RPGnet - User contributions [en]

Session

2005-06-23T09:20:21Z

Argyle:

A '''session''' is an individual "episode" of a [[role-playing game]]; generally a pre-arranged time when the [[player]]s and [[GM]] can get together to continue the narrative of the [[RPG]] and advance the storyline. Note that in most games a single story arc may take several sessions to actually play out; or, one session may include bits and pieces of several storylines.

The most popular frequencies for sessions are once a week, once every two weeks, and "whenever we can all get together (don't hold your breath)". Which one is used depends on the [[player]]s' schedules.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Adventure

2005-06-23T09:18:28Z

Argyle:

An '''adventure''' in a [[roleplaying game]] is a single, discrete story. Several adventures in sequence form a [[campaign]]. Game companies often publish pre-made adventure [[supplement]]s. These are often called '''[[module]]s'''.

Adventures consist of certain basic elements common to all forms of storytelling:
====Exposition====
"You all meet in a tavern..."
====The attack of the plot====
"A wild-eyed old man stumbles through the door..."
====The action====
The party journeys to the dungeon and begins hacking up orcs.
====The resolution of the plot====
"...and as you open the door, you hear the bellow of the Orcish Chieftain as he rushes to the attack!"
====Denouement====
Everybody divvies up the treasure, and the wild-eyed old man reveals what that amulet the Chieftain was wearing actually does.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Dungeons & Dragons

2005-06-12T17:21:05Z

Argyle: Wiki links.

'''''Dungeons & Dragons''''' (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a [[fantasy]] [[role-playing game]] (RPG) published by [[Gary Gygax]] and [[David Arneson]] in January 1974. It was first published by Gygax's company, [[Tactical Studies Rules]] (TSR), and subsequently spawned the RPG industry. D&D is by far the best-known and best selling RPG, with an estimated 20 million [[player]]s, many translations and over US$1 billion in book and equipment sales (as of 2004).

After TSR floundered in 1996, [[Wizards of the Coast]] acquired the company in 1997, including all rights to D&D. Two years later, Wizards was purchased by [[Hasbro]]. Owing partially to heavy marketing, products branded Dungeons & Dragons made up over fifty percent of the RPG products sold in 2002.

== Links ==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D&D Wikipedia page on D&D]

[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd WotC D&D homepage]

[[Category:Games]]

GURPS

2005-06-11T20:47:24Z

Argyle: Add another category

'''Generic Universal Role-Playing System''' is a [[role-playing game]] produced by [[Steve Jackson Games]], Inc. The GURPS rule set is intended to be usable with any genre or [[setting]] imaginable. GURPS is currently in its 4th Edition.

The [http://www.sjgames.com/GURPS/ official GURPS page] can be found at the [http://www.sjgames.com/ Steve Jackson Games website].

See also the [[GURPS:Main Page|RPGnet Wiki GURPS annotation project]].

[[Category:GURPS]][[Category:Game System]]

D20 System

2005-06-11T20:46:31Z

Argyle: Add category

The '''D20 System''' is a set of core rules that forms the heart of [[Wizards of the Coast]]'s ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', ''[[Star Wars]]'', and ''[[D20 Modern]]'' product lines. The D20 System rules and basic text are [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/welcome publicly available] under the terms of the [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/oglfaq/20040123f Open Game License]. This has allowed many companies to create their own [[role-playing game]]s using the D20 System or a derivative thereof.

[[Category:Game System]]

Campaign

2005-06-09T16:53:50Z

Argyle: One of these days...

A '''campaign''' is an ongoing storyline revolving about a continuous group of [[character]]s. It is generally made up of a series of [[adventure]]s within a specific [[setting]].

Since the word 'campaign' implies a series of military conquests, games wishing to distance themselves from such martial pursuits have alternate names for their campaigns. For example, ''[[Ars Magica]]'' campaigns are known as [[saga]]s and ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' campaigns are known as [[chronicle]]s.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Campaign

2005-06-09T16:51:55Z

Argyle: Clarification

A campaign is an ongoing storyline revolving about a continuous group of [[character]]s. It is generally made up of a series of [[adventure]]s within a specific [[setting]].

Since the word 'campaign' implies a series of military conquests, games wishing to distance themselves from such martial pursuits have alternate names for their campaigns. For example, ''[[Ars Magica]]'' campaigns are known as [[saga]]s and ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' campaigns are known as [[chronicle]]s.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Talk:RPG Lexica:Main Page

2005-06-07T05:20:17Z

Argyle:

This is where we can talk about the Lexica, including attributions, and possibly origins for some of the more interesting terms.

Feel free to talk! --Kwd

== Re: Latest Mods ==

Many thanks to Hyphz for the numerous entries he put in.

Enough that I'll be redoing the format slightly to better offset the letters...

--[[User:Knockwood|Lord Knockwood the Mad]] 21:06, 17 May 2005 (PDT)

== Format to use ==

Just finished editing the Lexicon pages to make it look a little better...

Given that, I'm putting up some guidelines for entries:

* use Definition syntax, i.e., semicolon and colon in the left-hand column:
;word: What the word means
:Additional information

* put two blank lines between entries
* don't forget to add actual links to relevant web pages (such as the link I put in to "Real Ultimate Power" under "Ninja")
* put in an Origin if you know it
* references to other entries in the Lexicon should be in '''bold'''. (They should also ''be there'', which is why we need entries for 'min-max', among other things. :) )

Have fun with it... --[[User:Knockwood|Lord Knockwood the Mad]] 21:44, 17 May 2005 (PDT)

== Topic Creep ==

I've noticed some topic creep going on. As I understood it, this project was for the collection of ''humorous'' definitions, but I've noted a fair proportion of ''serious'' definitions creeping into the list. Before I just go stomping about in the petunias, I thought I'd ask if anyone objects. Does anyone object?

Alternately, are we sure this is being handled in exactly the right way? It would seem to make sense to me to move these terms to their own pages in the main namespace, and create to subcategories under [[:Category:Terminology|terminology]]: Jargon and Lingo.

Jargon is the correct term for specialized vocabulary used in a profession or hobby because the denotative definitions of the words only apply (or are only used in that sense) within the field in question. The Jargon category would therefore contain all "serious" definitions -- i.e., the ones we all learned from some rulebook or other.

Lingo is the proper word for that collection of slang and myth/legend references which mark one as a member of a culture or subculture. The Lingo category would be home to the humorous definitions and stories of their origins.

Any comments on this idea?

[[User:Adalger|Adalger]] 18:28, 3 Jun 2005 (PDT)

== Re: Topic Creep ==

Well, you got me on the 'serious' definitions... the main reason many of them are there is because they're referenced in other definitions which fit the theme better. (NPC is a good example.) On the other hand, one of the reasons this is called the Lexica project (as opposed to just a Lexicon) is because it's supposed to be a bunch of lists... jargon and lingo, as you said. Right now we've got a link to the Category in the main page, it might actually be better to have a place for the more formal definitions and migrate a few entries there, with links.

As for individual pages for each definition, I can't help but think the overhead of that many pages would be far too high. For now I think it'd be better to keep it in the letter-group setup. Later on, if the lexicon gets much larger, maybe we could split it up into 2-letter groups (like the old Gamer Jargon site had) or even individual letters.

Some definitions--or more to the point, 'gateway' entries--could have links to their own pages, if there's a need for lots of explanation on a topic. Say, maybe an entry on 'character archetypes', or a list of Movies You Must See To Understand Us. :)

BTW, Adalger, thanks for the tweaks you've done... I'd been meaning to put in 'Previous' and 'Next' links.
--[[User:Knockwood|Lord Knockwood the Mad]] 19:23, 3 Jun 2005 (PDT)

== Dividing (& Conquering) ==

Two thoughts on various topics:

'''Pages.''' Having a lot of pages might seem excessive, but you could keep the namespace of the wiki fairly clean just by maintaining the Lexica category (e.g., Lexica:TPK). I ''think'' searches will still do the fairly rationale thing.

Beyond that you could keep it easy to find stuff by putting each element in the Lexica Category.

'''Seriousness.''' If there are references to more serious entries, like NPCs, why not just link to the more serious Terminology definition already out there? [[NPC]] That's one of the joys of a Wiki, being able to bounce off of other people's work.

In any case, this is clearly a good topic because it's one of the first projects really getting group input!

-ShannonA

== Re: Dividing ==

Well, there's actually one more reason to keep this together in blocks: that way it can be ''browsed''. You can learn new words by just looking over the page! :)

But Shannon's definitely right about using the existing Lexica for standard terms. In that case, the next step will be pulling a few entries out in favor of the formal definitions.

Although, there may be a compromise possible, if the wiki can use HTML anchors... that way a link can go straight to the entry rather than just to the page, as I've been doing. Is that workable?

--[[User:Knockwood|Lord Knockwood the Mad]] 20:33, 3 Jun 2005 (PDT)

===Technically unworkable===
This can be done from within the page, but not from another page. This is a strength of putting each definition on its own page. This does not lose the "browseable" advantage, either. People would still be able to browse by visiting the appropriate category page.

[[User:Adalger|Adalger]] 20:46, 3 Jun 2005 (PDT)

Perhaps an abbreviated definition can be put on the Lexica pages and the word itself can be used as a link to the more complete definition?

;[[Module]]: A store-bought adventure.

Something like that? What say you?
[[User:Argyle|Argyle]] 22:20, 6 Jun 2005 (PDT)

RPG Lexica:DEF

2005-06-05T10:28:21Z

Argyle: /* D */

==D==

;D: Abbreviation for ''[[dice]]'', either upper or lower case. Because dice are used so frequently in [[role-playing game|role-playing]] and other forms of games, an abbreviated notation is used for describing dice types, consisting of two numbers seperated by a letter 'd'. The number before the 'd' indicates how many dice are referred to (omitted if only one), and the number after indicates how many sides are on the dice. The common cubic dice is a [[d6]] (six-sided), but other dice shapes designed for gaming include the [[d4]], [[d8]], [[d10]], [[d12]], and [[d20]]. For example, 5d6 indicates "5 six-sided dice". This can be further extended with mathematical symbols, indicating a math operation should be applied to the result shown on the dice after they are rolled: 5d6+3 indicates "roll 5 six-sided dice, add them up (the default way of calculating the result of multiple dice), then add 3 to the result". A further extension, not so popularly used, adds the letter "k" (for "keep") to indicate that having rolled the dice, not all of the dice should be added up; the number after the "k" indicates how many dice results should be added. For example, "4d6k3" means that 4 six-sided dice should be rolled, then 3 of those results (usually the highest) selected and added together to give the final result.

;D100: An example of the d- notation, but also a special case. Although 100-sided [[dice]] do exist (specifically the "Zocchihedron"), they are relatively rare; the more common way of rolling a d100 is to roll two [[d10]]s, designating one as the tens digit and one as the units.

;D20: A twenty-sided die; also a generic roleplaying system controlled by [[Wizards of the Coast]]. The [[d20 system]] is a customizable generic system based on a twenty-sided [[dice]] (hence the name), and reusable freely by authors under certain terms and conditions. These terms and conditions include the need to seek explicit approval to refer to the game as supporting "d20" (a controlled trademark), and the provision that certain key rules must be omitted from third-party games, thus forcing [[player]]s to purchase books produced by [[Wizards of the Coast]] in order to obtain them. The impact of the d20 system on the hobby has been considerable, and players are divided as to whether the strong adoption of a common system for games has simplified and streamlined the hobby, or whether it has harmed the hobby by reducing diversity and forcing games to be written with a system which does have documented flaws and is not necessarily ideal for every [[setting]].

;D666: An apparent example of the d- notation, but in fact a special case; there is no such thing as a 666-sided die. The d666 system was used in the game ''[[In Nomine]]'', in which [[player]]s take the roles of either demons or angels. To "roll a d666", the player rolls 3d6, allocating two of the dice to be added together to indicate whether they have succeeded or failed at a task, and the one remaining die to be read alone to indicate the magnitude of the success or failure. A roll of 6-6-6 is a critical if the player is playing a demon, or a fumble if the player is playing an angel; a roll of 1-1-1 is vice versa.

;Darkness Isn't Dark: A phrase indicating that a given [[game system]] is acknowledged to be flawed, but is played anyway because it delivers a good entertainment experience. "But it doesn't make sense!" "What do you expect? In this game darkness isn't dark."
:Origin: From the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' revised third edition, in which the Darkness spell was described as creating "an area of shadowy illumination" in which it was hard to see. Since "shadowy illumination" is still better than no illumination at all, this implied that casting Darkness in a room that was already pitch dark would make it lighter.

;Deus-Ex-DM: A situation where the [[gamemaster]] screws over the [[player]]s by pulling some arbitrary element the players "forgot to consider" out of his ass. Can be extended to any situation where the GM complicates the [[PC]]s' lives with something arbitrary that they haven't had to deal with until now.
:Origin: [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn087.htm A particular episode] of the webcomic [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn.htm "Full Frontal Nerdity"], by Aaron Williams.

;Dice Pool System: A game system in which a player is given a particular number of [[dice]], each of which may be rolled only once before being taken away from them. When a dice roll is needed, the player can choose to roll any number of dice from the pool; choosing more dice increases the probability of a better result, but also consumes the limited number of dice in the pool faster. Usually, some game action or the passage of some amount of time will cause all dice to be restored to the pool.

;Ding!:Said when a character has just gained a '''[[level]]''' or otherwise reached a significant point of advancement. Origin: The online [[RPG]] ''[[EverQuest]]'', which played a dinging sound effect when a [[PC]] gained a level; this convention was adopted by several other online RPGs.

;Dungeon Crawl: A style of gameplay wherein the main activity is the mapping and conquest of underground regions. Such regions are usually man-made "dungeons" wherein various different creatures make their residence with little regard to ecology, economy, or common sense. Generally a very combat-oriented type of gameplay, and thus usually a subset of '''Hack and Slash'''.

==E==

;EDO: An acronym for "Elf Dwarf Orc", a label for games or [[setting]]s which wallow in the stereotypes of high fantasy established by the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and the game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Specifically refers to the tendency of these games to always feature these three races as primary elements, even if there is no compelling reason to do so.

;Exploding Dice: The term for [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|open-ended]] rolls that may potentially give very high results; more often, a specific roll that does so. So named because the results of these die rolls are generally low, with a few slightly higher... and then a very few that are ''ridiculously'' high, usually resulting in extreme results. (see [[RPG_Lexica:ABC|critical hit]], and multiply it.)
:An exploding dice result at the right time can change a game (or even a gameworld) radically. The best ones are right at the climax of an [[adventure]], to do things like destroy the villain and his plans utterly; unfortunately, Murphy's Law says you're probably going to see them at either unimportant rolls (like a simple Vision Check to spot a light on a panel), or at times when an extreme result would be bad (such as trying to knock out someone ''without'' killing them). Murphy's Law also says your opposition will get them at the absolute worst time.

==F==

;Fantasy Heartbreaker: A label for a specific kind of [[RPG]], examples of which surface with regularity in the hobby. Common elements include publication by a small company or vanity press, a length of several hundred pages, a rule system with deliberately baroque aspects and an incorporated setting built from generic fantasy tropes (see '''EDO''' above). Inevitably the writers of such games are trying to approach the same assumptions used by ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and improve on the systems built from them. These games are Heartbreakers because their creators have obviously put a great deal of time and effort into getting them published, but the chances of them finding a niche in a field so thoroughly dominated by the established leader is nil. The term was originated by Ron Edwards in a series of essays posted on the '''Forge''' (see below).

;Filing Off the Serial Numbers: An expression used when a rule, [[setting]] or other element of an [[RPG]] has obviously been heavily influenced or outright copied from another design. Not so much an accusation of blatant plagiarism as a bemused observation of not having fully acknowledged one's antecedents. Derived from the method allegedly used to render handguns untraceable, or by auto theives to render a stolen vehicle or part untraceable.

;Fine Red Mist: What is said to be left of a [[character]] who has just taken an obscene amount of [[damage]], much more than what was needed to kill him. As an example, a character who was right next to a large bomb when it went off could be said to have been "reduced to a fine red mist".

;FLGS: An abbreviation of '''Friendly Local Game Store''', referring to traditional store-based game retailers. Generally acknowledged as important to the hobby, such stores provide a visible presence, space to play and a community gathering point. They are nearly always small locally owned businesses run by individuals with a personal stake in the hobby rather than distant entrepreneurs. However, they are notoriously short-lived and poorly managed as their owners often lack adequate business training and experience. Expertly managed, prosperous '''FLGS'''s do exist, but in recent years they are continuously under threat from online booksellers who can typically undercut their prices easily due to a lack of comparable overhead.

;Fluff: Slang for the parts of a [[RPG]] book other than the rules--such as [[setting]] details, game fiction, history, et cetera. Usually contrasted with '''Crunch''', which is the actual rules.

;Forge, the: [http://www.indie-rpgs.com The Forge] (originally "Hepheastus's Forge") is a discussion website for [[RPG]] [[player]]s and designers which attempts detailed, almost scientific-level analysis, of game playing. It was created and is still run by Ron Edwards, author of the independant game ''[[Sorceror]]'', and originally showcased several documents written by him describing the design principles followed in that game (although these are now considered to have been superceded by discussion and have been moved to a less prominent location). Advocates of the Forge claim that the discussion there is strongly stimulating and inspiring, encourages the development of new ideas, and has been responsible for the development of some of the best independant RPGs avaliable. Critics claim that the discussion is over-analytical, incomprehensible to outsiders, and ultimately vacuous, and that those independant RPGs would have been developed anyway regardless of whether their authors had participated in the Forge or not.

;Fudge
#As a verb, for a [[GM]] to clandestinely modify aspects of a [[game system]], known to him and not the [[player]]s, that would otherwise be random or impartial. Thus, the GM may be said to “fudge the [[dice]]”. The term usually carries the implication of pushing things towards the players' benefit in the cause of improving the game experience for all involved. For example, ignoring a situational modifier and declaring that a [[character]] succeeded in striking a mighty blow against a protagonist during a climactic confrontation. A strict interpretation of the game's resolution method would say otherwise, but it better serves the [[drama]]tic needs of the game for the blow to be struck.
#As a noun, a specific [[RPG]] written by Steffan O'Sullivan in collaboration with the newsgroup rec.games.design. Besides having a strong influence on subsequent designs, noteworthy for being the first significant “open source” RPG.

;___-Fu: Skill in ___, especially if the approach to that could be said to come from extensive learning or training. Often used with pseudo-Zen sentence constructions, such as "My _____-fu is strong." to indicate a high level of skill.
:Origin: Generalization of the -fu in "kung-fu". (Note that this is actually wrong: according to [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Kung%20Fu Dictionary.com], it's the "kung" part that denotes skill.)
:Usage:
::GM: "How the hell did you manage to create a [[character]] this powerful at the ''starting level?''"
::Player: "My chargen-fu is strong."

;Fumble: A rare [[dice]] result indicating a catastrophic failure at a task. Typically a fumble will be a failure regardless of the task attempted, and may be a worse failure than a non-fumble would have been.

;Funky Dice: [[Dice]] of a form other than the regular "cubes with pips" most people think of at mention of the word dice; see '''D''' above. Since [[d4|four-sided]], [[d8|eight-sided]], [[d10|ten-sided]] and other such non-traditional randomn number generators see little use outside of the RPG hobby, they are generally only available from specialty retailers (such as a '''FLGS''') and thus the acquiring of one's first set of '''Funky Dice''' is often an early step of initiation for a beginning gamer.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:DEF

2005-06-05T10:21:21Z

Argyle: /* D */ Close run-away tag. My bad.

==D==

;D: Abbreviation for ''[[dice]]'', either upper or lower case. Because dice are used so frequently in [[role-playing game|role-playing]] and other forms of games, an abbreviated notation is used for describing dice types, consisting of two numbers seperated by a letter 'd'. The number before the 'd' indicates how many dice are referred to (omitted if only one), and the number after indicates how many sides are on the dice. The common cubic dice is a [[d6]] (six-sided), but other dice shapes designed for gaming include the [[d4]], [[d8]], [[d10]], [[d12]], and [[d20]]. For example, 5d6 indicates "5 six-sided dice". This can be further extended with mathematical symbols, indicating a math operation should be applied to the result shown on the dice after they are rolled: 5d6+3 indicates "roll 5 six-sided dice, add them up (the default way of calculating the result of multiple dice), then add 3 to the result". A further extension, not so popularly used, adds the letter "k" (for "keep") to indicate that having rolled the dice, not all of the dice should be added up; the number after the "k" indicates how many dice results should be added. For example, "4d6k3" means that 4 six-sided dice should be rolled, then 3 of those results (usually the highest) selected and added together to give the final result.

;D100: An example of the d- notation, but also a special case. Although 100-sided [[dice]] do exist (specifically the "Zocchihedron"), they are relatively rare; the more common way of rolling a d100 is to roll two [[d10]]s, designating one as the tens digit and one as the units.

;D20: A twenty-sided die; also a generic roleplaying system controlled by Wizards Of The Coast. The [[d20 system]] is a customizable generic system based on a twenty-sided [[dice]] (hence the name), and reusable freely by authors under certain terms and conditions. These terms and conditions include the need to seek explicit approval to refer to the game as supporting "d20" (a controlled trademark), and the provision that certain key rules must be omitted from third-party games, thus forcing [[player]]s to purchase books produced by [[Wizards of the Coast]] in order to obtain them. The impact of the d20 system on the hobby has been considerable, and players are divided as to whether the strong adoption of a common system for games has simplified and streamlined the hobby, or whether it has harmed the hobby by reducing diversity and forcing games to be written with a system which does have documented flaws and is not necessarily ideal for every [[setting]].

;D666: An apparent example of the d- notation, but in fact a special case; there is no such thing as a 666-sided die. The d666 system was used in the game ''[[In Nomine]]'', in which [[player]]s take the roles of either demons or angels. To "roll a d666", the player rolls 3d6, allocating two of the dice to be added together to indicate whether they have succeeded or failed at a task, and the one remaining die to be read alone to indicate the magnitude of the success or failure. A roll of 6-6-6 is a critical if the player is playing a demon, or a fumble if the player is playing an angel; a roll of 1-1-1 is vice versa.

;Darkness Isn't Dark: A phrase indicating that a given [[game system]] is acknowledged to be flawed, but is played anyway because it delivers a good entertainment experience. "But it doesn't make sense!" "What do you expect? In this game darkness isn't dark."
:Origin: From the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' revised third edition, in which the Darkness spell was described as creating "an area of shadowy illumination" in which it was hard to see. Since "shadowy illumination" is still better than no illumination at all, this implied that casting Darkness in a room that was already pitch dark would make it lighter.

