Looking to transition campaigns to PF2e from 5e with players using same PCs across adventures. Currently, we span across the material plane, without adjusting the PCs abilities up or down just to balance. There are some adventures where they are underpowered and very vulnerable and some where they are very powerful, but could be targeted by the masses if they let loose as they are seen as demons or worse. The same goes for their races as some don’t exist in the plane they travel to or differ greatly in culture and abilities.
My approach is that the weave exists in all realms, but the genetics of the inhabitants changes how they can use it, if at all. The Gods are different as in the Greeks and the Romans, same Divine beings, different manifestations and personalities due to worshippers.
If PCs travel to a realm without magic, they may struggle to control their own, for example. If the clerics God is not active in a realm, they lose their divine spells, if it is greater in the realm, their spells are stronger. They also have to deal with a God whose personality may be different as well.
My players are very attached to their characters and don’t want to try a different version of them. I have convinced them to play their 5e characters in Golarion using a simple adaptation that you affect others to your rules as they do to you. Being dramatically different could cause very dangerous people to take notice of you, which has not gone well for them in the past.
Was wondering how you’d manage cross system encounters, probably have to add or subtract PC/mob level to equate a 5e stat to pf2, especially ACs and saves
Weapon damage too, some +1 weapons in Pf2 do extra damage dice, along with deadly trait etc .
Good luck balancing it Kapo, hope you manage it and your players give pf2 proper a go
My safety valve is there is always several escapes and avoidance options for the players and the enemies before and during encounters that either can take if they are about to be wiped out.
AC’s are the AC’s along with any additional damage from PF2e to shields and armor. My PC’s are not min/maxer’s nor even remotely optimized in their combat tactics. I think we may be ret-conning some TPKs if they don’t pay attention to relative danger cues in their interactions in and around combat. They do quote Holy Grail quite often “Run Away! Run Away!” On their first encounter in a new world.
Action economy will be based on their own systems at first, as the party is small (2-4) in most of the campaigns, unless it is entirely broken. This allows me to only worry about balancing them and their enemies, not within the party as they all have different worlds where they shine or suck no relish the additional RP opportunities. I’ll add additional turns in a round for a BBEG or additional lair or ‘legendary’ actions if needed.
I’ll update how the session goes, great thoughts above for me to consider and prep some remedies to implement on the fly, if needed. No to work…