Greywulf's Lair

Last night I posted up an innocent question on Twitter: Splug versus Meepo. Who would win?

This is, after all, the battle we all want to see. Forget wars between gods. Forget good versus evil or angels against demons. The one we want to see is the battle between the iconic posterboys of Third and Fourth Edition D&D. Would Meepo’s plucky bravery win out against Splug’s tricks? Can a Kobold pwn a Goblin? Can the dragon-keeper of The Sunless Citadel beat The Keep on Shadowfell’s resident practical joker?

There was only one way to find out. Vote!

And vote, you did. Even @Wizard_DnD joined in, though wisely stayed neutral. It’s dangerous to offend either Kobolds or Goblins, after all.

In the end, votes were tallied and blood was spilled. The noise of battle cleared and the winner was……….

Meepo!

It was a close-fought thing to the end, though the Kobold was the last one standing. After the fight, perhaps they’d get together, unite and (in the words of @deadorcs):

I think they’d form an unholy alliance, building a society unmatched for the ages.

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I’ve said before that 1st level in 4e D&D is comparable to 4th level in 3rd Edition. So where’s that put it against Rules Cyclopedia-era Classic D&D? 6th level, that’s where. Here’s a straight head-to-head comparison between a 1st level (4e), 4th level (3e) and 6th level (uhhh…. 0.5e) character to see how the numbers stack up.

Just to make things interesting, the character who’s going to get a multi-edition make-over is a Human Wizard (err… Magic-User) generated straight from the Core Rules for each Edition. I’ve used 4e’s standard array (10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, adjusted for race and level) for all the characters and max Hit Points at 1st level. For the Rules Cyclopedia, both the Skills and Weapon Mastery systems are being used (‘cos they’re the bomb) and I’ve allowed bonus memorized spells for high INT (13-15 = +1 1st, 16-17 = +1 1st & 2nd, 18 = +1 1st, 2nd & 3rd).

I used the excellent Javascript Character Generator for 4e, the rather spiffy Redblade generator for 3e and hairy chested old school pen and paper for Classic D&D. Each character has equipment appropriate to his level.

First, let’s meet the victim.

Felonius Crumbb (with two Bs) is a portly, bookish Wizard with a fascination for the magic of forgotten Empires. Much as he’d rather do his research in a comfortable chair in front of a roaring fire, he accepts that field trips are essential, and (truth be told) quite enjoys the fresh air and chance to put his more explodey spells into practise. He has a habit of muttering to himself and poking dead things with the end of his staff.

Here’s his stats in 4e, 1st level.

Felonius Crumbb, Lawful Good Human Wizard-1
STR 10, CON 13, DEX 13, INT 16, WIS 12, CHA 14

HP 23, bloodied 11, surges 5×7/day
AC 14 (robes & staff), Fort 12, Ref 14, Will 15, Init +1

Dagger +3 vs AC, 1d4, Thrown +4 vs AC, 1d4+1
Quarterstaff +2 vs AC, 1d8
Ghost Sound/w, Light/w, Mage Hand/w, Prestidigitation/w
Cloud of Daggers/w +3 vs Ref, Magic Missile/w +3 vs Ref, Scorching Burst/w +3 vs Ref
Ray of Enfeeblement/e +3 vs Fort
Acid Arrow/d +3 vs Ref or Flaming Sphere/d +3 vs Ref

Arcana +8, History +11, Insight +6, Nature +6, Religion +8
Alchemist, Skill Focus (History)

Rituals: Brew Potion, Comprehend Language, Explorer’s Fire

…. and 3e, 4th level. (* denotes memorised spells)

Felonius Crumbb, Lawful Good Human Wizard-4
STR 10, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 17, WIS 13, CHA 15

HP 16, AC 13 (Ring of Protection+1, Cloak of Resistance +1), Init +2
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +6

Quarterstaff+1, +3, 1d6+1

Decipher Script +10, Diplomacy +4, Gather Information +4, KS:Arcana +10, KS:Geography +7, KS:History +10, KS:Local +6, KS:Nobility +10, Search +5, Spellcraft +14, Use Magic Devices +4
Common, Elven, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Common

Combat Casting, Investigator, Magical Aptitude, Scribe Scroll, Brew Potion, Summon Familiar

Spells 4/4/3
0: Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights*, Detect Magic**, Prestidigitation, Read Magic*
1: Color Spray, Mage Armor*, Magic Missile***
2: Hypnotic Pattern*, Web**

