Glossary

Like any niche interest, the tabletop role-playing game hobby has its own particular terminology which may be unclear to the newcomer. This glossary (currently still expanding) will help to keep things clear for new and experienced players alike. If you are looking for an entry on a person, look them up by last name (e.g., Gygax, Gary E.). Any entry that begins with "The" will not be placed under the heading for the letter 'T' but under the heading matching the first letter of the first word after "The" (e.g., Lord of the Rings, The will be found under the heading for the letter 'L').

1

1:1 Time: see Jeffrogaxian Timekeeping

A

AD&D: see Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

ADD: see Adventures Dark & Deep

ADnD: see Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: A Roleplaying Game Ruleset originally written by Gary Gygax. The First Edition was released from 1977-1979 consisting of three Rulebooks: the Monster Manual, the Player's Handbook, and the Dungeon Master's Guide. A second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was released in 1991, but this was not written by Gary Gygax. Subsequent editions, produced by Wizards of the Coast, simply bear the name Dungeons & Dragons, dropping the "Advanced" portion of the name. The game is sometimes abbreviated AD&D or ADnD.

Adventure: Generally speaking, the activities of one or more Characters during one or more Sessions of play where the Characters involved are actively using the skills and abilities against Monsters, NPCs, or other Characters. 

Adventures Dark & Deep: A Roleplaying Game Ruleset written by Joseph Bloch, copyright 2011-2016. This Ruleset is adapted from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition, Unearthed Arcana, and a number of other articles written by Gary Gygax, interviews with him, etc. The game is sometimes abbreviated ADD. ADD qualifies as an OSR game.

Appendix N: An appendix at the back of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide which lists the literary influences of the game that Gary Gygax felt were most important. Notably, while Tolkien is one influence, he is neither the most important author in the list, nor are Tolkien's works representative of the majority of other works which Gygax listed. A proper understanding of AD&D's milieu requires some literacy in the works listed in Appendix N.

Archetype: A recognizable and repeating pattern of human behavior, growth, and outcomes often influenced greatly by a particular worldview, philosophy, culture, and approach to life. While there can be variance within an Archetype, there are also bounds to the Archetype. For example, in real life we might consider the Archetype of a home-schooling mother. Immediately you will think of a woman who probably has a higher-than-average number of children, who is a high personal achiever, who may have a preference to certain alternative methods or products in life (e.g., alternative medicine, etc.). Defiance of the Archetype can occur in some small ways. For example, most probably think of the majority of home-schooling mothers being politically right-leaning, though it turns out there is also a significant population of left-leaning home-schooling mothers. However, too many variances from the Archetype destroys the Archetype, as does active attempts to subvert the Archetype. In Roleplaying Games, Gary Gygax encouraged Players to embrace the Archetype their Character is slotted into by virtue of their Race and Class (or other factors peculiar to the Ruleset). Indeed, in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons he even instructs Dungeon Masters to grade players by how well they roleplay their Character's Archetype.

B

B/X: The letters of the acronym stand for "Basic/Expert" and refer to the third Edition of the Original Dungeons & Dragons game. This third Edition of OD&D was released in 1981.

BECMI: The letters of the acronym stand for "Basic Set, Expert Set, Companion Set, Master Set, and Immortals Set" and refer to the fourth Edition of the Original Dungeons & Dragons game. Each "set" was a boxed product and built upon each other. The Basic Set was the only one necessary for play, but the subsequent sets added more rules compatible with the previous sets. The sets were released over the period of 1983-1989.

BrOSR: A subculture of Old-School Roleplaying which emphasizes three core principles: playing Rules As Written, using Jeffrogaxian Timekeeping, and incorporating Patron Play from the outset of the Campaign. BrOSR style play also eschews both Railroading and Sandboxing, giving players complete freedom of action in the Campaign. This freedom is possible through the application of the three principles mentioned. 

C

Campaign: The ongoing series of events in a roleplaying Setting in which the Characters controlled by one or more Players are affected by and themselves affect the results of those events. Functionally, the Campaign is driven forward by its Adventures played out through many Sessions.

Chainmail: A Wargame Ruleset written by Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren. Chainmail included an appendix allowing for the introduction of fantasy elements to the game such as wizards, spells, and mythological monsters. Chainmail was the spiritual ancestor of Dungeons & Dragons. PDF and Print-on-Demand copies of Chainmail can still be purchased at DriveThruRPG.

Character: In the widest sense, a Character is any fictional persona within the roleplaying Setting being played. The most common usage of the word Character refers to those specific personas controlled by the Players. Non-Player Characters are often controlled by the Referee. It is notable that Patron Play breaks down this distinction and gives control of Characters who would normally be thought of as a Non-Player Character to an actual Player, though the mode of Patron Play is usually different than the way traditional Characters are played.

