D&D 3rd Edition Conversion Manual

8/12/2019 D&D 3rd Edition Conversion Manual

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SKIP WILLIAMS


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CONTENTS

Introduction..........................................................3

Characters from Earlier Editions.........................3

Level and Experience........................ ...............3

Adjusting Experience Points............ ...........3

Adjusting Dual- and Multiclassed

Characters...............................................3

Ability Scores.. ....................... ...................... ....3

Exceptional Strength .................... ...............3Level-based Improvement ...................... ....4

Ability Tips...................................................4

Character Race....................... ...................... ....4

Standard Player Character Races................4

Nonstandard Player Character Races.........4

Character Class................................................4

Attack Bonus.......... ...................... ...............4

Saving Throws.............................................5

Hit Dice and Hit Points..............................5

Spells ...................... ...................... ...............5

Thief Skill s ..................... ...................... ........6

Mult iclass Characters... ....................... .......6

Proficiencies.................. ...................... ........6

Weapon Specialization.. ...................... ........6AC and Movement Rate..................................6

Armor Worn.................................................6

Shields.........................................................6

Size............. ....................... ...................... ....6

Init iative ..................... ....................... ...............7

Feats.................................................................7

Extra Fighter Feats. ...................... ...............7

Extra Human Feats ...................... ...............7

Skills.................................................................8

Characters with Nonweapon

Proficiencies............................................8

Skill Tips .................... ....................... ...........9

Characters with Secondary Skills......... .......9

Converting Thief Skills................................9Equipment......................................................10

Weapons....................................................10

Encumbrance.... ....................... .................10

Magic Items...............................................10

Character Troubleshooting.................................10

Magic ...............................................................15

Renamed Spells .................... ....................... ..15

Wizard Spells with N ew Schools. .................16

Converting Old Spells....................................17

School .................... ....................... .............17

Subschool and Descriptor ...................... ..17

Level...........................................................17

Range.........................................................17

Components..............................................18

Duration.....................................................18

Casting Time ...................... .......................18

Area of Effect ....................... ......................18

Saving Throw.............................................18

Spell Resistance.. ....................... ...............19

Spell Description.......................................19

Spells You Shouldnt Convert............. ...........19

Renamed Magic Items ....................... ...........19

Converting Old Magic Items.........................20

Caster Level ..................... ...................... ....20

Prerequisites..............................................20Market Price..............................................20

Magic Item Notes............... ......................20

Monsters ............................................................20

Converting Old Monsters..............................20

Size and Type.............................. ...............20

Hit Dice and Hit Points............................20

Initiative.....................................................20

Speed.........................................................20

Armor Class...............................................21

Attacks and Attack Bonus.................. .......21

Damage.....................................................21

Special Attacks .................... ......................22

Special Defenses........................ ...............22

Creatures Hit Only by Silver or MagicalWeapons................................................22

Magic Resistance......................................22

Saving Throws...........................................22

Ability Scores.............................................22

Skills and Feats..............................................22

Descript ion ...................... ....................... .......22

Creatures that Affect Surprise.......................22

Climate/Terrain............ ....................... ...........22

Organization, Challenge Level, and Treasure...22

Alignment.......................................................22

Advancement Range........................... ...........22

Sidebars

New Names for Some Old Terms ..................3Whats New about Abil ity Scores?..................4

Whats New about Character Races?..............7

Whats New about Proficiencies?...................7

Whats New about Dual- and

Mult iclass Characters?...................... ........10

Whats New about THAC0 and Armor Class?....11

Whats New about Saving Throws?..............12

Whats New about Spells?............................12

Whats New about Character Classes?.........13

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & D RAGONS, and the

Wizardsof theCoast logo areregistered trademarksowned by

Wizardsof theCoast, Inc. 2000 Wizardsof theCoast, Inc.

All rightsreserved. M adein theU .S.A.

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INTRODUCTIONThis booklet is intended to help you preserve thebest of your old D&D campaign as you adopt thenew rules. Various sidebars, such as the one on

this page, are provided to remind you of what haschanged. The rest of the booklet contains adviceon converting your favorite player characters andtheir equipment to the new rules, along with

some notes for the Dungeon Master on convert-

ing old monsters that have not yet appearedunder the new rules.

CHARACTERS FROMEARLIER EDITIONS

To use characters from any earlier edition of theDUNGEONS& DRAGONSor ADVANCED DUNGEONS

& DRAGONS game with the new edition of theD&D game, just follow the steps outl ined

below.Youll need a copy of the new Players

Handbook and a fresh new D& D character

sheet or clean sheet of scratch paper. Youll finda photocopyable character sheet on pages 287-288 of the new Players H andbook.

Level and ExperienceFor single-classed characters, record the charac-ters current level. You will need to adjust thecharacters experience point total to match thenew D&D experience system. Characters with

more than one class require special handling. Adjus

tin

g E

x

p

e

rie

n

c

e P

o

ints

: All characters inthe D& D game use the same experience table.The table is constructed differently from the

class experience tables in earlier versions of the

game, which makes it necessary to adjust thecharacters experience point total.The easiest way to make the adjustment is

simply to set the total at some point betweenthe minimum for the characters current leveland the minimum for the next level (we recom-mend halfway to the next level or the minimum

for the current level). I f you prefer a more accu-rate conversion of the characters experiencetotal, see the Character Troubleshooting sectionon page 10. A

djus

t

ing Dua

l- a

nd Mu

lticla

s

s

e

d Cha

ra

c

te

rs

:

The rules for handling a character with morethan one class in the new edit ion of the D&D

game are considerably different than in previ-

ous editi ons of the game (see sidebar). Followthese steps to calculate a dual- or multiclassedcharacters level:

1. Find the highest level the character has

reached in any class. For example, Escolrande isan 8th-level fi ghter/9th-level wizard/9th-levelthief. His highest level is 9.

2. Divide each level the character has

achieved in any other class by three and round

down. If the result rounds down to 0, record a 1instead. For example, Escolrandes remaininglevels are 8 and 9; 8 3 = 2.67, which rounds

down to 2, and 9 3 = 3.3. Add the numbers you got in step 2 to the

number you got in step 1. This equals the char-acters level in the new edition of the D&D

game. In Escolrandes case, 9 + 2 + 3 = 14.4. You can divide up the levels among classes

any way you see fi t. For example, Escolrandecould become a 9th-level wizard/4th-level

rogue/1st-level f ighter, or an 8th-levelwizard/3rd-level rogue/3rd-level f ighter, or anyother combination of wizard, rogue, and fighter

levels that adds up to 14.

Ability ScoresRecord the characters existing ability scores. Insome cases, youll need to adjust your characters

abil ity scores.E

x

ce

ption

a

l S

tre

ng

th: The exceptionalStrength rule is no longer part of the game. Ifyour character has an exceptional Strength

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New Names for Some Old TermsThe following terms have new names in the new

edition. The new names often reflect changes to

the way the game works or simply better reflect

what the terms represent:

Old Term New Term

priest spell divine spell

THAC0 attack bonus

thief rogue

magic resistance spel l resistance

memorize (a spell) prepare (a spell)

movement rate speed

nonweapon proficiency skill

prof iciency check ski ll check

sphere (of priest spells) domain

wizard spell arcane spell


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game. If a character s base attack bonus is +6 ormore, the character can make multiple attackseach round, but the base attack bonus isreduced for each attack. The class tables in

Chapter 3 of thePHshow how many attacks thecharacter can make and the base attack bonusfor each. For example, a 12th-level wizard has abase attack bonus of +6/ +1, so the character can

attack twice each round.

If the character has an ability modifier, itapplies to both attacks. The characters Strengthmodifier applies to melee attacks. The charac-

ters Dexterity modifier applies to rangedattacks.

