This is a list of terms/references/jargon used on the site.

A

  • Adventurer: Refers to a player’s character.
  • Area of Effect: The radius/cube/column/cone that a spell, breath weapon, trap, or other magical effect effects.

B

  • b

C

  • Cantrip: A simple, low power spell that can be used as many times as the caster wishes, does not need to be prepared.
  • Class: Something determined in character creation (or later on when leveling up -see: multiclassing) that affects what your character specializes in and what their role is within the typical adventuring party.

    Example: Barbarians, Wizards, Rogues, etc.

D

  • Dice: The random number generators used to determine successes and failures of different actions taken by players. Commonly referred to with the abbreviation “d” prefixing a number, such as d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d100. If there is no number prefixed to the “d” assume you should roll a single die, if there is a number, roll that many of the type of dice specified.

    Example: “Roll 3d6” means roll 3 six-sided dice. “Roll 8d8” means roll eight eight-sided dice.
  • d3: Most sets of polyhedral dice don’t include a d3, but many rules and effects call for it. What they’re asking for is for you to use a d6 and treat a roll of 1 or 2 as 1, 3 and 4 as 2, and 5 and 6 as 3.

    Example: Rolling on tables
  • d4: The four-sided die shaped like a pyramid, can be read as the number on top being the result of the roll or the number on the bottom, depending on the maker. As a general rule, read whichever number is upwards facing on the die. Typically used for damage.

    Example: Rolling damage for daggers or magic missile
  • d6: The six-sided die you probably recognize if you’ve played Monopoly. It’s a cube! Can have little indents (called “pips”) or numbers. Read the number on top, the same with nearly every other die.

    Example: Casting fireball or getting a Sneak Attack? Make sure to have plenty on hand
  • d8: The eight-sided die that looks almost like a diamond.

    Example: The die you use to roll for healing with cure wounds
  • d10: The ten-sided die that only has one number on each face, looks almost like a top.

    Example: Sell your soul to use this die for the rest of your lif- ELDRITCH BLAST
  • d12: The twelve-sided die that’s roughly spherical.

    Example: You’ll really only roll this if you’re a barbarian.
  • d20: The twenty-sided die that you’ll be reaching for the most.

    Example: Want to see if you can jump over a chasm? Roll me! Trying to hit that pesky bugbear? Roll me! Is your bard trying to seduce the dragon? Stop!
  • d100: Before you go digging for a really round die, you won’t find it, this looks like the d10 with two numbers on each face.

    Example: Rolling on table or checking for percentage chance, used normally in tandem with a d10 to get a number from 1 to 100. The d100 reads as the tens digit and the d10 reads as the singles digit. Rolling a 00 and a 0 results in 100 as you cannot roll a 0 on any die. 00 and 1 results in 1, 10 and 5 is a 15, and so on.

E

  • e

F

  • f

G

  • g

H

  • h

J

  • j

K

  • k

L

  • l

M

  • m

N

  • n

O

  • o

P

  • p

Q

  • q

R

  • r

S

  • System: The rules of a game that function as a complex framework with which to structure an adventure. Used when referring to other TTRPG rule sets.

    Example: Call of Cthulhu is a TTRPG System

T

  • TTRPG: Table Top Roleplaying Game – Genre of games played (usually) in person using collaborative storytelling to drive an adventure.

U

  • u

V

  • v

W

  • w

X

  • x

Y

  • y

Z

  • z