1st Edition AD&D Conversion of Bladerager Troll Monster

"Kill me!  If you do not end my life, then I shall end yours!"



*From 3rd Edition Monster Manual 5

Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: 1
Move: 12"
Hit Dice: 6+6
% In Lair: 25%
Treasure Type: E
No. of Attacks: 3 (2 Claws and a bite)
Damage/Attack: 3-12/3-12/4-16 (Claw/claw/bite)
Special Attacks: Death Throes
Special Defenses: Regeneration, Tortured Mind
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: Large (9' tall)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

A bladerager troll is the result of a hideously cruel experiment.  In order to make the deadliest soldiers, stronger giants captured several trolls and made use of their regenerative properties for physical enhancement.  Steel plates were welded into their flesh, their veins filled with volatile explosive liquids.  Driven insane by the constant pain, bladerager trolls maddeningly strike at foes in the hopes that someone may put them out of their misery. As such, they never have to check for morale.  Like their normal counterparts, they have an acute sense of smell and infra-vision up to 90'.

Death Throes: An unconscious bladerager troll who is burned or immersed in acid explodes in a cloud of shrapnel 4" x 4" x 4".  Anyone within range must save verses breath weapon or take 4-20 points of damage.

Regeneration: 4 melee turns after taking damage, a bladerager troll will begin to regenerate at the rate of 4 hit points per turn.  This includes the rebonding of severed body parts, which can independently move and attack even when separated.  Nothing short of immersion in acid or burning will kill a bladerager troll, as separated body parts will grow into a normal troll in 3-18 melee turns.

Tortured Mind: A bladerager troll's thoughts are a constant blur of anger and sharp, searing pain.  Anybody who attempts to engage in telepathy or mind reading with a bladerager troll must save versus spell or be paralyzed for 1 melee turn.

It's cool to see these posted about here.  Good stuff.  I have used the Planer books from 4th edition with AD&D 1.  This sort of thing isn't as much of a step in practice as many would like to believe.

1st Edition AD&D Conversion of Sithilar Monster

"You only call me a monster because my form is alien to you.  Would you be surprised if I told you my kind are not unlike the woodland fey?"



*From 3rd Edition Lords of Madness

Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1-12
Armor Class: 2
Move: 4" (land), 8" (flight)
Hit Dice: 9+3
% In Lair: 60%
Treasure Type: D
No. of Attacks: 8 (4 daggers and 4 spines in coalesced form), 1 in swarm form
Damage/Attack: 1-4/1-4/1-4/1-4/1-4/1-4/1-4/1-4 (2-12 in swarm form)
Special Attacks: Distraction, Infestation, Warp Flesh
Special Defenses: Immortality, Coalesced Form, Immunity to Disease, Immunity to Weapon Damage (Swarm form only)
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Supra-Genius
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Size: M/S (5' in coalesced form, dust-sized specks in swarm form)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Mode: Nil

The sithilar are the remnants of an ancient fey civilization which mastered the arts of shaping flesh and organic material to suit their needs.  A massive cataclysm occurred, and their best magicians preserved their races in hive-minds of millions of tiny, dust-sized motes of flesh and bone.  Today, the sithilar live in the most remote and forlorn forests of the world, performing research and uncovering the lost relics of their people.

A sithilar's natural form is a cloud of buzzing, dust particle-sized bits of organic material.  Their most common forms of attack involve covering opponents completely, getting past their armor and defenses to tear them apart.

A sithilar's hive-mind can form the particles into a grotesque, eight-limbed creature with a head of tendrils.  Four of its limbs can wield and manipulate fine objects, and they frequently carry specially-made daggers around (which can be taken apart into the swarm form) to enhance their combat capabilities.

Distraction: In its swarm form, a sithilar can occupy the same space as a Medium or smaller target.  Spellcasters cannot cast spells within the cloud due to the millions of particles flying about, and must save versus poison or be affected as though by a stinking cloud spell, with the swarm functioning as the "cloud."