A characters size now affects the charactersattack bonus. See Chapter 8 of the PH for

details.If your character has more than one class, add

up the characters attack bonus from each classaccording to the instructions in Multiclass

Characters in Chapter 3 of the PH.S

a

v

in

g Thro

w

s: A characters saving thrownumbers are now expressed as bonuses. A charac-

ters ability modifiersaffect saving throwbonuses. TheConstitution modi-fier applies to

Fortitude saves, theDexterity modifierapplies to Reflexsaves, and t he

Wisdom modi-fier applies toWill saves.

If your charac-

ter has more than

one class, add up thecharacter s savebonus from each class

according to the instruc-tions in Multiclass Charactersin Chapter 3 of the PH.

Hit D

ice and HitP

o

ints

: Characters nowgain an extra hit die foreach level up to level20. All characters now

gain the full value oftheir Constitutionmodifier for every hit die. Rerollyour characters hit points and adjust for

Constitution. You can use the new total or thecharacters old total, as you prefer.

S

pe

lls

: All spell casting characters use thedaily spell limits shown on their new class

tables. Other adjustments to spells are neces-sary, as follows:

B

onus S

pe

lls

: All spellcasting characters gainbonus spells for high ability scores. Bards and

sorcerers (a new character cl ass) gain bonus

spells from Charisma; clerics, druids, paladins,and rangers gain bonus spells from Wisdom;and wizards gain bonus spells from

Intelligence.Ne

w S

pe

ll L

is

ts

: Clerics and specialty priestsuse the same spell list, and all priest charactersare called clerics in the new game. All cleric

characters gain extra spells for their domains(see Cleric in Chapter 3 of the PH). The clericspell li st now includes 8th- and 9th-level spell s.

Bards now have their own spell lists and may

have spells in their old repertoire that are nolonger available. Bards should replace suchspells with spells from the bard list.

Bards, cleri cs, and wi zards now gain 0-levelspell s. Bards and wizards should add 0-levelspells to their spell lists as notedin their class descriptions.

S

a

ving Thr

ows: Spells that

allow saving throws now needa saving throw DifficultyClass (DC). A spells savingthrow DC is 10 + the spell

level + the casters relevantability score modifier (see

previous section). Record thesaving throw DC for each level of

spell the character can cast.

Ne

w S

cho

o

ls

: Some spellshave changed schools; see WizardSpells with New Schools on page

16. Specialist wi zards may havebooks containing spells no longer

avail able to them. Specialistwizards should replace such

spells with new ones fromschools available to them.Specialists are now free tochoose their own opposit ion

schools. When converti ng aspecialist to the new rules,

the pl ayer can choose newopposition schools and adjust the characters

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score, convert it to a regular Strength score asshown in the table below.

Exceptional Score New Strength Score

18/0118/50 19

18/5118/75 20

18/76 18/90 21

18/9118/99 22

18/00 23

1920 242122 25

2223 26

2425 27

Le

v

e

l-

b

as

e

d Im

pr

o

veme

nt: For every fourlevels the character has attained, add one point

to any one ability score. Dont worry about racialmaximums; they no l onger exist.

When youve finished adjusting and record-ing your characters ability scores, turn to Table

1-1 in the Players Handbook. This table givesthe bonus or penalty (now called an abilitymodifier) for any ability score.

A

b

ili

ty Tips

: Any ability score of 12 or morewill give your character a bonus for something.Likewise, an ability score of 9 or less brings apenalty. Think twice about your charactersIntelligence score, because it governs how many

skills your character can learn and a highIntell igence score is much more useful forwizards than it used to be. Dexterity andConstitution remain important for all characters.

Wisdom remains important for priest (nowcleric) characters and now has a much greaterimpact on every characters saving throws and onmany skills. A high Charisma score is important

for bards, paladins, and clerics.

Character RaceRecord the characters current race. The exact

benefits and penalties most races bring havechanged at least slightly.

S

ta

nd

a

r

d P

la

ye

r Ch

a

r

a

cter R

a

ce

s

: If yourcharacter is a member of a standard PC race

(these include humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes,half-elves, half-orcs, and halflings), turn toChapter 2 of the PHand record your charactersnew racial abilities. The new abilities replace

your characters old ones.Some ability score adjustments for race have

changed. These only apply to new characters.

No

ns

t

a

n

d

a

rd P

la

y

e

r Cha

ra

c

te

r R

a

ces

: If yourcharacter is not a member of a standard PC race,turn to Chapter 2 of the DMG. This chapterexplains how to use almost any type of creature

as a PC race.

Character ClassRecord the characters current class. Most

classes have changed at least slightly; turn to

Chapter 3 of the PHand record your charactersnew class abilities. The new abilities replaceyour characters old ones. Table 3-2 in the PH

gives an overview of class abilities by level.Tables 3-1 through 3-20 provide quicksummaries of base attack bonuses, base savingthrows, and features for each class.

Atta

c

k Bo

n

us: A characters attack bonusreplaces THAC0 from earlier editions of the

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Whats New about Abil ity Scores?The game uses the same abilities (Strength,

Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, and

Charisma) it has always used. Significant

changes include:

Bonuses and Penalties from Ability Scores:

All six abilities use the same table (Table 1-1 in

the PH)to determine the bonus or penalty

associated with each score. The bonus or

penalty is called the ability modifier.

Ability Checks:To make an ability check, you

roll 1d20 and add your characters ability modi -

fier. To succeed, an ability check result has to

equal or exceed the tasks Difficulty Class (DC).

Ability Maximums and Minimums: There

are no longer any ability score maximums or

minimums for races.

Ability Requirements: It is no longer neces-

sary to meet any abilit y requirements to qualify

for a race or class.

Exceptional Strength:This no longer exists.

Existing characters can convert their excep-

tional Strength scores into regular Strength

scores above 18.

Experience Bonuses: Characters no longer

receive bonus experience for high ability scores.

Level-based Ability Adjustments: For every

four levels a character achieves, one ability score

of the players choice improves by one point.


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InitiativePlayers still roll dice to determine when

their characters can act in combat. A charac-ters Dexterity modifier applies to thoseinitiative rolls.

FeatsFeats are special abil it ies players can choose fortheir characters. Choose one feat for your char-acter, plus one extra feat for every three levels

your character has attained. See Chapter 5 of thePHfor more information on feats.

E

x

tr

a F

ighter Fe

a

ts

: Fighter charactersreceive extra combat-oriented feats in additionto any other feats they know. See Fighter inChapter 3 of the PH.

E

x

tr

a Huma

n Fe

a

ts

: Human charactersreceive an extra feat of any type in addition toany other feats they know.

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spellbooks accordingly.Ne

w Na

me

s: Some spells have changednames. See Renamed Spells on page 15.

T

h

ief S

kills

: Thief skills have been incorpo-

rated into the skill system. Rogues and othercharacters with thieflike skills now receiveextra skill points to buy these skills.

Mu

ltic

la

ss Char

a

cte

rs

: The class abilities

from a multiclass characters different classes

add together to determine the characters totalabilities. To determine a multiclass charactersabilities, first calculate the characters level in

each class as explained i n the Level andExperience, above. Then turn to MulticlassCharacters in Chapter 3 of the PHand followthe instructions there.

P

r

of

ic

ie

n

c

ie

s: Weapon proficiencies are nowa function of a characters class and need not beselected separately. Nonweapon proficienciesare now called skills. See Skills, below.

We

a

p

on S

p

e

c

ia

liz

a

t

ion: The weapon special-ization optional rule is no longer part of thegame, although weapon specialization is avail-

able as a feat. Certain other feats can improve acharacters aptitude with weapon skills; seeChapter 5 of the PH for information onfeats.

