D&D 5E New Spellcasting Blocks for Monsters --- Why?!

[GMforPowergamers]

And when you're getting exhaustion from the layer, healing is halved, surrounded by shadows draining your strength, VEcna throwing lightning at you while laughing at how pathetic you are is a fun visual.

and the lair isn't in the stats... and the lightning can be "throw lightning deal 12d6 make a dex save for half range 200ft target all creatures in a line"

 

[Shardstone]

and the lair isn't in the stats... and the lightning can be "throw lightning deal 12d6 make a dex save for half range 200ft target all creatures in a line"

yes, it could be. What is your point?

Did you ignore the many posts I've put up in this very conversation that said that WotC was half assing it man? What???? Here's all caps so you can finally understand me. I'll bold it too, just to be sure.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

IT COULD BE BETTER DESIGNED.

IT COULD HAVE LAIR ACTIONS IN THE STAT.

IT COULD HAVE BUFFED UP MAGIC.

I HAVE SAID THIS SINCE THE BEGINNING.

THAT IS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE TO MY POINT, WHICH IS THAT THIS IS A FUN STAT BLOCK AND I LIKE THE NEW KINDS OF STAT BLOCKS WOTC ARE MAKING.

STOP TELLING ME WAYS THE STAT BLOCK COULD BE BETTER WHEN I NEVER SAID THAT WOTC WAS PERFECT OR NOT HALF ASSING.

I LITERALLY SAY HALF ASS IN THE PREVIOUS POST I PUT UP.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

yes, it could be. What is your point?

Did you ignore the many posts I've put up in this very conversation that said that WotC was half assing it man? What???? Here's all caps so you can finally understand me. I'll bold it too, just to be sure.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

IT COULD BE BETTER DESIGNED.

IT COULD HAVE LAIR ACTIONS IN THE STAT.

IT COULD HAVE BUFFED UP MAGIC.

I HAVE SAID THIS SINCE THE BEGINNING.

THAT IS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE TO MY POINT, WHICH IS THAT THIS IS A FUN STAT BLOCK AND I LIKE THE NEW KINDS OF STAT BLOCKS WOTC ARE MAKING.

STOP TELLING ME WAYS THE STAT BLOCK COULD BE BETTER WHEN I NEVER SAID THAT WOTC WAS PERFECT OR NOT HALF ASSING.

I LITERALLY SAY HALF ASS IN THE PREVIOUS POST I PUT UP.

then why keep argueing?

 

[Shardstone]

then why keep argueing?

YOU KEPT THE ARGUMENT GOING!!!

I TOLD YOU THREE POSTS AGO I AGREED

BUT YOU KEPT POSTING AND IGNORING WHAT I SAID TO KEEP THE ARGUMENT GOING

YOU LITERALLY MADE UP ARGUMENTS THAT I NEVER SAID AND PRETENDED LIKE I SAID THEM AND THEN QUOTED ME AND POSTED UP YOUR ARGUMENTS

YOU KEPT THIS GOING. YOU DID. YOU.

Caps because if I dont' use caps, you'll ignore my post again and make stuff up I never said to argue against.

 

[Xetheral]

Pro new format:

• A big problem with enemy spellcasters always was that you never met them after they have cast some spells, so they were always way more challenging as an equal leveled PC during a typical encounter.

This depends heavily on playstyle. At some tables, including mine, enemy spellcasters rarely start with all their spell slots available unless they're encountered immediately after they took a long rest. Even at tables where that is not the default, I'd like to think that if players deliberately engineer a situation where the NPC has a reason to cast a bunch of spells prior to the combat encounter with the PCs, that the DM will honor the players' agency and have those spell slots remain expended when the fight begins.

As written, because the new-style statblocks have uses per day for each spell rather than spell slots, strategically attacking a spellcaster when they are low on slots isn't feasible mechanically (you'd have to deplete their uses per day spell by spell, and they'd still have a massively powerful primary attack usable at-will). As a DM, I either need to not use new-style statblocks or else rewrite my campaign setting so that the inhabitants understand IC that the primary strategy for dealing with spellcasters--attack them when they're low on slots--isn't reliable any more. Sure, I could rewrite the new-style stat blocks to rely on depletable spell slots, but then I wouldn't be using the new stat blocks, would I?

So while I appreciate that some DMs preventing PCs from using attrition tactics (or just attacking late in the day) by always running NPC spellcasters with full slots may have been a problem, the new-style statblocks "fix" that problem by preventing any PCs from using attrition tactics against them. I have a hard time seeing that as "pro" of the new statblocks.

(To reiterate, I understand that the new-style stat blocks are not unprecedented in 5e. But their increasing usage in newer books makes the problem described above more acute.)

 

[Morrus]

then why keep argueing?

YOU KEPT THE ARGUMENT GOING!!!

I TOLD YOU THREE POSTS AGO I AGREED

BUT YOU KEPT POSTING AND IGNORING WHAT I SAID TO KEEP THE ARGUMENT GOING

YOU LITERALLY MADE UP ARGUMENTS THAT I NEVER SAID AND PRETENDED LIKE I SAID THEM AND THEN QUOTED ME AND POSTED UP YOUR ARGUMENTS

YOU KEPT THIS GOING. YOU DID. YOU.

