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Apprentice Wizard- Arcane Burst power
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<blockquote data-quote="rmcoen" data-source="post: 9279066" data-attributes="member: 6692404"><p>Late to the party, but I'll add 2 coppers anyway.</p><p></p><p>TL; DR = Abstract way to represent the NPC's other skills, class benefits, training, experiments, background, racial benefits, etc. that don't matter for the three rounds you'll be fighting him.</p><p></p><p>No, I don't like how much more abstract the monster stat blocks have become. No, I don't like the move to "sorry can't counterspell, it's an ability not a spell" - screw that, I allow the counterspell.</p><p></p><p>But also No, the PCs don't have to have the ability to gain all the same powers and abilities. Most NPCs don't have PC class levels, but they could. And if the PCs really want NPC powers... well, let me whip up the NPC's class, and you can take it. The "apprentice wizard" isn't a "Wizard class (tm)", he's a "BBEG's Apprentice Fodder Mage" class, level 3. The PCs are welcome to enroll!</p><p></p><p>In most cases, though, the ability is almost completely identifiable, with a light "reskin". And nearly every DM allows reskins. Would I allow a player to reskin <em>firebolt</em> to do [Force] damage? Probably not, for balance reasons, but it isn't too big an issue - and I'm a sucker for a good Story, maybe the player had a warlock parent? - which leaves you with "reskinned firebolt, Evocation subclass ability" and totally understandable.</p><p></p><p>"But wait, it's a touch attack too!" Well, see line one [abstract], and many other posts. It's probably "shocking grasp" and "firebolt", abstracted down to a single element-less attack to save time and space. Meh and bleh, but simple.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I use statblocks for convenience and 75% of the foes the PCs encounter. I custom-craft the foes the other 25% of the time. The recent Swamp Witch fight the party had wasn't a "hag", it was a "Human Spore Druid 5 / Storm Sorcerer 5, with green skin and vines for hair". She didn't have Legendary Actions, she had a unique Reaction that allowed her to drink a potion immediately after being hit (and only limited potions - and the Arcane trickster was able to steal and drink one!), and a magic item that gave her spells a side effect when she used Sorcery Points (which is also acquirable by the PCs after the fight). But man, did she have a <em>lot</em> of abilities and powers that I had to try to remember and apply and pick from during battle! Plus her minions and traps. I can't do that every fight. Likewise, the lead assassin the PCs have fought was an Assassin statblock, but the leader of the guild is a Paladin (Vengeance) / Hexblade built from PC classes.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I'll wrap with this. Statblocks are suggestions and conveniences. Nothing says your bandit has to have 11 hp, while the leader has 62 hp and multiattack and parry. [And there's nothing in between??] Nothing says your Apprentice Wizard has to do [Force] damage, when you know in your heart it's a <em>firebolt</em> [Fire] and <em>shocking grasp </em>[Lightning]. Tweak, and play!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rmcoen, post: 9279066, member: 6692404"] Late to the party, but I'll add 2 coppers anyway. TL; DR = Abstract way to represent the NPC's other skills, class benefits, training, experiments, background, racial benefits, etc. that don't matter for the three rounds you'll be fighting him. No, I don't like how much more abstract the monster stat blocks have become. No, I don't like the move to "sorry can't counterspell, it's an ability not a spell" - screw that, I allow the counterspell. But also No, the PCs don't have to have the ability to gain all the same powers and abilities. Most NPCs don't have PC class levels, but they could. And if the PCs really want NPC powers... well, let me whip up the NPC's class, and you can take it. The "apprentice wizard" isn't a "Wizard class (tm)", he's a "BBEG's Apprentice Fodder Mage" class, level 3. The PCs are welcome to enroll! In most cases, though, the ability is almost completely identifiable, with a light "reskin". And nearly every DM allows reskins. Would I allow a player to reskin [I]firebolt[/I] to do [Force] damage? Probably not, for balance reasons, but it isn't too big an issue - and I'm a sucker for a good Story, maybe the player had a warlock parent? - which leaves you with "reskinned firebolt, Evocation subclass ability" and totally understandable. "But wait, it's a touch attack too!" Well, see line one [abstract], and many other posts. It's probably "shocking grasp" and "firebolt", abstracted down to a single element-less attack to save time and space. Meh and bleh, but simple. I use statblocks for convenience and 75% of the foes the PCs encounter. I custom-craft the foes the other 25% of the time. The recent Swamp Witch fight the party had wasn't a "hag", it was a "Human Spore Druid 5 / Storm Sorcerer 5, with green skin and vines for hair". She didn't have Legendary Actions, she had a unique Reaction that allowed her to drink a potion immediately after being hit (and only limited potions - and the Arcane trickster was able to steal and drink one!), and a magic item that gave her spells a side effect when she used Sorcery Points (which is also acquirable by the PCs after the fight). But man, did she have a [I]lot[/I] of abilities and powers that I had to try to remember and apply and pick from during battle! Plus her minions and traps. I can't do that every fight. Likewise, the lead assassin the PCs have fought was an Assassin statblock, but the leader of the guild is a Paladin (Vengeance) / Hexblade built from PC classes. I'll wrap with this. Statblocks are suggestions and conveniences. Nothing says your bandit has to have 11 hp, while the leader has 62 hp and multiattack and parry. [And there's nothing in between??] Nothing says your Apprentice Wizard has to do [Force] damage, when you know in your heart it's a [I]firebolt[/I] [Fire] and [I]shocking grasp [/I][Lightning]. Tweak, and play! [/QUOTE]
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