Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Characters

This section covers converting an existing AD&D character to the GURPS system. This conversion assumes that a first through third level character is a 100 point character with 40 points of disadvantages and 5 one-point quirks.

Ability scores

Ability scores are the most difficult part of converting AD&D characters to GURPS. Players will notice that their GURPS attribute acores are much lower than their ability scores in AD&D. This is be expected since there is a much larger gap between the average ablity score and the first bonus in AD&D system and the same gap in the GURPS system. For example, the average AD&D ability score and GURPS attribute score is 10. The first Strength bonus (+1 damage) in AD&D is at Str 15 (5 levels) while in GURPS the first damage bouns (+1 thrust and +1 swing damage) for strength is at ST 11 (1 level). The other scores suffer similar effects.

GURPS does not have a Wisdom score as AD&D does. Either a character's Wisdom or Intelligence ability score can be converted to GURPS IQ. A character with a Wisdom higher than 15 should consider taking the Common Sense advantage.

To keep the character under the suggested 100 points, the prime requisite of a character's class typically determines which ability scores an AD&D character must convert to GURPS first. First, fighters convert only strength to ST, thieves convert only dexterity to DX, priests and wizards convert either wisdom or intelligence respectively to IQ, and bards get to choose which attribute to convert. Next, all characters get to convert their constitution scores to HT. If a character has an AD&D ability that converts to a GURPS attribute less than 10, you must convert that ability. Any points remaining after converting race, class, and proficiencies may be used to raise other attribute scores. The following AD&D ability ranges convert to GURPS attributes.

There is no equivalent GURPS score for the AD&D ability of Charisma. Each level of reaction bonuses due to high AD&D charisma are equivalent to one level of Charisma advantage.