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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
New Spellcasting Blocks for Monsters --- Why?!
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<blockquote data-quote="Irlo" data-source="post: 8668548" data-attributes="member: 7028372"><p>If someone asked me, "Which book has the rules for beholders?" of course I would point them to the MM, because in casual conversation I know what they mean. They're looking for the stat block, not asking me to philosophize on the question, "What is a rule?" The more natural question (in my experience, and in my circles) would be, "Which book are beholders in?" </p><p></p><p>If someone asked me, "Is it a rule that goblins wear leather armor and wield shields?" I would answer, "No." It's part of a monster stat block in the MM, but it's not a rule in the normal use of the word when asking that question. It doesn't take a house rule to present the players with an unarmored goblin. If stat blocks are considered rules in some sense, surely they're rules in a <em>different </em>sense than, say, the rule that PCs can only use one bonus action per turn.</p><p></p><p>In the context of a conversation in which some have said that a DM improvising monster's actions outside of the limits of a pre-established stat block is cheating (as has been said in this thread), it might be worthwhile to establish the semantic difference among various uses of the term <em>rules. </em></p><p></p><p>And in the context of a conversation in which someone asked, "What is a rule?" (as has been asked in this thread), then it's certainly worthwhile to do so, if one wants to participate in that conversation.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Irlo, post: 8668548, member: 7028372"] If someone asked me, "Which book has the rules for beholders?" of course I would point them to the MM, because in casual conversation I know what they mean. They're looking for the stat block, not asking me to philosophize on the question, "What is a rule?" The more natural question (in my experience, and in my circles) would be, "Which book are beholders in?" If someone asked me, "Is it a rule that goblins wear leather armor and wield shields?" I would answer, "No." It's part of a monster stat block in the MM, but it's not a rule in the normal use of the word when asking that question. It doesn't take a house rule to present the players with an unarmored goblin. If stat blocks are considered rules in some sense, surely they're rules in a [I]different [/I]sense than, say, the rule that PCs can only use one bonus action per turn. In the context of a conversation in which some have said that a DM improvising monster's actions outside of the limits of a pre-established stat block is cheating (as has been said in this thread), it might be worthwhile to establish the semantic difference among various uses of the term [I]rules. [/I] And in the context of a conversation in which someone asked, "What is a rule?" (as has been asked in this thread), then it's certainly worthwhile to do so, if one wants to participate in that conversation. [/QUOTE]
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