Infestation: If a sithilar successfully deals damage to an opponent with its spines or swarm attack, the opponent must save against poison or be paralyzed for one melee turn.

Warp Flesh: Instead of a normal attack, a sithilar in swarm form can focus all of its attention on a single creature within his space and reshape its skin and organs into something else.  The sithilar cannot do anything else during the melee turn, and must be able to concentrate in order to use this ability.  The creature must save against poison or be changed into another creature of a sithilar's choice (like a polymorph any object spell).

Immortality: A sithilar does not suffer the negative effects of aging.

Forms: A sithilar's natural form is a hive-mind of tiny bits of skin.  It cannot take damage from normal weapons in this form, but the sithilar cannot manipulate or lift objects. The sithilar can transform into a solid creature about 5' tall; its size changes to Medium, and weapons can harm it normally, but it can lift and manipulate objects.  A sithilar can only use its swarm attack in its swarm form, its spine and dagger attacks in its coalesced form.

1st Edition AD&D Conversion of Dragonborn Race

"For Justice, for Goodness, for Bahamut!"



*From 4th Edition Player's Handbook

The Dragonborn are blessed creations of Bahamut, stalwart champions of justice and Goodness.

Classes: A character of the Dragonborn Race can be a Fighter (10), Paladin (9), Thief (Unlimited), Cleric (, or Ranger(7).

Ability Score Bonuses and Minimums: A Dragonborn gains a +1 to his Strength and -1 to his Dexterity.  He must have a minimum Strength of 12, a Charisma of 10, and other ability scores of at least 3.

Languages: A Dragonborn begins play speaking Common and the language of one metallic dragon species of his choice.  A Dragonborn is capable of learning dwarven, elven, gnome, halfling, and orc.

Traits:

Dragon Breath: A Dragonborn can breathe a cone of energy 4" long with a 1" base.  Opponents must save versus breath weapon or take 1d8 points of damage.  The energy can be acid, cold, fire, or electricity, depending upon his metallic dragon ancestor.  The damage increases to 2d8 at 6 hit die and 3d8 at 9 hit die.  A Dragonborn must wait 1d4+1 melee turns before he can use his Dragon Breath again.

Dragon Fury: A Dragonborn at 50% or less hit points gains a +2 bonus on his to-hit rolls.

Regal Bearing of Bahamut: A Dragonborn treats his Charisma score as 2 points higher for the purposes of determining follower and henchman loyalty.

Racial Modification for a Dragonborn Thief: +10% Hear Noise, +5% Climb Walls, unmodified to everything else.

Age: A Dragonborn is a Young Adult at age 10, Mature at age 15, Middle Age at 40 years, Old Age at 60 years, and Venerable at 80 years.

1st Edition AD&D Conversion of Tiefling Race

"If I am not a monster now, then I won't ever be a monster for using my abilities.  They are part of who I am, and I cannot change that, nor can you.  "



*From 4th Edition Player's Handbook, and 3rd Edition Monster Manual

Tieflings are humans who bear distinctive markings of fiendish ancestry, and thus have a sinister reputation.

Classes: A character of the Tiefling race can be a Fighter (7), Magic-User (9), Illusionist (Unlimited), Thief (Unlimited), and Assassin (.

Ability Score Bonuses and Minimums: A Tiefling gains +1 to Dexterity and -1 to Charisma.  He needs a minimum Dexterity of 8, Intelligence of 6, and 3 in all other ability scores.

Languages: A Tiefling begins play speaking Common, and can learn any additional languages (except for secret ones, such as the alignment languages).

Traits:

Fire Resistance: A Tiefling subtracts (5 + Hit Dice) points of damage from fire-based attacks dealt against him, to a minimum of 0 points (unaffected).

Infravision up to 60'.

