https://wiki.rpg.net/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=161.73.175.184&feedformat=atomRPGnet - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T10:15:20ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.31.7https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:VWX&diff=347590RPG Lexica:VWX2018-11-28T18:44:01Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* W */</p>
<hr />
<div>==V==<br />
<br />
;Vitality and wounds system: A modified version of [[hit point]]s, used in some later [[d20 system|d20 games]] to attempt to overcome the [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|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 dramatic 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.<br />
<br />
==W==<br />
<br />
;Walking First-Aid Kit, A: A somewhat derisive phrase used to describe a Cleric in D&D, or similar "healer" roles in other combat-heavy games. It can be argued that, whereas the other standard classes of D&D are recognizable and dynamic fantasy archetypes, the Cleric exists mainly for mechanical reasons resulting from how combat and wounding works in the game. Thus, Cleric characters rarely enjoy center stage during the dramatic moments of an adventure. They are vital afterwards to renew the party's hit points, but it can be disappointing for the player who winds up playing something little more important than a baggage handler.<br />
:Some people blame the cleric's players for this, as they are -- in terms of flavor -- often similar to a paladin, and there seems to be no powerful reason they should be relegated to an uninteresting or second-string role.<br />
<br />
<br />
;Wall of Fear and Ignorance, The: The [[GM|game master]]'s screen.<br />
:Origin: ''[[Paranoia]]'', the RPG<br />
<br />
<br />
;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?) <br />
: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.<br />
<br />
<br />
;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.<br />
<br />
<br />
;WMD: A playful abbreviation for "Whiteboard of Mystery and Distrust". Originates from games in which hand-held whiteboards are used to pass secret notes from [[GM]] to player, or from player to player. This inevitably causes other players to want to know what is going on behind their backs. Sometimes the dissent and suspicion is the precise intent of passing the note, while at other times it is done to preserve the immersion factor of a game (e.g. by passing a whiteboard to the GM that says, "I cast true resurrection" the player is free to describe the event without using terms that apply only to game mechanics).<br />
:Also used for its original meaning from the military, "Weapon of Mass Destruction", to refer to an extremely destructive weapon or ability (or, in some cases, character)<br />
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<br />
;Whoop-ass: Damage, particularly damage rendered in a very flashy style. One is said to open a can of whoop-ass for regular amounts, or to tap a keg of whoop-ass for particularly powerful actions.<br />
<br />
<br />
;Wipe: Same as ''Total Party Kill,'' borrowed from online RPG terminology. The difference between a wipe and a TPK is that the wipe is generally not assumed to stem from either GM malevolence or player idiocy.<br />
<br />
<br />
;Worst RPGs Ever:Surprisingly, there is fairly good agreement on which RPGs are in this category. The list goes: FATAL (see [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Game That Must Not Be Named]]), RaHoWa, Hybrid, and now Wraeththu. More details and discussion on the [[Worst RPGs ever]] page.<br />
<br />
==X==<br />
<br />
;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.<br />
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<br />
[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:JKL&diff=347589RPG Lexica:JKL2018-11-28T18:40:38Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* K */</p>
<hr />
<div>==J==<br />
<br />
<br />
;Jefferson Carter: A '''BBEG''' (q.v.) who by GM Fiat transcends all game rules and established principles in order to harm or complicate matters for the PCs. From the book ''Play Dirty'' by John Wick, in which Carter is the name of an example mastermind villain in a superhero campaign whose plots include defeating a hero who has the rules-codified ability "immune to disease" by crafting a disease which bypasses that immunity, and then manufacturing an easily available cure based on a variant of a mundane disease - which thus does not work on the hero, because of their immunity.<br />
<br />
<br />
;John Crichton Effect: The entry of a new [[PC]] during the middle of an adventure. Usually with upsetting or disastrous results with the rest of the adventuring [[party]]. This title refers to the popular [[Scifi]] show "Farscape", where the main protagonist was accidentally teleported into a crew of fleeing space fugitives on a stolen ship. He was knocked out cold because he overreacted to what was going on. A common [[PC]] reaction to similar circumstances. <br />
<br />
<br />
;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 not compelling.<br />
:Usage: "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."<br />
: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 since it's rare that enough time passes in-game for it to be an issue. Coined by '''tk421''' on the RPOpen board.<br />
<br />
==K==<br />
<br />
;Katana<br />
:A long, curved, single-edged sword used by Japanese samurai. In the modern era, katanas have become the subject of numerous myths related to the quality of their construction and their sharpness, including the claim that a katana was considered a poor blade unless it was capable of cutting through four condemned men in a single stroke. In reality, late-medieval period European swords, especially those of the Toledo tradition, matched or exceeded the katana in quality. A katana is often considered the favored weapon of a [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|'''ninja''']], though this is ahistorical (prior to the Edo period katanas were restricted to the samurai class; and, being rather large, it is unlikely that a stealthy assassin would want to carry one).<br />
<br />
:This, in turn, has led to stories of gamers seriously overestimating the abilities of a character armed with a katana. In the most famous story, a [[PC]] attempts to cut through the armor of a modern tank with his katana. 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. Dual-wielding katanas (often by a character wearing a black trenchcoat) is a particuarly egregious and adolescent example. A number of games have also enshrined this fallacy, giving the katana unrealistically powerful game stats.<br />
<br />
:*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana "Katana"], an in-depth article at [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia].<br />
:*[http://www.aikibudo.com/akbd/version_us/03_weapons/history_katana.htm "History of the Katana"]<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kewl Powerz<br />
: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. The "l33tspeak" spelling of the term was initially meant to be dismissive of the kind of game where a character's abilities are more important than who the character is, but over time it's come to be used to specify that what the speaker refers to is the kind of ability that could be dismissed as silly overpowered chrome in certain genres. Like "roleplaying vs rollplaying", "Kewl powerz" as a term has become so cliche that it's next to impossible to use it without irony.<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kill Them and Take Their Stuff<br />
: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 [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|hack and slash]] style. Sometimes abbreviated to simply KTATTS on message boards, such as RPG.net<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kingmaker problem: A problem arising in game design - typically board or card games - whereby it is possible for a player who themselves has no chance of winning, to decide which other player will win. A typical case is a game in which an eliminated player is required to give all their resources to the player who eliminated them; in a game with two evenly-matched players and one who is behind, the trailing player can often choose which other player is able to eliminate them and gain their resources. A further common case is auction games, where a player can bid unnecessarily high and not only lose the game for themselves but give a permanent advantage to the player who received the bid resources. This is a problem because a kingmaking player, having no possibility of winning the game, no longer has any value for in-game resources; thus, their decision as to who to enable to win must be made via other factors, such as out-of-game grudges or friendships, or "revenge" for actions in earlier play (which can stagnate the game as players become reticent to attack each other for fear of revenge later on).<br />
<br />
<br />
;King Rat<br />
:The male equivalent of a [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|'''Queen Bee''']]. Exceptionally rare in [[RPG]]ing due to the gender imbalance of the hobby.<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kludge<br />
:Term for an inelegant, nonintuitive or in some other way "broken" rule that stands out from an otherwise good design. For example, "The combat system is great, but the way it handles grapples is such a kludge." This term is borrowed from computer hacker culture, in which it refers to anything done in a way which is hasty, wrong, and/or inferior, but which performs the intended function.<br />
:Origin: hacker slang. The canonical definition for "kludge" (which rhymes with "stooge," not "fudge" as one might expect) is something ugly but functional (compare "chrome", which is something beautiful but useless).<br />
<br />
<br />
;Knights of the Dinner Table: (often abbreviated to '''KODT''') A comic strip drawn by Jolly Blackburn and now published as a stand-alone comic by Kenzer and Company that follows the story of several gaming groups. Because much of the comic revolves around the characters playing RPGs, most of the art frames simply show the characters sitting around a table talking to each other. Has famously represented or exaggerated a number of classic gaming urban legends, anecdotes, or problems discovered in systems, as well as spawning a number of memorable quotes of his own, such as "Hoody Hoo" as a cry of joy, "I waste him with my crossbow", and the description of the GM as "the gamer who never plays."<br />
<br />
==L==<br />
<br />
;Lasersharking<br />
:The attempt to improve the proceedings with the addition of novel elements which has the opposite effect, usually because the novel elements are too ridiculous to take seriously. In gaming, this often refers to combining elements from different genres but it is not limited to this. The telling aspect on whether something is if it works, it isn't, but if it seems silly or otherwise detrimental to the enjoyment of the proceeding, then it is<br />
<br />
:e.g. "Another Teen Pregnancy Where The Boyfriend With The Dark Secret Is Cheating On His Girlfriend (Who's Really The Summer Bay Stalker) Whilst Dying From Cancer."<br />
<br />
:The term's origin can be traced to the comedy spoof movie ''Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'', in which Dr. Evil threatens to lower Austin into a pool containing "sharks.. with frickin' lasers on their heads". The gaming analogy was first used on [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|The Forge]] in [http://indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=7072&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=0432602286cbee5d9711dc40a81cb7ea this thread].<br />
<br />
<br />
;Lesbianstripperninja <br />
:Sometimes, Drowlesbianstripperninja. Term for a stereotypically puerile female character created by many juvenile (mostly male) gamers. Essentially, what happens when a horny kid immersed in objectifying media creates what he envisions to be a "strong female" player-character. Scantily clad, aggressively sexual, quick to seduce NPC's to get what she wants or just for the hell of it, the character is essentially a canvas for the player's teenage urges. The character is homosexual because the male player thinks "lesbians are hawt" with the added subtext that actually playing out a heterosexual woman's romances from a first-person perspective would threaten the player's sexual identity. She is extremely stealthy, agile and fights in a precise manner because that is the style of deadliness allowed to strong female fighters by popular media. Typically she will be "exotic" in appearance, East Asian, Elvish, Drow or similar. The character Psylocke as portrayed in 1990's Marvel Comics is pretty much the archetype for this trope. See also [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Ninja.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
;Level-Up, Leveling-up<br />
:In RPGs where characters gain experience and advance in levels that provide increased benefit; the application of those benefits (increasing hit points, adding skill levels/ranks, ect.) is sometimes referred to as Leveling-up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>[[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Previous]]&nbsp;|&nbsp;[[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Next]]<br><br />
[[RPG_Lexica:Main_Page|Back to main Lexicon page]]</center><br />
<br />
[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:JKL&diff=347588RPG Lexica:JKL2018-11-28T18:37:19Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* J */</p>
<hr />
<div>==J==<br />
<br />
<br />
;Jefferson Carter: A '''BBEG''' (q.v.) who by GM Fiat transcends all game rules and established principles in order to harm or complicate matters for the PCs. From the book ''Play Dirty'' by John Wick, in which Carter is the name of an example mastermind villain in a superhero campaign whose plots include defeating a hero who has the rules-codified ability "immune to disease" by crafting a disease which bypasses that immunity, and then manufacturing an easily available cure based on a variant of a mundane disease - which thus does not work on the hero, because of their immunity.<br />
<br />
<br />
;John Crichton Effect: The entry of a new [[PC]] during the middle of an adventure. Usually with upsetting or disastrous results with the rest of the adventuring [[party]]. This title refers to the popular [[Scifi]] show "Farscape", where the main protagonist was accidentally teleported into a crew of fleeing space fugitives on a stolen ship. He was knocked out cold because he overreacted to what was going on. A common [[PC]] reaction to similar circumstances. <br />
<br />
<br />
;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 not compelling.<br />
:Usage: "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."<br />
: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 since it's rare that enough time passes in-game for it to be an issue. Coined by '''tk421''' on the RPOpen board.<br />
<br />
==K==<br />
<br />
;Katana<br />
:A long, curved, single-edged sword used by Japanese samurai. In the modern era, katanas have become the subject of numerous myths related to the quality of their construction and their sharpness, including the claim that a katana was considered a poor blade unless it was capable of cutting through four condemned men in a single stroke. In reality, late-medieval period European swords, especially those of the Toledo tradition, matched or exceeded the katana in quality. A katana is often considered the favored weapon of a [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|'''ninja''']], though this is ahistorical (prior to the Edo period katanas were restricted to the samurai class).<br />
<br />
:This, in turn, has led to stories of gamers seriously overestimating the abilities of a character armed with a katana. In the most famous story, a [[PC]] attempts to cut through the armor of a modern tank with his katana. 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. Dual-wielding katanas (often by a character wearing a black trenchcoat) is a particuarly egregious and adolescent example. A number of games have also enshrined this fallacy, giving the katana unrealistically powerful game stats.<br />
<br />
:*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana "Katana"], an in-depth article at [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia].<br />
:*[http://www.aikibudo.com/akbd/version_us/03_weapons/history_katana.htm "History of the Katana"]<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kewl Powerz<br />
: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. The "l33tspeak" spelling of the term was initially meant to be dismissive of the kind of game where a character's abilities are more important than who the character is, but over time it's come to be used to specify that what the speaker refers to is the kind of ability that could be dismissed as silly overpowered chrome in certain genres. Like "roleplaying vs rollplaying", "Kewl powerz" as a term has become so cliche that it's next to impossible to use it without irony.<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kill Them and Take Their Stuff<br />