AC and Movement RateArmor and shields remain a charac-ters primary means of protectionfrom physical harm. Armor Class

works slightly differently in the newedition, however. Most important, it isbetter to have a high AC number than alow one. You might need to adjust a few

other things about your characters

armor class.Armor Worn: A characters armoraffects not only a characters Armor

Class, but also his speed (move-ment rate), defensive Dexteritymodifier, skill use, and abilityto cast arcane spell s. Table 7-5

and the accompanying text inthe PH summarize theeffects.

Armor worn does not affect a characters

encumbrance.S

h

ie

lds

: Shields still combine with armor toimprove a characters AC, but shields no longer

simply improve acharacters AC by one point . Table7-5 in thePHincludes statistics for shields.

S

ize:A characters size now affects the char-acters armor cl ass. See Chapter 8 of thePHfor

details.

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Whats New about Character Races?Your characters race stil l determines what t he

character looks like and what special abilities

the character has. Significant changes include:

Ability Score Adjustments: The ability score

adjustments from some races have changed

(see Chapter 2 of the PH). These changes do

not affect existing characters.

Ability Score Maximums and Minimums:

There are no longer any ability score maxi-mums or minimums for races.

Ability Requirements: It is no longer neces-

sary to meet any ability requirements to qualify

for a race.

The Half-Orc: Half-orcs are now a standard

player character race. See Chapter 2 in the PH

for details.

Infravision: This racial ability no longer

exists. I t has been replaced by two similar abil-

ities: darkvision and low-light vision.

Darkvision is the ability to see in the dark.

Darkvision does not i nvolve heat sensing, and

sources of heat or artificial light do not spoil it.

Low-light vision is the ability to see well atnight or in dim light. It does not function in the

absence of light as darkvision does, but when it

works it usually allows a much greater range of

vision.

For details on darkvision and low-light

vision, see Chapter 3 of the DMG.

Racial Characteristics: The specific powers

and abilities that go with each race have

changed. See Chapter 2 of the PHfor details.

Size: Some PC races are small enough to

gain some bonuses and penalties in combat.

See Chapter 2 of the PHfor details.

Whats New about Proficiencies?The old proficiencies system has been replaced

by a skill system.

Weapon Proficiencies: These are now a func-

tion of a characters class. You need not select

weapon prof iciencies separately anymore. I t is

possible to expand your characters selection

of weapon proficiencies through feats,

however; see Chapter 5 of the PH.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: These are now

called skills. Each skill has an ability associated

with it called the key ability. For example,

Strength helps you climb. Each time you

purchase a skill, your character gains one rank

in the skill and gets better at using the skill. See

Chapter 4 of the PHfor details.

Proficiency Checks:These are now called skill

checks. To make a skill check, you roll 1d20 and

add your characters ability modifier for the

skills key ability, plus the number of ranks (if

any) the character has in the skill. To succeed,

a skill check result has to equal or exceed thetasks Difficulty Class.

Many skills do not require any special knowl-

edge, and even characters who have not

purchased any ranks in these skills can try to

use them.

You can compare a proficiency score from an

earlier edition by subtracting 5 from the profi-

ciency score. For example, a if a character created

under the 2nd Edition AD&D rules had a Riding

score of 15, that would be about equal to a Ride

skill bonus of +10.


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Navigat ion Profession (navigator )

Running Run (feat, not a skill)

Set Snares Wi lderness Lore*

Survival Wilderness Lore*

Tracki ng Track (feat , not a skill)

Weaponsmithing Craft (weaponsmith)

Wizard Group

AD&D Nonweapon

Proficiency D&D SkillAncient History Knowledge (history)

Ast rol ogy Knowledge (ast rol ogy)

Engineer ing Profession (engineer)

Healing Heal

Herbal ism Profession (herbal ist )

Languages, Ancient Speak Language

Local History Knowledge (history)

Musical Instrument Perform (musical

instrument)


Reading/Writing N/A (see Skill Tips below)

Reli gion Knowledge (religion)

Spellcraft Spellcraft

*The Wil derness Lore skill includes the old Animal Lore,

Fire-buil ding, Set Snares, and Survival profi ciencies

S

kill Tips

: Many proficiencies from the 2nd

Edit ion AD&D games General group havebeen combined into the Profession or Craftskills.

Many skills from the other groups have been

combined into the Knowledge skill.You do not have to spend any skill points to

make your character literate. The ability to readand wri te is included with most D&D classes.

Although there is a Speak Language skill, youdo not have to spend any skill points onlanguages. Every character automaticall y speaksone or two languages (according to race). If the

character has a positive Intelligence modifier,he or she speaks addit ional languages equal tothe modifier.

If a ski ll can be used untrained (see the indi -

vidual skil l descriptions in the PH), your char-acter can use the skill without spending anyskil l points. If your character has a decent scorein the skills key ability, the character could be

pretty good at it.Some proficiencies, such as Blind-Fighting,

have become feats.

If you cant find a ski ll or feat that matches aproficiency your character has, pick a new skil lor check Character Troubleshooting on page 10.

In many cases you will not be able to spend

all your characters skill points buying yourcharacters old proficiencies. Feel free to spendyour remaining skill points on new skills.

Many races get bonuses to skill checks, and

humans receive extra ski ll points. Review your

characters race description in Chapter 2 of thePHbefore recording your characters final skil lscores.

If you run out of skill points before youvepurchased skills to match all your charactersold proficiencies, you dont necessarily have togive up any skills. You might want to consider

spending fewer skill points on some of theskills. You dont have to buy every skill up to itsmaximum rank, and you can use the extrapoints to buy more skills. If your character is

4th level or higher, you might want to go backto the Ability Score step and improve your char-acters Intelligence score, so youll have a few

more ski ll points to spend. Cha

ra

cters w

ith S

e

c

o

nd

a

r

y S

kills

: I f you createdyour character with the 2nd Edition AD&Drules and you used the secondary skills rule,your character knows one or more versions of

the Craft or Profession skil l. C

o

n

ver

tin

g Th

ie

f S

k

ills

: I f your character was athief or member of another class that had thi efskills, you will need to choose skills to replace

them, as follows:

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SkillsSkills represent special knowledge or abilitiescharacters have learned (skills were callednonweapon proficiencies in the 2nd Edition

AD&D game). Each character receives an allot-ment of skill points for purchasing skills.

Ch

ar

a

cte

rs w

ith Non

w

e

a

p

on Pr

of

ic

ienc

ie

s

:I fyou created your character with the 2nd Edit ion

AD&D rules and you used the optional profi -

ciencies rule, you can use your characters selec-tion of nonweapon proficiencies as a shoppinglist for skil ls. Just purchase skil ls similar to your

characters profi ciencies (a list fol lows). SeeChapter 4 of the PH to determine how manyskill points your character has; Chapter 4 alsoexplains how to purchase skills.

AD&D Nonweapon

Proficiency D&D Skill

Agricul ture Profession ( farmer )

Animal Handling Handle Animal

Animal Training Handle Animal

Artist ic Abil ity Craft (any)

Blacksmithing Craft (blacksmithing)Brewing Craft (brewing)

Carpent ry Craft (carpentry)

Cobbling Craft (cobbling)

Cooking Craft (cooking)

Dancing Perform (dancing)

Direction Sense Intuit Direction

Etiquette Diplomacy

Fire-bui lding Wilderness Lore*

Fishing Profession (fishing)

Heraldry Knowledge (heraldry)

Languages, Modern Speak Language

Leatherworking Craft (leatherworking)

Mining Profession (miner)

Pottery Craft (pottery)

Riding, Airborne Ride

Riding, Land-based Ride

Rope Use Use Rope

Seamanship Profession (sai lor)

Seamstress/Tailor Craft (sewing)

Singing Perform (singing)

Stonemasonry Craft (stonemasonry)

Swimming Swim

Weather Sense Knowledge (weather)

Weaving Craft (weaving)

Priest Group

AD&D Nonweapon


Ancient History Knowledge (history)

Ast rol ogy Knowl edge ( ast rol ogy)

