D&D Jargon

[Giles the Cleric]

Hey, folks. I've got a list of terminology I've been working on as part of my upcoming Cleric handbook. I figured it was necessary, since Mark Hall's list on GitP is a bit out-of-date, and of course the old WotC list isn't being updated/ easily found anymore. This thread is a repost of the original on GitP; feel free to comment here, itP, or on the doc itself.

If you folks can think of some terms or abbreviations that would be useful to add, particularly any in regards to 3.5, I'd appreciate it.

[SorO_Lost]

Hmm, 99% of that list is just people shouting terms they like. Like who the hell is going to type "Please see ITS HOT OUTSIDE for more details" when "Sandstorm" contains less key strokes. Also I thought minmax was the short hand term for minimizing bad traits and maximizing good traits, Minmax (capital m because it's name) is a famous character in the Goblins comic, and no one hyphenates the term to "min-max". Lots of things are clearly GitP self masturbation more than they are D&D.

I still have one for you though because why not, it'd fit right in.
FAQ: The equivalent of the Christian bible's old testament, it contains the most important content of the game's rules but since it's content can be used to disagree with someone' most people don't like to talk about it or take it seriously.
Loot & Lutes: An 8-bit comic reference where Red Mage says Song and Silence should have been named that.

[Giles the Cleric]

There is a fair amount of forum-specific content there, but it is useful for folks new to GitP to know.

Perhaps you have suggestions for some good terms that aren't forum specific?

[SorO_Lost]

Book abbreviations seem to be really the only important one.

Referencing generic builds by name is really just a distraction from discussing the few points the build offers to the topic and how to correctly just it to the OP's desires. And listing abbreviations are kind of a cache 22 of uselessness. Like you're not really going to fix things by saying "FoI" means "Font of Inspiration", either they already know what it means and you're not providing any benefit or they don't because they don't know what Inspiration or a Factotum is and in which case you haven't explained anything. Likewise if you're using an abbreviation so obscure you need to load a second tab or memorize hundreds of entries to understand it the writer is incorrectly using them.

The only ones that have been unanimously agreed on using are the book abbreviations, and even they don't use a specific standard but generally the first letter of each word it used and it's enough to let you know where to work. Sometimes it hits problems like Sandstorm and Savage Species both using "SS", but on the same token I'm sure our abbreviations can mean something else to another user in context of their job or work.

But that being said, I don't know enough about GitP to know if you need a beginner's guide to translating GitP. Or even if we need one here given I trend towards using the full term once and then using abbreviations since that's what I'm required to do in my professional life.

[Giles the Cleric]

It may be unfortunate that folks refer to generic builds to explain a small number of combos or interactions, but it is a common practise, so it's probably worth having listed. Perhaps I could explain the key rules interactions for each one (brevity allowing).

Do you think there's a better way to help someone understand an acronym other than citing the source for the mechanic? I may have missed a few citations, but I've tried to make sure that everything is sourced.

I think all forums have their quirks and in-jokes/ in-terminology. Since there's a fair amount of crossover between all the boards (eg. MinMax and BG host a lot of handbooks that folks on EN World, Paizo, and GitP use), it's probably worth elucidating anything that's likely to come up.

[SorO_Lost]

It may be unfortunate that folks refer to generic builds to explain a small number of combos or interactions,

Do they? Just poked around on google for some hits on some randomly tried build terms. +1 Girlfriend (0 minmax, 2 gitp), Bardblade (41 minmax, 439 gitp), Cheater of Mystra (47 hits minmax, 407 hits gitp), Easy Bake Wizard (101 minmax, 2,860 gitp), Murderhobo (64 minmax, 971 gitp), & Rainbow Warsnake (8 minmax, 420 gitp). And pretty sure that +1 Girlfriend results confirm my original statement on why some of the submissions were suggested. 

But it also explains the differences in our view points. A person form GitP, compiling GitP's terms, from GitP threads, would see an apparent value whereas not only would I see very little. Likewise because the community doesn't actually use them there is a choice between encouraging usage of them to complicate matters and the need for extra reference guides or encourage the already established seldom use to try and use them a little less for clear text. I'm obviously in favor of the latter.

However, there could be a such thing as a "A Minmaxer's Guide to Understanding GitP" and I think being a little whimsical and Crocodile Hunter themed with it would be appropriate but that's up to whom ever wants to write it. And it would be helpful since, as we can see, GitP does overly use those terms in their guides.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

ninja'd on books. 

Jack's http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=15375
PLZ has a list around here somewhere.
nijineko includes more official but fansite stuff on his list, which is still worth having.


Cleric Archer, isn't jargon, but it was/is a rather obvious touch stone ... especially for the blood line.  This is the start of the I'm better than a Fighter, and also a top caster.  CoDzilla is jargon worth knowing, and not distracting people toward the "D" part.

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

I actually don't. It would be huge because anytime I make a list, it's 99% complete. Instead, I just use English like you're supposed to: define any nonstandard usages before going on to use them, like when I use EClerL for effective cleric level. I did however list abbreviations for sources (okay, I do have a list of legal sources) in a way that is unambiguous. But that's something others should be able to do on their own.

The exception being when I chat on here to people that already know what's going on. Like this: Soro, stop making catgirls obese. Satan is busy enough already. And you're wrong about the most important part. Wait, are you Jewish? (seriously)

[Giles the Cleric]

Cleric Archer, isn't jargon, but it was/is a rather obvious touch stone ... especially for the blood line.  This is the start of the I'm better than a Fighter, and also a top caster.

Do you mind sharing a good definition for it, or perhaps a link to an example build? The only one I could think of is Dictum Mortuum's Quickstart Cleric Archer guide.

I'll add a link to Jack's book list in there somewhere, thank you.

[zook1shoe]

The main ones I see/use most are...
1) basic, like PrC, mundane, or x-bow
2) books, like PHB, CA, or Core
3) builds, like gish, glass cannon, or tripper

Rarely, do I see/use ANYTHING else.

Each site has its own unique jargon and uses the shared jargon with differing frequently. Compiling a single jargon is a huge undertaking, and will produce results much less usable than separate jargon lists for each site.

[SorO_Lost]

Each site has its own unique jargon and uses the shared jargon with differing frequently. Compiling a single jargon is a huge undertaking, and will produce results much less usable than separate jargon lists for each site.

I think you're one "jargon" away from a bingo there.

Also when it comes to compiling semi-known and sometimes even obscure jargon, idioms, sayings, shorthand, abbreviations, slang, and other such things there is a website for that. For example

Gish
A warrior/mage hybrid, generally using magical powers to enhance his or her abilities in melee. From the Githyanki word " 'gish", meaning 'skilled'.
Dude, IDK what you're talking about -- Necronomiconomics is a huge gish skill until Tenebrous Rift.

glass cannon
Refers to a person, weapon, or vehicle which has a high output, but a low defense, life, durability, etc.
The Blaster (City of Heroes), dex zon (Diablo 2),golf glub (Silent Hill 4),and Red Gazelle (F-Zero GX) are glass cannons.

Obviously it's not D&D-specified through.

[zook1shoe]

jackpot