D&D 5E DM's: How Do You Justify NPC's Having Magic/Abilities That Don't Exist in the PHB?

[Quickleaf]

Looking for some input on how you DM's justify in-game mechanics or magical effects that some npc's may have, but aren't listed in the PHB? For ex., you want your BBEG to appear in hologram/projected form before the pc's and kill one of his own minions with Power Word: Kill. His projected image then sits and has a conversation with the PC's, inviting them to join his forces.

Fun idea but there's nothing in the PHB to allow this specifically. How does one justify the fact that this individual has access to magic that isn't available to the PC's and what might you say to the party wizard who says they want to learn to do that?

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts!

My answer is soft skills. You need to read your room & have a pulse on the players you game with. And whenever you display the BBEG's awesome power in a way that might inconvenience or harm the PCs or seem like failure, it's important to give the players something they can succeed at (it might not be defeating the BBEG, but maybe they can smuggle the sacred scrolls out of the burning city).

I gravitate towards players for whom this would not even be an issue, personally. "Justification" language implies a lack of trust, in my experience.

I think it's also worthwhile, if you have that sort of player as the party wizard, to seed all kinds of weird magic that breaks the mold of the PHB. Yes, if they are of sufficient level, undertake a certain quest, find the rare component, seek out tutelage, and/or pay the arcane price they too can learn such forbidden magics.

My personal view is that the more mystery and wonder we can inject into how magic systems play in our fantasy RPGs, the better the game is for it. Obviously, that's working against the trend of how 5e treats spellcasting.

However, if you have players who are all about that 3e / highly codified / spell upsmanship gaming life where NPCs are built like PCs, no exceptions, then read the room. My "wondrous magic" approach would not be ideal for such a group, and might be a hard bounce-off point for them.

 

[Tonguez]

I explain any unique quality by declaring it a Feat - a Feat of Magic or a Gear of Power.

if the PCs wanr to emulate that gices a framewoek to do see and a way for me to restrict it

 

[akr71]

As many others have said, there is no justification needed. The magic presented in the PHB is for PCs and is largely there in an 'adventuring context' - it is completely fine for NPCs to play by different rules.

I assume there are all kinds of magical devices and/or spells that NPCs and 'regular' folk have access to, from magical equivalents to everyday mundane tasks to birth control and everything in between. If the DM describes it, it exists - and if the players now want it for their characters, now it is a quest hook.

 

[Morrus]

The PHB doesn't list every spell that can possibly ever exist (else how would WotC release new books?)

He's using a spell that's not in the PHB. Simples.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Looking for some input on how you DM's justify in-game mechanics or magical effects that some npc's may have, but aren't listed in the PHB? For ex., you want your BBEG to appear in hologram/projected form before the pc's and kill one of his own minions with Power Word: Kill. His projected image then sits and has a conversation with the PC's, inviting them to join his forces.

Fun idea but there's nothing in the PHB to allow this specifically. How does one justify the fact that this individual has access to magic that isn't available to the PC's and what might you say to the party wizard who says they want to learn to do that?

Many thanks in advance for any thoughts!

I would let the PCs have potential access to any ability an NPC designed to represent a similar character could have, provided they're sufficiently powerful (ie, high enough level) and go through whatever training or process the NPC is assumed to have done. Nothing is off the table on that score. To do otherwise would break immersion for me.

 

[Micah Sweet]

No need. Class abilities only describe what the PCs can do, they don't apply to the rest of the universe.

Strong disagree. PCs are not a different species in my game.

 

[Xamnam]

Honestly, I would love it as a player if I was up against a fearsome spellcaster that we knew the name of (we'll say Greg here), and the DM had a chance to say something like "The lich raises his bony fist, and you feel your vitality start to drain into the air as he casts Greg's Blood Tornado."

 

[Micah Sweet]

Honestly, I would love it as a player if I was up against a fearsome spellcaster that we knew the name of (we'll say Greg here), and the DM had a chance to say something like "The lich raises his bony fist, and you feel your vitality start to drain into the air as he casts Greg's Blood Tornado."

IMO, the best way to show how awesome a centuries old spellcaster is just that: unique magics. If the PCs go through the same process, or stumble across the formula, they could potentially learn it too.

 

[TheDelphian]

Well you don't have to justify things of that nature I think.

I have told my players their is a ton of magic available (To them and others) in the world that the PHB does not cover. Those are the most common adventurer spells around. Lots of rituals and other things exist and players can learn them if they want. Since they are not especially useful for adventuring they are not in the PHB or other source books.

This usually only comes up in my games when the players get a house. then I have sold them and let them learn things to protect their house or make magical ice boxes etc. Most of these are not permanent but have material cost and durations in months or a year. But for the most part itis not overly mechanical, not like I write up the rules of the ritual but only cover the effects. I usually give it a fancy name to be fun.

The point being there is a lot of magic in the world and the characters do not have all of it and neither does the rest of the world.

 

[WayneLigon]

No justification. I don't even consider you need to use 100% of the stuff in the PHB or MM. Certainly stuff exists outside it.

Of course I grew up on AD&D where the vast majority of even the perfectly normal human types, when presented as 'monsters', had incredible abilities that not even a 20th level character could ever aspire to. Things like "The Spearpoint Peninsula Pirates train to fight together, so if two are on one PC they each get +5 to hit and damage" were so common it was silly.