Terminology

[doctorhook]

That's even more problematic!

You jump out a window on the first floor of a building. Do you:

A) Fall a couple inches and walk away, or:

B) Fall a dozen feet and break your ankle?

The people I know are pretty evenly split between the two options.


Cheers,
Roger

Haha To my knowledge, it's a North American vs. European thing. I live in Canada, and here, "first floor" is synonymous with "ground floor" -- the floor ten feet above the ground is called the "second floor". However, the few Europeans I've known think of it the other way -- the floor ten feet above the ground floor is called the "first floor". Anybody care to confirm?

 

[Black Knight Irios]

Haha To my knowledge, it's a North American vs. European thing. I live in Canada, and here, "first floor" is synonymous with "ground floor" -- the floor ten feet above the ground is called the "second floor". However, the few Europeans I've known think of it the other way -- the floor ten feet above the ground floor is called the "first floor". Anybody care to confirm?

I'm pretty sure that most Germans mean the thing some meters above the ground when they say first floor (Erster Stock or Erstes Obergeschoss) and ground floor for the thing which is on the ground (Erdgeschoss).

 

[Bold or Stupid]

Haha To my knowledge, it's a North American vs. European thing. I live in Canada, and here, "first floor" is synonymous with "ground floor" -- the floor ten feet above the ground is called the "second floor". However, the few Europeans I've known think of it the other way -- the floor ten feet above the ground floor is called the "first floor". Anybody care to confirm?

In Britain you start on the Ground floor and go upstairs to the First Floor. I actually think your system makes more sense...

 

[ourchair]

Yes, but in 4e, that IS how it works. The comment would make perfect sense if this were a thread about pre-4e D&D, but it isn't.

Don't get me wrong, I don't see it that way, but that's because I don't think one should enforce specific logic (reasoning pattern) on another set of logic (given ruleset) because that means you try to second guess rules based on hypothesized intent.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

Don't get me wrong, I don't see it that way, but that's because I don't think one should enforce specific logic (reasoning pattern) on another set of logic (given ruleset) because that means you try to second guess rules based on hypothesized intent.

Could you clarify this? I'm not sure what "it" it is that you don't see "that way". I also have no idea what the bit about different logics means.

I'm really starting to feel bewildered by this particular facet of the thread. The OP wanted to discuss terminology issues in 4e, specifically ambiguous terms. Someone else commented about ambiguity of the meaning of the word "level", which in 4e is distinctly non-ambiguous. Are you people all in cahoots?

Let me make an analogy. We talk about a person having a middle-class income, owning a middle-class home or a middle-class car. The use of that term to describe three different things does not introduce ambiguity -- instead, it serves as a semantic link or shortcut. Someone who owns a middle-class car and a middle-class home by implication probably earns a middle-class income. In the same way, a 12th level character wielding 12th level magic items is probably going to be fighting creatures that are at or about 12th level.

In fact, it goes beyond that. Just as someone who lives in a middle-class home and drives a middle-class car but earns less than a middle-class income may be in over his or her head financially (i.e. "something is wrong"), when a 12th level character wielding 12th level magic items is fighting creatures substantially higher level, there may be something wrong!

The guidelines are approximate, of course. In the campaigns I've played, no 12th level character ever had more than one 12th level item, let alone 12th level in every slot, and many encounters featured creatures of higher or lower level. What the character level does in that context is define a broad stripe of levels that the other things should fall within.

 

[doctorhook]

Could you clarify this? I'm not sure what "it" it is that you don't see "that way". I also have no idea what the bit about different logics means.

I'm really starting to feel bewildered by this particular facet of the thread. The OP wanted to discuss terminology issues in 4e, specifically ambiguous terms. Someone else commented about ambiguity of the meaning of the word "level", which in 4e is distinctly non-ambiguous. Are you people all in cahoots?

No. When I said I agreed with you up thread, I genuinely meant it, despite the XP whoring.

Seriously, 4E's definition of the term "level" is a hell of a lot more consistent than previous editions; instead of having a different meaning for spells and another for monsters, "level" now measures everything (powers, monsters, traps, magic items, etc.) against character level. Every time you read the phrase "Level #", you can assume it means "appropriate for characters of level #". It's much easier to explain to newbies this way -- Lord knows I saw numerous new players trying to take "3rd level spells" for their 3rd level spellcasters in 3.5E.

 

[Roger]

Someone else commented about ambiguity of the meaning of the word "level", which in 4e is distinctly non-ambiguous.

I'll take the blame for that.

All I really wanted to illustrate was that ambiguous words have been around in D&D a long, long time. And people complained about it for just as long. And pretty much everyone managed to deal with it just fine.


Cheers,
Roger

 

[Samir]

The only real egregious ambiguity in terminology is the use of the word "attack."

Fortunately, our good friend NMcCoy explained the different meanings of the word in 4e in an earlier post that is well worth a read.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

I'll take the blame for that.

Cool. The demons with whips will be stopping by later to punish you.

 

[Solvarn]

Cool. The demons with whips will be stopping by later to punish you.

Succubi please, if you're taking requests.