: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 [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|hack and slash]] style. Sometimes abbreviated to simply KTATTS on message boards, such as RPG.net<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kingmaker problem: A problem arising in game design - typically board or card games - whereby it is possible for a player who themselves has no chance of winning, to decide which other player will win. A typical case is a game in which an eliminated player is required to give all their resources to the player who eliminated them; in a game with two evenly-matched players and one who is behind, the trailing player can often choose which other player is able to eliminate them and gain their resources. A further common case is auction games, where a player can bid unnecessarily high and not only lose the game for themselves but give a permanent advantage to the player who received the bid resources. This is a problem because a kingmaking player, having no possibility of winning the game, no longer has any value for in-game resources; thus, their decision as to who to enable to win must be made via other factors, such as out-of-game grudges or friendships, or "revenge" for actions in earlier play (which can stagnate the game as players become reticent to attack each other for fear of revenge later on).<br />
<br />
<br />
;King Rat<br />
:The male equivalent of a [[RPG_Lexica:PQR|'''Queen Bee''']]. Exceptionally rare in [[RPG]]ing due to the gender imbalance of the hobby.<br />
<br />
<br />
;Kludge<br />
:Term for an inelegant, nonintuitive or in some other way "broken" rule that stands out from an otherwise good design. For example, "The combat system is great, but the way it handles grapples is such a kludge." This term is borrowed from computer hacker culture, in which it refers to anything done in a way which is hasty, wrong, and/or inferior, but which performs the intended function.<br />
:Origin: hacker slang. The canonical definition for "kludge" (which rhymes with "stooge," not "fudge" as one might expect) is something ugly but functional (compare "chrome", which is something beautiful but useless).<br />
<br />
<br />
;Knights of the Dinner Table: (often abbreviated to '''KODT''') A comic strip drawn by Jolly Blackburn and now published as a stand-alone comic by Kenzer and Company that follows the story of several gaming groups. Because much of the comic revolves around the characters playing RPGs, most of the art frames simply show the characters sitting around a table talking to each other. Has famously represented or exaggerated a number of classic gaming urban legends, anecdotes, or problems discovered in systems, as well as spawning a number of memorable quotes of his own, such as "Hoody Hoo" as a cry of joy, "I waste him with my crossbow", and the description of the GM as "the gamer who never plays."<br />
<br />
==L==<br />
<br />
;Lasersharking<br />
:The attempt to improve the proceedings with the addition of novel elements which has the opposite effect, usually because the novel elements are too ridiculous to take seriously. In gaming, this often refers to combining elements from different genres but it is not limited to this. The telling aspect on whether something is if it works, it isn't, but if it seems silly or otherwise detrimental to the enjoyment of the proceeding, then it is<br />
<br />
:e.g. "Another Teen Pregnancy Where The Boyfriend With The Dark Secret Is Cheating On His Girlfriend (Who's Really The Summer Bay Stalker) Whilst Dying From Cancer."<br />
<br />
:The term's origin can be traced to the comedy spoof movie ''Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'', in which Dr. Evil threatens to lower Austin into a pool containing "sharks.. with frickin' lasers on their heads". The gaming analogy was first used on [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|The Forge]] in [http://indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=7072&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=0432602286cbee5d9711dc40a81cb7ea this thread].<br />
<br />
<br />
;Lesbianstripperninja <br />
:Sometimes, Drowlesbianstripperninja. Term for a stereotypically puerile female character created by many juvenile (mostly male) gamers. Essentially, what happens when a horny kid immersed in objectifying media creates what he envisions to be a "strong female" player-character. Scantily clad, aggressively sexual, quick to seduce NPC's to get what she wants or just for the hell of it, the character is essentially a canvas for the player's teenage urges. The character is homosexual because the male player thinks "lesbians are hawt" with the added subtext that actually playing out a heterosexual woman's romances from a first-person perspective would threaten the player's sexual identity. She is extremely stealthy, agile and fights in a precise manner because that is the style of deadliness allowed to strong female fighters by popular media. Typically she will be "exotic" in appearance, East Asian, Elvish, Drow or similar. The character Psylocke as portrayed in 1990's Marvel Comics is pretty much the archetype for this trope. See also [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Ninja.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
;Level-Up, Leveling-up<br />
:In RPGs where characters gain experience and advance in levels that provide increased benefit; the application of those benefits (increasing hit points, adding skill levels/ranks, ect.) is sometimes referred to as Leveling-up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>[[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Previous]]&nbsp;|&nbsp;[[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Next]]<br><br />
[[RPG_Lexica:Main_Page|Back to main Lexicon page]]</center><br />
<br />
[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:ABC&diff=347587RPG Lexica:ABC2018-11-28T18:31:28Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* C */</p>
<hr />
<div>==A==<br />
<br />
;alien eyes: Slang for a roll of 3 (1-1-1) on three dice. So named because of the analogy to "snake eyes" (a roll of 2 on 2 dice), and the observation that Earth creatures generally don't have 3 eyes... Also known as [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|mutant snake eyes]].<br />
<br />
<br />
;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 defense - '''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.<br />
<br />
<br />
;argumentum ad fireballum: The argument that realism doesn't matter in a setting with supernatural elements; formally, "As a discussion about realism in a fantasy setting grows longer, the probability of someone claiming the irrelevance of realism in the presence of magic approaches one." (obviously derived from Godwin's Law) Named after its most common form: “There’s no point in arguing for realism when there are wizards lobbing fireballs.”<br />
:Coined by NiTessine in [http://nitessine.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/argumentum-ad-fireballum this blog post], and possibly popularized by its inclusion in [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=507004 this thread.]<br />
<br />
<br />
;ass staring defense: A response to anyone who objects to a player playing a character of the opposite sex to themselves (typically a male playing a female character) in a MMORPG. In these games, typically a large amount of play time is required to level up and the default camera viewpoint is from just behind the character; thus the defense is "If I'm going to have to spend hours staring at someone's ass, it's going to be a woman's". First coined by the webcomic [http://www.pvponline.com PVP Online]. The ass staring defense generally does not apply to races that would not ordinarily sexually appeal to human beings (like Tauren in [[World of Warcraft]]).<br />
:Addendum: [http://www.pvponline.com/2004/06/01/tue-jun-01/ Here's the original strip that spawned this term.]<br />
<br />
==B==<br />
<br />
;bad wrong fun: Illegitimate enjoyment. 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. Rifts is often cited as a "bad wrong fun" game. Often written as a single word, '''badwrongfun'''.<br />
:"Bad wrong fun" is also often used in a more light-hearted sense to indicate the gamer equivalent of a guilty pleasure. "I know it's bad wrong fun, but I loved every minute of it!"<br />
<br />
<br />
;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 maneuver; 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 maneuver. <br />
<br />
<br />
;Bell curve: Term used in probability theory to describe a system where a middling result in most common; higher or lower values are rarer, and become rarer the higher or lower they are. Most commonly seem in role-playing games which generate random results by rolling 2 (or more) dice and adding them up: in a system based on rolling 2 d6's, for instance, there are 6 ways of rolling a 7, but only 4 ways of rolling a 9 and 1 way of rolling a 12, making these results rarer. Bell curve systems used for task resolution offer the player a more solid basis for play since they know what results their PC will commonly get, but can also cause a problem because a single point up or down the curve can make a major difference to the chance of success, thus discouraging players from trying more spectacular actions for which penalties may accrue.<br />
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;Big Bad (or BBEG): Short for Big Bad Evil Guy, slang for the "boss" bad guy, i.e., the person in charge of an evil plot or organization. Implies that he is much stronger, more powerful, and/or more evil than his minions, and that the PCs encounter with him will be part of the climax of the adventure or even campaign. May have originated (or been popularized) by the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] [[RPG]].<br />
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;Big Lebowski Theory of Roleplayer Types: This theory holds that the movie The Big Lebowski has many characters who resemble strongly certain types of players. There is The Dude, the guy who just shows up to hang with his buddies, and doesn't really know the rules or anything. There's Walter, the guy who always plays the fighter, argues about stats for weapons and "realism", and loudly threatens anyone who disagrees with him, fails to show up to the game on time, etc. And there's Donny, a quiet but sociable guy who might talk more often, but Walter keeps saying, "STFU, Donny." For more evidence of how these characters are like roleplayers, see, [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/quotes quotes] from the movie. <br />
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;Blossom: This is a term usually used in mecha games where a vehicle carries a large number of guided missiles. "Blossoming" represents launching a very large number of those missiles at once. It comes from the "Death Blossom" maneuver performed by Alex Rogan and his Gunstar in the 1983 movie The Last Starfighter. Also called a "Macross," after the anime series ''Super Dimension Fortress Macross''. The visual style of animation design which involves huge numbers of guided missiles corkscrewing across the sky is known as the "Itano Circus."<br />
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;Blue Bolt: A term used to refer to when a Gamemaster causes the death of a [[Player character]] for no apparent reason. Usually includes the words "from heaven" at the tail end of the term. The most common use is when a player leaves the game permanently and the Gamemaster can't come up with a suitable reason for the PCs' departure.<br />
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;BNG: Bitter Non-Gamer. A facetious term describing some people who seem to dedicate large portions of their day to discussions of what is "wrong" with a roleplaying game or roleplaying games in general. The implication is that they're just griping because they can't get a game group. <br />
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;Boggle<br />
:1. 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.<br />
:2. To roll a ridiculously huge number of [[d6|six-sided dice]], or a game which requires ridiculously huge numbers of six-siders.<br />
: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.) Sense 2 derives from the game "Boggle," in which players roll a box full of six-sided dice stamped with letters and attempt to form words from the results.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Booth Babe: A hired model who stands around at a booth at an RPG or similar convention in order to attract attention, but has no interest or involvement in the hobby. Should be used carefully: the assumption that any attractive woman around an RPG booth is a booth babe is an offensive stereotype (see '''Fake Geek Girl'''). Also, by metaphor, an attractive female image used to sell a game that is nothing to do with the game (also known as "Lady Not-In-This-Game"). <br />
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;Borgstromancy: The ability to understand a complex, outlandish, or badly explained setting or system well enough to run a game based on it. <br />
:Origin: Taken, possibly unfairly, from the name of the [[RPG]] author Dr. Rebecca Borgstrom, Ph.D (computer science) (also known as R. Sean Borgstrom, author of "Nobilis", "Exalted: the Fair Folk", and other works) 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''. Rebecca Borgstrom has since changed her name to Jenna Moran, and a more comprehensible edition of Nobilis has come out since then, but this name has stuck because "Moranancy" would sound really strange. (This convoluted and non-indicative etymology is probably entirely appropriate to the sense of the word...)<br />
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;Boss: The primary opponent in a setting or adventure; the most powerful villain, usually in charge of lesser minions, but still expected to be (eventually) encountered by the PCs, often at the climax of the adventure or campaign. Borrowed from CRPGs, where it is often used to refer to the last, most dangerous enemy to be encountered in the area, who must be defeated to "win" the area or game. See also '''Big Bad'''.<br />
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;Brick: A character who can absorb impressive amounts of damage without dying. Often referred to as a '''Tank''' if the character can also dish out similar amounts of whoop-ass.<br />
:see also [[RPG_Lexica:STU|Superheroes, Types of]]<br />
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;Broken<br />
#When applied to a game: a game system with mechanics that fail to operate as they should or as the speaker feels they should. Especially, mechanics which fail to emulate the genre in which the game is set (or the property on which the game is based, in the case of licensed games).<br />
#When applied to a character: a character whose deficiencies and flaws greatly outweigh their abilities or usefulness. Sometimes due to a player wishing to play an incompetent, but often implying that the player thinks that his role-playing is superior to the other players and is taking a useless character as a handicap. Alternately, a character who is such a pathetic figure that they are doomed (i.e. most Unknown Armies spellcasters) but entertaining to play in the short term. (See related term "[[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Gimp]]")<br />
#When applied to a scenario: when players side-step the GM's carefully structured plot by using an entirely unexpected approach and solving or avoiding the problem at the start of play.<br />
#As a catch-all: "wrong," bad and simultaneously despised and disregarded for vague and ambiguous reasons. Compare with '''bad wrong fun''', something "wrong" and "bad" but ''liked''.<br />
#Applied to a character who has used the system and/or its loopholes to such a degree to make said character more effective than their level/points would suggest. See [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Min-Max]].<br />
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;Buff, to:''vt.'' To make stronger, tougher, or more capable, usually via magic.<br />
:Origin: from "buff" the adjective, meaning strong and/or attractive; may have come to tabletop RPGs via [[MMORPG]]s.<br />
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==C==<br />
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;Calling Fate:An infamous rule from ''World of Synnibar'', by Raven c.s. McCracken, one of the officially recognized "[[Worst RPGs ever|worst RPGs ever]]". The "Calling Fate" rule allowed players to demand that GMs undo any action which did not follow the letter of the rules and/or was not planned in advance in the GMs adventure notes. Any players who "caught" the GM not following the rules or plan was rewarded with double experience points for the remainder of the game session. <br />
