What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Just curious as to what conversions (not necessarily how the conversions were done) of "classic" AD&D (or even Basic D&D) modules to Dungeon Fantasy people have done *and* played, and how well these modules play using Dungeon Fantasy? I'm about to start "Against the Cult of the Reptile God" which should be fun.

(I could have just said conversion to GURPS, but playing old AD&D modules seems an obvious use of the Dungeon Fantasy line.)

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I'm running Keep on the Borderlands, moderately modified, right now. It's going well, but you have to expect goblinoid foes to die horribly, in droves, with little or no effect on the PCs.

1-3 level adventures aren't really challenges to 250 point DFers. But they can be if you accept that and beef them up.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I ran a rather successful DF version of Dwellers of the Forbidden City. What was supposed to be a quick 8 session game turned into 40+ sessions of awesome. I built it out quite a bit (as I suspect was the general idea way back when).

I actually want to try a conversion of Quagmire, too.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I have run Tomb of Horrors under DF, albeit the D&D 3e conversion; it wasn't hard to convert at all. Indeed, knowing a bit more now, I might have been able to convert some of the monsters on the fly, though I had converted them before the session.

I've been considering the A1-4 series (Slave Lords), or possibly its whole sequence (T1-4, A1-4, GDQ), though the Temple of Elemental Evil is too wussy for 250-point characters, as Peter said. (And Hommlet has way too many NPC stats, with no names! I mean, c'mon, Gary!)

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Actually, I generally adapt most of my old AD&D (and other games) modules into GURPS. I used to attempt straight-up conversions, but came to the conclusion that I much prefer the term "adaptation" as it better describes what I am doing. I don't adapt directly into full-blown Dungeon Fantasy, however, because I do not actually run that setting as-is.

I do have a few favorites among my collection of D&D and AD&D modules that I have adapted and run in one campaign or another:

• The Keep on the Borderlands
• The Isle of Dread
• Castle Amber
• The Village of Hommlet
• The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
• The Secret of Bone Hill
• Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
• The Rock of Bral
• The Mansion of Mad Professor Ludlow (from Dragon #42)
• Barnacus -- City in Peril (from Dragon #80)
• The City Beyond the Gate (from Dragon #100)

One of these days, I am going to get around to finishing my "big project" of adapting the entire T1-4/A1-4/GDQ1-7 arc so that it fits into my "Beyond World" GURPS Fantasy setting. I keep working on it here and there, but always get interrupted before I can get much done with it.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Are you aware of this magnificent product? http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=BLU27

After reading Goblin Hero, I'd love to launch a delve into those caverns with humanoid swarms rushing the PCs.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Yeah, it was a toss-up for between this and Against the Cult of the Reptile God...Dwellers will be next!

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I've run parts of the U series (starting with Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh) and A series (Against the Slave Lords) in GURPS, but not at Dungeon Fantasy level. In fact, I think 100 points may be too many for Saltmarsh, which is intended for 1st level DnD characters. -GEF

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I've GMed te Hackmaster Quest for the Unknown (a hackmaster adapted In Search of the Unknown, AKA B-1), and I'm currently GMing Die Vecna Die. Once they finish the first step, it wil be up to them if they follow into the Ravenloft part.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I have run:

• Forgotten Realms - Into the Dragon's Lair
• Forgotten Realms - Under Illefarn
• The Ruins of Undermountain
• Haunted Halls of Eveningstar
• Ruins of Myth Drannor
• Shadowdale

I'm running a Forgotten Realms campaign (using more FR AD&D books) with DF

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

In the 1990s I did a full conversion of T1-Village of Hommlet. Wrote up the entire module in GURPS terms even laid it out in Pagemaker. Did the characters in MakeChar. I still have the files around.

I did less detailed coversion of L1-Secret of Bone Hill. For this I can post the entire document for folks to use, it just has some notes and converted stats.

I used other D&D modules but I converted them on the fly using my stock NPCs/Monster roster.

I will dig around tonight and see what I can post.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

If you are running it as a hack-and-slash adventure, you are right. The trick is to balance it so that the PCs are constantly on edge...they are supposed to be exploring a haunted house, so I always tended to play that part of it up.

I tend to set the adventure in the 1890's along the coast of Wales...with the subsequent adventures being set on the east coast of Africa and then off the coast of Madagascar.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Still sorting through my notes but here is a map I did of Restenford for L1.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mFjy4EWzmt...Restenford.jpg

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Rasputin started this ball rolling a while back:

White Plume MOuntain
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...plume+mountain

I did a 'by the percentages' conversion of 1e Tomb of Horrors
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=76221

I didnt get to do the monsters (Real Life keeps giving me fits) But there arent that many in there to begin with.

