How to update 4e sourcebook/adventures into 5e

Question

I'm new(ish) to D&D and have just gotten what I consider a firm grasp on the 5e rules. I've been gifted with several 4e books (notably, Heroes of the Feywild). I plan on starting my own campaign here in a few weeks and was wondering if anybody had any tips on how to translate the info into 5e mechanics. I realize combat is very different so I figured I'd just use the 5e MM and use those stats.

Looking through Heroes of the Feywild, there are things like "At Will", "Utility", and "Encounter" powers in the classes; Paragon Paths; and Epic Destinies.

At its simplest, my questions is this: How do I update all this into 5e mechanics? I don't mean combat, but character creation and leveling up. For the things that aren't there anymore, is there a replacement or modification?

I know I could get the 4e PHB/DMG, but I'm on a budget and I really really want to use this book.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, you can't.

4e and 5e have wildly different mechanics. Furthermore, 4e and 5e character creation processes will produce characters with very different average ACs, attack bonuses, and hit point totals. There simply isn't any way to use a 4e character in a 5e game; the best you can do is attempt to create a new 5e character based on the 4e character (and given the limited selection of 5e content currently available, that could be pretty hard in and of itself).

If you like the fluff then you should absolutely use it in your 5e game, but the 4e crunch can't be adapted to 5e; it's just too different.