Common Terminology

In Dungeons and Dragons there are many terms used commonly within it. this section will give you a rundown on some of the more common terms and what they mean.

D&D: This is shorthand for Dungeons and Dragons.

The DM: The DM, otherwise known as the Dungeon Master, is the narrator and rules officiator of the game. They have the final say on what is or is not possible within the game and decides what happens from each action taken. The DM is typically also responsible for preparing the game space that the group plays within along with handling any pre-game prep work such as producing or acquiring maps and scenes, monsters, scripts, and rewards. within a given campaign there is only one DM, though the DM can hand over the campaign notes and story they have prepared to another person for one reason or another permanently or temporarily. 

The GM: This is a secondary and game neutral term for the Dungeon Master, the narrator and rules officiator of the game being played, often used in other tabletop roleplaying games. 

Player: The player is a term for a person who has agreed to play within the game of Dungeons and Dragons for a set period of time in their day. 

Session: A session is a period of time in which the players and the DM convene to play D&D. Typically between 3 and 4 hours. 

Campaign: A campaign is the term for a story told by the DM which can last anywhere beyond 20 sessions or more. 

Module: A module is a self contained adventure published by another party which the DM uses as a basis for a set campaign,  a module typically has guidelines on what can or cannot be done along with new content for the DM and the players to utilize. A module is broken up into chapters, and each chapter can typically last between 1 and 4 sessions depending on content.

One-shot: A one-shot is a self contained adventure akin to a module. However a one-shot is typically expected to last one session or two sessions. One-Shots are typically accompanied by pre-built characters or are made to be slotted into a campaign as something for the DM to use but not to be the focus of a campaign. Some One-Shots make for good introductions to a campaign and are intended to be used in such a fashion. 

Dice: In Dungeons and Dragons there are 6 types of dice (or die, for singular), the d4 which is a pyramid shaped die which rolls between a 1 and a 4. the d6 which is cube shaped and rolls  between a 1 and a 6. the D8 which is diamond shaped and rolls between a 1 and an 8. the d10 which is shaped a bit like a spinning top and rolls between a 1 and a  10. there is a d12 which is somewhat spherical but with wide edges and rolls between a 1 and 12. and lastly the d20 which is the most commonly used die within dungeons and dragons it is mostly spherical with small triangular segments which hold each number between 1 and 20.  

Do note that some d10's have their numbers look like a 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or a 00. this is a d10 alongside another d10 to function as a d100 which uses the two dice together. the normal d10 functions as the 1's space of the number while the special d10 is the 10's space. with a 00 and a 0 being a 100. 

Character Sheet: A character sheet holds pertinent information for a character such as what abilities they can do, what characteristics they posses, any skills they posses; their ideals, bonds, flaws, and character traits, what the name of the character is, where they are from, any equipment they have, and lastly what their class and level is(more on this later)

Checks: A check is when the DM asks a player to roll a d20 with a bonus depending on a skill or ability the character possesses, the goal of the check is to roll the d20 with the bonus and have the total number be greater than or equal to a value set by the DM often called the DC (or difficulty class). Meeting the number(exceeding or getting equal to) means some degree of success while getting below that number typically means some degree of failure

Advantage / Disadvantage:  advantage or disadvantage are two terms commonly said through D&D, they are typically attributed when a check is made with dice where you would roll a second d20 and choose the highest of the two rolls (for advantage) or choose the lowest of the two rolls (for disadvantage). 

Class: A class refers to a pre set type of skills and abilities that a character possesses. A class is more akin to a profession or vocation though it does give insight to what a character is able to do. There are the following classes in D&D: the bard, the barbarian, the cleric, the druid, the fighter, the monk, the paladin, the ranger, the rogue, the sorcerer the wizard, and the warlock. Some additional content adds new classes; such as the artificer within Tasha's Cauldron of Everything or the tinkerer within the World of Hundar. 

Edition: D&D is split between various editions which DM's use to determine rules that should be followed by the players. The current edition, as of writing, is D&D 5th edition (2024) also known as 'One D&D'. Within the website the World of Hundar is made for D&D 5th edition (2014), a version of the game made 10 years prior with different rules and theming's that have changed with the times. 

Third Party Content: Third Party Content refers to modules, classes, one-shots, or content on a character sheet made by a group that is not Wizards of the Coast, the current IP owners of D&D. Players wishing to use Third Party Content must ask their DM if they can use it first. Some DM's base campaigns off of third party content and will list allowed Third Party Content within their campaign. 

The OGL and the SRD: the OGL, or Open Game License, is a document which permits Third Party Content to use common terminology, spells, names, and iconography from D&D without infringing on the copyright of Wizards of the Coast. The limits of what is permitted is found within the SRD, or the System Reference Document.