D&D (2024) Wizards have a problem with Spellcasting stat blocks

[W'rkncacnter]

It works the same as all other attack spells, why do you need to look it up?

amount of damage (4d6+1d6 per level above first), damage type (radiant), riders (grants advantage on next attack).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

amount of damage (4d6+1d6 per level above first), damage type (radiant), riders (grants advantage on next attack).

So, you are saying you think the monster manual should reprint the full text for every spell a monster can cast.

 

[Retros_x]

So, you are saying you think the monster manual should reprint the full text for every spell a monster can cast.

Thats not the full text for every spell. The spell text for guiding bolt ist not "4d6 radiant dmg + 1d6 radiant dmg per level above first, on hit next attack on target has advantage". Spell descriptions are much more verbose than that. So no, they were not saying that the monster manual should reprint the full text for every spell a monster can cast.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

So, you are saying you think the monster manual should reprint the full text for every spell a monster can cast.

no, i'm saying the monster manual should either print the necessary text to run any spell it lists separately from the spellcasting trait (e.g. level up's monstrous menageries) or shouldn't even bother listing them separately from the spellcasting trait at all. the way it's done in these previews simply wastes space for no actual gain. if they're going to use the extra space, they might as well have a REASON.

EDIT: also my reply to you was to demonstrate that not all attack spells ARE the same, and that there IS a reason to look them up, because YOU asked why someone might need to.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Thats not the full text for every spell. The spell text for guiding bolt ist not "4d6 radiant dmg + 1d6 radiant dmg per level above first, on hit next attack on target has advantage". Spell descriptions are much more verbose than that. So no, they were not saying that the monster manual should reprint the full text for every spell a monster can cast.

Even with the fluff removed that amounts to a huge amount of text for some creatures, and not something monster manuals have ever done. Why do you think they should start doing that now?

I can see the reasoning for wanting the AB rather than adding two numbers together, but it doesn’t seem reasonable to me to expect anything more.

 

[Retros_x]

Even with the fluff removed that amounts to a huge amount of text for some creatures, and not something monster manuals have ever done. Why do you think they should start doing that now?

I am not thinking they should start doing that, I was just clearing up that its not a full copy of a spell which is not one line but one paragraph. Big difference.

I personally copy statblocks in my notes and I insert this stuff in them if I don't know the spell by heart. So I would have nothing against them printing these line for each spell into the statblock. At least for the spells that are realistically get cast in combat. They also have a line for each attack and their effects. Spellcasters would be much easier to run at the table if they treat spells like attack actions and just write down the important parameters down in the statblock. They kinda went into the direction with MotM and I am sad they backpedal from that.

And in the examples above they already use a full line for healing word - but without describing what healing word does, which you definitely could describe in one line. Its a stupid waste of space.

 

[mamba]

I use Beyond in games. Spells being the statblock is not much faster than quickly looking them up in the book.

you added an ‘easier’ since, I agree with that. Without it I thought you were thinking sales

 

[Joshua Randall]

You don't have to click a link - you can hover over the link, and the spell info will pop up while hovering, so you don't have to leave the main monster page, and said pop up will disappear after you mouse away from the link.

Still a garbage use experience particularly on mobile devices where hover over doesn’t work (well).

 

[TiQuinn]

I use Beyond in games. Spells being the statblock is not much faster than quickly looking them up in the book.

That really hasn’t been my experience with DDB. Not to mention, looking it up in a book is quite more than just a couple of mouse clicks. If someone’s running the game completely physical, switching books is an added chore.

 

[Reynard]

I don't agree. If the NPC is basically a PC not being played by a player, then they should conform to the same rules as the PCs.

Statblocks being useful doesn't have any impact on the fiction.

And requiring everyone use the same rules as the PHB makes the game boring and drains it of the fantastic.