Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Dinin13 Jan 05, 2015 8:45:03	I recently got all the core rulebooks for 5th edition, and I got to say I am enjoying it. So much so that I want to convert all the PCs I have in a long running 2nd edition campaign to 5th. Has there been any word on a conversion guide, or any sites out there that have done any work on conversions? I have a few multi-class PCs, in the 6/6 and 5/5 level range, and a conversion based on those levels straight across would equal a character level of 10 or 12, which is just too high. Just like combining the exsiting XP from both their classes would equal a very character level overall, which I dont want to do. Comparing the Wizard spell slots from both editions equals the character having the same level, but Fighters in 2nd edition didnt get an extra attack until 7th level, so that would mean any of the mutliclass fighters in my campaign would still be under 5th level in this edition. So I am thinking that, for instance, the fighter/cleric and figther/mage would ending up being 4/5  ( overall 9, which is still high) when converting to 5th edition.  Does this sound right? Any opinions or advice would be welcome, thanks. ( I figured ability scores, saving throws, and proficinecies would very simple to convert, and then just give them class abilities, it is the level conversion I am having trouble with.)
#2 AaronOfBarbaria Jan 05, 2015 9:41:26	My advice is simple: Build the characters from the ground up in the new edition rules and design paradigm from the idea behind them - picking whatever level feels appropriate for the stories that shall be told of them through the new campaigns they take part in.   I'd suggest, as a rough point of reference, taking the grand total XP that each multi-class character has, compare that to each class to see what level the character would be if single classed in that class, and having the lowest of those being the starting level of the character for 5th edition. For example: if you had a character that was a Fighter/Mage 5/4 at 16,000/16,000 XP, you would look at each class and see that 32,000 XP would mean Fighter 6 or Mage 5, so you would build the 5th edition version as a 5th level character and mix the levels as desired (I'd go 2 or 3 fighter, and the rest wizard in the case of a fighter mage - but that's just me).   I also suggest keeping the abilty scores pretty much the same, except for reversing any modifiers applied in 2nd edition for race, wishes, or magical influence such as manual of gainful exercise and similar items, or other modifications made between the rolls and the final scores - and then applying only those modifiers which exist within 5th edition rules.   I haven't done a lot of conversions yet - just the one, actually, and she went from being a fairly potent 5th level necromancer to being an even more deadly 3rd level necromancer. The level choice was made entirely because I wanted to start the campaign at 3rd level and the player wanted to continue playing the character, current ability to cast vampiric touch be damned.
#3 Dinin13 Jan 05, 2015 10:01:45	Ok, thanks for the advice. I was trying to keep it to where the fighter/mage would be able to cast some of the same spells, like Fireball for instance,  but I think the cantrips in this edition can make up for the loss of that particular spell.
#4 cbwjm Jan 05, 2015 11:18:03	The Fighter/Mage might also want to look at the Eldritch Knight subclass instead of going multiclass fighter/mage. That way they will have the fighters attacks/round as well as a number of spells, although they won't get access to 3rd level spells until level 13 so it may depend on what they think their fighter/mage is more focused on (A fighter with a few spells or a wizard with some combat skill).   For level I would probably take the average of the single class characters as the party level and have everyone recreate their PCs with that as the level limit.
#5 Dinin13 Jan 05, 2015 13:07:13	Another good idea, thanks. It has been over a year since we last played that campaign, and they are higher than I remembered. I was thinking of starting them at 8th or maybe 10th, and having them re-create their characters with the new rules, but I may go lower.
(Reply to #5) EzechielDantan	Dinin13 wrote:
#7 AlHazred Jan 06, 2015 5:37:16	I'd focus less on converting player characters, and more on converting the flavor of the campaign. Make sure you capture the same things that made your 2nd edition campaign great, and the players won't care if one or another power gets changed out in the shuffle.
#8 Dinin13 Jan 06, 2015 6:57:33	That is a very good point, I think for the most part,the players are not going to mind converting. I think I was getting a bit too preoccupied with adhering to the rules, and coming up with a precise way of converting the characters. I think I am going to set them at character level 8, and start from there.
#9 Panartias Jan 06, 2015 8:13:08	Multiclass or Duel-class characters lose a lot in translation / conversion. Translation from 2nd ed to 3.0 was: Take the highest class level as a base, then add together the remaining class levels and divide them by the number of classes and add the result to the base level to get the new character level. Then you distribute it between the classes any way you like. So for a  6/6 level fighter-mage the base level would be 6 (highest single level) plus 3 (6 divided by 2) = 9 With that you could build a 4/5 character (fighter /mage) if you want to keep fireball or 5/4 if you want more attacks (but I think you decided against that) You could even have both if you took eldritch knight as warrior path (1/3 of the EK's level counts towards your spell-casting level, so 5/3 rounded down =1) so effective caster level =5 (=fireball) If the character was 5/5 he would be only 7th level overall (because you round down)… (But  7 seems fair) Hope that helps!
#10 Dinin13 Jan 07, 2015 17:15:29	It does, thanks.
#11 Panartias Jan 08, 2015 1:22:34	Glad to be of help!   Panartias wrote: