I noticed a couple comments about italicizeing spells, but in the template there were no italics where the spells for creation should go so I didnt add any.
Is there a list of conventions that should be used? If not can we get one, cause not all of them are obvious even when reading examples (such as not using ' and " for feet and inches, which I thought was a professional thing to do,.)
Have you tried looking at the format used for wondrous items in the Core Rulebook or PRD? That alone should give you the gist of it. Or, maybe take a look at the items which made the Top 32 in prior years. Most of them did a reasonable job of following the proper format. The most important thing here is to become a student of the game and research how Paizo presents everything. Then...duplicate that in your own work.
I was mainly refering to the less then obvious things. Ive been playing PF since it came out and I never noticed that they never use a ' to mean a number of feet of distance.
(Which I thought was professional) and then some listings of multiple auras on an object have no comma before the and, but in english class we learn to put a comma before the and.
I.E. one, two, and three.
Vs one, two and three.
Also some things have changed. My first edition uses an em dash for slotless items but in later editions they switched to using the word "none."
Just looking at examples doesnt always clue you in to everything.
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It's called the oxford comma...
Feats are always capitalized, as are languages and skills (but not subskills in parentheses). Abilities and their abbreviations are also capitalized (+1 Dex, or Strength). Generally pluses come before words (+1 longsword).
Spells and magic items are italicized, but do not italicize the commas between them. Also spells and items are lowercase in text unless at the beginning of a sentance.
--Jinglebell Vrock
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Generally pluses come before words (+1 longsword).
Not quite, Scott. The plus comes before magic weapons and armor (+1 full plate, +3 outsider bane longsword) but after other items (ring of protection +1, cloak of resistance +2).
Also some things have changed. My first edition uses an em dash for slotless items but in later editions they switched to using the word "none."
This is an excellent example of a designer keeping up with his errata - well done.
You should always do what is currently done for your target audience and potential employer, bearing in mind all current errata is a good part of that.
So how many of you spotted that we have gone from 5th to 6th on the core rules and checked out the latest pdf of tweaks and fixes?
The latest errata are available for free, so go get em and check em out on the free resources page :)
but in english class we learn to put a comma before the and.
I hope they only taught you to do that if you have three or more items. Otherwise
"We ate turkey and pumpkin pie."
becomes
"We ate turkey, and pumpkin pie."
Or
"Gilligan and Ginger were the only survivors."
becomes
"Gilligan, and Ginger were the only survivors."
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"Gilligan, and Ginger were the only survivors."I'm pretty sure I've read this fanfic.
Rule 34 strikes again.
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Generally pluses come before words (+1 longsword).Not quite, Scott. The plus comes before magic weapons and armor (+1 full plate, +3 outsider bane longsword) but after other items (ring of protection +1, cloak of resistance +2).
You are correct sir... See even seasoned rpgss contestants get tripped up.
--Vrocking around the Christmas Tree
I think that it should be headband - as a reference to the item's general item type (in the same way you could refer to sword of death as sword in the text) or headband of death. Capitalized headband should be used only at the beginning of a sentence, unless the name of the item is specifically using capital letters.
Drejk is correct. Conditions are lowercase, no italics.
I find looking through Bestiaries (or other rule books) is a good way to find Paizo's style and make sure you're doing it right. If you've got pdfs, you can even just do a search for whatever term.
Still lowercase, no italics. : )
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Let me see if I can list a number of conventions I spotted. I dedicated myself to finding these conventions when I entered last year because I was almost an absolute tabletop RPG newbie back then.
1. Spells should be italicized and lowercase, such as fly, invisibility, and black tentacles.
2. Magic items and properties should be italicized and lowercase, such as flaming and bag of holding.
3. Magic weapons/armor are PREFIXED by their enhancement bonus, such as a +1 flaming longsword and +2 spell storing leather armor.
4. Magic items with varying bonuses are POSTFIXED by their bonus, such as headband of vast intelligence +2.
5. Feats should be capitalized, such as Weapon Focus, Arcane Strike, and Cleave.
6. Skill names should be capitalized while subskills in parenthesis should be lowercase, such as Sleight of Hand, Knowledge (arcana), and Profession (sailor).
7. Size categories should be capitalized, such as Large, Tiny, and Medium.
8. Almost all game mechanics except spells, magic items, feats, skills, and size categories should NOT have any special formatting.
9. Measurements should be empirical (feet, inches, miles) and NOT be abbreviated.
10. Construction requirements should be in the following order: feats, spells, other requirements, cost.
11. If the item requires more than one feat or spell, order them alphabetically.
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Thanks Garrick.
Regarding aura, if there are three spells required to craft the item from 3 different schools should all three schools be included or just the strongest?
Hypothetically, how would the following be listed after Aura?: strong abjuration, moderate necromancy, moderate transmutation
1. strong abjuration (only)?
2. strong abjuration, moderate necromancy and transmutation?
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Item aura strength is based on caster level not spell level. The item should have single caster level and not multiple, so there is no chance for item with multiple auras of different strength unless some of those auras are caused by spells cast on the item.
EDIT: There are items that have two schools of magic listed. Items with more schools involved seem to have been described as Aura faint/moderate/strong/overwhelming varied.
Thanks Garrick.
Regarding aura, if there are three spells required to craft the item from 3 different schools should all three schools be included or just the strongest?
Hypothetically, how would the following be listed after Aura?: strong abjuration, moderate necromancy, moderate transmutation1. strong abjuration (only)?
2. strong abjuration, moderate necromancy and transmutation?
so it becomes strong abjuration, necromancy, and transmutation.
