{{Short description|Words used in a specific sense in the context of role-playing games}} {{RPG}} [[Role-playing game]]s (RPGs) have developed specialized terminology. This includes both terminology used within RPGs to describe [[Fictional universe|in-game]] concepts and terminology used to describe RPGs. Role-playing games also have specialized [[slang]] and [[jargon]] associated with them.
Besides the terms listed here, there are numerous terms used in the context of specific, individual RPGs such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (''D&D''), ''[[Pathfinder Roleplaying Game|Pathfinder]]'', ''[[Fate (role-playing game system)|Fate]]'', and ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]''. For a list of RPGs, see [[List of role-playing games]].
==Terms used to play role-playing games==
===A=== *'''[[Adventure (role-playing games)|Adventure]]''': A set of game sessions united by characters and by narrative sequence, setting or goal.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=May 1999|title=Glossaire|trans-title=Glossary|magazine=[[Casus Belli (magazine)|Casus Belli Hors Série]]|language=French|publisher=Excelsior Publications|issue=25, ''Manuel Pratique du Jeu de Rôle''|page=6}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Baker|first=Eric T.|date=August 2000|title=Games|url=https://archive.org/details/RealmsOfFantasyV06n06200008.SovereignMediadtsg0318/page/n73/mode/2up|magazine=[[Realms of Fantasy]]|publisher=Sovereign Media|issue=6|pages=74–79}}</ref> *'''[[Armor Class]]''' (or '''AC'''): The difficulty to hit a specified target, abstracted from its dodging capacity and [[armor]].<ref name="Tresca-2011">{{Cite book|last=Tresca|first=Michael J.|title=The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Co|isbn=978-0-7864-6009-0|location=Jefferson, N.C.|pages=13–15, 21, 30, 54, 64, 181–199, 203|oclc=697175248}}</ref><ref name="Adams-2014">{{Cite book|last=Adams|first=Ernest|title=Fundamentals of Role-Playing Game Design|date=2014|publisher=New Riders|isbn=978-0-13-381213-8|location=|oclc=967703981}}</ref> "This term was inherited from a naval battle game".<ref name="Tresca-2011" />{{rp|203}} Many role-playing games that came after ''Dungeons & Dragons'' have "abandoned the notion of defining defense as armor class".<ref name="Tresca-2011" />{{rp|54}} *'''Area of Effect''' (or '''AoE'''): An effect that affects a zone,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barney|first=Christopher William|title=Pattern Language for Game Design|date=2020|isbn=978-1-000-25958-2|location=Milton|oclc=1227045937}}</ref> measured by a template, distance in [[hexagon]] or ordinary metrics. ===B=== *'''[[Game balance#Buffs and nerfs|Buff]]''': A statistical boost which offers some form of advantage, usually to a character.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kemner |first1=Louis |last2=Williams |first2=Isaac |title=15 Best Buff Spells In Dungeons & Dragons 5e, Ranked |url=https://www.cbr.com/best-buff-spells-in-dnd-ranked/ |website=CBR |language=en |date=29 January 2022}}</ref> ===C=== *'''[[Campaign (role-playing games)|Campaign]]''': A series of adventures.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rouchart|first1=Sandy|title=Solving the Narrative Paradox in VEs — Lessons from RPGs|last2=Aylett|first2=Ruth|work=Intelligent Virtual Agents: 4th International Workshop|publisher=Springer|year=2003|isbn=978-3540200031|editor=Thomas Rist|page=245}}</ref> *'''[[Player character|Character]]''': [[player character]]: [[non-player character]] or game-master character: a fictional character in a role-playing game.<ref>{{cite journal|last=La Farge|first=Paul|date=September 2006|title=Destroy All Monsters|url=http://www.believermag.com/issues/200609/?read=article_lafarge|url-status=dead|journal=[[The Believer Magazine]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920141500/http://www.believermag.com/issues/200609/?read=article_lafarge|archive-date=2008-09-20|access-date=2008-12-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Waggoner|first=Zack|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uf9QosYeuX4C|title=My Avatar, My Self: Identity in Video Role-Playing Games|date=2009|publisher=University of Michigan|isbn=978-0-7864-4109-9|page=8|access-date=2014-11-12}}</ref> *'''[[Character class]]''' is an occupation, profession, or role assigned to a game character to highlight and differentiate their abilities and specializations.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Voorhees|first1=Gerald|title=The Character of Difference: Procedurality, Rhetoric, and Roleplaying Games|journal=Game Studies|date=1 November 2009|volume=9|issue=2|url=http://gamestudies.org/0902/articles/voorhees|access-date=12 June 2016|issn=1604-7982}}</ref> *'''[[Character sheet]]''': A record of a player character in a role-playing game, including whatever details, notes, game statistics, and background information a player would need during a play session.<ref>{{Cite web|last=March 2021|first=Aimee Hart 13|title=How to make a D&D character sheet|url=https://www.techradar.com/how-to/dnd-character-sheet|access-date=2021-04-16|website=TechRadar|date=13 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Developments in Current Game-Based Learning Design and Deployment|date=2013|publisher=IGI Global|others=Patrick Felicia|isbn=978-1-4666-1865-7|location=Hershey, Pa.|pages=119|oclc=808122494}}</ref> *'''[[Character creation]]''': The method used to create a player character.