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<blockquote data-quote="GnomeWorks" data-source="post: 1574389" data-attributes="member: 162">The entire purpose of the learner is to learn the abilities of monsters.&nbsp; If you open up blue spells to all arcane spellcasters, you get rid of the learner's purpose.Also, if you make the learner able to learn arcane spells of any kind... that isn't what the class is about.&nbsp; It's in a similar vein, but it's like comparing oranges and some other fruit - both are fruit, but they're still different things.That is effectively what is being done.&nbsp; Initially, the blue spells weren't given levels, but required the expenditure of spell slots whose total spell level equalled or exceeded the CR of the creature the ability was learned from.However, there were a few holes in that system, so it was dropped in favor of applying spell levels to all blue spells.Making the monster abilities into spells makes them a lot more usable by players; they're in a familiar format, with everything spelled out, rather than trying to infer the specific mechanics of the ability from the description in the SRD or MM.&nbsp; For usage by monsters that the party will probably only encounter once in a great while, the lack of detailed mechanics in the SRD/MM is fine, but if it's to be used by players, a little more information is required... it also shows that, even though they're emulating the monster's ability, it isn't a perfect emulation.&nbsp; Some things are lost in translation, as it were.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="GnomeWorks, post: 1574389, member: 162"] The entire purpose of the learner is to learn the abilities of monsters. If you open up blue spells to all arcane spellcasters, you get rid of the learner's purpose. Also, if you make the learner able to learn arcane spells of any kind... that isn't what the class is about. It's in a similar vein, but it's like comparing oranges and some other fruit - both are fruit, but they're still different things. That is effectively what is being done. Initially, the blue spells weren't given levels, but required the expenditure of spell slots whose total spell level equalled or exceeded the CR of the creature the ability was learned from. However, there were a few holes in that system, so it was dropped in favor of applying spell levels to all blue spells. Making the monster abilities into spells makes them a lot more usable by players; they're in a familiar format, with everything spelled out, rather than trying to infer the specific mechanics of the ability from the description in the SRD or MM. For usage by monsters that the party will probably only encounter once in a great while, the lack of detailed mechanics in the SRD/MM is fine, but if it's to be used by players, a little more information is required... it also shows that, even though they're emulating the monster's ability, it isn't a perfect emulation. Some things are lost in translation, as it were. [/QUOTE]

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