;Deus-Ex-DM: A situation where the [[gamemaster]] screws over the [[player]]s by pulling some arbitrary element the players "forgot to consider" out of his ass. Can be extended to any situation where the GM complicates the [[PC]]s' lives with something arbitrary that they haven't had to deal with until now.
:Origin: [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn087.htm A particular episode] of the webcomic [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn.htm "Full Frontal Nerdity"], by Aaron Williams.

;Dice Pool System: A game system in which a player is given a particular number of [[dice]], each of which may be rolled only once before being taken away from them. When a dice roll is needed, the player can choose to roll any number of dice from the pool; choosing more dice increases the probability of a better result, but also consumes the limited number of dice in the pool faster. Usually, some game action or the passage of some amount of time will cause all dice to be restored to the pool.

;Ding!:Said when a character has just gained a '''[[level]]''' or otherwise reached a significant point of advancement. Origin: The online [[RPG]] ''[[EverQuest]]'', which played a dinging sound effect when a [[PC]] gained a level; this convention was adopted by several other online RPGs.

;Dungeon Crawl: A style of gameplay wherein the main activity is the mapping and conquest of underground regions. Such regions are usually man-made "dungeons" wherein various different creatures make their residence with little regard to ecology, economy, or common sense. Generally a very combat-oriented type of gameplay, and thus usually a subset of '''Hack and Slash'''.

==E==

;EDO: An acronym for "Elf Dwarf Orc", a label for games or [[setting]]s which wallow in the stereotypes of high fantasy established by the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and the game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Specifically refers to the tendency of these games to always feature these three races as primary elements, even if there is no compelling reason to do so.

;Exploding Dice: The term for [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|open-ended]] rolls that may potentially give very high results; more often, a specific roll that does so. So named because the results of these die rolls are generally low, with a few slightly higher... and then a very few that are ''ridiculously'' high, usually resulting in extreme results. (see [[RPG_Lexica:ABC|critical hit]], and multiply it.)
:An exploding dice result at the right time can change a game (or even a gameworld) radically. The best ones are right at the climax of an [[adventure]], to do things like destroy the villain and his plans utterly; unfortunately, Murphy's Law says you're probably going to see them at either unimportant rolls (like a simple Vision Check to spot a light on a panel), or at times when an extreme result would be bad (such as trying to knock out someone ''without'' killing them). Murphy's Law also says your opposition will get them at the absolute worst time.

==F==

;Fantasy Heartbreaker: A label for a specific kind of [[RPG]], examples of which surface with regularity in the hobby. Common elements include publication by a small company or vanity press, a length of several hundred pages, a rule system with deliberately baroque aspects and an incorporated setting built from generic fantasy tropes (see '''EDO''' above). Inevitably the writers of such games are trying to approach the same assumptions used by ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and improve on the systems built from them. These games are Heartbreakers because their creators have obviously put a great deal of time and effort into getting them published, but the chances of them finding a niche in a field so thoroughly dominated by the established leader is nil. The term was originated by Ron Edwards in a series of essays posted on the '''Forge''' (see below).

;Filing Off the Serial Numbers: An expression used when a rule, [[setting]] or other element of an [[RPG]] has obviously been heavily influenced or outright copied from another design. Not so much an accusation of blatant plagiarism as a bemused observation of not having fully acknowledged one's antecedents. Derived from the method allegedly used to render handguns untraceable, or by auto theives to render a stolen vehicle or part untraceable.

;Fine Red Mist: What is said to be left of a [[character]] who has just taken an obscene amount of [[damage]], much more than what was needed to kill him. As an example, a character who was right next to a large bomb when it went off could be said to have been "reduced to a fine red mist".

;FLGS: An abbreviation of '''Friendly Local Game Store''', referring to traditional store-based game retailers. Generally acknowledged as important to the hobby, such stores provide a visible presence, space to play and a community gathering point. They are nearly always small locally owned businesses run by individuals with a personal stake in the hobby rather than distant entrepreneurs. However, they are notoriously short-lived and poorly managed as their owners often lack adequate business training and experience. Expertly managed, prosperous '''FLGS'''s do exist, but in recent years they are continuously under threat from online booksellers who can typically undercut their prices easily due to a lack of comparable overhead.

;Fluff: Slang for the parts of a [[RPG]] book other than the rules--such as [[setting]] details, game fiction, history, et cetera. Usually contrasted with '''Crunch''', which is the actual rules.

;Forge, the: [http://www.indie-rpgs.com The Forge] (originally "Hepheastus's Forge") is a discussion website for [[RPG]] [[player]]s and designers which attempts detailed, almost scientific-level analysis, of game playing. It was created and is still run by Ron Edwards, author of the independant game ''[[Sorceror]]'', and originally showcased several documents written by him describing the design principles followed in that game (although these are now considered to have been superceded by discussion and have been moved to a less prominent location). Advocates of the Forge claim that the discussion there is strongly stimulating and inspiring, encourages the development of new ideas, and has been responsible for the development of some of the best independant RPGs avaliable. Critics claim that the discussion is over-analytical, incomprehensible to outsiders, and ultimately vacuous, and that those independant RPGs would have been developed anyway regardless of whether their authors had participated in the Forge or not.

;Fudge
#As a verb, for a [[GM]] to clandestinely modify aspects of a [[game system]], known to him and not the [[player]]s, that would otherwise be random or impartial. Thus, the GM may be said to “fudge the [[dice]]”. The term usually carries the implication of pushing things towards the players' benefit in the cause of improving the game experience for all involved. For example, ignoring a situational modifier and declaring that a [[character]] succeeded in striking a mighty blow against a protagonist during a climactic confrontation. A strict interpretation of the game's resolution method would say otherwise, but it better serves the [[drama]]tic needs of the game for the blow to be struck.
#As a noun, a specific [[RPG]] written by Steffan O'Sullivan in collaboration with the newsgroup rec.games.design. Besides having a strong influence on subsequent designs, noteworthy for being the first significant “open source” RPG.

;___-Fu: Skill in ___, especially if the approach to that could be said to come from extensive learning or training. Often used with pseudo-Zen sentence constructions, such as "My _____-fu is strong." to indicate a high level of skill.
:Origin: Generalization of the -fu in "kung-fu". (Note that this is actually wrong: according to [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Kung%20Fu Dictionary.com], it's the "kung" part that denotes skill.)
:Usage:
::GM: "How the hell did you manage to create a [[character]] this powerful at the ''starting level?''"
::Player: "My chargen-fu is strong."

;Fumble: A rare [[dice]] result indicating a catastrophic failure at a task. Typically a fumble will be a failure regardless of the task attempted, and may be a worse failure than a non-fumble would have been.

;Funky Dice: [[Dice]] of a form other than the regular "cubes with pips" most people think of at mention of the word dice; see '''D''' above. Since [[d4|four-sided]], [[d8|eight-sided]], [[d10|ten-sided]] and other such non-traditional randomn number generators see little use outside of the RPG hobby, they are generally only available from specialty retailers (such as a '''FLGS''') and thus the acquiring of one's first set of '''Funky Dice''' is often an early step of initiation for a beginning gamer.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

Module

2005-06-05T09:43:04Z

Argyle: Tiny tweak

A '''module''' is another name for a published pre-made [[adventure]] scenario. Typically, a module will provide the following:

*at least one and possibly several [[plot hook]]s to engage the [[party]]
*detailed maps of all significant adventuring areas
*descriptions of adversaries in pre-planned [[encounter]]s
*guides to the behavior of adversaries in pre-planned encounters
*an intended storyline for the characters to follow
*a guideline for the overall party strength required to successfully complete the adventure

The most praiseworthy feature of such modules is that they allow [[referee]]s with little time for detailed construction of challenges to run interesting and engaging gaming [[session]]s. Their greatest flaw is that they often tend heavily toward [[railroad]]ing.

Possibly the most famous module is "B2: The Keep on the Borderlands" which was packaged with the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' Basic Set.

[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:YZ9

2005-06-05T09:41:56Z

Argyle: /* Numbers & Symbols */

==Y==

;Yoink!: Short for "I like that idea so much I'm stealing it (for my game)". Origin: from the supposed sound of something being snatched away. Think back to saturday morning cartoons and you will know the sound.

;"You all meet in a tavern...": The "classic" (read: cliched) way to bring a [[party]] together in a fantasy game; often extended to other games as well.

==Z==

==Numbers & Symbols==

;101, the: Slang for the basic information about some subject of interest. Usually used to refer to imparting this information to another: "I'll give him the 101 on the Agency while we're staying here in the safe house." From the traditional course number for introductory courses in American colleges and high schools (from "MemoryBeast", on the RPGnet Fora). It is not a reference to George Orwell's book ''1984'', where 101 was the room prisoners were exiled to in order to face "the most horrible thing in the world."

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:YZ9

2005-06-05T09:40:54Z

Argyle: /* Y */ Yoo hoo

==Y==

;Yoink!: Short for "I like that idea so much I'm stealing it (for my game)". Origin: from the supposed sound of something being snatched away. Think back to saturday morning cartoons and you will know the sound.

;"You all meet in a tavern...": The "classic" (read: cliched) way to bring a [[party]] together in a fantasy game; often extended to other games as well.

==Z==

==Numbers & Symbols==

;101, the: Slang for the basic information about some subject of interest. Usually used to refer to imparting this information to another: "I'll give him the 101 on the Agency while we're staying here in the safe house." From the traditional course number for introductory courses in American colleges and high schools (from "MemoryBeast", on the RPGnet Fora). It is not a reference to George Orwell's 1984, where 101 was the room prisoners were exiled to in order to face "the most horrible thing in the world."

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:VWX

2005-06-05T09:40:17Z

Argyle: /* X */ X marks the spot

==V==

;Vitality and wounds system: A modified version of [[hit point]]s, used in some later [[d20 system|d20 games]] to attempt to overcome the hitpoint gain problem. Under this system, health is measured in vitality points and wound points; vitality points are lost in combat and in other situations where [[drama]]tic immunity would apply, whereas wound points are lost in situations where real physical [[damage]] is inevitable. Vitality points are gained when a [[character]] advances, but wound points are not. Unfortunately, the system assigns a penalty to a character who loses even a single wound point, leading to the intended dramatic nature of the game being disrupted: in one instance in a ''[[Star Wars]]'' game, a [[player]] refused to have their character climb out of a duct above a spaceship corridor into that corridor without a rope for fear that he would take a single point of wound damage from the fall, thus becoming subjected to the penalty for being wounded.

==W==

;Wall of Fear and Ignorance, The: The [[game master]]'s screen.
:Origin: ''[[Paranoia]]'', the RPG

;Whiff: Of an [[RPG]] [[character]], to fail at a task in a game as the result of a poor [[dice]] roll. The term is usually used to express frustration that the possibility of random failure could not be entirely eliminated even though logically it should have been: "I'm a master sniper with years of experience, using the latest high-powered rifle and a fully calibrated scope, shooting someone just across the road who's standing stock-still with no cover, and I've got as much time to aim as I need and no distractions.. but then I roll a 1 and whiff." Whiffing can frustrate [[player]]s, and also can harm suspension of disbelief (what exactly happened to the sniper in the previous example to cause him to fail?)
:Origin: from the sound made by a sword, arm, or other item swishing past a person or object that it's just failed to hit.

;Whiff factor: The continuous possibility of random failure created by a [[game system]]. The whiff factor varies between game systems; in games where it is too high, the ability for [[player]]s to play in the intended style may be disrupted by the need to continuously allow for random failure. For example, if the players are planning out a commando raid on any enemy installation, they are required to plan for the failure of every action involved, even the most trivial ones.

==X==

;XP: Common abbreviation for '''[[experience point]]s''', which are used in [[RPG]]s to reward [[character]]s for success in combat, task-completion, and story advancement, and measure how far they've gone in their [[adventure|adventuring]] careers.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:VWX

2005-06-05T09:39:22Z

Argyle: /* W */ Woo woo!

==V==

;Vitality and wounds system: A modified version of [[hit point]]s, used in some later [[d20 system|d20 games]] to attempt to overcome the hitpoint gain problem. Under this system, health is measured in vitality points and wound points; vitality points are lost in combat and in other situations where [[drama]]tic immunity would apply, whereas wound points are lost in situations where real physical [[damage]] is inevitable. Vitality points are gained when a [[character]] advances, but wound points are not. Unfortunately, the system assigns a penalty to a character who loses even a single wound point, leading to the intended dramatic nature of the game being disrupted: in one instance in a ''[[Star Wars]]'' game, a [[player]] refused to have their character climb out of a duct above a spaceship corridor into that corridor without a rope for fear that he would take a single point of wound damage from the fall, thus becoming subjected to the penalty for being wounded.

==W==

;Wall of Fear and Ignorance, The: The [[game master]]'s screen.
:Origin: ''[[Paranoia]]'', the RPG

;Whiff: Of an [[RPG]] [[character]], to fail at a task in a game as the result of a poor [[dice]] roll. The term is usually used to express frustration that the possibility of random failure could not be entirely eliminated even though logically it should have been: "I'm a master sniper with years of experience, using the latest high-powered rifle and a fully calibrated scope, shooting someone just across the road who's standing stock-still with no cover, and I've got as much time to aim as I need and no distractions.. but then I roll a 1 and whiff." Whiffing can frustrate [[player]]s, and also can harm suspension of disbelief (what exactly happened to the sniper in the previous example to cause him to fail?)
:Origin: from the sound made by a sword, arm, or other item swishing past a person or object that it's just failed to hit.

;Whiff factor: The continuous possibility of random failure created by a [[game system]]. The whiff factor varies between game systems; in games where it is too high, the ability for [[player]]s to play in the intended style may be disrupted by the need to continuously allow for random failure. For example, if the players are planning out a commando raid on any enemy installation, they are required to plan for the failure of every action involved, even the most trivial ones.

==X==

;XP: Common abbreviation for ''experience points'', which are used in RPGs to reward characters for success in combat, task-completion, and story advancement, and measure how far they've gone in their adventuring careers.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:VWX

2005-06-05T09:37:21Z

Argyle: /* V */ V is for Vrooom!

==V==

;Vitality and wounds system: A modified version of [[hit point]]s, used in some later [[d20 system|d20 games]] to attempt to overcome the hitpoint gain problem. Under this system, health is measured in vitality points and wound points; vitality points are lost in combat and in other situations where [[drama]]tic immunity would apply, whereas wound points are lost in situations where real physical [[damage]] is inevitable. Vitality points are gained when a [[character]] advances, but wound points are not. Unfortunately, the system assigns a penalty to a character who loses even a single wound point, leading to the intended dramatic nature of the game being disrupted: in one instance in a ''[[Star Wars]]'' game, a [[player]] refused to have their character climb out of a duct above a spaceship corridor into that corridor without a rope for fear that he would take a single point of wound damage from the fall, thus becoming subjected to the penalty for being wounded.

==W==

;Wall of Fear and Ignorance, The:The gamemaster's screen.
:Origin:Paranoia, the RPG

;Whiff: Of an RPG character, to fail at a task in a game as the result of a poor dice roll. The term is usually used to express frustration that the possibility of random failure could not be entirely eliminated even though logically it should have been: "I'm a master sniper with years of experience, using the latest high-powered rifle and a fully calibrated scope, shooting someone just across the road who's standing stock-still with no cover, and I've got as much time to aim as I need and no distractions.. but then I roll a 1 and whiff." Whiffing can frustrate players, and also can harm suspension of disbelief (what exactly happened to the sniper in the previous example to cause him to fail?)
:Origin: from the sound made by a sword, arm, or other item swishing past a person or object that it's just failed to hit.

;Whiff factor: The continuous possibility of random failure created by a game system. The whiff factor varies between game systems; in games where it is too high, the ability for players to play in the intended style may be disrupted by the need to continuously allow for random failure. For example, if the players are planning out a commando raid on any enemy installation, they are required to plan for the failure of every action involved, even the most trivial ones.

==X==

;XP: Common abbreviation for ''experience points'', which are used in RPGs to reward characters for success in combat, task-completion, and story advancement, and measure how far they've gone in their adventuring careers.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:STU

2005-06-05T09:34:12Z

Argyle: /* T */ Tea for two?

==S==

;Social Contract: The (often unstated) rules that govern the interactions taking place during an [[RPG]]. ''Not'' a statement of basic social etiquette, which is assumed to be in force regardless: rather the social contract of an RPG defines the expectations and responsibilites of the [[player]]s with regard to the entertainment of the RPG [[session]]. For example, many games have the rule that the [[GM]] may break the rules if doing so is to the good of the game; the social contract would include the definition of what "the good of the game" means in the particular group. As mentioned above, these are often unstated and not discussed, which can later lead to friction in the group.

;Social Skills Problem: A problem arising in many [[RPG]]s where social skills are modelled as part of the rules system. The typical problem is that resolving the results of these skills via a simple [[dice]] roll, as usually mandated by the rules, will leave the [[player]]s and [[GM]] with no idea of what was actually said or done by the [[character]] - highly unsatisfactory. On the other hand, if the player is required to speak in-character and to play out the social situation, then the situation will be determined by the player's social skills, not the character's.

;Splat: The general term for a subgroup of [[character]]s, especially one that [[player character]]s are expected to belong to. Origin: back-construction from "splatbook".

;Splatbook: Any of a series of books going into extensive detail on a small subgroup of [[character]]s in a [[RPG]], especially a group that [[player character]]s are expected to belong to. The implication is that the series of books are similar enough that their titles are interchangeable except for one word. [[White Wolf]] makes several of these, such as the various "Clanbook: ______" books for ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', each of which details one specific Clan.
:Origin: From "splat" as a name for the asterisk (*) character (which itself is because of the squashed-bug appearance of the asterisk on early dot-matrix printers), and the fact that the asterisk usually means "Match with anything" when used in searches in computer documents or on the command-line. (For example, the above books could be found by searching for "Clanbook: *" in some editor programs.)

;Stat: A numeric value representing a [[character]]'s competence at something. A shortening of ''statistic'', used in reference to [[player]] statistics in sports which are used to retroactively measure the sportsperson's performance in terms of what they have previously achieved. In [[RPG]]s, the numbers are set by other methods and then used to calculate the character's performance and achievements in the future. Thus they are technically parameters rather than statistics, but the name has stuck.

;Superheroes, types of
:Superhero [[RPG]]s enable [[player]]s to play [[character]]s with any of several types of powers, like the characters in comic books. Certain combinations of powers and abilities occur frequently enough that shorthand terms have been created for them.
:The following are some of the more common terms:
*'''Brick''': A character whose primary attribute is high strength (Superman, the Hulk, the Thing from the Fantastic Four), especially in systems like ''[[Hero]]'' in which Strength adds to defenses, making them tougher. Sometimes applied to games in other genres to refer to high-strength characters (such as a typical [[D&D]] fighter).
*'''Dex Monster''': A character whose primary attribute is high Dexterity. Usually has good weapon skill, classic “thief skills”, and is often quicker than other characters (though not as quick as a '''speedster''', below).
*'''Egoist''': A ''[[Hero]]'' term for a '''Mentalist''', below, since the main statistic they use in ''Hero'' is called “Ego”.
*'''Energy Projector''': A character that “throws” an energy discharge of some sort, such as a fire blast, lightning bolt, or just the blast of destructive energy typical of many comic book characters. Originally a ''[[Champions]]'' term.
*'''Gadgeteer''': A character that relies on technical ability and machines. May be applied to characters from other genres as well.
*'''Martial Artist''': A character that relies on hand-to-hand combat skill without necessarily having high strength. Usually skilled in Eastern [[martial arts]] (or fake pseudo-Eastern super martial arts).
*'''Mentalist''': A character that uses “mental powers” such as Telepathy or Telekinesis; in RPGs, often has a mental attack power that hurts someone they can contact telepathically. Also called a '''Psi''', '''Psionic''' or '''Psychic'''. (Examples: Professor X, Jean Grey)
*'''Powersuit''': A character whose powers are granted by a powered suit of some sort, which provides protection, increased strength, and often other powers such as flight. Implies the person in the suit is either “normal” or comparatively weak without it (i.e., it's the ''suit'' that has the powers, not the pilot). Also called a '''Powered Armor''', '''Battlesuit''', or '''Suitguy'''. (Examples: Iron Man, Colossus, M.A.N.T.I.S. from the short-lived TV show of the same name)
*'''Speedster''': A character whose primary power is high speed, often fast enough to be invisible when moving at full speed. Classic example: The Flash.
:Note that these can be combined... Batman, for example, is a Gadgeteer/Martial Artist (and, in the movies, a Suitguy... sort of).

==T==

;Total Party Kill: Any course of action in a [[RPG]] that results in the entire [[party]] of [[player character]]s winding up either dead or incapacitated. May be the result of bad tactics (the party biting off more than it can chew), bad luck (rotten rolls for [[PC]]s combined with excellent rolls for the opposition), or bad [[GM]]ing (say, the GM cheating because he's annoyed at the [[player]]s).

;TPK: Abbreviation for '''Total Party Kill'''. Sometimes verbed: "Man, I'm never playing with Ernie again... he had an argument with his girlfriend and retaliated by TPKing the entire group!"

;Turtle: A [[player]] who avoids taking any action during the game unless it is either clearly necessary for their [[character]]'s safety or obviously prompted by the [[GM]]. This behaviour is usually the result of one of several beliefs developed from previous RPGing experience: a) that the GM's job is to subject their characters to adversity, and therefore they must minimize the opportunities the GM has to do so, or b) that the GM is intending to '''[[railroad]]''' them and thus any proactive action would be doomed to fail as it would disrupt the railroad. Convincing a player who has learned to turtle to stop doing so is often extremely challenging.
:Also, ''v.'' '''Turtling''', to refer to this behavior.

==U==

;"Use the force, Luke!":(movie quote) usu. spoken to someone about to try something extremely difficult or that cannot be done under normal conditions.
:Addendum: From George Lucas' 1977 magnum opus Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. Spoken by the recently deceased Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) to the young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:STU

2005-06-05T09:32:05Z

Argyle: /* S */ Sssssmokin'

==S==

;Social Contract: The (often unstated) rules that govern the interactions taking place during an [[RPG]]. ''Not'' a statement of basic social etiquette, which is assumed to be in force regardless: rather the social contract of an RPG defines the expectations and responsibilites of the [[player]]s with regard to the entertainment of the RPG [[session]]. For example, many games have the rule that the [[GM]] may break the rules if doing so is to the good of the game; the social contract would include the definition of what "the good of the game" means in the particular group. As mentioned above, these are often unstated and not discussed, which can later lead to friction in the group.

