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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 9271940" data-attributes="member: 2067">This is the wrong way to think of monsters.In terms of gameplay, the apprentice wizard is a character (in terms of something you perform as, not in terms of being a PC). The statblock is a tool that you can use to help portray that character. Maybe that character only needs to exist for 3-5 rounds of combat, but it's a character, just like a town guard or the surly old guy at the inn or the PC's sister. It's something you can imagine your PC wizard once was, and you can imagine that the apprentice wizard wishes to become a more powerful wizard.The arcane burst breaks the fourth wall, hurts suspension of disbelief, and punishes player engagement with the world. It's artificial and kludgy.  It's a wrestler looking at the audience and saying "Don't worry, we're not REALLY going to hurt each other, folks!" It's bad, and it doesn't have to be bad.How bad this breaks kayfabe is up to the NPC's role in the world.If the green recruit statblock includes a "martial strike" ability that works as a melee or ranged attack that deals 2d8+7 damage and can be used three times, yes, that would be a sign that the rules are made up and the points don't matter. Every new recruit knows how to do this and they suddenly lose the ability at some point. Feel free to disengage folks, we don't take our world seriously, either.If the elite mercenary statblock has the same thing...it's less severe. Still a little weird (melee or ranged attack? So like some throwing weapon?), but less egregious.If the horrible multi-armed monster statblock has the same thing, maybe it's even "Yeah, sure, okay," and we all go on with our day.</blockquote>

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