Pathfinder to BF

[velkymx]

Can anyone recommend a good guide for doing the conversions from D&D 3.5/Pathfinder to Basic Fantasy?

[Dimirag]

I think the only file with conversion notes deals with monsters, what part are you trying to convert?

[dymondy2k]

That would be my guess..

[Togo Galthus]

I would recommend Chris Gonnerman's The Role-Playing Game Primer: and Old-School Playbook; there are a few pages about conversions there, but the rest is highly recommendable too, even if you have been playing for a while. I got my copy from Amazon.

[Solomoriah]

Thanks for the props, Togo, but I have to say, the statistics of everything in Pathfinder are much higher than the stats of comparable things in Old School games; there's more art to conversion in that direction than there is between the OSR rulebooks.

[SmootRK]

Thanks for the props, Togo, but I have to say, the statistics of everything in Pathfinder are much higher than the stats of comparable things in Old School games; there's more art to conversion in that direction than there is between the OSR rulebooks.

I do not recommend direct conversion for 3.x or higher edition creatures (or their clone counterparts), at least at median to higher level/power creatures. The conversion process is not very linear after a few levels; the math does not pan out well then. I have found the best methodology to use is to try to locate a 2e or lower edition version of the creature one has in mind (or nearest comparable creature), and then make efforts to convert from there... side effect of being more old-school as you do this.

Or better yet, as many creatures have roots in mythology, literature, etc.... is just to re-imagine from your source material without necessarily referencing those later editions or their clones. And of course to share these re-imagined materials with the BFRPG community... which makes our collective material more original, more interesting, and altogether better (in my mind) than efforts of 'copying'. This has been my stance on such efforts for a long time around here. Some ideas are great, but we make it even better by our originality while we produce material with our own brand of old school simplicity.

[Dreamakuma]

In my own quest to convert a monster ( A demilich) I agree with SmootRK. But I tackle it slightly differently. I get multiple Sources of the creature from Different editions. Seeing a 3.x Monsters AC helps me get my bearings as Thac0 seems to be a bit bothersome. I know I generally need to lower the AC from 3.x to BF. But seeing the abilities in an older edition such as AD&D help me on what the monster can/should do.

Hit dice is an estimated art. Make judgement calls when needed. I've been trying to learn the spirit in which the creature was made. If it's meant to be Nigh untouchable, I'm gonna keep it that way, if it's just meant to be tough, I may knock it's total HP down by keep the number of D8 right.

I may rename it, I may reinvent it. At this point My demilich just has an Immunity to magic, the soul suck, and a bite that causes Mummy rot. Just Be creative, it's 8/10's of what Dm's and players should do in an RPG.

[dymondy2k]

So what Smoot is saying.. and what I 100% agree on.. Keep the campaign setting but chuck the creatures and just find a BFRPG equivalent..