SR3 to SR4 conversion ideas, Because I'm a math major Options

[hyzmarca]

To determine a SR3 character's SR4 stats, divide each SR3 stat's unaugmented value by its racial maximum.

Multiply the unaugmented racial max of all related SR4 stats by the resulting ratio.

For example, a human has quickness of 6. The human's racial max is 9. 6/9 = 0.666r or 2/3

The human's SR4 racial maximum for agility is 6. 6*(2/3) = 4 The SR3 human's SR4 agaility is 4

The same is true for his SR4 reaction.


If the SR3 character's cyberware is in a published SR4 book at the time of conversion, that cyberware can be carried over at the SR3 essence value or it can be converted to the SR4 essence value at the discression of the GM. At the discression of the GM, SR3 bioware may maintain its bioindex cost instead of reducing essence. However, a player can't min-max like this. It is all or nothing. Either all of the 'ware retains its SR3 essence/bioindex costs or all of the 'ware is converted to SR4 costs.

If the GM requires conversion of bioware to SR4 essence costs and the resulting essence loss would kill the character, the character can opt to have all 'ware removed and sold at SR4 book value leaving an essence hole that can be filled using the procedes from this sell.

If a piece of 'ware does not appear in any SR4 rulebook the GM may house rules its effects to allow a SR3 character to keep it at the SR3 essence cost.

Magically active character's retain their magic ratings without any modification. Should an initiate's grade excede his magic rating, the player can spend accumilated karma to raise magic rating at SR4 rates, accept karma for the lost initiate grades at SR4 rates, or, at GM discression, keep his initiate grade as is but only have access to grades equal to magic rating. With the third option, the character would be able to raise his magic rating repeatedly without having to reinitiate, regaining a lost grade with each magic point.

Adepts have a number of power points equal to their SR3 power points. They can convert their powers to SR4 powers directly or exchange their powers for points at SR3 rates and buy new powers at SR4 rates. Adept powers that don't appear an any published SR4 ook can be houserulled by the GM if she so chooses.

Should an Adept's used power points excede his magic rating he can only have (magic rating) worth of powers active at any time. He can activate and deactivate any number of powers as a free action.

Magicians can retain all of their SR3 spells at variable force or can choose to retain their spells at fixed force. If a SR3 spell doesn't appear in any published SR4 book at the time of conversion, the GM can houserule its effects or allow the magician to sell that spell for karma at SR3 rates.

Shapeshifters regenerate according to SR4 rules. Human form stats and adept powers and magic for are converted as normal. Animal form SR3 stats are divided by the stats of the critter form of that animal (if availiable) to produce a ratio. That ratio is them multiplied by the SR4 stats of that critter (if available).

A GM can choose to use the SR4 racial maximums for the base race when converting metavarrients if SR4 metavarrient rules have not yet be published at the time of conversion.

[hahnsoo]

Almost all Bioware has an Essence cost in SR4 equal to the old Bio Index cost divided by 2.

I posted our group's conversion guide here:
http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=9685

So far, it has produced very playable (and yet, still overpowered) characters.

[Sabosect]

Considering how little the two versions have in common, I would say to not bother. Every conversion guide I have seen either produces characters too weak or too overpowered. The problem, in part, results from the dice system itself. The other problem is how much has changed.

Basically, after experimentation, I have to say this: Don't bother with attempts to make a conversion guide. It's not worth the effort.

[Ellery]

The announcement that an official one will exist seems more like the expression of a fond desire than anything based in reality.

[Sabosect]

Well, here's just the problems with attempting it I have found so far, and this is without even looking.

1) The stats are different now. This, alone, makes conversion overly difficult. It's no longer a simple case of "Cut Stat X using procedure Y."

2) Magic, Resonance, and Edge are stats. Magic used to be based on Essense. Resonance was just a plot device, and Edge is a revising of the old Karma pool. This makes converting any SR3 character with experience nearly impossible, as well as making a conversion of magicians and otaku extremely difficult.

3) Technomancers, the revised otaku, now work entirely different. There goes any chance of converting the otaku.

4) Magic, in general, lacks the old specializations and now spells lack force ratings. This means my ubercasters from SR3 lack conversion ability.

5) Don't even get me started on cyberwear and bioware.

6) Riggers no longer exist as they once did. Converting them is a nightmare.

7) The entire Matrix is different, as well as everything needed. Looks like that Excalibur my group uses is now worthless.

8. Skills now work in conjunction with attributes in a way that makes converting them even more difficult.

9) Contacts? I pity face characters.

[blakkie]

Inform your player that his otaku died an honourable death fighting beside [ spoiler ] as the "ship" went down. :evil:

The rest is pretty doable. I put my best guess down in a thread here somewhere, but it is functionally close to hansoo's. I'll update my in time once i've read the whole book.

For example, #7 just have them select a somewhat comparible commlink and set of programs. Whatever you do DON'T let them convert the old deck into cash and the use that cash to buy new stuff. Most prices, excluding vehicles and weapons, have dropped dramatically.

P.S. Contacts are probably the easiest ones.

[hahnsoo]

The majority of cyberware and bioware converts directly over, with Cyberware retaining most of their old Essence costs (a handful have less Essence, like the Control Rig for riggers and Datajack at 0.1. Also, Smartlink is now an Eye mod instead of a separate system). Bioware converts almost directly over at a rate of Bio Index/2 to Essence. The main disparity between Cyberware in SR3 and SR4 is cost and the utter lack of Mp ratings or headware memory (which is assumed to be rolled into the cyberware devices). Overall, Street Sams, Magicians, Adepts, and mundane archetypes like the Face convert over fairly well. Riggers less so (because you have to replace the VCR with a Control Rig and Sim Module, although I will note that a Commlink is like an Uber Cranial Remote Control Deck). If you replace the Encephalon and Math SPU with an equivalent grade of Cerebral Booster, most over-cybered Deckers weather the changes pretty well, although you will have to overhaul their cyberdecks into Commlinks. Awakened Characters convert over to be more powerful than their SR4 counterparts, mostly because of the fact that they'll probably have maxed out Magic attributes if you do a direct conversion (which is why I suggest halving the Initiate Grade and the resultant Magic attribute max).

Contacts are quite simple to convert over. Just eye-ball the Connections rating and make most contacts at Loyalty 1-2, most buddies Loyalty 3-4, and Friend For Life at Loyalty 5-6.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Well, my conversion guideline as far is: rebuild, spend karma, equip as see fit.

[hyzmarca]

[Cyberon]

My group is opting for a clean convertion. Meaning no leftover from the old rules. If it aint present in the new rules, it is removed or replaced by something that matches. We are opting a BP conversion. Meaning that we try to build all the character using BP only. Then find a common BP for all, and take it from there. Giving or taking if some characters become underpowered/overpowered.