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Questions tagged [terminology]

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6 votes
2 answers
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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 ...
vicky_molokh- unsilence Monica's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
194 views

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 ...
SpearCarrier.no2's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
188 views

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 ...
user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
224 views

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 ...
rpgstar's user avatar
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19 votes
4 answers
1k views

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 ...
doppelgreener's user avatar
35 votes
4 answers
2k views

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 ...
doppelgreener's user avatar
45 votes
1 answer
8k views

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....
Alex's user avatar
  • 8,140
18 votes
3 answers
398 views

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, ...
Hey I Can Chan's user avatar
23 votes
2 answers
458 views

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 ...
Fering's user avatar
  • 27.4k
9 votes
3 answers
1k views

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 ...
Washington Pearce's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
382 views

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. ...
doppelgreener's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
1k views

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 ...
Vorac's user avatar
  • 4,189
7 votes
3 answers
172 views

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?
Jon Hopkins's user avatar
  • 1,513
7 votes
5 answers
289 views

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 ...