Converting 3.x to C&C

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gabriellyon
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Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by gabriellyon »

I was hoping someone here could help. I never played any D&D 3.x. Recently I was looking at a couple of books for greyhawk from the 3.x era with lots of character and monster stats. How hard are these to convert to C&C? Thanks for any help you can provide.

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Arduin
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Arduin »

Do a thread search. There are a couple that cover the mechanics of this. Of course they will be easier to follow if one is familiar with both systems.
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gabriellyon
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by gabriellyon »

I am afraid I am not finding them. Tried searching but was not able to find threads about actually converting between the editions. Found a few asking if people do and it sounds like it may not be that difficult. If anyone could point me to one of the threads with some more concrete guidance I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

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Buttmonkey
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Buttmonkey »

The general rule of thumb when converting from 3.X is to simply ignore anything that doesn't look like it belongs in a C&C stat block. Don't overthink it.
tylermo wrote:Your efforts are greatly appreciated, Buttmonkey. Can't believe I said that with a straight face.

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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Treebore »

Buttmonkey pretty much covers it. I call it "trimming the fat". Seriously, just cut away what you don't want. If it is a feat, skill, or power that you want, turn it into a class skill or monster ability. Hit points are seriously inflated in 3E compared to C&C, so get rid of the ones they give due to their Constitution score and then adjust to a D8 or D12, whatever is used for a similar creature in the M&T, or just make it "look good". Precision is not required, or needed. AC for monsters is more art than pure numbers, but at the very least take away any AC they give it for DEX. From there you just have to decide what looks right to you. Being familiar with similar monsters in the C&C books helps me do this with greater confidence.

If anything specific comes up you can always come back and ask how we would do it.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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gabriellyon
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by gabriellyon »

Thanks for the advice everyone. Any idea what I should do about these challenge numbers. Is there an easy way to convert that to a C&C challenge rating?

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Arduin
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Arduin »

gabriellyon wrote:Thanks for the advice everyone. Any idea what I should do about these challenge numbers. Is there an easy way to convert that to a C&C challenge rating?
Challenge Ratings for 3.5 monsters is not related to C&C's CR. Just drop it when you convert.
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Snoring Rock »

Conversion Tables for C&C

Converting from the D20 System.

The Creatures/Monsters in D&D 3rd/3.5 scenarios are 90% compatible with C&C rules. A lot of the work can simply be done as you go along "on the fly" so to speak.

If you want to convert DIRECTLY from d20 system, use the same Hit Dice and die type as the creature already has, but get rid of the bonus hit points.

So a creature listed as 5d10+15 HD in d20 would convert to 5d10 in C&C.

You should also take away any bonuses to the damage dice listed.

If the bonus listed is higher than the die, just make the attack use the die type, and double it.

Therefore a creature listed as doing d4+5 damage - change it to 2d4. If a creature had d6+3 damage - just convert it to d6.

These changes are because hit points and damage are harder to come by in C&C than they are in d20.

D20 System Saving Throws.

If a creature's good saves are FORT or REF, it is Physical prime. If it is WILL the creature is mental prime. If they are all good saves, it is physical and mental prime.

Converting Character D20 saves is a little trickier and involves a judgment call by the DM converting it. You just have to use some logic as to which converts to what.

FORT - STR or CON (depending on the effect)
REF - DEX
WILL - INT, WIS, or CHA (Depending on the source of the spell/effect, DM's call)

Converting DCs to Challenge Levels.

I use a simple formula for this. I assume that DC 15 is the average DC of a check in d20. In C&C, the average difficulty of a task is CL 0. So every 1 the DC is higher than 15 in D20, the CL is 1 higher. So a DC 19 check would convert to a CL 4 check. For every 1 the DC is lower than 15 in D&D, the CL is -1. So a DC 12 check would be CL -3 in C&C. The CL of course is added to the base of 12/18 depending on if the character is prime in the required stat.

Converting D20 System Skill Checks .

Simply make the skill check into an attribute check for the skill that is normally tied to that attribute. You may want to give certain classes a bonus in this, or even restrict who can try based on class. For instance a Search check would simply convert to an INT check, which anybody can do, but a Survival check to track somebody should be limited to rangers or maybe druids (with a penalty as it is not a class ability for them).

