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5e Conversion
This conversion assumes that a D&D 3.5e "1st Level" starting character has the equivalent of up to 125
starting Character Points in the HERO System. The below chart illustrates this.
CHARACTER POINT GUIDELINES
BASE POINTS: MAXIMUM DISADVANTAGE POINTS:
50 Base Points 75 Points (Not including Race Package Deal)
Starting "1st Level" Characters have up to 125 total points
All points over and above 125 Character Points are Experience
To use the chart, simply find your D&D 3.5e Character's total combined level and look across to the Character Points
column to see how many points you have to play with in the HERO System. Don't forget to give yourself an appropriate
prorated amount of additional Character Points for any X.P. your character has beyond the minimum required for their
Level.
COST CONSIDERATIONS
However many Character Points you have available, they are the means by which you will purchase a Race Package,
Characteristics, abilities, and possibly other character elements as well, so manage them wisely.
Remember that one of the key concepts behind any point based role playing game is that each cost paid also has
an opportunity cost associated with it. If you spend too much on ability A, you might not have enough points to get ability
B. In other words, in addition to the cost of ability A, you might also lose the opportunity to get ability B.
Exercise frugality when buying Character abilities and remember that in a point based system it is generally better to start
off mediocre at a broad range of things and improve them with Experience than it is to start off overly specialized at one
thing and be otherwise useless due to Character Point shortfalls.
Like most role-playing games both D&D 3.5e and the HERO System include a concept regarding the measurement of
peoples basic physical and mental attributes via a ranking system. In D&D 3.5e these are called Statistics, while in the
HERO System they are called Characteristics. While there is not a 100% direct correlation between the attributes of the
two Game Systems, there is still a close similarity that makes translating a Character from one system to the other fairly
easy.
How To
When converting a D&D 3.5e Character into the HERO System D&D 3.5e Statistics to HERO
compare each D&D 3.5e Statistic to the adjoining chart to determine which System Characteristics
D&D 3.5e Statistic maps to which HERO System Characteristic. With the D&D 3.5e HERO
exception of BODY and Comeliness, Simply take the value of the D&D Statistic Characteristic
3.5e Statistic as the value for the HERO System Characteristic. Strength Strength
For BODY divide the Character's Hit Points by 15 and add the result to Dexterity Dexterity
10, rounding in the character's favor as per the normal HERO System meta- Constitution Constitution
rule.
Intelligence Intelligence
Wisdom Ego
For Comeliness assign a value appropriate to the character's general Charisma Presence
appearance. (Hit Points/15)
Body
+10
(Discretionary) Comeliness
EXAMPLE: A character that has 18 Strength and 55 Hit Points in D&D 3.5e has STR 18 and BODY 14 n the HERO System.
NOTE: Be sure to remove any Race modifiers to D&D 3.5e Statistics before converting a character; otherwise the character
will get a double raise when adding their Race Package Deal later on in the conversion process.
EXAMPLE: In D&D 3.5e Pasha the Elf Wizard has Strength: 12 Dexterity: 19 Constitution: 11 Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 11. Elves benefit from a +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution in D&D 3.5e, so remove these modifiers, adjusting
Dexterity to 17 and Constitution to 13 before converting.
In the HERO System Pasha has STR: 12 DEX: 18 CON: 13 INT: 16 EGO: 9 PRE: 11. Pasha has always been described as very
attractive, so the player sets him at COM 18; if Pasha had 4 Hit Points then his BODY: 10 for a total cost of 41 Character
Points. Pasha's Figured Characteristics work out to PD: 2 ED: 3 SPD: 2.8 REC: 5 END: 26 STUN: 23.
Figured Characteristics
The HERO System has several secondary statistics called Figured Characteristics whose starting values are based on the
values of a character's Primary Characteristics. After you have converted your D&D 3.5e Character's statistics into HERO
System Characteristics, calculate the Figured Characteristics normally.
You may feel the urge to adjust a few Figured Characteristics at this point, such as rounding off the figured SPD or END or
STUN for instance, but you should wait until after you have added a Race Package and any Profession Packages as they
often have Characteristics increases as well.
TWEAKED CHARACTERISTICS
It is left to the GM's discretion whether an exact conversion of Statistics to Characteristic is required without variance or if
the resulting HERO System Characteristics can be tweaked.
If the GM does not mind, rather than simply reflect your Character's D&D 3.5e stats, which were typically generated
randomly or semi-randomly, you could adjust the HERO System version of the character to reflect what you would have
preferred your Character's stats to be.
In the end, the higher you raise your Characteristics, the less points you will have available for abilities later on.
START FRESH
Another option available with GM permission is to just flush a Character's D&D 3.5e stats altogether, and start the
Character at the normal HERO System "Base 10" for all Primary Characteristics.
By not spending points on Characteristics now to model the Character's D&D 3.5e stats, you will have more points to
spend on Profession Packages later, many of which include Characteristic increases appropriate to the Profession they
represent.
This conversion resource assumes that each character must have one (and only one) Race Package Deal, which contains
any race-specific benefits that all members of a certain Race enjoy.
In general each identifiable Race, including half-breeds and Humans, should have a separate Race Package. Thus a Half-Elf
would not take both a Human and an Elf Package Deal, but rather takes the Half-Elf Package Deal which comprises
elements from both, for instance.
