I've been around long enough to have collected some gaming terminology over the years, and some of it may be confusing. So when I start saying weird stuff, check here! sticky: Collective reasons and motivations for characters to stay together as a group. fluff: Non-mechanical aspects of the game related to story, character development, and the like. Opposite of crunch. crunch: Mechanical aspects of the game related to stats, dice rolls, numbers, and the like. Opposite of fluff. TPK: Abbreviation of Total Party Kill, referring to an encounter that leaves all player characters dead. Also called a wipe. buff: Any beneficial effect, usually the result of a spell. Opposite of debuff. debuff: Any effect that imposes negative modifiers, usually the result of a spell. Opposite of buff. PC: Abbreviation of Player Character. NPC: Abbreviation of Non-Player Character. Rule Zero: "Never give the DM ideas." e.g., "We'd be in so much trouble if there was a dragon in this cave!" "Yeah, you would....roll for initiative." Monty Haul: A DM who gives players too much power and loot, rendering the game too easy. munchkin: A player who bends rules as far as possible (or outright cheats) to have the most powerful character. Not a compliment. min/max: Making the mechanically strongest character you can in one area by sacrificing others. Works within the bounds of the rules. Usually implied that they do this at the expense of making a flavorful character (though not always true). Players who do this are referred to as  min/maxers. tank: A physically resilient character who draws attacks from enemies that could hurt weaker companions. Can be used as a verb to refer to the act of drawing said attacks. DPS: A character whose role is to deal as much damage as possible. Abbreviation of Damage Per Second. Can be used as a verb to refer to dealing damage in general. fumble: A natural 1 on a d20. Can, at the DM's discretion, result in something comical/horrible happening to your character. fudge: When the DM decides the outcome of a hidden die roll regardless of the number on the die, AKA "cheating, but for story reasons."  More to come as they occur to me, or feel free to add your own!