Character Progression: A general term for a Character's growth in power over time as the Campaign progresses. Many games use Experience Points and/or Levels as an overall representation of a Charater's general power level. However, there may be other aspects of Character Progression such as the acquisition of spells and abilities.

Class: A Character Class defines the abilities of a Character. For example, a Character with the Fighter Class will generally have abilities oriented toward melee combat, whereas a Character with the Magic-User Class will generally have abilities oriented toward casting spells. Not all Rulesets make use of Classes to define Character abilities.

Computer/Console Roleplaying Game: A video game which is simulating one or more aspects of Tabletop Roleplaying Games, sometimes to greater or lesser degree. Computer/Console Roleplaying Games are often driven by a main story which, even if it has branching paths and/or multiple endings, will have considerably less freedom of choice for the Player than Tabletop Roleplaying Games can potentially offer. It is quite likely that Computer/Console Roleplaying Games have in turn reflected back and affected the way many Referees guide their games. One might argue this has increased the occurrence of Railroading and Sandboxing.

Core Books: The minimum set of books needed to play a given Ruleset. The usual number of Core Books is somewhere between one and three.

D

D&D: see Dungeons & Dragons

Deadly But Avoidable Combat: An OSR principle in which characters should expect that combat will not necessarily be evenly matched to their characters. Some encounters with Monsters or Traps are best avoided. Games that follow this principle often encourage awarding Experience Points for avoiding an encounter as if they characters had strictly defeated them in combat. Another method of awarding Experience Points that fits well with this principle is awarding Experience Points for the acquisition of treasure (and successfully extracting it from the Dungeon, etc.).

Demi-Human: The class of Races within a given Setting that are non-human and usually aligned as good or at least neutral. In the widest sense of the word there are also evil Demi-Humans, however these can be thought of as Monsters, though they are obviously creatures with Sentience. 

DM: see Referee

DnD: see Dungeons & Dragons

Downtime: Any time at which Players are not participating in an Adventure. It should be noted that Characters may still be taking action during Downtime. For example, a Character that has enough Experience Points to progress to the next Level may be training for that Level. Patron Play also happens during Downtime in which the various Patrons (i.e., factions) in the Campaign world work toward their goals and objectives. 

Dragon Magazine: A periodical originally issued by TSR and later by Wizards of the Coast and Paizo Publishing. Dragon Magazine was a periodical about the Roleplaying Game hobby in general and featured advice for Players and Referees, new Monsters for use in the game, and even short fiction stories for both enjoyment and inspiration. The final print issue of Dragon Magazine was released in September of 2007 (#359), after which it was released in a digital format. The final digital issue of Dragon Magazine came in December of 2013 (#430). On April 30, 2015 Wizards of the Coast resumed publishing of a periodical about Roleplaying Games and although the new periodical is called "Dragon+" it restarted with an issue #1 and is considered a new publication rather than a strict continuation of the original Dragon Magazine.

Dual-Class: In some Rulesets Characters may switch Classes at some point in their adventuring career and perhaps eventually use abilities from both their old Class and their new Class.

Dungeon: In the widest sense one might think of any dangerous area containing Monsters and Traps within the Campaign as a Dungeon area. Strictly speaking, a Dungeon is usually an underground area containing Monsters, Traps, and treasure, though a tower containing the same is also, conceptually, a sort of Dungeon as well. 

Dungeon Magazine: A periodical originally issued by TSR and later by Wizards of the Coast and Paizo Publishing. Whereas Dragon Magazine was a periodical about many aspects of the Roleplaying Game hobby, Dungeon Magazine was a periodical focused on publishing adventures for use in the Dungeons & Dragons Ruleset. Each issue of Dungeon Magazine contained several ready-to-use adventures which could be used as written or adapted to a Referee's particular Campaign. The final print issue of Dungeon Magazine was released in September of 2007 (#150), after which it was released in a digital format. The final digital issue of Dungeon Magazine came in December of 2013 (#221).

Dungeon Master: Another name for a Referee (see below). The term Dungeon Master was trademarked by TSR in connection with the Dungeons & Dragons Ruleset. Wizards of the Coast still owns and renews the trademark.

Dungeons & Dragons: Invented in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Dungeons & Dragons is the original Roleplaying Game. The game grew out of a desire to take elements of the Chainmail game and its fantasy Supplement (at the back of the Chainmail book) and experience individual Adventures rather than simply Wargame battles. Several editions of the Original Dungeons & Dragons game were released from 1974 all the way through 1995 including the well-known B/X and BECMI editions. Meanwhile, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was written by Gary Gygax in 1977-1981 (the release of the Core Books took place over an extended period of time). The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons edition had additional rules and options and expanded on the original game. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons quickly became the main version of the game and descendants of this version continue to this day, although the "Advanced" portion of the title has been dropped.

