SKIP WILLIAMS

CONTENTSIntroduction..........................................................3Characters from Earlier Editions .........................3

Level and Experience .......................................3Adjusting Experience Points .......................3Adjusting Dual- and Multiclassed

Characters ...............................................3Ability Scores ...................................................3

Exceptional Strength ...................................3Level-based Improvement ..........................4Ability Tips...................................................4

Character Race.................................................4Standard Player Character Races................4Nonstandard Player Character Races.........4

Character Class................................................4Attack Bonus ...............................................4Saving Throws .............................................5Hit Dice and Hit Points ..............................5Spells ...........................................................5Thief Skills ...................................................6Multiclass Characters .................................6Proficiencies ................................................6Weapon Specialization................................6

AC and Movement Rate ..................................6Armor Worn.................................................6Shields .........................................................6Size ..............................................................6

Initiative ...........................................................7Feats .................................................................7

Extra Fighter Feats ......................................7Extra Human Feats .....................................7

Skills .................................................................8Characters with Nonweapon

Proficiencies............................................8Skill Tips ......................................................9Characters with Secondary Skills................9Converting Thief Skills ................................9

Equipment......................................................10Weapons ....................................................10Encumbrance ............................................10Magic Items...............................................10

Character Troubleshooting.................................10Magic ...............................................................15

Renamed Spells .............................................15Wizard Spells with New Schools ..................16Converting Old Spells....................................17

School ........................................................17Subschool and Descriptor ........................17Level...........................................................17Range .........................................................17Components ..............................................18

Duration.....................................................18Casting Time .............................................18Area of Effect .............................................18Saving Throw.............................................18Spell Resistance ........................................19Spell Description.......................................19

Spells You Shouldn’t Convert........................19Renamed Magic Items ..................................19Converting Old Magic Items.........................20

Caster Level ...............................................20Prerequisites..............................................20Market Price ..............................................20Magic Item Notes .....................................20

Monsters ............................................................20Converting Old Monsters..............................20

Size and Type.............................................20Hit Dice and Hit Points ............................20Initiative .....................................................20Speed .........................................................20Armor Class...............................................21Attacks and Attack Bonus.........................21Damage .....................................................21Special Attacks ..........................................22Special Defenses .......................................22Creatures Hit Only by Silver or Magical

Weapons................................................22Magic Resistance ......................................22Saving Throws ...........................................22Ability Scores.............................................22

Skills and Feats ..............................................22Description ....................................................22Creatures that Affect Surprise .......................22Climate/Terrain ..............................................22Organization, Challenge Level, and Treasure...22Alignment.......................................................22Advancement Range......................................22

SidebarsNew Names for Some Old Terms ..................3What’s New about Ability Scores?..................4What’s New about Character Races?..............7What’s New about Proficiencies? ...................7What’s New about Dual- and

Multiclass Characters?..............................10What’s New about THAC0 and Armor Class?....11What’s New about Saving Throws? ..............12What’s New about Spells? ............................12What’s New about Character Classes?.........13

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INTRODUCTIONThis booklet is intended to help you preserve thebest of your old D&D campaign as you adopt thenew rules. Various sidebars, such as the one onthis page, are provided to remind you of what haschanged. The rest of the booklet contains adviceon converting your favorite player characters andtheir equipment to the new rules, along withsome notes for the Dungeon Master on convert-ing old monsters that have not yet appearedunder the new rules.

CHARACTERS FROMEARLIER EDITIONS

To use characters from any earlier edition of theDUNGEONS & DRAGONS or ADVANCED DUNGEONS

& DRAGONS game with the new edition of theD&D game, just follow the steps outlinedbelow.

You’ll need a copy of the new Player’sHandbook and a fresh new D&D charactersheet or clean sheet of scratch paper. You’ll finda photocopyable character sheet on pages 287-288 of the new Player’s Handbook.

Level and ExperienceFor single-classed characters, record the charac-ter’s current level. You will need to adjust thecharacter’s experience point total to match thenew D&D experience system. Characters withmore than one class require special handling.•• AAddjjuussttiinngg EExxppeerriieennccee PPooiinnttss:: All characters inthe D&D game use the same experience table.The table is constructed differently from theclass experience tables in earlier versions of thegame, which makes it necessary to adjust thecharacter’s experience point total.

The easiest way to make the adjustment issimply to set the total at some point betweenthe minimum for the character’s current leveland the minimum for the next level (we recom-mend halfway to the next level or the minimumfor the current level). If you prefer a more accu-rate conversion of the character’s experiencetotal, see the Character Troubleshooting sectionon page 10.•• AAddjjuussttiinngg DDuuaall-- aanndd MMuullttiiccllaasssseedd CChhaarraacctteerrss::The rules for handling a character with morethan one class in the new edition of the D&D

game are considerably different than in previ-ous editions of the game (see sidebar). Followthese steps to calculate a dual- or multiclassedcharacter’s level:

1. Find the highest level the character hasreached in any class. For example, Escolrande isan 8th-level fighter/9th-level wizard/9th-levelthief. His highest level is 9.

2. Divide each level the character hasachieved in any other class by three and rounddown. If the result rounds down to 0, record a 1instead. For example, Escolrande’s remaininglevels are 8 and 9; 8 ÷ 3 = 2.67, which roundsdown to 2, and 9 ÷ 3 = 3.

3. Add the numbers you got in step 2 to thenumber you got in step 1. This equals the char-acter’s level in the new edition of the D&Dgame. In Escolrande’s case, 9 + 2 + 3 = 14.

4. You can divide up the levels among classesany way you see fit. For example, Escolrandecould become a 9th-level wizard/4th-levelrogue/1st-level fighter, or an 8th-levelwizard/3rd-level rogue/3rd-level fighter, or anyother combination of wizard, rogue, and fighterlevels that adds up to 14.

Ability ScoresRecord the character’s existing ability scores. Insome cases, you’ll need to adjust your character’sability scores.

EExxcceeppttiioonnaall SSttrreennggtthh:: The exceptionalStrength rule is no longer part of the game. Ifyour character has an exceptional Strength

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New Names for Some Old TermsThe following terms have new names in the newedition. The new names often reflect changes tothe way the game works or simply better reflectwhat the terms represent:

Old Term New Termpriest spell divine spellTHAC0 attack bonusthief roguemagic resistance spell resistancememorize (a spell) prepare (a spell)movement rate speednonweapon proficiency skillproficiency check skill checksphere (of priest spells) domainwizard spell arcane spell

game. If a character’s base attack bonus is +6 ormore, the character can make multiple attackseach round, but the base attack bonus isreduced for each attack. The class tables inChapter 3 of the PH show how many attacks thecharacter can make and the base attack bonusfor each. For example, a 12th-level wizard has abase attack bonus of +6/+1, so the character canattack twice each round.

If the character has an ability modifier, itapplies to both attacks. The character’s Strengthmodifier applies to melee attacks. The charac-ter’s Dexterity modifier applies to rangedattacks.

A character’s size now affects the character’sattack bonus. See Chapter 8 of the PH fordetails.

If your character has more than one class, addup the character’s attack bonus from each classaccording to the instructions in MulticlassCharacters in Chapter 3 of the PH.

SSaavviinngg TThhrroowwss:: A character’s saving thrownumbers are now expressed as bonuses. A charac-ter’s ability modifiersaffect saving throwbonuses. TheConstitution modi-fier applies toFortitude saves, theDexterity modifierapplies to Reflexsaves, and theWisdom modi-fier applies toWill saves.

If your charac-ter has more thanone class, add up thecharacter’s savebonus from each classaccording to the instruc-tions in Multiclass Charactersin Chapter 3 of the PH.

HHiitt DDiiccee aanndd HHiittPPooiinnttss:: Characters nowgain an extra hit die foreach level up to level20. All characters nowgain the full value oftheir Constitutionmodifier for every hit die. Rerollyour character’s hit points and adjust for

Constitution. You can use the new total or thecharacter’s old total, as you prefer.

