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<blockquote data-quote="Gadget" data-source="post: 7306110" data-attributes="member: 23716">[MENTION=6899046]Dan Chernozub[/MENTION]I think right now, the implications are that the DM is free to (or burdened with, depending on your pov) winging it a lot more.&nbsp; For neutral/friendly NPCs (and even antagonists), it means you can tailor their abilities/powers to the needs of the story/plot/theme without having to worry overly much about 'breaking' the PHB spellcasting rules for a given character class.&nbsp; This means that the Town/village cleric or Druid can assist the PCs by casting raise dead as ritual without being a powerful enough spell caster to throw down 5th level spells left and right, with the PC's wondering why she doesn't just handle the vampire threat herself.&nbsp; Perhaps her version can only be performed at great need, in response to a heroic sacrifice or some such.&nbsp; Maybe the PC was only 'Mostly dead' <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)"&nbsp; data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />&nbsp; It means that the goblin shaman can cast a bestow curse like effect (maybe multiple times) without throwing down with fireball.&nbsp; It is more than just spell selection: the ability can become available again after a &quot;recharge&quot; roll (more shades of 4e).&nbsp; It may be based on a PC spell effect but freed of some of the limitations and more narrow in scope in other areas.&nbsp; Dragons are another classic example.&nbsp; In some past additions, they practically became wizards in scaled cloaks to make them at all challenging.&nbsp; I've seen the trend in 5e to 'give them about 3-5 levels of Dragon Sorcerer' or something, to help make them live up to their CR.&nbsp; While that works, the Sorcerer class is designed for humanoid PCs (even the Dragon Sorcerer).&nbsp; I kind of like giving them abilities that are similar but more thematic to their Archetype and status.&nbsp; Maybe a hypnotic gaze that implants a suggestion in the victim, an aura of heat/cold/poison.&nbsp; Maybe &quot;scintillating scales&quot; that give them a Mage Armor like ability.&nbsp;&nbsp; That said, it takes a fair bit of experience and practice to eyeball these things, and I won't pretend I'm an expert at it, so YMMV.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Gadget, post: 7306110, member: 23716"] [MENTION=6899046]Dan Chernozub[/MENTION] I think right now, the implications are that the DM is free to (or burdened with, depending on your pov) winging it a lot more. For neutral/friendly NPCs (and even antagonists), it means you can tailor their abilities/powers to the needs of the story/plot/theme without having to worry overly much about 'breaking' the PHB spellcasting rules for a given character class. This means that the Town/village cleric or Druid can assist the PCs by casting raise dead as ritual without being a powerful enough spell caster to throw down 5th level spells left and right, with the PC's wondering why she doesn't just handle the vampire threat herself. Perhaps her version can only be performed at great need, in response to a heroic sacrifice or some such. Maybe the PC was only 'Mostly dead' ;) It means that the goblin shaman can cast a bestow curse like effect (maybe multiple times) without throwing down with fireball. It is more than just spell selection: the ability can become available again after a "recharge" roll (more shades of 4e). It may be based on a PC spell effect but freed of some of the limitations and more narrow in scope in other areas. Dragons are another classic example. In some past additions, they practically became wizards in scaled cloaks to make them at all challenging. I've seen the trend in 5e to 'give them about 3-5 levels of Dragon Sorcerer' or something, to help make them live up to their CR. While that works, the Sorcerer class is designed for humanoid PCs (even the Dragon Sorcerer). I kind of like giving them abilities that are similar but more thematic to their Archetype and status. Maybe a hypnotic gaze that implants a suggestion in the victim, an aura of heat/cold/poison. Maybe "scintillating scales" that give them a Mage Armor like ability. That said, it takes a fair bit of experience and practice to eyeball these things, and I won't pretend I'm an expert at it, so YMMV. [/QUOTE]

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