If you’re new to the roleplaying games hobby, picked up a rule book and taken a peek inside it is highly likely that you found yourself wondering about acronyms and abbreviations. “What does that stand for?” is a common question.
This post looks at Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (aka D&D aka DnD aka 5E ) and looks at about 120 fairly common acronyms and abbreviations.
Fourth Edition. The previous edition of Dungeons and Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2008.
Fifth Edition
Armor Class
Dungeons and Dragons Adventurer’s League. The Adventurer’s League is the official organised play system for D&D run by Wizards of the Coast (aka WotC).
Adventurers League Content Catalogue
Adventurers League DMG
Adventurers League Player’s Guide
Area of Effect
Attack of Opportunity. AoO is terminology from 4E that is still used today. The correct 5E term is ‘Opportunity Attack’
Average Party Level.
Ability score increase
Big bad evil guy
Chaotic Evil
Chaotic good
Charisma
Chaotic neutral
Constitution
Curse of Strahd. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast.
Copper piece(s). A copper piece is 1/100th of a gold piece.
Challenge rating
Critical Role, a popular Twitch stream.
Difficulty class.
Dexterity
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast in 2018.
Dungeon Master.
Dungeon Master’s Basic Rules
Dungeon Master PC. An NPC that earns loot, experience and feels a bit like the DM has a PC in their own game.
The official marketplace website for third-party D&D products.
DM’s Guild
Dungeons and Dragons.
D&D Beyond. A Wizards of the Coast licensee which provide paid versions of the rules online.
Dungeon of the Mad Mage. A Waterdeep adventure book published in 2018 by Wizards of the Coast.
Elemental Evil. Typically a reference to the ancient evil in the adventure book Princes of the Apocalypse.
End of turn
End of Your Next Turn
Electrum piece(s), an electrum piece is worth 1/2 of a gold piece.
Friendly Local Game Store
Forgotten Realms, 5E’s default campaign setting.
Guild Adept
Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica. The Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons shared campaign setting, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2018.
Game Master, a system neutral alternative to DM.
Great Old One warlock
Gold piece(s)
Hoard of the Dragon Queen. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast in 2014.
Rules or flavour created by fans and used privately or shared with the public.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast in 2014.
Hit Points
In Character
Intelligence
Lawful evil
Lawful good
Lost Mine of Phandelver. The adventure found in D&D Starter Set published by Wizards of the Coast in 2014.
Lawful neutral
A suffix denoting that a warlock has been multi-classed with another.
Multi-ability dependent
Monster Manual. A book of monsters and foes published by Wizards of the Coast in 2014, considered part of the three core rule books.
Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes. An extension of the core rules, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2018.
Neutral
Neutral evil
Neutral good
Nonplayer character
Opportunity Attack
Oath Breaker
Open Game License. The system and rules by which third-party publishers can write and sell content for 5E.
Oath of Ancients
Out of Character
Oath of Devotion
Out of the Abyss. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast.
Oath of the Crown
Oath of Vengeance
Original Post / Original Poster.
Overpowered
Old School Revival or Renaissance
Out of the Abyss. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast.
Player’s Basic Rules
Player Character
Player’s Handbook. The first in the D&D 5E core rules, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2014.
Princes of the Apocalypse. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast in 2015.
Platinum piece(s), a platinum piece is worth 10 gold pieces.
Princes of the Apocalypse. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast in 2015.
Rules As Fun
Rules as Intended
Rules as Written
Rule of Cool
Rage of Demons
Rise of Tiamat
Sword Coast Adventures Guide
Storm King’s Thunder. An adventure pubhed by Wizards of the Coast.
Sorcerer
Start of Your Next Turn
Silver piece(s), a silver piece is worth 1/10th of a gold piece.
System reference document. Guidelines for creating content under the OGL.
Strength
Tales from the Yawning Portal. A collection of adventures published by Wizards of the Coast.
True neutral
Tomb of Annihilation. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast.
Tyranny of Dragons. A series of adventures published by Wizards of the Coast including The Rise of Tiamat and Hoard of the Dragon Queen.
Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes. An extension of the core rules, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2018.
Tome of the Mad Mage. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast in 2018.
Tortle Package. A supplement published in PDF by Wizards of the Coast that introduces the Tortle race.
Total Party Kill
Total Party Wipe
Tales from the Yawning Portal. A collection of adventures published by Wizards of the Coast.
Unearthed Arcana playtest
Volo’s Guide to Monsters. A supplement of more monsters and enemies, published by Wizards of the Coast.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters. A supplement of more monsters and enemies, published by Wizards of the Coast.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters. A supplement of more monsters and enemies, published by Wizards of the Coast.
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. An adventure published by Wizards of the Coast in 2018.
Wayfinders Guide to Eberron. A setting published by Wizards of the Coast in PDF only.
Wisdom
Wizards of the Coast
Xanthar’s Guide To Everything. A supplement with new rules and storylines, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2017.
Xanthar’s Guide To Everything. A supplement with new rules and storylines, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2017.
Experience Points
Creative Commons credit: Confused Meteora by Erika Nahomi Gomez Alanis.
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