What are all these acronyms!

[Ratter]

I've seen many acronyms and terms that I have never seen before, so I am making a comprehensive list, if there are any popular acronyms you have seen, please post them here! (I dont know any of them, ASI? BAB? who are those?)

[Sigreid]

I've seen many acronyms and terms that I have never seen before, so I am making a comprehensive list, if there are any popular acronyms you have seen, please post them here! (I dont know any of them, ASI? BAB? who are those?)

Ability Score Increase
Basic Attack Bonus - more of a 3e term.

[SirGraystone]

BAB (Base attack bonus): in 3rd edition the attack bonus you get from you class and level, before you add abilities and magic bonus.
ASI (Ability Score Increase): the 2 points you get to add to the abilities of your choice at level 4, 8, etc...

Thac0 (To Hit Armor Class of 0): how old players like me used to see if we could hit a monster :-)

[Finlam]

PAM - Polearm Master, a feat in the Player Handbook
PHB - The Player Handbook
SAD - Single Attribute Dependent, a character that needs 1 attribute for attacking and/or spell casting, damage, and defense
MAD - A character that needs multiple attributes for attack, defense, damage, and/or spellcasting
RR - Revised Ranger, a class released in an Unearthed Arcana article that is slated to be released (at some point in the distant future) as a collection of alternate class features
SS - Sharpshooter, a feat in the Player Handbook
GWM - Great Weapon Master, a feat in the Player Handbook
EB - Eldritch Blast, a Warlock cantrip

That should be enough to get you mostly acclimated to the forums.

[Tiadoppler]

Oooh I've been meaning to ask:
What is PEACH? I think I've figured out the general usage, but I can't think of what it stands for.

[Sigreid]

BAB (Base attack bonus): in 3rd edition the attack bonus you get from you class and level, before you add abilities and magic bonus.
ASI (Ability Score Increase): the 2 points you get to add to the abilities of your choice at level 4, 8, etc...

Thac0 (To Hit Armor Class of 0): how old players like me used to see if we could hit a monster :-)

You young kids and your thaco instead of tables. 😛

[Jormengand]

Oooh I've been meaning to ask:
What is PEACH? I think I've figured out the general usage, but I can't think of what it stands for.

Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly.

[Dudewithknives]

Not to be a grammar nazi but technically they are initialisms, not acronyms.

A list:

BASICS

ASI: Ability Score Increase
MC: Multiclass or sometimes main class

SPELLS


BB: Booming Blade
EB: Eldritch Blast
GFB: Green Flame Blade

FEATS

CBE/CBX: Crossbow Expert
GWM : Great Weapon Master
MI: Magical Initiate
PAM: Polearm Master
SM: Shield Master
SS: Sharpshooter

[Arcangel4774]

Theres basically an acronym for every book or adventure module barring a few which people often abbreviate.

Scag-sword coast adventure guide
Hotdq- hoard of the dragon queen
Dmg- dungeon master guide
Oota- out of the abyss
The list goes on but here is just a few.

Fighting styles
Twf- two weapon fighting
Gwf-great weapon fighting

Cantrips
Bb- booming blade
Gfb- green flame blade

[Tiadoppler]

Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly.

Awesome, thanks. I had assumed it was similar to Work In Progress, Need Help.

[danpit2991]

am i the only one who misses THAC0

[JNAProductions]

am i the only one who misses THAC0

Yes. Yes you are.

[Arenabait]

am i the only one who misses THAC0

Probably not, but the vast majority doesn't

[PhantomSoul]

Not to be a grammar nazi but technically they are initialisms, not acronyms.

[...]

Just for a pedantic tangent: (a) that's not grammar [just lexical decision], and (b) some of them are acronyms or can be (e.g. I pronounce "PAM" as a word).

That said, good list!

For my contribution, this is a good starting point: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/wiki/acronyms. Some of the stuff in there you expect to see (e.g. MAD, SAD, MM), but obviously it's a big compilation so there's stuff you wouldn't expect to find for 5e at all (e.g. LM).

[Unoriginal]

am i the only one who misses THAC0

Missing THAC0 happens a lot when you try to attack.