Engineer ing Profession (engineer)

Healing Heal

Herbal ism Profession (herbal ist )

Languages, Ancient Speak Language

Local History Knowledge (history)Musical Instrument Perform (musical

instrument)


Reading/Writing See Skill Tips below

Religion Knowledge (religion)

Spellcraft Spellcraft

Rogue Group

AD&D Nonweapon


Ancient History Knowledge (history)

Appraising Appraise

Blind-fighting Blind-Fight (feat, not a skill)

Disguise DisguiseForgery Forgery

Gaming Profession (gambler)

Gem Cut ting Craf t (gem cut ting)

Juggling Perform (juggling)

Jumping Jump

Local History Knowledge (history)

Musical Instrument Perform (musical

instrument)

Readi ng Li ps Read Li ps

Set Snares Wi lderness Lore*

Tightrope Walking Balance

Tumbling Tumble

Ventriloquism Perform (ventriloquism)

Warrior Group

AD&D Nonweapon


Animal Lore Wi lderness Lore*

Armorer Craft (armorer)

Blind-fighting Blind-Fight (feat, not a skill)

Bowyer/Fletcher Craft (bowyer)

Char ioteer ing Handle Animal

Endurance Endurance ( feat, not a ski ll )

Gaming Profession (gambler)

Hunting Profession (hunter)

Mountaineer ing Climb

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I Cre

a

te

d My Cha

ra

c

te

r w

ith a K

it.: The variouskits from the 2nd Edit ion AD& D game varygreatly in their impact and scope, but all areessentially l itt le character classes. It can take a

little fiddling to fit a kitted character, but itcan be done.

We

a

p

onP

rof

ic

ienc

ie

s

: I f the characters classdoes not include a weapon that the kit requires,

recommends, or gives the character for free, the

character automatically gains proficiency in itwithout using up any feats.Nonwe

a

p

on Pro

f

ic

ienc

ie

s

: Any proficiency

included in a kit description (required, recom-mended, or free) is available to the character asa class ski ll , even i f i t i s a cross-class ski ll for thecharacters class or exclusive to another class. If

the character has insufficient skil l points to buyall his skills, the character must give up someskills. Eliminate the skills from the recom-mended list before eliminating skills from the

free or required li sts.S

pe

c

ia

l Be

ne

fits a

nd Hindra

nc

e

s

:The charac-ter keeps any special benefits or hindrances the

kit grants. Each special benefit counts as one ofthe feats available to the character. If a kitsspecial benefit is listed in the PlayersHandbookas a skill, the character must buy atleast 4 ranks in the

skill and select theSkill Focus feat forthat skill.

I f a special

benefit isalready listedin the PlayersHandbook as

a feat, usethe PH featdescriptionrather than

the descrip-tion givenwith the kit.Any prerequi-

sites the feat mighthave are waived forthe character.

If a special

benefit is notincluded inthe PlayersHandbook as

a feat, treat it as a feat using the descriptionprovided with the kit .

I f a special benefit includes an abil ityfrom another class, the character should

become multiclass and devote atleast one quarter of her levels

to that class (and always atleast one level). The other

class is always treated as afavored class.

For example, the swash-buckler kit from the Complete

Thiefs Handbook allows thecharacter to use afighters THAC0.

In t he D& D game, an 8th-levelswashbuckler character should

become a fighter/ rogue with atleast two levels of fighter.

Because fighter is afavored class for swash-

bucklers, the characterdoes not suffer any experi-

ence penalties for having afew fighter levels.

11

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Old Thief Skill D&D Skill

Pick Pockets Pick Pocket

Open Locks Open Lock

Find/Remove Traps Search (finding traps)

Disable Device

(removing traps)

Move Silent ly Move Silent ly

Hide in Shadows Hide

Detect Noise Listen

Climb Walls ClimbRead Languages Decipher Script

You can compare your character s oldpercentage score in a thief ski ll to a D&D skil lbonus by dividing the old score by 5, roundingdown, and subtracting 5 from the result. For

example, Escolrande was a thief with a DetectNoise score of 65%. Thats about equal to a Listenbonus of +8 (65 5 = 13, and 13 5 = 8).

T

h

ief S

kill Tips

:When calculating your char-

acters new skill bonuses, be sure to include themodifier for the skills key ability. For example,a characters Wisdom modifier now affects her

Listen skil l.Rogues and bards now have exclusive accessto the Use Magic Device skill (see the descrip-tion in Chapter 4 of the PH). This skill is similarto the old ability Use Magical Scrolls, but

applies to almost any type of magic item.Many of the traditional thief skills have

become broader and more useful. For example,the Search skill now allows character to ransack

areas for treasure, locate secret doors, and evenfind footprints. A careful reading of the skilldescripti ons should reveal some pleasantsurprises.

EquipmentMost typesof equipment work the same way they didin older versionsof the game. There are afew differ-

ences: We

a

p

o

ns

:Weaponsno longer have different damageratingsdepending on the size of the target. Instead,they have varying abilit iesto inflict critical hi ts, as

explained in Weaponsin Chapter 7 of thePH.The game hasnew rulesfor two-handed weapons

and for fighting with two weapons. See Chapter 8 ofthePHfor details.

If the character hasaweapon not listed in thePH,consult Character Troubleshooting, below.

Enc

um

br

ance: The old encumbrance rules havebeen replaced by a simple system that keeps

track of what a character can carry, dependingon hi s size and Strength score. See Carrying

Capacity in Chapter 9 of the PHfor details. Ma

g

ic Items

: Most magic items work the sameway they always have. The Magic section onpage 15 describes the changes.

Character TroubleshootingThis section offers advice for dealing with prob-lems you might encounter when converting a

character. My Cha

ra

c

te

r Ha

s a S

pe

ll or Ma

g

ic Ite

m th

a

t IsNot In

c

lu

de

d in the Ne

w R

u

le

s

. Substitute asimilar spell or i tem. Also see the Magic section

on page 15 for information on converting spellsand magical items from older editions of thegame.

My Char

a

cte

r Ha

s a We

a

p

on that Is NotInc

lude

d on the C

urrent We

a

p

on L

is

t.

Substitute a similar weapon of the same typeand size (for example, substitute a bastard swordfor a claymore or katana), or create statistics for

the weapon based on a similar weapon from thePlayers Handbook. For example, any weaponthat includes a rope or chain probably works alot l ike a heavy or light f lail.

10

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Whats New about Dual- andMulticlassed Characters?

Characters With Multiple Classes: The

game no longer has two different systems

for handling dual- and multiclassed charac-

ters. All characters with more than one class

are called multiclass characters.

The multiclass option is available to char-

acters of any race.

A multiclass character advances in oneclass at a time, choosing which class to

improve each time the character reaches a

new level. All class abilities the character

gains are cumulative, and characters level

is the tot al of all the levels the character has.

For example, a fighter/wizard/ rogue level

3/3/ 3 is a 9th-level character. See Multiclass

Characters in Chapter 3 of the PH for

details.

Class Level vs. Character Level: Class

level is the level a character has achieved in

any one class. Character level is the total of

all the levels a character has achieved in all

classes.

Whats New about THAC0 andArmor Class?Characters in the new game no longer have

THAC0s, and Armor Class now goes up

instead of down.

Attack Bonus: Instead of a THAC0, a charac-

ter has an attack bonus that applies to the char-

acters attack rolls. If the result of an attack roll

equals or exceeds the targets Armor Class, the

attack succeeds and inflicts damage. Tocompare THAC0 to attack bonus, subtract

THAC0 from 20. For example, if a character

created under the 2nd Edition AD&D rules has

a THAC0 of 18, she has about the same combat

ability as a D&D character with an attack bonus

of +2.