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;Caltrops: [[d4|Four-sided]] [[dice]], so named for their pyramidal shape which ensures that one point will face up no matter which side hits the floor. Especially noted for their tendency to get underfoot when one is heading to the bathroom, half-awake, at five in the morning after going to bed at three-thirty and suddenly remembering that one had drunk a full gallon of soda during the previous night's gaming run. In military use, caltrops are a device designed to land with a spike facing up regardless of their orientation, used to slow pursuit or flight. Police have replaced caltrops with a device called a spike strip, which improves on caltrops in that it can be activated when a fleeing vehicle crosses it and immediately deactivated to prevent damage to the tires of a civilian vehicle or pursuing cruisers. Only one game has ever been foolish enough to use caltrop dice as its main die mechanic. See also '''[[Walk of a Thousand Caltrops]]'''.<br />
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;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 penalized by not having the tactical advantage conveyed by camping. (Camping differs from ''Turtling'' (q.v.) in that a turtle avoids any proactive action at all, whereas a camper makes a proactive decision to wait.)<br />
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;Candy Man: This term is borrowed slang from the street, where a candy man is a physician that prescribes medications at the patient's request without properly determining if the patient is in need of the prescription medication. In gaming, a candy man is a referee that awards gratuitous amounts of experience, treasure, equipment, and magic items to the characters, which are not commensurate with the difficulty of the adventure. See also [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Monty Haul]].<br />
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;Caster Supremacy<br />
:A common design issue in fantasy RPGs, in particularly ''Dungeons And Dragons'' in which characters who cast spells or have other magical abilities are superior in play to any character who does not either have such abilities or have help from someone who does. An extreme version of the '''Dumb Fighter problem''' (q.v.). Typical examples of caster supremacy include:<br />
* Giving magic users spells which duplicate mundane tasks with no chance of failure (eg, a spell which instantly opens a locked door, compared to a thief who would have to manually pick the lock and invest points in their lockpicking skill)<br />
* Giving magic users spells which shut down mundane tasks and cannot be mundanely bypassed (eg, the level 1 spell ''Alarm'' in ''Dungeons and Dragons'' alerts the caster to unauthorized presence in an area; no thief - not even at level 20 - can avoid this happening, meaning that any stealth robbery against any significant opponent in the world must be accompanied by a wizard)<br />
* Giving magic users spells which can make dramatic changes to the setting or narrative while others without magic can not (eg, a wizard could ''Control Weather'' to save a village by watering their crops; a fighter will not have any equivalent of this)<br />
There are varied opinions on how damaging or otherwise this is; some gamers dislike it generally while some dislike it only if the setting does not reflect it. There are alternative solutions to dealing with it, from scaling down the power of magic users to giving every character some access to magic.<br />
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;Captain Teflon Psycho: this describes the stereotypical character everyone creates at least once: the character with no friends, no family, no backstory, one who cares for no-one. Typically they have no "positive" social "flaws" in a point-buy system, never choosing such as Honesty, Loyalty, Charitable, etc. Frequently they choose flaws such as Beserk and Bloodlust. <br />
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;Cat-Piss Man: Sometimes CPM, or BDCPM (for Basement-Dwelling CPM). First referred to here: [http://www.savantmag.com/16/retail16.html The Wrath of Cat Piss Man]<br />
:The CPM is a legendary figure, whether he exists or not is unknown; like Bigfoot, many claim to have seen him, but there's little proof. CPM is usually depicted as a large, hairy, sweaty guy in a trenchcoat (on the hottest of days) who stinks of cat piss, and lurks about game stores, drooling over the anime magazines and leering suggestively at any unfortunate female gamers who come into the store. Will frequently distract the store clerk with hours-long tales of his 25th level Drow Lesbian Stripper Ninja. usually assumed to be living in his parents' basement amongst empty pizza boxes and porn mags when he's 35 years old and unemployed. <br />
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;Chainmail Bikini: An utterly ridiculous and useless form of armor which is worn by female characters, even those who are supposedly experienced warriors, in a large proportion of classic fantasy art. Usually deemed to demonstrate that the inclusion of female characters is not to show the involvement of both sexes but simply to include cheesecake for male viewers and players. By extension, used as a metaphor for any stereotypical treatment of women in roleplayers or roleplaying products. This has declined substantially in recent years. This artwork trend was also the inspiration for the ''Reverse Armor Theorem''.<br />
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;Chandler's Flaw<br />
:Chandler's Law for writers is: "when in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand." The logic is that this always creates a strong narrative beat which can almost always be justified later on. If the action in an RPG is guided (and/or judged) by narrative consistency alone, this becomes Chandler's Flaw: an opponent appearing from an unobserved location can ''always'' be made narratively consistent, but an RPG in which opponents constantly appeared in this way would be unsatisfying as both a game and a narrative. This is thus evidence that narrative consistency cannot be the sole metric for guiding action in an RPG. <br />
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;Character Build System<br />
: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.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Cheetoism: '' We game for the snacks. And also the dice. But mostly, just to hang out with friends and tell tall stories. Rpg books are just a bunch of guidelines for how to tell your tall stories, and give you a fair excuse to roll lots of dice and eat cheetos. To make your games more fun, talk to your group. In any game, it's part social, part game. For most gamers, it's social first, game second. Game first, social second - that's for people that get paid to do it. Mike Jordan never said to his coach, "but it's just a game, who cares about the rules." he took it seriously, because of money. Well, give me ten million bucks a year to roleplay, and I'll take it seriously, too.Until then, I am a Cheetoist. That's it.''<br />
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;Christmas Tree Effect<br />
:The typical result of a higher-level campaign in [[Dungeons & Dragons]], where [[player character]]s are decked out in so much [[magic]]al (and, notionally at least, glowing) equipment that they resemble a Christmas tree more than a character.<br />
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;Chrome<br />
#(borrowed from hacker terminology) something beautiful but useless, such as a snazzy interface to a buggy program.<br />
#One of the "defining elements" of cyberpunk milieus; exemplifies the style-over-substance ethos often found in such worlds.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;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]]''.<br />
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;Cleric problem: In D&D, a problem encountered during character generation where no-one wants to play a Cleric, but the Cleric is a crucially important role for the survivability and success of the party. This is because, while a Cleric usually plays a very important support role in an adventuring group, dispensing crucial healing and [[buffs]], he is otherwise somewhat limited in his combat powers and abilities. More generally, the Cleric problem can be extended to any role or power which is important for the group but not particularly exciting for whichever player ends up having to take it on. The Cleric problem can be solved by providing these support roles with cool abilities of their own, or making their support natures less of a drain on their effectiveness other, more exciting spheres.<br />
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;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]]''.<br />
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;CP<br />
#Common abbreviation for Character Point, the most common term used to describe the 'points' used in games where the character creation system is freeform based on character points.<br />
#Short for Cyberpunk.<br />
#In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', copper pieces, the setting equivalent of pennies.<br />
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;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. <br />
: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'', sometimes to ''crit hit'' or just ''crit''.<br />
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;CRPG: '''C'''omputer (or '''C'''onsole) '''R'''ole '''P'''laying '''G'''ame. A computer adventure game with storytelling aspects. Notably different from tabletop RPGs in that there tends to be minimal interactivity with the plot, even to the point where in some games (especially in console RPGs) the player has no control over the creation of even a single character. Some games, most notably [[Neverwinter Nights]], have attempted to buck this trend, to varying degrees of success. Sometimes pronounced "''crappage''," a use some gamers claim is very appropriate.<br />
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;Crunch<br />
#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'''.<br />
#Slang for the relative complexity of a particular ruleset. A '''crunchy''' ruleset is more complex.<br />
#"Crunchy" can also refer to a character who is very hard to hit, but with very low ability to resist damage. (Crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside!)<br />
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;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. Six-sided "FUDGE dice" have two plus signs (+), two minus signs (-), and two blank faces.<br />
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<center>[[RPG_Lexica:DEF|Next]]<br><br />
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[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:ABC&diff=347586RPG Lexica:ABC2018-11-28T18:20:41Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* B */</p>
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<div>==A==<br />
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;alien eyes: Slang for a roll of 3 (1-1-1) on three dice. So named because of the analogy to "snake eyes" (a roll of 2 on 2 dice), and the observation that Earth creatures generally don't have 3 eyes... Also known as [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|mutant snake eyes]].<br />
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;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 defense - '''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.<br />
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;argumentum ad fireballum: The argument that realism doesn't matter in a setting with supernatural elements; formally, "As a discussion about realism in a fantasy setting grows longer, the probability of someone claiming the irrelevance of realism in the presence of magic approaches one." (obviously derived from Godwin's Law) Named after its most common form: “There’s no point in arguing for realism when there are wizards lobbing fireballs.”<br />
:Coined by NiTessine in [http://nitessine.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/argumentum-ad-fireballum this blog post], and possibly popularized by its inclusion in [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=507004 this thread.]<br />
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;ass staring defense: A response to anyone who objects to a player playing a character of the opposite sex to themselves (typically a male playing a female character) in a MMORPG. In these games, typically a large amount of play time is required to level up and the default camera viewpoint is from just behind the character; thus the defense is "If I'm going to have to spend hours staring at someone's ass, it's going to be a woman's". First coined by the webcomic [http://www.pvponline.com PVP Online]. The ass staring defense generally does not apply to races that would not ordinarily sexually appeal to human beings (like Tauren in [[World of Warcraft]]).<br />
:Addendum: [http://www.pvponline.com/2004/06/01/tue-jun-01/ Here's the original strip that spawned this term.]<br />
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==B==<br />
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;bad wrong fun: Illegitimate enjoyment. 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. Rifts is often cited as a "bad wrong fun" game. Often written as a single word, '''badwrongfun'''.<br />
:"Bad wrong fun" is also often used in a more light-hearted sense to indicate the gamer equivalent of a guilty pleasure. "I know it's bad wrong fun, but I loved every minute of it!"<br />
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;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 maneuver; 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 maneuver. <br />
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;Bell curve: Term used in probability theory to describe a system where a middling result in most common; higher or lower values are rarer, and become rarer the higher or lower they are. Most commonly seem in role-playing games which generate random results by rolling 2 (or more) dice and adding them up: in a system based on rolling 2 d6's, for instance, there are 6 ways of rolling a 7, but only 4 ways of rolling a 9 and 1 way of rolling a 12, making these results rarer. Bell curve systems used for task resolution offer the player a more solid basis for play since they know what results their PC will commonly get, but can also cause a problem because a single point up or down the curve can make a major difference to the chance of success, thus discouraging players from trying more spectacular actions for which penalties may accrue.<br />
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;Big Bad (or BBEG): Short for Big Bad Evil Guy, slang for the "boss" bad guy, i.e., the person in charge of an evil plot or organization. Implies that he is much stronger, more powerful, and/or more evil than his minions, and that the PCs encounter with him will be part of the climax of the adventure or even campaign. May have originated (or been popularized) by the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] [[RPG]].<br />
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;Big Lebowski Theory of Roleplayer Types: This theory holds that the movie The Big Lebowski has many characters who resemble strongly certain types of players. There is The Dude, the guy who just shows up to hang with his buddies, and doesn't really know the rules or anything. There's Walter, the guy who always plays the fighter, argues about stats for weapons and "realism", and loudly threatens anyone who disagrees with him, fails to show up to the game on time, etc. And there's Donny, a quiet but sociable guy who might talk more often, but Walter keeps saying, "STFU, Donny." For more evidence of how these characters are like roleplayers, see, [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/quotes quotes] from the movie. <br />
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;Blossom: This is a term usually used in mecha games where a vehicle carries a large number of guided missiles. "Blossoming" represents launching a very large number of those missiles at once. It comes from the "Death Blossom" maneuver performed by Alex Rogan and his Gunstar in the 1983 movie The Last Starfighter. Also called a "Macross," after the anime series ''Super Dimension Fortress Macross''. The visual style of animation design which involves huge numbers of guided missiles corkscrewing across the sky is known as the "Itano Circus."<br />
