Pippin
2020-03-02, 05:27 PM
Hi playground.
I am considering making my own 3.5e spell search engine, and to that end, I am currently saving all spell descriptions and normalising them as much as I can.
My main predicament is this. The Effect, Target and Area entries are poorly used, and sometimes I find spell headers with some of these entries when there's no real reason to have them. So I had an idea. I am considering showing the Effect entry if, and only if, the spell belongs to one of the following categories: Ray, Burst, Spread, Emanation. I am considering showing the Area entry if, and only if, it has an Effect entry. In this case, the Area entry would be one of the following: Circle, Cylinder, Sphere, Line, Cone or Cube (with the radius/length/etc in parenthesis). I haven't found a spell whose effect would occur inside a cube though.
Here's an example of my revision.
Antimagic Field
Abjuration
Classes: Cleric 8, Sorcerer 6, Wizard 6
Domains: Magic 6, Protection 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Fixed (10 feet)
Effect: Emanation
Area: Sphere (10-foot radius, centered on you)
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: See text
Minor Creation
Conjuration (Creation)
Classes: Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Fixed (0 foot)
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
What do you think? Is this a bad idea? How could I normalise spell headers more efficiently?
I am considering making my own 3.5e spell search engine, and to that end, I am currently saving all spell descriptions and normalising them as much as I can.
My main predicament is this. The Effect, Target and Area entries are poorly used, and sometimes I find spell headers with some of these entries when there's no real reason to have them. So I had an idea. I am considering showing the Effect entry if, and only if, the spell belongs to one of the following categories: Ray, Burst, Spread, Emanation. I am considering showing the Area entry if, and only if, it has an Effect entry. In this case, the Area entry would be one of the following: Circle, Cylinder, Sphere, Line, Cone or Cube (with the radius/length/etc in parenthesis). I haven't found a spell whose effect would occur inside a cube though.
Here's an example of my revision.
Antimagic Field
Abjuration
Classes: Cleric 8, Sorcerer 6, Wizard 6
Domains: Magic 6, Protection 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Fixed (10 feet)
Effect: Emanation
Area: Sphere (10-foot radius, centered on you)
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: See text
Minor Creation
Conjuration (Creation)
Classes: Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Fixed (0 foot)
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
What do you think? Is this a bad idea? How could I normalise spell headers more efficiently?