D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[Minigiant]

I doubt it matters what species the Bandits are

10 Dragonborn bandits have 10 breath weapons. Whereas 10 Elves bandits are possibly equiped with Cantrips

 

[Yaarel]

10 Dragonborn bandits have 10 breath weapons. Whereas 10 Elves bandits are possibly equiped with Cantrips

I agree but (if it matters to a particular encounter), the DM can easily add these.

Monsters dont use the same stats as players. So, the argument is somewhat moot, but perhaps the dragonborn Bandits already expended their breathwrapons earlier in the day among eachother before the players encounter them.

 

[Corinnguard]

I agree but (if it matters to a particular encounter), the DM can easily add these.

Not only that, but they could also set it up where either group of bandits snipes the party from a distance while taking three-quarters to total cover. The party would then find themselves wondering who was attacking. Are the energy attacks being thrown at them spells or some natural ability possessed by their attackers? When they ask the DM, they are told to roll for Perception, Investigation or Arcana checks in order to identify their mysterious assailants.

While you could have either bandit group, the DM gets to make the decision on how to present them to the party.

 

[Minigiant]

I agree but (if it matters to a particular encounter), the DM can easily add these.

Monsters dont use the same stats as players. So, the argument is somewhat moot, but perhaps the dragonborn Bandits already expended their breathwrapons earlier in the day among eachother before the players encounter them.

The point is that if the bad guy hires a mercenary company a Dragonborn it would give you different sorts of encounters then if the bad guy hired elves off they hired a mix of humans, goliaths, and halflings, or a collaboration of all 10 species.

If a portal opened up and a bunch of dragon words came and started attacking someplace on the planet the people would have to adapt their tactics to that different species. Or if they were a bunch of warlocks then you have to deal with the fact that you have a bunch of people slinging eldritch blast and some of them having pact weapons.

A bunch of people immune or resistant to fire or poison would require special tactics.

 

[Marc17]

I agree but (if it matters to a particular encounter), the DM can easily add these.

Monsters dont use the same stats as players. So, the argument is somewhat moot, but perhaps the dragonborn Bandits already expended their breathwrapons earlier in the day among each other before the players encounter them.

Well, they don't ...until they do. There's no rules for monsters. Everybody is just a 0-level NPC that the DM can bolt on whatever abilities they want onto, including player levels, or things that the players could never hope to equal. Still, things the DM can easily do is not always what the DM wants to do. I'd say DMs generally want guidelines and help as that makes things easier on them, and more balanced for the players. Currently we're back at 1E AD&D standards. People are 0-level unless they have special abilities that the DM wants them to have. Easiest thing to do is give them class levels. This will lead to things like templates, NPC classes*, building monsters and NPCs as characters all over again most likely. just as it did last time.

*First time I ever encountered a Commoner class was in 1986 in 1E AD&D as the DM had made his own NPC classes. This went with his own skill system as the vague proficiency system really didn't do well much of the time. This Commoner class worked really well with that so the party Thief ended up going into it for better skills.