[Naanomi]

Along with general ‘forum’ acronyms like... OP for ‘original poster’ sprinkled around with the gaming stuff

[johnbragg]

am i the only one who misses THAC0

THAC0 itself wasnt' the problem. The problem was descending AC, starting at 10 (unarmored chump) and maxxing out at -10 (full plate +5, shield +5, maybe a ring +1 or something?).

[Lawful Good]

RAW: Rules As Written. The exact wording of rules in the rulebook.
RAI: Rules As Intended. How the developers wanted a rule to work when they wrote it.

Sometimes RAW does not match RAI, usually because of poor wording.

[Malifice]

5MWD (5 minute work day)

[hymer]

THAC0 itself wasnt' the problem. The problem was descending AC, starting at 10 (unarmored chump) and maxxing out at -10 (full plate +5, shield +5, maybe a ring +1 or something?).

in 2e, rings of protection aren't cumulative with enchanted armour. What you're missing is dex modifier.

[SirGraystone]

Now armor class start at 10 and go up as you add armor and bonus. When you attack you rolls a d20 adding your bonus and have to get equal or higher then the armor class. For example some in plate armor have 10 + 8 for 18 AC and you need 18+ to hit on the attack rolls.

The THAC0 was backward, you started with an armor class of 9 (or 10) which would go down, plate armor would give you AC 3. If your THAC0 was 18 (which mean you need 18 To Hit Armor Class of 0), then you needed 15+ to hit an AC of 3.

[DivisibleByZero]

Oooh I've been meaning to ask:
What is PEACH? I think I've figured out the general usage, but I can't think of what it stands for.
Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly.
Beware of PEACH threads. It's asking you to critique honestly, but often when you do it starts an argument. Most of the time, when someone asks for PEACH they actually just want validation of their idea.


Just for a pedantic tangent: (a) that's not grammar [just lexical decision], and (b) some of them are acronyms or can be (e.g. I pronounce "PAM" as a word).
Just for a pedantic tangent, to clarify what PhantomSoul is saying: Acronym is an often misused term.
An acronym is an abbreviation/initialization that can be pronounced. If it cannot be pronounced, it is not an acronym.

PEACH is an acronym.
RAW is an acronym.
SAD is an acronym.
MAD is an acronym.
Thac0 is an acronym.

GFB is an abbreviation.
BB is an abbreviation.
RAI is an abbreviation.
GWF is an abbreviation.
TWF is an abbreviation.

[Ninja_Prawn]

We should have some kind of acronym explainer in the sticky post, really. I might try writing a definitive list this evening...


Beware of PEACH threads. It's asking you to critique honestly, but often when you do it starts an argument.

I have to say, that hasn't been my experience. I've given and received critiques for years and have had exactly one argument in that time (and that was with a troll who was swiftly banned). As a creator, I feel I've learned a lot by having my stuff PEACHed, and I'd say it's difficult to produce good homebrew without external feedback, so I wouldn't want to discourage people from engaging with the process...

[Azgeroth]

AFB : Away From Book(s)
YMMV : Your Mileage May Vary
DPR : Damage Per Round

PHB : Players Hand Book
DMG: Dungeon Masters Guide
MM : Monster Manual
EE : Elemental Evil (most commonly reffering to the EE Compendium, not the Campaign.)
SCAG : Sword Coast Adventure Guide
VgtM(Volos) : Volo's Guide To Monster's
XgtE : Xanthar's Guide To Everything

UA : Unearthed Arcana

RAI : Rules As Intended
RAW : Rules as Written

MC : Multi Class
ASI : Ability Score Increase

thats all i've got of the top of my head. excluding the Feats and fighting styles ofc. edited added below.

FEATS

GWM : Great Weapon Master
PAM : Pole Arm Master
SS : Sharp Shooter

Fighting Styles
TWF : Two Weapon Fighting
GWF : Great Weapin Fighting (frequently confused with GWM)

Other

EB : Eldritch Blast
GFB : Green Flame Blade
BB : Booming Blade
SA : Sneak Attack
SS : Spell Slots
SP : Sorcery Points
HD : Hit Dice

[DivisibleByZero]

I have to say, that hasn't been my experience. I've given and received critiques for years and have had exactly one argument in that time (and that was with a troll who was swiftly banned). As a creator, I feel I've learned a lot by having my stuff PEACHed, and I'd say it's difficult to produce good homebrew without external feedback, so I wouldn't want to discourage people from engaging with the process...