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;Blue Bolt: A term used to refer to when a Gamemaster causes the death of a [[Player character]] for no apparent reason. Usually includes the words "from heaven" at the tail end of the term. The most common use is when a player leaves the game permanently and the Gamemaster can't come up with a suitable reason for the PCs' departure.<br />
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;BNG: Bitter Non-Gamer. A facetious term describing some people who seem to dedicate large portions of their day to discussions of what is "wrong" with a roleplaying game or roleplaying games in general. The implication is that they're just griping because they can't get a game group. <br />
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;Boggle<br />
:1. 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.<br />
:2. To roll a ridiculously huge number of [[d6|six-sided dice]], or a game which requires ridiculously huge numbers of six-siders.<br />
: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.) Sense 2 derives from the game "Boggle," in which players roll a box full of six-sided dice stamped with letters and attempt to form words from the results.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Booth Babe: A hired model who stands around at a booth at an RPG or similar convention in order to attract attention, but has no interest or involvement in the hobby. Should be used carefully: the assumption that any attractive woman around an RPG booth is a booth babe is an offensive stereotype (see '''Fake Geek Girl'''). Also, by metaphor, an attractive female image used to sell a game that is nothing to do with the game (also known as "Lady Not-In-This-Game"). <br />
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;Borgstromancy: The ability to understand a complex, outlandish, or badly explained setting or system well enough to run a game based on it. <br />
:Origin: Taken, possibly unfairly, from the name of the [[RPG]] author Dr. Rebecca Borgstrom, Ph.D (computer science) (also known as R. Sean Borgstrom, author of "Nobilis", "Exalted: the Fair Folk", and other works) 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''. Rebecca Borgstrom has since changed her name to Jenna Moran, and a more comprehensible edition of Nobilis has come out since then, but this name has stuck because "Moranancy" would sound really strange. (This convoluted and non-indicative etymology is probably entirely appropriate to the sense of the word...)<br />
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;Boss: The primary opponent in a setting or adventure; the most powerful villain, usually in charge of lesser minions, but still expected to be (eventually) encountered by the PCs, often at the climax of the adventure or campaign. Borrowed from CRPGs, where it is often used to refer to the last, most dangerous enemy to be encountered in the area, who must be defeated to "win" the area or game. See also '''Big Bad'''.<br />
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;Brick: A character who can absorb impressive amounts of damage without dying. Often referred to as a '''Tank''' if the character can also dish out similar amounts of whoop-ass.<br />
:see also [[RPG_Lexica:STU|Superheroes, Types of]]<br />
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;Broken<br />
#When applied to a game: a game system with mechanics that fail to operate as they should or as the speaker feels they should. Especially, mechanics which fail to emulate the genre in which the game is set (or the property on which the game is based, in the case of licensed games).<br />
#When applied to a character: a character whose deficiencies and flaws greatly outweigh their abilities or usefulness. Sometimes due to a player wishing to play an incompetent, but often implying that the player thinks that his role-playing is superior to the other players and is taking a useless character as a handicap. Alternately, a character who is such a pathetic figure that they are doomed (i.e. most Unknown Armies spellcasters) but entertaining to play in the short term. (See related term "[[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Gimp]]")<br />
#When applied to a scenario: when players side-step the GM's carefully structured plot by using an entirely unexpected approach and solving or avoiding the problem at the start of play.<br />
#As a catch-all: "wrong," bad and simultaneously despised and disregarded for vague and ambiguous reasons. Compare with '''bad wrong fun''', something "wrong" and "bad" but ''liked''.<br />
#Applied to a character who has used the system and/or its loopholes to such a degree to make said character more effective than their level/points would suggest. See [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Min-Max]].<br />
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;Buff, to:''vt.'' To make stronger, tougher, or more capable, usually via magic.<br />
:Origin: from "buff" the adjective, meaning strong and/or attractive; may have come to tabletop RPGs via [[MMORPG]]s.<br />
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==C==<br />
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;Calling Fate:An infamous rule from ''World of Synnibar'', by Raven c.s. McCracken, one of the officially recognized "[[Worst RPGs ever|worst RPGs ever]]". The "Calling Fate" rule allowed players to demand that GMs undo any action which did not follow the letter of the rules and/or was not planned in advance in the GMs adventure notes. Any players who "caught" the GM not following the rules or plan was rewarded with double experience points for the remainder of the game session. <br />
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;Caltrops: [[d4|Four-sided]] [[dice]], so named for their pyramidal shape which ensures that one point will face up no matter which side hits the floor. Especially noted for their tendency to get underfoot when one is heading to the bathroom, half-awake, at five in the morning after going to bed at three-thirty and suddenly remembering that one had drunk a full gallon of soda during the previous night's gaming run. In military use, caltrops are a device designed to land with a spike facing up regardless of their orientation, used to slow pursuit or flight. Police have replaced caltrops with a device called a spike strip, which improves on caltrops in that it can be activated when a fleeing vehicle crosses it and immediately deactivated to prevent damage to the tires of a civilian vehicle or pursuing cruisers. Only one game has ever been foolish enough to use caltrop dice as its main die mechanic. See also '''[[Walk of a Thousand Caltrops]]'''.<br />
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;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 penalized by not having the tactical advantage conveyed by camping. (Camping differs from ''Turtling'' (q.v.) in that a turtle avoids any proactive action at all, whereas a camper makes a proactive decision to wait.)<br />
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;Candy Man: This term is borrowed slang from the street, where a candy man is a physician that prescribes medications at the patient's request without properly determining if the patient is in need of the prescription medication. In gaming, a candy man is a referee that awards gratuitous amounts of experience, treasure, equipment, and magic items to the characters, which are not commensurate with the difficulty of the adventure. See also [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Monty Haul]].<br />
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;Captain Teflon Psycho: this describes the stereotypical character everyone creates at least once: the character with no friends, no family, no backstory, one who cares for no-one. Typically they have no "positive" social "flaws" in a point-buy system, never choosing such as Honesty, Loyalty, Charitable, etc. Frequently they choose flaws such as Beserk and Bloodlust. <br />
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;Cat-Piss Man: Sometimes CPM, or BDCPM (for Basement-Dwelling CPM). First referred to here: [http://www.savantmag.com/16/retail16.html The Wrath of Cat Piss Man]<br />
:The CPM is a legendary figure, whether he exists or not is unknown; like Bigfoot, many claim to have seen him, but there's little proof. CPM is usually depicted as a large, hairy, sweaty guy in a trenchcoat (on the hottest of days) who stinks of cat piss, and lurks about game stores, drooling over the anime magazines and leering suggestively at any unfortunate female gamers who come into the store. Will frequently distract the store clerk with hours-long tales of his 25th level Drow Lesbian Stripper Ninja. usually assumed to be living in his parents' basement amongst empty pizza boxes and porn mags when he's 35 years old and unemployed. <br />
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;Chainmail Bikini: An utterly ridiculous and useless form of armor which is worn by female characters, even those who are supposedly experienced warriors, in a large proportion of classic fantasy art. Usually deemed to demonstrate that the inclusion of female characters is not to show the involvement of both sexes but simply to include cheesecake for male viewers and players. By extension, used as a metaphor for any stereotypical treatment of women in roleplayers or roleplaying products. This has declined substantially in recent years. This artwork trend was also the inspiration for the ''Reverse Armor Theorem''.<br />
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;Chandler's Flaw<br />
:Chandler's Law for writers is: "when in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand." The logic is that this always creates a strong narrative beat which can almost always be justified later on. If the action in an RPG is guided (and/or judged) by narrative consistency alone, this becomes Chandler's Flaw: an opponent appearing from an unobserved location can ''always'' be made narratively consistent, but an RPG in which opponents constantly appeared in this way would be unsatisfying as both a game and a narrative. This is thus evidence that narrative consistency cannot be the sole metric for guiding action in an RPG. <br />
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;Character Build System<br />
: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.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Cheetoism: '' We game for the snacks. And also the dice. But mostly, just to hang out with friends and tell tall stories. Rpg books are just a bunch of guidelines for how to tell your tall stories, and give you a fair excuse to roll lots of dice and eat cheetos. To make your games more fun, talk to your group. In any game, it's part social, part game. For most gamers, it's social first, game second. Game first, social second - that's for people that get paid to do it. Mike Jordan never said to his coach, "but it's just a game, who cares about the rules." he took it seriously, because of money. Well, give me ten million bucks a year to roleplay, and I'll take it seriously, too.Until then, I am a Cheetoist. That's it.''<br />
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;Christmas Tree Effect<br />
:The typical result of a higher-level campaign in [[Dungeons & Dragons]], where [[player character]]s are decked out in so much [[magic]]al (and, notionally at least, glowing) equipment that they resemble a Christmas tree more than a character.<br />
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;Chrome<br />
#(borrowed from hacker terminology) something beautiful but useless, such as a snazzy interface to a buggy program.<br />
#One of the "defining elements" of cyberpunk milieus; exemplifies the style-over-substance ethos often found in such worlds.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;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]]''.<br />
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;Cleric problem: In D&D, a problem encountered during character generation where no-one wants to play a Cleric, but the Cleric is a crucially important role for the survivability and success of the party. This is because, while a Cleric usually plays a very important support role in an adventuring group, dispensing crucial healing and [[buffs]], he is otherwise somewhat limited in his combat powers and abilities. More generally, the Cleric problem can be extended to any role or power which is important for the group but not particularly exciting for whichever player ends up having to take it on. The Cleric problem can be solved by providing these support roles with cool abilities of their own, or making their support natures less of a drain on their effectiveness other, more exciting spheres.<br />
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;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]]''.<br />
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;CP<br />
#Common abbreviation for Character Point, the most common term used to describe the 'points' used in games where the character creation system is freeform based on character points.<br />
#Short for Cyberpunk.<br />
#In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', copper pieces, the setting equivalent of pennies.<br />
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;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. <br />
: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'', sometimes to ''crit hit'' or just ''crit''.<br />
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;CRPG: '''C'''omputer (or '''C'''onsole) '''R'''ole '''P'''laying '''G'''ame. A computer adventure game with storytelling aspects. Notably different from tabletop RPGs in that there tends to be minimal interactivity with the plot, even to the point where in some games (especially in console RPGs) the player has no control over the creation of even a single character. Some games, most notably [[Neverwinter Nights]], have attempted to buck this trend, to varying degrees of success. Sometimes pronounced "''crappage''," a use some gamers claim is very appropriate.<br />
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;Crunch<br />
#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'''.<br />
#Slang for the relative complexity of a particular ruleset. A '''crunchy''' ruleset is more complex.<br />
#"Crunchy" can also refer to a character who is very hard to hit, but with very low ability to resist damage. (Crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside!)<br />
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;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. Six-sided "FUDGE dice" have two plus signs (+), two minus signs (-), and two blank faces.<br />
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[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:DEF&diff=347585RPG Lexica:DEF2018-11-28T18:17:10Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* F */</p>
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<div>==D==<br />
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;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 separated by a letter 'd'. The number before the 'd' indicates how many dice are referred to (often 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.<br />
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;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 (for several reasons, not the least important being that they tend to tumble for a long time, and like a golf ball tend not to be perfectly symmetrical, allowing some results to come up more frequently than others); 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.<br />
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;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]].<br />
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;D66: Like the D100 case but using six side dice, and therefore has only 36(6*6) possible results.<br />
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;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.<br />
This notation is also used in MaidTheRPG, a originally Japanese TRPG, but in Maid it is an extension of the D66 notation above and means rolling 3d6 treating one as the hundreds place, one as the the tens and one as the units, and so giving an even chance of producing each of the 216 possibilities. This is used only to chose an item from the item table.<br />
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;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." <br />
: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.<br />
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;Death Spiral: Any combat system in which acquiring an injury or bad die result leads to increased chances of bad die results, which increases the chance of receiving further injury, and so on, so that the character, once wounded, starts to spirals down into death. Though realistic, this is considered very negative, as it leads to an anticlimactic end to a battle.<br />