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Role-Playing Game Studies: Transmedia Foundations|date=2018|others=José Pablo Zagal, Sebastian Deterding|isbn=978-1-315-63753-2|location=New York, NY|chapter=Box 4.3 Different Character Creation Methods|oclc=1019729171}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Bartle|first=Richard A.|title=Designing Virtual Worlds|date=2004|publisher=New Riders Pub|isbn=0-13-101816-7|location=Indianapolis, Ind.|pages=377–384|oclc=52814945}}</ref> *'''Critical''': (dice) result (- hit / - failure) with lower probability (natural 1 or 20 on an [[icosahedron]], matched dice, etc.) resulting in a strong fictional/mechanical outcome.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Doctorow|first=Cory|date=2013-09-17|title=Critical Hits: a history of the battle between gamers and game-designers for nuance in combat systems|url=https://boingboing.net/2013/09/16/critical-hits-a-history-of-a.html|access-date=2021-04-16|website=Boing Boing|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-15|title=D&D House Rules Everyone Should Consider Following|url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-dnd-best-house-rules-homebrew-changes/|access-date=2021-04-16|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Polo|first=Susana|date=2016-07-29|title=The Dragon Age tabletop RPG will scratch your blood magic itch|url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/7/29/12311936/dragon-age-tabletop-rpg|access-date=2021-04-16|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref>
===D=== *'''Difficulty Class''' (or '''DC'''): A target number to succeed in a task.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-28|title=13 Things You Should Know About The Excellent-Looking Baldur's Gate 3|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/02/13-things-you-should-know-about-the-excellent-looking-baldurs-gate-3/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228172644/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/02/13-things-you-should-know-about-the-excellent-looking-baldurs-gate-3/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 28, 2020|access-date=2021-04-16|website=Kotaku Australia|language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-15|title='Pathfinder Second Edition,' Another Critical Success for Paizo!|url=https://geekdad.com/2019/08/pathfinder-second-edition-another-critical-success-for-paizo/|access-date=2021-04-16|website=GeekDad|language=en-US}}</ref> *'''{{vanchor|Dungeon}}''': An enclosed location that contains hostile [[Non-player character|NPCs]], such as a [[cave]] or [[building]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Deepest, Weirdest, Hugest Megadungeons Ever Created|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-deepest-weirdest-hugest-megadungeons-ever-created-1568767965|access-date=2021-04-16|website=io9|date=29 April 2014 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Watson|first=Eric|date=2021-03-25|title=This RPG's dungeon builder is Neverwinter Nights meets Super Mario Maker|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/this-rpgs-dungeon-builder-is-neverwinter-nights-meets-super-mario-maker/|access-date=2021-04-16|website=PC Gamer|language=en-US}}</ref> A '''[[dungeon crawl]]''' is a type of scenario in which players navigate a [[labyrinth]] type of dungeon, battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brewer|first1=Nathan|title=Going Rogue: A Brief History of the Computerized Dungeon Crawl|url=https://insight.ieeeusa.org/articles/going-rogue-a-brief-history-of-the-computerized-dungeon-crawl/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110211406/https://insight.ieeeusa.org/articles/going-rogue-a-brief-history-of-the-computerized-dungeon-crawl/|archive-date=10 January 2020|access-date=10 January 2020|website=IEEE-USA InSight|date=7 July 2016 }}</ref>
===F=== *'''Fumble''': Critical failure. syn. '''Botch'''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fannon|first=Sean Patrick|title=The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible|date=1999|publisher=Obsidian Studios Corp|others=Brett Link, Aaron Acevedo, Victoria Cummings, Sean Patrick Fannon|isbn=0-9674429-0-7|edition=2nd|location=Jacksonville, FL|pages=213, 223|oclc=45357120}}</ref>
===G=== *'''[[Game master]]''' (or '''GM'''). The person who runs a role-playing game and arbitrates how actions are resolved and narrated.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Porter|first1=Greg|title=SpaceTime|date=June 1988|publisher=Blacksburg Tactical Research Center|isbn=0-943891-03-5|location=Richmond, VA|page=1}}</ref> In many games, specialized terms are used, as such [[Dungeon Master]] for the person running ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sargeantson|first=Emily|date=2019-01-16|title=What is a Dungeon Master? What Do the Best Ones Do?|url=https://mykindofmeeple.com/what-is-a-dungeon-master/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522150036/https://mykindofmeeple.com/what-is-a-dungeon-master/|archive-date=2020-05-22|access-date=2020-05-22|website=My Kind of Meeple|language=en-GB}}</ref> Storyteller for the person running a game set in the [[World of Darkness]] or Referee for the person running ''[[Traveller (role-playing game)|Traveller]]''. *'''[[Gamemaster's screen]]''': a folding screen, often of cardboard, used to hide adventure content from the players.<ref>{{cite book|last=Schick|first=Lawrence|title=Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games|publisher=Prometheus Books|year=1991|isbn=0-87975-653-5|page=143|author-link=Lawrence Schick}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons: The '70s|publisher=[[Evil Hat Productions]]|year=2014|isbn=978-1-61317-075-5}}</ref>{{rp|191}}
