell, or uses its Enlarge, or until its concentration is broken, up to 1 hour (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment the duergar wears or carries is invisible with it.

Psionic Creature Options

VIEW CONTENT:

Traditionally psionic abominations like the Aboleth, Flumph and Intellect Devourer just have "psi-themed" attacks & abilities, like telepathy or detect sentience, which aren't given any special treatment.

Gray Oozes have a psionic variant, which amounts to giving it an Intelligence boost (from 1 to 6) and a new attack option; Psionic Crush, a recharge 5 or 6 power that lets it target one creature within 60 feet, forcing the target to make a DC 10 Intelligence save; 3D6 psychic damage if they fail, half that if they succeed.

Most "actively psionic" creatures are generally handled by having, or gaining, the "Innate Spellcasting (Psionics)" racial trait. This works out as giving them Intelligence based spell-like abilities usable at certain intervals. Githyanki, Githzerai and Illithids have it innately, Quaggoths (Thonots) and Thri-Kreen have it as a racial option.

[Ender]

Second thing is, there's no real support for psionics in 5e yet. There's some creatures in the MM that have a psionic option - I'll cover them below - but there's no real mechanical uniqueness associated with psionics at this point in time either.

While this is true for published books, the most recent Unearthed Arcana is the second version of the Mystic class and psionic rules for playtesting. It is certainly not solidified yet, but if you so chose, we could work with that as well.

PS. Glad to see you took my suggestion and posted here as well! I'm enderxenocide0 over at The Piazza.

[Boneguard]

First thing I need to know, for the trio, are you intending to write them PC style or Monster style? 5e goes back to the AD&D paradigm where monsters and PCs operate on different rules.

Good question. I've written them up as PCs for 2nd edition (powerful PC, but PCs non the less), so a PC style write up would be best. They are powerful antagonist and I want to the GM to be able to make full use of the rule with them.

Finally, the derro savant is going to be a problem because there's no 5e mechanics for the Derro yet. It'll convert easily enough, but you need to figure out what defines the character's race, either as a general enemy or as a PC race, depending on your answer to question 1. I'll provide the PC/enemy rules for dwarves as they currently stand, hopefully that'll help out.

As s sidenote, If I read some rant properly on En World forum, I think Derro are introduced as a monster in the "Out of the Abyss" adventure Path. They might have a savant too.

These Derro are some of the early ones. They were created (with the help of some magic) to be slaves in Suel mines and Diirinka has just "recently" reached Godhood status. They are for the most part, slave escapees or (1st or 2nd generation) descendant of escapees. They are sadistic, and hateful little buggers who combine their force under their Leader to enslave humans and slay dwarves as retribution to their plight. This is done with a near-religious ferver and with great intelligence, taking advantage of their weapon and environment.

Also, Pathfinder is something you'll need to be careful with; I don't recall if Duergar exist in it, but I know that the Derro do, and have been redesigned to be more like their original inspiration (read: psychotic sadistic cannibalistic morlockians who abduct surfacers for bizarre experiments and who're addicted to a psychotropic fungus).

Good to know. That's not necessarely a bad thing, just deadlier.

Psionic Creature Options
Most "actively psionic" creatures are generally handled by having, or gaining, the "Innate Spellcasting (Psionics)" racial trait. This works out as giving them Intelligence based spell-like abilities usable at certain intervals. Githyanki, Githzerai and Illithids have it innately, Quaggoths (Thonots) and Thri-Kreen have it as a racial option.[/spoiler]

Either this option or Ender's proposal of using the "Beta" rule in Unearthed Arcana could work. Worse case scenario, simply making him a 10th level character/cleric and ignonre the psionic powers could work too (I know that for some conversion I will have no choise but to go this route).

PS. Glad to see you took my suggestion and posted here as well! I'm enderxenocide0 over at The Piazza.

Yes, thank you for the suggestion. It will help me greatly.

[Hell_Born]

Just checked my copy and, while I don't know what that rant was about, they were right; the Derro and Derro Savant are literally the first monsters in the Creature Appendix for that adventure. I can post their stats here, if you'd like, although since you're going for a 5e PC writeup, that's not quite as much help.

Based on the Derro's profile, I would do this for a Derro subrace, using the dwarf as the core race (justification: their lore is that they are an escaped illithid slave race engineered from dwarves, just like the duergar).

Ability Score Modifier: +1 Dexterity (Justification: Dex is the highest stat on the Derro's entry)
Superior Darkvision: Your Darkvision has a range of 120 feet.
Extra Language: Undercommon
Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on sight made whilst you or your target is in direct sunlight.
Quick-Moving: Your Speed is 30 feet instead of 25 feet.
Derro Weapon Training: You are proficient in the Derro Hooked Shortspear.
Derro Madness: You have Advantage on saves against being Charmed or Frightened, and Disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws. (Justification: The former part is what Derro get for their Insanity trait, the latter is an attempted balancing addition)
Magic Resistance: You have Advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects.

This is probably overpowered, but since the Duergar doesn't replace some of the standard dwarf effects either, well, I followed in its footsteps.

[Boneguard]

The rant was about how poorly designed the Derro weapons were, as it was pretty much a direct translation of 1st ed weapon with a rule-system that takes away some of their effectivement.

At first glance that looks like a pretty nice racial write up with the right fell for the Derro.

Thank you.

[ewancummins]

Are you drawing on anything from The Shaver Mysteries, for the Derro?

(I mean, besides the name and concept. )

[Boneguard]

Are you drawing on anything from The Shaver Mysteries, for the Derro?

Nope, I've never heard of the Shaver Mysteries before now.

Truth be told, I'm mostly basing myself on AD&D 1st and 2nd edition material about Derro.

[ewancummins]

Are you drawing on anything from The Shaver Mysteries, for the Derro?

Nope, I've never heard of the Shaver Mysteries before now.

Truth be told, I'm mostly basing myself on AD&D 1st and 2nd edition material about Derro.

Ah, well, I have only read excerpts.

The Shaver Mystery is something I have only lightly dipped into. As in I read a couple of excerpts. But it is (or at least, appears to be) the source for the Derro.
In a nutshell: there was a real guy named Richard Shaver. He was a sci fi writer in the middle of the last century. He sent some gruesome and bizarre stories about evil subterranean beings called " the Dero" into Amazing Stories. Got published. Later claimed the stories were based on reality.
It gets weirder after that, I think, but I have not made any real study of Shaver's life.

[ewancummins]

I brought it up because the artwork and excerpts I have seen, and what littel I have read about the oddball publicity around the stories, seems like something that could be tapped for gaming.
Maybe more for an Over the Edge campaign, or Unknown Armies, or something like that than for Ravenloft.

I don't want to drag your conversion thread too far off track with this. I was just curious about how you are working up your derro.

They are such creepy little dudes.

[Ender]

Just so you're aware, the Derro made their 5E debut in the adventure Out of the Abyss. They don't have player stats, but we can fairly easily reverse-engineer them if that's what you wanted. Hell-born's work up above is a good start, though I might suggest a few alterations to stick closer to 5E's design philosophy. That said, I know you've said you want to use player stats, but I'd honestly suggest statting a darklord up as an NPC. It's actually less restrictive that way in 5E. They can still be just as powerful as you want them to be and can even have PC class levels.

EDIT: Good job reading everything, Ender. *sigh* I see you've already covered the Out of the Abyss bit and hell_born's stats are based on that. *facepalm*

[Boneguard]

EDIT: Good job reading everything, Ender. *sigh* I see you've already covered the Out of the Abyss bit and hell_born's stats are based on that. *facepalm*

That's called Mondays it happens to the best of us.