Help:Glossary

0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

0–9

A

Adventure

A brief story formed of connected plot points that can be played through within one or two sessions. You can obtain pre-written adventures for many role-playing game systems. A longer story, sometimes comprised of many adventures, is called a Campaign.

B

C

Campaign

A long-term, overarching story that takes place over numerous sessions. Notoriously difficult to finish in a satisfactory manner.

CCG

Stands for Collectible Card Game. Examples include Magic: The Gathering. CCGs are played using specially designed sets of cards that allow for specific strategies.

Class

A class-based system divides up player character choices into specific, separate archetypes. A player's choice of character class quite often determines your combat abilities, skills and may impose other restrictions.

D

Dice

Polyhedral objects used to generate random numbers, and used in most role-playing games. In most rulebooks they will be represented as d#, where # is the number of sides. Ergo twenty-sided dice are called d20s, eight-sided dice are called d8s, and so on. The one exception to this seems to be the d100, which is typically two ten-sided dice - one for the tens, one for the units.

Dungeon

A location that contains both danger and reward for player characters. Though traditionally a subterranean structure, anything can be a dungeon: a laboratory, an office block, an abandoned spaceship, the fossilised intestines of some long-dead primordial god. As long as there is something worth venturing in for, and something in there protecting it, it can be considered a dungeon.

Dungeon crawl

A type of adventure where the party has to navigate their way through a dungeon, avoiding or overcoming all obstacles in their way. Despite being fairly simplistic, they can still be enjoyable.

E

F

G

GM

Short for Game Master, the person who acts as moderator and facilitator for a role-playing game. Their job is usually to apply the rules, to make rulings and judgments when necessary, and to play the NPCs. They may also create the scenario or world that the game takes place in.

GMPC

A combination of "Game Master" and "Player Character". Used when it becomes apparent that the Game Master is actually running the game in order to get to play as a particular character themselves, and usually give themselves a leading role in the story plus powers and wealth out the wazoo. Not a complimentary term nor a good thing.

H

I

Inn

Where most adventures begin. Staffed by a gruff innkeeper and some serving wenches, none of whom can move for the sheer number of mysterious strangers sitting in shadowy corners all over the place, waiting around for someone to approach them so they can begin handing out directions to the nearest dungeon.

J

K

L

M

Miniature / Mini

A small model of a character, creature or vehicle. They are typically made from plastic or pewter, and can either come painted or unpainted. Some wargames involve painting and putting together miniatures that go on to become your army, making it as much of an artistic hobby as a nerdy one.

NPC

Non Player Character; any character appearing in a role-playing game that isn't controlled by one of the players. Usually controlled by the GM.

N

O

Owlbear

Owl up front, bear in the back, all business.

P

Party

A group of player characters, usually working together toward a common goal.

PC

Stands for Player Character. One of the characters controlled by a player in a role-playing game. Usually each player gets a single PC, but some game systems change this up.

Q

R

S

Splatbook

A supplementary book for a role-playing game, most often covering one particular subject. Their contents can vary in terms of quality and quantity. Too many splatbooks for one system can turn the game unstable.

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z