Dying Earth, The: A series of four books written by Jack Vance over the course of many years. The books are: The Dying Earth, Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel the Clever, and Rhialto the Marvelous. The first book, The Dying Earth is a series of short stories all set on an earth in the far-flung future when the sun could burn out and go dark at any time. Rather than being science fiction, however, the book depicts Earth has having reverted to low Fantasy setting, and at some point magic has been discovered and is in use. The next two books, Eyes of the Overworld and Cugel the Clever, are picaresque tales following the adventures of Cugel, a rapscallion who forms the basis for Gary Gygax's conception of the Thief Class in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Finally, Rhialto the Marvelous follows the adventures of a magic user in the Dying Earth setting. Vancian Magic, a core feature of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is drawn from the setting of the Dying Earth.  

E

E. Gary Gygax: see Gygax, E. Gary

Edition: An Edition of a Ruleset is any cohesive set of rules, Supplements, and additional material that all (purportedly) work together to play a particular Roleplaying Game. Separate Editions are, by definition, not directly compatible with each other. For example, Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons (2000) is not compatible with First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1978-1981). However, occasionally, specific Monsters, NPCs, etc. from one Edition are adapted for use in a newer or previous Edition. Different Editions often have significant similarities, but the specific rules used to determine actions and outcomes in the game may be significantly different. In common parlance Editions often have a number prepended to the letter 'E' to signify the Edition (e.g., 4E means Fourth Edition).

EXP: see Experience Points

Experience Points: Points awarded to the Player Characters for successfully completing certain actions or goals in an Adventure. Experience Points are a measure of Character Progression. In Dungeons & Dragons and similar Rulesets, a certain amount of points must be earned before a given Character can earn a new level in his Class.

F

Fantasy: Generally speaking, a genre of fiction, Roleplaying Games, or other media in which the Lore of the fiction prominently features one or more supernatural creatures (e.g., unicorns, orcs, dragons, etc.) and/or abilities (e.g., magic). Most (but not all) Fantasy media takes place in a world somewhat resembling medieval Europe or similar eras of history in other places. The most well-known work of Fantasy in the contemporary West is J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and to just a slightly lesser extent, The Hobbit. Tolkien's 1939 essay On Fairy Stories is an important work in understanding Tolkien's view of Fantasy fiction. There are several subgenres of Fantasy including High Fantasy (in the vein of Tolkien's work), Dark Fantasy (more similar to H.P. Lovecraft's horror fiction), Low Fantasy (similar to Robert E. Howard's series of Conan books), and several others. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is influenced far more by the many Low Fantasy works and Weird Fiction works in Appendix N than by the High Fantasy of Tolkien and those like him.

G

Gamemaster: Another name for a Referee (see below). Unlike Dungeon Master, this term is not trademarked and often appears in Rulesets other than Dungeons & Dragons. 

Gary Gygax: see Gygax, E. Gary

GM: see Referee

Gygax, E. Gary: Born Ernest Gary Gygax on July 27, 1938, he is more popularly known and referred to simply as Gary Gygax. An avid wargamer, in mid-life he developed the Fantasy Roleplaying Game Dungeons & Dragons and various iterations and editions that followed from it. His direct work on Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons spanned from about 1972 through 1985. Gary Gygax died on March 4, 2008.

H

Hobbit, The: A landmark work of Fantasy fiction by J.R.R. Tolkien published in 1937. The book follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, who is pressed into service (somewhat unwillingly) to aid a company of Dwarves in recovering their ancient homeland from the dominion of an evil dragon. While generally considered to be children's literature, The Hobbit sets the tone for contemporary High Fantasy and is an incredibly enjoyable read for children and adults alike. Many Roleplaying Games (even those not set in a Fantasy world) are at least partially indebted to concepts established by The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (the follow-up to The Hobbit).

House Rules: Additional rules or deviations from the rules in a given Ruleset. House Rules are by their nature peculiar to a particular group or Referee, though sometimes well-liked House Rules end up spreading from one group to another or even becoming so popular they became the usual way many play the game (e.g., many are the groups that simply ignore encumbrance). House Rules can be necessary in the event of situations not anticipated by the Ruleset and yet which need a consistent ruling. House Rules can be unnecessary in that they simply ignore or change aspects of the Ruleset and in this case they become a tacit rejection of Rules As Written.

I

Impartial Arbitration: An OSR principle which directs Referees to apply the rules of the Ruleset consistently and fairly without being tied to a particular outcome. An impartial arbiter makes rolls in secret only when the rules call for it, not as a means to fudge dice rolls in the Characters' favor (or, perhaps, against their favor). The outcome of all dice rolls should be followed, not tossed out because they arrive at an undesired result. An impartial arbiter does not try to steer the Players toward a particular action or result, but simply presents the information available to them and lets them follow their own chosen course. 