…. and Classic D&D, 6th level. (again, * denotes memorised spells)

Felonius Crumbb, Lawful Magic-User-6
STR 10, INT 16, WIS 13, DEX 14, CON 12, CHA 15

HP 17, AC 6 (Ring of Protection +2), THAC0 17
DR/P 11, MW 12, P/TtS 11, BA 14, R/S/S 12

KS:History+2 (18), Alchemy (16), Navigation (16), Mapping+1 (17)

Staff of Harming (Sk), A:+2, A:-1AC/2, Deflect(1), 1d6+2 or 2d6+3 (30 charges)
Dagger+1 (Sk), 15/25/35, H:+2, H:-1AC/1, d6+1

Spells 3/3/1
1: Magic Missile**, Light, Protection from Evil, Shield*
2: Web**, Entangle*, Knock
3: Fireball*

Broadly speaking, the three characters are comparable. The 3e and 4e characters have identical Hit Points and Armor Class, and the saving throws are within spitting distance of each other. The Classic D&D character, even at 6th level, has lower Hit Points (hey, it’s a Magic-User – what did you expect?), but a higher Armor Class, especially when armed with a Staff – the Weapon Mastery rules mean he’s AC 5 against the first two attacks in a round, and he’s pretty skilled at cracking skulls too. Nice. Each Edition’s Skill system makes it clear that this is a character who knows his ancient history with 3rd Edition winning out with it’s lovely granularity and 4e’s broader skillset feeling like a step backward in comparison.

When it comes to each character’s abilities in combat there’s little difference with each one more than able to hold it’s own. Where the 4e version has a multitude of at-will abilities, both the 3e and Classic characters have Magic Missiles as 1st level spells and Web ‘n’ Fireball covering the per Encounter and Daily bases. 4e’s Rituals pad out the 4e Wizard’s non-combat magical abilities.

In short, yeh, these characters are equivalent. 6 is 4 is 1, indeed.

What this means is simple. If you want to play a high-fantasy high-octane D&D game in the style of 4e but using the 3rd Edition rules, generate 4th level characters but set the XP at 0. When the players reach 1,000 XP allow them to gain another level, and continue from there.

If you want to play 4e-style in Classic D&D, generate 6th level characters, start at 0 XP and…. oh, I’m sure you get the idea. It also means that 4e’s 30 levels of play are comparable to Classic D&D’s 36 levels of play with the first 6 levels shaved off. If you want to know where D&D low-level play went to, that’s where.

Thoughts?

UPDATE: 3e Wizard corrected, as spotted by Oz. This puts the Hit Points lower than 4e (and Classic D&D too, but that’s the way the dice fall sometimes), but the rest of the class abilities remain comparable nonetheless. Good catch!

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Short answer: You don’t need to.

Long answer: There’s little need to convert monsters from Dungeons & Dragons to Mutants & Masterminds simply because 95% of the stat block information is the same, so just use it as-is, right off the page. Where there are differences in game terms (most notably the skill list), just use the one that you’re given. Work out the Toughness, Defense and Damage ratings, and you’re good to go.

For example, if you’re using a monster from 3rd Edition D&D you’ve got skills such as Spot, Move Silently and Search. Don’t sweat it, and just use them rather than M&M’s Stealth and Notice. Zero conversion required. Don’t worry about breaking down the critter’s abilities into M&M-compliant Powers or bother about the points costs – just use them as they’re written, and enjoy. If it’s a monster you really, really want in 100% Mutants & Masterminds format (for example, if it’s going to be a Player Character, or you want to modify it’s abilities in some way), then go right ahead, but zero-conversion will work just fine for 99% of your needs, and why make work for yourself when the poor beastie is (hopefully) going to be dead in under 10 rounds?

M&M and D&D (both 3rd and 4th Edition) overlap where it comes to stats, ability bonuses, skills, feats (mostly – again, don’t sweat it), attack bonuses and saves, so rather than try to convert like-to-like, just use what you’re given. They’ll be good enough for the majority of your needs. Honest.

The main difference lays in the way both systems give and receive damage. D&D has Hit Points, AC and funky dice rolls, whereas as M&M uses Toughness Saves, Defense and a damage track. Thankfully, converting these numbers is simple enough to do right at the table during play.

Here’s how.

Dishing out damage

Use the attack roll as given (ie, if the monster has +2 to hit with their Axe, then that’s still +2 to hit.