Darkness: Once  per day, a Tiefling can cast Darkness 15' Radius (as the 2nd level Magic-User Spell), with an effective Magic-User level equal to his total levels in classes.  He can cast this spell even while wearing armor.

Infernal Wrath: A Tiefling gains a +1 bonus on to-hit rolls against opponents with 50% or less of their total hit points.

Racial Modifications for a Tiefling Thief: +10% Hide in Shadows, +5 Move Silently, +5% Pick Pockets, unmodified to everything else.

Age: There's no information known in 4th Edition, but in 3rd Edition they age at roughly the same rate as humans.

Personal Notes: In 3rd Edition, Tieflings could invoke magical darkness, an ability they lost in 4th Edition.  Instead they gained Infernal Wrath.  I decided to take the best of both worlds for this conversion.

Quote from: Melan;623031How does this differ from Ape, Carnivorous from the 1e MM (except for size and damage)?

It uses PCs as projectiles!

Point taken. Although, I would say, using crap as projectiles would be more old school.

I'll save that for the skunk ape, giant.

The 3E Warlock is interesting in how it emulates the antagonist from many 80-90s horror movies.

If I convert it, I'd probably use it as a "monster" in my games.

Warlocks are a bit hard to convert given that resource use is more critical and evocation-type effects are more powerful in earlier editions but here's a go....
 
Warlock
Ability requirements: Cha 15+
Races: all standard, except elf or half-orc
Alignment: any non-good
Weapon and armour: as thief
Experience: as thief
Attack rolls: as thief
Saves: as wizard
NWP Crossover: Rogue, Wizard, General
WPs initially: 1
Non-proficiency penalty: -3
Hit dice: d4, starting with 2d4 at 1st level (plus double Con bonuses); to a maximum of 10d4 at 9th level, with 2 hp per level beyond.
Multiclassing: substitute warlock for wizard in available multiclass combinations for demihumans. Dual-class warlocks are surprisingly common, using their original profession as cover for the most part (see below).
(edit to add: also starting NWP slots 4, +1 slot /4 levels --since it uses the thief xp table, 1 slot per 4 levels rather than per 3 balances the faster progression)
 
 
Class features:
1st level - Eldritch Blast, Dark Pact, Spell-like abilities
3rd level - Hideous Blow
10th level - Deceive Item
 
Dark Pact: warlocks cannot be brought back to life with Raise Dead. A resurrection returns the character to life - but choose a new class and return to 1st level. A character swearing a dark pact in-game to a devil or the like may dual-class to warlock, raising their Charisma to the minimum required and sacrificing the difference in Wisdom.
 
Warlocks cannot have henchmen or hirelings that are non-evil in nature, and they forfeit the normal bonuses on reactions and loyalty for their Charisma scores, should their actual nature be known.
 
Eldritch blast: the warlock can fire blasts of energy twice per round (equivalent to a ranged weapon with ROF 2), with range equivalent to a chakram, for 1-6 points of damage. Dexterity modifier applies to attack rolls (vs. the targets normal AC), and the warlock's Charisma modifier applies to damage (use the Strength table; a warlock with 18 Charisma may also roll d100 for extraordinary Charisma i.e. 18/01 to 18/00). Eldritch blast has a speed factor of 3 (if using 2E speed rules) and is susceptible to spell disruption and magic resistance normally. No save applies against the damage.
 
Hideous Blow: at 3rd level the characters blast gains a +1 to hit and damage, as if it were a +1 weapon. This increases by another +1 each 3 additional levels, to a maximum of +6 at 18th level. The warlock can also channel their blast through a melee weapon, granting it the equivalent enchantment bonus.
 
Deceive Item: a 10th level warlock can use scrolls as a thief can (including chance of item malfunction), as well as using the class-specific magical items of wizards, priests, and thieves.
 
Spell-like abilities: the warlock gains spell-like abilities at the usual 3E rate (1 each 2 levels) using the standard warlock spell list for 3E. Convert descriptions as needed. Secondary eldritch blast effects allow saves vs. spell to negate (or breath weapon, for area bursts).

