I won't quote you. We're getting too long as it is, JanK, but I did want to say that I do agree with a lot of what you said. Yes. I totally agree. Encounters can be very rewarding even if the monsters are not. I'm not arguing that. The three imp first fight is a fun fight. I'm not saying it isn't a fun fight. And, if they did call them lesser imps, since maybe Patch 7 or something changed it, okay. Fine. That's cool. I'm glad. That's exactly what I'm saying. Call them something different so long-term fans know, "Oh. That's not a standard imp. It's a lesser imp without sting and such. Okay. Never faced one in Descent into Avernus, for some reason, but okay." Shoot! Maybe they're a new breed. Who knows?
Like I said, several things about the stats bug me. The first is the naming of them. You call it an intellect devourer but it's really just a brain cat that uses claws, and it has no resistance or special abilities. So, it's not really an intellect devourer except by appearance. Likewise, phase spiders don't act at all like phase spiders. So, like I said, call them something else and I'm good. The fights are challenging, and like you said, strategic. I am not saying they aren't.
But MAN! When I first went into the Whispering Depths, what a shock that was. I'm trying to surround Gale to protect him and they just spit and we all died. Reload. Spread out instead? Against Phase spiders? What I'm saying is, don't even give them a name... call them "???" or something, and I'd be happy. This is a new breed of crazy teleporting spitting spider. Holy Arachnids, Batman!"
The other issue I have is that they are already established monsters WITH already established unique special traits. And for some reason, people are trying to say, "Larian has made them more unique and such. Why are you getting all on their case about not obeying D&D rules?" It's as if they think that the homebrewed versions are somehow better and super unique and creative. My point is they took unique monsters with unique abilities and made them trash mobs (like the imps and intellect devourers), and people seem to think they're somehow better than kobolds and goblins and Larian is being creative in their monster creation.
That's not creative. Creative is taking an intellect devourer and replacing Body Thief with something like - oh, I don't know. Whipping this out of thin air - Puppet Master. This new breed of intellect devourer can devour your intellect and control your body from afar while being totally invisible. Now, it's not even in the body as it controls it like a total puppet. It's sneaking around behind you while invisible to attack you from behind while its puppet is attacking you from the front. That is something new and unique. Stripping an imp of stings and invisibility and everything else and turning into a little winged monster little better than a kobold or goblin with wings is not. It's the opposite. And again, what's the point of doing something like that when there are plenty of other monsters that could fit the scenario and stats better without totally altering an already created monster? Make lemures with wings. Make devil cats. Replace the intellect devourers with strange, cross-breeds between intellect devourers and pigs... I don't know. But don't take an already solid monster and strip it and call it new. That's dumb.
And as for switching out characters who are fresh versus ones who have used up their short rests, how is that meta? That's a mechanic that perfectly simulates a character being tired versus one who's been doing absolutely nothing all day and is totally fresh for the fight.
Wyll and Lae'zel are in the party with my Druid MC and Astarion. We do 3 fights. Wyll held back and Lae'zel used Second Wind a lot. Astarion got up close and took a lot of hits. He's used up all of his 4 SRs. Meanwhile, Lae'zel is only kinda tired, having used 2, and Wyll is still rearing to go. He hasn't used any. My MC has used 1, so still pretty ready to keep going. I trade out Astarion for Gale. Gale is fresh and ready to go. Astarion is beat. He's only got 3 HP and he has no more SRs to use. Send him to camp. Good journey, Astarion. You fought well today. Time for someone else to take up the torch.
3 fights later. Gale's spent all spell slots and SRs. He's done. Wyll's still only used 2. Lae'zel's used no additional SRs. MC used 1 more. Switch out Gale. Bring in Shadowheart. She's fresh and ready to go. Adventure continues. How is that meta?
And finally, why can't I do this kind of thing now? Because I only get 2 short rests. That's it for the WHOLE party. So, after 3 fights, I use 2 short rests. That's it. I might switch a couple people out and do a few more fights, but I've got no more short rests to use to keep going after that. It's over. 2 is all I get. If Lae'zel was fine, and Wyll was fine, but the 2 others were not, oh well. I used a Short Rest to restore some HP for the other 2. And again, once those 2 are gone, Lae'zel no longer gets Second Wind, Wyll no longer gets spell slots restored, my druid no longer gets wild shape restored. That's it. I'm done. Long rest is really my only solution.