For damage, half the maximum dice roll, -1, then add any bonuses due to Strength, magic, etc.

This gives you the attack’s Damage Bonus. For example, a Longsword (1d8) has a Damage Bonus of (8/2-1) 3 (ie, require a DC 18 Toughness save). In the hands of a STR 16 Gnoll it would have a Damage Bonus of 6 (DC 21). If he had a  Longsword +1, the Damage Bonus would be 7 (DC 22).

This works just the same for 4e conversions. Use the same to-hit roll, and just calculate the Damage Bonus for each Power, and you’re done.

Taking damage

Instead of Armour Class and Hit Points, M&M uses Defense and a Toughness save; attacks are rolled against Defense, then there’s a Toughness save against the Damage DC. Fail the save and (depending on how much you fail by), you’re Bruised, Staggered, or worse.

Defense is similar to Armour Class; it’s not quite the same as some things which add to AC in D&D instead modify your Defense in M&M. Most notably, in M&M armour adds to your Toughness Save, not your Defense. Shields, on the other hand, do add to Defense. This is more realistic – wearing armour doesn’t make you harder to hit, but it does mean that a hit is less likely to injure you, and shields are used to deflect attacks.

Make Defense equal to AC minus Armour bonus.

To calculate Toughness save, use CON bonus + number of Hit Die (or Level, for 4e) + Armour bonus. Eyeball the result; if the monster’s Toughness is too high or low, adjust to taste.

Example

Let’s pick on the poor 3e Goblin straight from the SRD. Here’s the relevant game stats with the numbers we can use directly in our M&M game highlighted.

Goblin, 1st-Level Warrior
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 6

AC 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 leather armour, +1 light shield)
HD 1d8+1 (5 hp), +1 Init, Speed 30′
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will -1

Morningstar +2 (1d6) or javelin +3 (1d4)
Hide +5, Listen +2, Move Silently +5, Ride +4, Spot +2
Alertness, Darkvision 60 ft.

That Morningstar’s Damage Bonus is going to be (6/2-1 = 2), making it DC 17, and the Javelin is (4/2-1= 1) DC 16. Defense is (AC 15 – 2) = 13, and Toughness save is (1 +2) +3. Done.

We’ve one Goblin ready to roll! If we want to make him a Goblin Minion, just note the fact. In M&M this means that one failed Toughness save and he’s out of action. Simple, really.

More complex monsters might take slightly more time (due to having more attack options), but the principle is still the same – use what’s there, and just calculate the rest as needed. Why work out the DCs for every single spell and attack if they’re not going to be used. Work it out on the fly instead.

Summary

Skills, Stats, Saves and Attack rolls: stay the same

Damage: half the maximum dice roll, -1, then add any bonuses due to Strength, magic, etc.

Defense = AC – Armour bonus

Toughness = 10+CON bonus + number of Hit Die (or Level, for 4e) + Armour bonus

Till next time!

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In D&D, the Paladin class is probably the most stereotyped and maligned class going. It’s a shame too because it’s a great class especially for solo (one player, one DM) play. After all, which other single class can heal like a Cleric, have great saves (thanks to Divine Grace), cast divine spells, turn Undead and still have the same combat skill as a Fighter? And they get a special Pokemon… I mean, Mount… too. “Black Beauty, I call you!”

The closest match to a Paladin would be a Fighter/Cleric, but then you’re missing out on a great trick. The Paladin class multi-classes brilliantly meaning you can have all that combat ability, divine magick and nifty shticks then add in another class to the mix. This works especially well if you use the Favoured Class for your chosen race to there’s no ugly XP penalty waiting to bite you on the neck further down the line.

The main restriction to multi-classing the Paladin is the rule that Paladins have to be Lawful Good. If you’ve a lenient DM (or a convincing backstory) that could be waived, but there’s also the possibility of creating a character with a less than noble history who turns to Lawful Good later in life. Alternatively, it’s possible to liberally interpret Lawful Good. After all, it’s arguably the alignment of Batman, James Bond, Aragorn and Van Helsing. All, incidentally, are perfect examples of multi-classed Paladins.

The rules set a particular restriction in that Paladins can multi-class, but cannot return to the class afterwards. This has never struck me as particularly logical (or forgiving!), and I’ve never enforced it. Also, there might be specialist groups (such as Church Inquisitors, see below) who explicitly require two classes to be developed in tandem.

