> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nmentities.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Extending the Effect Language

> Five extension points for the effect DSL: mechanics, targeters, triggers, conditions and placeholders.

Addons can add **new words to the effect language**, in all five categories. Once registered, they work everywhere the built-ins do: mob effects, NPC right-click effects, named effects, inline blocks, `/nme effect start`. Server owners write them in YAML without knowing or caring that an addon provides them.

## The five extension points

| Extension point  | Example                   | Usable in                                               |
| ---------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Mechanics**    | `shout{m=&4FOR GLORY}`    | any effect line                                         |
| **Targeters**    | `@lowestHealth[16]`       | any effect line                                         |
| **Triggers**     | `~onCast`                 | mob `effects:` lists, fired from the addon's own events |
| **Conditions**   | `if{cond=holding[SWORD]}` | `if` / `while` conditions                               |
| **Placeholders** | `<rpg.tier>`              | any message, title, name or command text                |

Together they make full-stack extensions possible. An RPG addon can fire its own `~onCast` trigger, gate a branch on `holding[SWORD]`, pick victims with `@lowestHealth[16]`, hit them with its `shout` mechanic and print `<rpg.tier>` in the message, all in a server owner's ordinary YAML.

## Registration rules

* **Built-in names always win.** If an addon registers a word with the same name as a built-in, the built-in is used. Pick distinct names.
* **Registrations survive `/nme reload`.** Register once at plugin enable; no re-registration hooks needed.
* **Load order never matters.** Configs referencing addon-provided words are **re-parsed automatically** after the addon registers them. If NMEntities boots before your addon enables, you'll see one parse warning for the unknown word at boot, and it self-heals the moment the addon registers. That warning is normal, not a bug to chase.

## For server owners

If you're not writing an addon yourself, the takeaway is simply: installing an addon can give your effect configs new words. The addon's own docs tell you which. A boot-time warning about an unknown mechanic that disappears once all plugins are enabled is the load-order behavior described above, safe to ignore.

## For developers

Registration goes through `org.nexomaker.api.NMEntitiesAPI`. The developer guide (`API.md`, shipped with the plugin) has complete, compilable examples for each of the five extension points, including attribute parsing so your mechanic can take `{key=value}` blocks like the built-ins.