Music City Frenzy

The Character Conversion process from Classic World of Darkness (CWoD) to New World of Darkness (NWoD) is a very malleable process. Instead of direct conversions from one Trait Type to Attribute, it is instead a process of determining a number of dots you have to assign, and allowing the player to assign it themselves.

Note: The Final Approval of a converted OWoD sheet to NWoD is up to the Storyteller Staff.

Your attribute dots are determined by the total number of Traits you have, by category. Take the total amount of traits in a given category (Physical, Social, Mental), add 2, and then divide the total by two. The total would then round up. That is the number of dots you have to assign to the NWoD sheet, in the corresponding column. Remember, the first dot is free, and the fifth dot requires two dots to fill.

For example, Hallary has 14 Traits in each Category. (14 + 2) / 2 = 8 dots. Hallary now has 8 dots to assign in each category.

Starting with Physical Attributes, Hallary is very dextrous, but does not have a very high Stamina. Therefore, the player decides to assign the dots in the following way.

Using the same manner for Social Attributes, Hallary assigns his dots in the following way. He is pretty balanced between Presence and Composure, but is very good at Manipulation.

With his Mental Attributes, he is balanced between all three, with no strong emphasis on any one in particular. He assigns the dots the following way.

Skills are translated from Abilities, and are done on a 2 for 1 basis. Below is the translation of the core Abilities to Skills. As with Attributes, in order to get a fifth dot in a Skill, you must have a total of 12 (as opposed to 10) in the combined Abilities before you can have that last dot.

* Any Abilities devised through Hobby/Professional/Expert is subject to Storyteller approval prior to being translated to skills. However, there are a couple guidelines that are already established as to the proper conversion for them. See the second chart (above).

** Meditation translates to the Merit: Meditative Mind (•), as there is not a NWoD Skill that is appropriate for this Ability.

*** This translates directly at 1-for-1 as opposed to 2-for-1.

Convert each Ability to the appropriate Skill, add it together, and divide it in half (rounded up). That will be the rank of the new Skill.

Because of the mechanical differences between Abilities in CWoD and the Skills in NWoD, namely the penalties that a character incurs if he attempts to make a check against a skill that he has no ranks in, you are able to assign a total of 7 dots in each category of Skills after the conversion is done, in order to balance this out.

So, for example, Kameko has Finance 5, Law 3, Drive 2, Lore: Garou 2, and Occult 3. She would have Academics 4, Drive 1, and Occult 3. She also has 7 dots to spend in each category of Skills. She decides to spend them the following way.

The majority of Backgrounds and Influences translate directly to Merits. The Chart for conversion is as follows.

Influences are not as direct a conversion. Influences denote the connections and rumors that your character has access to. There is no true mechanic in the New World of Darkness mechanics, and as such, Influences will translate into the actual people and connections your character has that grants him or her the rumors. This varies based on the connections and build up of your character, and translates into either Contacts, Allies, or Retainers accordingly.

Merits from Classic World of Darkness have not totally been translated over, and Merit translations are completely up to Storyteller discretion. However, there are some Merits that have been translated by the staff already, and are listed below.

Unlike Merits, Flaws do not have a direct correlation to the Flaws listed in New World of Darkness. In Classic World of Darkness, Flaws were more character weaknesses, mostly minor aspects that add depth to the character. In New World of Darkness, the Flaws signify major weaknesses, aspects that your character must deal with or suffer serious ramifications. Where Addiction in Classic World of Darkness may signify an addiction to alcohol or cigarettes, New World of Darkness Addiction symbolizes an addiction to heavier substances (cocaine, heroine, meth amphetamines), where lack of that substance would cause serious effects.

The following Flaws translate over.

In the New World of Darkness, there are no Tempers Rage or Gnosis. There is a Willpower, but it is derived directly from Attributes. Your base Willpower is Resolve + Composure. If your Willpower is higher than that, take the difference between current and base, and divide that by 2 (rounded up). Add that number to your new Willpower.

Instead, your character's Rage determines your character's Primal Urge. Use the following chart to determine your character's Primal Urge.

Like Willpower, Essence is the New World of Darkness version of Gnosis, but it is not translated from your Gnosis. Essence is equal to your characters Harmony, dictated by your characters Breed (see Character Creation, and the table below).