I think there are few items that have two aura's and only one with three. FWIW I think this is a clear sign the item is heading into SAK territory.|
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So if an item requires the following spells as construction requirements (all hypothetical):
unholy aura - abjuration- 8th level cleric
waves of fatigue - necromancy - 5th level wizard
water walk - transmutation - 3rd level cleric
What would the aura of the object be assuming CL 8th?
The strongest spell is of the abjuration school while the others are more moderate. Doesn't the item's aura come from all the spells used in its construction or just the strongest? Would all 3 schools be perceptible or is there just one aura?
Mask of the Skull (p. 523 Core Rulebook) has a strong necromancy and transmutation aura so at least two auras of the same strength can be referenced. I haven't found any examples mixing more than two schools or more than one strength level though...
Actually, caster level could be probably 15th - which is minimum Cleric level required to cast unholy aura - assuming that the item in question would actually use the spell as is instead of having it merely as prerequisite.
EDIT: Caster level should reflect power of the item and is basis of calculating effects of the item. Note however, that determining item CL is easy only for SIACs (Spells-In-A-Can), which are generally frowned upon during Super Star.
Thanks Garrick.
Regarding aura, if there are three spells required to craft the item from 3 different schools should all three schools be included or just the strongest?
Hypothetically, how would the following be listed after Aura?: strong abjuration, moderate necromancy, moderate transmutation1. strong abjuration (only)?
2. strong abjuration, moderate necromancy and transmutation?so it becomes strong abjuration, necromancy, and transmutation.
I think there are few items that have two aura's and only one with three. FWIW I think this is a clear sign the item is heading into SAK territory.
This is incorrect. Use only the strongest aura. (And base the aura off the the things the item actually does, not just the prerequisite spells.)
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The item I am creating actually only needs two spells (as a construction requirement/prerequisite, not to actually cast the spell) to function essentially as an offensive enhancement , but there is an aspect of the item that could potentially hurt the user so I was thinking that a type of protection spell would also be needed for the user's sake. Or is that just over thinking the item?
The item I am creating actually only needs two spells (as a construction requirement/prerequisite, not to actually cast the spell) to function essentially as an offensive enhancement , but there is an aspect of the item that could potentially hurt the user so I was thinking that a type of protection spell would also be needed for the user's sake. Or is that just over thinking the item?
That's overthinking it. You don't need to add an aura for required secondary powers. For instance, a flaming sword doesn't have an abjuration aura to account for the flames not burning the wielder. It has an evocation aura because it is an offensive weapon that emits fire.
*cough* Do not reveal details that could be used to identify your item and associate it with you, thus possibly disqualifying you for lack of anonymity.
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Drejk,
Yes, thank you. All named specifics are purely hypothetical. And as Ross pointed out many common magical items or effects could have a component that could harm the user. Thanks for having my back though... And grab some hot chicken soup - sounds like you're coming down with a cold...
Ross,
Thanks. I'm sure I am the only one who over thinks things on the BB... Ha!
A magic item's aura determines how a character perceives the item for the purpose of detect magic.
After rereading the description, it sounds like one would see multiple schools if they were about the same strength, but weaker ones would be hidden for the most part, unless on seperate parts of an item (such as each half of a double weapon.)
And an items CL would be the minimum needed to make it, and keep in mind, the crafter must cast the requisite spells each day of crafting, either from their class or from scrolls, which have a caster level at least high enough to cast the spell. You can make an item at higher CL, but that should only be applied to particular individual items not to the base item description.
Or so as things seem to me.
You can design an item to have any CL above minimum. However, it's standard to make it the minimum because increasing the CL also increases the price of the item.
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2. Magic items and properties should be italicized and lowercase, such as flaming and bag of holding.
To expand on this, only the full name of a magic item gets italicized. So bag of holding but you wouldn't italicize if you later referred to it as 'you can place liquids in the bag' without referring to it as the bag of holding.
You can design an item to have any CL above minimum. However, it's standard to make it the minimum because increasing the CL also increases the price of the item.
The CL only increases the price of the item if the CL affects the powers of the item. For instance, anything that duplicates a spell effect should increase in cost if the CL does, because caster level makes spells more potent: it affects duration, range, number of targets, area, or number of damage dice.
However, an item like a pearl of power the CL doesn't really matter - it has the same effect regardless. The only time it matters is figuring out how difficult the item is to suppress using dispel magic.
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I know this this an old discussion but I was wondering something that is related.
When do we use numbers and when should we spell them out?
Example: one mile, 30 feet, 4th level, level one
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General guidelines:
- Never start a sentence with a number. Spell it out.
- One through nine are always spelled out.
- 10 or higher is always written as a number.
- Always use digits when referring to character levels, whether as "4th level" or "level 4" (though the latter is rarely used...mostly just to denote character level where you see it in a feat description's prerequisite, caster level, etc.).
- Always use commas as separators for 1,000, etc.
- Exception: Measurements (such as 5 feet or 9 years) are always written as numbers, unless they're starting the next sentence (in which case, you should rewrite your sentence so it doesn't start with a number).
- Exception: Numbers in read-aloud text are always spelled out (within reason).
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Another question. I noticed that sometimes 1/2 is used and other times "half" is used. When should I use one over the other?
You should use 1/2 when you mean the number equal to .5.
You should use 'half' when referring to a portion of a larger number.
"This bonus increases by +1/2 per level."
"Blorts gain a bonus to Knowledge(cheese) equal to half their level."
Chief Technical Officer
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I noticed a couple comments about italicizeing spells, but in the template there were no italics where the spells for creation should go so I didnt add any.
Spells and magic items are italicized, but do not italicize the commas between them.
That last bit is actually the reason that the template does not provide italics for the spell section. We don't know how many spells (which should be italicized) or how many commas (which should not) you have.