Help with D&D and AD&D roll playing needed. ?

Question

OK, I'm a vintage player and DM from way, way back,,,, back to the days of Chain-mail,,,,   I gave the game up when I was expecting my first child.  Now, my second child is a teenager and getting into the D&D game.  I just purchased for him the basic 4th Edition set with a DM guide, PHB, and MM.  

The entire mechanics of the game have changed.  The d20 system.  I'm not complaining, just it's different.  

While I can learn the new system, my ancient tomes are in the old system.  I will be using the new system when I get to "guest" DM, but I'm really stuck at the limitations of having only the 4th E MM.  

I want to dust off my original MM, MMII, and the FF.  Give these teenagers a taste of monsters they have not faced, and inject a shot of new blood.

So, are there any suggestions on how to convert the old monsters into the new system.  The biggest sticking points are:

Hit Dice to levels.  They don't seem to match up very well.
Will Saves for magic, etc.
Hit Points, damage, attacks,
Armor Class,,,

does anyone have any suggestions or know of any resources that I can use to help me do some conversions and bring back some of the classic foes?

TheMadProfessor · Accepted Answer

4th edition is quite a bit different from 3.5, let alone from 1st ed. What you might do is compare some of the 1st edition monsters that are in the 4E MM (don't have my old books handy, but off the top of my head I believe beholder, some of the dragons and several types of undead are in both). This will give you an idea of a rough rule of thumb for converting HD->HP, AC/saves->defenses and normal attacks routines->powers/exploits. Keep in mind the various monster roles (solo, minion, lurker, etc.) in mind when developing encounters...4E is all about group dynamics (except for elite solos), so think about how the monsters would work together. For example, a few brutes (lions) who hunt, with some lurkers (hyenas) ranging about looking to jump weak prey.

Anonymous · Answer

You might be able to find a custom monster conversion online.  However, at the end of the day, as the DM, you can simply assign values that seem fitting as compared to other monsters.  Shouldn't be too difficult.

Help with D&D and AD&D roll playing needed. ?

2 Answers