===I=== *''' [[Initiative (role-playing games)|Initiative]] ''': The determination of who goes first and in what order declared actions are carried out.<ref name="Moore-2016">{{Cite book|last=Moore|first=Michael E.|title=Basics of Game Design|date=2016|publisher=A K Peters/CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4398-6776-1|location=Boca Raton|pages=96, 106, 117–140, 175, 220|oclc=746925670}}</ref><ref name="DAmato-2019">{{Cite book|last=D'Amato|first=James|title=The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide: Role-Play the Best Campaign Ever—No Matter the Game!|date=2019|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-5072-1093-2|edition=First|location=Avon, Massachusetts|pages=31, 36–40, 45–50, 110, 237–239|oclc=1104859747}}</ref>
===M=== *'''[[Metagaming (role-playing games)|Metagaming]]''': A player's use of out-of-character knowledge concerning the state of the game to determine their character's actions, when said character has no relevant knowledge or awareness under the circumstances.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Zalka|first=Csenge Virág|title=Forum-Based Role Playing Games as Digital Storytelling|date=2019|publisher=McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers|isbn=978-1-4766-3526-2|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|pages=66–78|oclc=1090499786}}</ref><ref name="Open-Court-Pub-2012">{{Cite book|title=Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy: Raiding the Temple of Wisdom|date=2012|publisher=Open Court Pub|others=Jon Cogburn, Mark Silcox|isbn=978-0-8126-9803-9|location=Chicago|pages=225–226, 271–283|oclc=811563646}}</ref> *'''Modifier''': A number added to or subtracted from a die roll based on a specific skill or other attribute.<ref name="Moore-2016" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Moore|first=Michael E.|title=Introduction to the Game Industry|date=2007|publisher=Pearson Prentice Hall|others=Jennifer Sward|isbn=978-0-13-168743-1|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|chapter=Chapter 10: The Game Design Document|oclc=71223261}}</ref>
===N===
*{{anchor|Natural (roll)}}'''Natural (roll)''': The number actually on a die, such as a natural 1 or a natural 20, indicating the die's face shows a 1 or a 20, as opposed to the number rolled plus modifiers.<ref>{{Citation |title=Queens on a Quest {{!}} Dimension 20: Dungeons and Drag Queens [Full Episode] | date=5 July 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZhCgp-GRQ8&t=3163 |access-date=2023-10-24 |language=en|quote=[52'43"] On a Natural 20, incredible things are possible: if you hit a 20 on the die, it's an overwhelming success. [...] [52'52"] And the reverse, if you manage to roll a Natural 1...}} </ref>
===S=== *'''[[Saving throw]]''': A [[game mechanic]] in which dice are used to avoid some kind of negative effect on a character.<ref name="Open-Court-Pub-2012" /><ref name="Moore-2016" /> *'''{{vanchor|Safety tools}}''': An auxiliary ruleset added to a roleplaying game that establishes boundaries, [[trigger warnings]], and communication methods.<ref name="Vice-2020">{{Cite web|date=January 31, 2020|title=How Tabletop RPGs Are Being Reclaimed From Bigots and Jerks|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-tabletop-rpgs-are-being-reclaimed-from-bigots-and-jerks/|access-date=2021-04-21|website=Vice.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-03|title=Useful Tools and Tips for Tabletop GMs That Should Be Better Known|url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/useful-tools-and-tips-for-tabletop-gms-that-should-be-better-known/|access-date=2021-04-21|website=The Escapist|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="DAmato-2020">{{Cite book|last=D'Amato|first=James|title=The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book: 40 Fast, Easy, and Fun Tabletop Games|date=2020|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-5072-1286-8|edition=First|location=New York|pages=13–18|oclc=1151490303}}</ref> Examples of popular safety toolsets include: ''Lines and Veils'' by [[Emily Care Boss]] (based on concepts from ''Sex & Sorcery'' by [[Ron Edwards (game designer)|Ron Edwards]]), ''Script Change'' by Beau Sheldon, and the ''[[X-Card]]'' by John Stavropoulos.<ref name="DAmato-2020" /><ref name="Vice-2020" /><ref name="Dicebreaker-2022">{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2022 |title=How to run a Session 0 for D&D and other RPGs |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/how-to/how-to-run-session-0-dnd-rpg |access-date=July 13, 2022 |website=[[Dicebreaker]] |language=en}}</ref> *'''Session''': A single meeting of a role-playing group.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Salen|first=Katie|title=Rules of play : game design fundamentals|date=2003|publisher=MIT Press|others=Eric Zimmerman, Askews|isbn=0-262-29993-3|location=Cambridge, Mass.|oclc=1112577758}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-01-13|title=Choose Your Way to Better RPG Session Prep|url=https://nerdist.com/article/choose-your-way-to-better-rpg-session-prep/|access-date=2021-04-18|website=[[Nerdist]]|language=en}}</ref> *'''{{vanchor|Session Zero}}''' (or '''{{vanchor|Session 0}}'''): The first game session where the game master and players determine the playstyle, mechanics and themes they will use as group in their game. Groups will also determine the expectations and limitations (including use of safety tools) of their game. Some groups also use this session to create characters and establish other parts of [[worldbuilding]] for their game.