In every case, you’re going to need a character with high ability scores for WIS and CHA to make the most of your Paladin abilities, and high STR, CON and DEX to help in combat. High INT would be good too, especially in the case of Rogue/Paladins. Heck. Aim high for every ability score! You’ll need them.

In all cases I suggest taking the Paladin class second (at 2nd level) then alternating between the two. Because of their low skill points there’s little to gain from taking the Paladin class first unless your character concept demands it.

Barbarian/Paladin

Archetype: The Hulk

Technically, this can’t be done because of conflicting Alignment requirements, but a lenient DM might allow it. There’s also the possibility of playing some kind of reformed savage or noble warrior from an earlier age. By the rules a Barbarian who becomes Lawful loses the ability to Rage, and that’s too big a loss to contemplate. If there’s room in the game for a nonlawful Paladin (a Chaotic Good Paladin of Freedom, say), it’s well worth considering. Picture a Viking warrior dedicated to Thor who calls upon the fury of the storm to drive his actions in combat and you’ve got a Barbarian/Paladin.

Alternatively, imagine a character who becomes enraged when wrongs are committed, fixating on the cause of the problem in as direct a means as possible. “Hulk Smash!” indeed.

Bard/Paladin

Archetype: Joan of Arc

Again there’s the Alignment thing. I’ve never understood why it’s a requirement for Bards to be nonlawful as there are plenty of examples of perfectly Lawful Bards, performers and the like both in history and fantasy fiction, from Heralds and Town Criers to Alan Adale and Blondin. Ditch the Bardic alignment restriction already!

If you want a character who can inspire crowds, sway the populace and lead a righteous revolt, play a Bard/Paladin. Take Perform (Oratory) and use it with your Bardic Music ability to aid your allies while you march alongside them into battle. This isn’t the class combo for shrinking violets or loners, and works at it’s best at the head of a huge army. The Mount just adds to the whole effect.

Cleric/Paladin

Archetype: Van Helsing

Want to fight Vampires? Want lots of divine spells, great saves and the ability to root out evil? Then the Cleric/Paladin is for you. This combo gets divine spells right from the start, and as the Paladin levels (from 4th onward) stack with the Clerics when it comes to Turn Undead checks, it’s a real powerhouse against Things That Should Be Dead. Add in Smite Evil and Remove Disease and you’ve got the perfect vampire or werewolf hunter. Just load silver tipped sharpened stakes into your repeater crossbow and add holy water to taste.

It’s also another great combo (alongside the high-skill Rogue/Paladin combo) for Church Inquisitors and Witchfinders for those characters who want to go in this direction with more spellcasting power under their belts.

Druid/Paladin

Archetype: Aragorn

Aragorn?! He was a Ranger, right?

Yes, but if the Ranger class didn’t exist, he’d be a Druid/Paladin. Think about it; he’s a master in the wilds, is noble born, wears leather armour and fights with a longsword. He knows nature magic and managed to keep Frodo alive long enough to get him to safety after the battle at Weathertop. Ergo, Druid/Paladin. Heck, the only thing he didn’t do was shapechange.

This is a great combo if you allow Lawful Neutral Paladins dedicated to maintaining the Balance of Nature. This is also the combo for Robin Hood, as “robbing from the rich to give to the poor” suits this ethos perfectly.

The Druid class gives the character an animal companion. Mix that in with the ability to shapechange and the Special Mount and you could have a character who is a wolf friend, can turn into a wolf, or call one to ride. She could be a force of nature or even animal spirit in humanoid form. Either way, it’s a very cool alternative to the Ranger class

Fighter/Paladin

Archetype: The Punisher

If you want to play a very hands-on hero then the Fighter/Paladin is the way to go. While this combo slows down access to the Paladin abilities, it gains loads of lovely Fighter feats along the way. This is great is you want to play a Paladin on the front line who believes that flexibility and prowess in combat is more important than access to magic and healing. On the flipside, the Paladin class provides much needed help with saves, and the ability to heal yourself and others means fewer trips to the Cleric to be patched up. Which means more time in combat

At later levels you get a Special Mount for free, so it’s worth spending some of those Fighter Feats on mounted combats tricks. Picture a mounted Fighter/Paladin charging a Dragon with a lance while his cohorts stand fast against Fear thanks to his Aura of Courage. That’s a Fighter/Paladin at work.

