Editing RPG Lexica:VWX

==V==

;Vitality and wounds system:  A modified version of [[hit point]]s, used in some later [[d20 system|d20 games]] to attempt to overcome the [[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.

==W==

;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.
: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.


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


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


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


;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.


;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.


;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.

==X==

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


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[[Category:Terminology]]
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 ;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.
-;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).
-: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)