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;Decker Problem: One of the more infamous published game design errors, a classic example of the ''Specialization problem'' (q.v.) In two of the most well-known cyberpunk games, Shadowrun and Cyberpunk 2020, the rules explicitly state that only a character who is specialized at operating in cyberspace (the "virtual reality internet" common in the genre) could do anything at all within it. (Such a character is usually called a "decker" , thus the term.) The range of characters in both games was such that any given group would need only one decker. Both games then specified large, detailed tactical rules systems for resolving encounters in cyberspace, which - while involving and interesting in theory - were unplayable in practice, because it would be socially unacceptable to leave the other players with nothing to do while the decker's player played through them. (''Cyberpunk 2020'' made things even worse by specifying that an entire cyberspace adventure could take only a few seconds of game time - meaning that the other characters were not only unable to be involved in the cyberspace encounter, but unable to do anything at all, because in the game world they would not have had time to do so.) Generically speaking, the Decker problem could be said to be any elegant, novel and original rules solution to a problem of genre emulation, that nevertheless cannot be implemented in-game on a regular basis because it would be socially unacceptable to use it.<br />
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;Deprotagonization: Refers to any of a number of circumstances or behaviors that prevent player characters from taking a strong role in the development of the game world. The term refers to the idea that the players' characters are supposed to be the lead characters (that is, protagonists) in the story being told in the game. Deprotagonization is then any process which causes them to cease to have primary influence on the story, or otherwise prevents the story from being mainly about them and the decisions they make. [[Railroading]], [[pet NPC]]s, and similar forms of heavy-handed GM influence are all forms of deprotagonization, as is (arguably) [[metaplot]] and behavior limiting game mechanics.<br />
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;Deus-Ex-DMing: A situation where the [[Game Master]] 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.<br />
:Origin: [http://ffn.nodwick.com/?p=96 A particular episode] of the webcomic [http://ffn.nodwick.com/?p=6 "Full Frontal Nerdity"], by Aaron Williams.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Ding-dong battle problem:A problem arising in any game where attacks are unlikely to hit, and thus a battle comes down to a long sequence of misses by both sides. Typically applied to systems (such as ''Tri-Stat'') which require a dice roll by the attacker to attack correctly, followed by a dice roll by the defender to see if they block the attack. In this situation a long series of blocked attacks can leave the players bored and frustrated.<br />
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;Dumb Fighter problem:A problem arising in a game where the base fighter or warrior archetype has no particular special abilities and is the easiest archetype to make a character for (especially where the prerequisite attributes for a warrior character are sufficiently low that it's almost impossible to avoid qualifying for it). The DFP is typified by original Dungeons & Dragons, wherein Fighting Man characters had very few tactical options other than to move and attack, but had the most hit points in the game and the largest weapons. It can thus be said to be a problem wherein a particular character class (usually the Fighter) has few options to deal with a threat in combat, and even fewer to deal with an obstacle or NPC out of combat. Many RPGs compensate for this by allowing warriors to take special abilities not available to other characters, or in having detailed tactical maneuver systems. Skill systems and [[house rules]] also generally mitigate this problem. See also [[RPG_Lexica:STU|Squishy Caster problem]].<br />
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;Dungeon Crawl: A style of rpg play wherein the main activity of the characters is the exploration of physical sites (designed and described by the GM) in the face of violent opposition. Particular aspects usually include the careful mapping of the location, the importance and attention to details of the environment (the effect of which are significant to the success of the exploration) and the search for items of value. Specifically, "dungeon-crawling" usually refers to classic D&D-style play centered upon the conquest of underground regions, usually labyrinthine "dungeons" wherein various hostile monsters make their residence, guarding hoards of treasure, which is in often further guarded by diabolical traps. Such dungeons are often designed with little regard to ecology, economy, or common sense, though this is as often offered part of their charm as much as a criticism. Generally a very combat-oriented type of gameplay, and thus usually a subset of [[Hack and Slash]]. "Dungeon-crawling" can also be used to refer to scenarios other than those from the fantasy genre, if the essential character is still the same. For instance, a party of salvagers exploring a mysterious abandoned starship, or a band of cyberpunks raiding a corporate headquarters.<br />
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==E==<br />
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;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.<br />
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;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.)<br />
: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.<br />
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==F==<br />
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;Fake Geek Girl:<br />
:Originally, a '''Queen Bee''' or a '''Booth Babe''' (q.v.) or a derogatory term for a female cosplayer. Now more commonly used as an attack on the stereotypical view that women in general do not participate in nerdy hobbies or do so with ulterior motives. (In other words, people do not usually directly call others fake geek girls; they accuse **others** of calling people fake geek girls, as a way to indicate that they are wrong to do so.)<br />
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;Fanon: Common fan assumptions about a particular fictional work. The line between fanon and canon is heavily blurred in an RPG, which often causes the [[metaplot]] to trample the unique combination of assumptions and play experiences which builds each individual GM's campaign world.<br />
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;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).<br />
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;Farnsworth Combat: Any combat system where injury does not cause accumulated negative effects until zero or fewer life counters (such as hit points) remain, at which point the stricken character falls over dead (or badly injured and bleeding). Derived from the ''Futurama'' episode '''When Aliens Attack''', during which Prof. Hubert Farnsworth utters the line, "Cough, then fall over dead." Also called '''Critical Existence Failure.'''<br />
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;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 stolen handguns and automobiles untraceable.<br />
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;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".<br />
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;Fishmalk: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portmanteau Portmanteau] of the words "fish" and "Malkavian", the latter being a clan of deranged undead in the game ''Vampire''. The term describes a character posessing a mental illness who uses their derangement as a catch-all excuse for ignoring the social rules of the setting's society. At best, such characters are merely corny, but at worst they serve only as vehicles for wildly inappropriate behavior, the player justifying every ridiculous action through said character's alleged craziness. Essentially, the player has found an excuse to do whatever they want yet can make a show of defending it as good role-playing. The term may be derived from a single infamous character, a Malkavian who either believed it rained fish or attacked people with fish.<br />
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;Flat dice: Any form of dice roll on which all results are equally likely (ie, "flat distribution"). Any roll of a single dice will be a flat roll, as will percentile rolls. Using flat dice to decide success or failure can produce rather paradoxical results. A classic example is that of two kayakers paddling down a river; one is a novice, and one is a professional. The GM decides that the characters will successfully make it down the river if the players roll over a 15 on a d20, but that the player of the kayaking professional may add +10 to their roll to represent the professional's extra skill. Although it sounds reasonable, it creates a bizarre situation: the river is so hard that a professional has a 25% chance of failing, and yet at the same time so easy that a complete beginner has a 25% chance of succeeding.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Foo: A "metasyntactic variable". "Foo" is used when generalizing a case or giving an example; if more than one such variable is needed, the sequence proceeds "Foo", "Bar", "Baz", "Qux". Eg, "So I've been sent by King Foo, to save Princess Bar.." Most well known for being documented in the Hacker's Dictionary, but occasionally shows up on RPGnet.<br />
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;Forge, the: [http://www.indie-rpgs.com The Forge] (originally "Hepheastus's Forge") is a discussion website for [[RPG]] [[player]]s and designers which "is dedicated to the promotion, creation, and review of independent role-playing games". It was created and is still run by Ron Edwards, author of the independent game ''[[Sorcerer]]'', and originally showcased several documents written by him describing the design principles followed in that game (although these are now considered to have been superseded by discussion and have been moved to a less prominent location). Advocates of the Forge claim that the discussion there is stimulating and inspiring, encourages the development of new ideas, and has been responsible for the development of some of the best independent RPGs available. Critics claim that the discussion is over-analytical, incomprehensible to outsiders, and ultimately vacuous, and that those independent RPGs would have been developed anyway regardless of whether their authors had participated in the Forge or not.<br />
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;Freight Train (From Hell): A roll of all 6's on three or more dice, by extension of the term "boxcars" for a roll of 2 6's on 2 dice. The "From Hell" is specific to games like [[GURPS]], where a roll of all 6's is a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fumble]] or critical failure (and even more so in [[In Nomine]], where a roll of 6-6-6 on the d666 means "Infernal Intervention", i.e., the Devil himself helping his demons!)<br />
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;[foo]-Fu: Skill in [foo], 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 [foo]-fu is strong." to indicate a high level of skill.<br />
: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.)<br />
:Usage:<br />
::GM: "How the hell did you manage to create a [[character]] this powerful at the ''starting level?''"<br />
::Player: "My chargen-fu is strong."<br />
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;Fudge<br />
#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 an antagonist 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. Essentially, the term means "benevolent cheating". <br />
#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.<br />
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;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 (e.g. a shooter doesn't just miss but his gun jams, a lock breaker doesn't just fail to break the lock but sets off an alarm).<br />
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;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 random 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.<br />
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;Furry<br />
#As a noun, slang term for an "anthropomorphic animal" character, i.e., a character that is obviously based on an animal, and yet has human characteristics such as intelligence and/or a bipedal stance. The classic example is the "Catgirl" that keeps cropping up in science fiction and anime. Note that, despite the term, "furries" aren't necessary furry; the term can also be applied to characters based on species without fur, such as birdmen or lizardmen.<br />
#As an adjective, something with which furries in sense 1 play a major part--for example, the [[RPG]] [[Ironclaw]] could be described as a "furry fantasy game"<br />
#Term for a fan of furries in sense 1, whether a fan of artwork featuring furries, stories about furries, games involving furries, or just the "idea" of furries. Also '''furry fandom'''.<br />
#A subculture of people who enjoy pretending to be anthropomorphic animals. Some of them wear "furry" suits to represent the fur of their animal alter ego; these people are also known as '''fursuiters'''. In gaming, it can also refer to a player who commonly plays anthropomorphic animal characters.<br />
:Furries are a somewhat controversial subject, primarily because of the media's focus on the more extreme fringe elements of furry fandom, such as the (''tiny'' minority) of people who believe themselves to be "animals trapped in human bodies", or those who have fetishized furry characters to ridiculous extremes. Due to the prevalence of the [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|geek social fallacies]] in furry fandom, and the forthrightness and utter lack of pride of the aforementioned minority, these unsavory individuals are the primary public face of the furry fandom.<br />
:Much more information can be found at [http://furry.wikicities.com/ WikiFur], a relatively new community-built furry encyclopedia.<br />
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[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:ABC&diff=347584RPG Lexica:ABC2018-11-28T18:08:14Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* C */</p>
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<div>==A==<br />
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;alien eyes: Slang for a roll of 3 (1-1-1) on three dice. So named because of the analogy to "snake eyes" (a roll of 2 on 2 dice), and the observation that Earth creatures generally don't have 3 eyes... Also known as [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|mutant snake eyes]].<br />
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;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 defense - '''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.<br />
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;argumentum ad fireballum: The argument that realism doesn't matter in a setting with supernatural elements; formally, "As a discussion about realism in a fantasy setting grows longer, the probability of someone claiming the irrelevance of realism in the presence of magic approaches one." (obviously derived from Godwin's Law) Named after its most common form: “There’s no point in arguing for realism when there are wizards lobbing fireballs.”<br />
:Coined by NiTessine in [http://nitessine.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/argumentum-ad-fireballum this blog post], and possibly popularized by its inclusion in [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=507004 this thread.]<br />
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;ass staring defense: A response to anyone who objects to a player playing a character of the opposite sex to themselves (typically a male playing a female character) in a MMORPG. In these games, typically a large amount of play time is required to level up and the default camera viewpoint is from just behind the character; thus the defense is "If I'm going to have to spend hours staring at someone's ass, it's going to be a woman's". First coined by the webcomic [http://www.pvponline.com PVP Online]. The ass staring defense generally does not apply to races that would not ordinarily sexually appeal to human beings (like Tauren in [[World of Warcraft]]).<br />
:Addendum: [http://www.pvponline.com/2004/06/01/tue-jun-01/ Here's the original strip that spawned this term.]<br />
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==B==<br />
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;bad wrong fun: Illegitimate enjoyment. 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. Rifts is often cited as a "bad wrong fun" game. Often written as a single word, '''badwrongfun'''.<br />