There are bound to be others done here, I just cant seem to track em all down.

Nymdok

p.s. Im of a mind to do a conversion of Castle Amber. That module was weird, but a heckuva lotta fun as I recall. If anyone has a GURPS conversion, Id love to hear about it.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I ran White Plume Mountain? You're right! I did. I had only crunched the numbers for Tomb of Horrors.

Doh!

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I wasn't. $1.95 is tempting, but my players have already sacked about half the place already, and I've modified it myself - so this product's mods would clash. So it's a little late for something I can't use again . . . but it looks cool.


But back on the original topic, I've run a lot more than B2 with GURPS. I just haven't done it with DF. I've run so many D&D modules or bits of them with GURPS I couldn't list them all. I just can't vouch for how they run with GURPS Dungeon Fantasy.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Probably the characters will have a lot more "endurance". Anytime I played or refereed going into a D&D module with 150 pt GURPS Characters it was pretty much a matter of dealing with a room, healing, resting, and then dealing with the next room, rinse, repeat.

Needless to say, there a premium put on stealth tactics. And because GURPS combat was more detailed and realistic than AD&D made it possible to one shot kill many things (but not all). There was a lot of investment in healing potions to get out of a fubar situation.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

AD&D to Gurps 4ed, i've run:

Menzoberranzan Box Set
Ruins of Myth Drannor Box set
Ravenloft Box set
When black roses bloom adventure
Van Richten guide to Vampire
Mystara's Night of the Vampire
Labyrinth of Madness
Planescape box Set

All of them are played with DF.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

*nods* In my experience, most D&D and AD&D modules just aren't designed to handle a 250-point GURPS Dungeon Fantasy character build, much less an entire party of them...not without beefing them up to the point that they start looking like the guy in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie who drank an entire flask of Jekyll's serum. If I were to try running one using DF, I would probably use 150-point characters from Eric B Smith's Dungeon Fantasy on the Cheap.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Dpends on the party size. I think I had two players and an accompanying NPC for White Plume Mountain, but obviously my memory isn't the best for that stuff. D&D modules expect at least four players, even five, making them even better to run under DF, given the group sizes that adults with responsibilities can muster.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

And the level of the adventure. 250 point DFs can wax most humanoids in bunches with no problems, but critical hits, surprise, bad rolls, massed attacks, etc., can help a lot. And in higher level adventures, just remember that skill is also part of AD&D monster's stat (HD go up, and HP and to hit go up together) so scale that up too.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Neat idea. I think it would play even better, come to think of it, without lizard men. Might be a suspenseful but realistic game, might be a non-supernatural set-up for Horror, or Cosmic Horror.

GEF

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

As always, I must point out that the point value doesnt matter. Its only useful for defining the options that the charachters have available and the charachters relative to each other.

If you scale the challenges up to the point where Orcs are worthy for 250 point adventurers then they are functionally 'level one' (to use that arcane designation). Its not abut point values, its how capable they are in the world that determines their 'level'.

There really is no good reason that brand new 250 point DF guys couldnt have a great time in the Original Keep on the Borderlands and then progress on to much higher point values and plunge through Ravenloft or the Lost tomb of martek or even the G series.

I only say this because I spent alot of time trying to figure out what level one meant in gurps point values. I realized that it didnt matter. They are completely disjoint concepts that are only tied together by interpretation, not math. Again, if a single goblin is giving you fits, your level one. If your kicking flaming snot right out of a dragon, your probably level 10 (or so).

That said, I started my DF group on a slightly lower point budget but have torn well through a few of the 'pocket' modules that we could DL for free from WOTCs website. I chose to use the lower point values so that they could feel like options were opening up and becoming available to them. That they were getting stronger relative to certain creatures in the environment. That they were 'leveling up'. Its worth noting thought that DF already provides 'next level' sorts of options that will soak up points for a long long time.

Nymdok

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Okay, so points don't matter, but:

...but they do matter, because you have to scale up the fodder to worthy by giving the fodder more points to make them tougher.

I catch your meaning but you're undermining it a bit here - because 250 points gives you a lot of options that are all pretty kick-ass (starting mages with Magery 6, Weapon Masters with ST 17 and Skill 20+, 20+ HP in easy reach of several combat templates, etc.) DF guys are meant to chop up orcs in bunches, and if you re-scale that it doesn't make much sense to me - better to drop the PCs point values than to make their "starter" opponents into really tough guys.

