Character conversion

[Guest#1]

Hello all, I couldn't find where to post this in the sub forums, since it is a question I have about multiple editions of dnd. You see, I have many ideas for characters, but I'm looking for a character that I can convert to most editions of dnd. I have some choices, and I don't require the classes to be the exact same, because the classes in one edition might have been prestige classes with requirements that couldn't be completed. My choices that I have so far are a true nuetral drow assasin, uses daggers and a sword, who was originally 4.0; a half-elf bard with a sword and an affinity for fire elementals, originally 3.5; a githzerai fire mage who is part fire elemental, 3.5; a cleric who specializes in the balance between positive and negative energy, and is masterful with both, 3.5; and a paladin who used to be a barbarian with a tiger mount, 3.5, needs to have some noticable aspects of barbarian in him. These are all characters I enjoyed playing, and I'd like one of them to become my go to character in dnd. I ask you, the members of giantitp, to suggest which one I should use, as well as tell me which can be easily modified to fit other editions without too much hassle or homebrew. If you have suggestions on how to modify one of these characters into an edition other than 3.5 (This is and edition i'm familiar with, the others I have limited knowledge of) then feel free to mention it. If you have aby questions just ask.

[NikitaDarkstar]

Not so sure but your true neutral assassin is a no-go. Assassin is a prestige class in 3.5 requiring you to be evil. There is a version in the Book of Exalted Deeds that requires you to be good, but the pre-reqs are ridiculous. (Compares to the assassin. Much harder pre-reqs for basically the same class.)

[WitchSlayer]

I know you can convert the bard into 4e, I'm not sure if you could convert it into 2e

[eepop]

Not so sure but your true neutral assassin is a no-go. Assassin is a prestige class in 3.5 requiring you to be evil. There is a version in the Book of Exalted Deeds that requires you to be good, but the pre-reqs are ridiculous. (Compares to the assassin. Much harder pre-reqs for basically the same class.)

You could probably do some kind of rogue/warlock multiclass well enough though and stay true neutral. Or just reskin a factotum.

[hamishspence]

There's some "assassin-ish" classes and PRCs without an Evil requirement though- like the ninja, or the black flame zealot in Complete Divine.

[Jay R]

My experience with conversions is that the character design suffers, since it was built around a different set of mechanics. Besides, the idea assumes some version of game-hopping, in which case all the character's previous experiences and character interplay happened in a world none of his companions shared.

So by translating the character I get the worst of both worlds - his mechanics don't work well and his roleplay is limited to a set of adjectives, not a reaction to his life as lived up to now.

I'm much happier running a new character in each game, in order to play one whose concept works well under these rules, and whose life and character are rooted in the society he's part of.

[Guest#1]

I believe I mentioned that I don't require the same classes, and I mentioned that specifically because of the assassin thing. As for the worst of both worlds thing, I like building characters around a back story and then building from there, and usually my back story either doesn't require much world collaboration, and I am flexible with mechanics (though part of this thread is to help figure out what character's mechanics can work in other editions). I also like continuing with characters, so I think that's more a question of play style. Thanks for all the help so far :smallsmile: right now i'm playing the cleric, and he's kind of my favorite, but I don't know how I would do the positive negative combination in 4.0, and I have no clue if it would work in 2.0 or 1.0 or ad&d. He's supposed to be sort of a mad doctor/torturer guy, because one of his ancestors was un-dead so he can't feel pain

[Dimers]

4e: You can get some 'negative energy'-style effects from different Channel Divinity feats, as well as some Domains (see the book Divine Power). You can also ask the DM to allow you to substitute necrotic for radiant in specific powers, or maybe even combine them together with a feat similar to Arcane Admixture from Arcane Power.