Armor Class: Now starts at 10 (the AC

value for a Medium-size unarmored charac-

ter) and goes up. There is no longer an upper

limit to Armor Class. To compare Armor

Classes between editions, take the earlier AC

and subtract it from 20. For example, if a char-

acter created under the 2nd Edition AD&D

rules has an AC of 5, she has about the sameresistance to attack as a D&D character with

an AC of 15.


7/13

use of the skil l should be 10. Ifthe check modifier is 0 orlower, the DC

for a routineuse of the skillshould be 15(or require an

opposed check).In this case, routine use is a typical,everyday use of the skill, not some-thing outrageous, fancy, or heroic.

For example, trotting along asmooth road on a horse is aroutine use of the Ride skill.

Proficiency Description:Use

this as you would a skilldescription. The DM willhave to decide whetherthe skill can be used

untrained, whetherretries are possible,and how long ittakes to use the

skill. The best way to set these details isto compare the proficiency with a simi-

lar skil l f rom thePH.

For example, the Beggingproficiency from the

Complete ThiefsHandbookworks some-

thing like the Bluff andGather Information

skills, with a little bitof the Disguise skill

thrown in. In fact, ifthe character has Bluffand Disguise, she proba-

bly doesnt need

another skill to beg.I t s probably bestto treat simpleattempts at panhan-

dling (Excuse me,sir, spare a coin for anorphan?) as Bluffattempts.

13

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I Cant Find a Skill That Matches an Old

Proficiency. Any nonweapon proficiency from

an earlier edition can be used as a skill. First,make sure the proficiency in question has notbecome a feat or been included in another skill(see Skills on page 8 for details). Heres how to

use a proficiency as a skill:Proficiency Group: This determines who can

buy the skil l has a class ski ll .General Group:Any character can buy the

proficiency as a class ski ll .Priest Group:Clerics, druids, paladins, and

rangers can buy the proficiency as a class skill.Rogue Group:Bards and rogues can buy the

proficiency as a class ski ll .Warrior Group: Barbarians, fighters,

paladins, and rangers can buy the proficiency asa class skill.

Wizard Group:Bards, sorcerers, and wizardscan buy the proficiency as a class skill.

Slots Required: This no longer applies.Characters pay 1 skill point per rank for class

skills and 2 skill points per rank for cross-classskills.

Relevant Ability:This becomes the skills keyabil ity. If more than one relevant abili ty is listed,

the player picks one when first purchasing the

skill and uses that ability as the key abilitywhenever the character uses the skill.I f the relevant abili ty is listed as NA (not

applicable), treat the proficiency as a feat.Check Modifier: This no longer applies.

When the character uses the skill, the DM setsa Difficulty Class for the task as described in

Chapter 4 of thePHand Chapter 3 of the DMG.You can use the check modif ier as a general

guide to how hard the skill is to use. If the checkmodifi er is +1 or hi gher, the DC for a routine

12

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Whats New about SavingThrows?Characters still attempt saving throws to avoid the

ill effects of hostile magic and other forms of

nastiness, but the procedures are slightly differ-

ent:

Saving Throw Categories:There are now only

three categories of saving throws: Fortitude,

Reflex, and Will. See Saving Throws in Chapter

8 of the PHfor details.Saving Throw Bonuses and Difficulty:

Characters no longer have flat saving throw

numbers. Instead, a character has a bonus or

penalty that applies to the saving throw roll.

To succeed, a saving throw result has to

equal or exceed the saving throws Difficulty

Class.

You can compare a saving throw number

from an earlier edition of the D&D or AD&D

game to a saving throw bonus by taking the

saving throw number from the earlier edition

and subtracting it from 15.

Compare Fortitude saves to

Paralyzation/ Poison/Death Magic saves. Forexample, a 5th-level fighter created under the

2nd Edition AD&D rules has a Paralyzation

save of 11. Thats about equal to a Fortitude

save bonus of +4.

Compare Reflex or Will saves to Spell saves. For

example, a 5th-level fighter created under the 2nd

Edition AD&D rules has a Spell save of 14. Thats

about equal to a Reflex or Will bonus of +1.

Whats New about Spells?Spells remain a potent weapon and useful

tool. Significant changes include:

Arcane and Divine Spells: Spells are now

divided into two broad categories.

Wizards, bards, and a few other types of

characters wield arcane spells. Characters

need specialized knowledge or natural

talent to use arcane spells. Armor tends to

interfere with the complex gestures and

motions required to cast an arcane spell.

A divine spell depends on the casters

piety or dedication to some greater power.

Armor does not interfere with the casting of

divine spells as it does with arcane spells.

Concentration: Casting a spell remains amentally demanding task, but distractions

such as suffering damage in combat no

longer mean a spell is automatically lost.

See Chapters 8 and 10 of the PHfor details.

Spell Preparation: Characters no longer

memorize their spells but prepare them

ahead of time. Characters need not prepare

their full daily limit at once. They can hold

back some of their spell capacity until they

know what the day will bring. See Chapter 10

of the PHfor details.

Whats New about Character Classes?

Your characters class still determines everything

from fighting ability and Hit Dice to spellcasting abil-

ity and saving throws. Significant changes include:

Ability Bonuses and Penalties: Ability scores

now affect characters of all classes in the same

way. For example, there is no cap on any charac-

ters bonus hit points from a high Constitution

score. All spellcasting classes get bonus spells,

though the ability score that governs bonusspells varies from class to class.

Bards: Bards now have their own spell list,

which includes cantrips (0-level spells). The

bards ability to produce magical effects through

song has been expanded.

Clerics and Priests: All priest characters

(except druids) are called clerics in the new

game, and all clerics use the same basic spell

list. All cleric characters gain extra spells and

granted abilities for their domains (formerly

called spheres). See Cleric in Chapter 3 of the PH

for details. The cleric spell list now includes 8th-

and 9th-level spells and orisons (0-level spells).

Clerics still have power over the undead, butrules governing the power have changed. See

Turn and Rebuke Undead in Chapter 8 in the PH

for details.

Druids: The druid spell list also includes 8th-

and 9th-level spells and orisons (0-level spells).

Hit Dice:All classes now gain a new Hit Die at

each level from 1 to 20.

New Classes: The barbarian, monk, and

sorcerer classes have been added to the game.

See Chapter 3 of the PHfor details.

Multiple Attacks: All types of characters gain

the ability to attack multiple times each round.

See Table 31 in the PHand the accompanyingtext for details.

Thieves: The thief class is now called the

rogue class. Rogues still have numerous special

abilities (from picking pockets to climbing

walls), but these have been incorporated into a

universal skill system. See Rogue in Chapter 3

and Skill s in Chapter 4 of the PHfor details.

The thiefs backstab ability has been replaced

by the more versatile sneak attack ability, and the

thiefs ability to read scrolls has been expanded

into the more versatile Use Magic Device ability.

Wizards: The wizard spell list now includes

cantrips (0-level spells). Specialist wizards are

free to choose their opposition schools.


8/13

ment for reaching the next level. For exam-ple, For example, Escolrande is an 8th-levelfighter/9th-level wizard/ 9th-level thiefcreated using the 2nd Editi on AD&D rules.

To adjust Escolrandes experience total, youwould base your calculations on the wizardclass because it took more experience tobecome a 10th-level wizard than to become a

10th-level thief.

MAGICSpells and magic items remain an importantpart of the D&D game. Most popular spellsand items have been included in the PHandDMGor can be converted to the new rules

with minimal effort.

