5E to CBA Conversion
Last Update: April 9, 2024
5E TO CLOUDBREAKER ALLIANCE CONVERSION
Download the conversion pdf here. The pdf version is more intuitive and has section summaries.
Alternatively, if you don't want to view the pdf, you can use the formula here to convert 5E adventures to make them compatible for CBA.
Section List:
- 5E ADVENTURING CONVERSION
- 5E REWARD CONVERSION
- 5E ITEM CONVERSION
- 5E FULL MONSTER CONVERSION
- 5E QUICK MONSTER CONVERSION
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/ systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/legalcode.
5E ADVENTURING CONVERSION
Space and Distance
Distance: Every 30 feet is translated to 10m or 1 zone.
Grid to Zone: Treat 2 by 2 grid (or 3 by 3) in 5E maps into 1 zone. This is inaccurate, but it’s done to allow for more room in combat & adventures.
Combat 3 Zones: Many rooms in 5E maps are very small, to accomodate for CBA’s style of combat, create an imaginary 3 zones for players to fight in.
Skill Rolls
This chart shows the equivalent CBA Skills & Toolkits for the listed 5e skills.
Traps
Multiple Traps: When combining grids into a zone cause multiple similar traps to exist in the same zone, just use the strongest one.
Trap Saving Throw DC: Trap saving throws are converted to the relevant Skill/Toolkit Rolls. The following are general guides, use what you think fits better:
- STR: Brute, Mechanis Kit (push), Climbing Kit (pull)
- DEX: Sports, Thievery, Climbing Kit (climb / jump)
- CON: Endurance, Chemist Kit (for poisons)
- INT: Information, Arcanist Kit (vs arcane magic)
- WIS: Psychology, Thaumaturgist Kit (vs divine magic)
- CHA: Reason, Thaumaturgist Kit (vs divine magic)
Trap Damage Conversion: Deals half of the average dice roll damage. Or just use the chart below.
5E REWARD CONVERSION
Gold to Credit
Use CBA’s Grade payment system. Each individual Cloudbreaker earn a set amount for missions designed & balanced for a specific grade & level.
Alternative Monetary Rewards: Gold pieces are converted to Cred (Credit) at 10:1 rate. You may reward players with the gold and treasure they found if you’re playing in a 5E setting.
Experience Points
CBA characters gain experience points only for completing missions, nothing is gain by defeating enemies.
3 - 4 Hour Missions: 100 EXP
1 - 2 Hour Missions: 50 EXP
Mission of lower grade: 0 EXP or 50% (Downgrading)
In CBA, players can “downgrade” temporarily lowering their characters’ various stats to play of in missions of lower grade.
Alternatively, missions can be “upgraded” to provide more challenge to players of higher grade.
As long as players are not playing missions of the same grade as them or higher, they only earn 50% of the EXP. Other rewards are unchanged.
CBA characters gain experience points only for completing missions, nothing is gain by defeating enemies.
(5E Enemy Experience) / 3 = CBA enemy Danger Rating
Bond
CBA characters gain bond points with each other at
the successful completion of missions. They also gain bond points with at least 1 important NPC and the region they’re working in.
Important NPCs: Designate 1 or 2.
Location: Could be the continent or just the city.
Fond Memories
If there are any side objectives in the adventure and the PCs successfully completed it, they gain additional 10 Fond Memories point.
Combat Rating
CBA character’s combat prowess can be calculated using the Combat Rating Table, which is based on the PC’s level. At level 16, they reach their maximum Combat Rating. Characters of higher level, such as level 42 would still have 10,000 CR.
The player party’s combat rating, is the sum of their combat rating. For example, in a group with four level 6 characters (4 x 1,400), they have a combined party combat rating of 5,600.
In a balanced combat situation, the PC party and enemy group would have roughly equal amount of Combat Rating and Danger Rating respectively.
When enemy danger rating is 1.5 times, the combat situation becomes hard & at 2 times, it becomes very hard.
5E ITEM CONVERSION
Normal Items
Just use the equivalent of CBA items in the purchasable itmes list. (Chapter 9)
Magic Items
According to CBA’s design principle, magical & special weapons should not cause power creep. So there
is a cap to special weapon’s damage. Use the True Spiritarm’s damage chart in Chapter 9.
5E FULL MONSTER CONVERSION
Basic Info
EXP to Danger Rating: Just divide the monster EXP by 3 to get the equivalent in CBA Danger Rating.
V means Very (Very Small)
X means Extra (Extra Large)
Proficiency to Mastery: Divide the attack bonus of the most accurate attack by 2 and round down the result.
Language to Speech: If the monster know any languages, it is capable of speech.
Initiative to Turn Speed:
- AGI Modifier + 4 for mainly melee enemies or
- AGI Modifier + 1 for mainly spellcaster or ranged attacker enemies
Combat Stats
Speed to Distance: Consider every 30ft as 1 zone and use the table below.