J

Jack Vance: see Vance, Jack.

Jeffrogaxian Timekeeping: A BrOSR principle in which one day in the Campaign world is equivalent to one day in real life and visa versa. For example, if the Players take a group of Characters on an Adventure that lasts ten days in the Campaign world, then those Characters become unavailable for use for the next ten days in real life. At first this may seem limiting or silly, but it actually encourages and enables several important aspects of play. It encourages Players to have a plan for getting their Characters in and out of danger within the space of the Session since their Characters can hardly spend a week or more camping in a dangerous area. It encourages Players to make additional Characters who have other Adventures happening in the same Campaign--perhaps even putting them at odds with the first group of Characters. It enables the Referee to have time to move the Campaign world along naturally (e.g., Dungeons don't remain static while the Characters return to town, but new Monsters may inhabit certain rooms, move about, or set new Traps, etc.). It enables Patron Play as well, making time for the Referee to consult with the Players in charge of certain Patrons and move forward their goals and objectives. In short, it enables the entire Campaign world to come alive around the Characters rather than being a static diorama that is simply waiting for the Characters to arrive at certain areas before the inhabitants begin taking action.

J.R.R. Tolkien: see Tolkien, J.R.R.

L

Level: May refer to Character Levels or the Levels of a Dungeon, depending on context. Refer to Level, Character or Level, Dungeon respectively.

Level, Character: In Rulesets that make use of Classes a Character Level is an approximate measure of a Character's power and a gate to new abilities. For example, spellcasting Classes cannot cast more powerful spells until they 

Level, Dungeon: The Level of a Dungeon is a numerical representation of how far away it is from the primary entrance to the Dungeon. In a very traditional underground Dungeon, the first Level would be the on at which the primary entrance is located, the second Level would be below the first (e.g., down a staircase or chute), etc. The same general schema works if the Dungeon is actually a tower (which goes up, not down)--the Levels simply increase as one goes up the tower (rather than down) and thus farther from its primary entrance. Notably, some Dungeons may have multiple entrances and exits as a means of allowing the Characters to continue progressing through the Dungeon without having to re-traverse earlier Levels.

Lord of the Rings, The: A trilogy of books authored by J.R.R. Tolkien and published between 1954-1955, The Lord of the Rings continues the story set in motion by The Hobbit, though the focus shifts from Bilbo Baggins to his nephew Frodo. Whereas The Hobbit is generally considered children's literature, The Lord of the Rings explores themes and concepts that, while not inappropriate for children, are more aimed toward adults. The Lord of the Rings is considered the pinnacle of Fantasy literature and the progenitor of contemporary Fantasy. The Roleplaying Game hobby takes incalculable inspiration from The Lord of the Rings.

Lore: Information about the Campaign Setting which often helps set the tone of the Campaign world, provide motivation and direction for both Characters and NPCs, and adds flavor and verisimilitude to the Setting. Lore is often composed primarily of historical and cultural information about the world and inhabitants of the Setting.

LotR: see Lord of the Rings, The

M

Meta-Game: In general, a reference to information the Players have and actions that make sense on the basis of that information, but which the Characters controlled by the Players (or NPCs controlled by the Referee) could not reasonably know. For example, a Player may be running a Character through an Adventure that they have done before with a previous Character (maybe as part of a different group with a different Referee). As such, the Player will know things about the Adventure that his Character strictly does not know. It is usually considered poor form to have your Character act on the basis of Meta-Game information.

Module: A name for a prepared Adventure, often referring to one published by and purchased from a third party rather than created by the Referee himself.

Monster: In the widest sense, a Monster is any enemy of the Characters that the Players are currently controlling. In a more narrow sense, Monsters are non-human and non-Demi-Human creatures in the Campaign who are fundamentally evil or who at least come from fundamentally evil stock (perhaps some very few Monsters are capable of rejecting their evil inclinations).

Multi-Class: Some Rulesets allow Characters to have more than one Class they are progressing in at the same time. In such cases Character Progression is often slower to balance out the greater number of abilities that particular Character has relative to Characters with only a single class.

N

Non-Player Character: Any character that is not controlled by a Player (in the sense of someone who is not a Referee). However, Patron Play involves Players taking some control of Characters that would normally be classed as Non-Player Characters.

