# Spell Forge — Full Documentation

> Spell Forge is a free, browser-based tool for creating and printing magic spell cards for tabletop RPG campaigns, including Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and Shadowdark RPG.

Website: https://www.spell-forge.org/
Languages: English, German (Deutsch), French (Français)
License: Free to use
JavaScript Required: Yes (React single-page application)

## Overview

Spell Forge lets Game Masters (GMs) and Dungeon Masters (DMs) design custom magic spell cards with a live preview, then print them or save them as PDF. The app runs entirely in the browser — no account, no server, no data stored remotely.

Users fill out a form on the left panel with spell properties (name, level, school, components, description, etc.) and instantly see a styled card preview on the right panel. Multiple spells can be created at once, and the cards are laid out on an A4 page for printing.

## Card Templates

The app offers three visual card templates:

### D&D 5e Classic
A parchment-themed fantasy card with a school-colored accent bar at the top, ornamental dividers, and a footer ornament (⚔). Designed to match the aesthetic of official Dungeons & Dragons materials. The accent color changes based on the spell's school of magic.

### Shadowdark
A dark-themed card styled for the Shadowdark RPG system. Uses a dark background with light text and a distinct visual hierarchy suited to Shadowdark's streamlined spell format.

### Print Friendly
A minimal, ink-saving card template optimized for black-and-white printing. Clean layout with no heavy backgrounds or decorations.

## Spell Properties

Each magic spell card supports the following fields:

### General
- **Spell Name**: The spell's display name (e.g., "Fireball", "Cure Wounds")
- **Level**: Cantrip, 1st through 9th level
- **School**: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, or Transmutation
- **Casting Time**: 1 Action, 1 Bonus Action, 1 Reaction, 1 Minute, 10 Minutes, 1 Hour, 8 Hours, 12 Hours, 24 Hours, or Special
- **Casting Time Details**: Free text for additional context (e.g., "which you take when hit by an attack" for a reaction spell)
- **Range**: Free text (e.g., "Self", "Touch", "60 feet", "150 feet")

### Components
- **Verbal (V)**: Toggle — the spell requires spoken words
- **Somatic (S)**: Toggle — the spell requires hand gestures
- **Material (M)**: Toggle — the spell requires material components
- **Material Description**: Free text describing the required materials (e.g., "a tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur")

### Duration & Timing
- **Duration**: Free text (e.g., "Instantaneous", "1 minute", "1 hour", "Until dispelled")
- **Concentration**: Toggle — the spell requires concentration to maintain
- **Ritual**: Toggle — the spell can be cast as a ritual

### Classes
- **Classes**: Multi-select from Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

### Combat
- **Damage Dice**: Dice expression (e.g., "8d6")
- **Damage Type**: Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Piercing, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, Slashing, or Thunder
- **Healing Dice**: Dice expression (e.g., "2d8+3")
- **Saving Throw**: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, or CHA
- **Attack Type**: Melee Spell Attack or Ranged Spell Attack

### Description
- **Flavor Text**: Short evocative description displayed in italics at the top of the card
- **Description / Mechanics**: Rich text field supporting bold, italic, and bullet lists (powered by Tiptap editor). This is where the spell's magical effects and mechanical rules are described.
- **At Higher Levels**: Text describing how the spell scales when cast using a higher-level spell slot

### Image
- **Image URL**: Direct link to an image
- **Upload Image**: Drag & drop or click to upload a local image file

### Shadowdark-Specific Properties
When using the Shadowdark card template, these additional fields are available:
- **Tier**: 1 through 5 (Shadowdark's spell tier system)
- **Class**: Wizard or Priest
- **Range**: Self, Close, Near, or Far
- **Duration**: Free text (e.g., "Focus", "3 rounds", "Instant")

### Print Settings
- **Print Layout**: Default (2 per row), Full Width (spans full page width), or Standard Card Size (63mm × 88mm poker/MTG size, 3 per row)
- **Multicard**: Toggle — automatically splits the spell across multiple cards if the description text is too long to fit on one card

## Print & PDF Export

Clicking "PDF" opens the browser's native print dialog. The app applies A4-optimized print styles:

- Default layout: 2 cards per row on A4
- Full Width layout: 1 card per row, spanning the full page
- Standard Card Size: 3 cards per row at 63mm × 88mm (poker card size)

Cards use `break-inside: avoid` to prevent splitting across pages. Background colors and gradients are preserved in print via `print-color-adjust: exact`.

## PNG Export

Clicking "PNG" saves the entire card preview grid as a PNG image file. This is useful for sharing spell cards digitally or embedding them in virtual tabletop platforms.

