Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 6654966" data-attributes="member: 82106">I don't know that I agree with this. D&D has always stated flat out that PCs are special. In AD&D 1e, and again in 3e, there were rules which suggested that there were 'PC-like NPCs', but it was never established that they had to be identical to PCs in every way. In fact there were at various times in all of these games monster-like stat blocks published for various NPCs that were described as being 'wizards' or 'evil high priests' or whatnot. Beyond that there's NO REQUIREMENT or logic for the idea that 2 mechanical representations cannot be used for the same narrative concept at different times when appropriate. Even if in my 4e game I decided that the PC Wizard of the Spiral Tower is just one of many and that the others have quite comparable abilities, that doesn't make a monster stat block inappropriate for those NPCs. I don't need to know or care what these NPCs can cast for rituals, or give them a full suite of powers they won't want to use, and that are probably only trivially different from each other. The monster stat block provides all the rules necessary to running this NPC. I could care less if he used the Implement Proficiency feat or the Swordmage MC feat in order to be able to wield his sword as an implement, or if he's got the WotST PP, or something else. It is just unimportant noise. The guy is a combat foe, he's going to die hard in about 30 minutes, tops. He'll be lucky to cast 2 spells before that happens.Now, if I have this guy as an important recurring NPC then maybe I want to make up a list of the rituals he knows, a bunch of items he's made, his henchmen, or whatever so that I can decide what sorts of things he does in response to the PCs actions on a wider stage. Why do I need to use the PC rules for this? They won't tell me anything much anyway. Any character could have found/bought any arbitrary number of rituals or items. Its largely irrelevant if he does or doesn't know certain specific powers either. If I decide he might change up his power selection, then I just change it! The whole notion of 'objective reality has to be codified by only one specific mechanic' is daft. No game designer should be or really is restricted to that. All games abstract certain things, I don't know any reason to focus on certain types of abstractions and not others.</blockquote>

Verification