SSppeellllss:: All spellcasting characters use thedaily spell limits shown on their new classtables. Other adjustments to spells are neces-sary, as follows:

BBoonnuuss SSppeellllss:: All spellcasting characters gainbonus spells for high ability scores. Bards andsorcerers (a new character class) gain bonusspells from Charisma; clerics, druids, paladins,and rangers gain bonus spells from Wisdom;and wizards gain bonus spells fromIntelligence.

NNeeww SSppeellll LLiissttss:: Clerics and specialty priestsuse the same spell list, and all priest charactersare called clerics in the new game. All clericcharacters gain extra spells for their domains(see Cleric in Chapter 3 of the PH). The clericspell list now includes 8th- and 9th-level spells.

Bards now have their own spell lists and mayhave spells in their old repertoire that are nolonger available. Bards should replace suchspells with spells from the bard list.

Bards, clerics, and wizards now gain 0-levelspells. Bards and wizards should add 0-level

spells to their spell lists as notedin their class descriptions.

SSaavviinngg TThhrroowwss:: Spells thatallow saving throws now need

a saving throw DifficultyClass (DC). A spell’s savingthrow DC is 10 + the spelllevel + the caster’s relevantability score modifier (see

previous section). Record thesaving throw DC for each level ofspell the character can cast.

NNeeww SScchhoooollss:: Some spellshave changed schools; see WizardSpells with New Schools on page

16. Specialist wizards may havebooks containing spells no longer

available to them. Specialistwizards should replace suchspells with new ones fromschools available to them.Specialists are now free tochoose their own opposition

schools. When converting aspecialist to the new rules,

the player can choose newopposition schools and adjust the character’s

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score, convert it to a regular Strength score asshown in the table below.

Exceptional Score New Strength Score18/01–18/50 1918/51–18/75 2018/76 –18/90 2118/91–18/99 2218/00 2319–20 2421–22 2522–23 2624–25 27

LLeevveell--bbaasseedd IImmpprroovveemmeenntt:: For every fourlevels the character has attained, add one pointto any one ability score. Don’t worry about racialmaximums; they no longer exist.

When you’ve finished adjusting and record-ing your character’s ability scores, turn to Table1-1 in the Player’s Handbook. This table givesthe bonus or penalty (now called an abilitymodifier) for any ability score.

AAbbiilliittyy TTiippss:: Any ability score of 12 or morewill give your character a bonus for something.Likewise, an ability score of 9 or less brings apenalty. Think twice about your character’sIntelligence score, because it governs how manyskills your character can learn and a highIntelligence score is much more useful forwizards than it used to be. Dexterity andConstitution remain important for all characters.Wisdom remains important for priest (nowcleric) characters and now has a much greaterimpact on every character’s saving throws and onmany skills. A high Charisma score is importantfor bards, paladins, and clerics.

Character RaceRecord the character’s current race. The exactbenefits and penalties most races bring havechanged at least slightly.

SSttaannddaarrdd PPllaayyeerr CChhaarraacctteerr RRaacceess:: If yourcharacter is a member of a standard PC race(these include humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes,half-elves, half-orcs, and halflings), turn toChapter 2 of the PH and record your character’snew racial abilities. The new abilities replaceyour character’s old ones.

Some ability score adjustments for race havechanged. These only apply to new characters.

NNoonnssttaannddaarrdd PPllaayyeerr CChhaarraacctteerr RRaacceess:: If yourcharacter is not a member of a standard PC race,turn to Chapter 2 of the DMG. This chapterexplains how to use almost any type of creatureas a PC race.

Character ClassRecord the character’s current class. Mostclasses have changed at least slightly; turn toChapter 3 of the PH and record your character’snew class abilities. The new abilities replaceyour character’s old ones. Table 3-2 in the PHgives an overview of class abilities by level.Tables 3-1 through 3-20 provide quicksummaries of base attack bonuses, base savingthrows, and features for each class.

AAttttaacckk BBoonnuuss:: A character’s attack bonusreplaces THAC0 from earlier editions of the

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What’s New about Ability Scores?The game uses the same abilities (Strength,Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, andCharisma) it has always used. Significantchanges include:

Bonuses and Penalties from Ability Scores:All six abilities use the same table (Table 1-1 inthe PH) to determine the bonus or penaltyassociated with each score. The bonus orpenalty is called the ability modifier.

Ability Checks: To make an ability check, youroll 1d20 and add your character’s ability modi-fier. To succeed, an ability check result has toequal or exceed the task’s Difficulty Class (DC).

Ability Maximums and Minimums: Thereare no longer any ability score maximums orminimums for races.

Ability Requirements: It is no longer neces-sary to meet any ability requirements to qualifyfor a race or class.

Exceptional Strength: This no longer exists.Existing characters can convert their excep-tional Strength scores into regular Strengthscores above 18.

Experience Bonuses: Characters no longerreceive bonus experience for high ability scores.

Level-based Ability Adjustments: For everyfour levels a character achieves, one ability scoreof the player’s choice improves by one point.

InitiativePlayers still roll dice to determine whentheir characters can act in combat. A charac-ter ’s Dexterity modifier applies to thoseinitiative rolls.

FeatsFeats are special abilities players can choose fortheir characters. Choose one feat for your char-acter, plus one extra feat for every three levelsyour character has attained. See Chapter 5 of thePH for more information on feats.

EExxttrraa FFiigghhtteerr FFeeaattss:: Fighter charactersreceive extra combat-oriented feats in additionto any other feats they know. See Fighter inChapter 3 of the PH.

EExxttrraa HHuummaann FFeeaattss:: Human charactersreceive an extra feat of any type in addition toany other feats they know.

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spellbooks accordingly.NNeeww NNaammeess:: Some spells have changed

names. See Renamed Spells on page 15.TThhiieeff SSkkiillllss:: Thief skills have been incorpo-

rated into the skill system. Rogues and othercharacters with thieflike skills now receiveextra skill points to buy these skills.

MMuullttiiccllaassss CChhaarraacctteerrss:: The class abilitiesfrom a multiclass character’s different classesadd together to determine the character’s totalabilities. To determine a multiclass character’sabilities, first calculate the character’s level ineach class as explained in the Level andExperience, above. Then turn to MulticlassCharacters in Chapter 3 of the PH and followthe instructions there.

PPrrooffiicciieenncciieess:: Weapon proficiencies are nowa function of a character’s class and need not beselected separately. Nonweapon proficienciesare now called skills. See Skills, below.

WWeeaappoonn SSppeecciiaalliizzaattiioonn: The weapon special-ization optional rule is no longer part of thegame, although weapon specialization is avail-able as a feat. Certain other feats can improve acharacter’s aptitude with weapon skills; seeChapter 5 of the PH for information onfeats.

AC and Movement RateArmor and shields remain a charac-ter’s primary means of protectionfrom physical harm. Armor Classworks slightly differently in the newedition, however. Most important, it isbetter to have a high AC number than alow one. You might need to adjust a fewother things about your character’sarmor class.

AArrmmoorr WWoorrnn:: A character’s armoraffects not only a character’s ArmorClass, but also his speed (move-ment rate), defensive Dexteritymodifier, skill use, and abilityto cast arcane spells. Table 7-5and the accompanying text inthe PH summarize theeffects.

Armor worn does not affect a character’sencumbrance.

SShhiieellddss:: Shields still combine with armor toimprove a character’s AC, but shields no longer

simply improve a character’s AC by one point. Table7-5 in the PH includes statistics for shields.

SSiizzee:: A character’s size now affects the char-acter’s armor class. See Chapter 8 of the PH fordetails.

