Ad&d stuff should be coming relatively soon, ive set up a session and I'm just putting the finishing touches to the dungeon, but returning back to the Oblivium conversion i think i mentioned last time getting started on converting the bestiary over, this is a relatively simple process but i think it's worth spelling it out as it can get a little Vague in some areas,
So how does each system run monsters and judge their power levels?
well in 5e a monster is run much in the same way a player character is, they have ability scores skills features, ac and the same types of actions etc, the power level is judged by cr which is what level party it can theoretically solo (assuming a party size of 4)
Osr systems are a lot simpler, monsters don't have ability scores or skills, how strong a monster is usually having to do with number of Hit Dice (which to hit and saving throws are usually tied to) and how many special ability's it has (each making it count as one hit dice more in power level) Swords and Wizardry complete has its how Cr system, this is basically hit dice plus abilities (they have a table for calculating it as well, very helpful)
So when converting a 5e monster to an Osr monster your basically binning half the stat block, we will ignore hp ability scores and skills and only focus on Cr(as a way of understanding roughly what level a party will fight it) and attacks/abilities and Mabe AC. So starting from A lets quickly convert a handful of monsters to show the process:
1. Abhuman Sojourn, this is a human in the process of becoming non-human? its Cr 6 and has a multitude of spell like abilities, so lets make it hd 6, give it the ability to make illusions and cast telekinesis on will and a once a day cast of dominate person and that should put us about cr 9, their weaon does alot of dmg which i would proberly reduce to around 2d8 dmg (still very deadly for its level) and it can keep the two attacks which would make it a formidable foe, it has 15 base ac which sounds about right, and the ability to communicate telepathically,
2.Asharaan Concubine, emerald skinned humanoids with beguiling abilities, this one is Cr 1/4, since hd really only starts at a 1/2hd and this doesn't seem like a particularly weak creature like a goblin or kobold ill start it at Hd 1, it has ac 12 but has +3ac vs humanoids, it has a 1/day charm effect which we can keep working like the charm spell, given its stealthy nature lets make it have a 1-3 chance of Suprise, it say it has a poison needle which would be a save vs death in Swords and wizardry, since its such a low level creature its probably best to make it a poison +4 or somthing, so the final S&W Cr would be 2 or 4 with the poison attack,
3.Battyfang, think Victorian gang member, these are relatively standard cr 1/2 lets make them hd 1 again, ac 11 from a thick duster, they have multi attack but they are a bit too low level for that in S&W so we will ignore that same goes for pack tactics which really dosnt translate to S&W, they have a pistol attack which does d6 dmg which i would keep, CR 1 nice and simple no need to overcomplicate things,
ive kept ac mostly the same it might have to be tweaked up or down but might require a bit of play testing first, general power level may have to be adjusted based on play test but this is a start for monsters, there are some real unusual creatures in this setting so i might have to spend more time on one or two rather odd ones to get them right but this shouldn't take too long overall.
