Editing RPG Lexica:MNO
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
− | ; | + | ;Metaplot: The part of the plot of a campaign setting which is written by the authors and not under the control of the players and DMs. Frequently, the metaplot is known to contradict players' and DMs' assumptions about the setting and is often considered to be of poor quality. Whether this is true or not is an open topic of debate. |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
;Min-max, min-maxing: To carefully tweak a '''[[character]]''' during '''chargen''' so as to optimize the character for one thing, usually combat, often at the expense of other aspects of the character; or, to tweak a character to take advantage of quirks in the rules to do the same thing. | ;Min-max, min-maxing: To carefully tweak a '''[[character]]''' during '''chargen''' so as to optimize the character for one thing, usually combat, often at the expense of other aspects of the character; or, to tweak a character to take advantage of quirks in the rules to do the same thing. | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
Line 31: | Line 16: | ||
− | + | ;Mob: An [[NPC]], in particular one who performs limited ranges of simplistic behaviour. Used in online [[RPG]]s to identify NPCs who are automatically controlled by the game program, rather than those who are played by human [[GM]]s. | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | ;Mob: An [[NPC]], in particular one who performs limited ranges of simplistic | ||
:Origin: Short form of ''mobile'', the term coined by Richard Bartle for these characters in early computer RPGs. On reading the research paper which coined the term, one of the reviewers is said to have thought this a "beautiful analogy to those hanging toys used in baby's cribs, which move around seemingly as if alive, in spite of being constructed of mechanical parts". Bartle replied that this was indeed a beautiful analogy, and he would have been delighted if he had thought of it; he used the term "mobile" simply to indicate that they could move, which other computer-controlled objects couldn't. | :Origin: Short form of ''mobile'', the term coined by Richard Bartle for these characters in early computer RPGs. On reading the research paper which coined the term, one of the reviewers is said to have thought this a "beautiful analogy to those hanging toys used in baby's cribs, which move around seemingly as if alive, in spite of being constructed of mechanical parts". Bartle replied that this was indeed a beautiful analogy, and he would have been delighted if he had thought of it; he used the term "mobile" simply to indicate that they could move, which other computer-controlled objects couldn't. | ||
− | + | ;Mook: An adversary whose power is significantly beneath that of any single player character and has no real chance of inflicting serious harm. Not so much a full antagonist as an obstacle or dramatic device, whose only purpose is to make the heros look good by being easy to defeat. Often a faceless member of a horde. Two classic non-rpg examples of mooks can be found in cinema: the gangs of masked ninja rushing at the heroes of countless old kung-fu movies, and the stormtroopers of [[Star Wars]]. As a gaming term, the word originates in [[Feng Shui]], which has rules for simulating the disposable nature of "mooks" as opposed to more competent "named characters". More and more games are making a distinction between mooks and more substantial opponents. | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | ;Mook: An adversary whose power is significantly beneath that of any single player character and has no real chance of inflicting serious harm. Not so much a full antagonist as an obstacle or dramatic device, whose only purpose is to make the | ||
Line 55: | Line 30: | ||
* Relating to the last one: approaching all problems, obstacles, and frustrations with violence as a ''first'' resort | * Relating to the last one: approaching all problems, obstacles, and frustrations with violence as a ''first'' resort | ||
* Attempting to "win" the game, even at the expense of the other players, in situations where it would be inappropriate. | * Attempting to "win" the game, even at the expense of the other players, in situations where it would be inappropriate. | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
;Murphy's Law:"Anything that can go wrong, will." The premier law of the universe. | ;Murphy's Law:"Anything that can go wrong, will." The premier law of the universe. | ||
− | :Notes: What most people call Murphy's Law (above) is actually Finagle's Law (or, in the UK, Sod's Law). Murphy's Law is more specific: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways will result in disaster, someone will do it." It was originally "If that guy has any way of making a mistake, he will"--referring to the technician who had just placed a series of sensors the wrong way around on the test subject of an | + | :Notes: What most people call Murphy's Law (above) is actually Finagle's Law (or, in the UK, Sod's Law). Murphy's Law is more specific: "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways will result in disaster, someone will do it." It was originally "If that guy has any way of making a mistake, he will"--referring to the technician who had just placed a series of sensors the wrong way around on the test subject of an accelleration experiment. Edward Murphy - then a Major in the United States Air Force - was the lead scientist. |
:Murphy's Law is in this lexicon because, since RPGs are simulations of important (fake) events in people's (fake) lives, it crops up a ''lot.'' In particular, when making an elaborate plan, it is often necessary to include contingency plans in case of a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fumble]] at a critical moment. (See [[RPG_Lexica:VWX|Whiff]] for further details) | :Murphy's Law is in this lexicon because, since RPGs are simulations of important (fake) events in people's (fake) lives, it crops up a ''lot.'' In particular, when making an elaborate plan, it is often necessary to include contingency plans in case of a [[RPG_Lexica:DEF|fumble]] at a critical moment. (See [[RPG_Lexica:VWX|Whiff]] for further details) | ||
:See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_Law WikiPedia's entry on "Murphy's Law"] | :See also: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_Law WikiPedia's entry on "Murphy's Law"] | ||
