[CLOSED] D&D5 Classic module conversion: N1

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ClosedDungeons & Dragons 5thPublic1 / dayspaceseeker19
Famed heroine Cecily Raptor has an idea to solve a common problem in the world today: monstrous hordes, evil cults, and dark gods are cropping up everywhere, interrupting trade and threatening lives all across the known world. Cecily is calling on adventurers and explorers to help her with her idea. She was an adventurer herself, and she knows how they work. They're generally disorganized and unreliable. No sooner have they eradicated some dire threat, but they leave, and new threats rise up. Then communities are stuck looking for new heroes, who rarely seem to be around when you need them. So often has she returned to a village to find it destroyed or enslaved, and the survivors saying "If only you'd been here a month ago!" Cecily wonders: what if we could form a guild, with regional centers all over the world, to ensure that adventurers can always meet up with citizens in need of glorious feats of derring-do?

She's calling it Dungeon Busters (DB), and she's got you convinced. So you're on your way to the border region between Gran March and Keoland to find a good location to set up a branch center of Dungeon Busters.

A few years ago, Cecily and her party came through the area and blazed a trail through the wilds between the two nations, connecting the Keolish town of Hochoch to the west and the Gran March capital of Hookhill to the east. In the peace that followed in their wake came pioneers and settlers, who founded the village of Orlane. Orlane has since become famous for its marvelous produce and is considered the "bread basket" of the region. Recently, though, rumors have spread about trouble in Orlane. So Cecily figures there's likely to be need for a Dungeon Busters (DB) in the area, given that both a large swamp (the Rushmoors) and a haunted forest (the Dim Forest) border the road connecting Hochoch and Hookhill.

Note: this is an adaptation to D&D5 of the classic module N1: Against the Cult of the Reptile God. The new level 1 characters will start in Hochoch as location scouts/adventurers for the adventurer's guild called "Dungeon Busters." The Dungeon Busters handbook clearly indicates that the best way to plant a new branch is to solve some local problems, to demonstrate what an asset the DB franchise will be to the region. So your task is to find some adventure, and, in completing it, create some great word-of-mouth for the Guild.


Oct 22, 2015 7:43 am
OK, so here's the game I've been talking about running. Interested?

********************
BACKGROUND:
Years ago, adventurers cleared out monsters in the region bordered by Keoland to the west, the Gran March to the east, the Dim Forest to the north, and the Rushmoor swamp to the south. In the peace that followed in their wake came pioneers and settlers, who founded the village of Orlane. Orlane has since become famous for its marvelous produce and is considered the "bread basket" of the region. Recently, though, rumors have spread about trouble in Orlane. As novice adventurers, you've decided to investigate...

This is an adaptation to D&D5 of the classic module N1: Against the Cult of the Reptile God, an AD&D module for 1st-3rd level characters. The new level 1 characters will start in the Keoland border town of Hochoch as location scouts/adventurers for the adventurer’s guild called "Dungeon Busters." The idea of Dungeon Busters is that I will run several classic modules as one-off games here on GP, and the Dungeon Busters framework gives them some slight connection to one another.

The Dungeon Busters handbook clearly indicates that the best way to plant a new branch is to solve some local problems, to demonstrate what an asset the DB franchise will be to the region. So your task is to find some adventure, and, in completing it, create some great word-of-mouth for the Guild. Of course, each character will have their own personal motivations as well.

CHARACTERS:
Any classes or races in the D&D5 Player’s Handbook are allowed, but talk to me if you want to use anything from another official source (a later book, Unearthed Arcana, etc) - I might be open to it. Characters will be generated in forum using the GP die-roller, using the standard 4d6 rolls.

RULES SET:
There are a lot of optional rules that you can apply to D&D5 to alter the game slightly to make it feel more like one previous edition or another. Since this is playing in an AD&D module, I’m choosing to use the optional rules that make it more closely resemble AD&D, while NOT using the optional rules that make it more like D&D 3, 3.5, or 4. The only exceptions to this are Alignment and Morale, which I never particularly cared for in any edition; I think the backgrounds in fifth edition work much better to guide role-play than alignment, and, with regards to Morale...if I can’t decide when monsters quit a fight, I shouldn’t be a DM.
I will explain all the variations in the game forum.