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What’s New about Character Races?Your character’s race still determines what thecharacter looks like and what special abilitiesthe character has. Significant changes include:

Ability Score Adjustments: The ability scoreadjustments from some races have changed(see Chapter 2 of the PH). These changes donot affect existing characters.

Ability Score Maximums and Minimums:There are no longer any ability score maxi-mums or minimums for races.

Ability Requirements: It is no longer neces-sary to meet any ability requirements to qualifyfor a race.

The Half-Orc: Half-orcs are now a standardplayer character race. See Chapter 2 in the PHfor details.

Infravision: This racial ability no longerexists. It has been replaced by two similar abil-ities: darkvision and low-light vision.

Darkvision is the ability to see in the dark.Darkvision does not involve heat sensing, andsources of heat or artificial light do not spoil it.

Low-light vision is the ability to see well atnight or in dim light. It does not function in theabsence of light as darkvision does, but when itworks it usually allows a much greater range ofvision.

For details on darkvision and low-lightvision, see Chapter 3 of the DMG.

Racial Characteristics: The specific powersand abilities that go with each race havechanged. See Chapter 2 of the PH for details.

Size: Some PC races are small enough togain some bonuses and penalties in combat.See Chapter 2 of the PH for details.

What’s New about Proficiencies?The old proficiencies system has been replacedby a skill system.• Weapon Proficiencies: These are now a func-tion of a character’s class. You need not selectweapon proficiencies separately anymore. It ispossible to expand your character’s selectionof weapon proficiencies through feats,however; see Chapter 5 of the PH.• Nonweapon Proficiencies: These are nowcalled skills. Each skill has an ability associatedwith it called the key ability. For example,Strength helps you climb. Each time youpurchase a skill, your character gains one rankin the skill and gets better at using the skill. SeeChapter 4 of the PH for details.• Proficiency Checks: These are now called skillchecks. To make a skill check, you roll 1d20 andadd your character’s ability modifier for theskill’s key ability, plus the number of ranks (ifany) the character has in the skill. To succeed,a skill check result has to equal or exceed thetask’s Difficulty Class.

Many skills do not require any special knowl-edge, and even characters who have notpurchased any ranks in these skills can try touse them.

You can compare a proficiency score from anearlier edition by subtracting 5 from the profi-ciency score. For example, a if a character createdunder the 2nd Edition AD&D rules had a Ridingscore of 15, that would be about equal to a Rideskill bonus of +10.

Navigation Profession (navigator)Running Run (feat, not a skill)Set Snares Wilderness Lore*Survival Wilderness Lore*Tracking Track (feat, not a skill)Weaponsmithing Craft (weaponsmith)

Wizard GroupAD&D NonweaponProficiency D&D SkillAncient History Knowledge (history)Astrology Knowledge (astrology)Engineering Profession (engineer)Healing HealHerbalism Profession (herbalist)Languages, Ancient Speak LanguageLocal History Knowledge (history)Musical Instrument Perform (musical

instrument)Navigation Profession (navigator)Reading/Writing N/A (see Skill Tips below)Religion Knowledge (religion)Spellcraft Spellcraft

*The Wilderness Lore skill includes the old Animal Lore,

Fire-building, Set Snares, and Survival proficiencies

SSkkiillll TTiippss:: Many proficiencies from the 2ndEdition AD&D game’s General group havebeen combined into the Profession or Craftskills.

Many skills from the other groups have beencombined into the Knowledge skill.

You do not have to spend any skill points tomake your character literate. The ability to readand write is included with most D&D classes.

Although there is a Speak Language skill, youdo not have to spend any skill points onlanguages. Every character automatically speaksone or two languages (according to race). If thecharacter has a positive Intelligence modifier,he or she speaks additional languages equal tothe modifier.

If a skill can be used untrained (see the indi-vidual skill descriptions in the PH), your char-acter can use the skill without spending anyskill points. If your character has a decent scorein the skill’s key ability, the character could bepretty good at it.

Some proficiencies, such as Blind-Fighting,have become feats.

If you can’t find a skill or feat that matches aproficiency your character has, pick a new skillor check Character Troubleshooting on page 10.

In many cases you will not be able to spendall your character’s skill points buying yourcharacter’s old proficiencies. Feel free to spendyour remaining skill points on new skills.

Many races get bonuses to skill checks, andhumans receive extra skill points. Review yourcharacter’s race description in Chapter 2 of thePH before recording your character’s final skillscores.

If you run out of skill points before you’vepurchased skills to match all your character’sold proficiencies, you don’t necessarily have togive up any skills. You might want to considerspending fewer skill points on some of theskills. You don’t have to buy every skill up to itsmaximum rank, and you can use the extrapoints to buy more skills. If your character is4th level or higher, you might want to go backto the Ability Score step and improve your char-acter’s Intelligence score, so you’ll have a fewmore skill points to spend.

•• CChhaarraacctteerrss wwiitthh SSeeccoonnddaarryy SSkkiillllss:: If you createdyour character with the 2nd Edition AD&Drules and you used the secondary skills rule,your character knows one or more versions ofthe Craft or Profession skill.

•• CCoonnvveerrttiinngg TThhiieeff SSkkiillllss:: If your character was athief or member of another class that had thiefskills, you will need to choose skills to replacethem, as follows:

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SkillsSkills represent special knowledge or abilitiescharacters have learned (skills were callednonweapon proficiencies in the 2nd EditionAD&D game). Each character receives an allot-ment of skill points for purchasing skills.

CChhaarraacctteerrss wwiitthh NNoonnwweeaappoonn PPrrooffiicciieenncciieess:: Ifyou created your character with the 2nd EditionAD&D rules and you used the optional profi-ciencies rule, you can use your character’s selec-tion of nonweapon proficiencies as a shoppinglist for skills. Just purchase skills similar to yourcharacter’s proficiencies (a list follows). SeeChapter 4 of the PH to determine how manyskill points your character has; Chapter 4 alsoexplains how to purchase skills.

AD&D NonweaponProficiency D&D SkillAgriculture Profession (farmer)Animal Handling Handle AnimalAnimal Training Handle AnimalArtistic Ability Craft (any)Blacksmithing Craft (blacksmithing)Brewing Craft (brewing)Carpentry Craft (carpentry)Cobbling Craft (cobbling)Cooking Craft (cooking)Dancing Perform (dancing)Direction Sense Intuit DirectionEtiquette DiplomacyFire-building Wilderness Lore*Fishing Profession (fishing)Heraldry Knowledge (heraldry)Languages, Modern Speak LanguageLeatherworking Craft (leatherworking)Mining Profession (miner)Pottery Craft (pottery)Riding, Airborne RideRiding, Land-based RideRope Use Use RopeSeamanship Profession (sailor)Seamstress/Tailor Craft (sewing)Singing Perform (singing)Stonemasonry Craft (stonemasonry)Swimming SwimWeather Sense Knowledge (weather)Weaving Craft (weaving)

Priest GroupAD&D NonweaponProficiency D&D SkillAncient History Knowledge (history)Astrology Knowledge (astrology)Engineering Profession (engineer)Healing HealHerbalism Profession (herbalist)Languages, Ancient Speak LanguageLocal History Knowledge (history)Musical Instrument Perform (musical

instrument)Navigation Profession (navigator)Reading/Writing See Skill Tips belowReligion Knowledge (religion)Spellcraft Spellcraft

Rogue GroupAD&D NonweaponProficiency D&D SkillAncient History Knowledge (history)Appraising AppraiseBlind-fighting Blind-Fight (feat, not a skill)Disguise DisguiseForgery ForgeryGaming Profession (gambler)Gem Cutting Craft (gem cutting)Juggling Perform (juggling)Jumping JumpLocal History Knowledge (history)Musical Instrument Perform (musical

instrument)Reading Lips Read LipsSet Snares Wilderness Lore*Tightrope Walking BalanceTumbling TumbleVentriloquism Perform (ventriloquism)

Warrior GroupAD&D NonweaponProficiency D&D SkillAnimal Lore Wilderness Lore*Armorer Craft (armorer)Blind-fighting Blind-Fight (feat, not a skill)Bowyer/Fletcher Craft (bowyer)Charioteering Handle AnimalEndurance Endurance (feat, not a skill)Gaming Profession (gambler)Hunting Profession (hunter)Mountaineering Climb

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•• ““II CCrreeaatteedd MMyy CChhaarraacctteerr wwiitthh aa KKiitt..””:: The variouskits from the 2nd Edition AD&D game varygreatly in their impact and scope, but all areessentially little character classes. It can take alittle fiddling to fit a “kitted” character, but itcan be done.

