Questions tagged [terminology]
The terminology tag has no usage guidance.
14 questions
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Umbrella Term/Tag for Generic Meta Currency (e.g. JB007 Hero Points, SWADE Bennies, FATE and Rogue Trader FP, EP Flex &c.)?
Clearly many games think alike, having a kind of transient points that can be gained and spent, with the main purpose usually being a meta (dissociative) way to influence events and dice rolls. But as ...
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What is the definition of a "viable character"?
I have seen mostly two definitions for a "viable character":
Unlikely to die in the first few encounters
Not much weaker than the strongest possible character of similar build
Is there an ...
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There is currently no tag for questions about game-specific terminology. How should we address this, if at all?
Currently the keywords tag is restricted to questions about D&D 4e, but it seems like it could be expanded to address the usage of game-specific terminology in other games.
There is also the ...
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Are abbreviations ok in reference to D&D?
Around the site there are many things that are abbreviated examples are:
D&D/d&d/DnD all mean Dungeons & Dragons
LTH meaning the dnd 5e spell Leomund's tiny hut in This question about the ...
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Is there an expression (or some expressions) we can use instead of "frame challenge"?
The concept of a frame challenge is fairly ubiquitous in our community, at least for meta users or those who've been around long enough to have seen it a few times.
There's an issue here though: I'm ...
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Please avoid using the RAI acronym, or use it carefully & be clear in context
This meta exists to explain some issues with the RAI acronym. It has a couple of issues with its usage, and often get asked to clarify it. You've probably been pointed to this meta in relation to a ...
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What's a frame challenge?
So there's a ton of questions about how to present a frame challenge, or how not to frame challenge, and I've had people mention it on the comments on questions of mine in response to others' comments....
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Does Standard English overrule game terms?
Role-playing games often concoct their own rules governing in-text presentation of game terms, and these rules sometimes violate the rules of Standard English. For example, in Dungeons and Dragons, ...
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Why do people use "Emphasis mine"?
When people ask, answer, or comment, why must they keep using "Emphasis mine"? The section is bolded or otherwise emphasized so I feel that the statement is completely wasted. Am I missing some reason ...
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Why do people use GM versus DM?
As I've been on SE, I noticed that many questioners and answerers use 'GM' to describe the person running the game as opposed to 'DM'.
I know that DM stands for Dungeon Master and that GM stands for ...
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What do nomothetic and idiographic mean for RPGs?
A few times recently, the concepts of nomothetic and idiographic have come up in use on the site — particularly from Brian Ballsun-Stanton, who wrote a paper in which those concepts are pivotal. ...
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Can I use "DM" as a verb?
Can I use "DM" as a verb, meaning "playing an rpg game at the role of a Dungeon Master / Story Teller / ...? What are some (other) appropriate verbs for this meaning?
For example "Yesterday I DM-ed a ...
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Terminology - Does AD&D (adnd tag) specifically refer to AD&D 1st Edition?
Is it safe to assume all references to AD&D (and the adnd tag) are references to the 1st edition (1e) version of the game?
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What exactly is roleplaying (the action, not the hobby)?
We all think we know what it is. But do we really?
For clarification, I mean "roleplaying" in the context of RPGs, not other contexts like psychotherapy or things-you-do-in-bed.
For further ...