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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jester David" data-source="post: 6255931" data-attributes="member: 37579">PC/NPC symmetry was problematic in 3e, but there was so much of it. Feats, stats, hit dice, saves, advancement. A lot of it was needless. But just because an edition went overboard doesn't mean a dash of symmetry is bad. A middle ground between the OMFG symmetry of 3e and the are-the-DM-and-Players-in-the-same-game?? detachment of 4e. Unique NPC powers are great if there is a narrative reason. Yeah, the powerful reclusive necromancer can have a unique energy draining spell. The human NPC fighter who is a knight in the Elite Order of Butt Kickers can have a special move taught only to the EOoBK and requires a decade to master. But a town guard having a special move that's on par or better than what the fighter can do? Pass. It's not that bad.When I need a really quick spell ruling I have my iPad or the books I paid good money for to reference. I felt like my PHB was a waste of $40 in 4e. Doubly so when I got the Rules Compendium. Or I can ask my players, because it's content they know.I also tend to "cheat" and use a website that generates spell cards for my monsters, saving them as a PDF that I reference on my tablet. There's other reasons. Compare the Dark Priest from the 5e Bestiary in the current package to ones from earlier packages. Spells in the current package take two lines. It and the Dark Adept could fit on a single column. In the Dec 2012 package spells take 17 lines. In a theoretical two-page "Cultist" section of the Monster Manual it's the difference between three monsters (plus fluff and art) and four monsters (plus fluff and art). Or extra customization options. And that's just one of the many spell using creatures. Listing spells means much more space. Listing powers means spells get cut in high level monsters to 2-3 key spells and there's less space for other content. Frankly... I'd rather have more monsters.</blockquote>

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