NPC: see Non-Player Character

O

OD&D: see Original Dungeons & Dragons

ODnD: see Original Dungeons & Dragons

Old School Renaissance: see Old School Roleplaying

Old School Revival: see Old School Roleplaying

Old School Roleplaying: The practice of playing Roleplaying Games in the manner and style in which they were played in the 1970s and early 1980s. Rulesets and Adventures which follow OSR principles emphasize Rulings Not Rules, Impartial Arbitration, and Deadly But Avoidable Combat. OSR style play usually has a dim view of Railroading. OSR games are often (but not always) run using rules from Dungeons and Dragons Basic/Expert (aka, B/X), Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition, or a system derived from one of those two. Alternate titles for the OSR acronym are Old School Revival and Old School Renaissance, however these terms are all roughly interchangeable.

Original Dungeons & Dragons: The very first Ruleset of Dungeons & Dragons written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and published in 1974. Further Editions of this Ruleset were published all the way through 1995. See Dungeons & Dragons for additional information.

OSR: see Old School Roleplaying

P

Patron: A Character or group of Characters (for example, organizations such as the Thieves' Guild, the Wizards' Council, or the Village Council) whose actions affect the current state of the Campaign world. These actions may or may not involve the Characters controlled by the Players, though, notably, Patron Play puts Players in control of Patrons as well.

Patron Play: In any Campaign world there will be a number of different factions which can generally be called Patrons. Patrons will have different and sometimes opposing goals and objectives. One might imagine the Referee controlling, charting, and enacting the actions of these factions as time moves forward in the Campaign world. However, some problems immediately become apparent. First, the Referee has limited time. Second, the Referee is one person who can only be so creative--some of the factions may end up feeling too similar to each other. Third, the Referee may develop a bias for the success or failure of one faction or another. Patron Play introduces the idea of giving control of various Patrons to the Players during Downtime. In this way, a wider range of creativity in the actions of Patrons is brought into the Campaign and bias for the success or failure of a Patron is also usually eliminated. Patron Play may involve Players who for various reasons (lack of time, disinterest, etc.) may never play a Character but who enjoy the intrigue of controlling a faction alongside and sometimes against other players. Patron Play may also involve wars and battles between Patrons that are played out using Wargame rules.

Pause Time: see Variable Timekeeping

PC: see Player Character

PDF: The letters of the acronym stand for "Portable Document Format," a file format originally created by Adobe, Inc. The acronym is almost always used in preference to the full name. PDFs are widely used on computing devices. Within the sphere of Roleplaying Games, PDF copies of Core Books, Splatbooks, and Supplements have become common because they are usually cheaper than physical books and computer programs are able to quickly search them for relevant rules. On the other hand, they cannot compete with physical books as a collector's item and unless the Players are having a very bad time remembering where a specific rule is, it is often faster to leaf through a physical book while playing than to pull up a PDF and search it (though, tablets may make this process a bit simpler). The leading retailer of Roleplaying Game PDF books is DriveThruRPG.

Pen-And-Paper RPG: Another name for a Tabletop Roleplaying Game, often used to distinguish it from a Computer/Console Roleplaying Game. See also Roleplaying Game.

Player: The real-life person who plays a Character or Characters in a Roleplaying Game. The word Player is sometimes used in distinction from the Referee, as other Players besides the Referee are not generally allowed to adjudicate the rules (though, sometimes, in Patron Play, Players can be trusted to adjudicate the rules between themselves fairly).

Player Character: Any Character in the Campaign controlled by a Player. The acronym PC is often used (though this should not be confused with a "personal computer").

Playtest: Having Players play a Roleplaying Game (or other games) prior to publishing the final product in order to determine what imbalances exist in the Ruleset. The goal of Playtesting is to work out those imbalances so that the overall product is enjoyable and fair to play using any of the available options in the rules and not heavily favoring certain options.

PoD: see Print-On-Demand

Print-On-Demand: Many Roleplaying Game products are now released as Print-On-Demand products and can usually be acquired as mere PDFs as well. Rather than being published in a traditional manner by a book publisher, customers who want to purchase a physical copy of a Roleplaying Game book can have just a single copy printed especially for them by a retailer who offers such a service. On the one hand, the cost per book for Print-On-Demand is higher than it would be through traditional publishing because there are fewer economies of scale. One the other hand, Print-On-Demand makes it possible for creators to sell and for customers to purchase physical copies of a book that otherwise would not sell enough physical copies to make a traditional publishing run profitable (or at least, profitable enough, taking into consideration opportunity cost). DriveThruRPG is the leading retailer of Print-On-Demand Roleplaying Game books. 

R

Race: The biological stock of a given Character or Monster. When one speaks of Races, they are usually speaking of beings with Sentience, not Monsters driven by instinct alone. In many Roleplaying Games, Race impacts the minimum or maximum abilities a Character or Monster may have, bonuses it receives to attributes, the skills or classes it may pursue, the alignments it may have, and potentially many other factors.