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from engaging in the process. I'm just warning to keep an eye out for this, because I've seen it time and time again.
It's pretty much the only reason that I stay out of those threads. I often have ideas/critiques/comments in mind, but almost always receive pushback and debates and arguments when I voice them, so I personally stopped engaging.

Example:
I think that [insert ability here] is too powerful because [insert reasoning here], which starts and argument by the OP about why they think it's fine and and isn't OP at all. This behavior runs counter to their request for PEACH, if they actually wanted honest critique then they shouldn't argue when it is offered. My experience obviously differs form yours.

[Arkhios]

Beware of PEACH threads. It's asking you to critique honestly, but often when you do it starts an argument. Most of the time, when someone asks for PEACH they actually just want validation of their idea.

You know, defensive-aggressive reaction from the creator can be avoided when the criticism is presented in a considerate manner instead of an inconsiderate manner. Most arguments I've seen to happen in otherwise legitimate discussions have been the result of the critics' condescending attitude towards that someone's idea.

Politeness begets politeness.

[Mith]

THAC0 itself wasnt' the problem. The problem was descending AC, starting at 10 (unarmored chump) and maxxing out at -10 (full plate +5, shield +5, maybe a ring +1 or something?).

What I liked about the THAC0 system was less the number, but that you got a nice attack matrix to easily check your numbers against. You do the math once and just roll dice. I know you can do that anyways with your own character sheet, but it doesn't work well with the BAB and all the modifiers of 3e. It does work well with 5e.

[Ninja_Prawn]

almost always receive pushback and debates and arguments

Ah. It might just be a difference in language... I don't consider 'pushback' or 'debate' to be negative things. When one talks about 'arguments', I imagine an angry shouting match filled with personal insults and threats.

As I see it, a creator has a right to defend/explain their ideas; I expect a reviewer to positively convince them that something needs to be changed before they go and change it.

[DivisibleByZero]

Ah. It might just be a difference in language... I don't consider 'pushback' or 'debate' to be negative things. When one talks about 'arguments', I imagine an angry shouting match filled with personal insults and threats.

As I see it, a creator has a right to defend/explain their ideas; I expect a reviewer to positively convince them that something needs to be changed before they go and change it.

Yes.
And if, in that process, they refuse to even acknowledge that it might possibly be a legitimate concern, and might be something that they need to consider, and instead stick to their idea like it's a life boat and defend it at all costs no matter the points presented.... then they aren't really looking for PEACH, they're looking for validation.
I shouldn't have to convince them of anything. They asked for honest critique, and then argued when it was given.
Incidentally, this is exactly what I was talking about. If I need to "positively convince" you that it needs to be changed, you aren't really looking for honest critique. If you were looking for honest critique, you would consider every single thing offered, without anyone "positively convincing" you of it beforehand.
And I'm not saying that it should just be changed immediately out of hand. All I'm saying is that it should be considered instead of argued.

It's like they're asking us if they look fat in those jeans.... an honest answer should not start a fight. I don't need to convince you that you look fat in those jeans. You asked, I answered.
If I have to "positively convince" you of my honest assessment, which you requested, then you didn't really want my honest assessment to begin with.

[Consensus]

RAI is an abbreviation.

It's an acronym to me, I pronounce it "Rye" in my head

[JNAProductions]

It's an acronym to me, I pronounce it "Rye" in my head

I pronounce it Ray. But to each their own.

[samcifer]

Awesome, thanks. I had assumed it was similar to Work In Progress, Need Help.

It also refers to a princess who needs to be rescued every other *&@#$%@*!!! second. :(

[Potato_Priest]

The term that had me stumped for months was Gish, which isn’t actually an acronym and has a somewhat blurry etymology. (If I remember correctly, it has something to do with one of the gith races)

What it means, though, is a melee martial/arcane caster hybrid.