To be explicit, the following optional rules from the PHB and DMG will be used:
climb onto a bigger creature – DMG M271
disarm – DMG 271
overrun – DMG 272
shove aside – DMG 272
cleaving through creatures – DMG 272
crafting magic items (unlikely to come into play in this adventure) – DMG 128
equipment size – PHB 145
fear and horror – DMG 266
healer’s kit dependency – DMG 266
slow natural healing – DMG 267
inspiration – PHB 125
injuries (sort of: critical hits and dropping to 0 HP, at least) – DMG 272
milestones for additional XP – DMG 261
mixing potions – DMG 140
more difficult magic item identification – DMG 136
multiclassing – PHB 163
planar effects – DMG 50 (unlikely to come up in a 1st level adventure, though)
scroll mishaps – DMG 140
skills with different abilities – PHB 175
training to gain levels – DMG 131
variant backgrounds – PHB 130-136


The following optional rules from the PHB and DMG will not be used:
alignment – PHB 122
feats – PHB 165
mark – DMG 271
Alternatives to epic boons (won’t come into play anyhow) – DMG 230
point buy for ability scores – PHB 13
encumbrance (D&D5 base rules are sufficient) – PHB 176
firearms, explosives, alien technology – DMG 267
healing surges – DMG 266
hero points – DMG 264
hitting cover (I’ll determine this myself, not using this mechanic)– DMG 272
honor – DMG 264
initiative variants – DMG 270
level advancement without XP – DMG 261
loyalty – DMG 93
massive damage – DMG 273
morale – DMG 273
only players award inspiration – DMG 241
piety – DMG 23
playing on a grid – PHB 192
plot points (I’m happy with suggestions from players, but not the mechanics) – DMG 269
proficiency check variants – DMG 263
proficiency dice – DMG 263
renown – DMG 129
rest variants – DMG 267
sanity – DMG 264
spell points – DMG 288
variant human traits (naturally, since feats are out) – PHB 31
wands that don’t recharge – DMG 141
Last edited May 13, 2024 3:54 pm
Oct 22, 2015 10:41 am
I'm interested (of course!). My only reservation is that I don't presently have access to my books (I'm visiting the UK until Dec) and so I've been running and playing 5e on the power of memory and my GM/player apps... which are 100% sufficient for the core rules, but I don't think they cover the variant rules and so I may need help with the optional rules (or may occasionally violate one and not realize it).
Oct 22, 2015 12:56 pm
Still totally interested :)
Oct 22, 2015 2:09 pm
Damn! Where do I sign up? :-)

I have a PC name already: Thaco. :-D
Last edited October 22, 2015 2:10 pm
Oct 22, 2015 2:24 pm
Jabes.plays.RPG says:
Damn! Where do I sign up? :-)

I have a PC name already: Thaco. :-D
I love that name so much right now
Oct 22, 2015 2:33 pm
Any idea when you're gonna set up the game, I'd love to at least start rolling up some characters!
Oct 22, 2015 3:32 pm
I'm gonna start the game today.
Candi, I'm also going to explain all the variant rules in detail in a thread; I don't ever want players to HAVE to own the DMG to play.
Oct 22, 2015 3:44 pm
I'm interested. I may need help keeping all the rules straight and what is and isn't being used, though!
Oct 22, 2015 3:47 pm
Great! I figure it's my job to keep track of the rules, so I plan to point them out when they are needed (in addition to my explaining them in detail in a separate "rules" thread).
Oct 22, 2015 3:50 pm
spaceseeker19 says:
Great! I figure it's my job to keep track of the rules, so I plan to point them out when they are needed (in addition to my explaining them in detail in a separate "rules" thread).
Sometimes, I really wish players in some of my games would just accept this amazing trusim. Rules: GMs Job. Playing: Players Job (it's in the name! Stop harping about rules *grumble fist shake*).

Anyway, stoked for this one!
Oct 22, 2015 4:17 pm
I have put in my application :)
Oct 22, 2015 5:23 pm
I'm a sucker for AD&D.. I'm doing it!
Oct 22, 2015 7:52 pm
Wonderful. I'm loving just watching you all create characters. Funny that it's so thrilling to play through classic adventures, but it is.
Oct 22, 2015 9:20 pm
spaceseeker19 says:
Wonderful. I'm loving just watching you all create characters. Funny that it's so thrilling to play through classic adventures, but it is.
I've heard so many good things about them and now I wanna try it for myself
Oct 22, 2015 10:04 pm
If that last spot doesn't fill up by tomorrow I'm jumping on it!! :-)
Nov 5, 2015 8:13 pm
One of our players has gone inactive. Anyone interested in playing a D&D5 game in a classic module, let me know.
Nov 5, 2015 8:19 pm
At what point am I in too many games?

What have you got so far?
Nov 5, 2015 8:20 pm
Moofsalot says:
At what point am I in too many games?
When you can't sleep because you have to post all night long.
Nov 5, 2015 8:29 pm
Keleth says:
Moofsalot says:
At what point am I in too many games?
When you can't sleep because you have to post all night long.
Oh good, I have room for at least 2 more!
Nov 5, 2015 8:36 pm
I've sent you an invitation.
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