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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Szatany" data-source="post: 5860330" data-attributes="member: 21178">I have also found out that writing a glossary of most important game terms is extremly useful and important.Here's one from my game:GLOSSARYThe game uses a number of definitions abbreviations that might not be immediately recognizable as words that carry weight.Attribute: Strength, Constitution, Agility, Precision, Intellect, Charisma, and Magicka. These represent every creature’s most basic characteristics. Attribute Modifier: A number attached to a particular attribute. Most commonly assumes values of +0 to +3.Attribute Value: A positive number determining overall quality of the attribute. Values are used to calculate modifiers and whenever a value changes, modifier follows. Values are added to most d20 rolls.Action: An action is a discrete measurement of time during a round of combat. Using abilities, casting spells, executing talents all require actions to perform. There are few types of actions: standard action, move action, minor action, and free action.Arcane: A type of magic and form of spell casting. Arcane casters cast more powerful spells but regain mana points slower. Armor Defense (or Armor): Represents how hard it is to hit a creature in combat with an attack. Some attacks (usually those that deal energy damage) may ignore armor defense.Bonus: A positive modifier (+1 or more). In general, bonuses stack unless they come from the same source, like a spell cast twice. Bonuses can be temporary and last a certain amount of time, or be permanent.Check: A check is a d20 roll which is sometimes modified by a penalty or bonus. Checks can be made against static number called Difficulty Class, or against checks of others.Class: Classes represent walks of life taken by characters. Classes give a bundle of abilities and feats and improve character’s attributes, Health, and more. In order to gain levels in a class, a character must first gain a certain amount of experience points. Each class has 10 levels.Close Attack: An attack with a fencing, melee, or natural weapon, or with certain spells. To make a close attack, the attacking character must be on the adjacent square to his target. Condition: A temporary effect that alters creature’s performance in one way or another. Certain abilities only work if the target has a certain condition. Conditions are written in italics.Creature: A creature is an active participant in the story or world. This includes PCs, NPCs, and monsters. Each creature has attributes (although some creatures may lack one or more of those).Damage: Effects that cause damage reduce Health Points. There are four types of damage: physical (caused by weapons, objects, falling), energy (caused by fire, frost, lightning bolts, noises), mental (damage to one’s mind), and inner (straining oneself, bleeding, poison).Damage Resistance (or DR) / Immunity: Creatures and objects are sometimes resistant to one or more types of damage. The amount indicated is subtracted from any damage of the correct type dealt to them. For example, damage resistance (energy) 2 allows a character to subtract 2 points from every attack and situation that deals energy damage. Immunity negates damage of that type altogether.Difficulty Class (or DC): A number that must be met or beaten in order for a check to succeed. In combat, DC of attacks is usually equal to Armor Class. In group checks, beating the DC isn’t a success yet, but only allows to accumulate points toward it.Divine: A type of magic and form of spell casting. Divine casters operate weaker magic but are more reliable over time. Duration Roll: A 1d100 roll that is used to determine if an effect ends, or if something else will happen. Each effect that measures its duration with duration rolls explains how often a roll must be made.Experience Points (or XP): As a character overcomes challenges, defeats monsters, and completes quests, she gains experience points. When she has enough points, a character advances in levels.Family: A group of races that shares common ancestry. Certain abilities and effects affect every member of every race that belongs to a specific family.Feat: A relatively minor ability that a character can learn on various occasions. Feats either grant new abilities or improve existing ones. Game Master (or GM): A person who adjudicates the rules and controls all of the elements of the story and world that the players explore. A GM’s duty is to provide a fair and fun game.Health: Health shows how many Health Points a creature has when it’s at its best.Health Points (or HP): Health Points show how rested and healthy a creature is at the moment. Damage reduces health points, while healing and resting restores them. When a creature’s HP drop to 0, it is hurt and risks suffering wounds or death.Line of Effect: A line of effect is a straight, unblocked path that indicates what an effect (usually a spell) can affect. A line of effect is canceled by any solid barrier. It’s like line of sight for ranged weapons, except that it’s not blocked by darkness and other factors that limit sight. An otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square foot (30 by 30 cm) through it does not block line of effect.Mana: Mana shows how many Mana Points a creature has when it’s at its best.Mana Points (or MP): Mana Points show how much magical energy a creature has at the moment. Casting spells, augmenting spells, and activating supernatural abilities might reduce character’s mana points, while resting restores them.Non-player Character (or NPC): A character controlled by the Game Master. NPCs are all creatures that are not players. If a player character has a servant, cohort, a mount or other creature with a close bond to the PC, the Game Master may allow the player to control that creature as well. It is still, however, an NPC.Opposed Check: A check made not against a set DC, but against another character’s check result. In an opposed check, the side with higher result wins the check.Penalty: A negative modifier (-1 or worse). In general, penalties stack unless they come from the same source, like a spell cast twice.Player Character (or PC): A character controlled by the player. If that character is mind-controlled by an NPC, he or she is still a PC.Prowess: Prowess shows maximum number of Prowess Points a creature can accumulate at one time.Prowess Points (or PP): Prowess Points show how much tactics can a creature utilize at the given moment. Activating simple talents may grant PP, while using more powerful ones costs PP.Ranged Attack: An attack with a projectile or thrown weapon, or with certain spells. To make a ranged attack, the attacking character must not be on an adjacent square to his target. Ranged attacks are difficult to perform if visibility is obscured or when there are obstacles between the attacked and his target.Round: A segment of combat lasting between 6 to 10 seconds. During a round, all creatures participating in the combat have a chance to take a turn to act.Spell: Spell is a one–time magical effect that either happens instantly and is over, or persists for a time. Spells can do virtually anything, usually by violating the laws of physics. Spells are divided into cantrips, invocations, and rituals.Supernatural Ability (or Su): An ability that is magical in nature and must be consciously activated in order to take effect. (Su) abilities can be disrupted by spells and other effects.Talent: An ability that allows a character to do something special and powerful during combat or sometimes outside it. Talents are divided into maneuvers, exploits, and stunts. Some talents require Prowess points to use.</blockquote>

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