Packages are provided below for the basic D&D 3.5e Races. If your character was a member of an non-standard Race that
is not provided for below, ask your GM to provide you with an appropriate Race Package.
This conversion resource uses a non-standard approach that offers various incentives and benefits for using Race Package
Deals.
Race Package Deals are treated as a closed purchase at the listed Total Cost. The Disadvantages within the Package are not
counted against a Character's Maximum Disadvantage Total; they are subtracted directly from the cost of the Package
Deal. This is covered in more detail in the Race Package Deals section.
EXAMPLE: A Race Package Deal with 30 points of abilities and 25 points of Disadvantages costs a Character 5 Character
Points rather than 30, and the 25 points of Disadvantages do not count as part of the Character's Maximum of 75 points.
NOTE: This is a specific variation from the HERO System rules. If your GM is uncomfortable with this exception he will let
you know how to handle the discrepancy.
Normal Characteristic Maxima is included in each Race Package and yields 20 points to the Package. However
Characteristic modifiers bought in the Race Package Deal are bought as Powers and thus do not count against Normal
Characteristic Maxima.
Many Race Packages grant Characteristics and also impose Characteristic penalties. In all cases these modifiers, both
bonuses and penalties, are added or subtracted to a Character's Characteristics after Normal Characteristics Maxima is
determined.
EXAMPLE: The Hairfoot Halflings Race Package Deal grants a +1 Speed, +2 DEX and imposes -5 STR, -2 BODY, -2 INT, -5 PRE.
If a Hairfoot Halfling character purchased +10 DEX and +10 STR outside of their Package they would not encounter
Characteristic Maxima as they have neither DEX nor STR above 20 outside of their Race Package.
Then the Race Characteristic modifiers are applied, resulting in an adjusted DEX of 22 and an adjusted STR of 15.
If a player wanted their Halfling Character to have a final adjusted STR of 20 after the Race Penalty is applied, they must
buy the base STR up to 25 (paying the doubling penalty for 21 to 25 strength). After the -5 STR adjustment from the
Hairfoot Halfling Race Package Deal is applied the Halfling has an adjusted STR of 20.
NOTE: This is a specific variation from the HERO System rules. If your GM is uncomfortable with this exception he will let
you know how to handle the discrepancy.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Make sure before adding a Race Package Deal that the character's Race modifiers to statistics from D&D 3.5e were not
included in their HERO System Characteristics or else the character will get a bigger than intended effect on their
Characteristics.
EXAMPLE: Continuing the example from Step 2, Pasha the Elf Wizard is a High Elf; thus the High Elf Race Package is applied
to Pasha at a Total Cost of 15 points.
The High Elves get -2 STR, -2 CON, -2 BODY, +3 DEX, +1 SPEED, +2 INT, and +4 COM as part of their Package.
Modified by the High Elf Race Package, Pasha has STR: 10 DEX: 21 CON: 11 BODY: 8 INT: 18 EGO: 9 PRE: 11, COM 22, PD: 2
ED: 2 SPD: 4.1 REC: 4 END: 22 STUN: 19.
Between his statistics and his Race Package, Pasha has spent 56 of his 125 possible Character Points.
OPTION LISTS
Some of the Race Package Deals have Option lists of skills or talents or similar that are not necessarily common to all
members of that Race, but are associated with the Race frequently enough for there to be a correlation.
A player may extend their Character's Race Package with selections from the Options list if one is provided for their Race;
each ability may only be taken once unless marked with an asterisk (*).
PICK LISTS
Similar to Option lists, some Race Packages offer a selection of abilities that are interchangeable, and specify that a player
should pick one or more items from the list when making their character. Lists of this nature offer customization
opportunities.
Along the same lines are abilities that specify an ability that is by its nature assignable; the most common ones are
Profession and Knowledge Skills. For instance a Race Package might include the following ability:
EXAMPLE: If a Race Package had an ability such as the following example, a player making a Character of that Race could
have one Profession Skill with a large bonus, or two or more Profession Skills so long as they take five points worth of
Professional Skills.
Magic Items
Magic Items will be a subject of major concern for most converted Characters of higher level. There is
a good deal of coverage given to this subject in the Campaign Guidelines area, but as a general rule
Magic Items are built as Power constructs via a Focus of some form and with either the Independent or
Non-Recoverable Charges Limitation applied.
All Magic Items are "separate" from Characters; all Magic Items can be taken away permanently from
a Character, and except in occasions when a limited form of Independent (such as Usable Only by
Wizards) or Required Skill Roll is used, all characters can use all Magic Items.
Generally speaking you should allow your GM to convert any Magic Items your Character is bringing
into the HERO System. Converting such items is a simple matter of modeling the effects possible with
the item in D&D 3.5e using HERO System Powers.
NOTE: This conversion resource takes the liberty of defining how Magic Items work and other parts
of the Conversion assume that these guidelines are in place. The subject is covered in significant detail
in the Magic Item Guidelines document which is intended primarily for GM's. Individual GM's may vary on
how they want to resolve some or all of these issues, so check with your GM first. The GM has total
control over Magic Item proliferation, commonality, and design. Magic Items can have a huge impact
upon the campaign setting and should be carefully watched to achieve the desired balance of power.