The Vulgar Argot

[genshou]

I'm not sure that valence is quite the right word to use for the analogy, but it's a good word and should be used none-the-less. In QM, you can say that some property is quantized but you don't generally don't dignify the differeing states with a particular name. As far as valences are concerned, they sort of describe the different energy levels that a given orbital can have. So, orbitals would probably be the more appropriate term and a valence would sorta be like the number of slots that a wizard had for spells in each level.

I always referred to them as valence shells, and this led to an explanation of not only spell levels, but also spells that revealed the number of hit dice a creature has (power sight, anyone?), both referred to as a certain number of "shells". A PC mage might cast power sight on the NPC and say, "Amazing... I count no less than fourteen shells!" Of course, what exactly it means to have fourteen shells can vary. It's not possible to know what classes those levels are in.

 

[RangerWickett]

My fantasy setting is too modern in its linguistics, and the games exist in a strange pseudo-epic state where the characters are sorta aware their world doesn't make sense, but they don't let it get in the way of drama and adventure. Adventurer is almost a societal class in the setting, akin to celebrities in the modern day, and the most successful ones know their field and know the terminology. I bet you, even if Tom Cruise can't plan how to light a scene, he knows the terms for lighting, and he sure as hell has a sense of what is good lighting and what is bad.

 

[Chiaroscuro23]

Years ago I played in a campaign where the DM detested D&D's weapon terminology so he had his own - short swords for example were called Thigh swords because the blades were as long as a man's thigh, that sort of thing.

So when the villagers warned us about bandits with hobbit swords we let down are guard and ridiculed the whole notion. When the bandits finally us they were using bastard swords, each blade as long as a halfling was tall.

Wait, why wouldn't your PCs know what hobbit sword meant in the world? It seems like it should be pretty normal IC knowledge if that's what they're called.