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NPC's: Conversion Notes
Most of the Friends and Heroes on this site were written for AD&D 2nd Edition. Their pages now also carry D&D 3.5 and D&D 5th Edition versions; use the Statistics bar at the top of each entry to switch between them. The original 2nd Edition stats are always shown as first written and are never changed. These notes explain how the newer versions were made.
Status
Conversions marked Provisional have not yet been reviewed. Once DamienRahl checks and approves one, its label changes to Converted by DamienRahl.
Rules Used
D&D 3.5: the core rulebooks (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual), plus the Epic Level Handbook for characters above 20th level and the Expanded Psionics Handbook for psionicists.
D&D 5th Edition: the 2014 rules: the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide, plus the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide to Everything and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything where a character's entry says so.
How Characters Are Converted
- Ability scores carry over unchanged. Racial adjustments were already applied in 2nd Edition, so they aren't applied again. Exceptional Strength becomes 19 for 18/01–18/50, 20 for 18/51–18/99 and 21 for 18/00 (20 in 5th Edition, its maximum).
- Level stays the same; multi-class and dual-class characters keep every class level. A 2nd Edition class, kit or specialty priesthood becomes the closest class, prestige class, domain or subclass.
- Levels above 20: 3.5 versions keep the character's full level using the Epic Level Handbook. 5th Edition stops at 20th level, so these characters are built at 20th level and gain legendary actions and similar features to show their extra power.
- Hit points: 3.5 versions keep the 2nd Edition total when the new Hit Dice allow it. 5th Edition versions use the average for their Hit Dice.
- Proficiencies and site rules: weapon and nonweapon proficiencies, weapon expertise, fighting styles, character traits and the site's own optional rules become the closest skills, feats, expertise or class features.
- Powers with no modern equivalent are carried over and labeled carried over from 2nd Edition rather than dropped.
- Magic items become the nearest standard item. Items from the site's own Forge get their own page in the Magic Items section, with the same edition tabs: the original 2nd Edition text, the original 3e submission where one exists (both shown unchanged), and 3.5 and 5th Edition versions. Character entries give a one-line summary and link to the item's page.
- New rules: anything the original entry doesn't describe, such as a magic item power with no 2nd Edition text, is new to the conversion and is pointed out in that character's notes.
Each 3.5 and 5th Edition section ends with Conversion notes listing the choices made for that character.
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Original content ©1999–2001 Brian D Swedorski. New content ©2025–2026 Jeff. User-submitted material remains the property of its respective authors.