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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sorites" data-source="post: 4175570" data-attributes="member: 64431">I think what's being discussed here is the difference between a Monster and an NPC. I seem to remember Mearls talking somewhere about how Monster powers are designed to be used by monsters, not PCs. And feats are designed for PCs, not monsters. In other words, design informs function.I am betting that the Monster Manual will give rules for using monsters in combat. There won't be a lot (or maybe any) discussion of out-of-combat powers. If a monster, like the gnome, can be used as a playable race, there will be separate rules for that. You won't convert or adapt the monster gnome to a playable gnome. Similarly, an NPC succubus will be different from a monster succubus. As others have said, I'm betting the DMG will have more information on how to use monsters as NPCs. Curiously, though, I'm thinking that here, the rules will be more about adapting a monster to an NPC, rather than having a separate NPC version of the monster like they would have for a PC version of the monster.As for those worried that D&D will have an underlying philosophy of "make stuff up," I don't think that could be further from the truth. I'll be highly surprised if the DM is given an overabundance of handwaving, Rule 0 control. Though I would like to see some of that in 4e; I sometimes got tired of 3.5's "rules carpet bomb" (nice phrase) as someone else in this thread put it.</blockquote>