D&D 5E NPC caster kits

[redrick]

One of the things that takes me the most time when putting together an adventure (or converting an older adventure to 5e) is picking out appropriate spells for my NPCs. I don't have much experience playing casters, so I end up splitting a lot of time between the PHB and various class optimization boards. The caster NPCs have recommended spells, but my campaign features a lot of caster NPCs and it's nice to be able to differentiate, particularly in encounters featuring multiple caster NPCs. My player characters put together complimentary spell lists, so why wouldn't my NPCs?

Has anybody put together standard "kits" for different kinds of spellcasters? Something that a DM could start with and then customize as necessary? They could be as simple as a recommended kit per school, or more flavorful sub-types. (Examples escape me.)

 

[Minigiant]

I have a basic hexer in the database for a simple low level (CR 2) warlock.

Great for tricksters, cultists, traveling magicians, background blasters, and.... warlocks.

 

[Tormyr]

There are a few things to remember for quick NPC spell casters:
1. Spell caster level is generally 150% of their CR. So a CR 4 mage is level 4, a CR 12 is spell caster level 18. This gives the indication of how many spell slots they have.
2. Just choose the spells that would work the best for the situation at hand and write them down as you use them. The npc will last longer, and it will take less prep.
3. Use the caster NPCs in the MM or adventures and swap out their spells as needed.
4. For special NPCs that have a set spell list get spell cards or make your own http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=1119 and put them in a trading card sheet for quick reference.

 

[bgbarcus]

There will always be a small number of spells every useful caster prepares (e.g., Magic Missile). You can make those unique by using different details for the spells. Wizards trained at the nearest school of magic have Magic Missiles that match the PHB. The students of Charlie the Strange cast missiles that looks like corkscrews. Each wizard who studies his own spells rather than take them from a captured tome can specify similar cosmetic details.

 

[mlund]

One of the things that takes me the most time when putting together an adventure (or converting an older adventure to 5e) is picking out appropriate spells for my NPCs.

The only winning move is not to play.

Seriously, though, handling NPCs/Monsters by PC mechanics is a path that leads to nothing but madness. Unless the NPC must be used as a companion character (a DMPC or whatever), try to avoid having them making a bunch of rolls and tactical decisions that include game encounters. That's the PC's job in the story and the game.

If the NPC is an antagonist (big bad evil wizard or whatever) in an encounter then build them as a monster and not a character. Monsters are designed with capability that exist in the microcosm of a single encounter while characters are a paradigm for the macrocosm. Don't cross the streams there and you'll be alright. You don't need a spell-list with all the baggage it entails. You need a small battery of cool and relevant monster abilities that are described as spells and create effects in-line with what a monster of the appropriate CR is capable of doing.

Marty Lund

 

[redrick]

The only winning move is not to play.

Seriously, though, handling NPCs/Monsters by PC mechanics is a path that leads to nothing but madness. Unless the NPC must be used as a companion character (a DMPC or whatever), try to avoid having them making a bunch of rolls and tactical decisions that include game encounters. That's the PC's job in the story and the game.

If the NPC is an antagonist (big bad evil wizard or whatever) in an encounter then build them as a monster and not a character. Monsters are designed with capability that exist in the microcosm of a single encounter while characters are a paradigm for the macrocosm. Don't cross the streams there and you'll be alright. You don't need a spell-list with all the baggage it entails. You need a small battery of cool and relevant monster abilities that are described as spells and create effects in-line with what a monster of the appropriate CR is capable of doing.

Marty Lund

Hey Marty, thanks for your thoughts. This is probably the only aspect of 4e that I miss — monsters were completely and totally divorced from PC mechanics, and monsters were really only supposed to have a few "powers," no matter what their level. 5e, on the other hand, seems to exist in some middle ground when it comes to NPC/Monster spell casters, as most of them are given caster levels with corresponding spell slots and spell lists. Probably, this allows them to enjoy much more of the flexibility that a high-level caster should have, but, yes, for me it's a little closer to madness. Maybe the best thing for my game is to move a little bit back to that approach for my casters. Since the poor sap probably won't make it more than 4 rounds anyway, I just need to worry about a couple spells for the top level spots and then a couple spells for the next level down. Spells I actually know how to use.
[MENTION=6776887]Tormyr[/MENTION], thanks for that 150% rule. I'd noticed, of course, that the caster level (just like PC levels in general) doesn't really correspond to the CR in the NPC statblocks in the MM, but it's nice to have a quick number I can use to know what spell levels I should expect from a CR-x monster. The problem with "no spell list, just cast whatever spells are appropriate and assume he was smart enough to be prepared" is that then I need to know every damn spell in the spellbook before I run a caster! The nice thing about having a spell list is that it gives me a finite number of spells to familiarize myself with before running an encounter. It allows me to think about how that caster would approach combat before-hand, so I don't end up just flailing wildly when the d20s come out.

Unfortunately, my monster tactics are still pretty weak-sauce, and the only way I can compensate is by taking the time beforehand to come up with a bit of a game plan, including likely spell options. Then, if that gameplan falls apart, I can just fall back on the highest level damage spell I've got.

 

[Tormyr]

Hey Marty, thanks for your thoughts. This is probably the only aspect of 4e that I miss — monsters were completely and totally divorced from PC mechanics, and monsters were really only supposed to have a few "powers," no matter what their level. 5e, on the other hand, seems to exist in some middle ground when it comes to NPC/Monster spell casters, as most of them are given caster levels with corresponding spell slots and spell lists. Probably, this allows them to enjoy much more of the flexibility that a high-level caster should have, but, yes, for me it's a little closer to madness. Maybe the best thing for my game is to move a little bit back to that approach for my casters. Since the poor sap probably won't make it more than 4 rounds anyway, I just need to worry about a couple spells for the top level spots and then a couple spells for the next level down. Spells I actually know how to use.

[MENTION=6776887]Tormyr[/MENTION], thanks for that 150% rule. I'd noticed, of course, that the caster level (just like PC levels in general) doesn't really correspond to the CR in the NPC statblocks in the MM, but it's nice to have a quick number I can use to know what spell levels I should expect from a CR-x monster. The problem with "no spell list, just cast whatever spells are appropriate and assume he was smart enough to be prepared" is that then I need to know every damn spell in the spellbook before I run a caster! The nice thing about having a spell list is that it gives me a finite number of spells to familiarize myself with before running an encounter. It allows me to think about how that caster would approach combat before-hand, so I don't end up just flailing wildly when the d20s come out.

Unfortunately, my monster tactics are still pretty weak-sauce, and the only way I can compensate is by taking the time beforehand to come up with a bit of a game plan, including likely spell options. Then, if that gameplan falls apart, I can just fall back on the highest level damage spell I've got.

I have tabs at the chapters on my PHB. I can quickly turn to the spell lists at the beginning of the Spells section and see "Wizard, Level 4" and choose something. Yeah, you have to know what is there, but there are lots of old standbys.
Level 1 damage: Magic Missile, Burning Sphere
Level 2 Damage: Scorching Ray, Melf's Acid Arrow
Level 3 Damage: Fireball, Lightning Bolt
Level 4 Damage: Blight
Lots of wizards and sorcerers will have those.

Other class damage spells
Druids: Call Lightning, Moonbeam
Clerics: Sacred Flame, Spirit Guardians, Flame Strike

Wizard defense: Mage armor, shield, dispel magic, counterspell

Yeah, you do have to read through the spell section once from top to bottom if you don't know what spells do. If you want to wing it, you just need to have an idea of what the spell does. Then you can remember that, and turn to the spell to bring yourself back up to speed on the mechanics.