And that's a problem. If a hobgoblin can pick up a dagger and do the exact same damage as with a longsword or greatsword, something is wrong. They are independent objects, whether the game wants to treat them as such or not. If the goblin drops the dagger, a PC doesn't pick up both the goblin and the dagger if he picks up the dagger.
But that’s not entirely true - the hobgoblin damage, as an example. It’s a long sword damage plus his strength and the stats align that way. And I think more to the point, when 5e did do it, I’d prefer the explanation rather than just decide across the board that it doesn’t matter.
It's not really how it works though. For example, if a battle master fighter disarms a hobgoblin, obviously the intent isn't that the hobgoblin can now use their unarmed attacks or shield or whatever to deal the exact same damage. The fighter's Disarming Attack is supposed to make the enemy less effective at fighting. The Hobgoblin Warrior (or any other similar creature) could of course pick up another weapon and deal a different amount of damage -- but, if you change that particular stat block and give it less damage, that could alter its CR, which in turn could change how DMs could use the stat block in their games. If during a fight the creature switches to a weapon not featured in its stat block and you change its damage, that's not really an issue because the game is chock full of effects and rules that alter damage and attacks within a particular encounter.
Ok, so you also think that the 2014 stat blocks show that the designers decided that it doesn't matter why the creatures have this one proficiency but not the other? Why does the 2014 Mage have 9 HD and seems to mostly correspond to a 9th-level wizard -- except it has a d8 HD, doesn't have a spellbook trait and thus can't cast rituals from the spellbook, doesn't possess the Arcane Recovery trait, and doesn't have any subclass features. Does it have a Mage class? Where is that detailed? Are there other "Mages" in the world? Of a lower level?But that’s not entirely true - the hobgoblin damage, as an example. It’s a long sword damage plus his strength and the stats align that way. And I think more to the point, when 5e did do it, I’d prefer the explanation rather than just decide across the board that it doesn’t matter.
Then give it the Super Smash Bro ability that adds 1d10 damage to the weapon used, or give it Smush the Enemy, which allows it to double it's damage 3 times a day. Or whatever ability you want to bring it up to the CR you need it to be.
It's a mage, not a wizard.
Probably because proficiency isn’t as important as attack and damage bonuses? Do I need an NPC mage to cast ritual magic? If it ever came up in game, it’s probably not in the context of combat, and then the NPC can simply have the spell. I’m not looking back to the 2e/3e days where the NPC wizard’s entire spell book needs to be detailed to me. There is a happy medium, IMO.
Why is that a problem? The player has no idea how much damage a monster can do and no idea how that damage is calculated.
I do. Though I'd argue it's more 'making sense within the world' and not the system itself. Giving the tarrasque 'If An attack hits against a medium creature or smaller' makes sense within the world, but it's naughty word within the system
And it’s a Hobgoblin, not a fighter or barbarian.Then give it the Super Smash Bro ability that adds 1d10 damage to the weapon used, or give it Smush the Enemy, which allows it to double it's damage 3 times a day. Or whatever ability you want to bring it up to the CR you need it to be.
Just allowing it to do X damage with any weapon you arm it with just because it's a hobgoblin does both the hobgoblin and the weapons a disservice. Both should have meaning independently.
It's a mage, not a wizard.
Seriously, though, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of different "classes" and "subclasses" out in the wide, wide D&D world. The WotC is allergic to give us players more options doesn't change that, so if the mage is a bit different than a wizard as a class, that's not unusual. A mage picking up a dagger or a greatsword and hitting for the same damage would be.
