Welcome to Tasha's Cauldron of Colloquialisms!
Since its creation by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has been rich with unique lingo, shorthand, and terminology. For newcomers, this can present a learning curve, while returning players may need a refresher after time away from the game.
With the popularity of D&D 5th Edition (5e/5e14) and the 2024 update (5e24/5.5e), both D&D and the broader tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) community are experiencing incredible growth. To help both new and seasoned players navigate this evolving landscape, we’ve compiled a glossary of key terms. While most of these terms are specific to D&D, some may extend beyond D&D into the wider TTRPG world.
Dungeons & Dragons Publishers
TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) - TSR was a company created by Gary Gygax, cofounder of Dungeons & Dragons, and Don Kaye to publish early wargames and Dungeons & Dragons. TSR ran between 1973 - 1975 and then as TSR Hobbies, Inc. between 1975 and 1997.
WotC (Wizards of the Coast) - WotC was founded in Seattle in 1990 and became best known for its collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. In 1997, WotC acquired TSR, becoming the new owner and publisher of Dungeons & Dragons. Their first published edition of the game was Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition.
The TSR Era
OD&D (Original Dungeons & Dragons) - The way to distinguish D&D. Released in 1974.
3LBB (Three Little Brown Books) - The way to distinguish the first three rule books. Released in the 1974 box set containing "Men & Magic", "Monsters & Treasures", and "Underworld and Wilderness Adventures". Also referenced to as the "White Box".
Chainmail - Wargaming combat rule-set used with the 3LBB. The later OD&D supplements of "Greyhawk" and "Blackmoor" made Chainmail unnecessary.
Holmes Basic - The original attempt at a basic D&D rule-set, written by J. Eric Holmes. It is also referenced to as the "Blue Box". Released in 1977.
B/X (Basic/Expert) - The D&D Basic box set by Tom Moldvay and Expert box set by David Cook. Released in 1981.
BECMI (Basic Expert Companion Masters Immortals) - The follow on D&D rulesets to B/X by Frank Mentzer. Consolidated into the Rules Cyclopedia book. The Basic set is often referenced as "Red Box". Released in 1983.
AD&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) - The evolution of OD&D plus all the supplements like Greyhawk and Blackmoor. Released in 1977.
1e (1st Edition AD&D) - Another name for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
2e (2nd Edition AD&D) - The second edition of AD&D, published by TSR after the Lorraine Williams take over. Released in 1989.
The WotC Era
d20 - Shorthand for a 20 sided die. Polyhedral dice are a mainstay of many TTRPGSs. Common dice in a set are 4 sided (d4), six sided (d6), 8 sided (d8), 10 sided (d10) 10 sided percentile (d%), 12 sided (d12), and of course the iconic 20 sided (d20). Some systems use even more variation, and some use significantly less, but the nomenclature will be the same.
d20 System - A system which heavily relies on a d20 for the majority of game mechanics. Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition is the first d20 system. The d20 system has been used by many other TTRPGs since its introduction in the year 2000.
3e (3rd Edition D&D) - Released in 2000 by the then new owners of D&D, Wizards of the Coast, and is considered the grandparent of the d20 system. WotC removed the "Advanced" nomenclature with 3e, hoping it would make it more accessible to new players.
3.5e - A revision to 3e, released in 2003, but backwards compatible with 3e.
3.75e - Sometimes a reference to the Pathfinder RPG by Paizo which continued the 3.5e rules into a new game. Pathfinder now has two editions, designated PF1 and PF2e.
4e (4th Edition D&D) - Released in 2008. Historically a very divisive edition of D&D due to its significant changes to core mechanics, feeling very different from previous editions.
5e (5th Edition D&D) - Released in 2014. Sometimes also referred to as 5e14 to distinguish it from the 5e 2024 update.
5e24 - (2024 5th Edition D&D Update) - Revision to 5e, released in 2024, marketed by WotC as backwards compatible with 5e. Also sometimes referenced to as 5.5e. Originally went under the moniker D&D Next.
Other Notables
OSR (Old School Renaissance/Revival) - An RPG movement started in the very early 2000s to create D&D-like RPGs that harken back to old TSR editions of D&D. A direct response to player unhappiness with 3e/3.5e D&D. The first two were Basic Fantasy and OSRIC. A very popular one is Castles & Crusades.
Another OSR movement came about during the 5e era. Popular RPGs for this era include Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (DCC), and Shadowdark RPG. The significant difference between this OSR era and the previous one is that it is focused more on "old school D&D feel" than mechanics. They incorporate more innovative or updated mechanics than previous OSR RPGs.
Retroclone - A term given to OSR RPGs that are pretty much identical to a particular TSR RPG, but with improved wording and layout. Examples include; Delving Deeper, Swords & Wizadry, Iron Falcon, Old School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Adventures Dark & Deep , and For Gold & Glory.