Renamed SpellsThe following spells have new names in the

new edition. The new names often reflectchanges to the way the spells work or simplybetter reflect the what the spells do:Old Spell Name NewSpell Name

AbiDalzim s hor rid Hor rid wi lt ing

wilting

Animal summoning I Summon natures

ally I

Animal summoning II Summon natures

ally II

Animal summoning III Summon natures

ally III

Ant i-animal shel l Ant il if e shel l

Ant i-m agic shell Ant im agic fi eld

Armor Mage armor

Astral spell Astral projection

Audible glamer Ghost sound

Bind Animate rope

Blindness Blindness/ deafness

Cantrip Prestidigitation

Cause critical wounds Inflict critical

wounds

Cause disease Contagion

Cause l ight wounds Inf lict l ight wounds

Cause serious wounds Inflict serious

wounds

Charm person or mammal Charm person or

animal

Clairaudience Clairaudience/

clairvoyance

Clairvoyance Clairaudience/

clairvoyance

Conjure earth elemental Planar ally

Conjure element al Summon

monster V

Conjure fire elemental Planar ally

Cont inual darkness Deeper darkness

Continual light Daylight

Cure blindness or deafness Remove blindness/

deafness

Cure disease Remove disease

Darkness, 15 radius DarknessDescent in to madness Insanity

Deafness Blindness/ deafness

Death fog Acid fog

Demi-shadow magic Greater shadow

evocation

Demi-shadow monsters Greater shadow

conjuration

Detect lie Discern lies

Det ect i nvi si bi li ty See invi si bi li ty

Domination Dominate person

Enchan ted weapon Grea ter magic

weapon

Endure heat/ endure cold Endure elements

Ensnarement Planar binding ESP Detect thoughts

Fog cloud Obscuring mist

Free action Freedom of

movement

Giant insect Giant vermin

Hold undead Halt undead

Improved phantasmal force Mi nor image

Infravision Darkvision

Invisibility, 10 radius Invisibility sphere

I nvi si bl e st al ker Summon i nvi si bl e

stalker

Item Shrink item

Locate animals or plants Detect animals or

plants

Lower water Control water

Magi c resi st ance Spel l resi st ance

Messenger Animal messenger

Monster summoning I Summon monster I

Monster summoning II Summon

monster II

Monster summoning III Summon

monster III

Monster summoning IV Summon

monster IV

Monster summoning V Summon

monster V

Monster summoning VI Summon monster

VI

15

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In any case, Bluff , Disguise, and GatherInformation can all be used untrained, soBegging can as well . Working an area for pocketmoney takes a day.

Preparing to go out begging for a day requires1d310 minutes of preparation, just like theDisguise skill. To resolve the attempt, roll aBegging (or Bluff ) check opposed by the aver-

age Sense Motive skills of the people in the

place where the character begs. Use the modi-fiers from the Begging proficiency descriptionas penalties to the Begging roll. Success brings

enough coin for a days common meals andlodging (2d8 sp).

I Want a More Accurate XP Adjustment. TheCharacter Experience section offers a quick

method for adjusting a characters experiencetotal, but i ts not parti cularly accurate. If youdont mind doing a li ttl e math, you can calculatehow close the character was to reaching the

next level and place the character about thesame distance from the next level in the newedition of the D&D game. Heres how to do so

for a single-classed character:1. Take the characters old experiencepoint total and subtract the minimum

number of XP needed to reach thecharacters level on the old table.

For example, Sigretta is a7th-level fighter

created

under the

2nd EditionAD&D rules;shehas87,500

XP. The mini-

mum XPSigrettaneeded toreach 7thlevel was

64,000 XP.87,500 64,000

= 23,500.2. Subtract the minimum number of XPneeded to

reach the characters level on the old table fromthe minimum needed to reach the next level.For example, Sigretta would have needed64,000 XP to reach 7th l evel, and she would

have needed 125,000 XP to reach 8th level.125,000 64,000 = 61,000.

3. Divide the number you got in step 1 by thenumber you got in step 2. In Sigrettas case,

23,500 61,000 = about .385.4. Subtract the minimum number of XP needed to

reach the characters level on the new D&Dtable from the minimum needed to reach the

next level. For example, Sigretta would have

needed 21,000 XP to reach 7th level and needs28,000 XP to reach 8th level. 28,000 21,000 =7,000.

5. Multiply the number yougot in step 3 by thenumber you got instep 4 and round

down to the near-est wholenumber. InS ig re t ta s

case, .385

7,000 =2,695.

6. Add the

number you got in step 5 to the minimumnumber of XP needed to reach the characterslevel on the new XP table. This is the charac-ters adjusted experience total. In Sigrettas

case, 2,695 + 21,000 = 23,695.Dual-classed characters: To adjust a dual-

classed characters XP total, fol low the stepsoutlined above, using the characters active

class. For example, Ratchett is a dual-classedlevel 7/ 2 cleric/wizard, who was created underthe 2nd Edition AD&D rules and who wasearning experience in the wizard class. When

adjusting Ratchetts experience total, thecalculations should be based on the old wizardclass table.

Multiclass Characters: To adjust a multiclass

characters experience total, base your calcul a-tions on the characters highest class level. I f thecharacter has two classes with the same level,use the class that has the highest XP require-

14

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Web I/ E Conjuration

Whispering wind Alt., I/P Transmutation

Wind wall Alt. Evocation

Wish C/ S Universal

Wizard eye Alt. Divination

Wizard lock Alt. Abjuration

Wizard mark Alt. Universal

Wraithform* Alt., I/P Transmutation

Key: Alt. = Alteration; I/P = Illusion/Phantasm;E/C = Enchantment/ Charm;

C/S = Conjuration/ Summoning;

Abj. = Abjuration; Nec. = Necromancy;

I/ E = Invocation/ Evocation; Div. = Greater Divinati on

*The spell has also been renamed. See the li st of renamed

spells above.

Converting Old SpellsIts usually fairly easy to convert an old spell tothe new rules. Heres how:

School: Usually a spells school remainsunchanged. However, check the PHfor a simi-

lar spell and assign the spell the same school(for example, healing spells and most wall spellsare now part of the Conjuration school). Someschools have new, simplif ied names, as fol lows:

Old School Name New School Name

Abjuration Abjuration

Alteration Alteration

Conjuration/Summoning Conjuration

Enchantment/Charm Enchantment

Divination Divination

Greater D ivinat ion Divinat ion

Lesser Divinat ion Universal

Invocation/Evocation Evocation

Necromancy Necromancy

Subschool and Descriptor: Earlierversions of the game did not use subschooland descriptors. The easiest way to assign these

is to find a simil ar spell in thePHand assign thespell the same subschool and descriptor.

Level: A spells level usually remainsunchanged.

Range: Compare the spells old rangelisting to the table below. If the spell has arange that varies by level, use the value for themini mum level required to cast the spell. I f the

spell has different ranges for indoor andoutdoor casting, use the longer of the tworanges.

Old Range New Range

0 Personal

Touch Touch

030 yards Close*

31100 yards Medium

101+ yards LongUnlimited Unlimited

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Monster summoning VII Summon monster VII

Obscurement Obscuring mist

Part water Control water

Permanen t i ll usion Permanen t image

Phant asmal force Sil ent i mage

Programmed i l lusion Programmed image

Protection from evil 10 Magic circle against evil

radius

Repel insects Repel vermin

Resist fire/resist cold Resist elementsRestoration Greater restoration

Sertens spell immunity Greater spell immunity

Shadow m agic Shadow evocat ion

Shadow monster s Shadow con ju rat ion

Si lence 15 r adi us Si lence

Slow poison Delay poison

Snake charm Animal trance

Spi ri tual hammer Spi ri tual weapon

Spectral force Major image

Strength Bulls strength

Succor Refuge

Transpor t via plants Tree str ide

Tree Tree shape

Turn wood Repel wood Unholy word Blasphemy

Wizard eye Arcane eye

Wizard lock Arcane lock

Wizard mark Arcane mark

Wraithform Gaseous form

Wizard Spells with New SchoolsThe wizard spells listed below have changed

schools; spells that once belonged to multipleschools now belong to a single school.

