SA/SQ, Stat Blocks, and Standard

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

brimstone

Apr 12, 2004 16:43:25
Is there an industry (or at the very least, a D&D) standard for how you write up stat blocks? What's bolded? What's Italicized? What's left alone? Does it even really matter?

Thanks!
#2

Nived

Apr 12, 2004 17:28:43
Almost all d20 products use the standard stat blocks as they appear in the System Referance Document since the Open Gaming License is what many D20 games are based on.

I would copy/paste it for you, since it is open source, but the stat blocks section is two pages. So instead I'll just link you to the SRD Its in the MontersIntro-A section.
#3

brimstone

Apr 12, 2004 17:37:06
Originally posted by Nived
I would copy/paste it for you, since it is open source, but the stat blocks section is two pages. So instead I'll just link you to the SRD Its in the MontersIntro-A section.

I do believe I figured out the pattern of what's bold and what's itallicized from that.

Thanks!
#4

cam_banks

Apr 12, 2004 17:47:37
Originally posted by Brimstone
Is there an industry (or at the very least, a D&D) standard for how you write up stat blocks? What's bolded? What's Italicized? What's left alone? Does it even really matter?

Yes, there is an industry standard, and it keeps changing with each WOTC release. I write a heck of a lot of stat blocks, so it's something I pay attention to.

Here's an example:

Goblin Thief: Male goblin Rog3; CR 3; Small humanoid (goblinoid); HD 3d6+3; hp 16; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +2; Grp -2; Atk +4 melee (1d4/19-20, masterwork short sword) or +7 ranged (1d4/x3, masterwork short bow); Full Atk +4 melee (1d4/19-20, short sword) or +7 ranged (1d4/x3, shortbow); SA sneak attack +2d6; SQ evasion, trapfinding, trapsense +1; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Balance +11, Escape Artist +11, Hide +13, Listen +8, Move Silently +13, Ride +7, Sleight of Hand +9, Spot +8; Agile, Improved Initiative.
Evasion (Ex): If this rogue is exposed to any effect that normally allows him to attempt a Reflex save for half damage, he takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Trap Sense (Ex): This rogue has an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, granting a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.
Trapfinding (Ex): This rogue can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a DC higher than 20.
Skills: Goblins have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks.
Possessions: Masterwork studded leather, masterwork short sword, masterwork short bow, 10 normal arrows, 10 adamantine arrows, elixir of hiding, elixir of sneaking, potion of cure light wounds.

As you can see, magic items (and spells, and spell-like abilities) are always in italics. Unless they have a proper noun in their name, they're also always in lowercase. So are class names, special abilities, special qualities etc. Skills and feats are always in Sentence Case. Feet is abbreviated ft. (note the period), not ' and inches are abbreviated in. and not ". In a stat block, the special attacks and qualities when listed out are alphabetical, first by attack and then again by quality. And so forth.

There is a tendency for folks to overuse Sentence Case in D&D writeups. Technically, it's a wizard of High Sorcery, and a knight of Solamnia, but we can forgive those being Wizard and Knight since those are proper nouns in actual use. However, it's not Master Ambassador or Academy Sorcerer or Spell Filch - those should be master ambassador, Academy (which is a proper noun) sorcerer (which isn't) and spellfilch (which is one word and not a proper noun).

Cheers,
Cam
#5

zombiegleemax

Apr 12, 2004 18:21:57
Originally posted by Cam Banks
There is a tendency for folks to overuse Sentence Case in D&D writeups. Technically, it's a wizard of High Sorcery, and a knight of Solamnia, but we can forgive those being Wizard and Knight since those are proper nouns in actual use. However, it's not Master Ambassador or Academy Sorcerer or Spell Filch - those should be master ambassador, Academy (which is a proper noun) sorcerer (which isn't) and spellfilch (which is one word and not a proper noun).

True, however, the confusion tends to come in when the noun is made into a title, or part of an organizational title. For instance, while an individual who is a knight, from Solamnia, might be referred to as a knight of Solamnia, a member of the Order of the Knights of Solamnia, known as a Solamnic Knight or Knight of Solamnia, should be (example, Templar Knights... they are properly the Knights of the Temple, or Knights Templar, an organizational title).

Then again, the first foreign language I learned was German, which capitalizes all nouns, so I don't have as much of an issue over capitalizin' everythin' ;)

Christopher
#6

cam_banks

Apr 12, 2004 18:26:22
Originally posted by Stormprince
For instance, while an individual who is a knight, from Solamnia, might be referred to as a knight of Solamnia, a member of the Order of the Knights of Solamnia, known as a Solamnic Knight or Knight of Solamnia, should be (example, Templar Knights... they are properly the Knights of the Temple, or Knights Templar, an organizational title).

Right, which is why I pointed out that it's become used that way in certain circumstances. I think that any time you're talking about his specific title, he's a Knight, but when you're talking about what his line of work is, he's a knight.

Cheers,
Cam