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| gameinfo:definitions [2025/06/08 01:28] – [Basic Fantasy Roleplaying Game] restless | gameinfo:definitions [2025/06/20 01:32] (current) – [House rules] restless |
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| ====== Definitions of terms ====== | ====== Definitions of terms ====== |
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| Note: some common game-related terms are [[:rules:part_1_introduction|defined in the rules]]. | Note: some common game-related terms are [[:rules:part_1_introduction:|defined in the rules]]. |
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| There’s an endless debate about whether being a grognard means that you just prefer the older games, or more rules-lite style, or it’s about nostalgia. | There’s an endless debate about whether being a grognard means that you just prefer the older games, or more rules-lite style, or it’s about nostalgia. |
| ===== H ===== | ===== H ===== |
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| | {{ gameinfo:hammerspace.jpg?direct&120|This explains it precisely.}} |
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| | ==== Hammerspace ==== |
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| | Hammerspace is an imaginary extradimensional, instantly accessible storage area in fiction, which is used to explain how characters from animation, comics, and video games can produce objects out of thin air. Typically, when multiple items are available, the desired item is available on the first try or within a handful of tries. |
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| | Of course, some of this is even codified in magic items, like a **bag of holding** or a **portable hole**, which is sort of hilarious if you think about it. We’re using an [[rules:part_4_the_adventure:home#encumbrance_and_inventory|anti-hammerspace encumbrance]] system. |
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| ==== Hexcrawl ==== | ==== Hexcrawl ==== |
| ==== House rules ==== | ==== House rules ==== |
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| A modification of [[dict>rules-as-written|rules-as-written]] that becomes a permanent feature of a group’s playing rules. Essentially, a modification that a group plays by that gives their game some local flavor or reflects the group’s playstyle. You can find a compilation of the [[:rules:part_6_house_rules|house rules]] [[:rules:|here]]. | A modification of [[dict>rules-as-written|rules-as-written]] that becomes a permanent feature of a group’s playing rules. Essentially, a modification that a group plays by that gives their game some local flavor or reflects the group’s playstyle. You can find a compilation of this game’s house rules [[:rules:|here]]. |
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| ===== K ===== | ===== K ===== |
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| - **A megadungeon is a rich environment for play** | - **A megadungeon is a rich environment for play** |
| - A megadungeon has a social aspect, because it typically has many different inhabitants and the environment is expansive enough that there are motivations, politics and power plays going on between the various factions therein. | - A megadungeon has a social aspect, because it typically has many different inhabitants and the environment is expansive enough that there are motivations, politics and power plays going on between the various factions therein. |
| - There is often a sense that the megadungeon environment is the [[philotomy>dungeon|"mythic underworld,"]] and as such may not follow all the rules of reality or common sense that a player may be used to. In fact, the very environment itself may be hostile to the adventurers. | - There is often a sense that the megadungeon environment is the [[philotomy>dungeon|“mythic underworld,”]] and as such may not follow all the rules of reality or common sense that a player may be used to. In fact, the very environment itself may be hostile to the adventurers. |
| - Typically they are nonlinear, in that there are many paths to accomplish a goal. Whereas some dungeons may require players to go through several specific encounters or scenes to meet a goal, there may be many physical and logical paths to accomplish something in a megadungeon. (Also, the author of the megadungeon may have built out a potential goal without a method of resolution in mind, hoping that creative players will fill that in for him.) | - Typically they are nonlinear, in that there are many paths to accomplish a goal. Whereas some dungeons may require players to go through several specific encounters or scenes to meet a goal, there may be many physical and logical paths to accomplish something in a megadungeon. (Also, the author of the megadungeon may have built out a potential goal without a method of resolution in mind, hoping that creative players will fill that in for him.) |
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| Examples of well-known megadungeons would be the original [[http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_castle.html|Castle Greyhawk]], Castles [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackmoor#First_Fantasy_Campaign|Blackmoor]] and [[http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/forums/22|El Raja Key]], the [[dict>saturday_night_special|Tékumel Underworld]], [[http://poleandrope.blogspot.com/search/label/Stonehell|Stonehell]], [[http://necromancergames.yuku.com/forums/27|Rappan Athuk]] and [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/autarch/dwimmermount|Dwimmermount]]. More are being created all the time. | Examples of well-known megadungeons would be the original [[http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_castle.html|Castle Greyhawk]], Castles [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackmoor#First_Fantasy_Campaign|Blackmoor]] and [[http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/forums/22|El Raja Key]], the [[dict>saturday_night_special|Tékumel Underworld]], [[http://poleandrope.blogspot.com/search/label/Stonehell|Stonehell]], [[http://necromancergames.yuku.com/forums/27|Rappan Athuk]], [[https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/139762/barrowmaze-complete|Barrowmaze]], [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/autarch/dwimmermount|Dwimmermount]] and [[https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/307320/the-halls-of-arden-vul-complete|Arden Vul]]. More are being created all the time. |