For what it's worth, I'm running a party through B2 right now, and they're having a blast. But the fodder opponents are still fodder. I didn't see any reason to cheapen the PC's 250+50+5 by making orcs one-on-one tough opponents. They're meant to be fodder, IMO, and DF characters are meant to be tough. I made the tough monsters tougher, but the fodder still die hard even when they fight well and use smart tactics . . . because 250 point guys aren't neophytes with low HP like 1st level D&D characters are.

Level doesn't translate to points, that's true.

But fodder-filled AD&D adventures will amount to so much fodder carrying treasure in DF. If you keep them as fodder, that is. If you juice them up, no, but it feels lame to say, here, make a 250-point guy, but unless you outnumber the orcs expect to die. Who wants that? I don't want to get 250 points but then have the orcs scaled up. I want 250 points and then have the zombie vampire lich-trolls scaled up.

You're not wrong that it's how you distribute the points, but it's hard to follow the DF templates and end up with knights who can't kick butt, barbarians who suck at outdoors stuff, thieves who can't steal people blind, etc. Most of the DF skills my DF PCs have are at the template default levels, and they are pretty good. "Oh, hey, I *do* have Survival, at a 15. Sweet! I make it by 5." That kind of thing. The knight does 3d+8 with the Thrusting Greatsword he started with; orcs aren't a big deal.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Agreed - not much fun to have a 250 pt character get whupped one on one with an Orc. Makes you wonder how normal people stay alive.

I know it's said you really can't compare levels and points but I think you can make a pretty good case 1st level old school D&D characters are about 75-100 points. The range for "Competent" is 50-75 and I figure a 0 level man at arms is about at that level. That means a 1st level fighter or similar character should be at least a notch above that, so around 75-100 points. Then the question is how much each level above is worth.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

Good point – and I'm definitely using the 150 point limit for Against the Cult of the Reptile God, but allowing the unrealistic DF options.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I kept both the lizard men and the sahuagin...although in my game, they were actually both groups of Nommo (from Atomic Horror) engaged in a bitter civil war. The sahuagin fortress, incidentally, was being built on the site of the sunken ruins of what had once been Libertatia.

I still use Nommo -- and the "Nommo Civil War" -- in my games.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

The module I am most interested in seeing converted is Return to the Keep on the Borderlands, not the original - because Return is very cool for roleplaying and dynamic encounters.

Anyone done anything with that?

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

My wife and I are working on a full conversion for the Dragonlance Chronicles. it's been about 9 months of work so far, but we're mostly done with the system parts.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I accept that I interpret it very differently than I think it was intended, and I also accept that ADD was by no means the only influence in the development of DF. Kromm has stated that the 250 templates are meant to be accomplished adventurers and have a bit of swagger to them. (Sorry I cant find the citation). I merely put forth the notion that this need not be the case for any reason.

Regardless of what the options are available to them at the 250 point level, I dont think its impossible to come up with challenges that will be suitable for them, it simply means that those options must be considered, and apporpriate modifiers, counter options, and other measures must be in place. This is true for any point level and any adventure though isnt it? It doesnt really matter much if you call it an orc or a dire whatnot or an Ogre Magi. It doesnt really matter if its at a -1, -5 or -10 modifier for a skill check.

I know that this is a bit wide of the RAW that states that -10 oughta be ridiculously impossible, and that skills in excess of 18 are experts. For me, the modifiers and skill levels are just numbers that help me get the odds of success that I want.

I still havent proven this idea out completely first hand, were still building up our DF party, but its going swimmingly so far.

Nymdok

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

I would say that the name is very important. "My 250 point knight weapon master got killed by two orcs" is very different than ". . . by two giants with flaming swords." Even if you could conceivably make orcs so tough they compare to those giants, the feeling is different. I like watch my DFers wade through 20+ orcs and think the real problem was providing insufficient cover to their two NPC flunkies, not being outnumbered by better than 4-1 and surrounded. That way when they fight tough monsters, like the minotaur they faced, they know the monster is tough because they know they are tough. It's lame to be 250 points and get killed by Giant Rats because the GM made Giant Rats really tough, instead of getting killed by Ravenous Giant Devil Rats, whose vampiric and disease-ridden bite punches though armor like butter and who radiate cosmic evil damage.

Enjoy it, it's extremely fun - and good luck with it, as well.

Re: What conversions of "classic" AD&D modules to Dungeon Fantasy have you done?
 

"... by two dire orc naginata masters with poisoned adamantine blades."