<ref name="Dicebreaker-2022" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tabari |first=Rami |date=2022-04-24 |title=How do I set expectations and limits? Tabletop tips from an anxious GM |url=https://www.laptopmag.com/how-to/how-do-i-set-expectations-and-limits-tabletop-tips-from-an-anxious-gm |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=LaptopMag |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Joshua |date=2020-05-10 |title=Opinion: Regarding Dungeons & Dragons, Session 0, & Consent |url=https://bleedingcool.com/games/opinion-regarding-dungeons-dragons-session-0-and-consent/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Bleeding Cool News And Rumors |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moreno |first=Jim |date=February 27, 2018 |title=Roleplaying Basics: The Importance of Session Zero |url=https://nerdist20stagi.nerdist.com/article/roleplaying-basics-the-importance-of-session-zero/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713181131/https://nerdist20stagi.nerdist.com/article/roleplaying-basics-the-importance-of-session-zero/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2022 |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Nerdist |publisher=[[Geek & Sundry]] |language=en-US}}</ref> *'''[[campaign setting|Setting]]''': The fictional world in which the game takes place.<ref name="DAmato-2019" /><ref name="Adams-2014" /> *'''[[Story guide]]''': Also, "storyteller." The game master of a game with a strong focus on narrative tropes.<ref name="mastersrpg">Masters, Phil. [http://www.rpg.net/oracle/essays/vocabulary.html “On the Vocabulary of Role-playing”], The Oracle: Essays. Retrieved 2012-02-18.</ref> *'''System''': The set of [[game mechanic]]s which make up a game.<ref name="Adams-2014" /><ref name="DAmato-2019" />
===T===
*{{anchor|THAC0}}'''THAC0''' (which stands for "To hit armor class zero"): In ''D&D 2E (Dungeons and Dragons second edition)'', the number needed on a dice roll for a character to hit an NPC if they have a zero armor class.<ref name="Tresca-2011" /><ref name="Open-Court-Pub-2012" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-24|title=D&D's The Wild Beyond The Witchlight Mocks The Game's Worst Rule|url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-wild-beyond-the-witchlight-worst-rule-thac0/|access-date=2021-09-25|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> *'''{{vanchor|Total party kill}}''' ('''TPK''') or '''total party wipe(out)''' ('''TPW'''): The entire [[Party (role-playing games)|party]] of [[player character]]s dies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=St.Jacques |first1=Nicholas |last2=Tobin |first2=Samuel |date=2020-09-21 |title=Death Rules: A Survey and Analysis of PC Death in Tabletop Role-Playing Games |url=https://jarps.net/journal/article/view/10 |journal=RPG学研究: Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies |language=en |issue=1 |pages=20–27 |issn=2434-9682}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Scott|first=Chey|date=December 20, 2018|title=The unlikely resurgence of Dungeons & Dragons makes its way to the Inland Northwest|url=https://www.inlander.com/spokane/nearly-45-years-after-its-creation-a-fantasy-game-played-with-paper-pencil-and-dice-is-having-its-biggest-year-yet-in-the-inland-northwest-a/Content?oid=15615918|access-date=2021-04-18|website=Inlander|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-02|title=D&D DM Pro-Tip: How To Make An Unwinnable Boss Fight|url=https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-dragons-dm-pro-tip-how-to-create-unwinnable-unbeatable-boss-fight/|access-date=2021-04-18|website=TheGamer|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Decker |first1=Jesse |author-link=Jesse Decker |last2=Noonan |first2=David |author-link2=David Noonan (game designer) |date=September 23, 2005 |title=Design & Development: Undercover at Gen Con, Part 2 |url=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20050923a |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020102243/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20050923a |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |access-date=June 13, 2007 |website=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref> *'''[[Troupe system]]''': A style of play in which different characters are run by the same player in different sessions; in some cases, the duties of the game master may also be rotated amongst the players.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Laycock|first=Joseph|title=Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds|date=2015|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-96056-5|location=Oakland, Calif.|pages=144|oclc=899156911}}</ref>
==Terms used to describe characters==
===A=== *'''[[Advantage (role-playing games)|Advantage]]''': A positive or useful statistic or trait.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}} *'''[[Attribute (role-playing games)|Attributes]]''': Natural, in-born characteristics shared by all characters. Functional attributes, such as [[physical strength]] or [[wisdom]], have a mechanical impact on gameplay while cosmetic attributes, such as visual appearance, allow a player to define their character within the game.<ref name="Adams-2010">{{Cite book|last=Adams|first=Ernest|title=Fundamentals of Game Design|date=2010|publisher=New Riders|isbn=978-0-321-64337-7|edition=2nd|location=|pages=115–122, 465, 470–472|oclc=460601644}}</ref>
===D=== *'''[[Derived statistic]]''': A secondary characteristic based on a character's attributes (or primary characteristics), which may include such fluctuating measures as [[hit points]] or [[magic points]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
