CODA Conversion to the Unisystem

These are conversion notes for porting the new Lord of the Rings (LotR) and RPG, by Decipher. I borrowed heavily from the D&D3E Conversion and, as always, have used elements from both Unisystem versions. I intend to add material, like write-ups, periodically. If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to contact me.

These notes are in no way a challenge to any copyright or trademark, either from Tolkien Enterprises or Decipher. This site is not related in any official capacity to Eden Studios.

GENERAL
LORD OF THE RINGS
STAR TREK

 


GENERAL

ATTRIBUTES

CODA Attribute

Unisystem Attribute

Strength

Strength

Agility/Nimbleness

Dexterity

Vitality

Constitution

Intellect/Wits

Intelligence

Perception

Perception

Presence/Bearing

Willpower

CODA Level

Unisystem Level

1

-3

2

-2

3

-1

4

0

5

1

6

2

7

3

8-9

4

10-11

5

12-13

6

+2

+1*

 

*For CODA Strength values over 25, multiply by 2/3, rounded up.

 

SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES

Reactions
These need not be converted since their function is covered by the Unisystem Attributes.

Defence
In the LoTR RPG, all characters have a Defence value. This should convert as the Dodge skill. Use the Nimbleness modifier as the skill level. If the character has the Acrobatics skill, use that value for dodge purposes.

Health, Wound & Weariness Levels
The first two are substituted by Life Points, and the third by fatiguing penalties.

 

OTHER ATTRIBUTES

Courage
Unisystem Lite Drama points replace Courage points on a 1-by-1 basis. In order to retain the setting flavor, you might want to use the Recovering Courage rule (LoTR, p.53) and make Drama points more expensive to buy for unheroic characters.

Renown
This Attribute becomes a Quality/Drawback that costs/gives 1 point per level (maximum of 5). Its level adds (or subtracts, if it’s a Drawback) in social Tasks where the character is recognized. In order to find out if a character recognizes another, roll 1D10 and add the recognizer’s Intelligence, plus the recognized’s Renown level (it doesn’t matter if it’s positive or negative) and the appropriate Recognition Modifier (LoTR, p.54). The Photographic Memory Quality adds 2 to the roll.

Renown Level

Quality Level

1-5

1

6-10

2

11-15

3

16-20

4

21-25

5

26-30

6

+5

+1

 

SKILL LEVELS
Skills levels are, basically, the same. Since certain Coda skill specializations gain a +2 bonus, you might want to add 2 levels to the resulting Unisystem skill.

Example: Persuade (Oratory) 4 would convert as Storytelling 4, but since the CODA specialization, Oratory, receives a +2 bonus, the Stprytelling skill level should be 6.

 

DIFFICULTIES & MODIFIERS
Modifiers, either positive or negative, should have the same value. Difficulties should be converted as follow.

CODA
Unisystem
Simple
+5 or more
Routine
+1 to +4
Challenging
0
Difficult
Virtually Impossible
-10

 


LORD OF THE RINGS

RACES

DWARVES
Attributes:
+2 STR, +2 CON
Qualities: Craftmanship [+2 to Craft (Mason and Smith)], Firestarting [+2 to Survival to start fires], Long Life, Resistance (Domination 2, Fatigue 2, Disease 6)
Drawbacks: Animal Aversion [-2 to animal rolls]
Skills: +2 Craft (Mason or Smith)
Cost: 17 points

ELVES
Qualities:
Acute Senses (Vision), Attractiveness 2, Comfort, Elven-sleep, Forever Young, Lightfootedness [-4 to be tracked], Swift Healing], The Art]
Skills: +4 Acrobatics, +4 Running (Type), +4 Stealth, +4 to animal rolls
Types:

HOBBITS
Life Points:
(STR+CON) x 4 + 5]
Qualities: Resistance (Domination) 2

Skills: +2 Craft (Cooking), +2 to ranged attacks, +4 to Stealth rolls, -2 to be tracked
Types:

MEN
Attributes:
+1 DEX or CON or WILL
Qualities:
+1 Drama point
Skills:
+2 skill levels
Types:

 

SKILLS
In some cases, a CODA Skill will be broken into two or more Unisystem Skills, and vice versa.

CODA Skills

Unisystem Skills

Acrobatics

Acrobatics

Appraise

Haggling

Armed Combat

Hand Weapons (Type)

Climb

Climbing

Conceal

Not applicable

Craft

Craft (Type)

Debate

Haggling

Games

Gambling

Guise

Disguise

Healing

First Aid, Medicine, Unconventional Medicine

Inquire

Questioning, Streetwise

Intimidate

Intimidation

Jump

Athletics

Language

ULite Language rule

Legerdemain

Lock Picking, Pick Pocket, Sleight of Hand

Lore

Lore (Type), Magic Theory, Occult Knowledge

Mimicry

Singing

Observe

Notice, Surveillance

Perform

Arts, Play Instrument, Singing

Persuade

Seduction, Smooth Talking, Storytelling

Ranged Combat

Hand Weapons (Type)

