Most aspects of EP convert directly or require specific rules (e.g. Psionics). Such elements are detailed on separate pages. When running an adventure, especially if using a published adventure, the guidelines below are very helpful.
Aptitudes
Aptitudes range from 1-30 with the average at 15. Maxima are 20, 25, or 30 depending on your morph. For the most part, the aptitude values math the Hero System characteristic ranges, but at -5… so, a 5 = Hero 3, 10 = Hero 5, 15 = Hero 10, 20 = Hero 15, 25 = Hero 20, and 30 = Hero 25.
Skills
Skills in EP range from 1-99, with a range of task challenges of +30 to -30, and professional level at 30-40. This maps very well to Hero System. The challenge is that starting characters who are “good” at something have a 60-70 skill, and basic training is about 20-30, with the majority of skills in the middle 40-50. In Hero, that is a range of 7-8 on the low end, 9-10 in the middle, and 11-12 on the high end. With EP aptitudes consistently 15-20, base skill levels for those characteristics would be 12-13. This really only matters when you are converting a character.
EP Hero Equivalence
00
3- No exposure or familiarity, completely unskilled
3- No exposure or familiarity, completely unskilled
10
5- Very rudimentary knowledge
5- Very rudimentary knowledge
20
8- Basic operator’s proficiency (driver’s license, gun permit, high school diploma) –
Hero = Familiarity
8- Basic operator’s proficiency (driver’s license, gun permit, high school diploma) –
Hero = Familiarity
30
10- Hands-on experience, some professional training –
Hero = Proficient
10- Hands-on experience, some professional training –
Hero = Proficient
40
11- Basic professional certification (police driving, army rifle certified, college diploma) –
Hero = Trained (full skill points)
11- Basic professional certification (police driving, army rifle certified, college diploma) –
Hero = Trained (full skill points)
50
12- Experience from professional-level work, some advanced training
12- Experience from professional-level work, some advanced training
60
13- Expert competence (competitive driver, marksman, PhD)
13- Expert competence (competitive driver, marksman, PhD)
70
14- Experience from expert-level work, has had unique innovations or insights
14- Experience from expert-level work, has had unique innovations or insights
80
15- Worthy of being a system-renowned authority on the subject
15- Worthy of being a system-renowned authority on the subject
90
16- Nobel/Olympic/grandmaster
16- Nobel/Olympic/grandmaster
99
17- Pinnacle of current understanding and innovation
17- Pinnacle of current understanding and innovation
You’ll note that the actual probabilities don’t line up until 99. In fact, it is consistently 2 points off in terms of matching probability. Given the Extra Time rules and various other abilities to modify results, the guidance I am going with is to build Hero characters in the standard fashion and at standard levels and use the following modifiers:
Difficulty Level EP Hero
Effortless
+30
+6
+30
+6
Simple
+20
+4
+20
+4
Easy
+10
+2
+10
+2
Average
+0
-0
+0
-0
Difficult
–10
-2
–10
-2
Challenging
–20
-4
–20
-4
Hard
–30
-6
–30
-6
Modifier Severity
Minor
+/– 10
2
+/– 10
2
Moderate
+/– 20
4
+/– 20
4
Major
+/– 30
6
+/– 30
6
Basically, 10 points of skill modifier in EP = 1 point in Hero. Now, the difficulty level chart is a bit skewed from standard Hero which has average at 0. If you decide to do that, then each difficulty step in EP is 2 points in Hero. There is some support for that approach as well, in that 6E1 58 shows 2 point steps (on average) from Routine to Easy to Average to Difficult to Very Difficult to Sheer Folly. This is probably the easiest to play, as it involves the least amount of conversion (i.e. play it straight). The only difference is that your average skill checks will be slightly higher.
Example: In the adventure “Continuity”, there is a stuck airlock which requires a Hardware: Industrial task action at -20 and a time frame of 1 hour. In Hero terms this would be a Mechanics -4 skill check with a time frame of 1 hour. Oddly enough using either method outlined above you still arrive at a -4 skill check. If the player needed to rush, it would be at a -3 to do it in 20 minutes, -6 to do it in 5 minutes, but +1 to do it in 5-6 hours… taking his time.
Easy modifier summary: +/-2 per difficulty level or 10 modifier. Average tests will skew in the Heroes’ favor, but that shouldn’t be a big deal.
Parity modifier summary: EP/10 – 2 (range +1 to -5 with Average at -2). -1 per 10 modifier. This matches EP probability.
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