User:MidnightLightning/Stat templates

This is a scratchpad, to organize and prepare to update and unify the NPC templates of this wiki. Feel free to add your own comments/wishes to this page.

Existing

• Template:3.5e Monster Classic: 3.5e Monster Manual-style
• Template:Stat Block 2: 3.5e

• Template:Monster: 4e
• Template:4e War Stat Block: 4e ???
• Template:4e Power: 4e

• Template:Minor NPC Stat Block (Pandlechron Supplement): Short block

Samples

Published material's stat block styles:

Monster Manual (4e)

4.0 stat block. Table-based with zebra-striped rows. Within the table, left and right-aligned text and icons set items apart.

Pathfinder

3.5e stat block that became the "Pathfinder RPG" stat block. Divided into "Intro", Defense, Offense, Tactics, and Statistics areas. Hanging indent lines, bold labels (no colon). Melee and Ranged attack lines (giving full attack options only; standard attacks need to be inferred)

• Paizo blog post

Dungeon Master's Guide II

Updated 3.5e stat block style from Wizards of the Coast. Horizontal rules separating sections (no labels, but identified in the DMGII as Identification, Defensive, Offensive, Other, and Roleplaying Hook), hanging indent paragraphs, bold labels (no colon). Melee and Raned attack lines (giving full attack options; standard needs to be inferred).

Adventure format

A paragraph-style stat block that ends up being shorter than the other styles, and better for presentations with more horizontal room. Items are all run together into one line, no hanging indent. Labels are not bolded, and no colons. Items are separated from each other with semicolons. Special abilities have their own paragraph(s) beneath the main stat block paragraph.

• WotC Design and Development blog

Monster Manual (3.5e)

The original 3.5e stat block style from Wizards of the Coast. Table-based; very easy to put stat blocks next to each other. No sections, bold labels (with colon). Attack and Full Attack lines (combining melee and ranged). Melee and Ranged attack lines (giving full attack only; standard attack needs to be inferred)

Design

So, with 4e and 3.5e content in this wiki, there will likely need to be two templates created, one for each edition. But each edition can still have a "tall" and a "wide"/"collapsed" variant (like the 3.5e "Adventure format"). Should there be a separate template for the "wide" version, with all the variable names the same, so just the name of the template used would have to change? Or should there be a "format" variable in the template, and have it default to one, but could switch to the other?

• Should have a "semantics" field to turn on/off semantic data
• Could have a "format" field to change display styles
• Creature Type should link to the appropriate page; either SRD or custom (doesn't seem to be any currently...?)
• Creature Subtypes should link to the appropriate page; either SRD or custom.
• Race should link to the appropriate page; either SRD or custom.
• Challenge Rating can link directly to a Semantic search for creatures of that CR
• Add NPC to game system category (3.5e or 4e)
• Add NPC to NPC or Monster categories (what's the definition of that distinction...?)
• Provide sub-templates for "Magic Prepared" (Wizard spells, Cleric spells, and special abilities of that style) and "Magic Known" (Sorcerer spells, and special abilities of that style) and "Grimoire" (for those who have "Magic Prepared" abilities from a restricted list (like a Wizard's spellbook)).
• Reference sources for Race, Class, Prestige Class, Feats, or Spells not from SRD content.

Surgo mentioned getting the Winter or Lua extension(s) to make complex programming easier. With either of those, a "format" parameter could initially set up "betweenSections" and "betweenElements" sort of variables that would then be used in the template to change the look.