How do you progress spellcasting monsters?
Dwimmerlied
First Post
Out of interest, do rules exist for advancing spells as we advance monsters by HD? It seems logical to me that in advancing a Nymph, say, by HD that spell-level would also increase, but would it be equal to a level per HD? per two HD? or is this purely extrapolation?
RUMBLETiGER
Adventurer
Thank you [MENTION=53286]Lwaxy[/MENTION], posts 7, 8 & 9 had all been posted at one time, but did not appear for days. I see that it is fixed now, thank you.
airwalkrr
Adventurer
It is pretty simple actually. Spellcasting does not improve by rules-as-written (RAW) if the monster is advancing by monster hit dice. But if said monster advances in a character class, then it continues to improve its spellcasting if that class is the class on which the spellcasting of the monster is based. I will show a couple of examples using the nymph.
Example 1: A nymph advances from 6 HD to 12 HD. The nymph continues to cast spells as a 7th-level druid would. If the nymph increased her Wisdom by +1 through advancement, then that would give her a Wisdom of 18, and her spells per day would increase as a druid's would, giving her a spell array of 6/5/4/3/2 instead of the standard nymph's 6/5/4/3/1. (The CR of fey increase by +1 per 4 HD, so the advanced nymph would have a CR of 8).
Example 2: A nymph advances by taking 6 levels of druid. This advanced nymph now casts spells as a 13th-level druid. Applying an elite array to ability scores because the nymph is taking levels in a player character class, the nymph would have a base Wisdom of 15 plus 6 for the nymph racial bonus for a total of 21. Assuming the nymph increased Wisdom by at least +1 for leveling up, this would give her a total Wisdom of 22. Thus, the final spell array for this nymph would be the same as that of a 13th-level druid with a 22 Wisdom, even though the nymph's special druid abilities, such as wild shape and animal companion would be the same as that of a 6th-level druid. The nymph's spell array would be 6/7/7/5/5/4/3/1 and her caster level would be 13th. (Because the nymph advanced in a player character class instead of by hit dice, this advanced nymph would have a CR of 13.)
Example 1: A nymph advances from 6 HD to 12 HD. The nymph continues to cast spells as a 7th-level druid would. If the nymph increased her Wisdom by +1 through advancement, then that would give her a Wisdom of 18, and her spells per day would increase as a druid's would, giving her a spell array of 6/5/4/3/2 instead of the standard nymph's 6/5/4/3/1. (The CR of fey increase by +1 per 4 HD, so the advanced nymph would have a CR of 8).
Example 2: A nymph advances by taking 6 levels of druid. This advanced nymph now casts spells as a 13th-level druid. Applying an elite array to ability scores because the nymph is taking levels in a player character class, the nymph would have a base Wisdom of 15 plus 6 for the nymph racial bonus for a total of 21. Assuming the nymph increased Wisdom by at least +1 for leveling up, this would give her a total Wisdom of 22. Thus, the final spell array for this nymph would be the same as that of a 13th-level druid with a 22 Wisdom, even though the nymph's special druid abilities, such as wild shape and animal companion would be the same as that of a 6th-level druid. The nymph's spell array would be 6/7/7/5/5/4/3/1 and her caster level would be 13th. (Because the nymph advanced in a player character class instead of by hit dice, this advanced nymph would have a CR of 13.)
Dwimmerlied
First Post
Thats the way I've always done it. I just got to wondering if there was a RAW way to advance spells as HD advance because it seems an oversight
RUMBLETiGER
Adventurer
Does it work this way? I had figured the Nymph would cast spells as a 7th level Druid, and have a second spell list as a 6th level Druid, as if multiclassing as a Druid & Spirit Shaman or something (closest analogy I could think of). Are there RAW descriptions in any monster stats of taking levels in a casting class simply tacks on levels onto the monster's prgression? I'd imagine there are examples of arcane casting monsters that mgiht say this, but I haven't found any yet.
Dwimmerlied
First Post
@RUMBLETiGER; Definitely. I think its in the Monster Manual section for advancing monsters, but this I'm positive of. Mind you, I don't think there are many monsters (at least in MMI that this is appliccable to, perhaps just Nymph, some dragons and Driders).
edit: MMI p294, under the heading "Asociated Class Levels".
edit: MMI p294, under the heading "Asociated Class Levels".
Last edited:
RUMBLETiGER
Adventurer
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for, thank you!
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