Converting 4th Edition to 5th Edition

[sgawrit 7]

Does anybody know if FFG is planning to include a resource for converting 4th edition characters/NPCs to 5th edition? I feel like my group is going to burn through the Beginners Box and supplemental adventure, and any resources I can borrow from 4th edition would be helpful.

[Tonbo Karasu 2,606]

They have said nothing about that so far.  In some ways it is going to be easier: there are less moving parts in a 5e character than a 4e characterwhat we have seen of NPCs so far implies that they're approaching it in the same way that 5e D&D was done: NPCs do not use the same rules as PCs, they have 10 numbers, and maybe 1 or 2 special abilities.  But then again, you're going to need to condense a fair amount of stuff into that limited structure.  I imagine that, once you have the knack of it, it could go quite easily.  I'd certainly be interested in visiting the various NPCs from City of Lies and giving them a go.

[Suzume Chikahisa 313]

I'd say the sytems are too different for any kind of straight conversion, particularly of player options.

Now if you're talking about adapting adventures from old editions that's probably simpler as you just have to convert the old TNs to the new system and mapp raise effects to oppurtunities. Everything we saw about 5th ed NPCs is simpler than 3/4th ed. NPCs.

Without full knowledge of the system at this poin it seem that TNs map roughly 5-10 to 1, 15-20 to 2, and 25,30,35 to 3,4,5, but we'll have to wait for the final game to be out to fully reverse engineer the math, which wasn't that rigorous in the old game to begin with.

 

[Sincereagape 364]

1 hour ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

They have said nothing about that so far.  In some ways it is going to be easier: there are less moving parts in a 5e character than a 4e characterwhat we have seen of NPCs so far implies that they're approaching it in the same way that 5e D&D was done: NPCs do not use the same rules as PCs, they have 10 numbers, and maybe 1 or 2 special abilities.  But then again, you're going to need to condense a fair amount of stuff into that limited structure.  I imagine that, once you have the knack of it, it could go quite easily.  I'd certainly be interested in visiting the various NPCs from City of Lies and giving them a go.

To build off the City of Lies box set.  I was considering doing something similar with Second City. 

[AtoMaki 1,431]

I converted my generic human NPC collection doc from 4th edition to 5R5 without much hassle. As a rule of thumb, the Rings can stay the same for each NPC, and for each full two points of Trait above the Ring you should give the NPC +1 Ring. So an NPC with Water 2 Strength 4 would become Water 3. Then just keep in mind that 5R5 Rings work differently than 4th edition Traits, and you are set. 

[AK_Aramis 1,002]

On 8/23/2018 at 12:12 PM, Tonbo Karasu said:

They have said nothing about that so far.  In some ways it is going to be easier: there are less moving parts in a 5e character than a 4e characterwhat we have seen of NPCs so far implies that they're approaching it in the same way that 5e D&D was done: NPCs do not use the same rules as PCs, they have 10 numbers, and maybe 1 or 2 special abilities.  But then again, you're going to need to condense a fair amount of stuff into that limited structure.  I imagine that, once you have the knack of it, it could go quite easily.  I'd certainly be interested in visiting the various NPCs from City of Lies and giving them a go.

The beta showed more of a FFG Star Wars approach - multiple types of NPCs. 

We have two types in the beta, and a pseudo-third: Adversaries, Minions, and Minion-squads.

The squad rule is pretty simple: all but one assist the one. No more than six to a squad, so no more than +5 dice and +5 kept. Note that a minion squad is mathematically inferior in damage dealing to the sum of the individuals, but how much varies widely.

Plus, GM's can generate NPCs using the PC rules if they really want to. Doesn't break anything.