Spell Name Old New

AbiDalzim s

horrid wilting* Alt., Nec. Necromancy

Astral spell* I/E Necromancy

Blindness I/ P Transmutation

Cloudkill I/ E Conjuration

Color spray Alt. Illusion

Dancing lights Alt. Illusion

Dar kness, 15 radi us* Alt. Evocation

Continual light* Alt. Evocation

Demand I/E, E/C Enchantment

Dream I /E, I /P I ll usi on

Enchanted weapon* E/ C Transmutation

Energy drain I/E, Nec. Necromancy

Explosive runes Alt. Abjuration

Eyebite E/C, I/P Transmutation

Fabricate E/C, Alt. Transmutation

False vision Div. Illusion

Fear I/P Necromancy

Fire shield I /E, Alt. Evocation

Fire trap Abj., I/E Abjuration

Fog cloud Alt. Conjuration

Guards and wards I/ P, Alt., Abjuration

E/C

Gust of wind Alt. Evocation

Hold portal Alt. Abjuration

Incendiary cloud Alt., I/E ConjurationLeomund s secret chest Alt., C/S Conjuration

Leomunds secure shelterAlt., E/C Conjuration

Leomunds ti ny hut Alt. Evocation

Light Alt. Evocation

Limit ed wish C/S, I/E Universal

Magic mouth Alt. Illusion

Major creation I/P Conjuration

Minor creation I/P Conjuration

Mi rage arcana I /P, Al t. I llusion

Mordenkainens

disjunction Alt., E/C Abjuration

Mordenkainens

magnificent mansion Alt., C/S Conjuration

NightmareI /E, I /P I ll usi on

Ot ilukes freezing sphereAlt., I /E Evocation

Ot ilukes resili ent sphere Alt., I /E Evocation

Oti lukes telekinetic

sphere Alt., I /E Evocation

Permanency Alt. Universal

Phantom steed C/S, I/P Conjuration

Prismat ic sphere Abj., C/S Abjuration

Prismat ic spray C/ S Evocation

Prismatic wall C/ S Evocation

Project image Al t., I/P I llusion

Rainbow pattern Al t., I/P I llusion

Rarys telepathic bond Alt., Div Divination

Ray of enfeeblement E/ C Necromancy

Read magic Div. Universal

Scare E/ C Necromancy

Screen Div., I/P Illusion

Sequester I/P, Abj. Abjuration

Shadow walk I /P, E/C I llusion

Shield I/E Abjuration

Solid fog Alt. Conjuration

Stinking cloud I/E Conjuration

Stoneskin Alt. Abjuration

Succor* Alt., E/C Transmutation

Symbol C/ S Universal

Tenser s transformat ion Alt., I/E Transmutation

Tongues Alt. Divination

Wall of iron I/E Conjuration

Wall of stone I/E Conjuration

16

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10/13

1 Saves for hal f effect ar e Reflex saves unless the spell h as

some effect other than infl icting damage. If so, it will be a

Will save.

2Saves to negate a spells effect are Will or Forti tude saves. Wil l

saves apply to mental effects. Fortitude saves apply to effects

that cause the targets death or alteration (see the Saving

Throws section in Chapter 10 of the PH). If the spell is part of

the Il lusion school, change Neg save to a save to disbelieve.

3 Very few spells in the new D&D game allow no save at all.

If t he spell has a range of Personal or Touch, leave a

Non e save unchanged. I f a spell has a range greater t han

touch, allow a save to negate.

Spell Resistance: This entry should be Yesunless the spell does not produce a direct effect

on the recipient. If you have any doubts,compare the spell to a similar spell from thePH.The sections on Spell Resistance in Chapter 10of the PHand Chapter 3 of the DMGalso will

be helpful.Spell Description: This will remain largely

unchanged. Spells that inflict damage accord-ing to the casters level should have damage

limits as shown on the table below:

Spell Max Damage Max Damage

Level1 (Single Target)2 (Multiple Targets)3

1 5 dice

2 10 dice 5 dice

3 10 dice 10 dice

4 15 dice 10 dice

5 15 dice 15 dice

6 20 dice 15 dice

7 20 dice 20 dice

8 25 dice 20 dice

9 25 dice 25 dice

1 For cleric spells, use the limi t for a spell 1 level lower. The

damage limit for a 1st-level cleric spell is 1 di e.

2A single-target spell affects only one target or has its tot al

damage divided among more t han one target. For example,

a magic missile spell can deliver 5 dice of damage to one

target; it can affect more than one target, but its damage

dice must be divided among them.

3A mult iple-target spell is capable of inflicting full damage

on two or more t argets simul taneously. For example, a

fireball damages everything within its area of effect.

Spells You Shouldnt ConvertA few spells have been eliminated from thegame altogether. These include know align-mentand any arcane healing or curative spell.

Renamed Magic ItemsThe following items have new names in thenew edition. The new names often reflect

changes to the way the items work or simply

better reflect what the items do:

Old Item Name New Item Name

Bracers of defense Bracers of armor

Cloak of displacement Cloak of minor

displacement

Cloak of protect ion Cloak of resistance

Elven chain mai l Elven chain

Girdle of dwarvenkind Belt of dwarvenkind

Girdle of giant strength Belt of giant strength

Meda ll ion of ESP Medal li on of though ts

Oil of acid resistance Potion of protection

from elements (acid)

Phil ter of gl ibness Potion of gl ibness

Philter of love Potion of love

Philter of persuasiveness Potion of charisma

Potion of clairaudience Potion of clairaudience/

clairvoyance

Potion of clairvoyance Potion of clairaudience/

clairvoyance

Potion of diminut ion Potion of reduce

Potion of extra healing Potion of cure serious

wounds

Potion of giant strength Potion of bulls strength

Pot ion of gr owt h Pot ion of enl ar ge

Pot ion of heal ing Pot ion of cu re l igh t

wounds

Pot ion of speed Pot ion of hast e

Ring of fire resistance Ring of fire resistance

(minor)

Ring of f ree act ion Ring of fr eedom o f

movement

Ring of protect ion Ring of def lect ion

Rod of passage St aff of passage

Rod of resu rr ect ion Staf f of li fe

Scarab versus golems Scarab, golembane

Staff of the serpent Rod of the viper

(viper)

Staff of the serpent Rod of the python

(python)

Staff of thunder and Rod of thunder and

lightning lightning

St aff of wi ther ing Rod of wi ther ing

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*Some spells have effects that radi ate outward from the

casters body. If so, this will be mentioned in th e spells

description . In such cases, convert th e range to feet and

leave it otherwise unchanged.

Components: These remain unchanged.Note that any material component that is notconsumed during casting is now called a focus.

Duration: Compare the spells old duration

li sting to the examples below. If the spell has aduration that varies by level, use the value forthe mini mum level required to cast the spell.

4 rounds or less: 1 round/ caster level.5 rounds or more, but still measured in

rounds: 1 minute/caster level.Any duration measured in turns: 10

minutes/caster level.Any duration measured in hours

or days: No change.Permanent: Usually no change,

but some spells that were previ-ously listed as permanent areactually instantaneous.Compare the spell to a simi-

lar spell in the PH to besure.

I nstantaneous: Nochange.

Special: These spells lastuntil something specialoccurs, such as the casterceasing to concentrate,

some external effect triggersthe spell, or the subjectmakes a saving throw. Theactual duration is explained

in the spell description. Setthe duration by comparingthe spell to a similar spell inthe PH. If you cannot find a

similar spell, use the old dura-tion as explained in the spells description.

Casting Time: If the old casting time isless than 1 round, the spells new casting

time is 1 action. If the old casting ti me is 1round or more, the casting time is unchangedunless the casting ti me is listed in turns. In thatcase, the new casting will be 10 minutes the

number of turns in the old casting time.Area of Effect: This usually remains

unchanged. The new edition of the D&D game

is much clearer about how some spells reallywork, particularly spells that affect only ali mited number of targets within an area insteadof everything within an area. Compare the spell

description to the discussion of areas and effectsin Chapter 10 of thePH. Comparing the spell tosomething similar in the PHwill also help.