WWeeaappoonn PPrrooffiicciieenncciieess:: If the character’s classdoes not include a weapon that the kit requires,recommends, or gives the character for free, thecharacter automatically gains proficiency in itwithout using up any feats..

NNoonnwweeaappoonn PPrrooffiicciieenncciieess:: Any proficiencyincluded in a kit description (required, recom-mended, or free) is available to the character asa class skill, even if it is a cross-class skill for thecharacter’s class or exclusive to another class. Ifthe character has insufficient skill points to buyall his skills, the character must give up someskills. Eliminate the skills from the recom-mended list before eliminating skills from thefree or required lists.

SSppeecciiaall BBeenneeffiittss aanndd HHiinnddrraanncceess:: The charac-ter keeps any special benefits or hindrances thekit grants. Each special benefit counts as one ofthe feats available to the character. If a kit’sspecial benefit is listed in the Player’sHandbook as a skill, the character must buy atleast 4 ranks in theskill and select theSkill Focus feat forthat skill.

If a specialbenefit isalready listedin the Player’sHandbook asa feat, usethe PH featdescriptionrather thanthe descrip-tion givenwith the kit.Any prerequi-sites the feat mighthave are waived forthe character.

If a specialbenefit is notincluded inthe Player’sHandbook as

a feat, treat it as a feat using the descriptionprovided with the kit.

If a special benefit includes an abilityfrom another class, the character should

become multiclass and devote atleast one quarter of her levels

to that class (and always atleast one level). The otherclass is always treated as a

favored class.For example, the swash-

buckler kit from the CompleteThief’s Handbook allows the

character to use a fighter’s THAC0.In the D&D game, an 8th-level

swashbuckler character shouldbecome a fighter/rogue with at

least two levels of fighter.Because fighter is afavored class for swash-

bucklers, the characterdoes not suffer any experi-

ence penalties for having afew fighter levels.

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Old Thief Skill D&D SkillPick Pockets Pick PocketOpen Locks Open LockFind/Remove Traps Search (finding traps)

Disable Device (removing traps)

Move Silently Move SilentlyHide in Shadows HideDetect Noise ListenClimb Walls ClimbRead Languages Decipher Script

You can compare your character’s oldpercentage score in a thief skill to a D&D skillbonus by dividing the old score by 5, roundingdown, and subtracting 5 from the result. Forexample, Escolrande was a thief with a DetectNoise score of 65%. That’s about equal to a Listenbonus of +8 (65 ÷ 5 = 13, and 13 – 5 = 8).

TThhiieeff SSkkiillll TTiippss:: When calculating your char-acter’s new skill bonuses, be sure to include themodifier for the skill’s key ability. For example,a character’s Wisdom modifier now affects herListen skill.

Rogues and bards now have exclusive accessto the Use Magic Device skill (see the descrip-tion in Chapter 4 of the PH). This skill is similarto the old ability Use Magical Scrolls, butapplies to almost any type of magic item.

Many of the traditional thief skills havebecome broader and more useful. For example,the Search skill now allows character to ransackareas for treasure, locate secret doors, and evenfind footprints. A careful reading of the skilldescriptions should reveal some pleasantsurprises.

EquipmentMost types of equipment work the same way they didin older versions of the game. There are a few differ-ences:

•• WWeeaappoonnss:: Weapons no longer have different damageratings depending on the size of the target. Instead,they have varying abilities to inflict critical hits, asexplained in Weapons in Chapter 7 of the PH.

The game has new rules for two-handed weaponsand for fighting with two weapons. See Chapter 8 ofthe PH for details.

If the character has a weapon not listed in the PH,consult Character Troubleshooting, below.

•• EEnnccuummbbrraannccee:: The old encumbrance rules havebeen replaced by a simple system that keeps

track of what a character can carry, dependingon his size and Strength score. See CarryingCapacity in Chapter 9 of the PH for details.

•• MMaaggiicc IItteemmss:: Most magic items work the sameway they always have. The Magic section onpage 15 describes the changes.

Character TroubleshootingThis section offers advice for dealing with prob-lems you might encounter when converting acharacter.

•• ““MMyy CChhaarraacctteerr HHaass aa SSppeellll oorr MMaaggiicc IItteemm tthhaatt IIssNNoott IInncclluuddeedd iinn tthhee NNeeww RRuulleess..”” Substitute asimilar spell or item. Also see the Magic sectionon page 15 for information on converting spellsand magical items from older editions of thegame.

•• ““MMyy CChhaarraacctteerr HHaass aa WWeeaappoonn tthhaatt IIss NNoottIInncclluuddeedd oonn tthhee CCuurrrreenntt WWeeaappoonn LLiisstt..””Substitute a similar weapon of the same typeand size (for example, substitute a bastard swordfor a claymore or katana), or create statistics forthe weapon based on a similar weapon from thePlayer’s Handbook. For example, any weaponthat includes a rope or chain probably works alot like a heavy or light flail.

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What’s New about Dual- andMulticlassed Characters?

Characters With Multiple Classes: Thegame no longer has two different systemsfor handling dual- and multiclassed charac-ters. All characters with more than one classare called multiclass characters.

The multiclass option is available to char-acters of any race.

A multiclass character advances in oneclass at a time, choosing which class toimprove each time the character reaches anew level. All class abilities the charactergains are cumulative, and character’s levelis the total of all the levels the character has.For example, a fighter/wizard/rogue level3/3/3 is a 9th-level character. See MulticlassCharacters in Chapter 3 of the PH fordetails.

Class Level vs. Character Level: Classlevel is the level a character has achieved inany one class. Character level is the total ofall the levels a character has achieved in allclasses.

What’s New about THAC0 andArmor Class?Characters in the new game no longer haveTHAC0s, and Armor Class now goes upinstead of down.

Attack Bonus: Instead of a THAC0, a charac-ter has an attack bonus that applies to the char-acter’s attack rolls. If the result of an attack rollequals or exceeds the target’s Armor Class, theattack succeeds and inflicts damage. Tocompare THAC0 to attack bonus, subtractTHAC0 from 20. For example, if a charactercreated under the 2nd Edition AD&D rules hasa THAC0 of 18, she has about the same combatability as a D&D character with an attack bonusof +2.

Armor Class: Now starts at 10 (the ACvalue for a Medium-size unarmored charac-ter) and goes up. There is no longer an upperlimit to Armor Class. To compare ArmorClasses between editions, take the earlier ACand subtract it from 20. For example, if a char-acter created under the 2nd Edition AD&Drules has an AC of 5, she has about the sameresistance to attack as a D&D character withan AC of 15.

use of the skill should be 10. Ifthe check modifier is 0 orlower, the DCfor a routineuse of the skillshould be 15(or require anopposed check).In this case, “routine use” is a typical,everyday use of the skill, not some-thing outrageous, fancy, or heroic.For example, trotting along asmooth road on a horse is aroutine use of the Ride skill.

