In last nights game the PCs finally got into a limited amount of combat. Their first combat after leveling up to 8th.

Welcome to the hell that is GMing a monk. Already the speediest character (50 feet!) he can now manipulate large areas of ice or water as an action up to 8 times (refreshed at short or long rest).

Last year at GenCon I created a Monk PC for one of my games, and I will never do that again. So many options that I could hardly read the character sheet after adobe kept reducing the font to get all the abilities on there. I purposely chose the tradition with the fewest options, but still had too much at just 6th level.

It is always interesting to me the ways that Wizards tries to balance the different classes. 5e is nothing like the math monster that was 4e was, but still it seems like each non-spellcasting class has some assortment of abilities that simulate spells. For example, the monk has the way of the elements that allows many spell-like abilities. Or, the fighter has am archetype that allows martial powers that simulate some skills (not to mention an archetype that outright adds spells).

Is this necessary?

I don’t know.

I’m old (you knew that right), and remember the introduction of the Monk, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Paladin, Bard, and Barbarian and all the permutations that they have gone through. Not to mention all the changes that every class has gone through – ability score requirements, race requirements, and others (remember when Bard’s had to multi-class in fighter and thief before becoming bards). Was this better? Impossible to say. Do I miss it? No.

I guess it’s just different. I’ll get used to it? Probably.

Still not going to make a Monk for my upcoming GenCon game. I will make one for my next PC – they’re awesome.

Spoilers!

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After defeating the Ice Hunters champion, the PCs were invited into the the clan’s “long House” to celebrate. Of course the clan tried to poison them, but good saving throws were made (keep the Paladin close). The clan shaman was impressed with what the PCs could do (namely not die) and took them into her confidence about why the clan was there (feed the dragon and his henchmen) and why they cannot leave (dragon will kill them). She told them about Maccath, and gave them a description of the first level of the tunnels.

The PCs rested, and then went down into the tunnels. After being told about the treasure room and the fact that they should not go there – they went directly there. Except of course for my one wayward player that has to go off on his own – he went the other way down a tunnel away from the party. He’s invisible, so no one knows were he is.

We ended the night with the party having just enclosed the goblin helpers (should have been kobolds, but we’ve seen enough of them), and entering the treasure room.

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