Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Can you tell me the difference between a spell that causes a fiery explosion and a magical ability that causes a fiery explosion?Which still shouldn't be spells.
Can you tell me the difference between a spell that causes a fiery explosion and a magical ability that causes a fiery explosion?Which still shouldn't be spells.
You can only really pull ot off once, though. I don't think you have to lean on world shaking consequences for high level adventures. Hercules' 12 labors did not save the world.In terms of high level adventure ideas, probably the simplest is the "World Break". A sudden apocalypse has come to the world, and the heroes need to stop it. This covers a lot of high level checkboxes.
In D&D? They are completely different things. D&D isn't Hero or M&M. It doesn't have a construct-a-power system that you slap some themes and limitations on. Spells are actual things that exist in the world in addition to.in the game book.Can you tell me the difference between a spell that causes a fiery explosion and a magical ability that causes a fiery explosion?
Not in D&D. With dragons. You don't want dragons to have spells, but you are okay with them having magical abilities. Why not just think of dragon spells as dragon abilities?In D&D? They are completely different things.
I agree, but I also think high level "campaigns" are mostly silly. Your goal is to have a nice little ending with maybe 1-3 adventurers to capstone your game and then go on to the next one. But having a campaign that is just non-stop epic threats just feels really weird after a while.You can only really pull ot off once, though. I don't think you have to lean on world shaking consequences for high level adventures. Hercules' 12 labors did not save the world.
There are lots of really good Superman stories that don't rely on saving the world either.I agree, but I also think high level "campaigns" are mostly silly. Your goal is to have a nice little ending with maybe 1-3 adventurers to capstone your game and then go on to the next one. But having a campaign that is just non-stop epic threats just feels really weird after a while.
Hercules' 12 level is also not high level dnd, its midlevel at best. Most of the monsters Herculus fights are mid CR type creaturers. Rerouting the river to clean the stables, move earth is 6th level, control water is 4th. And hell with enough time, you could use the mold earth cantrip to do a lot of the work.
Greecian myths are models for mid level dnd at most, truly high levels (like 15-20) is just an entirely different ballgame.
I don't have to. I just design abilities for the dragons -- and demons and abominations and whatevers. Again, I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I'm saying it is not convincing for the solution to boring, lazy dragon design to be boring, lazy spell like abilities or spellcasting.Not in D&D. With dragons. You don't want dragons to have spells, but you are okay with them having magical abilities. Why not just think of dragon spells as dragon abilities?
Superman's pretty much the equivalent of a high-level Fighter or Paladin, though - awesome abilities, some of them quite surprising in application, but not the broad array of capabilities.There are lots of really good Superman stories that don't rely on saving the world either.
I don't know what to tell you. I have lots of experience running high powered games (in various systems and genres) that haven't relied on the save the world trope. I've done that too, of course, but it isn't necessary. But if folks can't imagine how that could be, I won't lecture.Superman's pretty much the equivalent of a high-level Fighter or Paladin, though - awesome abilities, some of them quite surprising in application, but not the broad array of capabilities.
A full D&D party is more like the Justice League, and they don't tend to get called out all together for anything much smaller than a planetary-scale crisis.
I’m of 2 minds. I like 4e monsters with bespoke abilities, but I also like the added flexibility of a limited spell list and not wasting all of that space on the stat block. A combination of the 2 is ideal I think.I don't have to. I just design abilities for the dragons -- and demons and abominations and whatevers. Again, I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I'm saying it is not convincing for the solution to boring, lazy dragon design to be boring, lazy spell like abilities or spellcasting.
I would much rather see the important monsters* -- dragons, devils, abominations -- get bespoke abilities. They don't have to be overly wordy. I just finished two 5E freelance jobs focused primarily on monster design that used this method and the stat blocks weren't unwieldy.I’m of 2 minds. I like 4e monsters with bespoke abilities, but I also like the added flexibility of a limited spell list and not wasting all of that space on the stat block. A combination of the 2 is ideal I think.
Take 5e dragons. If you add the lair actions as part of the stat block, that shows unique and interesting dragon magic. I would then be fine with rounding them out with a few spells complying with the spellcasting variant. Then I can use them or not.
That is what you get with 5e dragons and their lair actions.I would much rather see the important monsters* -- dragons, devils, abominations -- get bespoke abilities. They don't have to be overly wordy. I just finished two 5E freelance jobs focused primarily on monster design that used this method and the stat blocks weren't unwieldy.
*One exception is powerful undead, since most of those actually were spellcasters in life.
I prefer they have abilities outside their lair actions, at all age categories.That is what you get with 5e dragons and their lair actions.
What I was saying was give the lair actions to the dragons, period. Lair or not. That would be the type of design you’re talking about, correct?I prefer they have abilities outside their lair actions, at all age categories.
Yeah. There are some interesting abilities in the lair actions.What I was saying was give the lair actions to the dragons, period. Lair or not. That would be the type of design you’re talking about, correct?
I agreed. I will say the “villain actions” just seem like “legendary actions” to me. Did I miss something with them.Yeah. There are some interesting abilities in the lair actions.
What I tend to do is focus on bonus actions and interesting reactions, and sometimes big main actions with recharge. I like the bloodied condition reset you see in LevelUp, but am not as enamored with MCDM's "villain actions." But broadly speaking, giving important monsters interesting and impressive -- though not always damaging -- things to do makes those battles memorable.
This is why I don't have tier 1-3 adventures that are about saving the world.But having a campaign that is just non-stop epic threats just feels really weird after a while.
They're similar to legendary actions but, going from memory, tend to be usable once, one after the other on consecutive rounds. It has been a while since I looked at them though so they may have changed since I last looked.I agreed. I will say the “villain actions” just seem like “legendary actions” to me. Did I miss something with them.
Bloodied condition reactions were a great part of 4e, I've also ported them into 5e. Great for when I want a monster with a little more hitting power without going fully into legendary actions.Yeah. There are some interesting abilities in the lair actions.
What I tend to do is focus on bonus actions and interesting reactions, and sometimes big main actions with recharge. I like the bloodied condition reset you see in LevelUp, but am not as enamored with MCDM's "villain actions." But broadly speaking, giving important monsters interesting and impressive -- though not always damaging -- things to do makes those battles memorable.