Railroading: This refers to any attempt by a Referee to achieve a specific outcome in a Session, Adventure, or even decades-long Campaign. The criticism of Railroading is that at its most basic level, the Referee has a story he wants to tell and the Characters have relatively little impact on how that story actually plays out. The actions of the Characters are therefore more or less fated and, in theory, no one even needs to play the game at all. The Referee simply could have written a book. Railroading can be done in crude and obvious ways, with the Referee coming up with poor excuses for why the Characters "can't" take a certain course of action. It can also be done in more subtle ways in which the Referee gives the appearance that the Characters' choices matter, but in reality the outcome ends up being more or less the same no matter what the Characters would have done. Players and Referees who prefer OSR or BrOSR principles have a dim view of Railroading.

Referee: The Player in charge of applying and adjudicating all rules in the Ruleset being played. The Referee often roleplays the Non-Player Characters and Monsters, though Patron Play allows for other Players to take on some of those roles. The Referee is often called a Gamemaster/GM or Dungeon Master/DM (the latter term being a trademark of Wizards of the Coast).

Roleplaying Game: A game in which Players control Characters who embark on various Adventures in the larger Setting of a Campaign which is designed and crafted by a Referee. The Players play out a role of their own choosing based on the Archetype they have chosen for their Character (often greatly  influenced by their choice of Race, Class, Skills, etc.). This role may in some ways resemble the real life Player, though this is not necessarily the case. Players should never confuse real life and the Roleplaying Game world (for example, if Players have Characters who manage to come into conflict with each other in the game, the Players need to have the maturity to avoid any real life conflict with each other or even any bitterness or resentment about the matter). Many Rulesets encourage Player cooperation rather than conflict, and this is a common tenet of Roleplaying Games. Roleplaying Games also technically have no victory conditions in which the game "ends." Even if a particular Character dies or retires, the Player may roll a new Character and resume action in the Campaign world under the auspices of this Character.

RPG: see Roleplaying Game

Rule Zero: A Meta-Game rule which states that any rule that is undesirable to the enjoyment of play can be either discarded or modified either permanently or temporarily in favor of maximizing the Players' enjoyment and fun. Rule Zero claims its origins in the Wargames which preceded Dungeons & Dragons and in D&D itself. Sometimes, rules from those games refer to themselves as "guidelines" or talk about using the rules as a basis for making a game the particular set of Players enjoys. This interpretation is not without controversy. Others would state that by speaking of guidelines and making a game suited for the group, these rules simply intend to say that they do not cover every conceivable situation and that additional rules or rules for exceptions they did not anticipate would need to be agreed upon by any given group. This is somewhat different from saying that you can modify the rules whenever you like for the sake of fun. At heart of the controversy is the question: did the original game creators expect Players to follow the rules in almost every case modifying or adding only when exceptional cases arise, or did they expect Players to modify the rules as much as they want to their own liking and play a game of their own derivation (one that is in larger or smaller ways, an entirely different game than the original)? Jon Mollison made a video discussing the problematic nature of Rule Zero.

Rules As Written: An approach to playing a Roleplaying Game or Wargame in which every rule in the Ruleset (or at least in the basic Ruleset, perhaps excluding Supplements, etc.) is strictly applied to every situation for which it is salient. Only exceptional cases that are not actually covered by the rules would allow for some sort of deviation from or addition to the rules. Those following a Rules As Written mindset assume that such situations are exceedingly rare and that most situations that may appear exceptional at first glance probably are not. The Rules As Written mindset considers nearly every application of Rule Zero to be ultimately detrimental to the game.

Ruleset: A particular body of rules which, taken together, form the basis for playing a particular Roleplaying Game (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons, Vampire: The Masquerade, Gamma World, etc.). Rulesets often are paired with one or more Settings, though this is not necessarily the case.

Rulings Not Rules: An OSR principle with two important aspects. The first aspect is the idea that older Roleplaying Games did not try to codify into rules every possible action that a character can do. For example, rather than disallowing your character from performing a certain combat action unless they have an ability that strictly describes it in the Ruleset, older games allowed the Referee to determine if the situation allows for it. Perhaps a character wants to jump down from a height and attack an enemy below. Rather than wondering, "Do you have an ability that allows you to do that?" the Referee makes a decision about whether or not it is possible or likely. Perhaps a dice roll is made first to see if the Character is successful in doing so. The overall point is that play is not as bound to encyclopedic rules. This aspect of Rulings Not Rules also encourages descriptive creativity by the Player. Rather than saying, "I use my such-and-such ability," the player is encouraged to vividly describe what their character attempts to do. However, it has been pointed out that if rulings are to be consistent, they essentially become rules (albeit House Rules) over time. The second aspect of Rulings Not Rules is somewhat more controversial and verges on Rule Zero. It basically says that the Referee gets to decide whether or not they want to actually implement a rule in a given situation. Once again, if such rulings are to be consistent, then they end up becoming de facto House Rules over time. There is some tension between Rulings Not Rules and Rules As Written, particularly in this second aspect.

