In this scenario, the GM is helping some new players for a second campaign convert some of their favourite characters to NGR.
GM: Ok so Wallace, your character is from the first edition of this game with the acronym WHFR right?
Wallace: Yep, which as far as any lawyer could prove, could mean anything up to and including West Highlands Fantasy Roleplaying
GM: Right. So what is this highland character you are playing?
Wallace: Franz Scheisse-zumGehirne , loyal citizen of the
GM: An
Wallace: Right, loyal citizen of AN emperor.
GM: So describe Franz
Wallace: He's a Ranger. A wiry sort who made his living poaching to support his fellow peasants during a famine. Eventually the law took wind and he moved on, becoming a a bit of a raconteur to earn his support along the coaching roads.
GM: What are his physical attributes like?
Wallace: Rating his starting abilities on a scale of 1 to 10, he has a movement of 5, a strength of 2, a toughness of 3, 7 wounds, and an attack of 1. 3 for those, with the exception of wounds which is 6, give or take point five.
GM: Ok
Wallace: On a scale of 1 to 100 with 31 being average, his skill with melee weapons is 32, his skill with missile weapons is 38. His initiative is 36, his dexterity is 34, his leadership is 25, his intelligence is 34, his cool and willpower are both 30, while his fellowship is 35.
GM: That all?
Wallace: Through his advancement he's gotten +10 to melee weapons, +20 to missile weapons, 1 stronger, 2 more wounds, and 10 more cool, leadership, intelligence, and fellowship.
GM: Ok, so most of those advancements can be characterized by leveling up. Strength I am just going to roll into his starting attributes because I can see this is going to involve some weird justification math anyway. So take your character sheet and we'll start figuring out stats from the top. I know we will need to do this, so divide all your characteristics that go from 1-100 by 10 so they are on the same scale as your 1-10s and lower your wounds by 3 to have the same average as strength.
Wallace: Ok, first up, Strength.
GM: NGR has a scale of 1-20 rather than 1-10
Wallace: so double it?
GM: Not quite, because the average in NGR is 10 not 3. Also strength in NGR represents how many injuries you can suffer before death. Based on "West Highland" combat mechanics, that could be toughness or wounds. In this case I'd say double your strength and add your toughness and starting wounds, with the minus three.
Wallace: so 13. Next up is Agility?
GM: Well, lets add you starting missile and melee skill, your initiative, and your dexterity.
Wallace: 3.2 + 3.8 + 3.6 + 3.4 for a total of 14. Next is health.
GM: Toughness times four seems easiest. But that gives an average of 12 not 10.5, So times three point five?
Wallace: Are average PC stats 10.5? I thought it was 10 straight down with 10 extra points? Wouldn't that make the average 11.5?
GM: I guess so, so 12 is probably fine for an average PC then.
Wallace: 12, so Intelligence is next.
GM: Intelligence seems the obvious choice, so multiple that by 4.
Wallace: 14 for Intelligence, unless it goes up like strength?
GM: Whatever you feel is appropriate.
Wallace: Uhg, now I seem like a powergamer if I want a higher intelligence
GM: And I am free of the burden of saying no
Wallace: Perception?
GM: Based on the common rules for the game, Initiative seems like the best bet. But Perception is useful for missile characters in NGR, so I think that Balli..
Wallace: Missile weapon
GM: Whatever, is separate means it should be involved. We are using calculators anyway so lets say that its 3 times Initiative plus "Missile Weapon".
Wallace: that gives a perception of 15. Charisma?
GM: Twice Fellowship and twice Leadership we'll say.
Wallace: 12, leaving Will.
GM: Twice Cool and twice Willpower.
Wallace: 12. Is that all?
GM: That is your stats, then we have your class.
Wallace: Ranger
GM: Yes, but no. Ranger's aren't a thing in NGR directly but are usually some combination of Rogue and Warrior. You also mentioned you are a Poacher and a Raconteur which is really just another term for Bard.
Wallace: So how do we determine class?
GM: Lets go out of order and look at your skills and see if we can reverse engineer from there. NGR also has skills, but I think some of your skills might be better suited as class powers.
Wallace: So I have Lightning Reflexes, Scale Sheer Surfaces, Rural Concealing, Marksman, Secret Poacher Signs, Setting Traps, Rural Sneaking, Spotting Traps, Hawk Training, Blathering, Charm, Public Speaking, Seduction, Story Telling, and Wit.
GM: So I think a combination Rogue and Bard makes sense. The problem is you seem to be about 50% when the system goes in thirds. So I'd suggest for Rogue that Lightning Reflexes, Scale Sheer Surfaces, and you two trap skills would line up well with being two thirds rogue and having Bandit, Acrobat, and Treasure Hunter. But with two parts Bard you could have Public Speaking, Story Telling, and Wit become Orator, Diplomat, and Swashbuckler.
Wallace: I can't be four parts?
GM: You could by taking "Mary Sue", but that lowers your luck die.
Wallace: I don't see the character as being a "Mary Sue" by any sense.
GM: You can still get treasure without the treasure hunter power, and still tell stories and orate without the bard power orator. The powers are just a much more potent mechanical reinforcement than skills. Skills are something that is at the level of a regular professional while a power is moving to the action hero level of proficiency.
Wallace: Well a ranger is more Rogue and Warrior you said, and he's definitely ranger first and foremost. So two parts Rogue and one part Bard.
GM: Ok, so his Rogue powers are Acrobat, Treasure Hunter, and Bandit. What do you want his Bard power to be? Is he better known for smart comebacks? telling tall tales? or maybe from inspiring speeches and addressing crowds?
Wallace: He can do all those things, but he's a raconteur because he's on the lamb and living on the fame from his glory days as a folk hero.
GM: So take Swashbuckler then as a Bard power.
GM: We may as well jump over to skills. In NGR you get a number of skills equal to your intelligence.
Wallace: which is 14 if it didn't go up.
GM: So you have fifteen listed, but you can cut any out that duplicate powers you have if you want.
Wallace: So lightning reflexes can go?
GM: Sure, but maybe other ones like the set traps one are kept for situations outside the power. Like if you wanted to work as a trapper collecting pelts.
Wallace: So I'll just ditch Lightning Reflexes then?
GM: You should also rename "Wit", maybe "Witty retorts" or something?
Wallace: Sure. Do I have any equipment?
GM: I think you can figure out how to count trappings as equipment. There are some calculated modifiers like Combat and Stealth, but you can do those on your own time. I think that is it, oh! Mark down that you have 1 fate point.
Wallace: but I already have 5.
GM: You know what? If you lived this long through that system go ahead, bring them all over.