Glossary

Glossary
Terminology

These are terms used by the game and their definitions.

Master List of Terms

Term Name	Description	Abbreviation or Synonyms	Rule Type
Adventuring Party	A party is a group of characters who wish to work together on an ongoing basis	Party	Character
Alternate Character	A second (or third, etc) character controlled by a player who already has another.	Alt	Character
Attack	Anytime you successfully make contact with your opponent in combat or deliver harm to them through some game mechanic is an attack.	hit, shot, strike, swing	Gameplay
Body Points	Body points represent a character's physical heartiness, their ability to shrug off what would debilitate others.	Body	Gameplay
Cap	A cap is the highest a trait is allowed to go unless effects specifically say they 'break cap'.	Limit, Max	Gameplay
Character Death	When a character ? permanently dies through circumstances in play. This is different than the Dead condition	Permanent Character Death, PCD	Character
Condition	An ongoing issue that has rules impacting a character. Generally negative, but not always. When it applies to an area it is called a field.		Gameplay
Costuming	Any clothing or make-up a player wears that is NOT period appropriate that is used to represent the fantasy elements of the game.	Costume	Basic Rules
Consumable Items	A consumable is any item that has a finite number of uses, eventually being permanently destroyed when fully used.		Gameplay
Craftable Items	Craftable items are permanent or semi-permanent items player characters can create for themselves.		Gameplay
Crafting Points	A measure of the potency (or quantity) of permanent items a character can create between events.	CP	Gameplay
Damage	When you are hit by an attack or effects like traps, you take damage. Damage can be reduced with armor and body points. If it is not fully reduced a character will take wound conditions.		Gameplay
Damage Requirements	Some creatures are immune to all damage except for a certain type.	DR	Gameplay
Damage Types	Different types of damage are prevented or required by some other mechanics.		Gameplay
Duration	How long an effect from an item or spell will last if not dispelled or otherwise ended early.		Gameplay
Effect	Any game ability that temporarily modifies a character either positively or negatively.		Gameplay
Effect Types	Hostile effects are associated with different keywords that determine how to prevent them.		Gameplay
Encampment	Each party may have one location on site which they use as a sort of base of operations.		Character
Encampment Items	A subtype of tinkering items that are not lootable ? and provide abilities to parties at their encampments.		Gameplay
Enchantment	A story created game effect that lasts longer than an event which is not covered by any other rule.		Gameplay
Epic Items	An epic item is a subtype of magic item that cannot be crafted by player characters.		Gameplay
Experience Points	Points earned for taking actions outside of the game that improve the game for everyone. These lead to character advancement.	XP, EXP, Experience	Character
Flag	A strip of cloth attached to an object to give game information		Basic
Free Hand	Having a hand free is required to cast magic in most situations.		Gameplay
Garb	Time period appropriate clothing (both in terms of appearance and materials used) that players wear to look like a character		Basic Rules
Hexed Item	Any object that by design harms its user or is otherwise impossible to get rid of	Cursed Items	Gameplay
Immersion	Anything that keeps players thinking about the game world, and not thinking about reality is immersion		Basic Rules
Immunities	Sometimes characters cannot be affected by a certain type of damage or effect.		Gameplay
Incantation	Words used to announce you are casting a spell and to roleplay the act of channeling magic.	Incant	Gameplay
In-Game	Things that happen in the world of the game and affect characters are 'in-game'	IG, IC	Basic Rules
Kill Conditions	Some creatures will heal unless dealt a fatal blow from a certain type of damage.	KC	Gameplay
Levels	How advanced a character is, determined by total XP.		Character
Magic Armor	Magic Armor represents a magical barrier protecting the character		Gameplay
Magic Items	Magic items have unusual properties that can duplicate spells or have other special abilities.		Gameplay
Magic Power Points	A character's ability to access or channel magical Power, used to fuel spells.	Power Points, Power	Gameplay
Mastery Titles	When a character learns all skills in a given category they gain a special ability.		Character
Main Character	The primary character played by a player.	Main	Character
Monstrous Armor	Armor that is so thick it is difficult to damage.		Gameplay
Monstrous Body	A character that is so tough they are difficult to damage.		Gameplay
Mundane Items	A mundane item ? doesn't need to be crafted to be brought into game, but it may still have rules.	Regular, normal, simple, basic, average	Gameplay
Natural Armor	Natural Armor represents tough hide or leathery skin that can shrug off blows.		Gameplay
Non-Player Character	Any character who is not directly controlled and owned by a player. Game masters assign these characters to be played by players temporarily	NPC	Character Rules
Numbered Items	An item that is in our item database so that players can find out what rules it has.		Basic Rules
One-Time Prevention Shields	A defense that stops the next attack of a particular kind to affect the character	Shields	Gameplay
Out-of-Game	Anything not taking place in the game world is out-of-game. This can be rules being discussed or real world matters such as your car needing repairs.	OOG, OOC	Basic Rules
Physical Armor	Physical armor is typically provided by real armor worn by players	Armor	Gameplay
Player Character	A character who is run and controlled by a player.	PC	Character
Pre-Production	The system the game uses to allow players to create new items between games.		Gameplay
Production Points	These points determine how many consumables a character can create each event using the pre-production system.	PP	Gameplay
Props	Any object used in game. Sometimes these items are fake like the weapons we use, or they can be a real item that represents what it actually is.		Basic Rules
Range	How far you can be from your target for an item or spell to have its effect		Gameplay
Reserved Items	An item or concept that has rules associated with it should only be brought into game if it is following those rules.	reserved	Basic Rules
Retirement	When a player voluntarily stops playing a character, either transferring them to non-player character status, or having them deliberately die a storyful death.		Character
Role-playing	When role-playing is used as a game term, we're specifically talking about acting out something where there are no rules beyond: do what you think is reasonable to represent this action.	RP	Basic Rules
Scarce Items	A scarce item is exclusively intended to be found as loot from encounters. These items can't be crafted, produced, duplicated, or otherwise used for free.		Gameplay
Skill Points	These are used by a character to learn new skills. Earned based on level.	SP	Character
Spark	Part of what animates life in the world of Illumina		Character
Species	One of the many types of beings who inhabit the world of Novitas.		Character
Stacking	When two effects both apply to the same trait or the same situation they stack if both are allowed to apply, and do not stack if only one can apply. By default bonuses for most traits stack unless a rule for that trait says otherwise.		Gameplay
Staff	The people who run the game	Marshals	Out-of-Game
Target	Who or what a spell or item is intended to effect.		Gameplay
Tinkering Items	These items might by mystical, but are not 'magical'. Many of these items are tools that follow something closer to science.		Gameplay
Valuable Items	Any item with a fixed currency value is a valuable item, these can be traded in by merchants for coin.		Gameplay

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Page last modified on February 17, 2024, at 04:32 PM