:"Bad wrong fun" is also often used in a more light-hearted sense to indicate the gamer equivalent of a guilty pleasure. "I know it's bad wrong fun, but I loved every minute of it!"<br />
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;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 maneuver; 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 maneuver. <br />
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;Bell curve: Term used in probability theory to describe a system where a middling result in most common; higher or lower values are rarer, and become rarer the higher or lower they are. Most commonly seem in role-playing games which generate random results by rolling 2 (or more) dice and adding them up: in a system based on rolling 2 d6's, for instance, there are 6 ways of rolling a 7, but only 4 ways of rolling a 9 and 1 way of rolling a 12, making these results rarer. Bell curve systems used for task resolution offer the player a more solid basis for play since they know what results their PC will commonly get, but can also cause a problem because a single point up or down the curve can make a major difference to the chance of success, thus discouraging players from trying more spectacular actions for which penalties may accrue.<br />
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;Big Bad (or BBEG): Short for Big Bad Evil Guy, slang for the "boss" bad guy, i.e., the person in charge of an evil plot or organization. Implies that he is much stronger, more powerful, and/or more evil than his minions, and that the PCs encounter with him will be part of the climax of the adventure or even campaign. May have originated (or been popularized) by the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] [[RPG]].<br />
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;Big Lebowski Theory of Roleplayer Types: This theory holds that the movie The Big Lebowski has many characters who resemble strongly certain types of players. There is The Dude, the guy who just shows up to hang with his buddies, and doesn't really know the rules or anything. There's Walter, the guy who always plays the fighter, argues about stats for weapons and "realism", and loudly threatens anyone who disagrees with him, fails to show up to the game on time, etc. And there's Donny, a quiet but sociable guy who might talk more often, but Walter keeps saying, "STFU, Donny." For more evidence of how these characters are like roleplayers, see, [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/quotes quotes] from the movie. <br />
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;Blossom: This is a term usually used in mecha games where a vehicle carries a large number of guided missiles. "Blossoming" represents launching a very large number of those missiles at once. It comes from the "Death Blossom" maneuver performed by Alex Rogan and his Gunstar in the 1983 movie The Last Starfighter. Also called a "Macross," after the anime series ''Super Dimension Fortress Macross''. The visual style of animation design which involves huge numbers of guided missiles corkscrewing across the sky is known as the "Itano Circus."<br />
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;Blue Bolt: A term used to refer to when a Gamemaster causes the death of a [[Player character]] for no apparent reason. Usually includes the words "from heaven" at the tail end of the term. The most common use is when a player leaves the game permanently and the Gamemaster can't come up with a suitable reason for the PCs' departure.<br />
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;BNG: Bitter Non-Gamer. A facetious term describing some people who seem to dedicate large portions of their day to discussions of what is "wrong" with a roleplaying game or roleplaying games in general. The implication is that they're just griping because they can't get a game group. <br />
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;Boggle<br />
:1. 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.<br />
:2. To roll a ridiculously huge number of [[d6|six-sided dice]], or a game which requires ridiculously huge numbers of six-siders.<br />
: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.) Sense 2 derives from the game "Boggle," in which players roll a box full of six-sided dice stamped with letters and attempt to form words from the results.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Borgstromancy: The ability to understand a complex, outlandish, or badly explained setting or system well enough to run a game based on it. <br />
:Origin: Taken, possibly unfairly, from the name of the [[RPG]] author Dr. Rebecca Borgstrom, Ph.D (computer science) (also known as R. Sean Borgstrom, author of "Nobilis", "Exalted: the Fair Folk", and other works) 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''. Rebecca Borgstrom has since changed her name to Jenna Moran, and a more comprehensible edition of Nobilis has come out since then, but this name has stuck because "Moranancy" would sound really strange. (This convoluted and non-indicative etymology is probably entirely appropriate to the sense of the word...)<br />
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;Boss: The primary opponent in a setting or adventure; the most powerful villain, usually in charge of lesser minions, but still expected to be (eventually) encountered by the PCs, often at the climax of the adventure or campaign. Borrowed from CRPGs, where it is often used to refer to the last, most dangerous enemy to be encountered in the area, who must be defeated to "win" the area or game. See also '''Big Bad'''.<br />
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;Brick: A character who can absorb impressive amounts of damage without dying. Often referred to as a '''Tank''' if the character can also dish out similar amounts of whoop-ass.<br />
:see also [[RPG_Lexica:STU|Superheroes, Types of]]<br />
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;Broken<br />
#When applied to a game: a game system with mechanics that fail to operate as they should or as the speaker feels they should. Especially, mechanics which fail to emulate the genre in which the game is set (or the property on which the game is based, in the case of licensed games).<br />
#When applied to a character: a character whose deficiencies and flaws greatly outweigh their abilities or usefulness. Sometimes due to a player wishing to play an incompetent, but often implying that the player thinks that his role-playing is superior to the other players and is taking a useless character as a handicap. Alternately, a character who is such a pathetic figure that they are doomed (i.e. most Unknown Armies spellcasters) but entertaining to play in the short term. (See related term "[[RPG_Lexica:GHI|Gimp]]")<br />
#When applied to a scenario: when players side-step the GM's carefully structured plot by using an entirely unexpected approach and solving or avoiding the problem at the start of play.<br />
#As a catch-all: "wrong," bad and simultaneously despised and disregarded for vague and ambiguous reasons. Compare with '''bad wrong fun''', something "wrong" and "bad" but ''liked''.<br />
#Applied to a character who has used the system and/or its loopholes to such a degree to make said character more effective than their level/points would suggest. See [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Min-Max]].<br />
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;Buff, to:''vt.'' To make stronger, tougher, or more capable, usually via magic.<br />
:Origin: from "buff" the adjective, meaning strong and/or attractive; may have come to tabletop RPGs via [[MMORPG]]s.<br />
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==C==<br />
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;Calling Fate:An infamous rule from ''World of Synnibar'', by Raven c.s. McCracken, one of the officially recognized "[[Worst RPGs ever|worst RPGs ever]]". The "Calling Fate" rule allowed players to demand that GMs undo any action which did not follow the letter of the rules and/or was not planned in advance in the GMs adventure notes. Any players who "caught" the GM not following the rules or plan was rewarded with double experience points for the remainder of the game session. <br />
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;Caltrops: [[d4|Four-sided]] [[dice]], so named for their pyramidal shape which ensures that one point will face up no matter which side hits the floor. Especially noted for their tendency to get underfoot when one is heading to the bathroom, half-awake, at five in the morning after going to bed at three-thirty and suddenly remembering that one had drunk a full gallon of soda during the previous night's gaming run. In military use, caltrops are a device designed to land with a spike facing up regardless of their orientation, used to slow pursuit or flight. Police have replaced caltrops with a device called a spike strip, which improves on caltrops in that it can be activated when a fleeing vehicle crosses it and immediately deactivated to prevent damage to the tires of a civilian vehicle or pursuing cruisers. Only one game has ever been foolish enough to use caltrop dice as its main die mechanic. See also '''[[Walk of a Thousand Caltrops]]'''.<br />
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;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 penalized by not having the tactical advantage conveyed by camping. (Camping differs from ''Turtling'' (q.v.) in that a turtle avoids any proactive action at all, whereas a camper makes a proactive decision to wait.)<br />
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;Candy Man: This term is borrowed slang from the street, where a candy man is a physician that prescribes medications at the patient's request without properly determining if the patient is in need of the prescription medication. In gaming, a candy man is a referee that awards gratuitous amounts of experience, treasure, equipment, and magic items to the characters, which are not commensurate with the difficulty of the adventure. See also [[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Monty Haul]].<br />
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;Captain Teflon Psycho: this describes the stereotypical character everyone creates at least once: the character with no friends, no family, no backstory, one who cares for no-one. Typically they have no "positive" social "flaws" in a point-buy system, never choosing such as Honesty, Loyalty, Charitable, etc. Frequently they choose flaws such as Beserk and Bloodlust. <br />
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;Cat-Piss Man: Sometimes CPM, or BDCPM (for Basement-Dwelling CPM). First referred to here: [http://www.savantmag.com/16/retail16.html The Wrath of Cat Piss Man]<br />
:The CPM is a legendary figure, whether he exists or not is unknown; like Bigfoot, many claim to have seen him, but there's little proof. CPM is usually depicted as a large, hairy, sweaty guy in a trenchcoat (on the hottest of days) who stinks of cat piss, and lurks about game stores, drooling over the anime magazines and leering suggestively at any unfortunate female gamers who come into the store. Will frequently distract the store clerk with hours-long tales of his 25th level Drow Lesbian Stripper Ninja. usually assumed to be living in his parents' basement amongst empty pizza boxes and porn mags when he's 35 years old and unemployed. <br />
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;Chainmail Bikini: An utterly ridiculous and useless form of armor which is worn by female characters, even those who are supposedly experienced warriors, in a large proportion of classic fantasy art. Usually deemed to demonstrate that the inclusion of female characters is not to show the involvement of both sexes but simply to include cheesecake for male viewers and players. By extension, used as a metaphor for any stereotypical treatment of women in roleplayers or roleplaying products. This has declined substantially in recent years. This artwork trend was also the inspiration for the ''Reverse Armor Theorem''.<br />
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;Chandler's Flaw<br />
:Chandler's Law for writers is: "when in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand." The logic is that this always creates a strong narrative beat which can almost always be justified later on. If the action in an RPG is guided (and/or judged) by narrative consistency alone, this becomes Chandler's Flaw: an opponent appearing from an unobserved location can ''always'' be made narratively consistent, but an RPG in which opponents constantly appeared in this way would be unsatisfying as both a game and a narrative. This is thus evidence that narrative consistency cannot be the sole metric for guiding action in an RPG. <br />
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;Character Build System<br />
: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.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;Cheetoism: '' We game for the snacks. And also the dice. But mostly, just to hang out with friends and tell tall stories. Rpg books are just a bunch of guidelines for how to tell your tall stories, and give you a fair excuse to roll lots of dice and eat cheetos. To make your games more fun, talk to your group. In any game, it's part social, part game. For most gamers, it's social first, game second. Game first, social second - that's for people that get paid to do it. Mike Jordan never said to his coach, "but it's just a game, who cares about the rules." he took it seriously, because of money. Well, give me ten million bucks a year to roleplay, and I'll take it seriously, too.Until then, I am a Cheetoist. That's it.''<br />
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;Christmas Tree Effect<br />
:The typical result of a higher-level campaign in [[Dungeons & Dragons]], where [[player character]]s are decked out in so much [[magic]]al (and, notionally at least, glowing) equipment that they resemble a Christmas tree more than a character.<br />
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;Chrome<br />
#(borrowed from hacker terminology) something beautiful but useless, such as a snazzy interface to a buggy program.<br />
#One of the "defining elements" of cyberpunk milieus; exemplifies the style-over-substance ethos often found in such worlds.<br />
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;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.<br />
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;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]]''.<br />
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;Cleric problem: In D&D, a problem encountered during character generation where no-one wants to play a Cleric, but the Cleric is a crucially important role for the survivability and success of the party. This is because, while a Cleric usually plays a very important support role in an adventuring group, dispensing crucial healing and [[buffs]], he is otherwise somewhat limited in his combat powers and abilities. More generally, the Cleric problem can be extended to any role or power which is important for the group but not particularly exciting for whichever player ends up having to take it on. The Cleric problem can be solved by providing these support roles with cool abilities of their own, or making their support natures less of a drain on their effectiveness other, more exciting spheres.<br />
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;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]]''.<br />
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;CP<br />
#Common abbreviation for Character Point, the most common term used to describe the 'points' used in games where the character creation system is freeform based on character points.<br />
#Short for Cyberpunk.<br />
#In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', copper pieces, the setting equivalent of pennies.<br />
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;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. <br />
: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'', sometimes to ''crit hit'' or just ''crit''.<br />
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;CRPG: '''C'''omputer (or '''C'''onsole) '''R'''ole '''P'''laying '''G'''ame. A computer adventure game with storytelling aspects. Notably different from tabletop RPGs in that there tends to be minimal interactivity with the plot, even to the point where in some games (especially in console RPGs) the player has no control over the creation of even a single character. Some games, most notably [[Neverwinter Nights]], have attempted to buck this trend, to varying degrees of success. Sometimes pronounced "''crappage''," a use some gamers claim is very appropriate.<br />
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;Crunch<br />
#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'''.<br />