Ride

Riding (Type)

Run

Running (Type)

Sea-craft

Craft (Naval), Piloting (Sailboat)

Search

Notice

Siegecraft

Siege Weapons (Type)*

Smithcraft

Craft (Smith)

Stealth

Stealth, Surveillance

Stonecraft

Craft (Mason)

Survival

Survival (Type)

Swim

Swimming

Teamster

Driving (Chariot)

Track

Tracking

Unarmed Combat

Brawling

Weather Sense

Weather Sense*

* New skills

 

EDGES & FLAWS
Edges and Flaws are a mixed bunch. Some can be converted as Skills, others can be replaced with normal Qualities and Drawbacks, and others count as Powers. A few simply aren’t meaningful in the Unisystem.

CODA Edge

Unisystem Equivalent

Accurate

New Quality

Ally

Contacts

Ambidexterity

2-point Quality

Armour of Heroes

Natural Toughness

Bold

Not apllicable

Charmed Life

Good Luck

Command

Military Rank

Craftmaster

New Quality

Curious

Not applicable

Dodge

Dodge Skill

Doughty

New Quality

Elf-friend

New Quality

Eloquent

Charisma

Fair

Attractiveness

Faithful

Not applicable

Favour of Fortune

Good Luck

Fell-handed

New Quality

Foresighted

New Quality

Friends

Contacts

Furtive

New Quality

Gift of Tongues

Not applicable

Hammerhand

New Quality

Hardy

Resistance (Pain)

Healing Hand

New Quality

Hoard

Resources

Honey-Tongued

Charisma

Honour’s Insight

Not applicable

Incorruptible

Resistance (Corruption)

Indomitable

Resistance (Domination)

Keen-eared

Acute Senses (Hearing)

Keen-eyed

Acute Senses (Vision)

Keen-nosed

Acute Senses (Smell)

Lion-hearted

Drama point use

Night-eyed

Low-light Vision, 2 points

Quick Draw

Skill, DEX 2+, Weapon Skill 1+

Rank

Status

Resolute

New Quality

Stern

Attractiveness Drawback

Strong-willed

Willpower Attribute

Swift Recovery

New Quality

Tireless

Resistance (Fatigue)

Travel-sense

New Quality

Two-handed fighting

Skill; cannot exceed Weapon Skill in question.

Valiant

Drama point use

Valour

Nerves of Steel

Wakefulness

New Quality

Warrior’s Heart

Not applicable

Warwise

Not applicable

Wary

Fast Reaction Time

Weapon Mastery

New Quality

 

CODA Flaw

Unisystem Equivalent

Arrogant

Delusions

Battle-fury

New Drawback

Code of Honour

Honorable

Craven

Cowardly

Crippling Wound

Physical Disability

Dark Secret

Secret

Dullard

Not applicable

Dull-eared

Impaird Senses (Hearing)

Dull-eyed

Impaired Senses (Vision)

Duty

Obligation

Enemy

Adversaries

Fealty

Obligation

Fey

Emotional Problems

Grasping

Covetous (Greedy)

Hatred

Delusion

Oath

Obligation

Proud

Delusions

Reckless

Reckless

Rival

Adversary

Slow Recovery

See Swift Recovery

Stiff-necked

New Drawback

Weak

Not applicable

Weak-willed

Willpower Attribute

 

NEW QUALITIES AND DRAWBACKS

ACCURATE
2-point Quality
Prerequisite: Weapon Skill 4+
See LotR, p. 143.

BATTLE-FURY
1-point/level Drawback
See LotR, p. 154.

DOUGHTY
1-point Quality
Prerequisite: Str 4+
See LotR, p. 145.

ELF-FRIEND
1-point Quality
See LotR, p. 145.

FAVOURED WEAPON
2-point Quality
This ability adds a +2 bonus to Tasks involving an specific weapon. Example: broadsword, long bow, hadn axe etc..

FELL-HANDED
1-point Quality
Prerequisite: Weapon skill 6+
Each level of this ability adds a +1 bonus to attacks against an enemy group, which is determined as per LotR, p.146. A character can have as many levels as his weapon skill.

FORE-SIGHTED
2-point Quality
Prerequisite: INT 5+
See LotR, p.146.

HAMMERHAND
2-point/level Quality
Prerequisite: STR 4+
Each level of this ability adds a +1 bonus to Brawling damage (not Multiplier). A character can have as many levels as his Strength attribute.

HEALING HANDS
1-pointQuality
The character can heal 1 Life/Endurance/Essence point per Willpower Level. This healing can be spread in any way, and can be used to heal the character as well as others. Repeated uses of this ability incur the same fatiguing rules as the Sorcery Quality.

RESOLUTE
2-point Quality
See LotR, p. 150.

STIFF-NECKED
1-point Drawback
See LotR, p. 157.