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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Zudrak »

Not sure if any of your searches led you to this PDF or not, gabriellyon, but when I first started converting 3e material to C&C, I used this very good document written by The Grey Elf AKA Jason Vey, author of the Amazing Adventures game.

http://www.grey-elf.com/candc/conversions.pdf
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Treebore »

gabriellyon wrote:Thanks for the advice everyone. Any idea what I should do about these challenge numbers. Is there an easy way to convert that to a C&C challenge rating?
CL's in CC always relate to HD/LVL. The only time they do not is when the HD/lvl of the trap/poison/etc... maker is unknown. Or the CK simply doesn't like it, and wants it higher or lower.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Treebore »

Zudrak wrote:Not sure if any of your searches led you to this PDF or not, gabriellyon, but when I first started converting 3e material to C&C, I used this very good document written by The Grey Elf AKA Jason Vey, author of the Amazing Adventures game.

http://www.grey-elf.com/candc/conversions.pdf

Yeah, I started out using this, then I realized it is far simpler to do than this document makes it out to be. Just cut, cut, chop, chop until you have something you like, and your good to go.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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Zudrak
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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Zudrak »

Treebore wrote:
Zudrak wrote:Not sure if any of your searches led you to this PDF or not, gabriellyon, but when I first started converting 3e material to C&C, I used this very good document written by The Grey Elf AKA Jason Vey, author of the Amazing Adventures game.

http://www.grey-elf.com/candc/conversions.pdf

Yeah, I started out using this, then I realized it is far simpler to do than this document makes it out to be. Just cut, cut, chop, chop until you have something you like, and your good to go.
A worthy method. I just figured I'd throw that out there, since it helped me at first. Once I felt like I got my 1e brain* back from the ether, it became easier to do myself.


* = By which I mean, because I stopped gaming in 1990 and did not start up again until 2000 with 3e, I lost a lot of my "how-to" from my earlier gaming period. It took getting out of 3e and into C&C to re-capture that feeling of creativity from that first era.
Psalm 73:26

"Knowledge, logic, reason, and common sense serve better than a dozen rule books."

"Rules not understood should have appropriate questions directed to the publisher; disputes with the Dungeon Master are another matter entirely. THE REFEREE IS THE FINAL ARBITER OF ALL AFFAIRS OF HIS OR HER CAMPAIGN."
-- E. Gary Gygax

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Re: Converting 3.x to C&C

Post by Treebore »

Zudrak wrote:
Treebore wrote:
Zudrak wrote:Not sure if any of your searches led you to this PDF or not, gabriellyon, but when I first started converting 3e material to C&C, I used this very good document written by The Grey Elf AKA Jason Vey, author of the Amazing Adventures game.

http://www.grey-elf.com/candc/conversions.pdf

Yeah, I started out using this, then I realized it is far simpler to do than this document makes it out to be. Just cut, cut, chop, chop until you have something you like, and your good to go.
A worthy method. I just figured I'd throw that out there, since it helped me at first. Once I felt like I got my 1e brain* back from the ether, it became easier to do myself.


* = By which I mean, because I stopped gaming in 1990 and did not start up again until 2000 with 3e, I lost a lot of my "how-to" from my earlier gaming period. It took getting out of 3e and into C&C to re-capture that feeling of creativity from that first era.

Another thing I am realizing, because I am playing through a certain Goodman Games Lighthouse C&C conversion right now, weekly, is that I also do not agree with a lot of the conversions he does. The creatures are still too scaled for 3E rather than for the power scale of C&C. So by doing it "my way", I arrive with a final conversion that is much more spot on for the C&C power assumptions than I would get for the 3E power assumptions. Mostly in the HP and magical powers departments. Another example from this module I did not agree with, is they left a room full of orcs with +4 to damage. I didn't mind them being classed with levels, but I did not agree with all of them having an 18 STR as well as weapon Specialization. I would have toned that down, probably to a mix of strength scores ranging from 14 to one or 2 having an 18.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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