A Fiendish Conversion Guide…

…for converting 1st edition Witch Hunter: The Invisible World material to 2nd edition.

2nd edition was a deceptively big update to Witch Hunter.  I’d liken it to the differences between 1st and 2nd edition Shadowrun (though WH was a far lighter system to begin with)*.  A lot of the additions were no doubt made to make organized play easier to adjudicate, and lots of bits and pieces from Paradigm’s main RPG (Arcanis) were dropped in place (clumsily in some cases).  So while converting between the two editions isn’t “hard”, it takes a bit of mental gymnastics.  It’s by no means an absolute science.  I wish it was; it would make my job a LOT easier.

So while the OP crowd waits around for official conversions, here is my completely unofficial, non-scientific, sometimes vague, but perfectly usable (until proven otherwise) guidelines for converting material from 1st to 2nd edition.

Again, let me stress these guidelines are not absolute.  Be prepared to fine tune things and always use your best judgement.

Threat Conversions

• Hell’s Favor: Compare the ranks of a monster’s powers.  Find the average.  That is the creature’s Hell’s Favor score.
• Talents: 2nd edition simplifies the Talent portfolio.  When a talent applies a bonus directly to a skill or ability, drop the talent and apply the bonus directly.
  • example: a manwolf’s (1st ed) claw damage is +4, but has the claw talent that adds +2.  In 2nd ed, the manwolf does not have the claw talent and the claw attack DM is +6.  The modifier is applied and the talent removed.
    • Manwolf Talents [1st edition]: [Basic] Attack Focus – Claws, Attack Focus – Fangs, Claws; [Greater] Danger Sense, Fangs, Far Reaching Attack Swift, Tough; [Villainous] Brutal Charge, Incredible Dodge, Incredible Leaper
    • Manwolf Talents [2nd edition]: Grand Fury*, Vicious Grapple*

• Attacks/Damage: Keep the same (apply bonuses from 1st ed Talents)
• Armor: Keep the same.
• Skills: Keep the same unless it makes sense not to.  Remember specializations.
• Defenses: No direct conversion
• • average defense score is 3
  • when in doubt, apply one of these two schemes (arrange as desired):
    • 3/3/2
    • 4/3/2
      • most threats have a disadvantage (2) in at least one defense
• Health Track: in 2nd ed, monster health tracks are reduced to 3 tracks (4 with durability).
• • Each track is the same number (i.e.. 4/4/4)
  • Consider the following guidelines:
    • 4-6: Average (diabolist)
    • 7-9: High (werewolf)
    • 10+: Monstrous (lindworm)
• Threat Powers:
  • Power Rank: No power ranks in 2nd ed.; Hell’s Favor score becomes the effective power rank.
  • Damnation: ignore; damnation works differently in 2nd ed.  Assume any critter than has a Hell’s Favor score ALSO has damnation points in respect to 1st ed powers.

Converted Threats
Familiar
Pigman
Lindworm: Wyvern
Gorger (Lesser)

Talents (Including Fighting Styles)

• Bonuses: Generally remain the same.
• Penalties to action: Can these be converted to Wagers?
• Defense Pool Bonuses: Usually convert to a +1 (Basic/Greater) or +2 (Heroic) bonus to a specific defense

Rites

• Mastery: Mastery is equal to Difficulty +1

*Disclosure: Before starting my WH campaign, I was doing prep work for a potential SR2 game.  This may have colored my perception a bit.  But I stand by it.