I'd just like to say that I made a mistake in the monster entries.  When I referred to "rounds," I meant "melee turns."  I'm still used to a round being 6 seconds in newer terminology, so I accidentally did that.  Now I changed references to melee turns.  Sorry for the confusion!

I've long entertained the idea of reskinning the Sha'ir (genie-binder) class from AD&D 2e Al-Qadim as an OSR-friendly Warlock.

I'll post something if I can find my copy of AQ.

1st Edition AD&D: The Spellthief (Thief subclass)

"I stole your underling's magic when I stabbed him; that's why you can't complete the ritual now."



*From 3rd Edition Complete Adventurer

Requirements: Dexterity 13+, Charisma 15+, and Intelligence 9+.  A Spellthief with at least 15 in all three scores gains a +10% bonus to all earned experience.

Hit Points, Combat: As Thief.

Saving Throws: As Magic-User.

Experience Points: As Cleric.

Weapon Proficiency: As Thief.

Special Abilities:

Class Features:

1st: Backstab, Thief primary functions, Steal Spell

6th: Spellcasting

7th: Absorb Spell

15th: Steal Magic Resistance

A Spellthief gains Thief functions (Pick Pocket, Open Locks, etc) as a Thief of the same level, and Backstabs as a Thief 2 levels lower (double damage at 1-6, triple at 7-10, quadruple at 11-14, quintuple at 15+).

Steal Spell: Whenever a Spellthief is capable of doing a Backstab against his opponent, he can decrease the damage multiplier (to a minimum of x1) in exchange for the opportunity to steal a spell from the opponent.  If the target is willing, all the spellthief has to do is merely touch the target to take a spell.  The target loses one 1st-level spell from memory, or the ability to cast that spell for one minute if the target can use the spell an unlimited number of times (in the case of some monsters).

The Spellthief can choose which spell to steal if he knows the target has the spell, otherwise the DM chooses randomly.  If the target has no spells prepared, then Steal Spell has no effect.

After stealing a spell, a spellthief can cast the spell himself on a subsequent melee turn.  Treat the spell as if it were cast by the original owner of the spell for the purpose of determining effects by level and so forth. The spellthief must supply the same components (material components, casting time, XP, and so forth) required for the stolen spell.  A spellthief must cast a stolen spell (or use its energy to cast one of his own spells) within 1 hour of stealing it; otherwise, the extra spell energy fades harmlessly away.

As a spellthief gains levels, he can choose to steal higher-level spells. At 4th level, he can steal spells of up to 2nd level, and for every two levels gained after 4th, the maximum spell level stolen increases by one (up to a maximum of 9th-level spells at 18th level).

At any one time, a spellthief can possess a maximum number of stolen spell levels equal to his class level. For instance, a 4th-level spellthief can have two stolen 2nd-level spells, or one 2nd-level spell and two 1st-level spells. If he steals a spell that would cause him to exceed this limit, he must choose to lose stolen spells sufficient to reduce his total number of stolen spell levels to no more than his maximum.

Spellcasting: At 6th level, a spellthief learns how to cast spells as a Magic-User would.  The spellthief can cast spells in any armor he can use with his Thief primary functions.

Level: Spells Per Day (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level spells)

6th-9th: 1/0/0/0
10th-11th:1/1/0/0
12th-13th:1/1/1/0
14th:2/1/1/0
15th:2/1/1/1
16th:2/2/1/1
17th:2/2/2/1
18th:3/2/2/1
19th:3/3/3/2
20th:3/3/3/3

Absorb Spell: At 7th level, if a spellthief successfully saves against any spell which targets him specifically (not area of effect spells), he can attempt to absorb the spell energy for later use.  To absorb the spell, he must succeed on a percentile roll (50%, plus 5% for each level after 7th, maximum of 90%).  Failure indicates that he fails to absorb the spell; success indicates that he absorbs the spell as though he took it with the Steal Spell ability.  His normal limit of total spell levels stolen still applies.