#Slang for the relative complexity of a particular ruleset. A '''crunchy''' ruleset is more complex.<br />
#"Crunchy" can also refer to a character who is very hard to hit, but with very low ability to resist damage. (Crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside!)<br />
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;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. Six-sided "FUDGE dice" have two plus signs (+), two minus signs (-), and two blank faces.<br />
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<center>[[RPG_Lexica:DEF|Next]]<br><br />
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[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:PQR&diff=347583RPG Lexica:PQR2018-11-28T17:57:59Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* Q */</p>
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<div>==P==<br />
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;Paladin: In the real world, a soldier assigned to palace duty, especially a trusted lieutenant or other officer ('''Paladin''' is derived from the word '''Palatinus,''' Latin for "Palace"). The prototypes of the original Paladins were found in King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, the Twelve Peers of the ''Song of Roland'' and the Paladins of Charlemagne, from whom the modern word is received. In role-playing games (especially [[Dungeons & Dragons]]), a sacred knight with the skills of a fighter and some of the spellcasting ability of a cleric, said magical abilities gained by adherence to a strict moral code. Any character in any game or setting who represents great ability combined with a strong sense of righteousness (or self-righteousness, for the more cynically-minded) might be referred to obliquely as a Paladin.<br />
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;Party: A collection of [[character]]s, also known as [[PC]]s, who travel and adventure together. Parties may be made up of old friends, professionals, and various collections of [[PC]] material types. The usual dynamics of such a group may include: The [[Leader]], The [[Face]], [[Healer]], [[Nuker]], and any other combination of useful skill sets. Most parties are made of varied enough [[character]]s that they don’t overlap, but this is not a rule. Almost any RPG group forms a Party before heading out. <br />
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;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 plot line 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".<br />
: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 plot line. Coined by '''SteveD''' on RPG.net.<br />
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;Pixie: In addition to the standard meaning: a verb, meaning to attempt to defeat an enemy by frustrating them, typically by launching large numbers of low-damage attacks in quick succession and avoiding any retaliation. Also, as a noun, a character suited to this type of strategy. <br />
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;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 actions are taken by describing them, 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. <br />
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;Played by a..:A comment made jokily about a character in film, TV, or other media suggesting the type of person who would control the character in an RPG of the film. A classic usage is describing a female character as "obviously played by a guy"; characters to whom this term has been applied include Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (an attractive red-headed lesbian witch), Miho from Sin City (a ninja hooker) and Pris from Blade Runner (a gothic ninja sex droid). Often a confusing term for non-gamers since they assume that "played by" refers to the actor or actress, not to a notional RPG player controlling the character.<br />
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;Point-buy: One of the two canonical methods of chargen, the other being random-roll. The advantage to point-buy is that it allows the player to (within the limitations of the setting) build exactly the character that he or she wants to play. Except for certain systems (such as D&D, retro-clones based on D&D, WFRP, or Palladium), point buy is the de facto standard in the RPG industry.<br />
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;Power Creep: Where recently released character options in a game line are clearly more powerful (useful, superior) than previous options with the same theme, but the two are expected to coexist side-by-side.<br />
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;Powergaming: A [[player]] behavior where the player in question makes unreasonable efforts to maximize their [[character]]'s ability to mechanically affect the game. This usually refers to optimizing 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.<br />
: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. <br />
:See also: '''[[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Min-Max]]''' and '''[[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Munchkin]]'''<br />
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;-Punk: A suffix used to describe any genre which explores the low-level real-world consequences of a setting. Originally coined as ''Cyberpunk'' - the book, and later film and game, genre which dealt with street-level and underworld applications of high technology (and later developed its own conventions), and then expanded as a general term. Examples include ''Steampunk'' (adventures set in a world where Jules Verne-style steam-powered devices can create modern or even sci-fi effects), ''Cthulupunk'' (low street-level implications of powerful supernatural forces and magic really existing), and the semi-spoof ''Toonpunk'' (where all the patrons of a bar flee for their lives on seeing Yosemite Sam walk in, due to his penchant for firing his guns randomly whenever angered). (The comic book ''Knights of the Dinner Table'' coined the term ''Cattlepunk'' as the name of a fictional wild-west game.)<br />
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==Q==<br />
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;Quantum Bear/Quantum Bears: A monster or other opponent placed by the GM as the result of an action that should not logically have done so within the setting. For example, if using 'fail forward' a player may roll badly to pick a lock and be told they have picked the lock but they have alerted a guard behind the door; if the guard behind the door was not already a planned part of the adventure, he's a Quantum Bear, because he appeared as the result of someone having trouble picking a lock. Tolerance for this varies a great deal between groups. It should also be borne in mind that the original use of the term Quantum Bear, on the Gaming Den forums, did not refer to this as bad but referred to the possibly for a GM in a game with strong "action cost" or "fail forward" mechanics (the original example was Powered By The Apocalypse) running out of ideas and sending in bears for every marginal success action simply because they couldn't think of anything else.<br />
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;Queen Bee: A woman who joins [[RPG]] groups in the belief that the alleged scarcity of women in the hobby, together with the perceived 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. Experiences with these kind of people are a primary cause of gamers angrily proclaiming that girls can't be real nerds. Generally are considered to be spoiling things for everyone.<br />
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==R==<br />
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;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. Sometimes referred to as '''The D&M Railroad''' (by reference to numerous real-world railroads, but especially the B&O Railroad referenced in the game ''Monopoly'').<br />
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;RAMLAR!!: An expression meaning "awesome and fiercely beautiful". Usually used in a cynical or satirical way. <br />
:Origin: The term is taken from the game [http://www.whitesilverpublishing.com/ramlar/ Chronicles of Ramlar ], which describes an organization of knights tasked with protecting the human city of Aurod as "...Sky Knights-the awesome and fiercely beautiful protectors of Aurod." This unique phrasing, along with the game's designer's enthusiasm in proclaiming "'''Now that you have had a taste of the excitement, intrigue and thrilling possibilities that exist in our world, we are pleased to welcome you to the wondrous world of RAMLAR!!'''", led to it's use as a superlative. It was popularized by a post on RPG.net by Rob Muadib ([http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=251871 <nowiki>[Schadenfreude] Chronicles of Ramlar [Benatar] You're a Heartbreaker![/Benatar]</nowiki>]), which categorized it as a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF| Fantasy Heartbreaker]]<br />
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;Random roll: The other canonical chargen method. As it sounds, the random-roll method involves rolling dice to determine a character's characteristics. Originated by [[Dungeons & Dragons|D&D]] and commonly used in first-generation RPGs, random-roll fell out of favor fairly quickly and is no longer used in its pure form, even in the game that originated it.<br />
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;Redshirt, Red Shirt: A "disposable extra" in an RPG; an [[NPC]] that only has a small role, and is expected to die quickly. For instance, if the GM wants to demonstrate the deadliness of a trap without sacrificing one of the player-characters, it's best to have a convenient Redshirt wander into it.<br />
:Origin: From the original Star Trek, where the (often unnamed) ensign wearing a red shirt was almost guaranteed not to make it back to the ship. The Star Trek uniforms (and Star Trek itself) have changed, but the term remains eternal...<br />
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;Resistive Armor Problem: (also called the ''Metallic Armor Problem'' or ''Damage Resistance Problem'') A problem that can arise in games where armor reduces the amount of damage inflicted on a target. (This type of armor is called ''resistive armor'', as opposed to ''ablative armor'' which protects its wearer by being blown off in lieu of anything important.) This type of armor has the difficulties that a) worn by an enemy, it can leave one or more players incapable of inflicting damage on the wearer, leaving them nothing to do in that situation in the game; and b) worn by a player character, it can mean that any enemy capable of wounding that character will be able to devastate any character not wearing similar armor in a single hit. <br />
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;Resolution: a) Establishing the game-world results of an action or event. Such, a "task resolution system" establishes if a particular task was accomplished in the game world and, if so, what results it had. b) An alternate term for ''graininess'' (q.v.), drawn from computing jargon.<br />
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;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 independent games, such as ''[[Dogs in the Vineyard]]''.<br />
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;Reverse Armor Theorem: The convention, in certain genres of games and other media, where characters wearing less armor are ''less'' likely to be injured in combat. In other words, putting on armor actually ''increases'' the chance that a character will be wounded. In many cases it is suggested that this applies only to female characters. This originates from classic fantasy art, where female characters are routinely depicted as wearing little or no armor, even though they are supposed to be experienced and strong warriors: the only plausible explanation is that they have somehow learned that wearing this type of armor is a good idea for them. It is also borne out in cinematic convention, where (for example) the hero of a film will wear less armor in order to show off the actor's physique, while the ''mook''s he is fighting are played by extras or stunt men wearing full plate.<br />
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;Roads to Rome: A variant form of ''railroading'' in which, rather than constraining the PCs to following a single specific route, the GM permits the PCs to act freely but manipulates the game situation so that a particular event or situation arises no matter what actions the PC's take. Often considered worse than actual ''railroading'' because the players gain no benefit from their freedom of action (since the eventual result is always the same), but at the same time do not get even the dubious benefits of railroading (that the GM can ensure the ongoing story is engaging). Other play groups accept the "roads to Rome" phenomenon as a trade off for ensuring the game plot remains coherent. From the common saying that "All roads lead to Rome". <br />
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;"Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies!"<br />
: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!" Especially when a player springs a secret regarding their character(s) that wrecks the campaign and the GM should by rights have known about from the start. Usually followed by either the players making nice with the GM or the group going their separate ways.<br />
Seen in this [http://somethingpositive.net/sp05032002.shtml Something Positive strip.]<br />
:Origin: The Tomb of Horrors, wherein it was entirely possible to trigger the collapse of the entrance to the tomb. The entrance. As in, you could easily die within minutes of the start of the module.<br />
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;Role-Playing Game: An amazingly hard-to-describe activity, and the reason we're all here.<br />
: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:<br />
# The GM describes the situation the characters are in;<br />
# The players describe how their characters react to the situation; and<br />
# The GM and players decide what happened as a result of those actions.<br />
:Step 3 often is determined by rolling [[dice]], especially in complex or stressful situations such as combat.<br />
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;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. There is a subset of players who believes that the term "Roll-Playing" is too frequently used to deride players who take more enjoyment from the game aspect of RPGs than from the role-playing aspect--see also [[RPG_Lexica:ABC|Bad Wrong Fun]].<br />
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;Roll-Under System: A rules system which determines the success of actions via having the [[player]] roll 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 roll-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 are beneficial and positive ones are penal, which can be confusing and illogical for players.<br />
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;Roshambo: Elitist alternate name for "Rock-Scissors-Paper", most frequently used in ''[[Vampire]]'' [[LARP]]s, but also a common random arbitration method among gamers outside the context of [[role-playing games]] (e.g., "I don't want anchovies on that pizza; let's roshambo for it").<br />
: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. A surprising number of people believe this word was made up by the television show ''South Park'', where one character insists the rules are "players take turns kicking each other in the nuts. Whoever quits first loses." Not quite. According to the [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrockpaper.html Straight Dope], the term has a more sophisticated origin:<br />
::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."<br />
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;RPG:1. Common abbreviation for '''Role-Playing Game'''.<br />
:2. Not-as-common abbreviation for "Rocket-Propelled Grenade"<br />
: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.)<br />
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;Rule Zero: <br />
:1. "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.<br />
::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."<br />
::Bob: "Just as long as it isn't Baron Rumbar, we'd be completely screwed if ...<br />
::Jan: "BOB! Sh! Rule Zero Violation!"<br />
::GM: (smiles enigmatically)<br />
::Bob: "Aw, @#$&%!!..."<br />
:2. Another name for [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|the Golden Rule]], "The GM may ignore or change any game rule".<br />
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;Rush: In addition to the standard meaning: any strategy for defeating an enemy which is based on attacking so quickly that the enemy has no time to prepare a proper defense. As a verb, to use such a strategy. Rush tactics are often considered problematic in many tactical games, where all players start from the same position; in this situation, time is critical to any strategy and thus rush can become the only viable option if sufficient numbers of other players use it. Also, a popular and enduring progressive rock band.<br />
