Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Ahen-Shugar Sep 02, 2014 21:19:33	Am I having a difficult time figuring out how characters advance, or do the NPC's in Hoard of the Dragon Queen not conform to any real character class (they don't, after all, have a class and level described, but they do have HD, which are normally equivalent)?   For example, how does Frulam Mondath have two attacks with a halberd if she is a 5th level spell caster with 3 levels of anything?  Or how do the Dragonclaws have two attacks with a single weapon when they are effectively 3rd level?   Sure I could just say, "Well they are a prestige class of Dragon Queen Cult not available to PC's," but that sounds kinda lame.
#2 Ghaliyah Sep 03, 2014 0:16:08	NPCs are monsters in 5e, and monsters don't have class levels. Put another way, the PCs are the only people in the universe following their class designs - everyone else is operating on their own rules. So Mondath has two halberd attacks for the same reason a bear has multiattack - they just do because it makes for a good fight.
#3 Kentus Sep 03, 2014 0:39:53	First, CR is a measurement of challenge to the player party, not any levels in anything (CR = party-level means, that 4-5 PCs are moderatly challenged by that monster).   Second, since CR is unequal level and 4-5 players are moderatly challenenged, it means that the monster would have a higher level in comparison.   Third, monsters and PCs aren't made by the same rules, since it should be easier to make monsters than PCs (one of the reasons I disliked the 3e as a DM).   Fourth, because of third, monsters have more room for design and thus enhance the possibilities of creating an antagonist, which has stats based on their fluff instead vice versa.   Fifth, shouldn't hinder your PCs too much in slaughtering them. ;)
#4 gregsc Sep 03, 2014 10:07:53	The starter set adventure also has low level hoodlums with two attacks. Looks like multiple attacks will be fairly common
#5 Ahen-Shugar Sep 03, 2014 22:01:52	Thanks!  I was mainly concerned because I was worried I was missing something about character advancement.     I guess it does stop metagaming on the PCs part.