grammar - What does と in "対象とする" mean?

In Japanese version of Magic: the Gathering cards, there is a common idiom

"[target description] を対象とする。[subject] それに [action]."

For example, in this card:

the Japanese text says "クリーチャー１体かプレイヤー１人を対象とする。稲妻はそれに３点のダメージを与える。"

The english text says "Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or player."

1. What does the と in the sentence mean? Wouldn't 対象する work alone?


2. Is there a simpler, less wordy, way to say the same thing, similar to the way that in English, we can use "target" as an adjective?

Answer

1. What does the と in the sentence mean? Wouldn't 対象する work alone?

No, 対象する doesn't work alone (since 対象 is not a suru-verb).

ＡをＢとする (or ＡをＢにする) means "make A B", so クリーチャーを対象とする (or クリーチャーを対象にする) literally means "make a creature the target", "set/have a creature as the target," i.e., "Your target will be a creature."

2. Is there a simpler, less wordy, way to say the same thing, similar to the way that in English, we can use "target" as an adjective?

"Target" as an adjective would be 「対象となる」 or 「対象の」 in Japanese.

To literally translate "Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or player" it'd be like:

稲妻は、対象となる / 対象のクリーチャーかプレイヤーに３ダメージを与える。

... although this does not exactly mean the same thing as the original text; saying 対象となる/対象のクリーチャーかプレイヤー (a creature or player that is your target) implies that you may also encounter 対象とならないクリーチャーかプレイヤー (a creature or player that is not your target).