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[[RPG_Lexica:Main_Page|Back to main Lexicon page]]</center><br />
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[[Category:Terminology]]</div>161.73.175.184https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=RPG_Lexica:PQR&diff=347582RPG Lexica:PQR2018-11-28T17:57:44Z<p>161.73.175.184: /* Q */</p>
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<div>==P==<br />
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;Paladin: In the real world, a soldier assigned to palace duty, especially a trusted lieutenant or other officer ('''Paladin''' is derived from the word '''Palatinus,''' Latin for "Palace"). The prototypes of the original Paladins were found in King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, the Twelve Peers of the ''Song of Roland'' and the Paladins of Charlemagne, from whom the modern word is received. In role-playing games (especially [[Dungeons & Dragons]]), a sacred knight with the skills of a fighter and some of the spellcasting ability of a cleric, said magical abilities gained by adherence to a strict moral code. Any character in any game or setting who represents great ability combined with a strong sense of righteousness (or self-righteousness, for the more cynically-minded) might be referred to obliquely as a Paladin.<br />
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;Party: A collection of [[character]]s, also known as [[PC]]s, who travel and adventure together. Parties may be made up of old friends, professionals, and various collections of [[PC]] material types. The usual dynamics of such a group may include: The [[Leader]], The [[Face]], [[Healer]], [[Nuker]], and any other combination of useful skill sets. Most parties are made of varied enough [[character]]s that they don’t overlap, but this is not a rule. Almost any RPG group forms a Party before heading out. <br />
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;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 plot line 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".<br />
: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 plot line. Coined by '''SteveD''' on RPG.net.<br />
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;Pixie: In addition to the standard meaning: a verb, meaning to attempt to defeat an enemy by frustrating them, typically by launching large numbers of low-damage attacks in quick succession and avoiding any retaliation. Also, as a noun, a character suited to this type of strategy. <br />
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;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 actions are taken by describing them, 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. <br />
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;Played by a..:A comment made jokily about a character in film, TV, or other media suggesting the type of person who would control the character in an RPG of the film. A classic usage is describing a female character as "obviously played by a guy"; characters to whom this term has been applied include Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (an attractive red-headed lesbian witch), Miho from Sin City (a ninja hooker) and Pris from Blade Runner (a gothic ninja sex droid). Often a confusing term for non-gamers since they assume that "played by" refers to the actor or actress, not to a notional RPG player controlling the character.<br />
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;Point-buy: One of the two canonical methods of chargen, the other being random-roll. The advantage to point-buy is that it allows the player to (within the limitations of the setting) build exactly the character that he or she wants to play. Except for certain systems (such as D&D, retro-clones based on D&D, WFRP, or Palladium), point buy is the de facto standard in the RPG industry.<br />
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;Power Creep: Where recently released character options in a game line are clearly more powerful (useful, superior) than previous options with the same theme, but the two are expected to coexist side-by-side.<br />
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;Powergaming: A [[player]] behavior where the player in question makes unreasonable efforts to maximize their [[character]]'s ability to mechanically affect the game. This usually refers to optimizing 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.<br />
: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. <br />
:See also: '''[[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Min-Max]]''' and '''[[RPG_Lexica:MNO|Munchkin]]'''<br />
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;-Punk: A suffix used to describe any genre which explores the low-level real-world consequences of a setting. Originally coined as ''Cyberpunk'' - the book, and later film and game, genre which dealt with street-level and underworld applications of high technology (and later developed its own conventions), and then expanded as a general term. Examples include ''Steampunk'' (adventures set in a world where Jules Verne-style steam-powered devices can create modern or even sci-fi effects), ''Cthulupunk'' (low street-level implications of powerful supernatural forces and magic really existing), and the semi-spoof ''Toonpunk'' (where all the patrons of a bar flee for their lives on seeing Yosemite Sam walk in, due to his penchant for firing his guns randomly whenever angered). (The comic book ''Knights of the Dinner Table'' coined the term ''Cattlepunk'' as the name of a fictional wild-west game.)<br />
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==Q==<br />
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;Quantum Bear/Quantum Bears: A monster or other opponent placed by the GM as the result of an action that should not logically have done so within the setting. For example, if using 'fail forward' a player may roll badly to pick a lock and be told they have picked the lock but they have alerted a guard behind the door; if the guard behind the door was not already a planned part of the adventure, he's a Quantum Bear, because he appeared as the result of someone having trouble picking a lock. Tolerance for this varies a great deal between groups. It should also be borne in mind that the original use of the term Quantum Bear, on the Gaming Den forums, did not refer to this as bad but referred to the possibly for a GM in a game with strong "action cost" or "fail forward" mechanics (the original example was Powered By The Apocalypse) running out of ideas and sending in bears for every marginal success action because they couldn't think of anything else.<br />
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;Queen Bee: A woman who joins [[RPG]] groups in the belief that the alleged scarcity of women in the hobby, together with the perceived 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. Experiences with these kind of people are a primary cause of gamers angrily proclaiming that girls can't be real nerds. Generally are considered to be spoiling things for everyone.<br />
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==R==<br />
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;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. Sometimes referred to as '''The D&M Railroad''' (by reference to numerous real-world railroads, but especially the B&O Railroad referenced in the game ''Monopoly'').<br />
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;RAMLAR!!: An expression meaning "awesome and fiercely beautiful". Usually used in a cynical or satirical way. <br />
:Origin: The term is taken from the game [http://www.whitesilverpublishing.com/ramlar/ Chronicles of Ramlar ], which describes an organization of knights tasked with protecting the human city of Aurod as "...Sky Knights-the awesome and fiercely beautiful protectors of Aurod." This unique phrasing, along with the game's designer's enthusiasm in proclaiming "'''Now that you have had a taste of the excitement, intrigue and thrilling possibilities that exist in our world, we are pleased to welcome you to the wondrous world of RAMLAR!!'''", led to it's use as a superlative. It was popularized by a post on RPG.net by Rob Muadib ([http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=251871 <nowiki>[Schadenfreude] Chronicles of Ramlar [Benatar] You're a Heartbreaker![/Benatar]</nowiki>]), which categorized it as a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF| Fantasy Heartbreaker]]<br />
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;Random roll: The other canonical chargen method. As it sounds, the random-roll method involves rolling dice to determine a character's characteristics. Originated by [[Dungeons & Dragons|D&D]] and commonly used in first-generation RPGs, random-roll fell out of favor fairly quickly and is no longer used in its pure form, even in the game that originated it.<br />
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;Redshirt, Red Shirt: A "disposable extra" in an RPG; an [[NPC]] that only has a small role, and is expected to die quickly. For instance, if the GM wants to demonstrate the deadliness of a trap without sacrificing one of the player-characters, it's best to have a convenient Redshirt wander into it.<br />
:Origin: From the original Star Trek, where the (often unnamed) ensign wearing a red shirt was almost guaranteed not to make it back to the ship. The Star Trek uniforms (and Star Trek itself) have changed, but the term remains eternal...<br />
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;Resistive Armor Problem: (also called the ''Metallic Armor Problem'' or ''Damage Resistance Problem'') A problem that can arise in games where armor reduces the amount of damage inflicted on a target. (This type of armor is called ''resistive armor'', as opposed to ''ablative armor'' which protects its wearer by being blown off in lieu of anything important.) This type of armor has the difficulties that a) worn by an enemy, it can leave one or more players incapable of inflicting damage on the wearer, leaving them nothing to do in that situation in the game; and b) worn by a player character, it can mean that any enemy capable of wounding that character will be able to devastate any character not wearing similar armor in a single hit. <br />
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;Resolution: a) Establishing the game-world results of an action or event. Such, a "task resolution system" establishes if a particular task was accomplished in the game world and, if so, what results it had. b) An alternate term for ''graininess'' (q.v.), drawn from computing jargon.<br />
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;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 independent games, such as ''[[Dogs in the Vineyard]]''.<br />
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;Reverse Armor Theorem: The convention, in certain genres of games and other media, where characters wearing less armor are ''less'' likely to be injured in combat. In other words, putting on armor actually ''increases'' the chance that a character will be wounded. In many cases it is suggested that this applies only to female characters. This originates from classic fantasy art, where female characters are routinely depicted as wearing little or no armor, even though they are supposed to be experienced and strong warriors: the only plausible explanation is that they have somehow learned that wearing this type of armor is a good idea for them. It is also borne out in cinematic convention, where (for example) the hero of a film will wear less armor in order to show off the actor's physique, while the ''mook''s he is fighting are played by extras or stunt men wearing full plate.<br />
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;Roads to Rome: A variant form of ''railroading'' in which, rather than constraining the PCs to following a single specific route, the GM permits the PCs to act freely but manipulates the game situation so that a particular event or situation arises no matter what actions the PC's take. Often considered worse than actual ''railroading'' because the players gain no benefit from their freedom of action (since the eventual result is always the same), but at the same time do not get even the dubious benefits of railroading (that the GM can ensure the ongoing story is engaging). Other play groups accept the "roads to Rome" phenomenon as a trade off for ensuring the game plot remains coherent. From the common saying that "All roads lead to Rome". <br />
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;"Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies!"<br />
: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!" Especially when a player springs a secret regarding their character(s) that wrecks the campaign and the GM should by rights have known about from the start. Usually followed by either the players making nice with the GM or the group going their separate ways.<br />
Seen in this [http://somethingpositive.net/sp05032002.shtml Something Positive strip.]<br />
:Origin: The Tomb of Horrors, wherein it was entirely possible to trigger the collapse of the entrance to the tomb. The entrance. As in, you could easily die within minutes of the start of the module.<br />
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;Role-Playing Game: An amazingly hard-to-describe activity, and the reason we're all here.<br />
: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:<br />
# The GM describes the situation the characters are in;<br />
# The players describe how their characters react to the situation; and<br />
# The GM and players decide what happened as a result of those actions.<br />
:Step 3 often is determined by rolling [[dice]], especially in complex or stressful situations such as combat.<br />
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;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. There is a subset of players who believes that the term "Roll-Playing" is too frequently used to deride players who take more enjoyment from the game aspect of RPGs than from the role-playing aspect--see also [[RPG_Lexica:ABC|Bad Wrong Fun]].<br />
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;Roll-Under System: A rules system which determines the success of actions via having the [[player]] roll 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 roll-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 are beneficial and positive ones are penal, which can be confusing and illogical for players.<br />
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;Roshambo: Elitist alternate name for "Rock-Scissors-Paper", most frequently used in ''[[Vampire]]'' [[LARP]]s, but also a common random arbitration method among gamers outside the context of [[role-playing games]] (e.g., "I don't want anchovies on that pizza; let's roshambo for it").<br />
: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. A surprising number of people believe this word was made up by the television show ''South Park'', where one character insists the rules are "players take turns kicking each other in the nuts. Whoever quits first loses." Not quite. According to the [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrockpaper.html Straight Dope], the term has a more sophisticated origin:<br />
::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."<br />
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;RPG:1. Common abbreviation for '''Role-Playing Game'''.<br />
:2. Not-as-common abbreviation for "Rocket-Propelled Grenade"<br />
: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.)<br />
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;Rule Zero: <br />
:1. "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.<br />
::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."<br />
::Bob: "Just as long as it isn't Baron Rumbar, we'd be completely screwed if ...<br />
::Jan: "BOB! Sh! Rule Zero Violation!"<br />
::GM: (smiles enigmatically)<br />
::Bob: "Aw, @#$&%!!..."<br />
:2. Another name for [[RPG_Lexica:GHI|the Golden Rule]], "The GM may ignore or change any game rule".<br />
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;Rush: In addition to the standard meaning: any strategy for defeating an enemy which is based on attacking so quickly that the enemy has no time to prepare a proper defense. As a verb, to use such a strategy. Rush tactics are often considered problematic in many tactical games, where all players start from the same position; in this situation, time is critical to any strategy and thus rush can become the only viable option if sufficient numbers of other players use it. Also, a popular and enduring progressive rock band.<br />
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