Monk/Paladin

Archetype: Monkey

What’s to say? Terrific saves, AC bonus due to high WIS (which you’ll need for both classes), unarmed damage, healing, turn Undead, Evasion, speed bonus, ki strike, divine spells and much, much more. It’s a one man special rules factory, and great fun to play. According to the rules the Monk cannot re-enter this class if they multi-class out of it, but I’m sure that can be lifted if the Monk/Paladin adheres to certain restrictions set by their Divine Temple. Take Voluntary Poverty (from the Book of Exalted Deeds) and you’ll have a challenging character indeed.

Ask your DM if your Special Mount can be a small flying cloud and you’re there.

Ranger/Paladin

Archetype: Batman

If you want to play a character who’s obsessive compulsive, pick this combo. Their abilities work well together with both Favoured Enemy and Smite Evil adding to the damage potential against their sworn foe and Endurance, Paladin healing and spells aiding their staying power. The Combat Styles give it a little extra prowess and the spell list complements the Paladin’s list neatly.

In many ways, playing a Ranger/Paladin is like playing a multi-class Fighter/Cleric/Druid/Rogue thanks to it’s combat skills, spells and skill list, so if you want a character that’s a jack of all trades this is it!

While it’s tempting to consider the Animal Companion and the Special Mount as the same creature, don’t. One of the coolest characters I’ve seen was a Halfling Ranger/Paladin who had a spirit wolf as her mount and it’s wolf-brother as companion. They made quite a team too.

Rogue/Paladin

Archetype: James Bond

This is my favourite multi-class in the entire game, bar none. Whether it’s a street thief turned good, a dashing swashbuckler or a church inquisitor, the Rogue/Paladin delivers the goods. It might be meta-gaming, but always take the Rogue class at first level for all those skill points. If you’re playing a low-level game (I start the game at 2nd level), take the Paladin at 2nd. What Rogue could resist having an Aura of Good (“Of course you can trust me!”), and access to the entire Martial Weapon Proficiency list at 2nd level is an extra boon. If you want a (non-elf) Rogue with a Longsword, this is the way to go. If you’ve got a high CHA and DEX you’ll have a positively obscene Reflex save by third level.

At higher levels your character advance the levels evenly. The Rogue gains the ability to heal and Turn Undead, knocking out the two biggest threats to the class: death and undeath. Most vitally, a well-timed Sneak Attack + Smite Evil can take out even the toughest of villains when they least expect it.

If you want to play a righteous assassin, this is the way to go. Alternatively, use the Rogue skill points on CHA- and WIS-based skills such as Gather Information, Sense Motive and Intimidate and you’ve a perfect Church Inquisitor or Witchfinder General style character.

Sorcerer/Paladin

Archetype: Galadriel

This is a combo which kicks serious ass and seems to have it all. There’s combat ability, arcane magic, divine magic, great saves and more. The only price to be paid is the selection of armour as there’s a risk of Arcane Spell Failure for spells with Somatic components. At low levels, just use Masterwork Studded Leather – the 15% risk of failure is worth it. As both classes require high CHA, it’s a win-win situation too.

In my campaigns Sorcerers don’t gain “Summon Familiar” (why oh why isn’t is just a darned 1st level spell?) but gain the Eschew Materials feat instead for free. This means you can have a lightly armoured guy with some great spells up their sleeve, and not a spell pouch in sight. With the right spell selection she could be a noble enforcer, a dilettante, arcane assassin or whatever.

The Paladin class give the character more staying power as well as that all important healing. It’s a great combo class for elves who are close to their both their magical and life-loving heritage. If you want to play a D&D elf who’s closer to Tolkien than usual, this is the combo to aim for.

Wizard/Paladin

Archetype: Dr Strange

It’s said that with great power comes great responsibility, and no combo highlights this more than the Wizard/Paladin. This is the multi-class for those characters who act as arcane defenders using knowledge and spell ability to turn back the tide of evil. If your campaign has a God of Magic of any alignment perhaps he calls Wizard/Paladins to work as front-line defense against beings from other Realms. In this case, consider replacing the Paladin’s ability to Turn Undead with one to Turn Outsiders instead.

Specialist Wizards add another dimension to this combo; an Evoker/Paladin would be very different (certainly more explosive!) to a contemplative Diviner/Paladin, for example.

Just don’t forget to pack your Eye of Agamoto.

There you go. Ten multi-classed Paladin ideas. And not a single boring two-dimensional knight in full plate in sight!

RPG

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