Inspired by a discussion we were having across several different threads and that started "spilling" a bit everywhere, I decided that this topic in particular should probably get its own thread.
The title should be pretty much self-explanatory, really, but just to elaborate a bit, here's a bunch of previous posts (not just mine) that already touched on the point.
What puzzles me about the phase spiders is that there ARE spiders who are canonically supposed to have ranged attacks in D&D, so it's not really clear why Larian felt the urge to use one that it's notorious for being a "melee only" beast and gift to it an arbitrary ranged aoe venom spit.
This complete disregard for implementing the "appropriate canonical movesets" for their bestiary is part of what often makes me feel that Larian goes through the handling the D&D license as a painful constriction rather than a pleasure or privilege.
And, it isn't like they don't have enemies doing things like Ethereal Jaunt with Invisibility Potions and jazz, so implementing it correctly wouldn't be hard. I don't get it. If you think the battle is too easy, throw a few more spiders in the battle, don't mess with a monster's stats. I mean, messing with the stats makes a monster no longer the monster. Like you said, the phase spider then becomes like a whole different type of spider.
I hate how Phase Spiders are now elusive spitters. I hate the sea of exploding poison in those caves even more.
Ethereal predators who would surprise you at melee range would be much more tactically interesting, distinctive and scary. But do we have ranged enemies and AoE surface spam oh boy. Protection fighting style would have a great use against proper Phase Spiders. You'd have to place your mages next to your Fighters in a tight formation which in turn would open the party up for AoE's.
It's like Larian has a one track mind for tactical combat where it's just about high ground and teleport/mobility on wide open battlefields. And surfaces. And if D&D has a monster that would provide more tactical depth, they assimilate it into a teleporting and/or surface spamming creature.
Ok. This is driving me crazy. Use true D&D stats and stop nerfing enemies. I mean, BG3 is balanced fairly well right now but only because monsters aren't really genuine. A Mud Mephit should have more health and it gets only a 25% chance of multiplying and it should be hidden as mud to begin with. A Phase Spider should use Ethereal Jaunt to phase out of and into the material plane as a Bonus action, not teleport and spit but melee range. Intellect devourers should use Intellect Devour, one of their main attacks, and they and imps shoyld be resistant to different attacks.
Larian is taking some aspects of these monsters but not all. Why? Instead, why not allow bigger party size, less enemies and maybe even enemies that fit the encounter more. Im trying to play out these scenarios via Tabletop, and they are BRUTAL. 2 Mud Mephits and 2 Wood Woads is too much even for 4 Level 4 characters.
One thing of the game that is occasionally starting to grind on my nerves is how Larian is almost regularly disregarding the canonical stats/abilities for most of the monsters they are using.
Some get buffed with powers they shouldn't have, some get nerfed significantly, lose special powers, don't show any sign of their typical resistances or immunities, etc.
This is happening over and over across the entire portion of the game available so far.
Phase spiders that are gifted aranged AOE venom spit when they should just attack in melee (which is two times as bizarre, given that D&D DOES offer spiders that canonically have ranged attacks), Minotaurs that don't "charge" in a straight line but do the whole hulk jumping and ground stomping instead, mud mephits and wood woads as pointed by GM4Him have been gimped to the point of being husks of what they were supposed to be, etc.
Is there any reason for it? Does the core design of the game benefits in any way of this complete disinterest in sticking with the source material? I honestly don't get it.
It feels almost like people at Larian, after going through the negotiations to get the official D&D license, one morning woke up decided that they felt only contempt and disdain for it.
"Who cares about this worthless trash, we'll do our own bestiary, with blackjack and hookers" or something of that sort.
