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

[SkidAce]

But maybe they’re counting on the horses of new players not caring / knowing enough to complain if NPC spellcasters don’t work the same way.

I feel that the horse opinion should carry more weight than just the rider's.



sorry, just being funny, couldn't resist.

 

[SkidAce]

There are two answers:

If the player, out of game, asked, I would answer: because NPCs are different than PCs.

If the character, in the fiction, asked, I would let them try and figure out how to replicate that magic with a combination of research, quests and other in-game stuff.

Why the difference? Because asking in-game is the player engaging the game and I just like rewarding that sort of thing.

Thank you. And I agree with the answers.

 

[pukunui]

If the character, in the fiction, asked, I would let them try and figure out how to replicate that magic with a combination of research, quests and other in-game stuff.

So you would be fine with your PCs having Arcane Burst as a custom spell? Bear in mind that it deals force damage and can be used as either a ranged or melee attack. It is far more versatile than any other cantrip.

If we’re talking game fiction here, this is something that every apprentice wizard can cast!

I feel that the horse opinion should carry more weight than just the rider's.



sorry, just being funny, couldn't resist.

Autocorrect for the win! LOL.

you do not know all possible Evoker spells either, that is how. You could even say it is not one your school knows of but that other one does, and that is where the NPC is from

That is why I phrased my initial query the way I did. I’ll reiterate.

Let’s say you are running a game in which there is an evoker PC with a backstory that they attended the prestigious Evoker Academy.

Let’s say you decide to have an adventure where the party interacts with other graduates and/or current students from the Evoker Academy.

If you decide to use the official apprentice wizard and Evoker wizard stat blocks as written to represent those NPCs, you now have made it so the PC wizard is the only one who attended Evoker Academy but didn’t learn how to do an Arcane Burst.

Are you OK with that? I’m not.

 

[Maxperson]

you do not know all possible Evoker spells either, that is how. You could even say it is not one your school knows of but that other one does, and that is where the NPC is from

And that school is the enemy of yours, which is why every Evoker you come across and tries to kill you is from that school and knows that spell.

 

[Reynard]

So you would be fine with your PCs having Arcane Burst as a custom spell? Bear in mind that it deals force damage and can be used as either a ranged or melee attack. It is far more versatile than any other cantrip.

I would not have a problem with the PC developing a Arcane Burst-like spell. I would be under no obligation nor feel compelled to let a PC have the ability/cantrip exactly as written for the NPC.

 

[mamba]

And that school is the enemy of yours, which is why every Evoker you come across and tries to kill you is from that school and knows that spell.

I will have more than one stat block if that were the scenario

 

[Maxperson]

I will have more than one stat block if that were the scenario

So even less convenience for the DM with regard to stat blocks! We're moving this thread in the right direction.

 

[sevenbastard]

I build my spells in the Stat block when I build a caster. Like this.

 

[Reynard]

I build my spells in the Stat block when I build a caster. Like this.

I approve.

 

[pukunui]

I would not have a problem with the PC developing an Arcane Burst-like spell. I would be under no obligation nor feel compelled to let a PC have the ability/cantrip exactly as written for the NPC.

Fair enough. So how would you respond to a player who asked why all the other wizards only ever seem to use Arcane Burst and not any of the other cantrips? And why is Arcane Burst not something they can pick as an option from the book but is rather something they have to figure out how to reproduce in-game?

It feels kind of like if you saw everyone walking around with an iPhone, and you want one but you can’t just buy one like everyone else did, you have to make one yourself from scratch.