d20 Standard Style Guide

Version 1.05

The following is a specific list detailing the format requirements for d20 Standard stat blocks.

• Specific instructions in a paragraph, section, or subsection overrule general information.
• Each section marked with Roman numerals is a “paragraph.” Do not indent the paragraphs or leave space between them. Any paragraph that would contain no information is skipped. Separate paragraphs by placing them on different lines; do not leave space between adjoining paragraphs. End each paragraph with a period if there is not one there already. Any text in the paragraph not part of a section is in italics.
• Each line marked with Arabic numerals is a “section” of a paragraph. Omit sections without information. Separate sections with semicolons.
• Lines marked with Roman letters are “subsections.” Choose only one subsection from each section.
• Capitalize the first letter in each paragraph and the first letter after a period, assuming there are no intervening characters save spaces. Capitalize the first letter of: abilities, class abbreviations, sizes and proper names. Also capitalize the first letter in every word for skills and feats. Capitalize “DR” and “SR”. Any parenthetical information for a skill is in lower case; if a skill name is included parenthetically in a feat, format the skill as normal for a skill. When sections of the style guide include quoted text, copy the case exactly. Otherwise, use lower case.
• All modifiers begin with a plus (if positive) or a minus (if negative).
• If typography does not permit the use of en dashes (–), two hyphens (--) may be substituted.
• If a stat block is released in plain text format, bold and italics may be ignored.

Specific section formats:

• When listing classes, use standard abbreviations for the 11 core PC classes and 5 core NPC classes. Write the class abbreviation followed by level (no space). If the character has prestige classes, write out the full name of the prestige class followed by level (no space). Separate the classes with slashes. The class abbreviations: adept (Adp), aristocrat (Ari), barbarian (Bbn), bard (Brd), cleric (Clr), commoner (Com), druid (Drd), expert (Exp), fighter (Ftr), monk (Mnk), paladin (Pal), ranger (Rgr), rogue (Rog), sorcerer (Sor), warrior (War), wizard (Wiz).
• Choose a size from the following list and copy it exactly: Fine, Diminutive, Tiny, Small, Medium-size, Large, Huge, Gargantuan, Colossal. All creatures have a size.
• Choose a type from the following list and copy it exactly: Aberration, Animal, Beast, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Giant, Humanoid, Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, Ooze, Outsider, Plant, Shapechanger, Undead, Vermin. All creatures have a type; all Humanoid creatures have a subtype.
• List the creature’s hit dice starting with the smallest die size and going to the largest, combining any classes that use the same size hit die. If the creature has any conditions which add to its hit points beyond hit dice, combine the extra hit points from all sources and write it in as added or subtracted from the total.
• The creature’s speed is to include either “ft” or “ft.” at the end of each form of movement, to denote the speed’s measurement. List each form of movement followed by speed in that form. If the creature has a walking speed, list it first without “Walk”. If the creature has a fly speed, list its maneuverability in a parenthetical note. List a sessile creature’s speed as “0 ft” or “0 ft.”.
• If there are any modifiers to armor class, list the sources for modification in parentheses with their specific bonuses in front of the source. If the source of the bonus is an item with an enhancement bonus, omit the enhancement bonus. List only permanat bonuses, not bonuses that arise from specific circumstances. List the name of the item granting the bonus, or the bonus name if it is a natural ability. Bonus types:
  • Ability: List the ability's abbreviation.
  • Armor: If the creature has both armor and a shield, list them separately.
  • Deflection
  • Dodge
  • Enhancement: Enhancement bonuses do not improve armor class, they improve other bonuses.
  • Haste
  • Insight
  • Luck
  • Monk: Add the monk's Wisdom modifier and class bonus to AC; abbreviate this “Mnk”.
  • Natural armor: List the abbreviation “natural”.
  • Profane
  • Sacred
• For every melee attack: list each melee weapon and its melee attack bonus for full attacks, followed by “touch” if it is a touch attack. Include the damage in a parenthetical note; if the critical is other than 20/x2, write “/crit” after the damage and the threat range, if it differs from 20, and the critical multiplier, if it differs from x2; if both differ, separate them with a slash.
• For every ranged attack: list each ranged weapon and its ranged attack bonus for full attacks, followed by “touch” if it is a touch attack. Include the damage in a parenthetical note; if the critical is other than 20/x2, write “/crit” after the damage and the threat range, if it differs from 20, and the critical multiplier, if it differs from x2; if both differ, separate them with a slash. If the weapon is a volley weapon, put the number of projectiles thrown per attack in brackets. You may put the weapon's range (modified by relevant circumstances) in feet after a comma.
• Do not use italics in the first paragraph’s list of special attacks and qualities.
• When listing full explanations for special attacks or qualities, include the type of quality in its name (Ex, Su, or Sp).
• The alignment abbreviations: Lawful Good (LG), Neutral Good (NG), Chaotic Good (CG), Lawful Neutral (LN), Neutral (N), Chaotic Neutral (CN), Lawful Evil (LE), Neutral Evil (NE), Chaotic Evil (CE).
• Saving throws are formatted: “Fort”, Fortitude saving throw, “Ref”, Reflex saving throw, “Will”, Will saving throw. Each of the saving throws are separated by commas.
• List each skill’s name followed by its modifier. Separate the skills from each other with commas. A parenthetical note with the number of ranks in that skill may be included after the skill modifier.
• Separate feats with commas. List feats from all sources, including virtual feats currently in effect.
• Spells’ names are in italics.
• Put magical items’ names in italics.