Steal Magic Resistance: At 15th level, whenever an opponent would be subjected to a Backstab, a spellthief can lower the multiple by 2 to temporarily steal a creature's magic resistance.  The magic resistance is lowered by 15%, while the spellthief gains magic resistance of 15%.  If the creature is willing, all the spellthief must do is touch it.  The magic resistance persists for 4 melee turns before returning to the original creature.  A spellthief cannot lower the creature's magic resistance further with additional attacks, but he can steal it again once it returns.

Note:  Does anybody know how to generate tables with this forum code?  The ad hoc table for Spells above is fine, but it's something I'd like to know how to do in the future.

AD&D 1st Edition Conversion of Drow

"I'm only your ally for as long as it's advantageous to me.  What, you asked for my honest opinion!"



*From 4th Edition Monster Manual

I know that Drow PCs are an option in Unearthed Arcana, but they're too powerful for many players' tastes.  In 3rd Edition, they had a crippling Level Adjustment which actually made them weak, fragile, and poor spellcasters.  4th Edition did the best job of balancing things out.

Classes: A character of the Drow Race can be a Cleric (7), Fighter (7), Magic-User (, Illusionist (, Thief (Unlimited), and Assassin (9).

Ability Score Bonuses and Minimums: A Drow gains +1 Dexterity and -1 Constitution.  Their ability minimums are 8 in Dexterity and Charisma, 6 in Constitution, 3 in Strength and Wisdom, and 6 in Constitution.

Languages: Drow begin play speaking Common and Elven, and can learn Bugbear, Dwarven, Gnoll, Goblin, and Orc.

Traits:

Resistances: Drow have a 90% resistance to sleep and charm spells.

Weapons Training: Drow receive a +1 on to-hit rolls when using a dagger, sword (short), and crossbows of all kinds.

Infravision up to 60'.

Light Blindness: A Drow in conditions of natural daylight or equivalent illumination suffer a -1 penalty on to-hit rolls, Armor Class, and Saving Throws.  This effect ends when they enter an area of sufficient darkness.  In some campaign settings (such as Forgotten Realms), Drow who live on the surface world for a long enough time (usually months) can acclimate to the environment and lose this weakness.  However, their infravision ability is reduced to 30' due to long-term adjustment to the lighting conditions.

Drow Magic: Once per day a Drow can cast Darkness 15' radius as the 2nd-level Magic-User spell of the same name, with an effective Magic-User level as his total levels in classes.  The exception is that the Drow can cast this spell while wearing armor.

Once per day the Drow can cast Faerie Fire as the 1st level Druid spell of the same name, with an effective Druid level as his total levels in classes.  The exception is that the Drow can cast this spell while wearing metal armor.

Racial Modifications for a Drow Thief: Hide in Shadows +5%, Move Silently +10%, Hear Noise +5%, and Climb Walls -5%.  Everything else is unmodified.

Age: Drow age at the same rate as Elves.

Notes: The Cloud of Darkness and Darkfire abilities of the 4th Edition Drow are pretty much re-skinned Darkness and Faerie Fire spells, so I just let them keep them.

Quote from: Libertad;6229971st Edition AD&D Conversion, Warforged Race

Quote from: Libertad;6231101st Edition AD&D Conversion of Dragonborn Race

Quote from: Libertad;6231111st Edition AD&D Conversion of Tiefling Race

Quote from: Libertad;623291AD&D 1st Edition Conversion of Drow

...You are glorious.
Thank you from the bottom of my greasy Eberron/PoLand-loving soul.

I don't suppose you want to do Changelings, Shifters, or Kalashtar? If you're not up to it I could try my hand. I also have some thoughts about Warlords and Warlocks, but I'll defer for the moment 'cause I don't want to step on Bloody Stupid Johnson's and Planet Algol's toes.