I preordered the Vecna book and claimed my free “prequel” (meant for level 3 characters). Then I saw an article that states that the adventure begins at level 10. If this is true, I am a bit disappointed, as I had thought it would take characters from the lowest to the highest levels.
Here is my two part question: Why create a low level prequel for a high level adventure, leaving potentially months of unwritten game time in between? And how do you DM’s who plan to run this adventure plan to deal with the inconsistency of it?
I am considering using the map in the free adventure for something else and just starting the main adventure at the appropriate level.
It can be as easy as a time-skip or flash-back episode. The characters were always level 10, but, just for this adventure, you are looking back into their past when they were level 3. Or, if you don't want to use that narrative mechanic, treat it as the opener or prolog of a movie or book, where the 3rd level adventure sets up the 10th level one and when you are done, time-skip to the level 10 content.
Oooor....don't and just run the 3rd level game as the start of a long campaign, adding in other adventures along the way, and then finish with the 10th level adventure when your party reaches that stage.
Personally, I'm kind of curious who thought of having the adventure hinge on a Wish cast by characters who don't have Wish in their stat blocks.
Arguably, they are all Wizards and the stat block might just represent what they tend to have on hand spell-wise on an average day. If they needed to cast Wish, it would probably be trivial for any one of them to dig up Wish from their spellbooks somewhere.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
You're encountering them just as they have cast it, which would require them to have it prepared I would think... and what's the point of a stat block if it doesn't represent the character as actually encountered?
Of course, in that case, you're encountering them after they've expended their ninth level spell slots (not that current spellcaster NPC blocks even have spell slots), so barring a boon or something granting another, Alustriel probably shouldn't have Time Stop available.
But in any case, there's no indication in the stat blocks that they can ever switch out any of their spells for others or have spell books or anything. These are all the spells they are capable of.
You're encountering them just as they have cast it, which would require them to have it prepared I would think... and what's the point of a stat block if it doesn't represent the character as actually encountered?
Of course, in that case, you're encountering them after they've expended their ninth level spell slots (not that current spellcaster NPC blocks even have spell slots), so barring a boon or something granting another, Alustriel probably shouldn't have Time Stop available.
But in any case, there's no indication in the stat blocks that they can ever switch out any of their spells for others or have spell books or anything. These are all the spells they are capable of.
When WotC decided to simplify spellcaster star blocks, they didn't think it through and now you have this situation. RAW, they have no way to switch spells. RAI, they clearly should be able to, and their stat blocks should reflect that. I mean, it does give Alustriel and Tasha the Wizard Subtype, which seems to be a relatively new Subtype that started popping up since Monsters of the Multiverse (with no real elaboration on what the tag means). Maybe the new rulebook will call out creatures with the Wizard subtype can change their spells, and NOT just have it for attunement purposes.... but I doubt they will think that far ahead and you'll see a lot of broken situations like this.
(The Monster Manual does say under the rules for Spellcasting "You can change the spells that a monster knows or has prepared, replacing any spell on a monster’s spell list with a different spell of the same level and from the same class list. If you do so, you might cause the monster to be a greater or lesser threat than suggested by its challenge rating." -- but those rules are ambiguousas they also mention stuff the new stat blocks don't have, like spell slots...)
-If you have the misfortune of coming across a dwarf named Morag, a half-elf that goes by Nichalaus, or their human travelling companions Sukiem-Tor, Ak'huma, Dat'Vi Bek and Doc Ryder, immediately start walking back from whence you came. You'll thank me later.
Greetings:
I preordered the Vecna book and claimed my free “prequel” (meant for level 3 characters). Then I saw an article that states that the adventure begins at level 10. If this is true, I am a bit disappointed, as I had thought it would take characters from the lowest to the highest levels.
Here is my two part question: Why create a low level prequel for a high level adventure, leaving potentially months of unwritten game time in between? And how do you DM’s who plan to run this adventure plan to deal with the inconsistency of it?
I am considering using the map in the free adventure for something else and just starting the main adventure at the appropriate level.
Thanks in advance for your insights and thoughts.
It can be as easy as a time-skip or flash-back episode. The characters were always level 10, but, just for this adventure, you are looking back into their past when they were level 3. Or, if you don't want to use that narrative mechanic, treat it as the opener or prolog of a movie or book, where the 3rd level adventure sets up the 10th level one and when you are done, time-skip to the level 10 content.
Oooor....don't and just run the 3rd level game as the start of a long campaign, adding in other adventures along the way, and then finish with the 10th level adventure when your party reaches that stage.
Personally, I'm kind of curious who thought of having the adventure hinge on a Wish cast by characters who don't have Wish in their stat blocks.
Arguably, they are all Wizards and the stat block might just represent what they tend to have on hand spell-wise on an average day. If they needed to cast Wish, it would probably be trivial for any one of them to dig up Wish from their spellbooks somewhere.
You're encountering them just as they have cast it, which would require them to have it prepared I would think... and what's the point of a stat block if it doesn't represent the character as actually encountered?
Of course, in that case, you're encountering them after they've expended their ninth level spell slots (not that current spellcaster NPC blocks even have spell slots), so barring a boon or something granting another, Alustriel probably shouldn't have Time Stop available.
But in any case, there's no indication in the stat blocks that they can ever switch out any of their spells for others or have spell books or anything. These are all the spells they are capable of.
Considering the wizards involved, they might even have a scroll or three of wish lying around for emergencies.
When WotC decided to simplify spellcaster star blocks, they didn't think it through and now you have this situation. RAW, they have no way to switch spells. RAI, they clearly should be able to, and their stat blocks should reflect that. I mean, it does give Alustriel and Tasha the Wizard Subtype, which seems to be a relatively new Subtype that started popping up since Monsters of the Multiverse (with no real elaboration on what the tag means). Maybe the new rulebook will call out creatures with the Wizard subtype can change their spells, and NOT just have it for attunement purposes.... but I doubt they will think that far ahead and you'll see a lot of broken situations like this.
(The Monster Manual does say under the rules for Spellcasting "You can change the spells that a monster knows or has prepared, replacing any spell on a monster’s spell list with a different spell of the same level and from the same class list. If you do so, you might cause the monster to be a greater or lesser threat than suggested by its challenge rating." -- but those rules are ambiguousas they also mention stuff the new stat blocks don't have, like spell slots...)
-If you have the misfortune of coming across a dwarf named Morag, a half-elf that goes by Nichalaus, or their human travelling companions Sukiem-Tor, Ak'huma, Dat'Vi Bek and Doc Ryder, immediately start walking back from whence you came. You'll thank me later.
Is it me or do the really high level npcs and monsters seem really weak. Our current 7th level characters hit harder.