===P=== *'''[[Power (role-playing games)|Powers]]''': Extraordinary abilities which make a character special, such as [[flight]] or [[telepathy]].<ref name="Adams-2014" />
===R=== *'''[[Character race|Race]]''': Any sapient species or beings that make up the setting. Players can often choose to be one of these creatures when creating their character and each possess different abilities and attributes that distinguish them from one another. Races can also possess their own ethnicities, types, or other description of their physical and cultural heredity. Role-playing games often include [[fantasy race]]s, [[mutant (fiction)|mutant]]s, [[robot]]s and other non-human character types.<ref name="Adams-2010" /><ref name="Tresca-2011" />
===S=== *'''[[Skill (role-playing games)|Skills]]''': Learned capabilities, such as [[spoken language]]s, [[horse riding]] or [[Hacker (computer security)|computer hacking]].<ref name="Adams-2010" /> *'''[[Statistic (role-playing games)|Statistic]]''': Any attribute, advantage, disadvantage, power, skill, or other trait. In the plural, '''statistics''' refers to the information on a [[character sheet]]. Often abbreviated as "stats".{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
==Terms used to describe types of games== ===A=== *'''[[Actual play]]''' (or '''live play'''): A genre of [[podcast]] or [[Web series|web show]] in which people play tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) for an audience.<ref>{{Cite web|last=DeVille|first=Chris|date=November 16, 2017|title=The rise of D&D liveplay is changing how fans approach roleplaying|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16666344/dungeons-and-dragons-twitch-roleplay-rpgs-critical-role-streaming-gaming|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829145600/https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16666344/dungeons-and-dragons-twitch-roleplay-rpgs-critical-role-streaming-gaming|archive-date=August 29, 2021|access-date=August 31, 2021|website=[[The Verge]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sowa|first=Alexander|date=June 14, 2020|title=Dungeons & Dragons: How Actual-Play Shows Are Boosting LGBTQ Representation|url=https://www.cbr.com/dungeons-dragons-actual-play-shows-boosting-lgbtq-representation/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629012953/https://www.cbr.com/dungeons-dragons-actual-play-shows-boosting-lgbtq-representation/|archive-date=June 29, 2021|access-date=August 31, 2021|website=[[CBR.com|CBR]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Watch Us Roll-2021">{{Cite book|title=Watch Us Roll: Essays on Actual Play and Performance in Tabletop Role-Playing Games|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2021|isbn=978-1-4766-4343-4|editor-last=Jones|editor-first=Shelly|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|oclc=1263339374}}</ref> Actual play often encompasses in-character interactions between players, storytelling from the [[gamemaster]], and out-of-character engagements such as dice rolls and discussion of game mechanics.<ref name="Watch Us Roll-2021" />
===F=== *'''Free-form role-playing game''': A rules-light style of game that mostly uses social dynamics for its game system.<ref name="mastersrpg" />
===G=== *'''[[Gamist]]''': A term from [[GNS theory]] describing games in which enjoyment is derived from facing and overcoming challenges.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Edwards|first=Ron|date=4 June 2003|title=Gamism: Step On Up|url=http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/21/|access-date=6 February 2016|website=The Forge}}</ref><ref name="Nerdist-2017">{{Cite web|date=2017-06-23|title=Learn The Fascinating Theory Behind Roleplaying Games|url=https://nerdist.com/article/learn-the-fascinating-theory-behind-roleplaying-games/|access-date=2021-04-22|website=[[Nerdist]]|language=en}}</ref> *'''[[generic role-playing game system|Generic]]''': A system that can support a wide variety of settings.<ref>{{cite web|author=Shannon Appelcline|date=2006-09-04|title=Brief History of the Game #3|url=http://www.rpg.net/columns/briefhistory/briefhistory3.phtml|publisher=[[RPGnet]]|accessdate=2007-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Jackson|first=Steve|url=|title=GURPS Basic Set 3, Revised|date=2004-01-19|publisher=[[Steve Jackson Games]]|isbn=1-55634-357-4|author-link=Steve Jackson (US game designer)}}</ref> *'''[[Genre]]''': A game that adheres to certain fictional tropes, such as [[fantasy]] or [[science fiction]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cover|first=Jennifer Grouling|title=The Creation of Narrative in Tabletop Role-Playing Games|date=2014|publisher=McFarland & Co. Publishers|isbn=978-0-7864-5617-8|location=Jefferson, N.C.|pages=39–55|oclc=650516777}}</ref><ref name="Tresca-2011" /><ref name="DAmato-2020" />