AC to Defense: Use conversion table below.
HP: Use the same HP amount.
MP: Half of HP, double the HP if it’s a spellcaster.
Ability to Attribute Conversion: Use just the modifier.
Strength: Use the highest Mod between STR & CON
Agility: Use DEX Mod
Awareness: Use the highest Mod between INT & WIS
Empathy: Use CHA Mod
Saving Throws type to Fortitude: Pick highest bonus between the related 5E saving throw groups and use the table to convert it.
The formula is: (Bonus / 2) + 4
Physical Fortitude: Use highest STR, DEX or CON
Mental Fortitude: Use highest INT, WIS or CHA
Skills: Use as is (no change). Use the skill conversion table. Monsters don’t use Toolkits, but sapienoids/ humanoids can. The result may not correspond with the sum of Mastery + Attribute, but that’s fine.
Attack Stats
Attack Bonus to Attack Roll: Divide by 2, round down the attack with highest attack bonus.
Multiattack: Turn multiattack into follow-up attacks.
Damage: Divide damage roll average number by 2,
rounded down.
Attack Secondary Effect: If the enemy’s attack has secondary effect that cause the PC to roll saving throw upon hitting, that effect happens automatically (no need to roll).
Saving Throw to Effect Roll: For abilities that cause the PC to roll saving throw, use the CBA Attack Roll Bonus to make Physical Effect Roll or Mental Effect Roll
Physical Effect: for STR, DEX or CON saving throw
Mental Effect: for INT, WIS or CHA saving throw
Effect Damage: Divide the damage by 2, rounded down
Spellcasting
Spell Saving Throw to Effect Roll: Use the converted CBA Attack Roll bonus (half of highest 5E attack roll bonus) for the Effect Roll. Just use the number from the previous section.
Attunement Slots: Monsters have as many attunement slots as highest Spell Slot, but can have only 8 maximum. So if its highest spell slot level is 5, the monster has 5 attunement slots. If it is 9, it still only has 8 attunement slots, because 8 is the max. (Monsters receive no Max MP bonus from attunement slots.)
Elements: Pick appropriate elemental attunements just like how a PC would. (Remember that Cosmic elements needs 2 slots.)
Basic Arcane Elements: Fire, Water, Wood, Wind, Earth & Metal.
Advanced Arcane Elements: Toxic (combine Fire, Wood & Earth) & Lightning (combine Water, Wind & Metal). Ice (All 6 Basic Arcane Elements)
Cosmic Elements: Order, Chaos & Astral
Spellcasting Rank: Based on CBA monster grade - Copper - Rank 1, Silver - Rank 2, Gold - Rank 3
Analyze and Neutralize
Analyze & Neutralization difficulty: Monster analysis and neutralization Task Difficulty depends on their mastery. Their Mastery is half of their highest 5E attack roll bonus.
Falter: The most common way for monsters to falter is to have their HP reduced to 50%. For apparitions and monsters without HP, it would be 50% of their MP. You can also invent new falter conditions as long as it’s thematically relevant.
Neutralization: All monster should be able to be neutralised by a skill and a toolkit. Even if they don’t have the natural ability to neutralise the monster (skill) it is possible for the players to prepare by bringing the right toolkit.
CBA monsters of a certain type should be neutralizable by at least one of the corresponding toolkits so that players can prepare themselves when they are facing a certain type of monster. An Eldritch type monster should be neutralizable by at least one of the following: Arcanist Kit, Climbing Kit, Chemist Kit & Impersonification Kit. If the monster have more than one type, then do the same for the other type.
Spellcasting
Special features require a degree of familiarity with both systems to translate. It’s up to the designers how to reinterpret them. But here are some general guidance
Monster Ability That Force Saving Throws: Use the monster’s highest CBA Attack Roll bonus as Effect Roll.
Rechargable Action: Features like breath attacks that get rechared when you roll 4 to 6, become 3 Danger Tokens Bursts. For features that recharge on 5 to 6 become 5 Danger Tokens Bursts
Legendary Actions: Ignored. When Monsters are elevated to boss rank in CBA, they move twice per round. Once on normal turn speed, next at -5 speed. If at -5 speed the turn becomes 0, then it becomes 10 next round. The GM choose if they want to turn the monster into a Boss, so don’t worry about this.
Legendary Resistances: Ignored. When Monsters are elevated to boss rank in CBA, they have 3 morale tokens, which can be used to recover HP or nullify negative effects.
Lair Actions: Free to reinterpret.
Damage Types: Convert the damage types using the
table below.
Resistances & Immunities: Works the same way. Just convert to relevant type.
Monsters Saving Throw Advantages: Reduce damage received by the relevant fortitude by half and gain immunity to the affliction.
5E QUICK MONSTER CONVERSION
This is a quick conversion page that allows you to convert the monster quickly on the fly. Download the conversion pdf here for a better image quality.
