Post/Author/DateTime	Post
grandinquisitorkris 08-12-05, 03:59 AM	i have a friend who wants to get into D&D again . she hasnt played since AD&D , and is reluctant to make a new character , preferring to play her old drow character instead . the gm is willing to allow it BUT none of us want to go through and start her character from scratch and rework it to the new system . so here is the question : did WoTC ever make a converter system in a book or mag. that explained how to do the converting without the long way and fudgeing the numbers a bit ???? i was not into AD&D that far back and it just confuses me to try and figure out a old character after starting to learn this new system .
Tyler Do'Urden 08-12-05, 04:16 AM	I don't think so. Or at least I've never seen one that worked. Your best bet is to find a translator. Get somebody who's familiar with both editions to make a new character that effectively duplicates the playability and flavor of the original (or at least comes really close). Ability scores, race, class, and level translate pretty directly. A lot of spells are still around but may be a different level or have a slightly different name. Look at what the character was good at and use skills and feats to create similar abilities. If you find you've duplicated all the character's abilities and you still have some feats left, ask her what else she wants to be good at. Things that can't be reasonably duplicated in 3.5 (I'm sorry) you'll just have to make do without.
q'afuu 08-12-05, 04:24 AM	I've found that even class and certainly level don't translate well. Some class abilities just got changed too much. Like Tyler Do'Urden said above, asking someone familiar with both systems to help out is by far your best option. I'd suggest trying the Out of Print board, but posters there tend not to like such questions (to the point that there have been long, vehement and flamy threads complaining that such requests should go on that board have abounded for a while). I think you can probably post the build (if the player in question doesn't mind, of course) on What's a Player to Do? though, ask for reactions there. If you do, PM me a link. I'll take a look.
weasel fierce 08-12-05, 04:29 AM	To be honest, just redo the character from scratch. Even things that seem the same are either way different, or their impact on game play are different. Power level is also a concern. Particularly if the new game is more high powered or less so, than the old one.
Upper_Krust 08-12-05, 06:02 AM	Hey grandinquisitorkris! :) Try this: http://www.immortalshandbook.com/simony4.htm
babysamurai 08-12-05, 06:53 AM	There's a conversion manual on the WotC site. I used it for an old 2nd edition Drow elf - Fighter 12/Mage 11/Thief 14; in 3rd edition he ended up being a Fighter 12/Rogue 4/Wizard 5, and is much closer to the characters concept. A lot of people don't like the conversion manual, but I think it works a treat. Check it out.
Sir Knight 08-12-05, 09:34 AM	I like to make them from scratch. Converting never works perfectly and sometimes a converted character is better than the normal characters. I suggest just suck it up and spend an hour or two re-making the character. Also, remember that Dark Elves (Drow) have level adjustments and the like and they loose some of their "uberness" from 2e, and it is hard to explain to people how all that works. I suggest that she make a similar Elven character and treat it as a new character.
grandinquisitorkris 08-13-05, 02:24 AM	thnx for the help guys . babysamurai do you know where i might find this manual at ???
Borris 08-13-05, 02:31 AM	You can download the Conversion Manual right here (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnD_CYC_intro.asp)