09-27-2021, 09:27 AM | #11 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Seattle, WA USA
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
Nope, that was AD&D. The other D&D lineage used a scale of AC going from 9 as "no armor", 7 as "leather/light armor", 5 as "chain/medium armor", and 3 as "plate/heavy armor", with a shield providing a one-point AC benefit.
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09-27-2021, 09:37 AM | #12 | |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Central Europe
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
In D&D THACO improves automatically with Hit Dice, in GURPS I would assign skill levels based on what seems plausible. A giant might not have higher Melee Weapons skill than an orc, but a Wight or Wraith probably does.
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I would be inclined to convert magic item bonuses at +1:+1 and stat out monsters ad hoc using Dungeon Fantasy stats and armour stats as a guideline. Something with AC 3 might have DR 5-7 if it seems 'thick skinned.' Armour Class in old-school D&D does not correspond to a single concept in GURPS.
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09-27-2021, 10:24 AM | #13 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
But not on a one for one scale for all classes. Fighters and monsters improved THACO by1 with every level/hit die. The other classes had different and slower improvement schemes.
Really, direct numeric conversions should probably be avoided. The differences in basic and underlying theory will distort those sorts of numbers and game balance (even no more than D&D had) will not automaticaly transfer..
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09-27-2021, 11:03 AM | #14 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
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Basic had fighters getting -2 per 3 levels, clerics getting -2 per 4 levels, and magic users getting -2 per 5 levels. This may have been different in the first version of B/X, as there were quite a few changes between that and the later edition.
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09-27-2021, 02:20 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
AC doesn't convert well using simple formulas. In GURPS terms it represents a combination of DR, DB, Active Defences, a factor which roughly means "more HD = more powerful = better AC", and more esoteric things such as Homogenous, Damage Reduction and so on.
Like most D&D conversions, translate the flavour, don't try to map using an objective formulaic standard. For people that wear armour, just use the armour. For monsters, I tend to eyeball it. A primitive Ogre will have a couple of levels of DR (Tough Skin) and smelly Furs or Leather for DR 4 on the Torso and 2 elsewhere. A small to medium Dragon will have equivalent of Platemail, so DR 6 or 7 with Nictating Membrane (DR 1) on the eyes. A spirit doesn't have DR, it has Insubstantial and requires special measures to attack. A Quickling (small hyperspeed fae) doesn't have DR, it has Enhanced Time Sense, Altered Time Rate and Enhanced Dodge. An Iron Golem has DR 7 similar to Platemail, but also Homogenous. And so on. |
09-28-2021, 03:56 AM | #16 | |
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
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The combat systems are just too different for such a conversion to be worth the time and actually work. Even in modern D&D a combat "turn" is 6 GURPS combat turns and if you are converting AD&D 1 you are looking at insanely long 1 minute ie 60 (!) GURPS combat turns The "doesn't convert via formula" is hammered home when you compare things that exist in both systems. Take Bear from the MM1e for example, it has either an AC of 6 or 7 and HD ranging from 3+3 to 6+6. But in GURPS all bears (Black, Grizzly, and Polar) all have Speed 6; Dodge 9 with HP 14-20. This why the step by step conversion of the D&D Lich to GURPS states "First, we forget about things like AC, HD, and HP and look at the basic concept of the monster. "
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09-28-2021, 04:11 AM | #17 | |
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
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Something with Unkillable 1 will stay down once you kill it but until then damage doesn't slow it down. Unkillable 2-3 (Lich, demons, etc) are even worse as they can come back and boy they are not going to be happy you "killed" them.
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09-28-2021, 10:37 AM | #18 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
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09-28-2021, 11:02 AM | #19 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
It's messier than this, at least in late editions, because there's the touch AC derivative. At least some hits (since everything is case-by-case) that only need to make contact rather than wound effectively are not hindered the presence of armor. One might infer that more conventional blows that would hit touch AC but don't hit against actual AC are hitting the target but failing to have an effect. (One might find places where that inference makes the fiction very confusing because everything is case-by-case and not every case is well thought through.)
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09-28-2021, 12:46 PM | #20 | |
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Re: How to convert AC in oldschool B/X dnd
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BD&D generally stands for Basic Dungeon & Dragons or more properly "Basic Dungeons and Dragons" which came after OD&D (1974) and saw several changes from 1977 to 1994 and is a very different beast than the D&D most people are familiar with. xD&D is shorthand for AD&D which is 1e and 2e. The "A" was dropped when 3e came out in 2000. So this is about versions of D&D that WoTC released rather than stuff they themselves came up with ie 20+ years old (1977-1999).
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