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<blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 5921412" data-attributes="member: 87792">In 4e I open the ritual casting system to the relevant NPCs - but ritual magic from NPCs seldom (although not never) happens onscreen.&nbsp; And I've never used or seen it in a fashion where the exact details were necessary.&nbsp; And in 5e with 4e style statblocks I'd do the same.&nbsp; The statblock gives me the spells that will be used on the spur of the moment - the equivalent in 3.X to the prepared spells (ignoring buffs) that can be cast in a few seconds.&nbsp; &nbsp;[MENTION=1932]Savage Wombat[/MENTION], the reason a goblin shaman shouldn't use the same casting system as the NPCs is that it's pointless tedium for the DM to stat.&nbsp; Nine goblin shamans out of ten are going to only have walk on parts.&nbsp; What I need to know is that other goblins look up to them, how they keep order, and what they do in combat if I think the PCs are going to gank them.&nbsp; I don't need to roll out every time the shaman tries charming a goblin.&nbsp; At most he should therefore have a simplified version of the PC's spell system.&nbsp; The players each have one PC to run.&nbsp; I have one shaman, one apprentice shaman, a boss, an underboss, eight worg riders plus worgs, and thirty two tribesmen to run.&nbsp; Making the shaman as complex as a PC (as giving him exactly the same magic system pretty much does) means I've got a lot of pointless things to worry about.&nbsp;The Lich in combat does go a mixture of zap and animate skeleton - and a few more wizardly tricks.&nbsp; And by the time I need his statblock that's most of what he'll be doing.&nbsp; He'll also be animating entire graveyards in hour long rituals.&nbsp; But I certainly don't need to track his ingredients every time he does so.&nbsp; And unless the PCs plan to start stealing souls I just need to say he's animated his skeletal fire-breathing horse, I don't need to tell the PCs how.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Neonchameleon, post: 5921412, member: 87792"] In 4e I open the ritual casting system to the relevant NPCs - but ritual magic from NPCs seldom (although not never) happens onscreen. And I've never used or seen it in a fashion where the exact details were necessary. And in 5e with 4e style statblocks I'd do the same. The statblock gives me the spells that will be used on the spur of the moment - the equivalent in 3.X to the prepared spells (ignoring buffs) that can be cast in a few seconds. [MENTION=1932]Savage Wombat[/MENTION], the reason a goblin shaman shouldn't use the same casting system as the NPCs is that it's pointless tedium for the DM to stat. Nine goblin shamans out of ten are going to only have walk on parts. What I need to know is that other goblins look up to them, how they keep order, and what they do in combat if I think the PCs are going to gank them. I don't need to roll out every time the shaman tries charming a goblin. At most he should therefore have a [I]simplified[/I] version of the PC's spell system. The players each have one PC to run. I have one shaman, one apprentice shaman, a boss, an underboss, eight worg riders plus worgs, and thirty two tribesmen to run. Making the shaman as complex as a PC (as giving him exactly the same magic system pretty much does) means I've got a lot of pointless things to worry about. The Lich in combat does go a mixture of zap and animate skeleton - and a few more wizardly tricks. And by the time I need his statblock that's most of what he'll be doing. He'll also be animating entire graveyards in hour long rituals. But I [I]certainly[/I] don't need to track his ingredients every time he does so. And unless the PCs plan to start stealing souls I just need to say he's animated his skeletal fire-breathing horse, I don't need to tell the PCs [I]how[/I]. [/QUOTE]

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