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

[Morrus]

Is 4 pages really too much for what is supposed to be the culmination of a multi-year campaign?

Also it's 2 pages in the book, not 4.

 

[Maxperson]

Super minor quibble: the design assumption for 5E is 2-3 Rounds, but much closer to 2 Rounds than 3 on average. Which is what lead to them realizing after 5 years that there cam be a mathematical transparency of Monsters and Spell slots which undergirds the newer design choices.

Where was this said?

 

[Maxperson]

First D&D game I ever played was DMed by the SysOp of the BBS I posted on using a 300 baud dial-up.

I ran a short(people sort of didn't post much, so it failed) game as a SysOp on a BBS using my 300 baud modem.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I have trouble understanding how it's easy to track the use 5 abilities all usable once per day, but tracking the use of 5 spells all usable once per day is horribly hard to do. Would it help if they called it ability casting instead of spellcasting?

No one can see how other people's minds work. You have to listen to what they tell you to try and understand.

 

[Maxperson]

No one can see how other people's minds work. You have to listen to what they tell you to try and understand.

I don't believe there are enough people who have difficulty tracking or remembering 5 spells all useable once per day, but who easily track or remember 5 abilities all useable once per day to warrant catering to the latter.

 

[NotAYakk]

"Have I used this ability" is a concrete fact that had direct narrative impact. "Did I already fireball this fight".

"Have I used this spell slot" is an accounting fact; the actual narrative event is divorced from the spell slot used by a least 1 level of abstraction. "Did I use any 3rd level ability from this list, or upcast anything to 3rd level, and how many targets did I use hold person on?"

"Should I cast fireball at 3rd level, upcast it to 5th, or cast destructive wave, in this situation?"

These are all fun questions to ask, but not things I want to work out in the middle of an epic battle. I want the epic battle to be fast paced and easy on my end, and dramatic and challenging on the player's end.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't believe there are enough people who have difficulty tracking or remembering 5 spells all useable once per day, but who easily track or remember 5 abilities all useable once per day to warrant catering to the latter.

But there you go again. People have TOLD you they do. Either they are lying, or you are wrong.

I'm a teacher. I teach maths and science. Lots of people find them difficult, but they always came easily to me. A major part of the job is understanding what people find difficult and why. It's not easy, but the best way to do that is a) listen to what they say, and b) observe what they do.

 

[Maxperson]

"Have I used this ability" is a concrete fact that had direct narrative impact. "Did I already fireball this fight".

"Have I used this spell slot" is an accounting fact; the actual narrative event is divorced from the spell slot used by a least 1 level of abstraction. "Did I use any 3rd level ability from this list, or upcast anything to 3rd level, and how many targets did I use hold person on?"

"Should I cast fireball at 3rd level, upcast it to 5th, or cast destructive wave, in this situation?"

These are all fun questions to ask, but not things I want to work out in the middle of an epic battle. I want the epic battle to be fast paced and easy on my end, and dramatic and challenging on the player's end.

Have I used this ability, and have I used the fireball spell are the exact same. You don't need to worry about upcasting unless you want to. You can ignore it with no detriment to the combat. That added difficulty is up to you to opt into if you choose. The slots are printed right there in the stat block, so if you've tracked the fireball, you know the slot and it's not something have to worry about.

In any case, it's really easy to list out a few optimal abilities for use and "easy" tracking, then list the creature's spells for other usage. At the beginning of the book you state very clearly that the abilities listed are the ones that are optimal for combat and if you use the spells in combat, you weaken the monster to below the listed CR. That way those who have trouble with spells can avoid them and use the abilities, and the rest of us can do either or both.

 

[Maxperson]

But there you go again. People have TOLD you they do.

I will repeat..

"I don't believe there are enough people who have difficulty tracking or remembering 5 spells all useable once per day, but who easily track or remember 5 abilities all useable once per day to warrant catering to the latter. "

Show me the links to the studies that show masses of people having trouble tracking or remembering 5 spells all useable once per day, but who easily track or remember 5 abilities all useable once per day.

I'm a teacher. I teach maths and science. Lots of people find them difficult, but they always came easily to me. A major part of the job is understanding what people find difficult and why. It's not easy, but the best way to do that is a) listen to what they say, and b) observe what they do.

There is no difference in the math. 5=5. 1 x day = 1 x day. There is only a difference in the name. Ability vs. Spell.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

There is no difference in the math. 5=5. 1 x day = 1 x day. There is only a difference in the name. Ability vs. Spell.

You would be surprised at how much difference the labels make, especially with Maths. And symbols?! I have taught students who think 5=5 is 10.