PPrrooffiicciieennccyy DDeessccrriippttiioonn:: Usethis as you would a skilldescription. The DM willhave to decide whetherthe skill can be useduntrained, whetherretries are possible,and how long ittakes to use the

skill. The best way to set these details isto compare the proficiency with a simi-

lar skill from the PH.For example, the Beggingproficiency from the

C o m p l e t e T h i e f ’ sHandbook works some-thing like the Bluff andGather Information

skills, with a little bitof the Disguise skillthrown in. In fact, if

the character has Bluffand Disguise, she proba-

bly doesn’t needanother skill to beg.It ’s probably bestto treat simpleattempts at panhan-dling (“Excuse me,

sir, spare a coin for anorphan?”) as Bluffattempts.

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•• ““II CCaann’’tt FFiinndd aa SSkkiillll TThhaatt MMaattcchheess aann OOllddPPrrooffiicciieennccyy..”” Any nonweapon proficiency froman earlier edition can be used as a skill. First,make sure the proficiency in question has notbecome a feat or been included in another skill(see Skills on page 8 for details). Here’s how touse a proficiency as a skill:

PPrrooffiicciieennccyy GGrroouupp:: This determines who canbuy the skill has a class skill.

General Group: Any character can buy theproficiency as a class skill.

Priest Group: Clerics, druids, paladins, andrangers can buy the proficiency as a class skill.

Rogue Group: Bards and rogues can buy theproficiency as a class skill.

Warrior Group: Barbarians, fighters,paladins, and rangers can buy the proficiency asa class skill.

Wizard Group: Bards, sorcerers, and wizardscan buy the proficiency as a class skill.

SSlloottss RReeqquuiirreedd: This no longer applies.Characters pay 1 skill point per rank for classskills and 2 skill points per rank for cross-classskills.

RReelleevvaanntt AAbbiilliittyy: This becomes the skill’s keyability. If more than one relevant ability is listed,the player picks one when first purchasing theskill and uses that ability as the key abilitywhenever the character uses the skill.

If the relevant ability is listed as NA (notapplicable), treat the proficiency as a feat.

CChheecckk MMooddiiffiieerr:: This no longer applies.When the character uses the skill, the DM setsa Difficulty Class for the task as described inChapter 4 of the PH and Chapter 3 of the DMG.

You can use the check modifier as a generalguide to how hard the skill is to use. If the checkmodifier is +1 or higher, the DC for a routine

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What’s New about SavingThrows?Characters still attempt saving throws to avoid theill effects of hostile magic and other forms ofnastiness, but the procedures are slightly differ-ent:

Saving Throw Categories: There are now onlythree categories of saving throws: Fortitude,Reflex, and Will. See Saving Throws in Chapter8 of the PH for details.

Saving Throw Bonuses and Difficulty:Characters no longer have flat saving thrownumbers. Instead, a character has a bonus orpenalty that applies to the saving throw roll.

To succeed, a saving throw result has toequal or exceed the saving throw’s DifficultyClass.

You can compare a saving throw numberfrom an earlier edition of the D&D or AD&Dgame to a saving throw bonus by taking thesaving throw number from the earlier editionand subtracting it from 15.

Compare Fortitude saves toParalyzation/Poison/Death Magic saves. Forexample, a 5th-level fighter created under the2nd Edition AD&D rules has a Paralyzationsave of 11. That’s about equal to a Fortitudesave bonus of +4.

Compare Reflex or Will saves to Spell saves. Forexample, a 5th-level fighter created under the 2ndEdition AD&D rules has a Spell save of 14. That’sabout equal to a Reflex or Will bonus of +1.

What’s New about Spells?Spells remain a potent weapon and usefultool. Significant changes include:

• Arcane and Divine Spells: Spells are nowdivided into two broad categories.

Wizards, bards, and a few other types ofcharacters wield arcane spells. Charactersneed specialized knowledge or naturaltalent to use arcane spells. Armor tends tointerfere with the complex gestures andmotions required to cast an arcane spell.

A divine spell depends on the caster’spiety or dedication to some greater power.Armor does not interfere with the casting ofdivine spells as it does with arcane spells.• Concentration: Casting a spell remains amentally demanding task, but distractionssuch as suffering damage in combat nolonger mean a spell is automatically lost.See Chapters 8 and 10 of the PH for details.• Spell Preparation: Characters no longermemorize their spells but prepare themahead of time. Characters need not preparetheir full daily limit at once. They can holdback some of their spell capacity until theyknow what the day will bring. See Chapter 10of the PH for details.

What’s New about Character Classes?Your character’s class still determines everythingfrom fighting ability and Hit Dice to spellcasting abil-ity and saving throws. Significant changes include:

Ability Bonuses and Penalties: Ability scoresnow affect characters of all classes in the sameway. For example, there is no cap on any charac-ter’s bonus hit points from a high Constitutionscore. All spellcasting classes get bonus spells,though the ability score that governs bonusspells varies from class to class.

Bards: Bards now have their own spell list,which includes cantrips (0-level spells). Thebard’s ability to produce magical effects throughsong has been expanded.

Clerics and Priests: All priest characters(except druids) are called clerics in the newgame, and all clerics use the same basic spelllist. All cleric characters gain extra spells andgranted abilities for their domains (formerlycalled spheres). See Cleric in Chapter 3 of the PHfor details. The cleric spell list now includes 8th-and 9th-level spells and orisons (0-level spells).

Clerics still have power over the undead, butrules governing the power have changed. SeeTurn and Rebuke Undead in Chapter 8 in the PHfor details.

Druids: The druid spell list also includes 8th-and 9th-level spells and orisons (0-level spells).

Hit Dice: All classes now gain a new Hit Die ateach level from 1 to 20.

New Classes: The barbarian, monk, andsorcerer classes have been added to the game.See Chapter 3 of the PH for details.

Multiple Attacks: All types of characters gainthe ability to attack multiple times each round.See Table 3–1 in the PH and the accompanyingtext for details.

Thieves: The thief class is now called therogue class. Rogues still have numerous specialabilities (from picking pockets to climbingwalls), but these have been incorporated into auniversal skill system. See Rogue in Chapter 3and Skills in Chapter 4 of the PH for details.

The thief’s backstab ability has been replacedby the more versatile sneak attack ability, and thethief’s ability to read scrolls has been expandedinto the more versatile Use Magic Device ability.

Wizards: The wizard spell list now includescantrips (0-level spells). Specialist wizards arefree to choose their opposition schools.

ment for reaching the next level. For exam-ple, For example, Escolrande is an 8th-levelfighter/9th-level wizard/9th-level thiefcreated using the 2nd Edition AD&D rules.To adjust Escolrande’s experience total, youwould base your calculations on the wizardclass because it took more experience tobecome a 10th-level wizard than to become a10th-level thief.

MAGICSpells and magic items remain an importantpart of the D&D game. Most popular spellsand items have been included in the PH andDMG or can be converted to the new ruleswith minimal effort.

