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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 5907925" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>So are you suggesting each spell be in effect written up twice - once in the PH in full prose form and a second time in the DMG in very short one-line form?</p><p></p><p>This certainly could be an answer, though I'd argue the DMG version needs some prose in order to delve into corner cases and interactions with other spells/effects; the players don't need this stuff getting in the way in the PH.</p><p></p><p>I've been assuming all along here we're talking about the PH presentation, at least for the spell debate.</p><p></p><p>And it occurs to me that without realizing it in these terms I long ago sort of did what you're suggesting, only for players and DM alike.</p><p></p><p>For each class and level of spell I have a one-page chart listing in order in short form the stuff that would usually go in the written "block": range, area of effect, duration, components, casting time, etc., followed by a longer prose-only write-up for when more info is needed. Examples follow (I hope; with a warning that my version of <em>Sleep</em> is perhaps even more of a train wreck than other versions seen here):</p><p></p><p>TABLE: (<em>Sleep</em> is one line of a 35-line table, sorry about the lousy formatting here)</p><p> <span style="color: Yellow"> <strong>Spell :|: Area of Effect :|: Range (feet) :|: Duration :|: Comp. :|: Casting time :|: Pages</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: Yellow"></span></p><p><span style="color: Yellow">Sleep :|: 30' diam. sphere :|: 50 + 15/level :|: 5 rounds/level :|: VSM :|: 1 seg. :|: 6</span></p><p></p><p>WRITE-UP:</p><p><span style="color: yellow"><strong>Sleep </strong> (MU-1) Makes 4d4 hit dice or levels worth of creatures fall asleep on the spot. Will affect weakest creatures in area unless a single target stated, it then goes for that one first. Targets 3rd level/3 hit dice or lower get a saving throw <u>only if above caster's level </u>but must roll higher than (20 - level difference) to succeed. 4th level/4 hit die creatures save at -6. 5th level/5 hit dice save at +3; 6th/6 save at +8. 7th and higher are immune, as are undead, constructs, and creatures that do not sleep; some creatures (e.g. Elves) have built-in resistance but can still be affected occasionally. Sleeping creatures can be awoken by rough contact or a <strong>very</strong> loud noise nearby such as a thunderclap. Can be slain 2 per round under ideal conditions but must roll to hit vs. base AC for each. Material components are a pinch of fine sand, or root of Arunya, or rose petals, or a live cricket.</span></p><p></p><p>The "pages" entry in the table is because we track how many pages in one's spell book each spell takes up.</p><p></p><p>Lan-"enter sandman"-efan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 5907925, member: 29398"] So are you suggesting each spell be in effect written up twice - once in the PH in full prose form and a second time in the DMG in very short one-line form? This certainly could be an answer, though I'd argue the DMG version needs some prose in order to delve into corner cases and interactions with other spells/effects; the players don't need this stuff getting in the way in the PH. I've been assuming all along here we're talking about the PH presentation, at least for the spell debate. And it occurs to me that without realizing it in these terms I long ago sort of did what you're suggesting, only for players and DM alike. For each class and level of spell I have a one-page chart listing in order in short form the stuff that would usually go in the written "block": range, area of effect, duration, components, casting time, etc., followed by a longer prose-only write-up for when more info is needed. Examples follow (I hope; with a warning that my version of [I]Sleep[/I] is perhaps even more of a train wreck than other versions seen here): TABLE: ([I]Sleep[/I] is one line of a 35-line table, sorry about the lousy formatting here) [COLOR="Yellow"] [B]Spell :|: Area of Effect :|: Range (feet) :|: Duration :|: Comp. :|: Casting time :|: Pages[/B] Sleep :|: 30' diam. sphere :|: 50 + 15/level :|: 5 rounds/level :|: VSM :|: 1 seg. :|: 6[/COLOR] WRITE-UP: [COLOR="yellow"][B]Sleep [/B] (MU-1) Makes 4d4 hit dice or levels worth of creatures fall asleep on the spot. Will affect weakest creatures in area unless a single target stated, it then goes for that one first. Targets 3rd level/3 hit dice or lower get a saving throw [U]only if above caster's level [/U]but must roll higher than (20 - level difference) to succeed. 4th level/4 hit die creatures save at -6. 5th level/5 hit dice save at +3; 6th/6 save at +8. 7th and higher are immune, as are undead, constructs, and creatures that do not sleep; some creatures (e.g. Elves) have built-in resistance but can still be affected occasionally. Sleeping creatures can be awoken by rough contact or a [B]very[/B] loud noise nearby such as a thunderclap. Can be slain 2 per round under ideal conditions but must roll to hit vs. base AC for each. Material components are a pinch of fine sand, or root of Arunya, or rose petals, or a live cricket.[/COLOR] The "pages" entry in the table is because we track how many pages in one's spell book each spell takes up. Lan-"enter sandman"-efan [/QUOTE]
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