===K=== *'''{{visible anchor|Keepsake}}''': A type of role-playing game where the player(s) create a physical keepsake, such as a journal, in response to prompts or other game mechanics over the course of playing the game.<ref name="Polygon-2021">{{Cite web |last=Carpenter|first=Nicole|date=March 26, 2021|title=Field Guide to Memory is a 'keepsake' game written inside your own personal journal|url=https://www.polygon.com/2021/3/26/22352414/field-guide-to-memory-keepsake-game-impressions-interview|access-date=September 28, 2022|website=Polygon|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781003298045 |title=The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies |date= |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2024 |isbn=978-1-003-29804-5 |editor-last=Zagal |editor-first=José P. |edition=1 |location=New York |pages=83, 175, 181 |language=en |doi=10.4324/9781003298045 |editor-last2=Deterding |editor-first2=Sebastian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-09|title=PhD Student Greg Loring-Albright Investigates "Keepsake" Games|url=https://drexel.edu/coas/news-events/news/2021/September/phd-student-greg-loring-albright-investigates-keepsake-games/|access-date=2023-04-03|website=College of Arts and Sciences|language=en}}</ref> Game designers [[Shing Yin Khor]] and [[Jeeyon Shim]] are credited for [[Neologism|coining]] this style game as "keepsake".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ong|first=Alexis|date=June 28, 2022|title=Jeeyon Shim carved a new path in crowdfunding for her keepsake games|url=https://www.theverge.com/23139467/jeeyon-shim-crowdfunding-keepsake-games|access-date=March 20, 2023|website=The Verge|archive-date=March 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320192515/https://www.theverge.com/23139467/jeeyon-shim-crowdfunding-keepsake-games|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Generation Analog 2021">{{Cite journal |last1=Loring-Albright|first1=Greg|last2=Willison|first2=Wes|date=February 16, 2023|title=Materiality of Keepsake Games|url=https://press.etc.cmu.edu/node/6122|journal=Generation Analog 2021|publisher=Carnegie Mellon University: ETC Press|pages=55–66|doi=10.57862/FZB0-QG05}}</ref> This type of game has been compared to [[Legacy board game|legacy board games]] where the game itself is permanently changed by playing the game.<ref name="Generation Analog 2021" />
===L=== *'''[[Live-action role-playing game|Live-action]]''' (or '''LARP'''): A type of role-playing game physically enacted in a troupe acting style.<ref name="Tresca-2011" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Stark|first=Lizzie|title=Leaving Mundania: Inside the Transformative World of Live Action Role-Playing Games|date=2012|publisher=Chicago Review Press|isbn=978-1-61374-065-1|location=Chicago, Ill.|oclc=794003680}}</ref> *'''[[Living campaigns]]''' (or '''shared campaigns'''): A gaming format within the table-top role-playing game community that provides the opportunity for play by an extended community within a [[shared universe]].<ref>{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011|isbn=978-1-907702-58-7|pages=13}}</ref>
===N=== *'''[[Narrativist]]''': A term from [[GNS theory]] describing games in which enjoyment is derived from [[Collaborative fiction|creating a good story]].<ref name="Nerdist-2017" />
===O=== *'''[[Online text-based role-playing game|Online RPG]]''': A type of computer game that uses RPG-style game mechanics and tropes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Castronova|first=Edward|url=https://archive.org/details/syntheticworlds00edwa/page/10|title=Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games|publisher=University Of Chicago Press|year=2006|isbn=0-226-09627-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/syntheticworlds00edwa/page/10 10, 291]|quote=[pp. 10] The ancestors of MMORPGS were text-based multiuser domains (MUDs) [...] [pp. 291] Indeed, MUDs generate perhaps the one historical connection between game-based VR and the traditional program [...]|author-link=Edward Castronova}}</ref>
===R=== *'''Rules-heavy''': A game system with heavily codified mechanics, usually encompassing a wide variety of possible actions in a game. The opposite of rules-lite.<ref name="TorresRoman-2015">{{Cite book|last=Torres-Roman|first=Steven A.|title=Dragons in the Stacks: A Teen Librarian's Guide to Tabletop Role-Playing|date=2015|others=Cason E. Snow|isbn=978-1-61069-261-8|location=Santa Barbara, California|pages=187–189|oclc=856053791}}</ref><ref name="Mochocki-2021">{{Cite book|last=Mochocki|first=Michal|title=Role-play as a heritage practice : historical LARP, tabletop RPG and reenactment|date=2021|isbn=978-1-003-13095-6|location=Abingdon, Oxon|pages=132|oclc=1221015085}}</ref><ref name="Paste-2015">{{Cite web|date=2015-03-10|title=10 Tabletop RPGs for Beginners|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/10-tabletop-rpgs-for-beginners/|access-date=2021-04-22|website=pastemagazine.com|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Bebergal-2013">{{Cite web|last=Bebergal|first=Peter|date=2013-05-06|title=Old School Dungeons & Dragons: Wizards of the Coast's Problem Child|url=https://boingboing.net/2013/05/06/old-school-dungeons-dragons.html|access-date=2021-04-22|website=Boing Boing|language=en-US}}</ref> *'''Rules-lite''': A game system that uses very general mechanics, usually more focused on narrative actions in a game. The opposite of rules-heavy.<ref name="TorresRoman-2015" /><ref name="Mochocki-2021" /><ref name="Paste-2015" /><ref name="Bebergal-2013" />