;Social Skills Problem: A problem arising in many [[RPG]]s where social skills are modelled as part of the rules system. The typical problem is that resolving the results of these skills via a simple [[dice]] roll, as usually mandated by the rules, will leave the [[player]]s and [[GM]] with no idea of what was actually said or done by the [[character]] - highly unsatisfactory. On the other hand, if the player is required to speak in-character and to play out the social situation, then the situation will be determined by the player's social skills, not the character's.

;Splat: The general term for a subgroup of [[character]]s, especially one that [[player character]]s are expected to belong to. Origin: back-construction from "splatbook".

;Splatbook: Any of a series of books going into extensive detail on a small subgroup of [[character]]s in a [[RPG]], especially a group that [[player character]]s are expected to belong to. The implication is that the series of books are similar enough that their titles are interchangeable except for one word. [[White Wolf]] makes several of these, such as the various "Clanbook: ______" books for ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', each of which details one specific Clan.
:Origin: From "splat" as a name for the asterisk (*) character (which itself is because of the squashed-bug appearance of the asterisk on early dot-matrix printers), and the fact that the asterisk usually means "Match with anything" when used in searches in computer documents or on the command-line. (For example, the above books could be found by searching for "Clanbook: *" in some editor programs.)

;Stat: A numeric value representing a [[character]]'s competence at something. A shortening of ''statistic'', used in reference to [[player]] statistics in sports which are used to retroactively measure the sportsperson's performance in terms of what they have previously achieved. In [[RPG]]s, the numbers are set by other methods and then used to calculate the character's performance and achievements in the future. Thus they are technically parameters rather than statistics, but the name has stuck.

;Superheroes, types of
:Superhero [[RPG]]s enable [[player]]s to play [[character]]s with any of several types of powers, like the characters in comic books. Certain combinations of powers and abilities occur frequently enough that shorthand terms have been created for them.
:The following are some of the more common terms:
*'''Brick''': A character whose primary attribute is high strength (Superman, the Hulk, the Thing from the Fantastic Four), especially in systems like ''[[Hero]]'' in which Strength adds to defenses, making them tougher. Sometimes applied to games in other genres to refer to high-strength characters (such as a typical [[D&D]] fighter).
*'''Dex Monster''': A character whose primary attribute is high Dexterity. Usually has good weapon skill, classic “thief skills”, and is often quicker than other characters (though not as quick as a '''speedster''', below).
*'''Egoist''': A ''[[Hero]]'' term for a '''Mentalist''', below, since the main statistic they use in ''Hero'' is called “Ego”.
*'''Energy Projector''': A character that “throws” an energy discharge of some sort, such as a fire blast, lightning bolt, or just the blast of destructive energy typical of many comic book characters. Originally a ''[[Champions]]'' term.
*'''Gadgeteer''': A character that relies on technical ability and machines. May be applied to characters from other genres as well.
*'''Martial Artist''': A character that relies on hand-to-hand combat skill without necessarily having high strength. Usually skilled in Eastern [[martial arts]] (or fake pseudo-Eastern super martial arts).
*'''Mentalist''': A character that uses “mental powers” such as Telepathy or Telekinesis; in RPGs, often has a mental attack power that hurts someone they can contact telepathically. Also called a '''Psi''', '''Psionic''' or '''Psychic'''. (Examples: Professor X, Jean Grey)
*'''Powersuit''': A character whose powers are granted by a powered suit of some sort, which provides protection, increased strength, and often other powers such as flight. Implies the person in the suit is either “normal” or comparatively weak without it (i.e., it's the ''suit'' that has the powers, not the pilot). Also called a '''Powered Armor''', '''Battlesuit''', or '''Suitguy'''. (Examples: Iron Man, Colossus, M.A.N.T.I.S. from the short-lived TV show of the same name)
*'''Speedster''': A character whose primary power is high speed, often fast enough to be invisible when moving at full speed. Classic example: The Flash.
:Note that these can be combined... Batman, for example, is a Gadgeteer/Martial Artist (and, in the movies, a Suitguy... sort of).

==T==

;Total Party Kill: Any course of action in a RPG that results in the entire party of player characters winding up either dead or incapacitated. May be the result of bad tactics (the party biting off more than it can chew), bad luck (rotten rolls for PCs combined with excellent rolls for the opposition), or bad GMing (say, the GM cheating because he's annoyed at the players).

;TPK: Abbreviation for '''Total Party Kill'''. Sometimes verbed: "Man, I'm never playing with Ernie again... he had an argument with his girlfriend and retaliated by TPKing the entire group!"

;Turtle: A player who avoids taking any action during the game unless it is either clearly necessary for their character's safety or obviously prompted by the GM. This behaviour is usually the result of one of several beliefs developed from previous RPGing experience: a) that the GM's job is to subject their characters to adversity, and therefore they must minimize the opportunities the GM has to do so, or b) that the GM is intending to '''railroad''' them and thus any proactive action would be doomed to fail as it would disrupt the railroad. Convincing a player who has learned to turtle to stop doing so is often extremely challenging.
:Also, ''v.'' '''Turtling''', to refer to this behavior.

==U==

;"Use the force, Luke!":(movie quote) usu. spoken to someone about to try something extremely difficult or that cannot be done under normal conditions.
:Addendum: From George Lucas' 1977 magnum opus Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. Spoken by the recently deceased Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) to the young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:PQR

2005-06-05T09:19:59Z

Argyle: /* R */ Arrrr, matey!

==P==

;Pixelbitching: A style of [[GM]]ing--specifically, a form of '''[[railroading]]'''--in which the [[player]]s need to find one specific clue in order to advance on the one plotline determined by the [[GM]], cannot proceed without it, and do not get any help from the GM in finding it. If said clue is particularly hard to find (or if the GM requires a very specific action to locate it), the GM may be said to be "pixelbitching".
:Origin: Computer games, specifically point-and-click games in which you need to click a specific place--sometimes only a few pixels on the screen (hence the name)--in order to get some magic clue you need to advance in the programmed-in plotline. Coined by '''SteveD''' on RPG.net.

;Planning Problem: The difficulty arising in game situations where [[player]]s first develop a detailed plan for their [[character]]s' actions and then enact it. The difficulty is that in an [[RPG]], where description is the only medium for describing action, the experience of enacting the plan will be identical to that of making the plan unless something goes wrong. However, if the GM responds by ensuring that something always does go wrong, the [[player]]s will have no incentive to make plans at all.

;Powergaming: A [[player]] behaviour where the player in question makes unreasonable efforts to maximise their [[character]]'s ability to mechanically affect the game. This usually refers to optimising combat ability since that has traditionally been the focus of most [[RPG]] mechanics. Recently though, as more and more [[RPG]]s have more rules and powers applicable to out-of-combat action, variants like social powergamers (who build their characters so that they can persuade/seduce/dominate any [[NPC]] they meet) have appeared.
:Symptoms include characters that overshadow the other [[PC]]s, unusual combinations of abilities and equipment that make little sense in-game, constant requests for "GM approval only" character options, and/or one-dimensional characters where every option adds to a specific ability.
:See also: '''Min-Max''' and '''Munchkin'''

==Q==

;Queen Bee: A woman who joins [[RPG]] groups in the belief that the "scarcity" of women in the hobby, together with the percieved "nerdiness" of male RPG [[player]]s, will enable her to easily manipulate the group by using her sexuality. A Queen Bee will typically seek out groups in which she can be the only female, continuously flirt with other players, make regular references to her own promiscuity (thus hinting that she may be available to the other players), and similar.

==R==

;Railroading: A style of [[GM]]ing in which the GM has only one specific plot line in mind, and forces the [[player]]s to follow that plot regardless of whether they want to do so. From an analogy to a railroad, which constrains the train to one specific route.

;Result Pool System: A variation on the [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|dice pool system]]. The key difference is that in a result pool system, all of the [[dice]] in the pool are rolled at the time the pool is created, in advance of any game decisions made by the player. When a dice result is required, the [[player]] - rather than choosing a number of dice to roll - chooses rolled results from the pool to allocate as his or her result on the particular task. Result pool systems are a relatively new development and are currently only used in the more experimental independant games, such as ''[[Dogs in the Vineyard]]''.

;"Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies!"
:A comment from the [[GM]] that basically means "Your actions have annoyed/disturbed me enough that I'm ending this game RIGHT NOW, and I don't particularly care what happens to your [[character]]s anymore!" Usually followed by either the players making nice with the GM or the group going their separate ways.
:Origin: A [http://somethingpositive.net/sp05032002.shtml particular episode] of the webcomic [http://somethingpositive.net ''Something Positive''].

;Role-Playing Game: An amazingly hard-to-describe activity, and the reason we're all here.
:In a typical [[role-playing game]], there is one [[Game Master]] (hereafter GM) and some [[player]]s. The players are playing the roles of characters in an imaginary [[setting|game-world]] which the GM describes and controls. The game goes through cycles where:
# The GM describes the situation the characters are in;
# The players describe how their characters react to the situation; and
# The GM and players decide what happened as a result of those actions.
:Step 3 often is determined by rolling [[dice]], especially in complex or stressful situations such as combat.

;Roll-Playing: Often derogatory term used for games where the mechanics take front seat, as opposed to story and gameplay, or for games run by [[referee]]s who do likewise. Often results in games where [[player]]s are there mainly to make some decisions and roll the dice without a feel for story.

;Roll-Under System: A rules system which determines the success of actions via having the [[player]] roll a dice, such that the action will succeed if the rolled value is ''lower'' than a particular ''target number''. The effect is that higher target numbers generate a greater probability of success; typically in a role-under system the target number will measure the competence of the character to perform the task. The use of a roll-under system can have a number of awkward consequences; most notably, ''negative'' modifiers to the dice roll become beneficial and positive ones become penal, which can be confusing and illogical for players.

;Roshambo: Elitist alternate name for "Rock-Scissors-Paper", most frequently used in ''[[Vampire]]'' [[LARP]]s, but also a common random arbitration method in [[role-playing games]] (e.g., "I don't want anchovies on that pizza; let's roshambo for it").
:Hint: Most people pick "rock" first, and most people go "up" after a tie, selecting the item that would have won the previous round. With this advice you may be a roshambo master. Origin: The television show ''South Park'', where the game was "players take turns kicking each other in the nuts. Whoever quits first loses."
:''(Knockwood)'': Um, not quite. According to the [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrockpaper.html Straight Dope], the term has a more sophisticated origin:
::Mr. Walker ''(of the World Rock-Paper-Scissors Society--Kwd)'' goes on to suggest that the game migrated to Europe in or by the mid-1700s, where it for some reason came to be associated with one Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau. If this name brings back unsettling memories of high school history, it is because Jean Baptiste was none other than the French general who was sent to command an army in support of George Washington during the American Revolution. Why this game came to be associated with the "Count of Rochambeau" is a mystery, but it certainly calls into question the means by which Washington secured Cornwallis's surrender in Yorktown. In any case, it does explain the name often used for the game, namely "rochambeau," or, more commonly, "roshambo."

;RPG:1. Common abbreviation for '''Role-Playing Game'''.
:2. Not-as-common abbreviation for "Rocket-Propelled Grenade"
:3. Even less common abbreviation for "Report Program Generator". (If you see a job ad for "RPG programmer wanted", don't get your hopes up--it's probably not Bioware placing the ad.)

;Rule Zero:
:1. "The [[GM]] may change or ignore any game rule." Most [[RPG]] systems acknowledge that they cannot model every situation accurately, and therefore permit the GM to break the rules in trust that he or she will only do so in cases where it's beneficial to the game.
:2. "Never give the GM ideas." Since most GMs can improvise on the fly and would ''love'' to mess with the [[player]]s, it's generally recognized that giving him or her ideas in that regard is a ''very bad idea.'' Usually referenced in the phrase '''Rule Zero Violation''', i.e., giving the GM ideas.
::GM: "There's a shadow on the road ahead--it looks like a large group is heading your way, but you can't tell who it is."
::Bob: "Just as long as it isn't Baron Rumbar, we'd be completely screwed if ...
::Jan: "BOB! Sh! Rule Zero Violation!"
::GM: (smiles enigmatically)
::Bob: "Aw, @#$&%!!..."

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:PQR

2005-06-05T09:11:18Z

Argyle: /* Q */ Oh, Suzy Q, why can't you be true?

==P==

;Pixelbitching: A style of [[GM]]ing--specifically, a form of '''[[railroading]]'''--in which the [[player]]s need to find one specific clue in order to advance on the one plotline determined by the [[GM]], cannot proceed without it, and do not get any help from the GM in finding it. If said clue is particularly hard to find (or if the GM requires a very specific action to locate it), the GM may be said to be "pixelbitching".
:Origin: Computer games, specifically point-and-click games in which you need to click a specific place--sometimes only a few pixels on the screen (hence the name)--in order to get some magic clue you need to advance in the programmed-in plotline. Coined by '''SteveD''' on RPG.net.

;Planning Problem: The difficulty arising in game situations where [[player]]s first develop a detailed plan for their [[character]]s' actions and then enact it. The difficulty is that in an [[RPG]], where description is the only medium for describing action, the experience of enacting the plan will be identical to that of making the plan unless something goes wrong. However, if the GM responds by ensuring that something always does go wrong, the [[player]]s will have no incentive to make plans at all.

;Powergaming: A [[player]] behaviour where the player in question makes unreasonable efforts to maximise their [[character]]'s ability to mechanically affect the game. This usually refers to optimising combat ability since that has traditionally been the focus of most [[RPG]] mechanics. Recently though, as more and more [[RPG]]s have more rules and powers applicable to out-of-combat action, variants like social powergamers (who build their characters so that they can persuade/seduce/dominate any [[NPC]] they meet) have appeared.
:Symptoms include characters that overshadow the other [[PC]]s, unusual combinations of abilities and equipment that make little sense in-game, constant requests for "GM approval only" character options, and/or one-dimensional characters where every option adds to a specific ability.
:See also: '''Min-Max''' and '''Munchkin'''

==Q==

;Queen Bee: A woman who joins [[RPG]] groups in the belief that the "scarcity" of women in the hobby, together with the percieved "nerdiness" of male RPG [[player]]s, will enable her to easily manipulate the group by using her sexuality. A Queen Bee will typically seek out groups in which she can be the only female, continuously flirt with other players, make regular references to her own promiscuity (thus hinting that she may be available to the other players), and similar.

==R==

;Railroading: A style of GMing in which the GM has only one specific plot line in mind, and forces the players to follow that plot regardless of whether they want to do so. From an analogy to a railroad, which constrains the train to one specific route.

;Result Pool System: A variation on the [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|dice pool system]]. The key difference is that in a result pool system, all of the dice in the pool are rolled at the time the pool is created, in advance of any game decisions made by the player. When a dice result is required, the player - rather than choosing a number of dice to roll - chooses rolled results from the pool to allocate as his or her result on the particular task. Result pool systems are a relatively new development and are currently only used in the more experimental independant games, such as ''Dogs in the Vineyard''.

;"Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies!"
:A comment from the GM that basically means "Your actions have annoyed/disturbed me enough that I'm ending this game RIGHT NOW, and I don't particularly care what happens to your characters anymore!" Usually followed by either the players making nice with the GM or the group going their separate ways.
:Origin: [http://somethingpositive.net/sp05032002.shtml This episode of the webcomic Something Positive.]

;Role-Playing Game: An amazingly hard-to-describe activity, and the reason we're all here.
:In a typical role-playing game, there is one Game Master (hereafter GM) and some players. The players are playing the roles of characters in an imaginary game-world which the GM describes and controls. The game goes through cycles where:
# The GM describes the situation the characters are in;
# The players describe how their characters react to the situation; and
# The GM and players decide what happened as a result of those actions.
:Step 3 often is determined by rolling dice, especially in complex or stressful situations such as combat.

;Roll-Playing: Often derogatory term used for games where the mechanics take front seat, as opposed to story and gameplay, or for games run by referees who do likewise. Often results in games where players are there mainly to make some decisions and roll the dice without a feel for story or fun.

;Roll-Under System: A rules system which determines the success of actions via having the player roll a dice, such that the action will succeed if the rolled value is ''lower'' than a particular ''target number''. The effect is that higher target numbers generate a greater probability of success; typically in a role-under system the target number will measure the competence of the character to perform the task. The use of a roll-under system can have a number of awkward consequences; most notably, ''negative'' modifiers to the dice roll become beneficial and positive ones become penal, which can be confusing and illogical for players.

;Roshambo: Elitist alternate name for "Rock-Scissors-Paper", most frequently used in Vampire LARPs, but also a common random arbitration method in roleplaying games (e.g., "I don't want anchovies on that pizza; let's roshambo for it").
:Hint: Most people pick "rock" first, and most people go "up" after a tie, selecting the item that would have won the previous round. With this advice you may be a roshambo master. Origin: South Park, where the game was "players take turns kicking each other in the nuts. Whoever quits first loses."
:''(Knockwood)'': Um, not quite. According to the [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrockpaper.html Straight Dope], the term has a more sophisticated origin:
::Mr. Walker ''(of the World Rock-Paper-Scissors Society--Kwd)'' goes on to suggest that the game migrated to Europe in or by the mid-1700s, where it for some reason came to be associated with one Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau. If this name brings back unsettling memories of high school history, it is because Jean Baptiste was none other than the French general who was sent to command an army in support of George Washington during the American Revolution. Why this game came to be associated with the "Count of Rochambeau" is a mystery, but it certainly calls into question the means by which Washington secured Cornwallis's surrender in Yorktown. In any case, it does explain the name often used for the game, namely "rochambeau," or, more commonly, "roshambo."

;RPG:1. Common abbreviation for '''Role-Playing Game'''.
:2. Not-as-common abbreviation for "Rocket-Propelled Grenade"
:3. Even less common abbreviation for "Report Program Generator". (If you see a job ad for "RPG programmer wanted", don't get your hopes up--it's probably not Bioware placing the ad.)

;Rule Zero:
:1. "The GM may change or ignore any game rule." Most RPG systems acknowledge that they cannot model every situation accurately, and therefore permit the GM to break the rules in trust that he or she will only do so in cases where it's beneficial to the game.
:2. "Never give the GM ideas." Since most GMs can improvise on the fly and would ''love'' to mess with the players, it's generally recognized that giving him or her ideas in that regard is a ''very bad idea.'' Usually referenced in the phrase '''Rule Zero Violation''', i.e., giving the GM ideas.
::GM: "There's a shadow on the road ahead--it looks like a large group is heading your way, but you can't tell who it is."
::Bob: "Just as long as it isn't Baron Rumbar, we'd be completely screwed if ...
::Jan: "BOB! Sh! Rule Zero Violation!"
::GM: (smiles enigmatically)
::Bob: "Aw, @#$&%!!..."

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:PQR

2005-06-05T09:09:54Z

Argyle: /* P */ I have defeated the Ps.

==P==

;Pixelbitching: A style of [[GM]]ing--specifically, a form of '''[[railroading]]'''--in which the [[player]]s need to find one specific clue in order to advance on the one plotline determined by the [[GM]], cannot proceed without it, and do not get any help from the GM in finding it. If said clue is particularly hard to find (or if the GM requires a very specific action to locate it), the GM may be said to be "pixelbitching".
:Origin: Computer games, specifically point-and-click games in which you need to click a specific place--sometimes only a few pixels on the screen (hence the name)--in order to get some magic clue you need to advance in the programmed-in plotline. Coined by '''SteveD''' on RPG.net.

;Planning Problem: The difficulty arising in game situations where [[player]]s first develop a detailed plan for their [[character]]s' actions and then enact it. The difficulty is that in an [[RPG]], where description is the only medium for describing action, the experience of enacting the plan will be identical to that of making the plan unless something goes wrong. However, if the GM responds by ensuring that something always does go wrong, the [[player]]s will have no incentive to make plans at all.

;Powergaming: A [[player]] behaviour where the player in question makes unreasonable efforts to maximise their [[character]]'s ability to mechanically affect the game. This usually refers to optimising combat ability since that has traditionally been the focus of most [[RPG]] mechanics. Recently though, as more and more [[RPG]]s have more rules and powers applicable to out-of-combat action, variants like social powergamers (who build their characters so that they can persuade/seduce/dominate any [[NPC]] they meet) have appeared.
:Symptoms include characters that overshadow the other [[PC]]s, unusual combinations of abilities and equipment that make little sense in-game, constant requests for "GM approval only" character options, and/or one-dimensional characters where every option adds to a specific ability.
:See also: '''Min-Max''' and '''Munchkin'''

==Q==

;Queen Bee: A woman who joins RPG groups in the belief that the "scarcity" of women in the hobby, together with the percieved "nerdiness" of male RPG players, will enable her to easily manipulate the group by using her sexuality. A Queen Bee will typically seek out groups in which she can be the only female, continuously flirt with other players, make regular references to her own promiscuity (thus hinting that she may be available to the other players), and similar.

==R==

;Railroading: A style of GMing in which the GM has only one specific plot line in mind, and forces the players to follow that plot regardless of whether they want to do so. From an analogy to a railroad, which constrains the train to one specific route.

;Result Pool System: A variation on the [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|dice pool system]]. The key difference is that in a result pool system, all of the dice in the pool are rolled at the time the pool is created, in advance of any game decisions made by the player. When a dice result is required, the player - rather than choosing a number of dice to roll - chooses rolled results from the pool to allocate as his or her result on the particular task. Result pool systems are a relatively new development and are currently only used in the more experimental independant games, such as ''Dogs in the Vineyard''.

;"Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies!"
:A comment from the GM that basically means "Your actions have annoyed/disturbed me enough that I'm ending this game RIGHT NOW, and I don't particularly care what happens to your characters anymore!" Usually followed by either the players making nice with the GM or the group going their separate ways.
:Origin: [http://somethingpositive.net/sp05032002.shtml This episode of the webcomic Something Positive.]

;Role-Playing Game: An amazingly hard-to-describe activity, and the reason we're all here.
:In a typical role-playing game, there is one Game Master (hereafter GM) and some players. The players are playing the roles of characters in an imaginary game-world which the GM describes and controls. The game goes through cycles where:
# The GM describes the situation the characters are in;
# The players describe how their characters react to the situation; and
# The GM and players decide what happened as a result of those actions.
:Step 3 often is determined by rolling dice, especially in complex or stressful situations such as combat.