## Multi-Spell Support

Users can create multiple spells in a single session:

- Click "Add Spell" to add a new spell card
- Each spell has its own collapsible form section
- Spells can be individually removed (minimum 1 spell)
- All cards appear in the preview grid and print together
- Each spell can have its own independent print layout setting

## Export & Import

- **Export**: Save all current spells as a JSON file for backup or sharing
- **Import**: Load spells from a previously exported JSON file (replaces current spells after confirmation)

## Internationalization (i18n)

The app supports:
- **English** (default)
- **German** (Deutsch)
- **French** (Français)

Language can be switched via toggle buttons in the header. All UI labels, placeholders, spell levels, spell schools, casting times, damage types, saving throws, class names, and Shadowdark-specific terms are fully translated. French translations use official terminology from the French SRD (Document de Référence Système).

## Technical Details

- **Framework**: React 19 with TypeScript
- **Build Tool**: Vite 7
- **Rich Text Editor**: Tiptap 3
- **Analytics**: Simple Analytics (privacy-friendly, no cookies)
- **Hosting**: Static site on Netlify, no backend
- **Data Storage**: None — all data exists only in browser memory during the session
- **Accessibility**: Semantic HTML (header, main, section, footer, nav), ARIA attributes (aria-label, aria-expanded, aria-checked), keyboard-navigable
- **Responsive**: Split-panel layout switches from horizontal to vertical on mobile viewports (≤860px)

## School Color Coding

Spells are color-coded by their school of magic on the D&D 5e Classic template:
- Abjuration: Blue (#4a90d9)
- Conjuration: Gold (#d4a017)
- Divination: Silver (#a0a0b0)
- Enchantment: Pink (#d94a8c)
- Evocation: Red (#d94a4a)
- Illusion: Purple (#8b4ad9)
- Necromancy: Green (#4a9e4a)
- Transmutation: Orange (#d98c4a)

## Level Color Coding

Spell levels also have associated colors used for visual differentiation:
- Cantrip: Gray (#9e9e9e)
- 1st Level: Green (#1b8c1b)
- 2nd Level: Dark Green (#2e7d32)
- 3rd Level: Blue (#4169e1)
- 4th Level: Indigo (#3949ab)
- 5th Level: Purple (#8b008b)
- 6th Level: Deep Purple (#6a1b9a)
- 7th Level: Orange (#ff8c00)
- 8th Level: Deep Orange (#e65100)
- 9th Level: Crimson (#dc143c)

## Use Cases

- Dungeon Masters creating custom spell cards for D&D 5e campaigns
- Game Masters creating spell cards for Shadowdark RPG sessions
- Creating printable spell card handouts for players at the table
- Designing spell cards for homebrew spells and custom content
- Generating PDF collections of spell cards for campaign preparation
- Quick reference cards for frequently used spells during play
- Digital spell card images for virtual tabletop (VTT) platforms
- Sharing homebrew spell designs with other players and DMs

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is Spell Forge?
Spell Forge is a free, browser-based tool that lets you create and print beautiful spell cards for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and Shadowdark RPG. No account or download required.

### Is Spell Forge free to use?
Yes, Spell Forge is completely free with no ads, no account required, and no data stored on any server.

### What RPG systems does Spell Forge support?
Spell Forge supports Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e) and Shadowdark RPG, with dedicated card templates for each system plus a print-friendly template.

### Can I print the spell cards?
Yes. You can print directly from your browser or save the cards as a PDF file. The cards are formatted for A4 paper with multiple layout options.

### Can I save spell cards as images?
Yes. The PNG export feature saves your spell card preview as a PNG image file, suitable for sharing online or using in virtual tabletop platforms.

### Does Spell Forge store my data?
No. All spell data exists only in your browser's memory during the session. Nothing is sent to a server. You can export your spells as JSON to save them locally.

### What card sizes are available?
Three print layouts are available: Default (2 cards per row), Full Width (1 card spanning the full page), and Standard Card Size (63mm × 88mm, matching poker/MTG card dimensions, 3 per row).

### Can I create multiple spells at once?
Yes. Click "Add Spell" to add as many spell cards as you need. All spells appear in the preview and print together.

### What languages does Spell Forge support?
Spell Forge is available in English, German (Deutsch), and French (Français), with all UI elements fully translated.

## Related Tools

- [Item Forge](https://www.item-forge.org/) — Free magic item card creator for D&D 5e and Shadowdark RPG
- [Grid Architect](https://www.gridarchitect.org/) — Free dungeon and battle map creator for tabletop RPGs

## Related Standards

- D&D 5th Edition (Dungeons & Dragons by Wizards of the Coast)
- Shadowdark RPG (by The Arcane Library)
- Standard poker card size: 63mm × 88mm (2.5" × 3.5")
- llmstxt.org specification for AI-readable documentation