===S=== * '''[[Simulationist]]''': A term from [[GNS theory]] for games in which enjoyment is derived from deep immersion in a new (simulated) world.<ref name="Nerdist-2017" /> * '''[[Solo role-playing game]]''': A type of role-playing game that can be played by a single person, without the participation of other players or a [[gamemaster]].<ref name="Lifehacker-2022">{{Cite web |last=Hesse|first=Brendan|date=2022-06-15|title=Solo Tabletop RPGs Are Really Fun, Actually|url=https://lifehacker.com/solo-tabletop-rpgs-are-really-fun-actually-1849067606|access-date=2025-09-02|website=Lifehacker|language=en}}</ref><ref name="GamesRadar-2025">{{Cite web |last=Wickens|first=Katie|date=2025-02-26|title=Solo RPGs and journaling games give me advantage on mental health rolls in a way D&D couldn't|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/tabletop-gaming/solo-rpgs-and-journaling-games-gave-me-advantage-on-mental-health-rolls-in-a-way-d-and-d-couldnt/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260521064952/https://www.gamesradar.com/tabletop-gaming/solo-rpgs-and-journaling-games-gave-me-advantage-on-mental-health-rolls-in-a-way-d-and-d-couldnt|archive-date=May 21, 2026|access-date=May 21, 2026|website=[[GamesRadar+]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Peterson 2020">{{Cite book |last=Peterson|first=Jon|date=March 29, 2020|title=The Elusive Shift: How Role-Playing Games Forged Their Identity|publisher=[[MIT Press]]|location=[[Cambridge, MA]]|isbn=9780262544900}}</ref>{{rp|151}}
===W=== * '''{{visible anchor|West Marches}}''': A campaign format designed to accommodate a larger group of players in a drop-in drop-out style where each game session may feature a different assortment of players and game masters in a shared world. The format features an open sandbox style of narrative where players go out into the world to explore and pick which storylines to engage with.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ravencroft |first=Evelynn |date=March 23, 2023 |title=Dungeons & Dragons: 5 Benefits Of A West Marches Campaign |url=https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-dragons-dnd-west-marches-campaign-benefits/ |access-date=August 21, 2025 |website=[[TheGamer]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kosman |first=Jacob |date=May 11, 2018 |title=Delving into the West Marches RPG Campaign Style |url=https://nerdarchy.com/badgers-delve-into-the-west-marches-rpg-campaign-style/ |access-date=August 21, 2025 |website=Nerdarchy |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lumpkin |first=Steven |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429948596 |title=Procedural Storytelling in Game Design |date=March 14, 2019 |publisher=A K Peters/CRC Press |isbn=978-0-429-48833-7 |editor-last=Short |editor-first=Tanya X. |edition=1 |location= |pages=265–268 |language=en |chapter=Procedural Storytelling in Dungeons & Dragons |doi=10.1201/9780429488337 |editor-last2=Adams |editor-first2=Tarn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Scholte Albers |first=Maxime |title=But I am a wizard: Character bleed in Dungeons & Dragons |date=2023 |access-date=August 21, 2025 |publisher=[[Tilburg University]] |url=https://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=162922 |pages=9–10}}</ref> ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' noted that the style was created by the ''[[Microscope (role-playing game)|Microscope]]'' (2011) game designer Ben Robbins. It started with a "similar premise" to the module ''[[The Keep on the Borderlands]]'' (1979) where players begin each game session in a safe "fortified town" near "the edge of civilization, and beyond that extends a wilderness ripe with dangers and opportunities for adventurers"; players then head out to "explore the wilderness with no prompts, quests, or input from the Game Master" and return to town at the end of each session.<ref name="Polygon-2025">{{Cite web |last=Cacciatore |first=Francesco |date=August 22, 2025 |title=A 'West Marches-style' game could make for Critical Role's most interesting campaign yet |url=https://www.polygon.com/critical-role-campaign-4-west-marches-what-is/ |access-date=August 22, 2025 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |language=en}}</ref> Robbins explained that his motivation in establishing the West Marches style was "to overcome player apathy and mindless 'plot following' by putting the players in charge of both scheduling and what they did in-game. A secondary goal was to make the schedule adapt to the complex lives of adults. [[Ad hoc]] scheduling and a flexible roster meant (ideally) people got to play when they could but didn't hold up the game for everyone else if they couldn't".<ref name="Polygon-2025" />
==Terms used by gamers==
===B=== *'''Bleed:''' A term that describes both the positive and negative emotional carry over a player can potentially feel due to the role-playing experiences of their characters. Players can also bring real-life emotions into their role-playing games.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Diamond |first=Amelia |date=2022-05-21 |title=Who's Playing Dungeons & Dragons These Days? The Usual Fans, and Then Some. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/style/dungeons-and-dragons.html |access-date=2022-05-22 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 25, 2018 |title=Coping With Emotional Bleed During Roleplay |url=https://nerdist.com/article/coping-with-emotional-bleed-during-roleplay/ |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=Nerdist |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=2023-11-16 |title=Vampire: The Masquerade courts controversy once again, this time over 'bleed' |url=https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/23962341/vampire-the-masquerade-bleed-controversy-explained |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hedgard Hugaas |first=Kjell |date=June 2024 |title=Bleed and Identity: A Conceptual Model of Bleed and How Bleed-out from Role-playing Games Can Affect a Player's Sense of Self |url=https://journals.uu.se/IJRP/article/view/323/563 |journal=International Journal of Role-Playing |issue=14 |pages=9–35 |doi=10.33063/ijrp.vi15.323 |doi-access=free }}</ref> "This process has been named bleed by game designer and scholar [[Emily Care Boss]], because emotions from one environment bleed into another".<ref name="DAmato-2019" />{{rp|101}} *'''Blue booking''': One or a few of the players describing activities of their characters in written form, outside of the role-playing session, creating a sort of ongoing character history and resolving actions that do not involve the rest of the group.<ref name="mastersrpg" />