;Roll-Playing: Often derogatory term used for games where the mechanics take front seat, as opposed to story and gameplay, or for games run by referees who do likewise. Often results in games where players are there mainly to make some decisions and roll the dice without a feel for story or fun.

;Roll-Under System: A rules system which determines the success of actions via having the player roll a dice, such that the action will succeed if the rolled value is ''lower'' than a particular ''target number''. The effect is that higher target numbers generate a greater probability of success; typically in a role-under system the target number will measure the competence of the character to perform the task. The use of a roll-under system can have a number of awkward consequences; most notably, ''negative'' modifiers to the dice roll become beneficial and positive ones become penal, which can be confusing and illogical for players.

;Roshambo: Elitist alternate name for "Rock-Scissors-Paper", most frequently used in Vampire LARPs, but also a common random arbitration method in roleplaying games (e.g., "I don't want anchovies on that pizza; let's roshambo for it").
:Hint: Most people pick "rock" first, and most people go "up" after a tie, selecting the item that would have won the previous round. With this advice you may be a roshambo master. Origin: South Park, where the game was "players take turns kicking each other in the nuts. Whoever quits first loses."
:''(Knockwood)'': Um, not quite. According to the [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrockpaper.html Straight Dope], the term has a more sophisticated origin:
::Mr. Walker ''(of the World Rock-Paper-Scissors Society--Kwd)'' goes on to suggest that the game migrated to Europe in or by the mid-1700s, where it for some reason came to be associated with one Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau. If this name brings back unsettling memories of high school history, it is because Jean Baptiste was none other than the French general who was sent to command an army in support of George Washington during the American Revolution. Why this game came to be associated with the "Count of Rochambeau" is a mystery, but it certainly calls into question the means by which Washington secured Cornwallis's surrender in Yorktown. In any case, it does explain the name often used for the game, namely "rochambeau," or, more commonly, "roshambo."

;RPG:1. Common abbreviation for '''Role-Playing Game'''.
:2. Not-as-common abbreviation for "Rocket-Propelled Grenade"
:3. Even less common abbreviation for "Report Program Generator". (If you see a job ad for "RPG programmer wanted", don't get your hopes up--it's probably not Bioware placing the ad.)

;Rule Zero:
:1. "The GM may change or ignore any game rule." Most RPG systems acknowledge that they cannot model every situation accurately, and therefore permit the GM to break the rules in trust that he or she will only do so in cases where it's beneficial to the game.
:2. "Never give the GM ideas." Since most GMs can improvise on the fly and would ''love'' to mess with the players, it's generally recognized that giving him or her ideas in that regard is a ''very bad idea.'' Usually referenced in the phrase '''Rule Zero Violation''', i.e., giving the GM ideas.
::GM: "There's a shadow on the road ahead--it looks like a large group is heading your way, but you can't tell who it is."
::Bob: "Just as long as it isn't Baron Rumbar, we'd be completely screwed if ...
::Jan: "BOB! Sh! Rule Zero Violation!"
::GM: (smiles enigmatically)
::Bob: "Aw, @#$&%!!..."

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:MNO

2005-06-05T09:06:36Z

Argyle: /* O */ march

==M==

;Mary Sue: An [[RPG]] [[character]] obviously designed as a supremely competent version of the real person designing the character. (A Mary Sue need not be female, or even human.)
:Origin: According to [http://www.subreality.com/marysue.htm this site], from a 1970's ''Star Trek'' FanFic starring "Lieutenant Mary Sue, StarFleet's Youngest Lieutenant".

;Min-max, min-maxing: To carefully tweak a '''[[character]]''' during '''chargen''' so as to optimize the character for one thing, usually combat, often at the expense of other aspects of the character; or, to tweak a character to take advantage of quirks in the rules to do the same thing.

;mob: An [[NPC]], in particular one who performs limited ranges of simplistic behaviour. Used in online [[RPG]]s to identify NPCs who are automatically controlled by the game program, rather than those who are played by human [[GM]]s.
:Origin: Short form of ''mobile'', the term coined by Richard Bartle for these characters in early computer RPGs. On reading the research paper which coined the term, one of the reviewers is said to have thought this a "beautiful analogy to those hanging toys used in baby's cribs, which move around seemingly as if alive, in spite of being constructed of mechanical parts". Bartle replied that this was indeed a beautiful analogy, and he would have been delighted if he had thought of it; he used the term "mobile" simply to indicate that they could move, which other computer-controlled objects couldn't.

;Munchkin: One of the most controversial terms in [[RPG]]s. A good argument could be made that it means "any player I don't like", but most people reserve the term for a specific type of bad [[player]]...
:My own definition: a player who, through inexperience or immaturity, disrupts the game to the detriment of the other players, usually by any or all of the following:
* Creating a [[character]] that's inappropriate to the setting (Classic definition: A munchkin is someone who, in a game of courtly politics and intrigue in 16th century France, wants to play a [[ninja]].)
* Insisting his character either is or has to be the absolute ''best'' at ''everything'' he does.
* Roleplays poorly, seeing his character (and the other characters) as mere game pieces, without personality or motivations beyond advancing in the game.
* Relating to the last one: approaching all problems, obstacles, and frustrations with violence as a ''first'' resort
* Attempting to "win" the game, even at the expense of the other players, in situations where it would be inappropriate.

;Murphy's Law:"Anything that can go wrong, will." The premier law of the universe.
:Notes: What most people call Murphy's Law (above) is actually Finagle's Law (or, in the UK, Sod's Law). Murphy's Law is more specific: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways will result in disaster, someone will do it." It was originally "If that guy has any way of making a mistake, he will"--referring to the technician who had just placed a series of sensors the wrong way around on the test subject of an accelleration experiment. Edward Murphy was the lead scientist.
:Murphy's Law is in this lexicon because, since RPGs are simulations of important (fake) events in people's (fake) lives, it crops up a ''lot.'' In particular, when making an elaborate plan, it is often necessary to include contingency plans in case of a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fumble]] at a critical moment. (See [[RPG_Lexica:VWX|Whiff]] for further details)
:See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_Law WikiPedia's entry on "Murphy's Law"]

;Murphy's Rule: (or just "Murphy"). A game rule which has bizarre or humourous consequences when applied to certain situations - typically those which would logically exist in the game world but are not those which the game was designed to model. A "murphy" can also be a description of the consequences of applying a rule to an outlandish situation, stated not as a criticism of the rules but purely for the comedy value. Originally coined as the name of a cartoon appearing in ''Pyramid Magazine''. A few examples of the typical format:
* In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', [[character]]s have a "Dexterity" stat, which is in fact used to represent agility as well as actual dexterity. Thus, every talented clockmaker is also a talented gymnast, and vice versa;
* In ''[[The Riddle of Steel]]'', in character generation the [[player]] must rank several properties of their character in order of importance. Ranking "social standing" last results in the [[PC]] being a slave. If the player has done this, all other aspects (such as combat skill, magical ability, etc) will have been rated higher than they otherwise could have been, thus meaning that slaves are the most talented and skilled people in the setting;
* In the second edition of ''[[Hong Kong Action Theatre]]'', an actor's fame is the ''only'' factor taken into consideration when assigning them to roles, thus enabling Arnold Schwarzenegger to be cast as a kung-fu ballerina.

==N==

;Ninja: A term with multiple different meanings, mostly derived either from the real myths surrounding Ninjas or from the famous spoof website, [http://www.realultimatepower.net "Real Ultimate Power"].
* As a noun, used with the original meaning: the Japanese term for an assassin, particularly one making use of stealth.
* As a noun, any character designed around the concepts of stealth, hand-to-hand combat, and one-hit kills.
* As a noun, a character which is sought-after for "coolness" value, and whose abilites are overestimated, even if irrelevant or ineffective in the particular situation or setting. ("Of course I can dodge the bullets of a machine-gun on full auto - I'm a ''ninja''!")
* As an adjective, sneaky or cunning.
* As an adjective, highly skilled in general.
* As a verb, to accomplish something in a highly skillful or spectacular way.

==O==

;One Roll Engine: A unique [[dice]] system designed by Greg Stolze and used in the game ''[[Godlike]]''. Rather than trying to match a particular target number, the player rolls a number of dice based on their [[character]]'s competence and are deemed to have succeeded if two or more of those dice roll the same value. The unique property of this system is that a single roll delivers ''two'' results: the number of dice that matched, and the value they matched on.
:Note: this system is copyrighted, so you must seek the author's permission to use it in any game you are designing.

;Open-ended roll: Any [[dice]] rolling system which includes the rule that any dice which rolls its maximum result should be rolled again, with the new roll added to the previous one to determine the final result. For example, if a 5 is rolled on an open-ended d6, the result is 5; but if a 6 is rolled, the dice is rolled again, and if a 4 is rolled on the second roll the overall result is 10 (the 4 just rolled plus the 6 rolled previously).
:See also: '''Exploding Dice'''

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:MNO

2005-06-05T09:03:25Z

Argyle: /* M */ Keep on truckin'

==M==

;Mary Sue: An [[RPG]] [[character]] obviously designed as a supremely competent version of the real person designing the character. (A Mary Sue need not be female, or even human.)
:Origin: According to [http://www.subreality.com/marysue.htm this site], from a 1970's ''Star Trek'' FanFic starring "Lieutenant Mary Sue, StarFleet's Youngest Lieutenant".

;Min-max, min-maxing: To carefully tweak a '''[[character]]''' during '''chargen''' so as to optimize the character for one thing, usually combat, often at the expense of other aspects of the character; or, to tweak a character to take advantage of quirks in the rules to do the same thing.

;mob: An [[NPC]], in particular one who performs limited ranges of simplistic behaviour. Used in online [[RPG]]s to identify NPCs who are automatically controlled by the game program, rather than those who are played by human [[GM]]s.
:Origin: Short form of ''mobile'', the term coined by Richard Bartle for these characters in early computer RPGs. On reading the research paper which coined the term, one of the reviewers is said to have thought this a "beautiful analogy to those hanging toys used in baby's cribs, which move around seemingly as if alive, in spite of being constructed of mechanical parts". Bartle replied that this was indeed a beautiful analogy, and he would have been delighted if he had thought of it; he used the term "mobile" simply to indicate that they could move, which other computer-controlled objects couldn't.

;Munchkin: One of the most controversial terms in [[RPG]]s. A good argument could be made that it means "any player I don't like", but most people reserve the term for a specific type of bad [[player]]...
:My own definition: a player who, through inexperience or immaturity, disrupts the game to the detriment of the other players, usually by any or all of the following:
* Creating a [[character]] that's inappropriate to the setting (Classic definition: A munchkin is someone who, in a game of courtly politics and intrigue in 16th century France, wants to play a [[ninja]].)
* Insisting his character either is or has to be the absolute ''best'' at ''everything'' he does.
* Roleplays poorly, seeing his character (and the other characters) as mere game pieces, without personality or motivations beyond advancing in the game.
* Relating to the last one: approaching all problems, obstacles, and frustrations with violence as a ''first'' resort
* Attempting to "win" the game, even at the expense of the other players, in situations where it would be inappropriate.

;Murphy's Law:"Anything that can go wrong, will." The premier law of the universe.
:Notes: What most people call Murphy's Law (above) is actually Finagle's Law (or, in the UK, Sod's Law). Murphy's Law is more specific: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways will result in disaster, someone will do it." It was originally "If that guy has any way of making a mistake, he will"--referring to the technician who had just placed a series of sensors the wrong way around on the test subject of an accelleration experiment. Edward Murphy was the lead scientist.
:Murphy's Law is in this lexicon because, since RPGs are simulations of important (fake) events in people's (fake) lives, it crops up a ''lot.'' In particular, when making an elaborate plan, it is often necessary to include contingency plans in case of a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fumble]] at a critical moment. (See [[RPG_Lexica:VWX|Whiff]] for further details)
:See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_Law WikiPedia's entry on "Murphy's Law"]

;Murphy's Rule: (or just "Murphy"). A game rule which has bizarre or humourous consequences when applied to certain situations - typically those which would logically exist in the game world but are not those which the game was designed to model. A "murphy" can also be a description of the consequences of applying a rule to an outlandish situation, stated not as a criticism of the rules but purely for the comedy value. Originally coined as the name of a cartoon appearing in ''Pyramid Magazine''. A few examples of the typical format:
* In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', [[character]]s have a "Dexterity" stat, which is in fact used to represent agility as well as actual dexterity. Thus, every talented clockmaker is also a talented gymnast, and vice versa;
* In ''[[The Riddle of Steel]]'', in character generation the [[player]] must rank several properties of their character in order of importance. Ranking "social standing" last results in the [[PC]] being a slave. If the player has done this, all other aspects (such as combat skill, magical ability, etc) will have been rated higher than they otherwise could have been, thus meaning that slaves are the most talented and skilled people in the setting;
* In the second edition of ''[[Hong Kong Action Theatre]]'', an actor's fame is the ''only'' factor taken into consideration when assigning them to roles, thus enabling Arnold Schwarzenegger to be cast as a kung-fu ballerina.

==N==

;Ninja: A term with multiple different meanings, mostly derived either from the real myths surrounding Ninjas or from the famous spoof website, [http://www.realultimatepower.net "Real Ultimate Power"].
* As a noun, used with the original meaning: the Japanese term for an assassin, particularly one making use of stealth.
* As a noun, any character designed around the concepts of stealth, hand-to-hand combat, and one-hit kills.
* As a noun, a character which is sought-after for "coolness" value, and whose abilites are overestimated, even if irrelevant or ineffective in the particular situation or setting. ("Of course I can dodge the bullets of a machine-gun on full auto - I'm a ''ninja''!")
* As an adjective, sneaky or cunning.
* As an adjective, highly skilled in general.
* As a verb, to accomplish something in a highly skillful or spectacular way.

==O==

;One Roll Engine: A unique dice system designed by Greg Stolze and used in the game ''Godlike''. Rather than trying to match a particular target number, the player rolls a number of dice based on their character's competence and are deemed to have succeeded if two or more of those dice roll the same value. The unique property of this system is that a single roll delivers ''two'' results: the number of dice that matched, and the value they matched on. (Note: this system is copyrighted, so you may need to seek the author's permission to use it in any game you are designing.)

;Open-ended roll: Any dice rolling system which includes the rule that any dice which rolls its maximum result should be rolled again, with the new roll added to the previous one to determine the final result. For example, if a 5 is rolled on an open-ended d6, the result is 5; but if a 6 is rolled, the dice is rolled again, and if a 4 is rolled on the second roll the overall result is 10 (the 4 just rolled plus the 6 rolled previously).

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[[Category:Terminology]]

Non-player character

2005-06-05T08:50:44Z

Argyle: Boldify NPC since it's no longer a link since (as was correctly pointed out) having it as a link was silly.

A Non-player character (commonly abbreviated as '''NPC''') is a [[character]] controlled by the [[referee]] (by whatever title he is known). Non-player characters are usually not the protagonists of a game, as that role falls to the [[player character]]s. Instead, non-player characters make up all of the other people populating the game's universe. This notably includes any allies the player characters may have as well as the villains they face.

Compare [[player character]].

[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:JKL

2005-06-05T08:48:40Z

Argyle: /* L */ Wiki baby one more time

==J==

;Juicer Problem: Any time a game gives [[PC]]s an option for significant power with drawbacks that would be horrific to a real person, but, since the PC is not a real person, the drawback is nonentity.
:Usage: "He said he's going to kill my [[character]]'s wife if I don't give him back the superweapon? She's not a PC, it's not like I care. Man, this is just a Juicer Problem."
:The term is a reference to Juicers in ''[[Rifts]]'' whose awesome combat power was balanced by a significantly shortened lifespan. This would be horrific to any real person, but unlikely to faze any players. Coined by '''tk421''' on the RPOpen board.

==K==

;Katana
:Long, curved oriental sword. Katana are the subject of numerous myths related to the quality of their construction and their sharpness, such as the claim that a katana was considered a poor blade unless it was capable of cutting through four condemned men in a single stroke. This, in turn, has led to stories of gamers seriously overestimating the abilities of a character armed with a katana: the most famous example being a story in which a [[player]] allegedly attempted to have a katana-wielding [[PC]] use his sword to cut through the armor of a modern tank. Thus, the term is also sometimes used to mean an unrealistically powerful weapon, or a weapon which is sought-after for "coolness" value regardless of its relevance or usefulness to a campaign or setting. A katana is, of course, the favoured weapon of a [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|'''ninja''']].
:An [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana in-depth article about katanas] can be found at [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia].

;Kewl Powerz
:Generic name for the abilities possessed by [[PC]]s in a game that are above and beyond those of normal men. Depending on the game, this can mean superpowers, magical ability, or whatever else the game will allow.

;Kill them and take their stuff
:A humorous description of the method which winds up being used by most [[RPG]] [[character]]s to solve problems they are having with other individuals or groups. It is the essence of the [[dungeon crawl]]. Sometimes abreviated to simply KTATTS on message boards, such as RPG.net

;King Rat
:The male equivalent of a [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|'''Queen Bee''']]. Exceptionally rare in [[RPG]]ing due to the gender imbalance of the hobby.

==L==

;Lasersharking
#The (theoretical) improvement of an item or being already powerful, competent, efficient and/or deadly by combining it with another item of similar perceived deadliness. In gaming, said additional element is most often either SF-grade high tech or some other sort of fantastic item.
#The combination of two disparate genres whose conventions normally preclude their union. [[RPG]] examples include ''[[Deadlands: The Weird West]]'', [[Pinnacle Entertainment]] (now [[Great White Games]])’s Wild West/Steampunk/Magic game, or ''[[Gear Krieg]]'', [[Dream Pod 9]]’s World War II/Mecha game.

:The term's origin can be traced to the comedy spoof movie ''Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery''. Gaming occurences of both definitions are anecdotally accredited to a desire to make an item, character or game world more "kewl" (see Kewl Powerz, above).

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:JKL

2005-06-05T08:45:40Z

Argyle: /* K */ wiki links

==J==

;Juicer Problem: Any time a game gives [[PC]]s an option for significant power with drawbacks that would be horrific to a real person, but, since the PC is not a real person, the drawback is nonentity.
:Usage: "He said he's going to kill my [[character]]'s wife if I don't give him back the superweapon? She's not a PC, it's not like I care. Man, this is just a Juicer Problem."
:The term is a reference to Juicers in ''[[Rifts]]'' whose awesome combat power was balanced by a significantly shortened lifespan. This would be horrific to any real person, but unlikely to faze any players. Coined by '''tk421''' on the RPOpen board.

==K==

;Katana
:Long, curved oriental sword. Katana are the subject of numerous myths related to the quality of their construction and their sharpness, such as the claim that a katana was considered a poor blade unless it was capable of cutting through four condemned men in a single stroke. This, in turn, has led to stories of gamers seriously overestimating the abilities of a character armed with a katana: the most famous example being a story in which a [[player]] allegedly attempted to have a katana-wielding [[PC]] use his sword to cut through the armor of a modern tank. Thus, the term is also sometimes used to mean an unrealistically powerful weapon, or a weapon which is sought-after for "coolness" value regardless of its relevance or usefulness to a campaign or setting. A katana is, of course, the favoured weapon of a [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|'''ninja''']].
:An [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana in-depth article about katanas] can be found at [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia].

;Kewl Powerz
:Generic name for the abilities possessed by [[PC]]s in a game that are above and beyond those of normal men. Depending on the game, this can mean superpowers, magical ability, or whatever else the game will allow.

;Kill them and take their stuff
:A humorous description of the method which winds up being used by most [[RPG]] [[character]]s to solve problems they are having with other individuals or groups. It is the essence of the [[dungeon crawl]]. Sometimes abreviated to simply KTATTS on message boards, such as RPG.net

;King Rat
:The male equivalent of a [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|'''Queen Bee''']]. Exceptionally rare in [[RPG]]ing due to the gender imbalance of the hobby.

==L==

;Lasersharking
#The (theoretical) improvement of an item or being already powerful, competent, efficient and/or deadly by combining it with another item of similar perceived deadliness. In gaming, said additional element is most often either SF-grade high tech or some other sort of fantastic item.
#The combination of two disparate genres whose conventions normally preclude their union. RPG examples include ''Deadlands: The Weird West'', Pinnacle Entertainment (now Great White Games)’s Wild West/Steampunk/Magic game, or ''Gear Krieg'', Dream Pod 9’s World War II/Mecha game.

The term's origin can be traced to the comedy spoof movie ''Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery''. Gaming occurences of both definitions are anecdotally accredited to a desire to make an item, character or game world more "kewl" (see Kewl Powerz, above).

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:JKL

2005-06-05T08:41:39Z

Argyle: /* J */ You know the drill...

==J==

;Juicer Problem: Any time a game gives [[PC]]s an option for significant power with drawbacks that would be horrific to a real person, but, since the PC is not a real person, the drawback is nonentity.
:Usage: "He said he's going to kill my [[character]]'s wife if I don't give him back the superweapon? She's not a PC, it's not like I care. Man, this is just a Juicer Problem."
:The term is a reference to Juicers in ''[[Rifts]]'' whose awesome combat power was balanced by a significantly shortened lifespan. This would be horrific to any real person, but unlikely to faze any players. Coined by '''tk421''' on the RPOpen board.

==K==

;Katana
:Long, curved oriental sword. Katana are the subject of numerous myths related to the quality of their construction and their sharpness, such as the claim that a katana was considered a poor blade unless it was capable of cutting through four condemned men in a single stroke. This, in turn, has led to stories of gamers seriously overestimating the abilities of a character armed with a katana: the most famous example being a story in which a player allegedly attempted to have a katana-wielding PC use his sword to cut through the armor of a modern tank. Thus, the term is also sometimes used to mean an unrealistically powerful weapon, or a weapon which is sought-after for "coolness" value regardless of its relevance or usefulness to a campaign or setting. A katana is, of course, the favoured weapon of a [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|'''ninja''']].

;Kewl Powerz
:Generic name for the abilities possessed by PCs in a game that are above and beyond those of normal men. Depending on the game, this can mean superpowers, magical ability, or whatever else the game will allow.

;Kill them and take their stuff
:A humorous description of the method which winds up being used by most RPG characters to solve problems they are having with other individuals or groups. It is the essence of the dungeon crawl. Sometimes abreviated to simply KTATTS on message boards, such as RPG.net

;King Rat
:The male equivalent of a [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|'''Queen Bee''']]. Exceptionally rare in RPGing due to the gender imbalance of the hobby.

