D&D 4E Using 4E to make 5E Combat more fun

[Manbearcat]

[MENTION=2067]I'm A Banana[/MENTION] , this video bears a striking resemblance to something but I cannot recall what it is!

 

[Xeviat]

Just watched it. Now I want to play 4th some more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Quickleaf]

Mind you, he does state that the crunchy bits will be at the start of the video.

I have kept some 4e designs for my games and do sometimes look back through the monster manuals for ideas (also, there is a whole host of things that can be used as inspiration for subclasses). Mainly in my games I use the bloodied term and rather than having a list of spells to choose from for casters, I create a single spell with description for each spell level since most of the time they won't use all of their spells anyway. I've also noted somethings down as "Twinned Firebolt - 4/day can choose 2 targets when casting the firebolt spell". I find this approach requires less looking through the books during play since all the information is in front of me.

Sounds like you have an interesting approach to creating stat blocks for caster monster/NPCs. Have you shared that anywhere? Or would you be willing to?

 

[Iry]

Short Version: Give your monsters whatever abilities you want. It's your world!

Long Version: Follow other editions, and even other game systems, down dark alleys and mug them for any interesting ideas you see. Stuff them into your figurative goody bag, then whip out anything you can imagine that seems appropriate. Slap those abilities on your favorite monster with some duct tape and bubble gum.

If you are worried about your franken-monster being overpowered, just come ask us!

 

[cbwjm]

Sounds like you have an interesting approach to creating stat blocks for caster monster/NPCs. Have you shared that anywhere? Or would you be willing to?

It's nothing too fancy, all I'm really doing is reducing the options down to a handful and ensuring all of the information is right in front of me. For instance, most of the time, I don't need all of the spell options of a 6th level wizard with 4 cantrips and 10 prepared spells, so instead I select a single spell of each spell level. In most cases, they won't have a chance to cast all of their spells in combat (particularly if they are a mook instead of a returning villain) so not all of them are needed.

Other information such as abilities, resistances, and immunities, etc are more or less the same as in the MM, although I will often just denote the modifier instead of the stat number for the 6 abilities.

Spellcasting: The Baelnorn’s powers have eroded over time due to close proximity to the crystal, leaving it with the spellcasting ability of a 6th level wizard. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The Baelnorn has the following spells prepared.
Cantrips: Ray of Frost (+7 to hit, 2d8 cold)
1st level (4): Blast of cold. 15-foot cone, 3d6 cold and movement reduced by 10 ft. until the start of the Baelnorn’s next turn. Constitution [15] saving throw for half damage and no slow.
2nd Level (3): Ice Knife. +6 to hit, 1d10 piercing damage and then explodes, hit or miss, (3x3 burst) dealing 2d6 cold damage, Dexterity [15] saving throw for half.
3rd level (2): Frozen Orb. 8x8 burst, 6d6 cold, Constitution [15] saving throw for half damage. The area becomes difficult terrain.

The above are the casting abilities of a minor boss that was guarding an artefact (sadly not too exciting a battle since I was still new to 5e and really should have given him some legendary abilities since it was a solo fight). Information is otherwise exactly the same as for a 6th level caster with the spell slots showing how many times each ability can be used. It doesn't look like I've used any symbols for this NPC, but in the past, I have added a visual cue (a red, downward pointing arrow) to my ranged attacks to remind me that it is made at disadvantage if next to an opponent.

I simplified a dragonborn sorcerer in a similar way. Rather than worrying about writing down metamagic and noting costs and total sorcery points, I just selected a cantrip and applied the twin spell to it directly giving a form of multiattack that it is able to use 4x/day (really, 4x/encounter since by the time I sound a retreat, the PCs are finishing off the final few enemies). This approach leads to the sorcerer having the following casting abilities:

Cantrip: Fire bolt. +5 to hit, 1d10 fire.
Twinned Fire bolt. 4x/day. Choose two targets within range when casting fire bolt.
1st level (4): Shield. Reaction. +5 AC until the start of your next turn.
2nd level (3): Scorching Ray. 3 rays. +5 to hit. 2d6 fire.

For higher level casters, particularly ones I want to escape and return in later adventures, I may provide extra spells that allow them to evade the party so they may have a couple of options for each spell level.

Just found another NPC, a cleric this time. Looks like I didn't even bother listing the spell level for her spells, just selected a few to fit the theme (nature cleric corrupted and becoming a death cleric) and threw them in with her actions. Another NPC that could have done with some legendary actions, she at least had legendary resistance, but from memory, even with some wight guards (having the Defensive Shield fighting style) and extra zombies popping up each round (lair action), the PC's tactics made relatively short work of her. I did manage to get off a few rays of sickness and a vampiric touch but otherwise, I think she needed a bit more to make her more interesting.

Touch of Death: 1/day; on a hit, deal an extra 17 necrotic damage to the target.
Entangle: 3/day; Range 90 ft.,20 ft. Cube, Strength [15] saving throw or be restrained. Strength check [15] to free themselves.
Ray of Sickness: 3/day; Range 60 ft., +6 to hit, 3d8 poison damage. Target must make a Constitution [15] save or be poisoned.
Sacred Flame: Range 60 ft., Dexterity [15] save or take 2d8 radiant damage.
Vampiric Touch: 3/day; melee spell attack, +6 to hit, 3d6 necrotic and Ahlandra regains hit points equal to half the damage.
Shortsword +6 to hit, 1d6+4 piercing +1d8 necrotic.
Vomit of Rot At first you think that she’s going to kiss you, but then she tilts your head back and black bile spills forth from her mouth and onto your face.
Action, targets an immobilised or held opponent, Ahlandra vomits foul black liquid into the face of the target. They must make a Constitution [15] saving throw. On a failed save they take 4d8 poison damage and are poisoned. On a successful save they take half damage and no other effect.
Legendary Resistance 2/day, automatically save against a single effect.

This is how I run caster NPCs, it might sacrifice some versatility, however, it makes running them much easier for me and doesn't require me to check the books if I want to use a spell I'm not that familiar with, sometimes even when I think I know the spell I have to go back and reread it. It's not something I like doing during the game.