Renamed SpellsThe following spells have new names in thenew edition. The new names often reflectchanges to the way the spells work or simplybetter reflect the what the spells do:Old Spell Name New Spell NameAbi–Dalzim’s horrid Horrid wilting

wiltingAnimal summoning I Summon nature’s

ally IAnimal summoning II Summon nature’s

ally IIAnimal summoning III Summon nature’s

ally IIIAnti-animal shell Antilife shellAnti-magic shell Antimagic fieldArmor Mage armorAstral spell Astral projectionAudible glamer Ghost soundBind Animate ropeBlindness Blindness/deafnessCantrip PrestidigitationCause critical wounds Inflict critical

woundsCause disease ContagionCause light wounds Inflict light woundsCause serious wounds Inflict serious

woundsCharm person or mammal Charm person or

animalClairaudience Clairaudience/

clairvoyanceClairvoyance Clairaudience/

clairvoyance

Conjure earth elemental Planar allyConjure elemental Summon

monster VConjure fire elemental Planar allyContinual darkness Deeper darknessContinual light DaylightCure blindness or deafness Remove blindness/

deafnessCure disease Remove diseaseDarkness, 15´ radius DarknessDescent into madness InsanityDeafness Blindness/deafnessDeath fog Acid fogDemi-shadow magic Greater shadow

evocationDemi-shadow monsters Greater shadow

conjurationDetect lie Discern liesDetect invisibility See invisibilityDomination Dominate personEnchanted weapon Greater magic

weaponEndure heat/endure cold Endure elementsEnsnarement Planar bindingESP Detect thoughtsFog cloud Obscuring mistFree action Freedom of

movementGiant insect Giant verminHold undead Halt undeadImproved phantasmal force Minor imageInfravision DarkvisionInvisibility, 10´ radius Invisibility sphereInvisible stalker Summon invisible

stalkerItem Shrink itemLocate animals or plants Detect animals or

plantsLower water Control waterMagic resistance Spell resistanceMessenger Animal messengerMonster summoning I Summon monster IMonster summoning II Summon

monster IIMonster summoning III Summon

monster IIIMonster summoning IV Summon

monster IVMonster summoning V Summon

monster VMonster summoning VI Summon monsterVI

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In any case, Bluff, Disguise, and GatherInformation can all be used untrained, soBegging can as well. Working an area for pocketmoney takes a day.

Preparing to go out begging for a day requires1d3×10 minutes of preparation, just like theDisguise skill. To resolve the attempt, roll aBegging (or Bluff ) check opposed by the aver-age Sense Motive skills of the people in theplace where the character begs. Use the modi-fiers from the Begging proficiency descriptionas penalties to the Begging roll. Success bringsenough coin for a day’s common meals andlodging (2d8 sp).

•• ““II WWaanntt aa MMoorree AAccccuurraattee XXPP AAddjjuussttmmeenntt..”” TheCharacter Experience section offers a quickmethod for adjusting a character’s experiencetotal, but it’s not particularly accurate. If youdon’t mind doing a little math, you can calculatehow close the character was to reaching thenext level and place the character about thesame distance from the next level in the newedition of the D&D game. Here’s how to do sofor a single-classed character:

1. Take the character’s old experience point total and subtract the minimum

number of XP needed to reach thecharacter’s level on the old table.

For example, Sigretta is a7t h - level fighter

c r e a t e d

under the2nd EditionAD&D rules;she has 87,500

XP. The mini-mum XP Sigretta

needed toreach 7thlevel was

64,000 XP.87,500 – 64,000

= 23,500.2. Subtract the minimum number of XP needed to

reach the character’s level on the old table fromthe minimum needed to reach the next level.For example, Sigretta would have needed64,000 XP to reach 7th level, and she would

have needed 125,000 XP to reach 8th level.125,000 – 64,000 = 61,000.

3. Divide the number you got in step 1 by thenumber you got in step 2. In Sigretta’s case,23,500 ÷ 61,000 = about .385.

4. Subtract the minimum number of XP needed toreach the character’s level on the new D&Dtable from the minimum needed to reach thenext level. For example, Sigretta would haveneeded 21,000 XP to reach 7th level and needs28,000 XP to reach 8th level. 28,000 – 21,000 =7,000.

5. Multiply the number yougot in step 3 by thenumber you got instep 4 and rounddown to the near-est wholenumber. InS i g r e t t a ’ scase, .385

× 7,000 =2,695.

6. Add the number you got in step 5 to the minimumnumber of XP needed to reach the character’slevel on the new XP table. This is the charac-ter’s adjusted experience total. In Sigretta’scase, 2,695 + 21,000 = 23,695.

DDuuaall--ccllaasssseedd cchhaarraacctteerrss:: To adjust a dual-classed character’s XP total, follow the stepsoutlined above, using the character’s activeclass. For example, Ratchett is a dual-classedlevel 7/2 cleric/wizard, who was created underthe 2nd Edition AD&D rules and who wasearning experience in the wizard class. Whenadjusting Ratchett’s experience total, thecalculations should be based on the old wizardclass table.

MMuullttiiccllaassss CChhaarraacctteerrss:: To adjust a multiclasscharacter’s experience total, base your calcula-tions on the character’s highest class level. If thecharacter has two classes with the same level,use the class that has the highest XP require-

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Web I/E ConjurationWhispering wind Alt., I/P TransmutationWind wall Alt. EvocationWish C/S UniversalWizard eye Alt. DivinationWizard lock Alt. AbjurationWizard mark Alt. UniversalWraithform* Alt., I/P Transmutation

Key: Alt. = Alteration; I/P = Illusion/Phantasm;

E/C = Enchantment/Charm;

C/S = Conjuration/Summoning;

Abj. = Abjuration; Nec. = Necromancy;

I/E = Invocation/Evocation; Div. = Greater Divination

*The spell has also been renamed. See the list of renamed

spells above.

Converting Old SpellsIt’s usually fairly easy to convert an old spell tothe new rules. Here’s how:

SScchhooooll:: Usually a spell’s school remainsunchanged. However, check the PH for a simi-lar spell and assign the spell the same school(for example, healing spells and most wall spellsare now part of the Conjuration school). Someschools have new, simplified names, as follows:

Old School Name New School NameAbjuration AbjurationAlteration AlterationConjuration/Summoning ConjurationEnchantment/Charm EnchantmentDivination Divination

Greater Divination DivinationLesser Divination Universal

Invocation/Evocation EvocationNecromancy Necromancy

SSuubbsscchhooooll aanndd DDeessccrriippttoorr:: Earlierversions of the game did not use subschooland descriptors. The easiest way to assign theseis to find a similar spell in the PH and assign thespell the same subschool and descriptor.

LLeevveell:: A spell’s level usually remainsunchanged.

RRaannggee:: Compare the spell’s old rangelisting to the table below. If the spell has arange that varies by level, use the value for theminimum level required to cast the spell. If the

spell has different ranges for indoor andoutdoor casting, use the longer of the tworanges.

Old Range New Range0 PersonalTouch Touch0–30 yards Close*31–100 yards Medium101+ yards LongUnlimited Unlimited

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Monster summoning VII Summon monster VIIObscurement Obscuring mistPart water Control waterPermanent illusion Permanent imagePhantasmal force Silent imageProgrammed illusion Programmed imageProtection from evil 10´ Magic circle against evil

radiusRepel insects Repel verminResist fire/resist cold Resist elementsRestoration Greater restorationSerten’s spell immunity Greater spell immunityShadow magic Shadow evocationShadow monsters Shadow conjurationSilence 15´ radius SilenceSlow poison Delay poisonSnake charm Animal tranceSpiritual hammer Spiritual weaponSpectral force Major imageStrength Bull’s strengthSuccor RefugeTransport via plants Tree strideTree Tree shapeTurn wood Repel woodUnholy word BlasphemyWizard eye Arcane eyeWizard lock Arcane lockWizard mark Arcane markWraithform Gaseous form

Wizard Spells with New SchoolsThe wizard spells listed below have changedschools; spells that once belonged to multipleschools now belong to a single school.