==L==

;Lasersharking
#The (theoretical) improvement of an item or being already powerful, competent, efficient and/or deadly by combining it with another item of similar perceived deadliness. In gaming, said additional element is most often either SF-grade high tech or some other sort of fantastic item.
#The combination of two disparate genres whose conventions normally preclude their union. RPG examples include ''Deadlands: The Weird West'', Pinnacle Entertainment (now Great White Games)’s Wild West/Steampunk/Magic game, or ''Gear Krieg'', Dream Pod 9’s World War II/Mecha game.

The term's origin can be traced to the comedy spoof movie ''Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery''. Gaming occurences of both definitions are anecdotally accredited to a desire to make an item, character or game world more "kewl" (see Kewl Powerz, above).

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:GHI

2005-06-05T08:36:59Z

Argyle: /* I */ Link, link, link

==G==

;Gank: Abbreviation of "gang kill". a) To kill or defeat an enemy by ganging up on them. b) To kill or defeat an enemy trivially, with no real possibility of their being able to resist or escape, and where the killer gains no benefit from their death (not even [[XP]]). Usually used to imply that the [[player]] is having their character attack helpless enemies because of the player's need to take out stress or to somehow "punish" the [[GM]]; or vice versa, that the player characters entered a hopeless situation. Also used on online RPGs as a form of [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|griefing]].

;Gazebo: In addition to the common meaning of a pagoda or turret built to offer an attractive view, also a reference to a famous gamer comedy story: [http://www.geocities.com/rpgsig/articles/gazebo.html ''Eric and the Gazebo''], written (and copyrighted!) by Richard Arenson. In the story, the [[GM]] of a group tells them that they see a gazebo in a field they are approaching. One of the [[player]]s - Eric - does not know what a gazebo is; he therefore assumes it to be a monster and attempts to engage it in combat (which ends with Eric fleeing after multiple magical arrows amazingly failed to wound the gazebo). Used as a jokey reference to an unknown creature, or to something which has been attacked by mistake.
:By extension, may also be used to refer to a part of a description that does ''not'' have any in-game effect, to differentiate it from those that do (i.e., what the mention of the gazebo ''should'' have been). Usage: "Should we ask the priests if they can help us against those 'spooky shadows' we saw?" "Naah, I think it was just a gazebo."

;Get Medieval: to be exceptionally violent toward something or someone. See '''"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"'''

;Gimp
#A [[character]] who is incompetent to the point of near-unplayability in the early stages of a [[campaign]], because they are loaded down with abilities which are initially weak but become highly powerful once the character has advanced. Typically, a ''gimp'' will count on advancing based on achievements made by other members of the party and becoming incredibly powerful; either gaining in power faster or becoming more powerful overall than a non-gimp character of similar design. An example is the "venerable druid gimp" in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'': a [[player]] can declare their druid character to be of venerable age, crippling their physical stats but improving their mental ones. Such a druid will be almost useless in the early stages of a game, due to their vulnerability in combat; but once the druid gains the ability to shape-shift, they can shape-shift to a form with more powerful physical stats while still retaining the bonuses to spellcasting given by the high mental stats they got for being venerable. Thus, such a character is a "gimp" up until they gain shape-shifting ability.
#As a verb: to create a gimp character, or to plan for a character to be a gimp for certain periods.
#When a character is being created at a level of advancement higher than the normal start point, choosing combinations of abilities or skills for that character that would have rendered the character unplayable at lower advancement levels had the player actually played through them. Gimping is one of the more common objections that some players and [[GM]]s have against the idea of characters starting the game having already advanced.
#To advance a skill which provides less benefit than an alternative choice would have provided. This usage comes primarily from MMORPGs; stats and skills are frequently analyzed in great detail and the optimum configuration at maximum level for a particular role is well-known. To deviate from this "min-maxed" template is to gimp your character, and the amount of deviance is the degree to which your character is said to be gimped.
:Origin: From a medieval word for a stupid or incompetent person; may also be related to a term used to refer to a particular sado-masochistic practice.

;Golden Rule, The: "Rules were made to be broken". Traditionally a paragraph in the beginning of a [[game master]]'s section of a rulebook, the golden rule states that the game's enjoyment is paramount, and that rules are only to be enforced if it enhances the play experience. It is designed to counter rules arguments by the game master ruling that the game would be more fun if the [[player]]s were not arguing over exactly how much an obscure ruling reference benefits another player over them. It is interesting to note that ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]] V3.5's version of the golden rule (under adjudicating) states that rules should be changed for more logical sounding ones.

;GDS: An abbreviation for "game, drama, simulation". Describes the three important aspects of an [[RPG]] which are typically traded off against each other by game design: to be an enjoyable game for game's sake, to deliver a dramatic and exciting story, and to reasonable simulate what would "really" happen in particular game situations. For example, having the [[character]]s meet in a tavern and decide to work together trades simulation off for game benefit; having villains leave clues as to their activities trades simulation off for drama; fudging [[dice]] rolls so that a character who bravely charges into a fire zone to rescue an innocent is not cut to ribbons trades game off for [[drama]].

;GMPC
#An [[NPC]] that's basically an avatar of the [[GM]] running the game. Can be helpful and even acceptable if his "divine favor" is toned down and/or used in moderation, but more often becomes something like #2:
#Derogatory term for an 'uber' NPC, one who's abilities and assistance overshadow the [[PC]]s, who is still supposedly on the PCs 'side', but manages to dominate the game because of his "divine favor".
:Note: By "divine favor" I mean things like: die rolls being adjusted in his favor, access to the setting's "bigwigs", absolutely ''amazing'' equipment (say, artifacts in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' games), being able to break inconvenient rules ([[IC]] or [[OOC]]), et cetera. Any time the GM may be said to be cheating in favor of "his" character, it's a GMPC. Also known as a '''Pet NPC'''.

;GNS: An abbreviation for "gamism, narrativism, simulationism". A system used at [[RPG Lexica:DEF|The Forge]] to categorise gamers and [[game system]]s and experiences; an advanced and more strongly defined version of GDS. See [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/_articles/glossary.html The Forge Glossary]

;Griefing: To play a game while drawing one's main enjoyment from harassing, annoying, or hurting the game for other [[player]]s. No amount of in-game penalty will discourage a griefer from harassing other players, because - as harassing other players is their main enjoyment - they do not care about anything in the game except in terms of what harassment potential it provides. In tabletop [[RPG]]s, griefers are usually quickly ejected from the group, but they can prove more of a problem in online RPGs and other public games.

==H==

;Hack and Slash: A style of gameplay wherein the main focus is combat. Attempting to talk or reason with an [[NPC]] in such a game, rather than just kill them, is most likely to result in confusion or mockery from the other [[player]]s. A close relative of the '''Dungeon Crawl''', and likewise most common in fantasy games.

;Hero: A [[RPG]] which was originally geared toward playing four-color supers (from comic books), then expanded to accommodate a variety of [[setting]]s and [[character]] types. Currently in its Fifth Revised edition, it is published by [http://www.herogames.com Hero Games].

;Hitpoint gain problem: A modelling difficulty arising from the use of [[hit point]]s. In many [[game system]]s, as a [[character]] improves in skill, they also gain hit points. This is intended to represent the dramatic phenomenon, seen in many fantasy films and stories, whereby more heroic characters are capable of sustaining greater amounts of [[damage]] without being visibly affected. However, systems using hit points do not distinguish between types of damage where [[drama]] would not apply, leading to the situation of highly skilled characters being able to throw themselves off 100-foot cliffs without being hurt, because they will still have plenty of hit points spare after losing those that represent the damage from the fall.

;Holding Tank: The notional part of an [[RPG]] club where new [[player]]s wait to become involved in games. Because most RPG players tend to enjoy long-term [[campaign]]s with a fixed group of a particular size, new arrivals to a club or other RPG playing venue can find themselves with no game to play in because all other players are already involved in long-term campaigns that were established before the new player arrived. The existance of the holding tank for RPGs, compared to other gaming hobbies such as miniatures or board gaming where it is not needed, is one of the reasons commonly referred to for the difficulty in recruiting new RPG players.

;Horse Bombing: Abusing a magical or supernatural ability that creates objects, and is not intended to be used as an attack, by exploiting the offensive value of generally being able to create objects from thin air. Examples include using a spell intended to provide food and water for allies, to create water or food inside an enemy's brain case; or the example that defines the term: using a spell that summons a horse for the caster to ride by casting it several hundred feet above a stationary or unaware enemy so that the horse falls on them at high velocity.

==I==

;"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"
:A quote from the movie ''Pulp Fiction'' that basically means the [[PC]]s are about to do something very violent, probably fatal, and definitely painful to whoever is referenced by 'his'. Often followed by another ''Pulp Fiction'' line: "Zed's dead, baby."

;Intelligence problem
:The difficulty encountered in enabling Intelligence stats to work correctly in games which have them. The problem arises from the fact that Intelligence will affect the [[character]]'s ability to choose what to do next. Since making these choices for their characters is the key means by which [[player]]s are involved in the [[RPG]], these choices must be left to the player; but if they are left to the player, the choice will be made based on the ''player's'' level of intelligence, not the character's.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

Hit points

2005-06-05T08:34:35Z

Argyle: Hit points moved to Hit point

#REDIRECT [[Hit point]]

RPG Lexica:GHI

2005-06-05T08:33:30Z

Argyle: /* H */ Oh, baby, you love those wiki liks.

==G==

;Gank: Abbreviation of "gang kill". a) To kill or defeat an enemy by ganging up on them. b) To kill or defeat an enemy trivially, with no real possibility of their being able to resist or escape, and where the killer gains no benefit from their death (not even [[XP]]). Usually used to imply that the [[player]] is having their character attack helpless enemies because of the player's need to take out stress or to somehow "punish" the [[GM]]; or vice versa, that the player characters entered a hopeless situation. Also used on online RPGs as a form of [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|griefing]].

;Gazebo: In addition to the common meaning of a pagoda or turret built to offer an attractive view, also a reference to a famous gamer comedy story: [http://www.geocities.com/rpgsig/articles/gazebo.html ''Eric and the Gazebo''], written (and copyrighted!) by Richard Arenson. In the story, the [[GM]] of a group tells them that they see a gazebo in a field they are approaching. One of the [[player]]s - Eric - does not know what a gazebo is; he therefore assumes it to be a monster and attempts to engage it in combat (which ends with Eric fleeing after multiple magical arrows amazingly failed to wound the gazebo). Used as a jokey reference to an unknown creature, or to something which has been attacked by mistake.
:By extension, may also be used to refer to a part of a description that does ''not'' have any in-game effect, to differentiate it from those that do (i.e., what the mention of the gazebo ''should'' have been). Usage: "Should we ask the priests if they can help us against those 'spooky shadows' we saw?" "Naah, I think it was just a gazebo."

;Get Medieval: to be exceptionally violent toward something or someone. See '''"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"'''

;Gimp
#A [[character]] who is incompetent to the point of near-unplayability in the early stages of a [[campaign]], because they are loaded down with abilities which are initially weak but become highly powerful once the character has advanced. Typically, a ''gimp'' will count on advancing based on achievements made by other members of the party and becoming incredibly powerful; either gaining in power faster or becoming more powerful overall than a non-gimp character of similar design. An example is the "venerable druid gimp" in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'': a [[player]] can declare their druid character to be of venerable age, crippling their physical stats but improving their mental ones. Such a druid will be almost useless in the early stages of a game, due to their vulnerability in combat; but once the druid gains the ability to shape-shift, they can shape-shift to a form with more powerful physical stats while still retaining the bonuses to spellcasting given by the high mental stats they got for being venerable. Thus, such a character is a "gimp" up until they gain shape-shifting ability.
#As a verb: to create a gimp character, or to plan for a character to be a gimp for certain periods.
#When a character is being created at a level of advancement higher than the normal start point, choosing combinations of abilities or skills for that character that would have rendered the character unplayable at lower advancement levels had the player actually played through them. Gimping is one of the more common objections that some players and [[GM]]s have against the idea of characters starting the game having already advanced.
#To advance a skill which provides less benefit than an alternative choice would have provided. This usage comes primarily from MMORPGs; stats and skills are frequently analyzed in great detail and the optimum configuration at maximum level for a particular role is well-known. To deviate from this "min-maxed" template is to gimp your character, and the amount of deviance is the degree to which your character is said to be gimped.
:Origin: From a medieval word for a stupid or incompetent person; may also be related to a term used to refer to a particular sado-masochistic practice.

;Golden Rule, The: "Rules were made to be broken". Traditionally a paragraph in the beginning of a [[game master]]'s section of a rulebook, the golden rule states that the game's enjoyment is paramount, and that rules are only to be enforced if it enhances the play experience. It is designed to counter rules arguments by the game master ruling that the game would be more fun if the [[player]]s were not arguing over exactly how much an obscure ruling reference benefits another player over them. It is interesting to note that ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]] V3.5's version of the golden rule (under adjudicating) states that rules should be changed for more logical sounding ones.

;GDS: An abbreviation for "game, drama, simulation". Describes the three important aspects of an [[RPG]] which are typically traded off against each other by game design: to be an enjoyable game for game's sake, to deliver a dramatic and exciting story, and to reasonable simulate what would "really" happen in particular game situations. For example, having the [[character]]s meet in a tavern and decide to work together trades simulation off for game benefit; having villains leave clues as to their activities trades simulation off for drama; fudging [[dice]] rolls so that a character who bravely charges into a fire zone to rescue an innocent is not cut to ribbons trades game off for [[drama]].

;GMPC
#An [[NPC]] that's basically an avatar of the [[GM]] running the game. Can be helpful and even acceptable if his "divine favor" is toned down and/or used in moderation, but more often becomes something like #2:
#Derogatory term for an 'uber' NPC, one who's abilities and assistance overshadow the [[PC]]s, who is still supposedly on the PCs 'side', but manages to dominate the game because of his "divine favor".
:Note: By "divine favor" I mean things like: die rolls being adjusted in his favor, access to the setting's "bigwigs", absolutely ''amazing'' equipment (say, artifacts in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' games), being able to break inconvenient rules ([[IC]] or [[OOC]]), et cetera. Any time the GM may be said to be cheating in favor of "his" character, it's a GMPC. Also known as a '''Pet NPC'''.

;GNS: An abbreviation for "gamism, narrativism, simulationism". A system used at [[RPG Lexica:DEF|The Forge]] to categorise gamers and [[game system]]s and experiences; an advanced and more strongly defined version of GDS. See [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/_articles/glossary.html The Forge Glossary]

;Griefing: To play a game while drawing one's main enjoyment from harassing, annoying, or hurting the game for other [[player]]s. No amount of in-game penalty will discourage a griefer from harassing other players, because - as harassing other players is their main enjoyment - they do not care about anything in the game except in terms of what harassment potential it provides. In tabletop [[RPG]]s, griefers are usually quickly ejected from the group, but they can prove more of a problem in online RPGs and other public games.

==H==

;Hack and Slash: A style of gameplay wherein the main focus is combat. Attempting to talk or reason with an [[NPC]] in such a game, rather than just kill them, is most likely to result in confusion or mockery from the other [[player]]s. A close relative of the '''Dungeon Crawl''', and likewise most common in fantasy games.

;Hero: A [[RPG]] which was originally geared toward playing four-color supers (from comic books), then expanded to accommodate a variety of [[setting]]s and [[character]] types. Currently in its Fifth Revised edition, it is published by [http://www.herogames.com Hero Games].

;Hitpoint gain problem: A modelling difficulty arising from the use of [[hit point]]s. In many [[game system]]s, as a [[character]] improves in skill, they also gain hit points. This is intended to represent the dramatic phenomenon, seen in many fantasy films and stories, whereby more heroic characters are capable of sustaining greater amounts of [[damage]] without being visibly affected. However, systems using hit points do not distinguish between types of damage where [[drama]] would not apply, leading to the situation of highly skilled characters being able to throw themselves off 100-foot cliffs without being hurt, because they will still have plenty of hit points spare after losing those that represent the damage from the fall.

;Holding Tank: The notional part of an [[RPG]] club where new [[player]]s wait to become involved in games. Because most RPG players tend to enjoy long-term [[campaign]]s with a fixed group of a particular size, new arrivals to a club or other RPG playing venue can find themselves with no game to play in because all other players are already involved in long-term campaigns that were established before the new player arrived. The existance of the holding tank for RPGs, compared to other gaming hobbies such as miniatures or board gaming where it is not needed, is one of the reasons commonly referred to for the difficulty in recruiting new RPG players.

;Horse Bombing: Abusing a magical or supernatural ability that creates objects, and is not intended to be used as an attack, by exploiting the offensive value of generally being able to create objects from thin air. Examples include using a spell intended to provide food and water for allies, to create water or food inside an enemy's brain case; or the example that defines the term: using a spell that summons a horse for the caster to ride by casting it several hundred feet above a stationary or unaware enemy so that the horse falls on them at high velocity.

==I==

;"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"
:A quote from ''Pulp Fiction'' that basically means the PCs are about to do something very violent, probably fatal, and definitely painful to whoever is referenced by 'his'. Often followed by another ''Pulp Fiction'' line: "Zed's dead, baby."

;Intelligence problem
:The difficulty encountered in enabling Intelligence stats to work correctly, in those games which have them. The problem arises from the fact that Intelligence will affect the character's ability to choose what to do next. Since making these choices for their characters is the key means by which players are involved in the RPG, these choices must be left to the player; but if they are left to the player, the choice will be made based on the ''player's'' level of intelligence, not the character's.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:GHI

2005-06-05T08:28:57Z

Argyle: /* G */ tiny formatting

==G==

;Gank: Abbreviation of "gang kill". a) To kill or defeat an enemy by ganging up on them. b) To kill or defeat an enemy trivially, with no real possibility of their being able to resist or escape, and where the killer gains no benefit from their death (not even [[XP]]). Usually used to imply that the [[player]] is having their character attack helpless enemies because of the player's need to take out stress or to somehow "punish" the [[GM]]; or vice versa, that the player characters entered a hopeless situation. Also used on online RPGs as a form of [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|griefing]].

;Gazebo: In addition to the common meaning of a pagoda or turret built to offer an attractive view, also a reference to a famous gamer comedy story: [http://www.geocities.com/rpgsig/articles/gazebo.html ''Eric and the Gazebo''], written (and copyrighted!) by Richard Arenson. In the story, the [[GM]] of a group tells them that they see a gazebo in a field they are approaching. One of the [[player]]s - Eric - does not know what a gazebo is; he therefore assumes it to be a monster and attempts to engage it in combat (which ends with Eric fleeing after multiple magical arrows amazingly failed to wound the gazebo). Used as a jokey reference to an unknown creature, or to something which has been attacked by mistake.
:By extension, may also be used to refer to a part of a description that does ''not'' have any in-game effect, to differentiate it from those that do (i.e., what the mention of the gazebo ''should'' have been). Usage: "Should we ask the priests if they can help us against those 'spooky shadows' we saw?" "Naah, I think it was just a gazebo."

;Get Medieval: to be exceptionally violent toward something or someone. See '''"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"'''

;Gimp
#A [[character]] who is incompetent to the point of near-unplayability in the early stages of a [[campaign]], because they are loaded down with abilities which are initially weak but become highly powerful once the character has advanced. Typically, a ''gimp'' will count on advancing based on achievements made by other members of the party and becoming incredibly powerful; either gaining in power faster or becoming more powerful overall than a non-gimp character of similar design. An example is the "venerable druid gimp" in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'': a [[player]] can declare their druid character to be of venerable age, crippling their physical stats but improving their mental ones. Such a druid will be almost useless in the early stages of a game, due to their vulnerability in combat; but once the druid gains the ability to shape-shift, they can shape-shift to a form with more powerful physical stats while still retaining the bonuses to spellcasting given by the high mental stats they got for being venerable. Thus, such a character is a "gimp" up until they gain shape-shifting ability.
#As a verb: to create a gimp character, or to plan for a character to be a gimp for certain periods.
#When a character is being created at a level of advancement higher than the normal start point, choosing combinations of abilities or skills for that character that would have rendered the character unplayable at lower advancement levels had the player actually played through them. Gimping is one of the more common objections that some players and [[GM]]s have against the idea of characters starting the game having already advanced.
#To advance a skill which provides less benefit than an alternative choice would have provided. This usage comes primarily from MMORPGs; stats and skills are frequently analyzed in great detail and the optimum configuration at maximum level for a particular role is well-known. To deviate from this "min-maxed" template is to gimp your character, and the amount of deviance is the degree to which your character is said to be gimped.
:Origin: From a medieval word for a stupid or incompetent person; may also be related to a term used to refer to a particular sado-masochistic practice.

;Golden Rule, The: "Rules were made to be broken". Traditionally a paragraph in the beginning of a [[game master]]'s section of a rulebook, the golden rule states that the game's enjoyment is paramount, and that rules are only to be enforced if it enhances the play experience. It is designed to counter rules arguments by the game master ruling that the game would be more fun if the [[player]]s were not arguing over exactly how much an obscure ruling reference benefits another player over them. It is interesting to note that ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]] V3.5's version of the golden rule (under adjudicating) states that rules should be changed for more logical sounding ones.

;GDS: An abbreviation for "game, drama, simulation". Describes the three important aspects of an [[RPG]] which are typically traded off against each other by game design: to be an enjoyable game for game's sake, to deliver a dramatic and exciting story, and to reasonable simulate what would "really" happen in particular game situations. For example, having the [[character]]s meet in a tavern and decide to work together trades simulation off for game benefit; having villains leave clues as to their activities trades simulation off for drama; fudging [[dice]] rolls so that a character who bravely charges into a fire zone to rescue an innocent is not cut to ribbons trades game off for [[drama]].

;GMPC
#An [[NPC]] that's basically an avatar of the [[GM]] running the game. Can be helpful and even acceptable if his "divine favor" is toned down and/or used in moderation, but more often becomes something like #2:
#Derogatory term for an 'uber' NPC, one who's abilities and assistance overshadow the [[PC]]s, who is still supposedly on the PCs 'side', but manages to dominate the game because of his "divine favor".
:Note: By "divine favor" I mean things like: die rolls being adjusted in his favor, access to the setting's "bigwigs", absolutely ''amazing'' equipment (say, artifacts in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' games), being able to break inconvenient rules ([[IC]] or [[OOC]]), et cetera. Any time the GM may be said to be cheating in favor of "his" character, it's a GMPC. Also known as a '''Pet NPC'''.

