D&D 5E New Spellcasting Blocks for Monsters --- Why?!

[Parmandur]

It is one thing to overall buff monsters. I am all for buffing monsters. The CR rating system is a total mess. But, to specifically nerf some subclasses/classes, that is not good design, unless that subclass/class has been identified as OP.

Nothing has been "nerfed", more powers that avoid certain countermeasures have been introduced. All of these elements are present in theM, the recent designs just make more use of them.

 

[Thomas Rainsborough]

Nothing has been "nerfed", more powers that avoid certain countermeasures have been introduced. All of these elements are present in theM, the recent designs just make more use of them.

If the Oath of the Ancient's 7th level feature does not work against many of the stat blocks that it previously worked against, that is indeed a nerf to that subclass.

 

[Parmandur]

If the Oath of the Ancient's 7th level feature does not work against many of the stat blocks that it previously worked against, that is indeed a nerf to that subclass.

They are new stat blocks. It's not a nerf to a character ability, it's adapting the game environment.

 

[Minigiant]

Sure it is... or was anyway

Sure.

The point is that caster level doesn't do anything.

It's an "useless" number because if you factor it in your monster.... you break you game. All caster level does is give your monster too many spell slots. If your monster gets to cast all the possible spells of their caster level.... there will very likely be a TPK.

 

[Parmandur]

Sure.

The point is that caster level doesn't do anything.

It's an "useless" number because if you factor it in your monster.... you break you game. All caster level does is give your monster too many spell slots. If your monster gets to cast all the possible spells of their caster level.... there will very likely be a TPK.

Or alternatively, it's harder to run effectively due to analysis paralysis. Any Monster is going to ne dead in a few Rounds, at any level, so overly.defining random utility Spells will only hinder optimal play from the DM.

 

[billd91]

They are new stat blocks. It's not a nerf to a character ability, it's adapting the game environment.

And adapting the game environment to remove a large portion of situations where a PC ability is effective isn’t a nerf? It is. It’s just an indirect one.

 

[DND_Reborn]

The point is that caster level doesn't do anything.

It is what gives you spell slots... determined by your caster level

It's an "useless" number because if you factor it in your monster.... you break you game. All caster level does is give your monster too many spell slots. If your monster gets to cast all the possible spells of their caster level.... there will very likely be a TPK.

Hardly. You don't "break the game", you make it challenging--if anything.

D&D has been using caster level for a very long time...

 

[Minigiant]

Or alternatively, it's harder to run effectively due to analysis paralysis. Any Monster is going to ne dead in a few Rounds, at any level, so overly.defining random utility Spells will only hinder optimal play from the DM.

yeah

Putting knock and arcane lock on a statblock is just extra useless info. Or worse, infor that a DM might tinker with and cause additional issues.

 

[robus]

Funny, this kind of like how I rewrote stat blocks to make spellcasting monsters easier to run at the table, except I’d also shorthand the spell text too.

 

[Parmandur]

And adapting the game environment to remove a large portion of situations where a PC ability is effective isn’t a nerf? It is. It’s just an indirect one.

A few cases where a handful of Class abilities are marginally less applicable still isn't a nerf, no. The ability is unchanged.