SWIFT RECOVERY
1-point Quality
Prerequisite: CON 4+
Your natural healing rates are doubled. The reverse version of this Quality is the Drawback Slow Recovery.

SWIFT STRIKE
5- or 10-point Quality
This ability grants an extra attack or defense action to the character. It can be bough twice

TRAVEL-SENSE
2-point Quality
See LotR, p. 151.

WAKEFULNESS
1-point Quality
You only suffer half the normal fatiguing penalties for not sleeping: -1 for every two nights without sleep, instead of the normal -1 for every night.

WEAPON MASTERY
2-point/level Quality
Prerequisite: Weapon Skill 4+
You are supernaturally proficient with a weapon. Each level adds to the Multiplier of the attack. This Power cannot exceed the character’s Skill Level.

 

Converting Orders
Generally, classes are reflected on the skills the characters take. I thought of converting the Order abilities, but that seemed like importing the worst aspects of the system's micro-management.

 

MAGIC

In order to better simulate the Middle Earth feel, use the Sorcery (we’ll be calling it Spellcasting from now on, since Sorcery has a negative connotation in this setting) rules from the Buffy RPG (p.161). Keep the fatiguing and repeated use rules, although you might want to reduce the time period from day to minute. There are a couple more tweaks:

Spellcasting Qualities
Users of Magic have access to three different spellcasting methods:

SPELLCASTING
5 points/level
Exactly like the Sorcery Quality, esxcept it doesn’t include the Telekinesis ability.

RUNE
3 points/level
Limited for of magic that uses the engraving of symbols.

SONGS OF POWER
5 points/level
Spells take longer, but are more powerful.


WRITE-UPS

ARAGORN
Race:
Dúnadain
Birth: TA 2931

STR
5
INT
5
DEX
5
PER
6
CON
6
WIL
7

Life Points: 54
Speed: 22
Courage: 7
Qualities: Elf-friend, Fell-handed (Orcs), Fore-sighted, Healing Hands, Natural Toughness, Nerves of Steel, Renown 3, Resistance (Corruption) 2, Resolute, Status 2 (Chieftain of the Dúnadain), Swift Recovery, Swift Strike, Wakefulness
Drawbacks: Adversaries (The servants of the Shadow) -8, Love (Arwen), Obligation (Defat Sauron and claim throne): Total -3
Skills: Arts (Poetry) 6, Athletics 6, Climbing 6, Disguise 5, Dodge 5, Hand Weapons (Bow 6, Sword 10, Thrown 4), Intimidation 12, Questioning 9, Quick Draw 8, Lore (History: Dúnadain 7, Moria 2, Realm 4, Race: Dúnedain & Orcs 6), Notice 10, Piloting (Sailboat) 5, Riding (Horse) 8, Running (Marathon) 7, Siegecraft (Catapult) 8, Stealth 10, Storytelling 8, Streetwise 9, Surveillance 8, Survival (Forest, Mountain, Plain) 12, Swimming 4, Tracking (Orcs) 12, Unconventional Medicine (Herbal remedies) 10, Weathersense 5
Languages: Adúnaic, Black Speech, Orkish (dialect), Orkish (another dialect), Quenya, Rohiric, Sindarin, Westron (Common)
Possessions: Andúril [+2 to Sword, +3 to inspire]
Maneuvers:

 

ORC
Race:
Orc

STR
4
INT
1
DEX
3
PER
4
CON
4
WIL
2

Life Points: 42
Speed: 14
Courage: 0
Qualities: Acute Senss (Smell), Favoured Weapon (Scimitar), Low-light Vision
Drawbacks: Cowardly, Delusion (Prejudice: Dwarves, Elves) -3
Skills: Hand Weapons (Sword 4, Bow 2), Intimidation 4, Lore (Race: Orc) 4, Notice 4, Riding (Wolf) 3, Running (Marathon) 3, Siegecraft (Type) 2, Stealth 4, Tracking 1
Languages: Black Speech, Orkish (dialect), Westron (Common)
Abilities: AV 1, Claws
Possessions: Scimitar
Maneuvers:

URUK

Race: Uruk

STR

5

INT

3

DEX

4

PER

4

CON

5

WIL

4

Life Points: 50
Speed: 18
Courage: 0
Qualities: Favoured Weapon (Scimitar), Low-light Vision
Drawbacks: Delusion (Prejudice: Dwarves, Elves) -3, Obligation (Sauron, Saruman or other master) -3
Skills: Hand Weapons (Sword 7, Bow 5), Intimidation 6, Lore (Race: Orc) 4, Notice 6, Riding (Wolf) 3, Running (Marathon) 5, Siegecraft (Type) 5, Stealth 4, Tracking 1
Languages: Black Speech, Orkish (dialect), Westron (Common)
Abilities: AV 1, Claws
Possessions: Scimitar
Maneuvers:


 

Back to Unisystem

 

Well, enjoy it! And if you want, you can drop me a line at fred@planetfred.net or leave a comment at the PatchComm.

 

Last Update: 29-Sep-03