Spell Name Old NewAbi–Dalzim’s horrid wilting* Alt., Nec. NecromancyAstral spell* I/E NecromancyBlindness I/P TransmutationCloudkill I/E ConjurationColor spray Alt. IllusionDancing lights Alt. IllusionDarkness, 15´ radius* Alt. EvocationContinual light* Alt. EvocationDemand I/E, E/C EnchantmentDream I/E, I/P IllusionEnchanted weapon* E/C TransmutationEnergy drain I/E, Nec. NecromancyExplosive runes Alt. AbjurationEyebite E/C, I/P TransmutationFabricate E/C, Alt. Transmutation

False vision Div. IllusionFear I/P NecromancyFire shield I/E, Alt. EvocationFire trap Abj., I/E AbjurationFog cloud Alt. ConjurationGuards and wards I/P, Alt., Abjuration

E/CGust of wind Alt. EvocationHold portal Alt. AbjurationIncendiary cloud Alt., I/E ConjurationLeomund’s secret chest Alt., C/S ConjurationLeomund’s secure shelter Alt., E/C ConjurationLeomund’s tiny hut Alt. EvocationLight Alt. EvocationLimited wish C/S, I/E UniversalMagic mouth Alt. IllusionMajor creation I/P ConjurationMinor creation I/P ConjurationMirage arcana I/P, Alt. IllusionMordenkainen’s

disjunction Alt., E/C AbjurationMordenkainen’s magnificent mansion Alt., C/S ConjurationNightmare I/E, I/P IllusionOtiluke’s freezing sphere Alt., I/E EvocationOtiluke’s resilient sphere Alt., I/E EvocationOtiluke’s telekinetic sphere Alt., I/E EvocationPermanency Alt. UniversalPhantom steed C/S, I/P ConjurationPrismatic sphere Abj., C/S AbjurationPrismatic spray C/S EvocationPrismatic wall C/S EvocationProject image Alt., I/P IllusionRainbow pattern Alt., I/P IllusionRary’s telepathic bond Alt., Div DivinationRay of enfeeblement E/C NecromancyRead magic Div. UniversalScare E/C NecromancyScreen Div., I/P IllusionSequester I/P, Abj. AbjurationShadow walk I/P, E/C IllusionShield I/E AbjurationSolid fog Alt. ConjurationStinking cloud I/E ConjurationStoneskin Alt. AbjurationSuccor* Alt., E/C TransmutationSymbol C/S UniversalTenser’s transformation Alt., I/E TransmutationTongues Alt. DivinationWall of iron I/E ConjurationWall of stone I/E Conjuration

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1 Saves for half effect are Reflex saves unless the spell has

some effect other than inflicting damage. If so, it will be a

Will save.

2 Saves to negate a spell’s effect are Will or Fortitude saves. Will

saves apply to mental effects. Fortitude saves apply to effects

that cause the target’s death or alteration (see the Saving

Throws section in Chapter 10 of the PH). If the spell is part of

the Illusion school, change “Neg” save to a save to disbelieve.

3 Very few spells in the new D&D game allow no save at all.

If the spell has a range of Personal or Touch, leave a

“None” save unchanged. If a spell has a range greater than

touch, allow a save to negate.

SSppeellll RReessiissttaannccee: This entry should be “Yes”unless the spell does not produce a direct effecton the recipient. If you have any doubts,compare the spell to a similar spell from the PH.The sections on Spell Resistance in Chapter 10of the PH and Chapter 3 of the DMG also willbe helpful.

SSppeellll DDeessccrriippttiioonn:: This will remain largelyunchanged. Spells that inflict damage accord-ing to the caster’s level should have damagelimits as shown on the table below:

Spell Max Damage Max DamageLevel1 (Single Target)2 (Multiple Targets)31 5 dice —2 10 dice 5 dice3 10 dice 10 dice4 15 dice 10 dice5 15 dice 15 dice6 20 dice 15 dice7 20 dice 20 dice8 25 dice 20 dice9 25 dice 25 dice

1 For cleric spells, use the limit for a spell 1 level lower. The

damage limit for a 1st-level cleric spell is 1 die.

2 A single-target spell affects only one target or has its total

damage divided among more than one target. For example,

a magic missile spell can deliver 5 dice of damage to one

target; it can affect more than one target, but its damage

dice must be divided among them.

3 A multiple-target spell is capable of inflicting full damage

on two or more targets simultaneously. For example, a

fireball damages everything within its area of effect.

Spells You Shouldn’t ConvertA few spells have been eliminated from thegame altogether. These include know align-ment and any arcane healing or curative spell.

Renamed Magic ItemsThe following items have new names in thenew edition. The new names often reflectchanges to the way the items work or simplybetter reflect what the items do:

Old Item Name New Item NameBracers of defense Bracers of armorCloak of displacement Cloak of minor

displacementCloak of protection Cloak of resistanceElven chain mail Elven chainGirdle of dwarvenkind Belt of dwarvenkindGirdle of giant strength Belt of giant strengthMedallion of ESP Medallion of thoughtsOil of acid resistance Potion of protection

from elements (acid)Philter of glibness Potion of glibnessPhilter of love Potion of lovePhilter of persuasiveness Potion of charismaPotion of clairaudience Potion of clairaudience/

clairvoyancePotion of clairvoyance Potion of clairaudience/

clairvoyancePotion of diminution Potion of reducePotion of extra healing Potion of cure serious

woundsPotion of giant strength Potion of bull’s strengthPotion of growth Potion of enlargePotion of healing Potion of cure light

woundsPotion of speed Potion of hasteRing of fire resistance Ring of fire resistance

(minor)Ring of free action Ring of freedom of

movementRing of protection Ring of deflectionRod of passage Staff of passageRod of resurrection Staff of lifeScarab versus golems Scarab, golembaneStaff of the serpent Rod of the viper

(viper)Staff of the serpent Rod of the python

(python)Staff of thunder and Rod of thunder and

lightning lightningStaff of withering Rod of withering

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*Some spells have effects that radiate outward from the

caster’s body. If so, this will be mentioned in the spell’s

description. In such cases, convert the range to feet and

leave it otherwise unchanged.

CCoommppoonneennttss:: These remain unchanged.Note that any material component that is notconsumed during casting is now called a focus.

DDuurraattiioonn:: Compare the spell’s old durationlisting to the examples below. If the spell has aduration that varies by level, use the value forthe minimum level required to cast the spell.

44 rroouunnddss oorr lleessss: 1 round/caster level.55 rroouunnddss oorr mmoorree,, bbuutt ssttiillll mmeeaassuurreedd iinn

rroouunnddss:: 1 minute/caster level.AAnnyy dduurraattiioonn mmeeaassuurreedd iinn ttuurrnnss:: 10

minutes/caster level.AAnnyy dduurraattiioonn mmeeaassuurreedd iinn hhoouurrss

oorr ddaayyss: No change.PPeerrmmaanneenntt:: Usually no change,

but some spells that were previ-ously listed as permanent areactually instantaneous.Compare the spell to a simi-lar spell in the PH to besure.

IInnssttaannttaanneeoouuss:: Nochange.

SSppeecciiaall:: These spells lastuntil something specialoccurs, such as the casterceasing to concentrate,some external effect triggersthe spell, or the subjectmakes a saving throw. Theactual duration is explainedin the spell description. Setthe duration by comparingthe spell to a similar spell inthe PH. If you cannot find asimilar spell, use the old dura-tion as explained in the spell’s description.

CCaassttiinngg TTiimmee:: If the old casting time isless than 1 round, the spell’s new castingtime is 1 action. If the old casting time is 1round or more, the casting time is unchangedunless the casting time is listed in turns. In thatcase, the new casting will be 10 minutes × thenumber of turns in the old casting time.

AArreeaa ooff EEffffeecctt:: This usually remainsunchanged. The new edition of the D&D game

is much clearer about how some spells reallywork, particularly spells that affect only alimited number of targets within an area insteadof everything within an area. Compare the spelldescription to the discussion of areas and effectsin Chapter 10 of the PH. Comparing the spell tosomething similar in the PH will also help.

SSaavviinngg TThhrrooww:: Compare the spell’s old savingthrow listing to the table below:

Old Save Listing New Save Listing1/2 Half 1Neg. Negates or Disbelief 2None (Occurs rarely) 3

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sections below on Ability Scores and Skills andFeats.

SSppeeeedd:: Multiply the creature’s old movementrate by 2.5 feet and round up to the nearestmultiple of 10. If the creature also has a climb-ing or swimming movement rate, the creaturegets the Climb or Swim skill free. If the creaturehas a flying movement rate, you must alsoassign it a maneuverability class. See Movementin the Introduction of the MM for details onswimming, climbing, and flying.