;GNS: An abbreviation for "gamism, narrativism, simulationism". A system used at [[RPG Lexica:DEF|The Forge]] to categorise gamers and [[game system]]s and experiences; an advanced and more strongly defined version of GDS. See [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/_articles/glossary.html The Forge Glossary]

;Griefing: To play a game while drawing one's main enjoyment from harassing, annoying, or hurting the game for other [[player]]s. No amount of in-game penalty will discourage a griefer from harassing other players, because - as harassing other players is their main enjoyment - they do not care about anything in the game except in terms of what harassment potential it provides. In tabletop [[RPG]]s, griefers are usually quickly ejected from the group, but they can prove more of a problem in online RPGs and other public games.

==H==

;Hack and Slash: A style of gameplay wherein the main focus is combat. Attempting to talk or reason with an [[NPC]] in such a game, rather than just kill them, is most likely to result in confusion or mockery from the other players. A close relative of the Dungeon Crawl, and likewise most common in fantasy games.

;Hero: A RPG which was originally geared toward playing four-color supers (from comic books), then expanded to accommodate a variety of settings and character types. Currently in its Fifth Revised edition, it is published by [http://www.herogames.com Hero Games.]

;Hitpoint gain problem: A modelling difficulty arising from the use of hit points. In many game system, as a character improves in skill, they also gain hit points. This is intended to represent the dramatic phenomenon, seen in many fantasy films and stories, whereby more heroic characters are capable of sustaining greater amounts of damage without being visibly affected. However, systems using hit points do not distinguish between types of damage where drama would not apply, leading to the situation of highly skilled characters being able to throw themselves off 100-foot cliffs without being hurt, because they will still have plenty of hit points spare after losing those that represent the damage from the fall.

;Holding Tank: The notional part of an RPG club where new players wait to become involved in games. Because most RPG players tend to enjoy long-term campaigns with a fixed group of a particular size, new arrivals to a club or other RPG playing venue can find themselves with no game to play in because all other players are already involved in long-term campaigns that were established before the new player arrived. The existance of the holding tank for RPGs, compared to other gaming hobbies such as miniatures or board gaming where it is not needed, is one of the reasons commonly referred to for the difficulty in recruiting new RPG players.

;Horse Bombing: Abusing a magical or supernatural ability that creates objects, and is not intended to be used as an attack, by exploiting the offensive value of generally being able to create objects from thin air. Examples include using a spell intended to provide food and water for allies, to create water or food inside an enemy's brain case; or the example that defines the term: using a spell that summons a horse for the caster to ride by casting it several hundred feet above a stationary or unaware enemy so that the horse falls on them at high velocity.

==I==

;"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"
:A quote from ''Pulp Fiction'' that basically means the PCs are about to do something very violent, probably fatal, and definitely painful to whoever is referenced by 'his'. Often followed by another ''Pulp Fiction'' line: "Zed's dead, baby."

;Intelligence problem
:The difficulty encountered in enabling Intelligence stats to work correctly, in those games which have them. The problem arises from the fact that Intelligence will affect the character's ability to choose what to do next. Since making these choices for their characters is the key means by which players are involved in the RPG, these choices must be left to the player; but if they are left to the player, the choice will be made based on the ''player's'' level of intelligence, not the character's.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:GHI

2005-06-05T08:25:52Z

Argyle: /* G */ Oooohhh! yeah! Wiki links!

==G==

;Gank: Abbreviation of "gang kill". a) To kill or defeat an enemy by ganging up on them. b) To kill or defeat an enemy trivially, with no real possibility of their being able to resist or escape, and where the killer gains no benefit from their death (not even [[XP]]). Usually used to imply that the [[player]] is having their character attack helpless enemies because of the player's need to take out stress or to somehow "punish" the [[GM]]; or vice versa, that the player characters entered a hopeless situation. Also used on online RPGs as a form of [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|griefing]].

;Gazebo: In addition to the common meaning of a pagoda or turret built to offer an attractive view, also a reference to a famous gamer comedy story: [http://www.geocities.com/rpgsig/articles/gazebo.html ''Eric and the Gazebo''], written (and copyrighted!) by Richard Arenson. In the story, the [[GM]] of a group tells them that they see a gazebo in a field they are approaching. One of the [[player]]s - Eric - does not know what a gazebo is; he therefore assumes it to be a monster and attempts to engage it in combat (which ends with Eric fleeing after multiple magical arrows amazingly failed to wound the gazebo). Used as a jokey reference to an unknown creature, or to something which has been attacked by mistake.
:By extension, may also be used to refer to a part of a description that does ''not'' have any in-game effect, to differentiate it from those that do (i.e., what the mention of the gazebo ''should'' have been). Usage: "Should we ask the priests if they can help us against those 'spooky shadows' we saw?" "Naah, I think it was just a gazebo."

;Get Medieval: to be exceptionally violent toward something or someone. See '''"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"'''

;Gimp
#A [[character]] who is incompetent to the point of near-unplayability in the early stages of a [[campaign]], because they are loaded down with abilities which are initially weak but become highly powerful once the character has advanced. Typically, a ''gimp'' will count on advancing based on achievements made by other members of the party and becoming incredibly powerful; either gaining in power faster or becoming more powerful overall than a non-gimp character of similar design. An example is the "venerable druid gimp" in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'': a [[player]] can declare their druid character to be of venerable age, crippling their physical stats but improving their mental ones. Such a druid will be almost useless in the early stages of a game, due to their vulnerability in combat; but once the druid gains the ability to shape-shift, they can shape-shift to a form with more powerful physical stats while still retaining the bonuses to spellcasting given by the high mental stats they got for being venerable. Thus, such a character is a "gimp" up until they gain shape-shifting ability.
#As a verb: to create a gimp character, or to plan for a character to be a gimp for certain periods.
#When a character is being created at a level of advancement higher than the normal start point, choosing combinations of abilities or skills for that character that would have rendered the character unplayable at lower advancement levels had the player actually played through them. Gimping is one of the more common objections that some players and [[GM]]s have against the idea of characters starting the game having already advanced.
#To advance a skill which provides less benefit than an alternative choice would have provided. This usage comes primarily from MMORPGs; stats and skills are frequently analyzed in great detail and the optimum configuration at maximum level for a particular role is well-known. To deviate from this "min-maxed" template is to gimp your character, and the amount of deviance is the degree to which your character is said to be gimped.
:Origin: From a medieval word for a stupid or incompetent person; may also be related to a term used to refer to a particular sado-masochistic practice.

;Golden Rule, The: "Rules were made to be broken". Traditionally a paragraph in the beginning of a [[game master]]'s section of a rulebook, the golden rule states that the game's enjoyment is paramount, and that rules are only to be enforced if it enhances the play experience. It is designed to counter rules arguments by the game master ruling that the game would be more fun if the [[player]]s were not arguing over exactly how much an obscure ruling reference benefits another player over them. It is interesting to note that ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]] V3.5's version of the golden rule (under adjudicating) states that rules should be changed for more logical sounding ones.

;GDS: An abbreviation for "game, drama, simulation". Describes the three important aspects of an [[RPG]] which are typically traded off against each other by game design: to be an enjoyable game for game's sake, to deliver a dramatic and exciting story, and to reasonable simulate what would "really" happen in particular game situations. For example, having the [[character]]s meet in a tavern and decide to work together trades simulation off for game benefit; having villains leave clues as to their activities trades simulation off for drama; fudging [[dice]] rolls so that a character who bravely charges into a fire zone to rescue an innocent is not cut to ribbons trades game off for [[drama]].

;GMPC
#An [[NPC]] that's basically an avatar of the [[GM]] running the game. Can be helpful and even acceptable if his "divine favor" is toned down and/or used in moderation, but more often becomes something like #2:
#Derogatory term for an 'uber' NPC, one who's abilities and assistance overshadow the [[PC]]s, who is still supposedly on the PCs 'side', but manages to dominate the game because of his "divine favor".
Note: By "divine favor" I mean things like: die rolls being adjusted in his favor, access to the setting's "bigwigs", absolutely ''amazing'' equipment (say, artifacts in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' games), being able to break inconvenient rules ([[IC]] or [[OOC]]), et cetera. Any time the GM may be said to be cheating in favor of "his" character, it's a GMPC. Also known as a '''Pet NPC'''.

;GNS: An abbreviation for "gamism, narrativism, simulationism". A system used at [[RPG Lexica:DEF|The Forge]] to categorise gamers and [[game system]]s and experiences; an advanced and more strongly defined version of GDS. See [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/_articles/glossary.html The Forge Glossary]

;Griefing: To play a game while drawing one's main enjoyment from harassing, annoying, or hurting the game for other [[player]]s. No amount of in-game penalty will discourage a griefer from harassing other players, because - as harassing other players is their main enjoyment - they do not care about anything in the game except in terms of what harassment potential it provides. In tabletop [[RPG]]s, griefers are usually quickly ejected from the group, but they can prove more of a problem in online RPGs and other public games.

==H==

;Hack and Slash: A style of gameplay wherein the main focus is combat. Attempting to talk or reason with an [[NPC]] in such a game, rather than just kill them, is most likely to result in confusion or mockery from the other players. A close relative of the Dungeon Crawl, and likewise most common in fantasy games.

;Hero: A RPG which was originally geared toward playing four-color supers (from comic books), then expanded to accommodate a variety of settings and character types. Currently in its Fifth Revised edition, it is published by [http://www.herogames.com Hero Games.]

;Hitpoint gain problem: A modelling difficulty arising from the use of hit points. In many game system, as a character improves in skill, they also gain hit points. This is intended to represent the dramatic phenomenon, seen in many fantasy films and stories, whereby more heroic characters are capable of sustaining greater amounts of damage without being visibly affected. However, systems using hit points do not distinguish between types of damage where drama would not apply, leading to the situation of highly skilled characters being able to throw themselves off 100-foot cliffs without being hurt, because they will still have plenty of hit points spare after losing those that represent the damage from the fall.

;Holding Tank: The notional part of an RPG club where new players wait to become involved in games. Because most RPG players tend to enjoy long-term campaigns with a fixed group of a particular size, new arrivals to a club or other RPG playing venue can find themselves with no game to play in because all other players are already involved in long-term campaigns that were established before the new player arrived. The existance of the holding tank for RPGs, compared to other gaming hobbies such as miniatures or board gaming where it is not needed, is one of the reasons commonly referred to for the difficulty in recruiting new RPG players.

;Horse Bombing: Abusing a magical or supernatural ability that creates objects, and is not intended to be used as an attack, by exploiting the offensive value of generally being able to create objects from thin air. Examples include using a spell intended to provide food and water for allies, to create water or food inside an enemy's brain case; or the example that defines the term: using a spell that summons a horse for the caster to ride by casting it several hundred feet above a stationary or unaware enemy so that the horse falls on them at high velocity.

==I==

;"I'm going to get medieval on his ass"
:A quote from ''Pulp Fiction'' that basically means the PCs are about to do something very violent, probably fatal, and definitely painful to whoever is referenced by 'his'. Often followed by another ''Pulp Fiction'' line: "Zed's dead, baby."

;Intelligence problem
:The difficulty encountered in enabling Intelligence stats to work correctly, in those games which have them. The problem arises from the fact that Intelligence will affect the character's ability to choose what to do next. Since making these choices for their characters is the key means by which players are involved in the RPG, these choices must be left to the player; but if they are left to the player, the choice will be made based on the ''player's'' level of intelligence, not the character's.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:DEF

2005-06-05T08:12:17Z

Argyle: /* F */ Wiki, wiki!

==D==

;D: Abbreviation for ''[[dice]]'', either upper or lower case. Because dice are used so frequently in [[role-playing game|role-playing]] and other forms of games, an abbreviated notation is used for describing dice types, consisting of two numbers seperated by a letter 'd'. The number before the 'd' indicates how many dice are referred to (omitted if only one), and the number after indicates how many sides are on the dice. The common cubic dice is a [[d6]] (six-sided), but other dice shapes designed for gaming include the [[d4]], [[d8]], [[d10]], [[d12]], and [[d20]]. For example, 5d6 indicates "5 six-sided dice". This can be further extended with mathematical symbols, indicating a math operation should be applied to the result shown on the dice after they are rolled: 5d6+3 indicates "roll 5 six-sided dice, add them up (the default way of calculating the result of multiple dice), then add 3 to the result". A further extension, not so popularly used, adds the letter "k" (for "keep") to indicate that having rolled the dice, not all of the dice should be added up; the number after the "k" indicates how many dice results should be added. For example, "4d6k3" means that 4 six-sided dice should be rolled, then 3 of those results (usually the highest) selected and added together to give the final result.

;D100: An example of the d- notation, but also a special case. Although 100-sided [[dice]] do exist (specifically the "Zocchihedron"), they are relatively rare; the more common way of rolling a d100 is to roll two [[d10]]s, designating one as the tens digit and one as the units.

;D20: A twenty-sided die; also a generic roleplaying system controlled by Wizards Of The Coast. The [[d20 system]] is a customizable generic system based on a twenty-sided [[dice]] (hence the name), and reusable freely by authors under certain terms and conditions. These terms and conditions include the need to seek explicit approval to refer to the game as supporting "d20" (a controlled trademark), and the provision that certain key rules must be omitted from third-party games, thus forcing [[player]]s to purchase books produced by [[Wizards of the Coast]] in order to obtain them. The impact of the d20 system on the hobby has been considerable, and players are divided as to whether the strong adoption of a common system for games has simplified and streamlined the hobby, or whether it has harmed the hobby by reducing diversity and forcing games to be written with a system which does have documented flaws and is not necessarily ideal for every [[setting]].

;D666: An apparent example of the d- notation, but in fact a special case; there is no such thing as a 666-sided die. The d666 system was used in the game ''[[In Nomine]]'', in which [[player]]s take the roles of either demons or angels. To "roll a d666", the player rolls 3d6, allocating two of the dice to be added together to indicate whether they have succeeded or failed at a task, and the one remaining die to be read alone to indicate the magnitude of the success or failure. A roll of 6-6-6 is a critical if the player is playing a demon, or a fumble if the player is playing an angel; a roll of 1-1-1 is vice versa.

;Darkness Isn't Dark: A phrase indicating that a given [[game system]] is acknowledged to be flawed, but is played anyway because it delivers a good entertainment experience. "But it doesn't make sense!" "What do you expect? In this game darkness isn't dark."
:Origin: From the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]] revised third edition, in which the Darkness spell was described as creating "an area of shadowy illumination" in which it was hard to see. Since "shadowy illumination" is still better than no illumination at all, this implied that casting Darkness in a room that was already pitch dark would make it lighter.

;Deus-Ex-DM: A situation where the [[gamemaster]] screws over the [[player]]s by pulling some arbitrary element the players "forgot to consider" out of his ass. Can be extended to any situation where the GM complicates the [[PC]]s' lives with something arbitrary that they haven't had to deal with until now.
:Origin: [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn087.htm A particular episode] of the webcomic [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn.htm "Full Frontal Nerdity"], by Aaron Williams.

;Dice Pool System: A game system in which a player is given a particular number of [[dice]], each of which may be rolled only once before being taken away from them. When a dice roll is needed, the player can choose to roll any number of dice from the pool; choosing more dice increases the probability of a better result, but also consumes the limited number of dice in the pool faster. Usually, some game action or the passage of some amount of time will cause all dice to be restored to the pool.

;Ding!:Said when a character has just gained a '''[[level]]''' or otherwise reached a significant point of advancement. Origin: The online [[RPG]] ''[[EverQuest]]'', which played a dinging sound effect when a [[PC]] gained a level; this convention was adopted by several other online RPGs.

;Dungeon Crawl: A style of gameplay wherein the main activity is the mapping and conquest of underground regions. Such regions are usually man-made "dungeons" wherein various different creatures make their residence with little regard to ecology, economy, or common sense. Generally a very combat-oriented type of gameplay, and thus usually a subset of '''Hack and Slash'''.

==E==

;EDO: An acronym for "Elf Dwarf Orc", a label for games or [[setting]]s which wallow in the stereotypes of high fantasy established by the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and the game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Specifically refers to the tendency of these games to always feature these three races as primary elements, even if there is no compelling reason to do so.

;Exploding Dice: The term for [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|open-ended]] rolls that may potentially give very high results; more often, a specific roll that does so. So named because the results of these die rolls are generally low, with a few slightly higher... and then a very few that are ''ridiculously'' high, usually resulting in extreme results. (see [[RPG_Lexica:ABC|critical hit]], and multiply it.)
:An exploding dice result at the right time can change a game (or even a gameworld) radically. The best ones are right at the climax of an [[adventure]], to do things like destroy the villain and his plans utterly; unfortunately, Murphy's Law says you're probably going to see them at either unimportant rolls (like a simple Vision Check to spot a light on a panel), or at times when an extreme result would be bad (such as trying to knock out someone ''without'' killing them). Murphy's Law also says your opposition will get them at the absolute worst time.

==F==

;Fantasy Heartbreaker: A label for a specific kind of [[RPG]], examples of which surface with regularity in the hobby. Common elements include publication by a small company or vanity press, a length of several hundred pages, a rule system with deliberately baroque aspects and an incorporated setting built from generic fantasy tropes (see '''EDO''' above). Inevitably the writers of such games are trying to approach the same assumptions used by ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' and improve on the systems built from them. These games are Heartbreakers because their creators have obviously put a great deal of time and effort into getting them published, but the chances of them finding a niche in a field so thoroughly dominated by the established leader is nil. The term was originated by Ron Edwards in a series of essays posted on the '''Forge''' (see below).

;Filing Off the Serial Numbers: An expression used when a rule, [[setting]] or other element of an [[RPG]] has obviously been heavily influenced or outright copied from another design. Not so much an accusation of blatant plagiarism as a bemused observation of not having fully acknowledged one's antecedents. Derived from the method allegedly used to render handguns untraceable, or by auto theives to render a stolen vehicle or part untraceable.

;Fine Red Mist: What is said to be left of a [[character]] who has just taken an obscene amount of [[damage]], much more than what was needed to kill him. As an example, a character who was right next to a large bomb when it went off could be said to have been "reduced to a fine red mist".

;FLGS: An abbreviation of '''Friendly Local Game Store''', referring to traditional store-based game retailers. Generally acknowledged as important to the hobby, such stores provide a visible presence, space to play and a community gathering point. They are nearly always small locally owned businesses run by individuals with a personal stake in the hobby rather than distant entrepreneurs. However, they are notoriously short-lived and poorly managed as their owners often lack adequate business training and experience. Expertly managed, prosperous '''FLGS'''s do exist, but in recent years they are continuously under threat from online booksellers who can typically undercut their prices easily due to a lack of comparable overhead.

;Fluff: Slang for the parts of a [[RPG]] book other than the rules--such as [[setting]] details, game fiction, history, et cetera. Usually contrasted with '''Crunch''', which is the actual rules.

;Forge, the: [http://www.indie-rpgs.com The Forge] (originally "Hepheastus's Forge") is a discussion website for [[RPG]] [[player]]s and designers which attempts detailed, almost scientific-level analysis, of game playing. It was created and is still run by Ron Edwards, author of the independant game ''[[Sorceror]]'', and originally showcased several documents written by him describing the design principles followed in that game (although these are now considered to have been superceded by discussion and have been moved to a less prominent location). Advocates of the Forge claim that the discussion there is strongly stimulating and inspiring, encourages the development of new ideas, and has been responsible for the development of some of the best independant RPGs avaliable. Critics claim that the discussion is over-analytical, incomprehensible to outsiders, and ultimately vacuous, and that those independant RPGs would have been developed anyway regardless of whether their authors had participated in the Forge or not.

;Fudge
#As a verb, for a [[GM]] to clandestinely modify aspects of a [[game system]], known to him and not the [[player]]s, that would otherwise be random or impartial. Thus, the GM may be said to “fudge the [[dice]]”. The term usually carries the implication of pushing things towards the players' benefit in the cause of improving the game experience for all involved. For example, ignoring a situational modifier and declaring that a [[character]] succeeded in striking a mighty blow against a protagonist during a climactic confrontation. A strict interpretation of the game's resolution method would say otherwise, but it better serves the [[drama]]tic needs of the game for the blow to be struck.
#As a noun, a specific [[RPG]] written by Steffan O'Sullivan in collaboration with the newsgroup rec.games.design. Besides having a strong influence on subsequent designs, noteworthy for being the first significant “open source” RPG.

;___-Fu: Skill in ___, especially if the approach to that could be said to come from extensive learning or training. Often used with pseudo-Zen sentence constructions, such as "My _____-fu is strong." to indicate a high level of skill.
:Origin: Generalization of the -fu in "kung-fu". (Note that this is actually wrong: according to [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Kung%20Fu Dictionary.com], it's the "kung" part that denotes skill.)
:Usage:
::GM: "How the hell did you manage to create a [[character]] this powerful at the ''starting level?''"
::Player: "My chargen-fu is strong."

;Fumble: A rare [[dice]] result indicating a catastrophic failure at a task. Typically a fumble will be a failure regardless of the task attempted, and may be a worse failure than a non-fumble would have been.

;Funky Dice: [[Dice]] of a form other than the regular "cubes with pips" most people think of at mention of the word dice; see '''D''' above. Since [[d4|four-sided]], [[d8|eight-sided]], [[d10|ten-sided]] and other such non-traditional randomn number generators see little use outside of the RPG hobby, they are generally only available from specialty retailers (such as a '''FLGS''') and thus the acquiring of one's first set of '''Funky Dice''' is often an early step of initiation for a beginning gamer.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:DEF

2005-06-05T08:02:21Z

Argyle: /* E */ Wiki, wiki, wiki...

==D==

;D: Abbreviation for ''[[dice]]'', either upper or lower case. Because dice are used so frequently in [[role-playing game|role-playing]] and other forms of games, an abbreviated notation is used for describing dice types, consisting of two numbers seperated by a letter 'd'. The number before the 'd' indicates how many dice are referred to (omitted if only one), and the number after indicates how many sides are on the dice. The common cubic dice is a [[d6]] (six-sided), but other dice shapes designed for gaming include the [[d4]], [[d8]], [[d10]], [[d12]], and [[d20]]. For example, 5d6 indicates "5 six-sided dice". This can be further extended with mathematical symbols, indicating a math operation should be applied to the result shown on the dice after they are rolled: 5d6+3 indicates "roll 5 six-sided dice, add them up (the default way of calculating the result of multiple dice), then add 3 to the result". A further extension, not so popularly used, adds the letter "k" (for "keep") to indicate that having rolled the dice, not all of the dice should be added up; the number after the "k" indicates how many dice results should be added. For example, "4d6k3" means that 4 six-sided dice should be rolled, then 3 of those results (usually the highest) selected and added together to give the final result.

