User:The Thadman/RPG terms draft

The following is a new draft for Role-playing game terms.

Role-playing game terms or jargon are words used in a specific sense in the context of role-playing games (RPGs). These cover a variety of topics that are related to describing the actual game itself, players, and other game-related mechanics.

Game terms

These are terms that relate to the actual role-playing game in question.

System

A Role-playing Game System is a (more or less) codified set of rules and standards for play.

Gamemaster

Where a movie has a director, or a book has an editor, role-playing games (generally) have a Gamemaster (or "GM"). The Gamemaster's job within a roleplaying game is to set the stage for the story, enforce a level of standards for the players, and to keep the story-world going. Gamemasters come by a variety of names. In some games (such as the famous Dungeons and Dragons), they go by the monicker "Dungeon Masters." In other, more narrative-centric games such as the World of Darkness series, they are known as "Storytellers," or "Story Guides."

An alternate form to one centralized GM is to have two or three "Co-GMs," who work in tandem, or are each responsible for a separate part of the game world. Another storytelling technique is known as Troupe Gaming, where the responsibilities of the Gamemaster are divvied up between all of the players.

Adventure or run

An Adventure or Run is role-playing jargon for one role-playing session. These generally consist of an achievable goal or plot that the players work towards collectively (but not always). It is not uncommon for Adventures to run from 2 to 8 hours (although some at role-playing conventions and with die-hard players may last up to 12 hours or more).

Campaign

A Campaign consists of a number of Adventures that follow the same trajectory in the same world, generally involving one or more major plot arcs. Campaigns can last for years at a time, and can become exceedingly involved and complicated.

Setting and genre

Much in common to the setting of a novel, Campaign's Setting refers to the universe in which the Campaign takes place. A setting, in turn can belong to one or more Genres, which determine the overall flavor of where the events take place.

Goals

Goals are very diverse in role-playing, as the vast majority of role-playing games do not have a definitive "beginning" or "end." As a result, goals are more related to the actual playing of the game, itself, or the working towards resolution of plot arcs.

A popular categorization of play-related goals is known as GNS Theory, a descendent of Threefold Theory, that breaks down role-playing goal decisions into three "flavors":

Gamist - in which enjoyment is derived from facing and overcoming challenges,
Narrativist - in which enjoyment is derived from creating a good story (see Collaborative fiction); and,
Simulationist - in which enjoyment is derived from accurately simulating the real world.

House Rules

House Rules, in role-playing, refer to a set of unique, local or niche-based rules applying only to a specific Gamemaster, Campaign, or gathering. A popular form of House Rules include taking aspects from one Role-playing System and applying them to another, such as Divine Success and Diabolical Failure from In Nomine instead of the usual critical system, or including the concept of a Mook from Feng Shui.

Character terms

Character
Character sheet
Attributes
Skills
Powers
Saving throws
Points
- Hit points
- Magic points
- Experience points
Level

Player terms

Player
"In-character" vs "Out of character"
- Out of character knowledge
Derogatory terms
- Power gamer
- Munchkin
- Twink
- Roll-player

Dice terms

Dice algebra

Dice algebra is a system to represent different combinations of rolling dice in Role-playing games, also known as "dX Notation."

Success
- Critical success
Failure
- Critical failure

System-specific terms

d20 terms
- Natural 20
- "Take a 20"
- Natural 1
In Nomine terms
- Divine Success
- Diabolical failure
- Risk
(etc., etc., etc.)