AArrmmoorr CCllaassss:: Subtract the creature’s oldArmor Class from 20; this is the creature’s ACfor normal combat. In the current rules, theArmor Class entry also indicates how much of the

creature’s AC comes from size, natural armor, andDexterity. Calculate the creature’s natural armor bysubtracting the Dexterity modifier, the size modi-fier (from the Size section in the Introduction of theMM), and 10 more points from the normal AC value.

AAttttaacckkss aanndd AAttttaacckk BBoonnuuss:: List each of thecreature’s weapons and natural weapons alongwith the attack bonus the creature has for each.The creature’s base attack bonus depends on itshit dice and type; see the Advancement Limitsection in the Introduction of the MM. Thecreature’s size, ability scores, and feats affect theattack bonus for each attack as described in theAttacks section in the Introduction of the MM.

DDaammaaggee:: Use the creature’s old damage list-

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Wand of earth and stone Staff of earth and stoneWand of enemy detection Rod of enemy detectionWand of fire Staff of fireWand of flame Rod of flame

extinguishing extinguishingWand of frost Staff of frostWand of magic detection Wand of detect magicWand of metal and Rod of metal and

mineral detection mineral detectionWand of negation Rod of negationWand of size alteration Staff of size alterationWand of wonder Rod of wonder

Converting Old Magic ItemsIt’s usually easy to convert an old magic item tothe new rules. Here’s how:

CCaasstteerr LLeevveell:: Assign a caster level by deter-mining the most powerful spell-like ability theitem can produce and finding the lowest-levelwizard (if the effect is arcane) or cleric (if theeffect is divine) required to cast the spell. If theitem has no spell-like abilities, find a similaritem in the DMG and give your item that casterlevel.

PPrreerreeqquuiissiitteess:: Check Chapter 5 of the PH todecide what feat is necessary to make the item.The DM will have to examine the item’s powersand decide what spells they resemble most;these spells become prerequisites for the item.

MMaarrkkeett PPrriiccee:: Find two or three similar itemsin the DMG and assign your item a similarprice.

MMaaggiicc IItteemm NNootteess:: Here are some guidelinesfor specific magic items.

CCllooaakk ooff PPrrootteeccttiioonn:: In the current rules, theproper name for this item is cloak of deflectionand resistance (providing both a deflectionbonus to Armor Class and a resistance bonus tosaving throws). Some DMs may decide to makeplayers choose between a cloak of deflection(AC) or a cloak of resistance (saves).

GGiirrddlleess ooff GGiiaanntt SSttrreennggtthh:: These items havebecome belts of giant strength. A girdle of hill,stone, or frost giant strength becomes a minorbelt of giant strength (+4 to the wearer’sStrength score). A girdle of fire, cloud, or stormgiant strength becomes a major belt of giantstrength (+6 to the wearer’s Strength score).

RRooddss,, SSttaaffffss,, aanndd WWaannddss:: All rods are itemsthat have unique powers, not simply powersthat duplicate spell effects. All staffs are multi-function items that store spells. All wands are

single-function items that store spells. If a staffor wand has a unique power, it is now a rod. If arod or wand from an older version of the gameproduces multiple spell effects, it is now a staff.If a staff or rod can produce only one type ofspell effect, it is now a wand. Rods, staffs, andwands have a maximum of 50 charges.

Items You Shouldn’t ConvertA few items have been eliminated from thegame altogether. These include any item thatbestows a flat ability score or armor class.Ability boosting items should instead providean ability bonus of +2 to +6. Protective itemsshould provide an armor, natural armor, ordeflection bonus of +1 to +6.

You need your DM’s approval to use any itemnot in the new DMG.

MONSTERSThe Monster Manual contains the most popularcreatures from earlier editions of the game andincludes all the creatures featured in the DMG’srandom encounter tables.

Converting Old MonstersIf one of your favorites isn’t in the MonsterManual, you can convert an old monster to thenew rules. Here’s how:

SSiizzee aanndd TTyyppee:: Size categories from olderversions of the rules do not match the currentsize categories. Study the old monster descrip-tion and decide how big the creature really is(that is, the creature’s actual height, length, orweight) and assign the creature a size using theinformation on creature sizes in theIntroduction of the MM.

Assign the creature a type according to theinformation on creature types in theIntroduction of the MM.

HHiitt DDiiccee aanndd HHiitt PPooiinnttss:: The number of hitdice remains unchanged. Assign the creature ahit die type appropriate for its type. You’ll findinformation on hit die type in theAdvancement Limit section in the Introductionof the MM.

The creature’s Constitution modifier appliesto each Hit Die it has.

IInniittiiaattiivvee:: Assign the creature an initiativebonus based on its Dexterity modifier (andpossibly the Improved Initiative feat). See the

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ing, modified by its Strength score as explainedin the Damage section in the Introduction ofthe MM.

SSppeecciiaall AAttttaacckkss:: Use the special attacks listedin the creature’s old description. If a specialattack is described in the MM Introduction, usethose rules. If the special attack is not describedin the MM Introduction, find a creature with asimilar ability in the MM and use those rules.

SSppeecciiaall DDeeffeennsseess:: Use the special defenseslisted in the creature’s old description. If aspecial defense is described in the Introductionof the MM, use those rules. If the specialdefense is not described in the Introduction ofthe MM, find a creature with a similar ability inthe MM and use those rules.

CCrreeaattuurreess HHiitt OOnnllyy bbyy SSiillvveerr oorr MMaaggiiccaallWWeeaappoonnss:: This defense has become the damagereduction defense. The type of weapon thatnegates the damage reduction is the same as theweapon required to harm the creature in theolder version of the game. Set the damagereduction at 10 points, or find two or three simi-lar creatures in the MM and give the creature asimilar damage reduction.

MMaaggiicc RReessiissttaannccee:: This is now called spellresistance. Divide the old magic resistancenumber by 5 and add the result to 11 to get thecreature’s spell resistance score.

SSaavviinngg TThhrroowwss:: The creature’s base savebonuses depend on its hit dice and type. See theAdvancement Limit section in the Introductionof the MM. The creature’s ability scores andfeats affect the bonus for each save category.

AAbbiilliittyy SSccoorreess:: Look at two or three similarcreatures from the MM and assign the creaturesimilar ability scores.

In general, the larger the creature, the higherits Strength and Constitution scores should be.The faster the creature moves, the higher itsDexterity score should be.

You can use the creature’s old Intelligencerating as a guideline for setting its Intelligence,Wisdom, and Charisma scores.

SSkkiillllss aanndd FFeeaattss:: The number of skill pointsand feats the creature has available depends onits Hit Dice and type; see the AdvancementLimit section in the Introduction of the MM.Assume that any skill you choose for the creatureis a class skill (costing 1 skill point per rank).

DDeessccrriippttiioonn:: Use the old description.CCrreeaattuurreess tthhaatt AAffffeecctt SSuurrpprriissee:: There are no

surprise rolls in the new rules. If the creature isdifficult to surprise, it should have a bonus toSpot and Listen checks (and a fairly goodWisdom score). If the creature is good atachieving surprise, it should have a bonus toHide and Move Silently checks (and a fairlygood Dexterity score).

CClliimmaattee//TTeerrrraaiinn:: This usually remainsunchanged, but always use the terms listed in theClimate/Terrain section in the Introduction ofthe MM.

OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonn,, CChhaalllleennggee LLeevveell,,aanndd TTrreeaassuurree:: Find two or threesimilar creatures in the MMand assign the creature asimilar organization,challenge level, andtreasure.

AAlliiggnnmmeenntt:: Usethe old listing.

AA dd vv aa nn cc ee mm ee nn ttRRaannggee:: Most creaturescan double their baseHit Dice.

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