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can be a very general tag, because basically nearly every spell/attack etc. involves a target.

Should we only be applying when the querent specifically mentions targeting? Or is it applicable for whenever an answer can use it? Or when an answer does use it?

Some examples of recent questions where it was added that prompted this question:

The above may very well need , but especially the first one seemed to be more about the overall effect and resolution and not a question about targeting.

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From our help page on tagging:

A tag is a word or phrase that describes the topic of the question. Tags are a means of connecting experts with questions they will be able to answer by sorting questions into specific, well-defined categories.

Every tag, this one being no exception, should be used when whatever topic is being described by that tag is core to the question being asked. This is because the purpose of a tag is to make questions having to do with that topic easier to find by experts and other seekers.

If we start adding tags when they are only tangentially related, then that tag becomes noisier and less useful to someone using that tag to find things about, for example, targeting.

See this other answer I wrote that touches on a similar question, with a bit more emphasis on how it relates to system tags specifically.

Specifically relating to these two questions:

Are there any spells that can damage a creature in another creatures stomach?, by my reading, could very well be phrased as "Are there any spells that can target a creature in another creature's stomach?". The querent is asking about spells damaging creatures specifically with the concern that targeting them will be difficult and even cites the targeting rules for it. So it seems an appropriate description of the topic of that question.

Can destroy water completely dehydrate a person? I would not have added the tag here, personally. This question is asking about a specific effect can be achieved by casting it on a human. It's not asking whether that person is targetable or not and doesn't seem to concern itself with targeting in any way. It can probably be safely removed.

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    \$\begingroup\$ This is almost exactly what I would have written as well. So I don't think that I'm going leave an answer, even though I'm the person who added the tags in both questions linked. \$\endgroup\$
    – Akixkisu
    Commented Mar 10, 2020 at 18:21
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    \$\begingroup\$ Perfect! And the reasoning on both makes sense. It really was more the dehydrate question that tripped this for me and then the second one was possible but it didn't seem absolute. But thank you for your reasoning. \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Commented Mar 10, 2020 at 18:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ No problem, glad I could help! :) \$\endgroup\$ Commented Mar 10, 2020 at 18:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ Actually, with DanB's answer in on the damaging a creature in another creature's stomach, we've got some examples of non-targeting answers. It's area effect or doing something to the host creature to affect the swallowed one. Would that then be considered a frame-challenge since we're not getting targeting, or is targeting the same as affecting? \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Commented Mar 10, 2020 at 20:08
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    \$\begingroup\$ @NautArch Answers don't really play into how I tag a question since tags exist only to categorise the question topics as asked. The question was asking about damaging a creature and they assumed that it meant that it had to be targeted. Answers pointing out the flaw in that may or may not be frame challenges, I'm not sure. Tagging shouldn't affect how someone answers in any case and the presence or absence of a tag will not affect whether something is a frame challenge or not. (as to your last question, that's a whole big mess in 5e that I can't even begin to untangle) \$\endgroup\$ Commented Mar 10, 2020 at 20:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ Fair enough! I'll go ahead and remove the tag on the dehydrate and leave that other one alone. \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Commented Mar 10, 2020 at 20:16

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