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| If you’re interested in megadungeons, there’s a lot of resources available. A really good place to read up is [[http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/viewforum.php?f=28|at this forum]] on [[http://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/|Knights 'n’ Knaves Alehouse]], or [[https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=127|this forum]] on [[https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/|Dragonsfoot]]. Also, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20140702081814/http://www.megadungeons.com/|check out the archive of megadungeons.com]]. | If you’re interested in megadungeons, there’s a lot of resources available. A really good place to read up is [[http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/viewforum.php?f=28|at this forum]] on [[http://knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/|Knights 'n’ Knaves Alehouse]], or [[https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=127|this forum]] on [[https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/|Dragonsfoot]]. Also, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20140702081814/http://www.megadungeons.com/|check out the archive of megadungeons.com]]. |
| ==== Rule zero ==== | ==== Rule zero ==== |
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| (...a.k.a. "The DM is always right.") | (...a.k.a. "The DM is //always// right.") |
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| | The unwritten rule in tabletop role-playing games which grants the DM the right to suspend or override the published game rules whenever s/he deems necessary. |
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| The unwritten rule in tabletop role-playing games which grants the DM the right to suspend or override the published game rules whenever s/he deems necessary.((Again, essentially stolen from [[ud>Rule Zero|Urban Dictionary]].)) | |
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| ==== Rules-as-intended ==== | ==== Rules-as-intended ==== |
| In the megadungeon this refers to a detailed, well-planned encounter area, or sometimes an entire zone or sublevel. There is more than your typical sketch to riff off of, and often this is where the major treasures, encounters and the like in a megadungeon or other environment occur. | In the megadungeon this refers to a detailed, well-planned encounter area, or sometimes an entire zone or sublevel. There is more than your typical sketch to riff off of, and often this is where the major treasures, encounters and the like in a megadungeon or other environment occur. |
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| (Compare to [[wp>set piece (film)|setpiece]]; there’s some definite overlap in concept here.) | (Compare to [[wp>set piece (film)|set piece]]; there’s some definite overlap in concept here.) |
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| {{ :meta:tpk.jpg?direct&220|That’s gotta hurt.}} | {{ :meta:tpk.jpg?direct&220|That’s gotta hurt.}} |
| A __T__otal __P__arty __K__ill. It’s named for what happens when the whole party gets wiped out from an encounter or event (combat, a trap, starvation, whatever). TPKs (and character death in general) aren’t unheard of in [[dict>old-school_gaming|old-school games]]. | A __**T**__otal __**P**__arty __**K**__ill. It’s named for what happens when the whole party gets wiped out from an encounter or event (combat, a trap, starvation, whatever). TPKs (and character death in general) aren’t unheard of in [[dict>old-school_gaming|old-school games]]. |
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| The thing is, players shouldn’t take them personally. They happen. Unfortunately, a lot of new-school players who are used to lengthy character builds and will get butthurt instead of just rolling a new character (which may take all of ten minutes in [[dict>classic_d_d|Classic D&D]]) and getting back in the action. | The thing is, players shouldn’t take them personally. They happen. Unfortunately, a lot of new-school players who are used to lengthy character builds and will get butthurt instead of just rolling a new character (which may take all of ten minutes in [[dict>classic_d_d|Classic D&D]]) and getting back in the action. |
| A big word that, in gaming terms, telegraphs you think that everything should have a logical explanation to meet your sense of reality or you’ll never be happy with the game. [[http://verisimilitude.urbanup.com/3343028|(See also user pointblank’s definition of September 15, 2008 here.)]] | A big word that, in gaming terms, telegraphs you think that everything should have a logical explanation to meet your sense of reality or you’ll never be happy with the game. [[http://verisimilitude.urbanup.com/3343028|(See also user pointblank’s definition of September 15, 2008 here.)]] |
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| In a setting that has areas not unlike [[philotomy>dungeon|the oft-discussed "mythic underworld"]] then verisimilitude likely does not apply. | In a setting that has areas not unlike [[philotomy>dungeon|the oft-discussed “mythic underworld”]] then verisimilitude likely does not apply. |
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