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

ATTRIBUTES

*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.

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.

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:

• NOLDOR
  • Attributes: +1 DEX, +1 INT, +2 PER, +2 WILL
  • Qualities: Resistance (Shadow powers) 4
  • Skills: +2 Craft (Smith) or Lore (Type)
  • Cost: 53 points
• SINDAR
  • Attributes: +2 DEX, +1 CON, +2 PER, +1 WILL
  • Qualities: Musical Gifts [+2 bonus to music rolls]
  • Cost: 49 points
• SYLVAN
  • Attributes: +1 DEX, +2 PER, +1 WILL
  • Skills: +2 Survival (Type) or Tracking or Weather-sense
  • Cost: 47 points

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:

• FALLOHIDES
  • Attributes: -1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 PER
  • Cost: 12 points
• HARFOOTS & STOORS
  • Attributes: -1 STR, +2 DEX, +1 PER, -1 WILL
  • Cost: 12 points

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

• DÚNEDAIN
  • Attributes: +1 INT, +1 WILL
  • Qualities: Long Life
  • Cost: 8 points
• MIDDLE PEOPLES
  • Attributes: +1 STR, +1 CON
  • Cost: 7 points
• MEN OF DARKNESS
  • Attributes: +1 STR, +1 DEX, -1 INT
  • Cost: 6 points
• WILD MEN
  • Attributes: +1 STR, +1 CON, +1 PER
  • Drawbacks: Attractiveness -1
  • Skills: +2 to woodcrafty skills
  • Cost: 9 points

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

* 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.

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:

• Nothing happens if the character fails to attain the spell’s Power Level
• In case of failure, the difference between the roll’s Success Level and the spell’s Power Level is applied as penalty for further spellcasting, cumulative with the fatiguing and repeated use ones.
• There is no Occultism skill. The spellcasting roll is Attribute plus one of the spellcasting Qualities. Active Spells (which influence something or someone) use Willpower. Detection Spells use Perception. Creation/Illusion Spells use Intelligence.
• Spell damage, range and duration can be increased by 25% for every extra Success Level the character needs in the spellcasting Task. One Success Level will only increase one component, so if you want to increase each one by 25%, the character'll need 3 Success Levels.
• Permanently increasing these components can be done as described in LotR at the cost of 4 points per pick.
• Spells cost 1 character point per power level.

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

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:

• Andúril vs. Orcs   18   D8 x 5 (20)   slash
• Andúril                  17  D8 x 5 (20)   slash
• Sword 15 D8 x 5 (20) slash
• Bow 11 D6 x 5 (15) stab
• Thrown 9 D4 x 5 (10) stab
• Punch 5 D4 x 5 (10) bash

ORC
Race: Orc

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:

• Scimitar 9 D8 x 4 (16) slash
• Bow 5 D6 x 4 (12) stab
• Claws 3 4 slash

URUK

Race: Uruk

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:

• Scimitar 11/13 D8 x 5 (20) slash
• Bow 9 D6 x 5 (15) stab
• Claws 4 5 slash

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.