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

[Vaalingrade]

I don't like using the same enemies over and over again. It's boring.

That's not the only reason to want multiple CR necromancers.

Maybe your group doesn't play in the CR band the current necromancer appears in. Maybe your story calls for the characters to run into the necromancer earlier or later than the current one.

Maybe always two there are, a master and a lower CR apprentice.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I don't like using the same enemies over and over again. It's boring.

I disagree it's world building... when PCs face the same threat multi times it is normally because that threat is still around.
My orcs don't disapear after level 5, my cult of vecna full of necromancers may have been stoppein one city but have a bigger more powerful cabal in another.

I also think it is useful to have a bunch of maneuvers and special abilities on hand to give to otherwise generic monsters/NPCs to spice things up. If each of the 5 hobgoblins had a different "move" the fight would be much cooler.

this i agree too

 

[Maxperson]

I disagree it's world building... when PCs face the same threat multi times it is normally because that threat is still around.
My orcs don't disapear after level 5, my cult of vecna full of necromancers may have been stoppein one city but have a bigger more powerful cabal in another.

this i agree too

I agree with both of you. For the common monsters like orcs, trolls or an enemy group, those I keep around for most or even the entire campaign. At high levels they may just be part of a fluff description unless the party goes out it's way to attack them, or sometimes it's just a quick destruction as the orcs don't know a 15th level group from a 3rd level group. For rare monsters, though, I dislike using them more than once in a campaign and often not for 2-3 campaigns. There are tons of monsters to pick from and there's no need to recycle them.

 

[Reynard]

That's not the only reason to want multiple CR necromancers.

Maybe your group doesn't play in the CR band the current necromancer appears in. Maybe your story calls for the characters to run into the necromancer earlier or later than the current one.

Maybe always two there are, a master and a lower CR apprentice.

That's not what we were talking about. We were talking about 1 necromancer at level 3, and three plus zombies at level 8, or whatever. A high level necromancer isn't the same monster.

 

[Reynard]

I agree with both of you. For the common monsters like orcs, trolls or an enemy group, those I keep around for most or even the entire campaign. At high levels they may just be part of a fluff description unless the party goes out it's way to attack them, or sometimes it's just a quick destruction as the orcs don't know a 15th level group from a 3rd level group. For rare monsters, though, I dislike using them more than once in a campaign and often not for 2-3 campaigns. There are tons of monsters to pick from and there's no need to recycle them.

My solution is that the 18th level orc chieftan is there at level 1, too. Probably best the party be polite, then.

 

[Voadam]

I had this same conversation when I asked about the massive power spike in 3E of giving mind flayers unlimited psionic blasts, and was told by Sage Advice that it doesn't matter because monsters are only around briefly so why model it.

2e Mind Flayers had unlimited mental blasts in the Monstrous Compendium.

MC1:

"Combat: A mind flayer can use its four tentacles in combat. If a tentacle hits, it will reach the opponent's brain in 1-4 rounds, drawing it forth and killing the victim. The mind flayer then devours the brain. Even more deadly than this is the mind flayer's mental blast, which spreads in a cone 60 feet long, 5 feet wide at the base and 20 feet wide at its end; all within the area of effect must save versus wands at -4 or be stunned for 3-12 (d10 + 2) rounds.
The mind flayer's mental talents also allow it to use the following powers, one per round, as a 7th level mage: suggestion, charm monster/person, ESP, levitate, astral projection, and plane shift. Mind flayers have infravision. All saving throws against a mind flayer's mental powers are at -4, due to its powerful mental force."

The Complete Psionics Handbook gave alterations to the mindlfayer stat block using the psionicist point rules instead of at will default ones. I remember thinking that seemed more cumbersome to track as a DM when I saw it.

 

[Voadam]

Yeah, this is not a new problem. In my own memory, the only edition I've played that didn't get a new monster stat block was 3e, but that's because the new statblock came with 3.5... which then changed stat blocks twice.

Late 3e had the monster stat block change with Fiend Folio and Savage Species.

 

[Reynard]

2e Mind Flayers had unlimited mental blasts in the Monstrous Compendium.

MC1:

"Combat: A mind flayer can use its four tentacles in combat. If a tentacle hits, it will reach the opponent's brain in 1-4 rounds, drawing it forth and killing the victim. The mind flayer then devours the brain. Even more deadly than this is the mind flayer's mental blast, which spreads in a cone 60 feet long, 5 feet wide at the base and 20 feet wide at its end; all within the area of effect must save versus wands at -4 or be stunned for 3-12 (d10 + 2) rounds.
The mind flayer's mental talents also allow it to use the following powers, one per round, as a 7th level mage: suggestion, charm monster/person, ESP, levitate, astral projection, and plane shift. Mind flayers have infravision. All saving throws against a mind flayer's mental powers are at -4, due to its powerful mental force."

The Complete Psionics Handbook gave alterations to the mindlfayer stat block using the psionicist point rules instead of at will default ones. I remember thinking that seemed more cumbersome to track as a DM when I saw it.

Man, I love that book, and the design ethos of 2E in general (before it went over the top with splats).

 

[Hussar]

I don't have A5E, so I don't know the stat block. Is there tactic example/suggestions and are the 25 spell slots given full or abbreviated explanations?

It’s a very well written stat block. We’re using this example because it’s freely available on the front news page of the site. Sorry. On my phone and can’t really hop around and find the link.

 

[Reynard]

It’s a very well written stat block. We’re using this example because it’s freely available on the front news page of the site. Sorry. On my phone and can’t really hop around and find the link.

I got you.

@GMforPowergamers

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