===C=== *'''Crunch''': The rules and mechanics of a game.<ref name="Crunch">*{{cite web | title=What is "fluff" and "crunch"? | url=http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=3336 | publisher=theRPGsite | date=16 December 2006 | access-date=18 April 2012}}</ref>
===F=== *'''Fluff''': [[Flavor text]]; the setting and ambiance of a game, particularly in reference to written descriptive material. Distinct from the rules/mechanics.<ref name="Crunch"/>
===M=== *'''Monty haul''': A pun on [[Monty Hall]] (the former host of ''[[Let's Make A Deal]]''), when equipment, abilities, and other rewards are awarded more often than the system intends (or in some cases more often than the system is capable of handling).<ref name="Dickson-1990">{{Cite book|last=Dickson|first=Paul|title=Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms|date=1990|publisher=Pocket Books|isbn=978-0-8027-1849-5|location=New York|pages=147|oclc=761007672}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Beyond Role and Play: Tools, Toys and Theory for Harnessing the Imagination|date=2004|publisher=Ropecon|others=Markus Montola, Jaako Stenros|isbn=952-91-6842-X|location=Helsinki|pages=4|oclc=475731336}}</ref> *'''[[munchkin (role-playing games)|Munchkin]]''': An immature player, especially one who is selfishly focused on dominating play, often by seeking to circumvent the normal limitations placed on characters.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rome|first1=Ben H.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AkzIlfDpclkC&pg=PA82|title=Games' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Players, Pawns, and Power-Ups|last2=Hussey|first2=Chris|publisher=[[Potomac Books]]|year=2013|isbn=9781597977234|pages=82–83}}</ref><ref name="Dickson-1990" />
===P=== *'''[[powergaming|Powergamer]]''': A player focused on system mastery; a [[Min-maxing|min-max]]er.<ref name="mastersrpg" />
===R=== *'''Rule as Intended''' (or '''RAI'''): The rules with the context of the designers' intent.<ref name="Crawford-2015">{{Cite web|last=Crawford|first=Jeremy|author-link=Jeremy Crawford|date=February 16, 2015|title=Philosophy Behind Rules and Rulings|url=https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/philosophy-behind-rules-and-rulings|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007235209/http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/philosophy-behind-rules-and-rulings|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 7, 2016|access-date=2021-04-22|website=[[Wizards of the Coast]]}}</ref> *'''Rule as Written''' (or '''RAW'''): The rules "without regard to the designers' intent. The text is forced to stand on its own".<ref name="Crawford-2015" /> Game designer [[Jeremy Crawford]] wrote, "In a perfect world, RAW and RAI align perfectly, but sometimes the words on the page don't succeed at communicating the designers' intent. Or perhaps the words succeed with one group of players but fail with another".<ref name="Crawford-2015" /> *'''Roll-playing''': A derisive term for rules-heavy games, occasionally to the point of requiring players to focus on [[game mechanic]]s at the expense of role-playing.<ref>[[Sean Patrick Fannon|Fannon, Sean Patrick]]. [[The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible]], Obsidian Studios. Copyright 1999.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-11-11|title=Make Your RPG Less Roll Playing and more Role Playing|url=https://nerdist.com/article/make-your-rpg-less-roll-playing-and-more-role-playing/|access-date=2021-04-22|website=[[Nerdist]]|language=en}}</ref> *'''[[Rules lawyer]]''': A player who strictly adheres to the rules as written, and enforces them among all other players.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Beattie|first=Scott|date=2007|title=Voicing the Shadow: Rule-playing and Roleplaying in Wraith: The Oblivion|journal=Law, Culture and the Humanities|volume=3|issue=3|pages=477–492|doi=10.1177/1743872107081432}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kaufman|first=Daniel|title=[[Book of Challenges]]: Dungeon Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps|author2=Kestrel, Gwendolyn F. M.|last3=Selinker|first3=Mike|last4=Williams|first4=Skip|date=2002|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|isbn=978-0-7869-2657-2|page=123|author-link3=Mike Selinker|author-link4=Skip Williams}}</ref>
===T=== *'''[[twinking|Twink]]''': A player who engages in system mastery with an explicit focus of exploiting powerful abilities. Similar to powergamer.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Desborough|first=James|title=The Munchkin's Guide to Power Gaming|date=1999|publisher=[[Steve Jackson Games]]|others=Steve Mortimer, Phil Masters|isbn=1-55634-347-7|location=Austin, Tex.|pages=127|oclc=47852854}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Koster|first=Raph|author-link=Raph Koster|date=2014-04-02|title=Twinking|url=https://www.raphkoster.com/games/snippets/twinking/|access-date=2021-04-22|website=Raph's Website|language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
[[Category:Role-playing game terminology| ]] [[Category:Glossaries of gaming]] [[Category:Wikipedia glossaries using unordered lists]]