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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7952337" data-attributes="member: 20323">Ways to make running NPC casters easier:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reduce their spell selection to whatever you consider are the essentials. You realistically probably aren't going to need an arsenal of 12+ spells. All you really need are maybe 6-9 (if that).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Write out their spell descriptions in abbreviated one-line format so you can see at a glance what that NPC caster can do.</li> </ul>[SPOILER=Example of short-form spell descriptions]In this case, this Red Wizard Diviner was exploring a ruined city while the PCs were exploring said city. Very much like the Nazis in Indiana Jones. The black circles / bold spells indicated spells she routinely cast, and thus would not have those spell slots available. In this case, because the Red Wizards were an ongoing enemy, I opted to give the Diviner the full spell compliment. However, if they'd been a one-shot enemy, I'd probably have reduced her total prepared spells by half (i.e. down to 9).Cantrips: Green Flame Blade, Light, Mage Hand, Message, True Strike*1st Level (O O O <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="⚫" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/26ab.png" title="Black circle    :black_circle:" data-shortname=":black_circle:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" />︎)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Detect Magic* [ritual]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Feather Fall: reaction; 60’; 1 min; 5 falling creatures instead descend 60’ per round, taking no damage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mage Armor: 1 hr, armor-less target gains AC 13 + DEX.</li> </ul>2nd Level (O O <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="⚫" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/26ab.png" title="Black circle    :black_circle:" data-shortname=":black_circle:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" />︎)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Detect Thoughts*: 30’; Conc. 1 min; surface > DC 15 WIS save.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Locate Object*: Conc. 10 min; sense familiar object 1,000 ft.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mind Spike*: 60’; Conc. 1 hr; 3d8 psychic, DC 15 WIS half, on fail always know target’s location while on same plane.</li> </ul>3rd Level (O O <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="⚫" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/26ab.png" title="Black circle    :black_circle:" data-shortname=":black_circle:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" />︎)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Clairvoyance*: 10 min; 1 mile; Conc. 10 min; invisible sensor.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fly: Conc. 10 min; touched creatures gains fly 60 ft.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fireball: 150’, 20-ft radius sphere, 8d6 fire, DC 15 DEX save for half damage.</li> </ul>4th Level (O O <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="⚫" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/26ab.png" title="Black circle    :black_circle:" data-shortname=":black_circle:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" />︎)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Arcane Eye*: 30’; Conc. 1 hr; invisible darkvision eye, 30 ft.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ice Storm: 300’; 20’ radius, 40’ high cylinder, 2d8 bludg. + 3d6 cold damage, DC 15 DEX save half, difficult terrin u.e.o.y.n.t.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Stoneskin: Conc. 1 hr, resistance non-magic B/P/S damage.</li> </ul>5th Level (O <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="⚫" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/26ab.png" title="Black circle    :black_circle:" data-shortname=":black_circle:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" />︎)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rary’s Telepathic Bond*: [ritual] 30’; 1 hr; link 8 willing creatures.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Scrying*: 10 min; Conc. 10 min; see PHB 273</li> </ul>6th Level (O)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mass Suggestion: 60’; 24 hrs; 12 creatures DC 15 WIS save.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">True Seeing*: 1 hr; touched creature Truesight 120 ft.</li> </ul>7th Level (O)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Delayed Blast Fireball: 150’; Conc. 1 min; 20-ft radius sphere, 12d6 fire, DC 15 DEX save for half damage; +1d6 delay…</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Teleport: her and 8 allies within 10’, see PHB 281</li> </ul>[/SPOILER]Things that make counterspell interesting:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Foreshadow the possibility of a counterspell using enemy, and include NPC/scenario-specific ways to "deactivate" the enemy's counterspell ability (e.g. getting an aasimar divine soul sorcerer to lie might prevent him from counterspelling for a time, while a necromancer might be prevented by stealing the special skull arcane focus he uses for counterspelling).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Have dramatic side effects every time counterspell is cast. Think Harry Potter wizard duels. When an enemy counters his fireball, maybe sparks go flying midway between the two wizards, igniting combustible materials or causing a curtain of steam upon contact with water.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">To enforce caster themes, only have enemy casters counter spells which are appropriate to their theme (e.g. a fire or water mage – or an abjurer, I guess – might reasonably counter a fireball, but if the mage is an enchanter, I would not have them case counterspell vs a fireball, even if they could).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Create environments & enemies that interact with the counterspell rules. For instance, I had fire mages who, if they successfully countered your spell, you took d6 fire damage per level of the spell you attempted to cast. They were paired with a magically charged citadel which – the more counterspell was cast – the greater the odds that the next counterspell would cause a magical eruption that birthed a living spell.</li> </ul>Things that muck with the greater invisibility + fireball tactic:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">An invisible wizard with a poor (or no) Stealth roll being noticed by monsters with good passive Perception. Invisible =/= Hidden.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Determine starting encounter distance randomly and/or using terrain or weather conditions that make encounters start much closer than 150 feet away (fireball range). Looking at the official DM screen most encounters start much closer than that.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Monsters with blindsight, tremorsense, or truesight.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Monsters with Spell Reflection (e.g. spectator).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Storms or other ongoing hazardous environments / damaging terrain that force concentration checks</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Having innocents or creatures whom PCs are being paid to rescue among the monsters. Using tents and limiting line of sight to make targeting with a fireball a generally risky proposition.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Present combat objectives that are not just "kill all monsters." For instance, if the PCs need to keep a low profile (e.g. to avoid alerting a larger enemy force or to avoid violating a treaty) then fireball should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.</li> </ul>Handling Banishment, Polymorph, or Wall of Force on Solo Monsters<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Unless the monster is intended to be a boss, I view using these sorts of spells to circumvent a fight with a troll as an entirely appropriate use of the player's resources. After all, the spell might fail (due to the monster succeeding a save), and the wizard has expended a resource.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Look at how many encounters you're running the players through each adventuring day. If it is routinely falling considerably short of 6-8 encounters (which the game is built around), then I recommend making the few encounters you do run much more dangerous. That way expending resources like spell slots will matter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If it's a boss monster, then these are the sorts of spells to use Legendary Resistance to automatically save against. If the boss monster lacks Legendary Resistances, then it needs more customized defenses – maybe it has the power to planeshift on its own will in a way that breaks banishment, or maybe it has the golem's Immutable Form trait making it immune to polymorphing, or maybe it can burrow or fly or teleport or cast dispel magic to escape a wall of force.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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