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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 5885455" data-attributes="member: 58197">I agree that one should not get too stuck on such things, but there is value in using the same mechanics for the same concept. If a caster-type monster plays by the same rules as a PC wizard, it provides two benefits:1) It increases player understanding of the game world. Part of the value of mechanics is letting players anticipate the results of their actions. If the PCs know that the monster has only a certain number of spell slots, or that hitting it in the middle of casting will disrupt its spells, they can make more sophisticated plans and become more immersed in the world.2) It reduces the amount of rules that the DM has to learn. Most DMs spent a while on the player side of the screen before stepping into the big black chair, so if the DM has played a wizard, she knows how the monster's wizardry works.As I said above, it's important that class levels should not be a required part of monster advancement. Class levels are cumbersome to work with, so DMs should have simpler and more flexible options for throwaway monsters or if none of the classes matches what they have in mind. But I like having the possibility of putting class levels on a critter.</blockquote>