Editing RPG Lexica:ABC (section)

==B==

;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'''.
:"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!"


;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.   


;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.


;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]].


;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. 


;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."


;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.


;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. 


;Boggle
: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.
:2. To roll a ridiculously huge number of [[d6|six-sided dice]], or a game which requires ridiculously huge numbers of six-siders.
: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.


;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.


;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"). 


;Borgstromancy:  The ability to understand a complex, outlandish, or badly explained setting or system well enough to run a game based on it. 
:Origin:  Taken, possibly unfairly, from the name of the [[RPG]] 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...)


;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'''.


;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.
:see also [[RPG_Lexica:STU|Superheroes, Types of]]


;Broken
#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).
#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]]")
#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.
#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''.
#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]].


;Buff, to:''vt.'' To make stronger, tougher, or more capable, usually via magic.
:Origin: from "buff" the adjective, meaning strong and/or attractive; may have come to tabletop RPGs via [[MMORPG]]s.