What is a "gish"?

[Weather Report]

'gish' was introduced in the original Fiend Folio as a 4th level fighter 4th level magic user (in a little table, so there was no descriptive text beyond that). The term was generalized, including, sadly, by some of the wotcs themselves.

Obviously the F/MU concept did not originate with the Githyanki in D&D. It originated with the elf.

Yes, I voted 1, never heard Gish applied to Fighter/Mages until the Wotc Boards, needless to say I think it is superbly lame to use the name of a specific order (they also have antipaladins) of CE Astral pirates to describe any Fighter/Mage type, as you say, the original "Gish" is the Basic "Elf", so we might as well call any Fighter/Mage type "Elf". more legacy.

 

[TwoSix]

Yes, I voted 1, never heard Gish applied to Fighter/Mages until the Wotc Boards, needless to say I think it is superbly lame to use the name of a specific order (they also have antipaladins) of CE Astral pirates to describe any Fighter/Mage type, as you say, the original "Gish" is the Basic "Elf", so we might as well call any Fighter/Mage type "Elf". more legacy.

I wouldn't be surprised if the preference is simply a matter of exposure. I first saw the term on the WotC CharOp board, and didn't realize it originated as a Githyanki term until much later. The fact that I've never liked either gith race doesn't make me want to insist on the focused term either.

 

[Weather Report]

I wouldn't be surprised if the preference is simply a matter of exposure. I first saw the term on the WotC CharOp board, and didn't realize it originated as a Githyanki term until much later. The fact that I've never liked either gith race doesn't make me want to insist on the focused term either.

Because you don't dig the Gith races does not mean it's a focused term, Gish are an order of Githyanki, that is all, this cheesy bastardisation is crap.

Just like Companion of the Dead should not be used for non-gnomes.

 

[TwoSix]

Because you don't dig the Gith races does not mean it's a focused term, Gish are an order of Githyanki, that is all, this cheesy bastardisation is crap.

Just like Companion of the Dead should not be used for non-gnomes.

No matter how many times you assert that your beliefs are true, people will continue to use the term in the manner to which they are accustomed. I'm not quite sure why it causes such consternation.

 

[Weather Report]

No matter how many times you assert that your beliefs are true, people will continue to use the term in the manner to which they are accustomed.

Accustomed to ignorance is no excuse.

And Gish being CE Githyanki Fighter/Mages is not "truth" (save your "truths"), but fact.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

No matter how many times you assert that your beliefs are true, people will continue to use the term in the manner to which they are accustomed. I'm not quite sure why it causes such consternation.

TOP TEN REASONS IT CAUSES HIM CONSTERNATION:

10) Because he'd rather we all still speak the proto-language from the dawn of our species.

9) Because his DM has always had a "say no" attitude and he wants things his way for once.

8) One word: Constipation.

7) Because he lacks the context that when a player talks about building a character that he is not specifically building a 4th level Fighter/4th level Wizard githyanki.

6) Because his DM's "say no" attitude only applied to him.

5) Because he is a gith agent from the future and doesn't want any confusion when the invasion starts.

4) Because he created the internet.

3) Because gish is one vowel removed from grandma-unfriendly language.

2) Because there's a silver sword aimed at his spine as we speak.

1) Becasue no one bashes his hometown Galena Fighting Gishs!

 

[TwoSix]

Accustomed to ignorance is no excuse.

And Gish being CE Githyanki Fighter/Mages is not "truth" (save your "truths"), but fact.

I agree that it is a fact that the word "gish" originates as a term used for CE Githyanki Fighter/Mages. (Although I am taking your word for it, as I've never read the 1E Fiend Folio).

However, I still continue to use it primarily as generic jargon. (I would argue that in a generic form, "gish" is jargon, as its used in a technical sense by a subgroup, that of character builders and optimizers.)

So I'm not ignorant. I use it because its an acceptable term in the community in which I operate to communicate an idea for which there is not a more succinct phrasing.

 

[Weather Report]

TOP TEN REASONS IT CAUSES HIM CONSTERNATION:

10) Because he'd rather we all still speak the proto-language from the dawn of our species.

9) Because his DM has always had a "say no" attitude and he wants things his way for once.

8) One word: Constipation.

7) Because he lacks the context that when a player talks about building a character that he is not specifically building a 4th level Fighter/4th level Wizard githyanki.

6) Because his DM's "say no" attitude only applied to him.

5) Because he is a gith agent from the future and doesn't want any confusion when the invasion starts.

4) Because he created the internet.

3) Because gish is one vowel removed from grandma-unfriendly language.

2) Because there's a silver sword aimed at his spine as we speak.

1) Becasue no one bashes his hometown Galena Fighting Gishs!

...excuse me..."He"...I will have you know I am a scorching hot hermaphrodite!

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Sometimes when a child is learning to speak, he will point at a cow and say "dog." Now, you can pat him on the head and call him a good boy, and he'll be calling cows dogs when he's 40, or you can call him out on it and teach him what a cow is. But no matter how many children call a cow a dog, it remains a cow.

 

[Savage Wombat]

People who insist on using "gish" have no right to complain when I reference TVTropes then.