S

Sandboxing: The practice of giving Players freedom of action but only within the bounds that the Referee has already prepared or arranged. The term comes from the idea that you are only supposed to play with the sand inside the sandbox, but not outside of it, with the "box," being a metaphor for the game area prepared by the Referee (often, but not always, some geographically-bound area). Sandboxing provides much more freedom than Railroading, though the two sometimes go hand-in-hand. A crude example of Sandboxing would be the Referee telling the players that if they want to go to the next town down the road, the Session will have to end because he hasn't prepared anything about the next town. A more subtle example would be simply taking a town the Referee did prepare and transposing its details to the town where the Players want to go. Change a few of the names and other minor details and things can proceed. This verges on Railroading, however. Also, if the Players then decide to go to the original town the Referee will be in a quandary. One way to avoid Sandboxing is through Patron Play, a reasonable use of Random Generators, and thinking on one's feet. It should be noted that Sandboxing isn't terrible, it just isn't ideal.

Science-Fiction: A genre of media often set in the future--sometimes the near future, but usually a farther future--in which the advancements of technology have given humans (and perhaps other Races) capabilities that are not currently possible in the real world. Some Science-Fiction is set in the present or even the past, in which such technological advancements are kept secret from the general public but accessible to a chosen few (such as the Characters involved in the Campaign). There are a number of Roleplaying Games which have a Science-Fiction setting rather than a Fantasy one, though sometimes Settings which are predominantly Science-Fiction Settings also contain elements of Fantasy, such as magic or fantastical creatures (Shadowrun and Warhammer 40,000 would be examples of this blending of the two).

Sentience: The property some creatures possess of having an animating spirit or soul which directs their actions through thought, emotion, and will. Beings with Sentience are not driven purely by instinct, but by the more complex factors just mentioned. In the real world, humans alone have Sentience. In the fictional worlds of Roleplaying Games, many other creatures may have Sentience.

Session: Any time a Referee and one or more Players advance events in the Campaign. Traditionally, Sessions were done in person and often lasted for one or more hours (usually many more hours than just one). The Internet allows for Sessions to happen online. Some methods of play, such as Patron Play, can allow for very short but meaningful Sessions, or even asynchronous Sessions. For example, the Referee and the Player may pass messages (email, text messages, etc.) back and forth over some period of time. Some asynchronous Sessions may not even need a Referee present at all if the Players are committed to playing Rules As Written and can be trusted to not cheat. For example, two Players could play out the results of an army-scale battle between the two Patrons they are controlling.

Setting: The narrative framework of a fictional world for use in Roleplaying Games. Some Settings are based on Fantasy, others on Science-Fiction, and still others adhere closely to the actual world (notably, even using literal real life as a Setting still results in a fictional world since the actions of the characters do not take place in real life, only in the imagination).

Splatbook: In general, any book not strictly needed to run a game within a particular Ruleset. The term Splatbook is a pronunciation of the concept "*book" where the asterisk stands in as a variable meaning "for all values in the set" (e.g., in a Windows command line, typing dir * will list all files and folders in the current directory). A common pronunciation in the tech world for the * character is "splat." The term arose primarily from White Wolf Publishing's series of Kinbook, Clanbook, and Tribebook products for its World of Darkness Setting. A brief explanation on StackExchange gives further details.

Supplement: Any additional rules not found in the Core Books of a Ruleset or not necessary to play the Ruleset. By definition, then, Supplements are optional. Supplements are often synonymous with Splatbooks (see above).

T

Tabletop Roleplaying Game: The addition of the word "Tabletop" at the beginning is often used to distinguish the tabletop Roleplaying Game hobby from Computer/Console Roleplaying Games. See also Roleplaying Game.

The Dying Earth: see Dying Earth, The

The Hobbit: see Hobbit, The

The Lord of the Rings: see Lord of the Rings, The

Timekeeping: The practice of diligently (or not-so-diligently) tracking the elapse of time within a Campaign. Two major methods are Variable Timekeeping and Jeffrogaxian Timekeeping.

Tolkien, J.R.R.: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A professor at Pembroke College, J.R.R. Tolkien was renowned for his work in translation and linguistics. The language of the Elves in Middle Earth (the world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) is a fully-realized and functioning language invented by Tolkien. Born on January 3rd, 1892, Tolkien lived 81 years, was a devout Roman Catholic, had four children with his wife Edith (née Bratt), and died on September 2nd, 1973.

