D&D 5.5e is, in general, an improvement on the original fifth edition. There’s a reason I gave it a 9/10 review. Weak points have been addressed, play is more consistent, and the game is more approachable than ever before. The few issues I have with the edition upgrade are nitpicks – but one bothers me more than most.
It’s monster stat blocks. More specifically, it’s stat blocks for magic users.
Back in the day (‘the day’ being 2014), monsters could have spell slots just like a player-character. This led to a lot of bookkeeping in high-level fights, but in exchange, we got an enormous upside: flexibility.
A Dungeon Master could cast their monster’s prepared spells in the order and frequency they pleased. They could even upcast them for a little more firepower. Yes, there was more admin, but the reward was a tremendous range of strategic options. Options that, when half of a monster’s stat block was filled with situational (or downright useless) spells, were particularly crucial.
Fast-forward to 2024, and stat blocks have been significantly streamlined. Monsters no longer have spell slots, instead accessing each spell a certain number of times a day.
Let’s compare, for example, the spellcasting ability of the 5e Archmage versus the 5.5e Archmage:
5e Archmage
The archmage can cast Disguise Self and Invisibility at will and has the following wizard spells prepared:
| Level | Slots | Spells |
| Cantrips | At Will | Fire Bolt, Light, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Shocking Grasp |
| 1 | 4 | Detect Magic, Identify, Mage Armor, Magic Missile |
| 2 | 3 | Detect Thoughts, Mirror Image, Misty Step |
| 3 | 3 | Counterspell, Fly, Lightning Bolt |
| 4 | 3 | Banishment, Fire Shield, Stoneskin |
| 5 | 3 | Cone of Cold, Scrying, Wall of Force |
| 6 | 1 | Globe of Invulnerability |
| 7 | 1 | Teleport |
| 8 | 1 | Mind Blank |
| 9 | 1 | Time Stop |
5.5e Archmage
The 5.5e archmage casts one of the following spells:
| Frequency | Spells |
| At Will | Detect Magic, Detect Thoughts, Disguise Self, Invisibility, Light, Mage Armor, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation |
| 2/Day Each | Fly, Lightning Bolt (level 7) |
| 1/Day Each | Cone of Cold (level 9), Mind Blank, Scrying, Teleport |
The first thing you’ll notice is the number of spells we’ve lost. Some of these (like Misty Step and Counterspell) have been absorbed into other parts of the stat block. Still, many excellent spells have been removed: Magic Missile, Mirror Image, Banishment, Wall of Force, Globe of Invulnerability – the list goes on.
I’m less concerned with whether this nerfs the power of the Archmage specifically. My main issue is the lack of flexibility in the new stat block. And, as I said, the ‘per day’ approach to spellcasting only heightens the problem.
In 5e, our Archmage could (if they really wanted to) cast Lightning Bolt 13 times in a row. I can’t imagine why they’d do that (perhaps the heroes never learned to spread out on the battlefield) but the option was there.
Now, we’re limited to two uses, and it can only be used at seventh level. We’ve also got two uses of Fly, but we might never need both of them in a single combat. Ditto something like Scrying, which would be used outside of combat, but when a battle is on the horizon, the 5e Archmage would choose to use its spell slot for something else. It’s a limitation that, depending on the scenario, can create wasted space.
Perhaps my gripe is specific to my experience level. The new stat blocks are objectively more approachable for a new Dungeon Master, who might be overwhelmed by the wealth of (admittedly not clearly explained) strategic options.
But, as someone who has been D&D-ing for around a decade, I want more options in combat, not less. I enjoy adjusting my turn-by-turn battle plans based on what the players do, not spamming a specific spell because it’s the only one I have left.
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Source: Wargamer
