Let me interrupt your feed of important stuffs with a random #dnd thought: the 5e designers were wrong to specify "lair actions" as being "[harnessing] the ambient magic in its lair", which thus restricts them to magical creatures. I understand the design choice, but disagree.

One of the things that D&D does is shaft wild animals-especially beasts. They tend to have low AC, extra hp to compensate, and either a couple melee attacks or 1 attack with a save or prone. In theory, using in groups means prone could be deadly, but the DC is too low.

Even by level 3 characters have enough damage to take them down in 1-2 hits, have range, and will rarely fail the DC 11-13 save. Add a caster with even 2nd level spells, and a pack of wolves is no biggie. Yeah, they're heroic etc but at that level, it should still be a big deal.

Those levels are the place where traveling is risky, wilderness is dangerous, and where even wild creatures without magic are scary at heck- especially because you're encountering them on their home terrain and they have a massive advantage. Except that's not true mechanically.

Take a CR1/4 wolf: Stealth bonus, 40ft speed, pack tactics, plus a bite that knocks prone LOOKS like a pack (say 8) SHOULD be a hard encounter for 4 level 3 characters. But perception is a stacked stat: someone will see at least 2 wolves approach and take them out at range first.

The 6 left will close the gap and try to use their pack tactics. They'll get a couple of hits in, but most PCs will make their save (Str DC11) but even on failure- it's just prone. They already have advantage and the PCs can't outrun their higher speed (plus, PCs rarely run...).

A few PCs might have taken a bunch of damage, but they'd be the frontline melee with rage, heavy armor, or even a stealthy rogue. Even at advantage, wolves will miss some hits and prone does nothing. The other PCs are farther back, so they'll be hitting them safely from range.

PCs turn: will take out at least another 2 of the wolves- possibly more if they have an AoE spellcaster (since the wolves will have to be clustered anyways). What looked for a moment like an outnumbered nail-biter fight has dwindled quickly to a pretty "meh" one.

What if the wolves had lair actions? What if, because the wolves know their own terrain well, they can use a lair action to try hide? Or if the Alpha commands a wolf to break and run for the PCs at the back? Sure, these things are possible without lair actions, but much harder.

The thing that 5e does well is reward spellcasters. But on the opposite side, it punishes those without magic- especially enemies. Those enemies turn into a easy-to-hit bag of hit-points who do damage (and/or with low save DCs ineptly try-and-fail to have battlefield control).

As I've been delving into 4e books lately, I keep wondering if they were trying so hard to distance themselves from 4e's criticisms, that they threw the baby out with the bathwater in some occasions. 4e was GOOD for fight classes, and lots of that ended up on the cutting floor.

ANYWAYS, this has been Silly Songs- I MEAN thoughts- with Larry- I MEAN Alyssa. Turn in WHO KNOWS WHEN for more Silly Thoughts.