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3E Conversions

This page contains conversion guidelines for Mystara campaigns.  It provides step-by-step explanations on how you may convert pre-existing 0E D&D characters (PCs and NPCs) into 3E in a way that is consistent with the specifics of the Mystara-3E Conversion Project.

We will eventually also include completed conversions, covering several of the more prominent NPCs found throughout the Mystara campaign settings and many adventure modules that are explicitly set or commonly believed to be located somewhere in Mystara.  All conversions will be based on these guidelines and will be compliant with the "ESD Conversion Agreement" [d20-ESD]

Quick Links into this file

Conversion Guidelines

This section includes a standard, step by step process for converting any existing 0E D&D Character into a 3E D&D character compatible with a Mystara-3E campaign.  It includes detailed steps for each of the following:

  1. Review Mystara-3E Race Details
  2. Calculating 3E Character Level
  3. Determining 3E Character Classes and Class Levels
  4. Assigning 3E Skill Points {still under construction}
  5. Selecting 3E Feats {still under construction}

We have assumed that Mystaran characters from 2E D&D sources will be converted using the standard 2E D&D to 3E D&D conversion guidelines. 

Step 1: Review Mystara-3E Race Details

The first step in the conversion process is to ensure that you are familiar with the details of the Mystara-3E version of the character's race.  The Mystara-3E conversion uses Mystaran sub-races for most standard 3E character races and also provides 3E version of races that are unique to the Mystaran settings.  You can click the following links to access the information for each of the four core races found in 0E D&D sources.  Racial information available for additional races can be obtained by visiting the Races of Mystara page.

Step 2: Calculate 3E Character Level

Because humans in 0E could only advance in a single class and non-human races were treated as if their race was their class, the process to determine your character's effective 3E character level differ slightly depending on his race.

2A: Human Character Level

If the 0E character is a human, his a 3E character level depends on his 0E class level, as described in the following paragraphs, with the exception of those with the Forester class from the Dawn of the Emperors boxed set [DotE]. From a game mechanics point of view, human Foresters are identical to elves and must use the same rules as an elf  when his effective 3E character level is calculated—see Section 2B.iii: Elf Character Level, below.

For the first 14 levels, the human character's 3E character level is identical to his 0E class level, so a 0E character that is a 10th level magic user converts to a 10th-level character in 3E.

After 14th level, the human character's 3E character level rises by one level for every two additional 0E levels, rounded down, so a 0E character that is a 21st-level thief converts to a 17th-level character in 3E (14 levels from the first 14 class levels plus three levels from the following seven class levels).

We have included Table C1: 0E Class Level to Effective 3E Character Level as an aid to help you when converting your 0E human characters.  Simply refer to the table to see which effective 3E Character level your 0E human's Class level converts to.

2B: Demihuman Character Level

If the 0E character is a demihuman race, the basic methodology is to determine what their effective character level would be if they were a 0E human character and then map the result of that to an effective 3E character level using Table C1.

2B.i: Halfling Character Level

In standard 0E D&D, the halfling race was able to reach 8th level, at which point they were also granted "Attack Rank A".  Beyond that point, as they gained experience they continued to improve their abilities by obtaining additional Attack Ranks, lettered from B through K.

A halfling gains her first eight levels at a rate that more or less keeps her in line with her human companions, so the 8/A-level 0E halfling character is the equivalent of a 0E human with eight class levels.

The first two halfling Attack Ranks, B and C, are equal to three human class levels each, so the 8/C-level 0E halfling character is the equivalent of a 0E human with 14 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 14 character levels.

The remaining eight halfling Attack Ranks, D through K, are equal to two human class level each, so the 8/I-level 0E halfling character is the equivalent of a human with 26 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 20 character levels. 

We have included Table C2: 0E Halfling Level to Effective 0E Human Class Level and Effective 3E Character Level as an aid to help you when converting a 0E halfling characters.  Simply refer to the table to see what your 0E halfling character's effective 0E Human Class Level and her effective 3E Character Level are.

2B.ii: Dwarf Character Level

In standard 0E D&D, the dwarf race was able to reach 12th level, at which point they were also granted "Attack Rank C" (dwarves never receive attack ranks A or B).  Beyond that point, as they gained experience they continued to improve their abilities by obtaining additional Attack Ranks, lettered from D through M.

A dwarf gains his first 12 levels at a rate that more or less keeps him in line with his human companions, so the 12/C-level 0E dwarf character is the equivalent of a 0E human with 12 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 12 character levels.

All dwarf Attack Ranks, D through M, are equal to two human class levels. Therefore the 12/D-level 0E dwarf character is the equivalent of a 0E human with 14 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 14 character levels; and the 12/J-level 0E dwarf character is the equivalent of a 0E human with 26 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 20 character levels. 

We have included Table C3: 0E Dwarf Level to Effective 0E Human Class Level and Effective 3E Character Level as an aid to help you when converting a 0E dwarf characters.  Simply refer to the table to find out what your 0E dwarf character's effective 0E Human Class Level and effective 3E Character Level are.

2B.iii: Elf and Human Forester Character Level

In standard 0E D&D, the elf race was able to reach 10th level, at which point they were also granted "Attack Rank C" (elves never receive attack ranks A or B).  Beyond that point, as they gained experience they continued to improve their abilities by obtaining additional Attack Ranks, lettered from D through M.

A 0E D&D elf is effectively a multiclass Fighter/Magic User, with both combat and arcane magic skills. This combination of abilities results in a character that is slightly more powerful than other characters at similar levels, starting from first level.