;D100: An example of the d- notation, but also a special case. Although 100-sided [[dice]] do exist (specifically the "Zocchihedron"), they are relatively rare; the more common way of rolling a d100 is to roll two [[d10]]s, designating one as the tens digit and one as the units.

;D20: A twenty-sided die; also a generic roleplaying system controlled by Wizards Of The Coast. The [[d20 system]] is a customizable generic system based on a twenty-sided [[dice]] (hence the name), and reusable freely by authors under certain terms and conditions. These terms and conditions include the need to seek explicit approval to refer to the game as supporting "d20" (a controlled trademark), and the provision that certain key rules must be omitted from third-party games, thus forcing [[player]]s to purchase books produced by [[Wizards of the Coast]] in order to obtain them. The impact of the d20 system on the hobby has been considerable, and players are divided as to whether the strong adoption of a common system for games has simplified and streamlined the hobby, or whether it has harmed the hobby by reducing diversity and forcing games to be written with a system which does have documented flaws and is not necessarily ideal for every [[setting]].

;D666: An apparent example of the d- notation, but in fact a special case; there is no such thing as a 666-sided die. The d666 system was used in the game ''[[In Nomine]]'', in which [[player]]s take the roles of either demons or angels. To "roll a d666", the player rolls 3d6, allocating two of the dice to be added together to indicate whether they have succeeded or failed at a task, and the one remaining die to be read alone to indicate the magnitude of the success or failure. A roll of 6-6-6 is a critical if the player is playing a demon, or a fumble if the player is playing an angel; a roll of 1-1-1 is vice versa.

;Darkness Isn't Dark: A phrase indicating that a given [[game system]] is acknowledged to be flawed, but is played anyway because it delivers a good entertainment experience. "But it doesn't make sense!" "What do you expect? In this game darkness isn't dark."
:Origin: From the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]] revised third edition, in which the Darkness spell was described as creating "an area of shadowy illumination" in which it was hard to see. Since "shadowy illumination" is still better than no illumination at all, this implied that casting Darkness in a room that was already pitch dark would make it lighter.

;Deus-Ex-DM: A situation where the [[gamemaster]] screws over the [[player]]s by pulling some arbitrary element the players "forgot to consider" out of his ass. Can be extended to any situation where the GM complicates the [[PC]]s' lives with something arbitrary that they haven't had to deal with until now.
:Origin: [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn087.htm A particular episode] of the webcomic [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn.htm "Full Frontal Nerdity"], by Aaron Williams.

;Dice Pool System: A game system in which a player is given a particular number of [[dice]], each of which may be rolled only once before being taken away from them. When a dice roll is needed, the player can choose to roll any number of dice from the pool; choosing more dice increases the probability of a better result, but also consumes the limited number of dice in the pool faster. Usually, some game action or the passage of some amount of time will cause all dice to be restored to the pool.

;Ding!:Said when a character has just gained a '''[[level]]''' or otherwise reached a significant point of advancement. Origin: The online [[RPG]] ''[[EverQuest]]'', which played a dinging sound effect when a [[PC]] gained a level; this convention was adopted by several other online RPGs.

;Dungeon Crawl: A style of gameplay wherein the main activity is the mapping and conquest of underground regions. Such regions are usually man-made "dungeons" wherein various different creatures make their residence with little regard to ecology, economy, or common sense. Generally a very combat-oriented type of gameplay, and thus usually a subset of '''Hack and Slash'''.

==E==

;EDO: An acronym for "Elf Dwarf Orc", a label for games or [[setting]]s which wallow in the stereotypes of high fantasy established by the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and the game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Specifically refers to the tendency of these games to always feature these three races as primary elements, even if there is no compelling reason to do so.

;Exploding Dice: The term for [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|open-ended]] rolls that may potentially give very high results; more often, a specific roll that does so. So named because the results of these die rolls are generally low, with a few slightly higher... and then a very few that are ''ridiculously'' high, usually resulting in extreme results. (see [[RPG_Lexica:ABC|critical hit]], and multiply it.)
:An exploding dice result at the right time can change a game (or even a gameworld) radically. The best ones are right at the climax of an [[adventure]], to do things like destroy the villain and his plans utterly; unfortunately, Murphy's Law says you're probably going to see them at either unimportant rolls (like a simple Vision Check to spot a light on a panel), or at times when an extreme result would be bad (such as trying to knock out someone ''without'' killing them). Murphy's Law also says your opposition will get them at the absolute worst time.

==F==

;Fantasy Heartbreaker: A label for a specific kind of RPG, examples of which surface with regularity in the hobby. Common elements include publication by a small company or vanity press, a length of several hundred pages, a rule system with deliberately baroque aspects and an incorporated setting built from generic fantasy tropes (see '''EDO''' above). Inevitably the writers of such games are trying to approach the same assumptions used by D&D and improve on the systems built from them. These games are Heartbreakers because their creators have obviously put a great deal of time and effort into getting them published, but the chances of them finding a niche in a field so thoroughly dominated by the established leader is nil. The term was originated by Ron Edwards in a series of essays posted on the '''Forge''' (see below).

;Filing Off the Serial Numbers: An expression used when a rule, setting or other element of an RPG has obviously been heavily influenced or outright copied from another design. Not so much an accusation of blatant plagiarism as a bemused observation of not having fully acknowledged one's antecedents. Derived from the method allegedly used to render handguns untraceable, or by auto theives to render a stolen vehicle or part untraceable.

;Fine Red Mist: What is said to be left of a character who has just taken an obscene amount of damage, much more than what was needed to kill him. As an example, a character who was right next to a large bomb when it went off could be said to have been "reduced to a fine red mist".

;FLGS: An abbreviation of "Friendly Local Game Store", referring to traditional store-based game retailers. Generally acknowledged as important to the hobby, such stores provide a visible presence, space to play and a community gathering point. They are nearly always small locally owned businesses, run by individuals with a personal stake in the hobby rather than distant entrepreneurs. However, they are notoriously short-lived and poorly managed as their owners often lack adequate business training and experience. Expertly managed, prosperous '''FLGS''''s do exist, but in recent years they are continuously under threat from online booksellers who can typically undercut their prices easily due to a lack of comparable overhead.

;Fluff: Slang for the parts of a RPG book other than the rules--such as setting details, game fiction, history, et cetera. Usually contrasted with '''Crunch''', which is the actual rules.

;Forge, the: [http://www.indie-rpgs.com The Forge] (originally "Hepheastus's Forge") is a discussion website for RPG players and designers which attempts detailed, almost scientific-level analysis, of game playing. It was created and is still run by Ron Edwards, author of the independant game ''Sorceror'', and originally showcased several documents written by him describing the design principles followed in that game (although these are now considered to have been superceded by discussion and have been moved to a less prominent location). Advocates of the Forge claim that the discussion there is strongly stimulating and inspiring, encourages the development of new ideas, and has been responsible for the development of some of the best independant RPGs avaliable; critics claim that the discussion is over-analytical, incomprehensible to outsiders, and ultimately vacuous, and that those independant RPGs would have been developed anyway regardless of whether their authors had participated in the Forge or not.

;Fudge
#As a verb, for a GM to clandestinely modify aspects of a game system, known to him and not the players, that would otherwise be random or impartial. Thus, the GM may be said to “fudge the dice”. The term usually carries the implication of pushing things towards the players' benefit in the cause of improving the game experience for all involved. For example, ignoring a situational modifier and declaring that a character succeeded in striking a mighty blow against a protagonist during a climactic confrontation. A strict interpretation of the game's resolution method would say otherwise, but it better serves the dramatic needs of the game for the blow to be struck.
#As a noun, a specific RPG written by Steffan O'Sullivan in collaboration with the newsgroup rec.games.design. Besides having a strong influence on subsequent designs, noteworthy for being the first significant “open source” RPG.

;___-Fu: Skill in ___, especially if the approach to that could be said to come from extensive learning or training. Often used with pseudo-Zen sentence constructions, such as "My _____-fu is strong." to indicate a high level of skill.
:Origin: Generalization of the -fu in "kung-fu". (Note that this is actually wrong: according to [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Kung%20Fu Dictionary.com], it's the "kung" part that denotes skill.)
:Usage:
::GM: "How the hell did you manage to create a character this powerful at the ''starting level?''"
::Player: "My chargen-fu is strong."

;Fumble: A rare dice result indicating a catastrophic failure at a task. Typically a fumble will be a failure regardless of the task attempted, and may be a worse failure than a non-fumble would have been.

;Funky Dice: Dice of a form other than the regular "cubes with pips" most people think of at mention of the word dice; see '''D''' above. Since four-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided and other such non-traditional randomn number generators see little use outside of the RPG hobby, they are generally only available from specialty retailers (such as a '''FLGS''') and thus the acquiring of one's first set of '''Funky Dice''' is often an early step of initiation for a beginning gamer.

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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:DEF

2005-06-05T07:58:58Z

Argyle: /* D */ Wiki links, minor edits.

==D==

;D: Abbreviation for ''[[dice]]'', either upper or lower case. Because dice are used so frequently in [[role-playing game|role-playing]] and other forms of games, an abbreviated notation is used for describing dice types, consisting of two numbers seperated by a letter 'd'. The number before the 'd' indicates how many dice are referred to (omitted if only one), and the number after indicates how many sides are on the dice. The common cubic dice is a [[d6]] (six-sided), but other dice shapes designed for gaming include the [[d4]], [[d8]], [[d10]], [[d12]], and [[d20]]. For example, 5d6 indicates "5 six-sided dice". This can be further extended with mathematical symbols, indicating a math operation should be applied to the result shown on the dice after they are rolled: 5d6+3 indicates "roll 5 six-sided dice, add them up (the default way of calculating the result of multiple dice), then add 3 to the result". A further extension, not so popularly used, adds the letter "k" (for "keep") to indicate that having rolled the dice, not all of the dice should be added up; the number after the "k" indicates how many dice results should be added. For example, "4d6k3" means that 4 six-sided dice should be rolled, then 3 of those results (usually the highest) selected and added together to give the final result.

;D100: An example of the d- notation, but also a special case. Although 100-sided [[dice]] do exist (specifically the "Zocchihedron"), they are relatively rare; the more common way of rolling a d100 is to roll two [[d10]]s, designating one as the tens digit and one as the units.

;D20: A twenty-sided die; also a generic roleplaying system controlled by Wizards Of The Coast. The [[d20 system]] is a customizable generic system based on a twenty-sided [[dice]] (hence the name), and reusable freely by authors under certain terms and conditions. These terms and conditions include the need to seek explicit approval to refer to the game as supporting "d20" (a controlled trademark), and the provision that certain key rules must be omitted from third-party games, thus forcing [[player]]s to purchase books produced by [[Wizards of the Coast]] in order to obtain them. The impact of the d20 system on the hobby has been considerable, and players are divided as to whether the strong adoption of a common system for games has simplified and streamlined the hobby, or whether it has harmed the hobby by reducing diversity and forcing games to be written with a system which does have documented flaws and is not necessarily ideal for every [[setting]].

;D666: An apparent example of the d- notation, but in fact a special case; there is no such thing as a 666-sided die. The d666 system was used in the game ''[[In Nomine]]'', in which [[player]]s take the roles of either demons or angels. To "roll a d666", the player rolls 3d6, allocating two of the dice to be added together to indicate whether they have succeeded or failed at a task, and the one remaining die to be read alone to indicate the magnitude of the success or failure. A roll of 6-6-6 is a critical if the player is playing a demon, or a fumble if the player is playing an angel; a roll of 1-1-1 is vice versa.

;Darkness Isn't Dark: A phrase indicating that a given [[game system]] is acknowledged to be flawed, but is played anyway because it delivers a good entertainment experience. "But it doesn't make sense!" "What do you expect? In this game darkness isn't dark."
:Origin: From the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]] revised third edition, in which the Darkness spell was described as creating "an area of shadowy illumination" in which it was hard to see. Since "shadowy illumination" is still better than no illumination at all, this implied that casting Darkness in a room that was already pitch dark would make it lighter.

;Deus-Ex-DM: A situation where the [[gamemaster]] screws over the [[player]]s by pulling some arbitrary element the players "forgot to consider" out of his ass. Can be extended to any situation where the GM complicates the [[PC]]s' lives with something arbitrary that they haven't had to deal with until now.
:Origin: [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn087.htm A particular episode] of the webcomic [http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn.htm "Full Frontal Nerdity"], by Aaron Williams.

;Dice Pool System: A game system in which a player is given a particular number of [[dice]], each of which may be rolled only once before being taken away from them. When a dice roll is needed, the player can choose to roll any number of dice from the pool; choosing more dice increases the probability of a better result, but also consumes the limited number of dice in the pool faster. Usually, some game action or the passage of some amount of time will cause all dice to be restored to the pool.

;Ding!:Said when a character has just gained a '''[[level]]''' or otherwise reached a significant point of advancement. Origin: The online [[RPG]] ''[[EverQuest]]'', which played a dinging sound effect when a [[PC]] gained a level; this convention was adopted by several other online RPGs.

;Dungeon Crawl: A style of gameplay wherein the main activity is the mapping and conquest of underground regions. Such regions are usually man-made "dungeons" wherein various different creatures make their residence with little regard to ecology, economy, or common sense. Generally a very combat-oriented type of gameplay, and thus usually a subset of '''Hack and Slash'''.

==E==

;EDO: An acronym for "Elf Dwarf Orc", a label for games or settings which wallow in the stereotypes of high fantasy established by the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and the game Dungeons & Dragons. Specifically refers to the tendency of these games to always feature these three races as primary elements, even if there is no compelling reason to do so.

;Exploding Dice: The term for [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|open-ended]] rolls that may potentially give very high results; more often, a specific roll that does so. So named because the results of these die rolls are generally low, with a few slightly higher... and then a very few that are ''ridiculously'' high, usually resulting in very extreme results. (see [[RPG_Lexica:ABC|critical hit]], and multiply it.)
:An exploding dice result at the right time can change a game (or even a gameworld) radically. The best ones are right at the climax of an adventure, to do things like destroy the villain and his plans utterly; unfortunately, Murphy's Law says you're probably going to see them at either unimportant rolls (like a simple Vision Check to spot a light on a panel), or at times when an extreme result would be bad (such as trying to knock out someone ''without'' killing them). Murphy's law also says your opposition will get them at the absolute worst time.

==F==

;Fantasy Heartbreaker: A label for a specific kind of RPG, examples of which surface with regularity in the hobby. Common elements include publication by a small company or vanity press, a length of several hundred pages, a rule system with deliberately baroque aspects and an incorporated setting built from generic fantasy tropes (see '''EDO''' above). Inevitably the writers of such games are trying to approach the same assumptions used by D&D and improve on the systems built from them. These games are Heartbreakers because their creators have obviously put a great deal of time and effort into getting them published, but the chances of them finding a niche in a field so thoroughly dominated by the established leader is nil. The term was originated by Ron Edwards in a series of essays posted on the '''Forge''' (see below).

;Filing Off the Serial Numbers: An expression used when a rule, setting or other element of an RPG has obviously been heavily influenced or outright copied from another design. Not so much an accusation of blatant plagiarism as a bemused observation of not having fully acknowledged one's antecedents. Derived from the method allegedly used to render handguns untraceable, or by auto theives to render a stolen vehicle or part untraceable.

;Fine Red Mist: What is said to be left of a character who has just taken an obscene amount of damage, much more than what was needed to kill him. As an example, a character who was right next to a large bomb when it went off could be said to have been "reduced to a fine red mist".

;FLGS: An abbreviation of "Friendly Local Game Store", referring to traditional store-based game retailers. Generally acknowledged as important to the hobby, such stores provide a visible presence, space to play and a community gathering point. They are nearly always small locally owned businesses, run by individuals with a personal stake in the hobby rather than distant entrepreneurs. However, they are notoriously short-lived and poorly managed as their owners often lack adequate business training and experience. Expertly managed, prosperous '''FLGS''''s do exist, but in recent years they are continuously under threat from online booksellers who can typically undercut their prices easily due to a lack of comparable overhead.

;Fluff: Slang for the parts of a RPG book other than the rules--such as setting details, game fiction, history, et cetera. Usually contrasted with '''Crunch''', which is the actual rules.

;Forge, the: [http://www.indie-rpgs.com The Forge] (originally "Hepheastus's Forge") is a discussion website for RPG players and designers which attempts detailed, almost scientific-level analysis, of game playing. It was created and is still run by Ron Edwards, author of the independant game ''Sorceror'', and originally showcased several documents written by him describing the design principles followed in that game (although these are now considered to have been superceded by discussion and have been moved to a less prominent location). Advocates of the Forge claim that the discussion there is strongly stimulating and inspiring, encourages the development of new ideas, and has been responsible for the development of some of the best independant RPGs avaliable; critics claim that the discussion is over-analytical, incomprehensible to outsiders, and ultimately vacuous, and that those independant RPGs would have been developed anyway regardless of whether their authors had participated in the Forge or not.

;Fudge
#As a verb, for a GM to clandestinely modify aspects of a game system, known to him and not the players, that would otherwise be random or impartial. Thus, the GM may be said to “fudge the dice”. The term usually carries the implication of pushing things towards the players' benefit in the cause of improving the game experience for all involved. For example, ignoring a situational modifier and declaring that a character succeeded in striking a mighty blow against a protagonist during a climactic confrontation. A strict interpretation of the game's resolution method would say otherwise, but it better serves the dramatic needs of the game for the blow to be struck.
#As a noun, a specific RPG written by Steffan O'Sullivan in collaboration with the newsgroup rec.games.design. Besides having a strong influence on subsequent designs, noteworthy for being the first significant “open source” RPG.

;___-Fu: Skill in ___, especially if the approach to that could be said to come from extensive learning or training. Often used with pseudo-Zen sentence constructions, such as "My _____-fu is strong." to indicate a high level of skill.
:Origin: Generalization of the -fu in "kung-fu". (Note that this is actually wrong: according to [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Kung%20Fu Dictionary.com], it's the "kung" part that denotes skill.)
:Usage:
::GM: "How the hell did you manage to create a character this powerful at the ''starting level?''"
::Player: "My chargen-fu is strong."

;Fumble: A rare dice result indicating a catastrophic failure at a task. Typically a fumble will be a failure regardless of the task attempted, and may be a worse failure than a non-fumble would have been.

;Funky Dice: Dice of a form other than the regular "cubes with pips" most people think of at mention of the word dice; see '''D''' above. Since four-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided and other such non-traditional randomn number generators see little use outside of the RPG hobby, they are generally only available from specialty retailers (such as a '''FLGS''') and thus the acquiring of one's first set of '''Funky Dice''' is often an early step of initiation for a beginning gamer.

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[[RPG_Lexica:Main_Page|Back to main Lexicon page]]</center>

[[Category:Terminology]]

Characters

2005-06-05T07:45:17Z

Argyle: Fix that "characters" problem once and for all! ;-)

#REDIRECT [[character]]

RPG Lexica:ABC

2005-06-05T07:42:09Z

Argyle: /* C */ Wiki links, minor editing

==A==

;all-out attack problem: A problem arising in [[dice pool]] systems, in situations where a [[player]] facing a foe (or a hazard or problem in general) is asked to choose a number of [[dice]] from the pool to roll for the [[success]] of their attack. The intent is usually that the player will ensure that some dice remain in the pool after their attack, so that if it happens that the attack fails, they will have dice left to roll in their defense. In fact, however, the best tactic is for the player to attack with all of the dice in their pool, because this gives the attack the best chance of succeeding and resolving the problem right there. If the dice roll badly, the player may lose out as a result of their lack of a defence - '''but''', had the player left dice in the pool to defend with, ''the dice would still have rolled badly'' resulting in an ineffective defense. This dynamic can seriously damage the value of dice pool systems in some games.

==B==

;bad wrong fun: Saying that a game is "bad wrong fun" indicates that the game is somehow broken, unplayable, poor quality or weak - in ignorance of the fact that many groups are playing and enjoying it regularly. As such, this is not normally something that a person will say themselves, but something they will accuse other people of having said. For example, "John said that [[D20 System|d20]] is bad wrong fun" indicates that the speaker believes John's criticism of d20 to be foolish given the large number of groups playing and enjoying it.

;Bag of rats: A tactical maneuver which exploits a loophole in the rules of a tactical combat system, usually leading to ridiculous situations. Taken from a well-known loophole in the (unrevised) third edition of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', in which a [[character]] could have the ability "whirlwind attack" enabling them to attack all foes within range in a single maneuver, and the ability "great cleave" enabling them to, having killed a foe with an attack, carry the attack forward to a second foe. A character could thus, technically, throw a bag of rats at a powerful opponent, then approach and execute a whirlwind attack. The whirlwind attack allows the character to attack all of the rats in one manuever; each time the character attacks a rat, they almost certainly kill it, and then use great cleave to carry the attack forward to the actual powerful foe, thus gaining a huge number of hits on the foe in a single manuever.

;Boggle: To surprise or shock someone to the point where they're just standing or sitting there, not moving, just STARING at what you've done with a shocked expression. Also '''boggled''', shocked to the point of not responding, just staring at the source of the shock.
:Origin: Possibly from the [[RPG]] ''[[Toon]]'', a game where you play cartoon [[character]]s, to describe a similar state which results in the character in question losing turns. (Often shown in cartoons by having the character's eyes bulge out toward the boggling thing or pop out of the character's head completely.)

;Boobs bonus: The hypothetical bonus given to all social skill rolls made by a female [[character]], especially when dealing with males. Derived from the assumption that a female character will automatically have better social skills than a male character, even if they behave in exactly the same way.

;Borgstromancy: The ability to understand a complex, outlandish, or badly explained setting or system well enough to run a game based on it.
:Origin: Taken, possibly unfairly, from the name of the [[RPG]] authoress Rebecca Borgstrom (also known as R. Sean Borgstrom) who is notorious for writing games with spectacularly original premises and intriguing supporting fiction that are however almost impossible to understand well enough to actually ''play''.