Saving Throw:Compare the spell s old saving

throw listing to the table below:

Old Save Listing New Save Listing

1/2 Half 1

Neg. Negates or Disbelief 2

None (Occurs rarely) 3

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sections below on Ability Scores and Skills andFeats.

Speed:Multiply the creatures old movement

rate by 2.5 feet and round up to the nearestmult iple of 10. If the creature also has a cli mb-ing or swimming movement rate, the creaturegets the Climb or Swim skil l f ree. If the creature

has a flying movement rate, you must alsoassign i t a maneuverabilit y class. See Movementin the Introduction of the MM for details onswimming, climbing, and flying.

Armor Class: Subtract the creatures oldArmor Class from 20; this is the creatures ACfor normal combat. In the current rules, theArmor Class entry also indicates how much of the

creatures AC comes from size, natural armor, andDexterity. Calculate the creatures natural armor bysubtracting the Dexterity modifier, the size modi-

fier (from theSizesection in theIntroduction of theMM), and 10 morepoints from thenormal AC value.

Attacks and Attack Bonus: List each of thecreatures weapons and natural weapons along

with the attack bonus the creature has for each.The creatures base attack bonus depends on itshit dice and type; see the Advancement Limitsection in the Introduction of the MM. The

creatures size, abilit y scores, and feats affect theattack bonus for each attack as described in theAttacks section in the Introduction of the MM.

Damage: Use the creatures old damage list-

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Wand of earth and stone Staff of earth and stone

Wand of enemy detection Rod of enemy detection

Wand of fire Staff of fire

Wand of flame Rod of flame

ext inguishing ext inguishing

Wand of frost Staff of frost

Wand of magic detection Wand of detect magic

Wand of metal and Rod of metal and

mineral detect ion mineral detect ion

Wand of negat ion Rod of negat ionWand of size alteration Staff of size alteration

Wand of wonder Rod of wonder

Converting Old Magic ItemsIt s usually easy to convert an old magic it em tothe new rules. Heres how:

Caster Level: Assign a caster level by deter-mining the most powerful spell-like ability theitem can produce and finding the lowest-levelwizard (if the effect is arcane) or cleric (if the

effect is divine) required to cast the spell. I f theitem has no spell-like abilities, find a similaritem in the DMGand give your item that casterlevel.

Prerequisites: Check Chapter 5 of the PHtodecide what feat is necessary to make the item.The DM will have to examine the items powersand decide what spell s they resemble most;

these spells become prerequisites for the item.Market Price: Find two or three similar items

in the DMGand assign your item a similarprice.

Magic Item Notes: Here are some guidelinesfor specif ic magic items.

Cloak of Protection: In the current rules, theproper name for this item is cloak of deflection

and resistance (providing both a deflectionbonus to Armor Class and a resistance bonus tosaving throws). Some DMs may decide to makeplayers choose between a cloak of deflection

(AC) or a cloak of resistance (saves).Girdles of Giant Strength: These items have

becomebelts of giant strength. A girdle of hil l,stone, or frost giant strength becomes a minor

belt of giant strength (+4 to the wearersStrength score).A girdle of fire, cloud, orstormgiant strength becomes a major belt of giantstrength(+6 to the wearers Strength score).

Rods, Staffs, and Wands: All rods are itemsthat have unique powers, not simply powersthat duplicate spell effects. All staffs are multi-function items that store spells. All wands are

single-functi on it ems that store spells. If a staffor wand has a unique power, it is now a rod. If arod or wand from an older version of the gameproduces multi ple spell effects, it is now a staff.

I f a staff or rod can produce only one type ofspell effect, it is now a wand. Rods, staffs, andwands have a maximum of 50 charges.

Items You Shouldnt Convert

A few items have been eliminated from thegame altogether. These include any item thatbestows a flat ability score or armor class.

Ability boosting items should instead providean ability bonus of +2 to +6. Protective itemsshould provide an armor, natural armor, ordeflection bonus of +1 to +6.

You need your DMs approval to use any i temnot in the new DMG.

MONSTERSTheMonster Manualcontains the most popularcreatures from earlier editions of the game andincludes all the creatures featured in theDMGs

random encounter tables.

Converting Old MonstersI f one of your favorites isnt in the Monster

Manual, you can convert an old monster to thenew rules. Heres how:

Size and Type: Size categories from olderversions of the rules do not match the current

size categories. Study the old monster descrip-tion and decide how big the creature really is(that is, the creatures actual height, length, orweight) and assign the creature a size using the

information on creature sizes in theInt roduction of theMM.

Assign the creature a type according to theinformation on creature types in the

Int roduction of theMM.Hit Dice and Hit Points: The number of hit

dice remains unchanged. Assign the creature ahit die type appropriate for its type. Youll find

information on hit die type in theAdvancement Limit section in the Introductionof the MM.

The creatures Constitution modifier applies

to each Hit Die it has.Initiative: Assign the creature an initiative

bonus based on its Dexterity modifier (andpossibly the Improved Ini tiative feat). See the

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ing, modified by its Strength score as explainedin the Damage section in the Introduction ofthe MM.

Special Attacks: Use the special attacks listed

in the creatures old descript ion. If a specialattack is described in theMMIntroduction, usethose rul es. If the special attack is not describedin the MMIntroduction, find a creature with a

simil ar abil ity i n theMMand use those rules.

Special Defenses: Use the special defensesli sted in the creatures old description. If aspecial defense is described in the Int roduction

of the MM, use those rules. If the specialdefense is not described in the Introduction ofthe MM, find a creature with a similar ability inthe MMand use those rules.

Creatures Hit Only by Silver or MagicalWeapons: This defense has become the damagereduction defense. The type of weapon thatnegates the damage reducti on is the same as the

weapon required to harm the creature in theolder version of the game. Set the damagereduction at 10 points, or find two or three simi -lar creatures in the MMand give the creature a

similar damage reduction.Magic Resistance: This is now called spell

resistance. Divide the old magic resistancenumber by 5 and add the result to 11 to get the

creatures spell resistance score.Saving Throws: The creatures base save

bonuses depend on i ts hi t di ce and type. See theAdvancement Limit section in the Introduction

of the MM. The creatures abili ty scores andfeats affect the bonus for each save category.

Ability Scores: Look at two or three similarcreatures from the MMand assign the creature

similar abili ty scores.In general, the larger the creature, the higher

its Strength and Constitution scores should be.The faster the creature moves, the higher its

Dexterity score should be.You can use the creatures old Intelligence

rating as a guideline for setting its Intelligence,Wisdom, and Chari sma scores.

Skills and Feats:The number of skill pointsand feats the creature has avail able depends onits Hit Dice and type; see the AdvancementLimit section in the Introduction of the MM.

Assume that any skill you choose for the creatureis a class skill (costing 1 skill point per rank).

Description:Use the old descript ion.Creatures that Affect Surprise: There are no

surprise rolls in the new rules. If the creature isdifficult to surprise, it should have a bonus to

Spot and Listen checks (and a fairly goodWisdom score). I f t he creature is good atachieving surprise, it should have a bonus toHide and Move Silently checks (and a fairly

good Dexterity score).

Climate/ Terrain: This usually remainsunchanged, but always use the terms listed in theClimate/Terrain section in the Introduction of

the MM.Organi zation, Challenge Level,

and Treasure: Find two or threesimilar creaturesin the MM

and assign the creature asimilar organization,challenge level, andtreasure.

Alignment: Usethe old listing.

Advancement

Range: Most creatures

can double their baseHit Dice.

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Your character is ready for the newDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game.Are you? You know where to start. Find the new

D&D Players Handbookwherever you buy games.

Weve made the Change. Now its your turn.

Documents

D&D 3rd Edition Conversion Manual