Common Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Terms

[almyki]

I couldn't find it by typing it into my search, so I'll ask here, I guess.

What is GURPS? I've seen it a lot, and I can't think of anything that would fit it. Sorry if I might have missed it somehow.

<3 ali

[Talyn]

Generic Universal Role Playing System.

It's a game that attempts to let you play literally any kind of RPG you can possibly think of with one core rules set.

[almyki]

Thank you very much!

<3 ali

[Totally Guy]

Can somebody please explain what a Laser Cleric build is and does.

Funny abbrieviation, I'm working on a project at work called "New School for Wortley" (Until it was renamed Swallow Hill which is much nicer). But we'd send out email for things with NSFW on. RE:Sports floor Quote NSFW.

[Oshura]

That was extremely useful. I have been wondering what a whole bunch of those abreviations meant. I hope to not stay a lurker forever.

*vanishes into spellbooks*

Oshura

[Rumex]

A few additions:
GoO: Guardians of Order (sadly, now defunct), who made
BESM: Big Eyes, Small Mouth, a generic anime-flavored role-playing system that became the basis of the Tri-Stat System
Should definitely add GURPS, along with SJG (Steve Jackson Games, the makers of GURPS).

Also, I've seen crunchy refer to game systems as a quantity to be measured. Games that use more statistics and *ahem* number-crunching in character creation and play are "crunchier" than simpler games that do not. GURPS is very crunchy, for example, while Toon is not.

I've never seen fluff used for descriptory text and quotes before, but "flavor text" is a phrase that I've heard a lot. Anything non-essential to game play could be called flavor text (and is one of the more fun things about certain CCGs).

[Thurbane]

This might show my utter and total ignorance, but what does the term "Mary Sue" mean?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Mary Sue/Gary Stu:
"pejorative term used to describe a fictional character who plays a major role in the plot and is particularly characterized by overly idealized and clichéd mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, and primarily functioning as wish-fulfillment fantasies for their authors."

Wikipedia has an article on it, where my quote is from.

[Charity]

Can somebody please explain what a Laser Cleric build is and does.

Laser Cleric is one based entirely around Wisdom using all the radiant ranged attacks (hence laser).
Basically you max out Wisdom, and choose every Wis based power.
They tend to be more potent at high level than the Strength based clerics, or the balanced Str/Wis clerics.

[Advocate]

There is a term missing from that list. Both it, and its proper definition are in my sig.

[Mando Knight]

Laser Cleric is one based entirely around Wisdom using all the radiant ranged attacks (hence laser).
Basically you max out Wisdom, and choose every Wis based power.
They tend to be more potent at high level than the Strength based clerics, or the balanced Str/Wis clerics.

Additionally, it is almost strictly a D&D 4E term. While you could build a cleric who focuses on firing radiant wrath at their foes in earlier editions, it's pretty much only a viable, core build in 4E.

[Advocate]

Another basic one I'm surprised isn't in.

RNG - Random Number Generator. Used in any system that has variable results to determine success, which usually but not always involve dice rolls. It is most often used in the context of 'Falling off the RNG' in which you are unable to succeed at the given task regardless of rolls. If the system allows automatic successes such as Natural 20s on D&D attack rolls, those will still work but the attempt will otherwise fail.

Falling can also be used in the present tense. In such a case, it refers to having a progressively lower success rate when engaging in the same task at level appropriate levels but not necessarily bottoming out. In other words, your ability is not scaling as fast as it needs to.

[B0nd07]

I'd like to add a different definition for OP. While I don't think it shows up in these forums often, it can, depending on the context, be confused with original poster.

OP - Over powered. Used to refer to something that is potentially game breaking, and/or unbalanced.

[Yora]

Could someone made a list of the terms of the AD&D micro-character summaries? (Like NG, hmF7)
Many of them are pretty obvious, but not all of them, so I think it would be cool to have them all listed.
Unless it's allready somewhere here and I overlooked it.

[Theogon]

does anyone else knows, what's the "gp limit" for a city?

[Da Pwnzlord]

What is "RAW"?

[lesser_minion]

RAW stands for Rules as Written - basically any interpretation of the rules which you can justify based entirely on what is written on the page. Note that there is a theory that RAW is a myth and actually refers to RAIITAYCPMWN (Rules As I Interpret Them And You Can't Prove Me Wrong, Nyeah).

RAI, which comes up less often, stands for Rules as Intended, which is an interpretation of the rules which relies on trying to work out what the designers meant. This could mean merely noting that a particular rule is probably an error, or it could mean assuming that any ridiculous consequences attached to a particular rule are mistakes.

These are the two main arguments used to justify rules interpretations, and as a general rule, RAW is prefferred, as RAI is a lot harder to determine, as generally the best you can actually get is a notoriously unreliable FAQ. At the same time, where something is clearly a typo, RAI might be worth using.

Bear in mind that the rules as played may look much more like RAI.

@Theogon: The gp limit for any settlement is the highest price tag attached to any item the DM should normally allow players to buy there. (it is also used to calculate the total value of money or goods the players can exchange in one transaction there).

The actual values for different types of settlement are given in chapter 4 of the DMG, IIRC.

[Dixieboy]

does anyone else knows, what's the "gp limit" for a city?

Depends on the amount of people in it, i could give you a better answer but i'm too lazy to dig up the books right now.

[kladams707]

What is an ACF?

[Dimers]

Hmmm ... I've figured it out from context, now, but could you add a line to let newbies know "PnP" means "pen-and-paper"?

[Chrono22]

I propose adding a new fallacy, on the grounds that the bounds of the Oberani fallacy cannot include situations where rules don't exist.

Mando Fallacy
If a rule doesn't exist, it cannot be considered part of a rules system. Therefore, "arbitrary discretion" or common sense cannot logically be included as part of any value judgment of an RPG, system, or game.

Source

[Cicciograna]

Excuse my ignorance, but I never understood what a "DMM Cleric" is.

[Kylarra]

Excuse my ignorance, but I never understood what a "DMM Cleric" is.

DMM is Divine Metamagic. It's basically a cleric who uses the DMM: Persist feat to burn turn undead uses in order to persist powerful self buffs.

[jokey665]

Excuse my ignorance, but I never understood what a "DMM Cleric" is.

DMM Stands for Divine Meta-Magic, a feat from Complete Divine. It lets you spend turn attempts instead of increasing the spell's level when using metamagic. The preferred cheese is DMM: Persist, so you can spend 7 turn attempts to persist any spell. Usual suspects include Divine Power and Righteous Might, allowing you to beat massive face. Additional turn attempts are gained through Nightsticks (Libris Mortis) or the Extra Turning feat.

[Dimers]

Can anyone explain for me what "TLDR" or "tl;dr" means?

[Break]

Can anyone explain for me what "TLDR" or "tl;dr" means?

Too long; didn't read. Made in response to long posts, specifically those that are hard-to-read walls of text.

[Hadessniper]

Can anyone explain for me what "TLDR" or "tl;dr" means?

To long; didn't read

NIIIINJAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! (shakes fists in the air angrily while falling to knees dramatically)

[nyjastul69]

I'm going to assume ASL doesn't refer to American Sign Language on these boards. To what does it refer? The more common reference keeps stubbing my mental toe.

[Break]

I'm going to assume ASL doesn't refer to American Sign Language on these boards. To what does it refer? The more common reference keeps stubbing my mental toe.

What's the context?

[Starbuck_II]

I'm going to assume ASL doesn't refer to American Sign Language on these boards. To what does it refer? The more common reference keeps stubbing my mental toe.

Age Sex Location? That is internet creeper meaning I think.