D&D (2024) Wizards have a problem with Spellcasting stat blocks

[Reynard]

The kinds of magic that are needed for use in combat encounters are almost universally provided with no more text than your average trait, action or reaction. And you don't even need to conform to existing spells. In fact, shouldn't. NPC caster should scare the crap out of PCs because they don't understand the magic coming at their face.

 

[MGibster]

You think maybe this is a deliberate action on WotC's part to make sure we buy the PHB?

 

[Reynard]

You think maybe this is a deliberate action on WotC's part to make sure we buy the PHB?

They know the DM is going to buy the PHB anyway. It is more likely a slight nudge toward Beyond, which makes this problem moot with links in the statblocks.

 

[Joshua Randall]

They know the DM is going to buy the PHB anyway. It is more likely a slight nudge toward Beyond, which makes this problem moot with links in the statblocks.

Which is still a lousy user experience ESPECIALLY on digital. I don’t want to click a link. I want all the info I need to run the monster right in front of me.

 

[pukunui]

The kinds of magic that are needed for use in combat encounters are almost universally provided with no more text than your average trait, action or reaction. And you don't even need to conform to existing spells. In fact, shouldn't. NPC caster should scare the crap out of PCs because they don't understand the magic coming at their face.

I don't agree. If the NPC is basically a PC not being played by a player, then they should conform to the same rules as the PCs. Let's say you're playing an evoker wizard, and your PC meets some classmates from the Evokers Academy. I would expect those NPC evoker wizards to work the same way as your PC. Sure, one or two of them might have learned something that your PC didn't learn, but they should still operate using the same underlying structure (leveled spells and spell slots).

Instead, going by the way WotC has done it, your PC is the only evoker wizard from the Evokers Academy who didn't learn the Arcane Burst cantrip. Even the piddly NPC apprentice wizards just starting out at Evokers Academy know that one!

Which is still a lousy user experience ESPECIALLY on digital. I don’t want to click a link. I want all the info I need to run the monster right in front of me.

Technically you don't have to click on the link because DDB has pop-up tooltips when you hover over links but I get what you're saying. It would be nice if you didn't even have to do that!

 

[cbwjm]

I do agree that if they've gone to the trouble of writing that text for healing word, they could have saved some trouble and written in the amount healed instead.

 

[Smackpixi]

I thought they were going to move away from giving monsters spells and instead give them spell-like powers, guess not.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

You know, you really could have stopped two words early and the topic would have been just as accurate.

Spellcasting is a mess.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Which is still a lousy user experience ESPECIALLY on digital. I don’t want to click a link. I want all the info I need to run the monster right in front of me.

You don't have to click a link - you can hover over the link, and the spell info will pop up while hovering, so you don't have to leave the main monster page, and said pop up will disappear after you mouse away from the link.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

this is literally the worst of both worlds.

you waste a bunch of space for actions that have already been mentioned under another trait but then you don't even DEFINE them IN THE STAT BLOCK, SO YOU STILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE STATBLOCK TO FIND OUT WHAT IT DOES.

who thought this was a good idea???