DFRPG running D&D 5e starting adventures

[restlessgriffin]

Anyone tried running any of the D&D 5e adventurs using DFRPG? Especially using rough conversions of the starting 1st level characters. By this I mean replacing skills and advantages by the nearest DFRPg equivalents, SO NOT trying to do a direct conversion,

The D&D 5e adventures I'm referring to in particular are from the starter set or Essentials Kit.

• Lost Mines of Phandelver
• Dragon of Icespire Peak
• Dragons of Stormwreck Isles

I'm thinking it might be interesting to run a Forgotten Realms campaign starting with Stormwreck Isle and then running a combined Phandelin adventures combining Lost Mines of Phandelver and Dragons of Icespire Peak.

There are tons of DM guides on YouTube dealing with these adventures.

[Isosceles]

I occasionally think about picking up some of these 5E adventure books for the background and setup, then I read the Alexandrian reviews about why most of them seem deeply flawed and need serious rejiggering and I just don't bother.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by restlessgriffin

Anyone tried running any of the D&D 5e adventurs using DFRPG?

I have run AD&D adventures using GURPS. You can do it, but it's a bunch of work because fights that make sense in D&D don't make any sense in GURPS, the systems just scale differently.

[corwyn]

I'll be running "March of the Phantom Brigade", a 4e adventure, for 62 pt delvers using Delvers to grow in the near future. I am finding that it's a bit easier converting at that level.

[sjmdw45]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I have run AD&D adventures using GURPS. You can do it, but it's a bunch of work because fights that make sense in D&D don't make any sense in GURPS, the systems just scale differently.

DFRPG/GURPS fights also don't scale with "level" or anything like it. (A)D&D can predict that a fight between four fire giants and six 9th level PCs is "appropriate for 9th level" in that it will probably result in the giants running out of HP before the PCs do. But in DFRPG the fight's outcome depends less on total points than on how well monster vulnerabilities match up to PC specializations and vice versa: four mountain giants will be crushed by scouts and Throwing Art martial artists but will crush Zephya-style offensive spellcasters, with melee knights/barbarians/swashbucklers/etc. falling somewhere in between depending on tactics and weapons.

I don't think this makes AD&D adventures unusable though. It just puts more responsibility on the players to conduct threat assessment. I have Barrowmaze queued up to probably run sometime in the near future for 3-4 delvers. It looks like I'll need to DFRPGify it by adding more traps and converting treasure, but the monsters should convert straightforwardly. I may have more to say after I actually (maybe) run it. (I'm still a little on the fence but it has a good reputation.)

[restlessgriffin]

Originally Posted by Isosceles

I occasionally think about picking up some of these 5E adventure books for the background and setup, then I read the Alexandrian reviews about why most of them seem deeply flawed and need serious rejiggering and I just don't bother.

The difference on these is they've already been used by lots of DMs and they've got lots of advice on running them and reworking them. Obviously this is for 5e, but I'd think it wouldn't be too hard adapting for GURPS DFRPG. There are tons of YouTube videos on running LMOP and Dragon of Icespire Peak. The newest adventure Stormwreck Isle only has a few videos, but the advice seems sound.

Armed with DFRPG and the Nordland Bestiary as well as Adventures Guide to Swordcoast, it seems reasonable. I really like having a detailed background and fully fleshed out town setting.

[Dalin]

I've been running D&D stuff (all editions) in GURPS (3e, 4e, DFRPG) since the '90s. For light games I hardly do any prep, just adjust things on the fly. For more serious campaigns, I'll do a bit more work thinking about the encounters and adjusting things, but it works pretty easily. With DFRPG's growing supply of monsters (I'm looking at you, Ovinabokin), I usually just swap D&D baddies with similar creatures from GURPS.

Of the three adventures you mentioned, I've only done bits of Phandelver. Indeed, I started running it with D&D and convinced my players to switch to DFRPG because I find GURPS more fun to play. Of the 5e stuff out there, I've run bits of Candlekeep Mysteries, Saltmarsh, Yawning Portal, and Rime of the Frostmaiden in the past few years. Further back, I had a lot of fun running the Pharoah series with GURPS 3e.

[corwyn]

Originally Posted by Dalin

I've been running D&D stuff (all editions) in GURPS (3e, 4e, DFRPG) since the '90s. For light games I hardly do any prep, just adjust things on the fly. For more serious campaigns, I'll do a bit more work thinking about the encounters and adjusting things, but it works pretty easily. With DFRPG's growing supply of monsters (I'm looking at you, Ovinabokin), I usually just swap D&D baddies with similar creatures from GURPS.

Of the three adventures you mentioned, I've only done bits of Phandelver. Indeed, I started running it with D&D and convinced my players to switch to DFRPG because I find GURPS more fun to play. Of the 5e stuff out there, I've run bits of Candlekeep Mysteries, Saltmarsh, Yawning Portal, and Rime of the Frostmaiden in the past few years. Further back, I had a lot of fun running the Pharoah series with GURPS 3e.

For Phandelver, what pt cost did you use, and how did you handle the dragon?

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by corwyn

For Phandelver, what pt cost did you use, and how did you handle the dragon?

This was right when DFRPG first came out, so we went with standard 250-point templates with some modifications to make them fit the background of the D&D characters that they had been playing. There was a power jump for them, but they weren't particularly optimal builds, and I beefed up encounters a bit to compensate.

I think the dragon was a small poison breather (Monsters, p. 22). The party got some buffs from the druid, but with the dragon's aerial superiority, it was looking grim for the PCs. Then the scout rolled a critical arrow to the eye, causing a major wound that knocked it from the sky. (If they weren't sold on GURPS by then, that did it!)

After that, they departed from the storyline pretty dramatically, rebuilding Thundertree, getting involved in intrigue in Neverwinter, and somehow inserting the Sunless Citadel adventure.

[restlessgriffin]

Originally Posted by sjmdw45

DFRPG/GURPS fights also don't scale with "level" or anything like it. (A)D&D can predict that a fight between four fire giants and six 9th level PCs is "appropriate for 9th level" in that it will probably result in the giants running out of HP before the PCs do. But in DFRPG the fight's outcome depends less on total points than on how well monster vulnerabilities match up to PC specializations and vice versa: four mountain giants will be crushed by scouts and Throwing Art martial artists but will crush Zephya-style offensive spellcasters, with melee knights/barbarians/swashbucklers/etc. falling somewhere in between depending on tactics and weapons.

OK. I would use the Fire Giants from the Nordland Bestiary, Jötun, Fire Giant (Gaming Ballistic). I don't think a party would survive even one encounter without Water and/or ice magic! I have no idea what 9th level would be for DFRPG. I'd say it will definitely matter how well PCs are skilled, equipped, and prepared. A Wizard would need lots of anti-fire, ice, and water magic. A Scout would need enchanted bow and/or arrows -- especially fine and meteoric. Aim for eyes and maybe neck, mouth. As for a Thief, unless equipped with magic traps and enchanted weapons, I'm not sure they'd help a lot. Clerics would need to buff other characters. I'm not sure of warrior types could engage without lots of anti- fire gear. They'd needed to strike at legs, maybe targeting Achilles, knees, etc.

Maybe outdoors a Druid could cause a storm or blizzard.

I don't think this makes AD&D adventures unusable though. It just puts more responsibility on the players to conduct threat assessment.

GM also needs to make sure to provide some insight and use any PC expertise in areas like Hidden Lore, to clue the players in.