==C==

;Camp: To remain stationary, or take no action, as a tactical choice. For example, waiting for enemies to attack you to ensure that the battle takes place on your choice of terrain would be considered camping. Camping in an [[RPG]] is usually an acceptable tactic, but in many competitive board or war games it is considered unfair, because if ''all'' [[player]]s camp, then the game deadlocks (if everyone waits to be attacked, then nobody will ever attack), and any person who breaks the deadlock is penalised by not having the tactical advantage conveyed by camping.

;Character Build System
:Term for a '''chargen''' system in which the [[player]] starts with a "default" [[character]] (often a "blank slate", with no skills, advantages, or anything else) and a pool of points with which he or she can "buy" parts of the character until it approximates the character he or she wants to play. ''[[GURPS]]'' and ''[[Hero]]'' are the two most well known [[RPG]]s that work this way.

;Chargen: short for ''character generation'', the process of creating a [[player character]] for use in a [[RPG]]. Usually one of two methods: '''character build''' or '''[[RPG_Lexica:PQR|random-roll]]''', depending on the [[RPG]] being used.

;Chunky Salsa:What is said to be left of a [[character]] that has taken a massive amount of [[damage]], far more than is needed to kill them (though not quite as much as needed to turn them into a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fine red mist]]). The implication is they've taken enough damage to turn them into small chunks in a red "sauce", like chunky salsa. Classically used to describe the results of (often multiple) grenades in small enclosed spaces; the blast tends to bounce off the walls and hit whoever's in there more than once. This rule explicitly appears in ''[[Shadowrun]]'' among other games.

;Class and Level: A method of '''chargen''' and [[character]] definition in which characters are primarily defined as members of specific pre-defined professions or archetypes, their “[[class]]”, and their degree of advancement along a predetermined course of improvement determined by that profession, their “[[level]]”. Class and Level was used in the original [[RPG]], ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', and thus was a standard aspect of RPG design for years before other methods were attempted.

;Corebook: Any book containing information fundamental to a particular [[game system]]. Typically any person wishing to purchase books for a particular [[RPG]] will need to buy the corebooks first in order to establish the context needed to make sense of the other books. For example, the ''[[Player's Handbook]]'', ''[[Dungeon Master's Guide]]'' and ''[[Monster Manual]]'' are the corebooks for ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''; the ''[[World of Darkness]]'' book and the Vampire book are the corebooks for ''[[Vampire: The Requiem]]''.

;Critical: A rare dice result indicating that an action has been spectacularly successful. Typically a critical will grant an additional bonus beyond simple success, or represent a major success, or indicate success no matter how difficult the task was.
:Origin: Originally ''critical hit'', used in tactical combat systems to model the remote possibility of any single hit taking an enemy down if it happens to hit a critical area. This system was then adopted by [[RPG]] combat systems and then further applied to resolution of all tasks rather than just combat, creating the term ''critical success'', normally abbreviated to just ''critical''.

;Crunch
:1) Slang term for the sections of a [[RPG]]'s rulebook that deal with the actual rules, as opposed to '''Fluff''' (q.v.), which is everything else. Also called '''Crunchy bits'''.
:2) Slang for the relative complexity of a particular ruleset. A '''crunchy''' ruleset is more complex.

;Custom dice: [[Dice]] printed with symbols other than the traditional numbers. Used in certain games to simplify task resolution. For example, ''[[DC Universe]]'' uses dice printed with images of different DC characters; hero images indicate success and villain images indicate failure.

<center>[[RPG_Lexica:DEF|Next]] 
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[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:ABC

2005-06-05T07:31:34Z

Argyle: /* B */ Behold! Wiki links!

==A==

;all-out attack problem: A problem arising in [[dice pool]] systems, in situations where a [[player]] facing a foe (or a hazard or problem in general) is asked to choose a number of [[dice]] from the pool to roll for the [[success]] of their attack. The intent is usually that the player will ensure that some dice remain in the pool after their attack, so that if it happens that the attack fails, they will have dice left to roll in their defense. In fact, however, the best tactic is for the player to attack with all of the dice in their pool, because this gives the attack the best chance of succeeding and resolving the problem right there. If the dice roll badly, the player may lose out as a result of their lack of a defence - '''but''', had the player left dice in the pool to defend with, ''the dice would still have rolled badly'' resulting in an ineffective defense. This dynamic can seriously damage the value of dice pool systems in some games.

==B==

;bad wrong fun: Saying that a game is "bad wrong fun" indicates that the game is somehow broken, unplayable, poor quality or weak - in ignorance of the fact that many groups are playing and enjoying it regularly. As such, this is not normally something that a person will say themselves, but something they will accuse other people of having said. For example, "John said that [[D20 System|d20]] is bad wrong fun" indicates that the speaker believes John's criticism of d20 to be foolish given the large number of groups playing and enjoying it.

;Bag of rats: A tactical maneuver which exploits a loophole in the rules of a tactical combat system, usually leading to ridiculous situations. Taken from a well-known loophole in the (unrevised) third edition of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', in which a [[character]] could have the ability "whirlwind attack" enabling them to attack all foes within range in a single maneuver, and the ability "great cleave" enabling them to, having killed a foe with an attack, carry the attack forward to a second foe. A character could thus, technically, throw a bag of rats at a powerful opponent, then approach and execute a whirlwind attack. The whirlwind attack allows the character to attack all of the rats in one manuever; each time the character attacks a rat, they almost certainly kill it, and then use great cleave to carry the attack forward to the actual powerful foe, thus gaining a huge number of hits on the foe in a single manuever.

;Boggle: To surprise or shock someone to the point where they're just standing or sitting there, not moving, just STARING at what you've done with a shocked expression. Also '''boggled''', shocked to the point of not responding, just staring at the source of the shock.
:Origin: Possibly from the [[RPG]] ''[[Toon]]'', a game where you play cartoon [[character]]s, to describe a similar state which results in the character in question losing turns. (Often shown in cartoons by having the character's eyes bulge out toward the boggling thing or pop out of the character's head completely.)

;Boobs bonus: The hypothetical bonus given to all social skill rolls made by a female [[character]], especially when dealing with males. Derived from the assumption that a female character will automatically have better social skills than a male character, even if they behave in exactly the same way.

;Borgstromancy: The ability to understand a complex, outlandish, or badly explained setting or system well enough to run a game based on it.
:Origin: Taken, possibly unfairly, from the name of the [[RPG]] authoress Rebecca Borgstrom (also known as R. Sean Borgstrom) who is notorious for writing games with spectacularly original premises and intriguing supporting fiction that are however almost impossible to understand well enough to actually ''play''.

==C==

;Camp: To remain stationary, or take no action, as a tactical choice: for example, waiting for enemies to attack you to ensure that the battle takes place on your choice of terrain. Camping in an [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPG]] is usually an acceptable tactics, but in many competitive board or war games it is considered unfair, because if ''all'' players camp, then the game deadlocks (if everyone waits to be attacked, then nobody will ever attack), and any person who breaks the deadlock is penalised by not having the tactical advantage conveyed by camping.

;Character Build System
:Term for a '''chargen''' system in which the player starts with a "default" character (often a "blank slate", with no skills, advantages, or anything else) and a pool of points with which he or she can "buy" parts of the character until it approximates the character he or she wants to play. [[GURPS]] and [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Hero]] are the two most well known [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPGs]] that work this way.

;Chargen: short for ''character generation'', the process of creating a [[Player_character|player character]] for use in a [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPG]]. Usually one of two methods: '''character build''' or [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|random-roll]], depending on the RPG being used.

;Chunky Salsa:What is said to be left of a character that has taken a massive amount of damage, far more than is needed to kill them (though not quite as much as needed to turn them into a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fine red mist]]). The implication is they've taken enough damage to turn them into small chunks in a red "sauce", like chunky salsa. Classically used to describe the results of (often multiple) grenades in small enclosed spaces; the blast tends to bounce off the walls and hit whoever's in there more than once. (Explicitly stated in Shadowrun, among other places.)

;Class and Level: A method of '''chargen''' and character definition in which characters are primarily defined as members of specific pre-defined professions or archetypes, their “class”, and their degree of advancement along a predetermined course of improvement determined by that profession, their “level”. Class and Level was used in the original RPG, Dungeons & Dragons, and thus was a standard aspect of RPG design for years before other methods were attempted.

;Corebook: Any book containing information fundamental to a particular game system. Typically any person wishing to purchase books for a particular [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPG]] will need to buy the corebooks first in order to establish the context needed to make sense of the other books. For example, the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual are the corebooks for D&D; the World of Darkness book and the Vampire book are the corebooks for Vampire: the Requiem.

;Critical: A rare dice result indicating that an action has been spectacularly successful. Typically a critical will grant an additional bonus beyond simple success, or represent a major success, or indicate success no matter how difficult the task was.
:Origin: Originally ''critical hit'', used in tactical combat systems to model the remote possibility of any single hit taking an enemy down if it happens to hit a critical area. This system was then adopted by RPG combat systems and then further applied to resolution of all tasks rather than just combat, creating the term ''critical success'', normally abbreviated to just ''critical''.

;Crunch
:1) Slang term for the sections of a RPG's rulebook that deal with the actual rules, as opposed to '''Fluff''' (q.v.), which is everything else. Also called '''Crunchy bits'''.
:2) Slang for the relative complexity of a particular ruleset. A '''crunchy''' ruleset is more complex.

;Custom dice: Dice printed with symbols other than the traditional numbers. Used in certain games to simplify task resolution. For example, ''DC Universe'' uses dice printed with images of different DC characters; hero images indicate success, and villain images indicate failure.

<center>[[RPG_Lexica:DEF|Next]] 
[[RPG_Lexica:Main_Page|Back to the main Lexicon page]]</center>

[[Category:Terminology]]

RPG Lexica:ABC

2005-06-05T07:27:32Z

Argyle: /* A */ Some wiki links

==A==

;all-out attack problem: A problem arising in [[dice pool]] systems, in situations where a [[player]] facing a foe (or a hazard or problem in general) is asked to choose a number of [[dice]] from the pool to roll for the [[success]] of their attack. The intent is usually that the player will ensure that some dice remain in the pool after their attack, so that if it happens that the attack fails, they will have dice left to roll in their defense. In fact, however, the best tactic is for the player to attack with all of the dice in their pool, because this gives the attack the best chance of succeeding and resolving the problem right there. If the dice roll badly, the player may lose out as a result of their lack of a defence - '''but''', had the player left dice in the pool to defend with, ''the dice would still have rolled badly'' resulting in an ineffective defense. This dynamic can seriously damage the value of dice pool systems in some games.

==B==

;bad wrong fun: Saying that a game is "bad wrong fun" indicates that the game is somehow broken, unplayable, poor quality or weak - in ignorance of the fact that many groups are playing and enjoying it regularly. As such, this is not normally something that a person will say themselves, but something they will accuse other people of having said. For example, "John said that d20 is bad wrong fun" indicates that the speaker believes John's criticism of d20 to be foolish given the large number of groups playing and enjoying it.

;Bag of rats: A tactical maneuver which exploits a loophole in the rules of a tactical combat system, usually leading to ridiculous situations. Taken from a well-known loophole in the (unrevised) third edition of Dungeons and Dragons, in which a character could have the ability "whirlwind attack" enabling them to attack all foes within range in a single maneuver, and the ability "great cleave" enabling them to, having killed a foe with an attack, carry the attack forward to a second foe. A character could thus, technically, throw a bag of rats at a powerful opponent, then approach and execute a whirlwind attack. The whirlwind attack allows the character to attack all of the rats in one manuever; each time the character attacks a rat, they almost certainly kill it, and then use great cleave to carry the attack forward to the actual powerful foe, thus gaining a huge number of hits on the foe in a single manuever.

;Boggle: To surprise or shock someone to the point where they're just standing or sitting there, not moving, just STARING at what you've done with a shocked expression. Also '''boggled''', shocked to the point of not responding, just staring at the source of the shock.
:Origin: Possibly from the RPG ''Toon'', a game where you play cartoon characters, to describe a similar state which results in the character in question losing turns. (Often shown in cartoons by having the character's eyes bulge out toward the boggling thing or pop out of the character's head completely.)

;Boobs bonus: The hypothetical bonus given to all social skill rolls made by a female character, especially when dealing with males. Derived from the assumption that a female character will automatically have better social skills than a male character, even if they behave in exactly the same way.

;Borgstromancy: The ability to understand a complex, outlandish, or badly explained setting or system well enough to run a game based on it.
:Origin: Taken, possibly unfairly, from the name of the RPG authoress Rebecca Borgstrom (also known as R. Sean Borgstrom) who is notorious for writing games with spectacularly original premises and intriguing supporting fiction that are however almost impossible to understand well enough to actually ''play''.

==C==

;Camp: To remain stationary, or take no action, as a tactical choice: for example, waiting for enemies to attack you to ensure that the battle takes place on your choice of terrain. Camping in an [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPG]] is usually an acceptable tactics, but in many competitive board or war games it is considered unfair, because if ''all'' players camp, then the game deadlocks (if everyone waits to be attacked, then nobody will ever attack), and any person who breaks the deadlock is penalised by not having the tactical advantage conveyed by camping.

;Character Build System
:Term for a '''chargen''' system in which the player starts with a "default" character (often a "blank slate", with no skills, advantages, or anything else) and a pool of points with which he or she can "buy" parts of the character until it approximates the character he or she wants to play. [[GURPS]] and [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Hero]] are the two most well known [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPGs]] that work this way.

;Chargen: short for ''character generation'', the process of creating a [[Player_character|player character]] for use in a [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPG]]. Usually one of two methods: '''character build''' or [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|random-roll]], depending on the RPG being used.

;Chunky Salsa:What is said to be left of a character that has taken a massive amount of damage, far more than is needed to kill them (though not quite as much as needed to turn them into a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fine red mist]]). The implication is they've taken enough damage to turn them into small chunks in a red "sauce", like chunky salsa. Classically used to describe the results of (often multiple) grenades in small enclosed spaces; the blast tends to bounce off the walls and hit whoever's in there more than once. (Explicitly stated in Shadowrun, among other places.)

;Class and Level: A method of '''chargen''' and character definition in which characters are primarily defined as members of specific pre-defined professions or archetypes, their “class”, and their degree of advancement along a predetermined course of improvement determined by that profession, their “level”. Class and Level was used in the original RPG, Dungeons & Dragons, and thus was a standard aspect of RPG design for years before other methods were attempted.

;Corebook: Any book containing information fundamental to a particular game system. Typically any person wishing to purchase books for a particular [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|RPG]] will need to buy the corebooks first in order to establish the context needed to make sense of the other books. For example, the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual are the corebooks for D&D; the World of Darkness book and the Vampire book are the corebooks for Vampire: the Requiem.

;Critical: A rare dice result indicating that an action has been spectacularly successful. Typically a critical will grant an additional bonus beyond simple success, or represent a major success, or indicate success no matter how difficult the task was.
:Origin: Originally ''critical hit'', used in tactical combat systems to model the remote possibility of any single hit taking an enemy down if it happens to hit a critical area. This system was then adopted by RPG combat systems and then further applied to resolution of all tasks rather than just combat, creating the term ''critical success'', normally abbreviated to just ''critical''.

;Crunch
:1) Slang term for the sections of a RPG's rulebook that deal with the actual rules, as opposed to '''Fluff''' (q.v.), which is everything else. Also called '''Crunchy bits'''.
:2) Slang for the relative complexity of a particular ruleset. A '''crunchy''' ruleset is more complex.

;Custom dice: Dice printed with symbols other than the traditional numbers. Used in certain games to simplify task resolution. For example, ''DC Universe'' uses dice printed with images of different DC characters; hero images indicate success, and villain images indicate failure.

<center>[[RPG_Lexica:DEF|Next]] 
[[RPG_Lexica:Main_Page|Back to the main Lexicon page]]</center>

[[Category:Terminology]]

Campaign

2005-06-05T07:19:04Z

Argyle: Add some alternate names.

A campaign is an ongoing storyline revolving about a continuous group of [[character]]s. It is generally made up of a series of [[adventure]]s within a specific [[setting]].

Some games have alternate names for their campaigns. For example, ''[[Ars Magica]]'' campaigns are known as [[saga]]s and ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' campaigns are known as [[chronicle]]s.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Adventure

2005-06-05T07:15:13Z

Argyle:

An adventure in [[roleplaying game]]s is a single, discrete story. Several adventures in sequence form a [[campaign]]. Game companies often publish pre-made adventure [[supplement]]s. These are often called '''[[module]]s'''.

Adventures consist of certain basic elements common to all forms of storytelling:
====Exposition====
"You all meet in a tavern..."
====The attack of the plot====
"A wild-eyed old man stumbles through the door..."
====The action====
The party journeys to the dungeon and begins hacking up orcs.
====The resolution of the plot====
"...and as you open the door, you hear the bellow of the Orcish Chieftain as he rushes to the attack!"
====Denouement====
Everybody divvies up the treasure, and the wild-eyed old man reveals what that amulet the Chieftain was wearing actually does.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Module

2005-06-05T07:14:58Z

Argyle: Bah. Let's give it a real definition.

A '''module''' is another name for a published pre-made [[adventure]] scenario.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Module

2005-06-05T07:13:34Z

Argyle:

#REDIRECT [[adventure]]

[[Category:Terminology]]

Adventure

2005-06-05T07:12:46Z

Argyle: Added a reference to campaigns and modules

An adventure in [[roleplaying game]]s is a single, discrete story. Several adventures in sequence form a [[campaign]]. Game companies often publish pre-made adventure [[supplement]]s. These are often called '''modules'''.

Adventures consist of certain basic elements common to all forms of storytelling:
====Exposition====
"You all meet in a tavern..."
====The attack of the plot====
"A wild-eyed old man stumbles through the door..."
====The action====
The party journeys to the dungeon and begins hacking up orcs.
====The resolution of the plot====
"...and as you open the door, you hear the bellow of the Orcish Chieftain as he rushes to the attack!"
====Denouement====
Everybody divvies up the treasure, and the wild-eyed old man reveals what that amulet the Chieftain was wearing actually does.

[[Category:Terminology]]

GURPS

2005-06-05T07:07:25Z

Argyle: A little rearranging, expanded the acronym

Call of Cthulhu

2005-06-05T07:00:15Z

Argyle: I didn't add much, but I added some.

(This article is a stub. Someone who knows more should fill in detail.)

'''Call of Cthulhu''' is a [[roleplaying game]] based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft. The [[characters]] are investigators of the unknown in an uncaring universe filled with ancient horror and Things Man was Not Meant to Know. That the characters will eventually be driven insane is as certain as that ''[[Paranoia]]'' characters will eventually end up dead.

''Call of Cthulhu'' is commonly played in one of three eras: The 1890s, the 1920s, and modern day. Games set in modern day frequently make use of the ''[[Delta Green]]'' [[supplement]], which adds a global conspiracy aspect to the game and is widely regarded as being of excellent quality.

[[Category:Games]]

Setting

2005-06-05T06:52:11Z

Argyle: Minor formatting

The setting of a [[campaign]] is, in simplest terms, where it takes place. For a historical campaing, the setting might be the court of King Louis XVI, whereas for a superheroes campaign it might be the fictional city of Metropolis, and for a [[GURPS]] Fantasy campaign it might be the world of Yrth.

Many [[roleplaying game]] publishers also publish settings for use with their products. These include the Yrth setting for GURPS Fantasy and the World of Greyhawk supplement for ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Some games integrate the setting with the rules. Examples include ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' and ''[[Star Wars]]''.

[[Category:Terminology]]

Fortune

2005-06-05T06:49:46Z

Argyle: Add some wiki links

'''Fortune''' is one of the three methods of resolving conflicts in [[RPG]]s. It was first formally named in ''[[Everway]]'' and popularized by Ron Edwards.

Fortune refers to any method that relies on a random element. This is most commonly the roll of one or more [[dice]], depending on [[game system]], but can also be represented by cards, spinners, rock-paper-scissors, etc.

Fortune is the most popular method of conflict-resolution in RPGs. This is due in large part to historical reasons: the games that RPGs evolved from used dice. However it is also due to preference of many gamers as well, who consider dice fun and simple.

The other two conflict-resolution methods are known as [[Drama]] and [[Karma]].

[[Category:Terminology]]

Drama

2005-06-05T06:48:24Z

Argyle: Add some wiki links

'''Drama''' is one of the three methods of resolving conflicts in [[RPG]]s. It was first formally named in ''[[Everway]]'' and popularized by Ron Edwards.

Drama refers to any method in which the outcome is decided based on what would be best for the story. What this means can vary widely according to individual preference.

An example of Drama: A [[character]] is trying to seduce an [[NPC]]. The [[GM]] decides that the story would be much more interesting if the seduction attempt succeeded, so she declares the attempt a success, without calling for a die roll or checking for any skill level in Seduction.

The other two conflict-resolution methods are known as [[Fortune]] and [[Karma]].

[[Category:Terminology]]

Free Software

2005-06-01T08:23:12Z

Argyle: Fix alphabetization because I'm anal like that.

[[Category:Resources]]

Free software on the web related to gaming.

==Character Generators==

*[http://anathema.sf.net ANATHEMA] - A [[character]] generator for ''[[Exalted]]''
*[http://www.yog-sothoth.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=4/ Byakhee] - generate [[BRP System]] [[character]]s for ''[[Call of Cthulhu]]'' and ''[[Delta Green]]''.
*[http://dc.darkalliance.org/ DC Character Builder] - for [[Mayfair]]'s ''[[DC Heroes]]'' [[RPG]].
*[http://edexalted.com EdExalted] - A [[character]] generator for ''[[Exalted]]''
*[http://rubyforge.org/projects/edx EdX] - [[character]] generator for [[Tri-Stat dX]]
*[http://pcgen.sourceforge.net/01_news.php/ PCGen] - [[D20 System]] character generator.
*[http://www.dark-legacy.com/redblade3e/3.5e/ Redblade 3.5e] - freeware character generator & bare-bones die roller for [[D&D]] v3.5 & similar games
*[http://fgreen789.tripod.com/jdrcg/ Rolemaster character generator] - java application for ''[[Rolemaster]]'' fantasy

==Other Useful Software==
*[http://autorealm.sourceforge.net/index.php/ AutoRealm] - freeware map creation program with expansions.
*[http://www.dungeoncrafter.com/ DungeonCrafter] - tile based mapping software
*[http://ebon.pyorre.net/ Everchanging Book of Names] - a random name generator for many cultures, real and otherwise.
*[http://www.heromachine.com/ Hero Machine] - generates pictures of RPG [[character]]s and [[NPC]]s.