Style guide

Creating game materials? Monsters, spells, classes, adventures? This is the place!
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chiisu81
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Re: Style guide

Post by chiisu81 »

Cumbana820 wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:38 am Would love to see more measurements of distance on the maps. For example: One hex=x miles or 1 square equals x feet.

It's not critical, but certainly helps.
This is from the AA3 thread, but it's been brought up many times over the years. Should this be something we standardize, put in the Style Guide, and ask/require for all maps?
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Solomoriah
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Re: Style guide

Post by Solomoriah »

We shouldn't have to require it, as it should be obvious that it's needed, but yeah, feel free.
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AlMan
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Re: Style guide

Post by AlMan »

I thought we were going to add a section about weapon names Greatsword, Longsword and Shortsword and Great Axe, Battle Axe, and Hand Axe. I don't see it in the Style Guide, yet.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Style guide

Post by Solomoriah »

I don't remember the discussion. I suppose I could scroll up/page back...

I'm against names of mundane weapons being treated specially. Magic weapons should be treated like other magic items.
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chiisu81
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Re: Style guide

Post by chiisu81 »

About general weapon names being capitalized, and/or whether they're one word, two words, or with dashes?
I can barely recall the discussion, don't remember where it was. Point me to it and I'll updated the style guide for both that and for the map scale/range.
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AlMan
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Re: Style guide

Post by AlMan »

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3883&p=71650&hilit ... ord#p71650

Here is the link to the discussion we had.
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chiisu81
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Re: Style guide

Post by chiisu81 »

r12 uploaded to first post, adding a note/section about equipment and weapon names.
I didn't include about map ranges/scales. That should be added to the adventure template at some point, rather than here.
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leon
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Re: Style guide

Post by leon »

Coming out of some excellent and highly-detailed proofreading from Al, I have a question about monster stat-lines. The question is about how much detail should be included in the state line versus in a separate paragraph. Here's what I read in r12 of the style guide.
  • Overall structure is a stat-line followed by HP checkboxes
  • Ability scores go on a line between stat-line and HP checkboxes
  • Spells and spell-like abilities go on a line between the stat-line and the HP checkboxes and after the ability scores.
Some monsters do damage that cannot be summarized with a simple die roll (e.g. 3d6) or short phrase (e.g. disease). Also, many monsters have effects or rules that aren't damage from attacks that may be helpful to know. The questions are how much of this information to include near the stat-line of a monster, and where to include it.

Consider a 3 HD hellhound. It can bite and it can breathe fire. The most minimal stat-line would look like this:
Hellhound: AC 14, HD 3**, #At 1 bite or 1 breath, Dam 1d6 or 3d6, Mv 40', Sv F3, Ml 9, XP 205
HP 5 ☐☐☐☐☐
This monster does 3d6 from breathing fire because it's 3 HD, but there are details to know about the size of the cone of fire and how often it can breathe fire. Can this all be stuffed into one stat-line?
Hellhound: AC 14, HD 3**, #At 1 Bite or 1 Breath Attack (1-2 on 1d6), Dam 1d6 or 3d6 Cone of Flame 10' long and 10' wide and far end save vs. Dragon Breath for half-damage, Mv 40', Sv F3, Ml 9, XP 205
HP 5 ☐☐☐☐☐
Alternatively, the information can be on a separate line.
Hellhound: AC 14, HD 3**, #At 1 bite or 1 breath, Dam 1d6 or 3d6, Mv 40', Sv F3, Ml 9, XP 205
Breathe fire 1-2 on 1d6 in a 10' by 10' cone. Save vs. Dragon Breath for half-damage.
HP 5 ☐☐☐☐☐
We found in the case of the Draugr that the damage for the breath weapon could be written as "or Breath Cone of Ice 10 feet long 10 feet wide at far end must save vs. Spells or be stunned (-2 to AC, in addition to losing any Dexterity and shield bonuses) and unable to act for one round". That's really long for being inside a stat-line.

Is this something worth addressing in the style guide, or is it better left decided per document?
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Solomoriah
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Re: Style guide

Post by Solomoriah »

I'd decide on a case-by-case basis, but if you have to give both an area of effect and saving throw details it should be a separate paragraph in MonsterBlock style after the main stat string. A little extra length is okay but a lot is not.
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chiisu81
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Re: Style guide

Post by chiisu81 »

Note to self: next release needs:
1. Section on bonuses and penalties, and how to word ability checks (ex: "+/- DEX bonus" rather than just "+DEX") or such
2. Add in Monster/NPC Stat-line section that non-breaking spaces need to be used whenever needed (unless it disrupts layout beyond a certain degree)
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