What is a Snippet?

Have you spotted on the character sheet that it tells you what each feature of your class/race does? Those are snippets.

When creating a homebrew race, subclass, or feat, you can add these snippets yourself, to indicate to anyone using them what the homebrew content does. They provide an abbreviated version of the rules (see below). You can type whatever you want into these - it's just text. However, you can also use something we call Snippet Codes that calculate a value, based on the character.

If you want to see the full text of what a feature or ability does, you should always click on it and read the full text in the sidebar.

So what do Snippet Codes actually do?

Some of those features include calculations, based on a variety of things. It may be an armor class based on your DEX and CON, or it may be a saving throw DC. They allow you to insert calculated numbers into the character sheet where the text for class/race features are shown.

You might have a feature in your homebrew subclass that allows the character to vertically jump their strength score in feet as a bonus actions. You would represent that by writing in the snippet box of the homebrew:

As a bonus action, you jump vertically up to {{abilityscore:str}} ft. in height

If the character has a strength score of 19, this would show on their character sheet as, under the features and traits section as:

As a bonus action, you jump vertically up to 19 ft. in height

Pretty cool, huh? What if you decided that at higher level, they could jump vertically double their strength score in height? You can do that too, by adding in a multiplier so you would have

As a bonus action, you jump vertically up to {{2*abilityscore:str}} ft. in height

On the character sheet, for the character with 19 strength, that would now show as:

As a bonus action, you jump vertically up to 38 ft. in height

 Snippet Codes don't change or update your character!

This is important to note. Snippets just surface information for the player to read. If you want a feat to grant the character +1 to their strength, you configure that through a modifier instead.

 What snippet codes are available?

{{spellattack:int}} - your spell "to hit" - you have to specify the ability score. e.g. here is intelligence. Spell attack rules.
{{scalevalue}} - a class-specific value, such as Rage Damage for a barbarian
{{modifier:str}} - a modifier for an ability score. e.g. here is strength
{{savedc:wis}} - generates your Saving Throw DC using the specified ability modifier. e.g. here is wisdom
{{fixedvalue}} - the fixed number from the feature or trait
{{classlevel}} - level in the contextual class (only use for subclass homebrew)
{{characterlevel}} - total character level
{{proficiency}} - character proficiency bonus
{{maxhp}} - character maximum hit points
{{limiteduse}} - total number of uses for the contextual feature or trait
{{abilityscore:str}} - the actual ability score. e.g. here is strength

 General Rules

Specifying Ability Score/Modifier

When a snippet requires you to specify an ability score, you always use the three letter abbreviation: str, dex, con, int, wis, cha.

Automatically taking the Best Modifier

Several snippet codes allow you to specify an ability score. You can actually specify multiple ability scores, and the snippet will use the highest of them for the calculation. E.g. {{modifier:str,dex}} returns the larger modifier out of strength and dexterity for the character.

 Modifiers

Additionally there are modifiers to calculations that can be used to affect them. These change how the calculation happens or is displayed.

Calculation Modifiers

Calculation modifiers change how the result is treated. They control rounding of numbers and bounding with minimum and maximum results.

• @rounddown - causes a calculation to round down to a whole number.
  Example: {{(classlevel/3)@rounddown}} - a third of the character level, rounded down
• @roundup - causes a calculation to round up to a whole number.
  Example: {{(maxhp/2)@roundup}}  - half the character max hitpoints, rounded up.
• @min:x - ensures a calculation has a minimum value of x.
  Example: {{modifier:int@min:1}} - returns the intelligence ability modifier, with a minimum of 1.
• @max:x - ensures a calculation has a maximum value of x.
  Example: {{modifier:dex@max:2}} - returns the dexterity ability modifier, with a maximum value of 2.

Note that you only specify the calculation modifier section once, but you can have multiple modifiers in there.

Sign Modifiers

The purpose of sign modifiers is to determine whether the value should include a plus or minus sign infront of it.

The sign modifier always goes at the end of the snippet code.

• #signed - forces a calculation to show the appropriate plus or minus sign infront of it.
  Example: {{proficiency#signed}} - shows the proficiency amount with a plus sign infront of it.
• #unsigned - forces a calculation to not show a plus or minus sign infront of it.
  Example: {{12+proficiency#unsigned}} - calculates 12 plus the proficiency, without placing a plus or minus infront of the result.

 Example Calculations

You can perform fairly simple maths with a snippet. Here's a bunch of examples:

• {{10+modifier:str}} - the character's strength bonus + 10.
• {{maxhp/2}} - half the character's maximum hitpoints.
• {{2*abilityscore:con}} - double the characters Constitution score.
• {{(2*modifier:str,dex,con)@min:2}} - takes the highest modifier from strength, dexterity, and constitution, then multiplies it by 2 and applies a minimum of 2 to the result.
• {{(4*modifier:wis)@min:4,max:20}} - this multiplies the character's wisdom modifier by 4, it then applies a minimum result of 4 and a maximum result of 20 to the calculation.
• {{(characterlevel/2)@roundup,min:2,max:9}} - this calculates half of the character level, then rounds the result up and applies a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 9 to the result.
• {{(classlevel-2)/7)@rounddown}} - if used in a barbarian subclass feature, this will calculate the bonus rage damage (as per the table in the PHB).

 Snippet Codes are Abbreviations

Another purpose of snippet codes is to present a lengthy piece of rules text as simply as possible.

As an example, you might have a feat that reads as follows:

As a bonus action, you may leap vertically a number of feet into the air equal to the double the larger value of your strength or dexterity ability score. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining those uses on a long rest.

The snippet for that feat could look something like this:

{{proficiency#unsigned}}x per day, you may jump {{(2*abilityscore:str,dex)}} ft. vertically as a bonus action.

 Major Change Log

• Apr 24th, 2024: Updated to clarify and add examples of some of the more complex calculations. At this point, this shouldn't be considered a placeholder. This thread is 4.5 years old, has reached nearly 50 pages in length, and I haven't been an employee of Wizards of the Coast since January 2023, so consider this to be an update from a very knowledgeable homebrew user. 😂
• Jan 31st, 2019: Expanded to add further modifiers. Huge thanks to Scott & Pasquale - you're both heroes. 🏆
• Oct 10th, 2018: Original post, following the Character Sheet Revamp.

I've added some example above - I'll collate some more examples and add them later.

Quote from Stabs68 >>

Where do you put these in the homebrew feats.?

When creating homebrew, you'll see various fields named "snippet" - these are the fields that display data on the character sheet. These codes can be used in those fields. 

What do you see in the character sheet? Is there an error?

Ah, just to be clear - the snippet code doesn't alter the stats of the character - it is a method of presenting calculated data on the character sheet for your homebrew feat.

You can use #signed or #unsigned

I've updated the documentation in the first post with this information.