− | ;Murphy's Rule: (or just "Murphy"). A game rule which has bizarre or | + | ;Murphy's Rule: (or just "Murphy"). A game rule which has bizarre or humourous consequences when applied to certain situations - typically those which would logically exist in the game world but are not those which the game was designed to model. A "murphy" can also be a description of the consequences of applying a rule to an outlandish situation, stated not as a criticism of the rules but purely for the comedy value. Originally coined as the name of a cartoon appearing in ''Pyramid Magazine''. A few examples of the typical format: |
* In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', [[character]]s have a "Dexterity" stat, which is in fact used to represent agility as well as actual dexterity. Thus, every talented clockmaker is also a talented gymnast, and vice versa; | * In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', [[character]]s have a "Dexterity" stat, which is in fact used to represent agility as well as actual dexterity. Thus, every talented clockmaker is also a talented gymnast, and vice versa; | ||
* In ''[[The Riddle of Steel]]'', in character generation the [[player]] must rank several properties of their character in order of importance. Ranking "social standing" last results in the [[PC]] being a slave. If the player has done this, all other aspects (such as combat skill, magical ability, etc) will have been rated higher than they otherwise could have been, thus meaning that slaves are the most talented and skilled people in the setting; | * In ''[[The Riddle of Steel]]'', in character generation the [[player]] must rank several properties of their character in order of importance. Ranking "social standing" last results in the [[PC]] being a slave. If the player has done this, all other aspects (such as combat skill, magical ability, etc) will have been rated higher than they otherwise could have been, thus meaning that slaves are the most talented and skilled people in the setting; | ||
Line 78: | Line 45: | ||
==N== | ==N== | ||
− | + | ;Ninja: A term with multiple different meanings, mostly derived either from the real myths surrounding Ninjas or from the famous spoof websites, [http://www.realultimatepower.net "Real Ultimate Power"] and [http://www.ninjaburger.com "Ninja Burger"]. | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | ;Ninja: A term with multiple different meanings, mostly derived either from the real myths surrounding Ninjas or from the famous spoof websites, | ||
* As a noun, used with the original meaning: the Japanese term for an assassin, particularly one making use of stealth. | * As a noun, used with the original meaning: the Japanese term for an assassin, particularly one making use of stealth. | ||
* As a noun, any character designed around the concepts of stealth, hand-to-hand combat, and one-hit kills. | * As a noun, any character designed around the concepts of stealth, hand-to-hand combat, and one-hit kills. | ||
− | * As a noun, a character which is sought-after for "coolness" value, and whose | + | * As a noun, a character which is sought-after for "coolness" value, and whose abilites are overestimated, even if irrelevant or ineffective in the particular situation or setting. ("Of course I can dodge the bullets of a machine-gun on full auto - I'm a ''ninja''!") |
* As an adjective, sneaky or cunning. | * As an adjective, sneaky or cunning. | ||
* As an adjective, highly skilled in general. | * As an adjective, highly skilled in general. | ||
* As a verb, to accomplish something in a highly skillful or spectacular way. | * As a verb, to accomplish something in a highly skillful or spectacular way. | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
Line 102: | Line 57: | ||
==O== | ==O== | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
;OGL Heartbreaker: A game which, although it has an original world, uses an open-licensed gaming system or variation thereof instead of a system that is unique to that game world. Typically called a "Heartbreaker" because either the system used proves to be a poor means for conveying the intended feel of the setting, or it has no hope of finding a niche in the market because the generic system chosen already has a market leading game in the same genre. | ;OGL Heartbreaker: A game which, although it has an original world, uses an open-licensed gaming system or variation thereof instead of a system that is unique to that game world. Typically called a "Heartbreaker" because either the system used proves to be a poor means for conveying the intended feel of the setting, or it has no hope of finding a niche in the market because the generic system chosen already has a market leading game in the same genre. | ||
;One Roll Engine: A unique [[dice]] system designed by Greg Stolze and used in the game ''[[Godlike]]''. Rather than trying to match a particular target number, the player rolls a number of dice based on their [[character]]'s competence and are deemed to have succeeded if two or more of those dice roll the same value. The unique property of this system is that a single roll delivers ''two'' results: the number of dice that matched, and the value they matched on. | ;One Roll Engine: A unique [[dice]] system designed by Greg Stolze and used in the game ''[[Godlike]]''. Rather than trying to match a particular target number, the player rolls a number of dice based on their [[character]]'s competence and are deemed to have succeeded if two or more of those dice roll the same value. The unique property of this system is that a single roll delivers ''two'' results: the number of dice that matched, and the value they matched on. | ||
− | :Note: | + | :Note: this system is copyrighted, so you must seek the author's permission to use it in any game you are designing. |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
;Open-ended roll: Any [[dice]] rolling system which includes the rule that any dice which rolls its maximum result should be rolled again, with the new roll added to the previous one to determine the final result. For example, if a 5 is rolled on an open-ended d6, the result is 5; but if a 6 is rolled, the dice is rolled again, and if a 4 is rolled on the second roll the overall result is 10 (the 4 just rolled plus the 6 rolled previously). | ;Open-ended roll: Any [[dice]] rolling system which includes the rule that any dice which rolls its maximum result should be rolled again, with the new roll added to the previous one to determine the final result. For example, if a 5 is rolled on an open-ended d6, the result is 5; but if a 6 is rolled, the dice is rolled again, and if a 4 is rolled on the second roll the overall result is 10 (the 4 just rolled plus the 6 rolled previously). | ||
− | |||
:See also: '''Exploding Dice''' | :See also: '''Exploding Dice''' | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||