Trap: Any device within a Roleplaying Game Adventure intended to impede the progress of the Characters as they go through a Dungeon or other dangerous environments. Traps may damage or even kill Characters, but they may also simply shut off access to an area, greatly restrict available options, despoil some of the Characters' resources such as food, etc. In this respect, Traps should not be used as a method of Railroading, but of presenting a fun and challenging obstacle for the Players and their Characters to overcome. They are sometimes just a reality of a hostile world (for example, the orcs inhabiting a keep may not want or appreciate adventurers attempting to trespass and Traps set by them which can severely damage or kill the Characters are simply there--the Players and Characters unfortunate enough to be hurt or killed by such Traps must simply deal with the consequences). The suspicion that Traps may be in the vicinity urges the Players and their Characters toward cautious action.

TSR: The letters of the acronym originally stood for "Tactical Studies Rules," though later the acronym simply stood as a name in itself. TSR, in various incarnations and with minor name changes (e.g., "TSR Hobbies") was the company started by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye in 1973 to begin publishing Wargames and Roleplaying Games by themselves and apart from the established board gaming companies which did not at the time understand the emerging Roleplaying Game hobby. TSR's initial growth and expansion was very large and very quick, but by 1985 the company was struggling with a large amount of debt. Lorraine Williams, whom Gary Gygax had brought in to help the company sort out its financial issues, gained a controlling stake in the company in 1985 and was instrumental in having TSR's Board of Directors remove Gary Gygax as President and Chairman of the Board. Gary Gygax left TSR on December 31st, 1985. TSR's situation never fully improved and in 1997, Lorraine Williams sold the company to Wizards of the Coast. In turn, Wizards of the Coast was purchased by Hasbro, Inc. in 1999. Wizards of the Coast continues to operate as a division of Hasbro to this day. The TSR name is now more or less retired and all of its intellectual property is still currently managed and used by Wizards of the Coast.

TTRPG: see Tabletop Roleplaying Game

U

Unearthed Arcana: A rules Supplement written for the First Edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons by Gary Gygax and published in 1985. It contains some interesting additions to the rules but the content was allegedly not thoroughly Playtested ahead of release and many Referees (though certainly not all) consider it undesirable to add as-is to a First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Other Editions of D&D have used this title for Supplements as well.

V

Vance, Jack: John Holbrook "Jack" Vance was a prolific Science-Fiction, Fantasy, and Mystery author whose work spans over 65 books, many of them being novels, others being collections of short stories. He was active as an author from 1945 through 2009. Jack Vance's primary contributions to the Roleplaying Game hobby come from his series of books set on The Dying Earth. The most famous contribution is Vancian Magic (see below). Additionally, the character Cugel the Clever in The Dying Earth books was a major inspiration for the Thief Class in Dungeons & Dragons.

Vancian Magic: This refers to any system in a Roleplaying Game Ruleset in which magic spells must be memorized by magic users prior to casting them, and furthermore, upon casting the spell the magic user cannot use the spell again until he re-memorizes it. In a Vancian Magic system magic users are often allowed to memorize multiple "copies" of the spell (i.e., memorize and cast a particular spell three times). Vancian Magic is adapted from how magic works in Jack Vance's The Dying Earth series of books.

Variable Timekeeping: The practice of allowing time in the Campaign world to pass either quickly or slowly as circumstances may suggest. For example, under Variable Timekeeping, the time necessary to train for a new Character Level may be quickly glossed over in a few seconds, even if it takes weeks. However, this kind of Timekeeping introduces problems. While one Character is taking a significant amount of time to craft a magical item, train, or travel to a distant land, how do the other Characters (not to mention the NPCs) fill the time? The effect is often that other Characters are forced into "busywork" or tasks they would not normally prefer to do while the person who has grabbed the spotlight, so to speak, gets to dictate how much time elapses. Non-Player Characters also tend to simply be ignored--they do more or less nothing during the elapsed time. Conscientious Referees may be able to mitigate some of these problems, but the problems exist nonetheless.

W

Wargame: A game in which miniature figures on a tabletop battlefield represent units of an army, platoon, etc. and engage in battle against each other. Dungeons & Dragons was born out of the Wargame Chainmail. Wargames remain popular today, particularly the Warhammer 40,000 game.

Wizards of the Coast: Founded in 1990 by Peter Adkison, Wizards of the Coast began as a Roleplaying Game company but found its success with the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. As Wizards of the Coast's fortunes were rising, TSR's fortunes were declining and in 1997 Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR and became owner of all its intellectual property, most famously, Dungeons & Dragons. Just a couple of years later, Wizards of the Coast was purchased by Hasbro, Inc. and in 2001, Peter Adkison resigned from the company.

WotC: see Wizards of the Coast

X

XP: see Experience Points