To accommodate this difference in power, and also to allow converted characters to retain the same, or better, proficiencies with combat and arcane spellcasting, the first level 0E elf is considered to be the equivalent of a 0E human with 2 class levels, with one level each of the Fighter and Wizard classes (see .

For the remaining numbered levels, 2 through 10/C, the elf's effective 0E human class level increases by five levels for every four elf class levels.  To achieve this, the elf's effective human class levels are increased by one level for each additional elf level except every fourth additional level, levels 5 and 9, where her effective human class level is increased by two levels.  Thus, at 5th-level, the 0E elf character is the equivalent of a 0E human with 7 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 7 character levels; at 8th-level she is the equivalent of a 0E human with 10 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 10 character levels; and at 10/C-level she is the equivalent of a 0E human with 13 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 13 character levels.

All elf Attack Ranks, D through M, are equal to two human class levels.  Therefore the the 10/D-level 0E elf character is the equivalent of a 0E human with 14 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 14 character levels; and a 10/J-level 0E elf character is the equivalent of a 0E human with 27 class levels, which is, in turn, the equivalent of a 3E character with 20 character levels. 

We have included Table C4: 0E Elf Level to Effective 0E Human Class Level and Effective 3E Character Level as an aid to help you when converting a 0E elf characters.  Simply refer to the table to find out what your 0E elf character's effective 0E Human Class Level and her effective 3E Character Level are.

The Forester class is a variant class for 0E human characters, introduced in the Dawn of the Emperors boxed set [DotE].  This class allowed a human character who had been properly trained by and adopted into the Vyalia clan of wood elves to learn the way of the elf, including many of the secrets and skills typically reserved for the wood elf race. From a game mechanics point of view, human Foresters are identical to elves and must use the same guidelines when determining effective 3E character level.

Step 3: Determine 3E Classes and Class Levels

As you might expect, the process for determining a converted character's classes and class levels depends on the class or, because of the way 0E defines races, the race of the 0E character.

3A: Class Levels for "Single Class" 0E Classes

Many 0E characters are simply single classed characters.  These are generally the easiest characters to convert to 3E, as they simply become single-classed characters with a 3E class based on their 0E class (if they are human) or their race (if they are non-human).  Class levels are equal to their previously calculated 3E Character level.

3A.i: Human Class Levels

If the 0E character is a human with any of the following 0E D&D classes, he is effectively a "single class" character: Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User, Mystic, and Thief.  Each of these 0E classes has an obvious 3E counterpart:  the 0E Cleric and Fighter simply remain Clerics and Fighters, while the Magic User becomes a Wizard, the Mystic becomes a Monk, and the Thief becomes a Rogue.

Humans may also be members of the Forester class from the Dawn of the Emperors boxed set [DotE].  From a game mechanics point of view, human Foresters are identical to elves and must use the same rules as an elf when his 3E class levels are determined—see Section 3B.i: Elf and Human Forester Class Levels, below.

3A.ii: Dwarf and Halfling Class Levels

If the 0E character is a dwarf or halfling, she is effectively a "single class" 0E Fighter and thus converts into a 3E Fighter.

3B: Classes for "Multiclass" 0E Classes

There are some 0E races and classes in the source material for 0E D&D and the Mystara campaign settings, which gain class features of two "single class" classes combined into one.  These were generally balanced against other classes by having a slower XP progression.  The end result was that the character effectively progressed roughly like a two-class multiclass character in 1E or 2E D&D.

Unfortunately, despite the similarity to multiclassing from earlier D&D versions, as the character is actually progressing in just a single 0E class or race, there is no "one size fits all" class conversion so that each race or class that falls into this category must be addressed separately, in terms of which the 3E classes and what class levels they should have for each one.

3B.i Elf and Human Forester Class Levels

As mentioned above, in 0E standard elves are effectively 0E multiclass Fighter/Magic Users and, as you probably suspect, they convert to multiclass Fighter/Wizards. However, her class levels for each class do not increase at the same rate as her 3E Character level goes up. Specifically, a typical 0E elf character achieves 5th caster level upon becoming a 10/C-level elf, and then goes on to improve only her fighting skills as she achieves subsequent Attack Ranks.  (There is an exception to this rule, which the Treekeeper prestige class, once it has been defined, will cover in detail).

As a 0E 10/C-level elf character equates to a 0E human character level of 13, which in turn equates to 13th character level in 3E, it is necessary for an elf character to have obtained 9 Wizard levels by that point if we wish to maintain comparability in her caster-levels after she has been converted.  Beyond 13th character level she continues to gain only Fighter levels with each attack rank.  See Table C5: 0E Elf Character Converted 3E Class Level Progression for the complete elf class level progression.

The Forester class is a variant class for 0E human characters, introduced in the Dawn of the Emperors boxed set [DotE].  This class allowed a human character who had been properly trained by and adopted into the Vyalia clan of wood elves to learn the way of the elf, including many of the secrets and skills typically reserved for the wood elf race. From a game mechanics point of view, human Foresters are identical to elves and must use the same guidelines when determining class levels.

Step 4: Assigning 3E Skill Points

{TBD}

Step 5: Selecting 3E Feats

{TBD}

Completed Conversions

{All conversions in this section will conform to the conventions and specifications of the Mystara-3E Conversion Project and will comply with the "ESD Conversion Agreement"}

Prominent NPCs of Mystara

{This section will eventually link to conversions of notable Mystaran NPCs from the Gazetteers, Almanacs, &c.  These will be provided as an aid to DMs so that they do not have to convert such characters themselves.}

Adventures in Mystara

{This section will eventually link to conversions of adventure modules that are either explicitly set or commonly believed to be set in Mystara.}