Caps because if I dont' use caps, you'll ignore my post again and make stuff up I never said to argue against.

Both of you disengage, please. Don't reply to each other again.

 

[Stalker0]

I personally don't have issue that Vecna has a limited spell list, for I have run spellcasting monsters frequently and its easy to lose track in the frantic nature of combat.

My only real beef is the lack of 9th level spells (and I have not seen the statblock so if this is there I apologize, but I believe you have to have a beyond account to see it).

Just give me a "meteor swarm 2/day" or "Invulnerability: Vecna is immune to all damage until subject to a dispel magic: DC 20"....something like that.

As one of the ultimate magic casters, I want him to have a few more displays of "ultimate magic", even if its simple, I want it to be powerful.

 

[Shardstone]

I personally don't have issue that Vecna has a limited spell list, for I have run spellcasting monsters frequently and its easy to lose track in the frantic nature of combat.

My only real beef is the lack of 9th level spells (and I have not seen the statblock so if this is there I apologize, but I believe you have to have a beyond account to see it).

Just give me a "meteor swarm 2/day" or "Invulnerability: Vecna is immune to all damage until subject to a dispel magic: DC 20"....something like that.

As one of the ultimate magic casters, I want him to have a few more displays of "ultimate magic", even if its simple, I want it to be powerful.

Oh man. That Invulnerability feature with the dispel magic clause is great design! Thanks!

 

[Voadam]

I have not seen the statblock so if this is there I apologize, but I believe you have to have a beyond account to see it

Here you go:

Vecna the Archlich
Medium Undead (Wizard), Lawful Evil
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 272 (32d8 + 128)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
14 (+2)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
18 (+4)
INT
22 (+6)
WIS
24 (+7)
CHA
16 (+3)
Saving Throws Con +12, Int +14, Wis +15
Skills Arcana +22, History +14, Insight +15, Perception +15
Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 25
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal
Challenge 26 (90,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +8
Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Vecna fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Special Equipment. Vecna carries a magic dagger named Afterthought. In the hands of anyone other than Vecna, Afterthought is a +2 dagger.
Undying. If Vecna is slain, his soul refuses to accept its fate and lives on as a disembodied spirit that fashions a new body for itself after 1d100 years. Vecna’s soul can fashion a new body even if its old body was burned to ash or otherwise obliterated. When the new body is complete, Vecna regains all his hit points and becomes active again. Vecna’s new body appears anywhere within 100 miles of where Vecna was slain.
Unusual Nature. Vecna doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Actions
Multiattack. Vecna uses Flight of the Damned (if available), Rotten Fate, or Spellcasting. He then makes two attacks with Afterthought.
Afterthought. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it is afflicted by entropic magic, taking 9 (2d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. Immediately after taking this damage on its turn, the target can make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Until it succeeds on this save, the afflicted target can’t regain hit points.
Flight of the Damned (Recharge 5–6). Vecna conjures a torrent of flying, spectral entities that fill a 120-foot cone and pass through all creatures in that area before dissipating. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 36 (8d8) necrotic damage and is frightened of Vecna for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t frightened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Rotten Fate. Vecna causes necrotic magic to engulf one creature he can see within 120 feet of himself. The target must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 96 (8d8 + 60) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A Humanoid killed by this magic rises as a zombie (see the Monster Manual) at the start of Vecna’s next turn and acts immediately after Vecna in the initiative order. The zombie is under Vecna’s control.
Spellcasting. Vecna casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 22):
At will: animate dead (as an action), detect magic, dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt, mage hand, prestidigitation
2/day each: dimension door, invisibility, scrying (as an action)
1/day each: dominate monster, globe of invulnerability, plane shift (self only).
Bonus Actions
Vile Teleport. Vecna teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. He can cause each creature of his choice within 15 feet of his destination space to take 10 (3d6) psychic damage. If at least one creature takes this damage, Vecna regains 80 hit points.
Reactions
Vecna can take up to three reactions per round but only one per turn.
Dread Counterspell. Vecna utters a dread word to interrupt a creature he can see that is casting a spell. If the spell is 4th level or lower, it fails and has no effect. If the spell is 5th level or higher, Vecna makes an Intelligence check (DC 10 + the spell’s level). On a success, the spell fails and has no effect. Whatever the spell’s level, the caster takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage if the spell fails.
Fell Rebuke. In response to being hit by an attack, Vecna utters a fell word, dealing 10 (3d6) necrotic damage to the attacker, and Vecna teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.

 

[Voadam]

Spellcasting. Vecna casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 22):
At will: animate dead (as an action), detect magic, dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt, mage hand, prestidigitation
2/day each: dimension door, invisibility, scrying (as an action)
1/day each: dominate monster, globe of invulnerability, plane shift (self only).
Bonus Actions

Why wouldn't these spells be considered spells subject to counterspell, dispel magic, or globes of invulnerability and such?