Levels:

• Expanded: Include all sections and paragraphs, including those marked as optional; blank sections and paragraphs are still omitted.
• Standard: Include all required sections and paragraphs.
• Compact: Include the first paragraph, the “Skills and Feats” paragraph, and all “Spells Prepared”, “Spells Known”, and “Domain Spells” paragraphs.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Ensure that the number of Hit Dice is equal to the character level, including monster level (Hit Dice from race) if appropriate.
• Do not use an em dash (—) or hyphen (-) in the place of an en dash (–).
• Do not put spaces before or after en dashes.
• Do not abbreviate Charisma “Chr”; instead, use “Cha”.
• Put spell resistance under “SQ”, not in its own section.
• Do not list enhancement bonuses after the name of a weapon; enhancement bonuses go before the weapon name (+1 longsword).
• Do not write “Small-size”; use “Small”. Do not use “Medium-sized” or “Medium”; instead, use “Medium-size”.
• Do not write “statblock”; instead, write "stat block".
• The following are one word: breastplate, chainmail, crossbow, greataxe, greatclub, greatsword, halfspear, longbow, longspear, longsword, shortbow, shortspear, spellbook, waraxe, warhammer.

Recommendations:

• In the list of equipment, list weapons first, followed by armor and other protective gear; list money last, ending with coins.
• For each type of item carried in quantities greater than 1, list the number as a parenthetical note after the item.
• Leave a blank line after the stat block, followed by a short description of the character, including languages known, height, weight, personality notes, hair, eyes, etc. Metagame information (point buy type, if applicable; hit point calculation method; etc.) may also be included.
• If multiple stat blocks are released in hypertext, use anchors on the name of each creature.

1. 1. This section is in boldface. Do not end this section with a semicolon; instead, use a colon.
      1. If detailing a typical monster: Race name
      2. If detailing a classless named monster: Name
      3. If detailing a classed character: Name followed by a comma, gender, race and subrace, if any, followed by classes.
   2. “CR” and challenge rating. Special: If the monster does not have a challenge rating, do not leave this entry blank; instead, use an en dash in the place of challenge rating. This section may be omitted when using the compact format to detail a Humanoid.
   3. Optional. “ECL” and effective character level.
   4. Size, type, and subtype or subtypes. Place the subtypes, if any, in parentheses; omit the parentheses if the creature does not have any subtypes. This section may be omitted when using the compact format to detail a Humanoid.
   5. “HD”, hit dice.
   6. “hp”, hit points.
   7. “Init”, initiative bonus.
   8. “Spd”, speed.
   9. “AC”, armor class. If there are any modifiers, list them parenthetically.
   10. “Melee”, melee attacks.
   11. “Ranged”, ranged attacks.
   12. “SA”, special attacks.
   13. “SQ”, special qualities.
   14. “AL”, alignment abbreviation.
   15. “SV”, saving throws.
   16. Abilities.
2. “Skills and Feats:”.
   1. Skills.
   2. Feats.
3. Optional. “SA”, en dash, special attack name, followed by a colon. Repeat this, along with all attached sections, for each special attack.
   1. Special attack description.
4. Optional. “SQ”, en dash, special quality name, followed by a colon. Repeat this, along with all attached sections, for each special quality.
   1. Special quality description.
5. Class granting prepared spells, “Spells Prepared”, followed by a colon and parenthetical list of the number of spells cast each day at each level. Repeat this, along with all attached sections, for each set of class granting prepared spells.
   1. Spell level, en dash, comma-separated list of spells prepared on that level. Repeat this for every spell level at which spells are prepared.
6. Class granting spontaneous spells, “Spells Known”, followed by a colon and parenthetical list: “cast” and the number of spells cast each day at each level. Repeat this, along with all attached sections, for each class granting spontaneous spells.
   1. Spell level, en dash, comma-separated list of spells known on that level. Repeat this for every spell level at which spells are known.
7. “Domain Spells”.
   1. This section is in parentheses. Do not end this section with a semicolon; instead, use a colon.
      1. If the character has a deity/patron granting domain spells: Deity/patron followed by a slash, domains separated by commas.
      2. If the character does not have a deity/patron granting domain spells: Domains separated by commas.
   2. Spell level, en dash, comma-separated list of spells known on that level. Repeat this for every spell level at which spells are written.
8. Optional. “Spellbook:”. Repeat this for every spellbook the character has.
   1. Spell level, en dash, comma-separated list of spells known on that level. Repeat this for every spell level at which spells are written.
9. “Equipment:”
   1. Comma-separated list of items in use by the character.