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

[Helldritch]

On one hand, you guys dismiss it when I bring up other social medias where people prefer the newer method. Then on another hand, you say that others share your view, so maybe your view is the legitimate one. These ideas are contradictory. I am baffled at how someone who is clearly as intelligent as you, and I'm not being sarcastic with this, just cannot realize that the standards you uphold yourself are not fair to pin onto others.

You brought nothing tangible. Just your experience. As long as you do not have a professional statistical study on this. Your position is anecdotal. And mine is as well.

I know of forums where the new stat block is seen as the anti Christ and others where the new stat block is the next messiah. The thing is that it not a unanimous hatred or love. As with everything, the truth lies in the gray area in the middle.

And my standards are not that high. In fact they are quite low. But as with everything it depends entirely on the efforts someone is ready to make.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I speak for my self of course. Others seem to be sharing my views. Maybe we are the voice of the silent majority. Or the voice of a silent minority. Who knows? One thing is sure, the new way is quite a departure from the original.

Yeah, I'll agree it's a departure. For decades I played the way you seem to like. And I enjoyed creating NPCs, especially bosses, in intricate mechanical detail.

But over time my preferred playstyle has evolved, too. I find some of the more modern ideas to be more enjoyable. I actually didn't have any issues with the old stat blocs and it didn't occur to me that they needed changes...they're what I'm used to...but when I saw the new ones, and the general design goal of special NPC powers instead of PHB spells, I see why it makes sense and I like it.

I do have to wonder if the extreme emotional reaction to this particular change is less about the scope of the problems it actually causes, and more about the feeling that the game is beginning to belong to another group of people.

 

[Helldritch]

Yeah, I'll agree it's a departure. For decades I played the way you seem to like. And I enjoyed creating NPCs, especially bosses, in intricate mechanical detail.

But over time my preferred playstyle has evolved, too. I find some of the more modern ideas to be more enjoyable. I actually didn't have any issues with the old stat blocs and it didn't occur to me that they needed changes...they're what I'm used to...but when I saw the new ones, and the general design goal of special NPC powers instead of PHB spells, I see why it makes sense and I like it.

I do have to wonder if the extreme emotional reaction to this particular change is less about the scope of the problems it actually causes, and more about the feeling that the game is beginning to belong to another group of people.

For me, it is the scope. I would jump right now on a 6ed with the new stat block. It is that departure that I can't stand. If that change would come with let's say 5.5, the pill would pass a lot more easier as it would be a revision. And in a revision, changes are bound to happen. But we are not in a revised edition. We are in the current one and such a change is quite big.

 

[Charlaquin]

For me, it is the scope. I would jump right now on a 6ed with the new stat block. It is that departure that I can't stand. If that change would come with let's say 5.5, the pill would pass a lot more easier as it would be a revision. And in a revision, changes are bound to happen. But we are not in a revised edition. We are in the current one and such a change is quite big.

They are in the process of revising 5e though. They probably won’t call the revised edition 5.5e, but that is functionally what’s happening.

 

[Helldritch]

They are in the process of revising 5e though. They probably won’t call the revised edition 5.5e, but that is functionally what’s happening.

Sure, but as long as there are no "official" revised edition, why change official books to the new format? Why cause such a stir? UA is exactly there for these tests. Once the official revised edition is on the shelves, people will embrace or disavow with their wallets.

And again, if it were a revised edition, I would gladly jump on that boat. These stats blocks are what we had (or very close to) in 4ed. I would not mind. But in the current edition, this is not what we were supposed to have. The MM is pretty the MM and NPCs have spell slots. For me, it is a matter of respect and continuity.

 

[Parmandur]

Sure, but as long as there are no "official" revised edition, why change official books to the new format? Why cause such a stir? UA is exactly there for these tests. Once the official revised edition is on the shelves, people will embrace or disavow with their wallets.

And again, if it were a revised edition, I would gladly jump on that boat. These stats blocks are what we had (or very close to) in 4ed. I would not mind. But in the current edition, this is not what we were supposed to have. The MM is pretty the MM and NPCs have spell slots. For me, it is a matter of respect and continuity.

But the MM has Monsters who have stat blocks like this. It's not even a rule change, it's recording the existing rules in newer designs.

 

[Charlaquin]

Sure, but as long as there are no "official" revised edition, why change official books to the new format? Why cause such a stir? UA is exactly there for these tests. Once the official revised edition is on the shelves, people will embrace or disavow with their wallets.

And again, if it were a revised edition, I would gladly jump on that boat. These stats blocks are what we had (or very close to) in 4ed. I would not mind. But in the current edition, this is not what we were supposed to have. The MM is pretty the MM and NPCs have spell slots. For me, it is a matter of respect and continuity.

The revised edition is coming in 24. In the meantime, they’re rolling out the revisions they feel are ready to be rolled out piecemeal. If you want to embrace or avow with your wallet, you can; buy or don’t buy MMotM. If you want to stick to the pre-revision stat blocks, they’re in… all of the other monster books.

 

[Parmandur]

The revised edition is coming in 24. In the meantime, they’re rolling out the revisions they feel are ready to be rolled out piecemeal. If you want to embrace or avow with your wallet, you can; buy or don’t buy MMotM. If you want to stick to the pre-revision stat blocks, they’re in… all of the other monster books.

Piecemeal is pretty.clever, really. Swap out modules as they are ready to go.

 

[Helldritch]

But the MM has Monsters who have stat blocks like this. It's not even a rule change, it's recording the existing rules in newer designs.

Yes but all NPCs follow the spell slot system.

 

[Charlaquin]

But the MM has Monsters who have stat blocks like this. It's not even a rule change, it's recording the existing rules in newer designs.

It’s kind of a rule change. Some existing monsters are getting new abilities, having existing abilities changed, and/or having the resource system their spells use changed. I’d call those things rules.