A Comprehensive Guide to weird Dungeons&Dragons abbreviations and acronyms (2024)

ADVENTURERS!
Sometimes I’m stuck with some terms that I don’t recognize (english is not my first language) and I must search what does it mean. I’ve collected all abbreviationsand acronyms about the world’s greatest roleplaying game.

1st First edition D&D
2e Second Edition D&D
3.5e 3.5 Edition D&D
3.X refers to both or either of 3E, 3.5, above, Pathfinder, 13th Age, FantasyCraft or Mutants & Masterminds
3e 3rd Edition D&D
4e 4th Edition D&D
5e 5th Edition D&D
AC Armor Class
AD&D, ADnD Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
AD&D1 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st edition
AD&D2 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd edition
AD&D2.5 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, revised 2nd edition
AL Adventure League
AMF Anti-Magic Field
AoE Area of effect
AoO Attack of Opportunity
ASI Ability score increase
atk Attack
BA Bonus Action
BBEG Big Bad Evil Guy
Bbn Barbarian
BD&D, BDnD Basic Dungeons & Dragons, as opposed to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
BECMI Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortals Dungeons & Dragons Sets
BG Baldur’s Gate
Bg or Bckgrnd Background
BM Beast Master (Ranger)
BR Birthright campaign setting
Brd Bard
Buff Empower or strengthen an ability or character
BYOB Bring your own booze orBring your own bottle
CdG Coup de Grace
CE Chaotic Evil
CG Chaotic Good
Cha Charisma
Char Character
Chargen Character Generation
Charop Character Optimization
Clr Cleric
CN Chaotic Neutral
Con Constitution
CoS Curse of Strahd adventure
cp Copper pieces
CR Challenge Rating
D&D, DnD Any version of the D&D game
d% or d100 Two d10sdie one as the 10s the other as the 1s
d10 A die of 10 sides
d12 A die of 12 sides
d20 A die of 20 sides
d20 System The system underlying 3e, v.3.5, Pathfinder and 4e
d4 A die of 4 sides
d6 A die of 6 sides
d8 A die of 8 sides
DC Difficulty Class, the difficulty level of a skill check, ability check, or save
DDG Deities & Demigods
Dex Dexterity
DL Dragonlance campaign setting
DM Dungeon Master (see Game Master)
dmg Damage
DMG Dungeon Master Guide, any edition
DMS Dungeon Master Screen
DnDNext D&D Next 5e during it’s development/playtest, CodenameAnduril
DoT Damage over Time
DotMM . Dungeon of the Mad Mage
DPR Damage Per Round
DR Damage Reduction
Drd Druid
DS Dark Sun campaign setting
ECL Effective Character Level
EE Elemental Evil
e.g. (exempli gratia) for example
EK Eldritch Knight
EL Encounter Level
EP Electrum Pieces
FF Fiend Folio
FLGS Friendly Local Game Store/Shop
FR Forgotten Realms campaign setting
FRPG Fantasy Role-Playing Game
Ftr Fighter
FTW! or FTW For the win!
FWIW For what it’s worth
FYI For your information
GGtRGuildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica
GH Greyhawk campaign setting
GM Game Master
GP Gold pieces
Grognard An older gamer feels that the “old days” of gaming were better
GSL Gaming System License
HotDQ Hoard of the Dragon Queen
HP Hit Points
HW Hollow World campaign setting
i.e. (id est) that is
IIRC If I Recall Correctly
IMHO In My Humble Opinion
Int Intelligence
L&L, LL Legends & Lore
LA Level Adjustment
LE Lawful Evil
LG Lawful Good
LMoP Lost Mines of Phandelver starter set adventure
LN Lawful Neutral
LoS Line of Sight
M:tG Magic The Gathering
MC Monstrous Compendium tome
Metagame Using information you know as a player, but is unknown to your character
Mini Plural minis; a miniature figurine
MM Monster Manual
MMORPG Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game
Mnk Monk
MoP Manual of the Planes
MtG Magic The Gathering
MtoF Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
MUD Multiple-user dungeon
Munchkin Sometimes a synonym for power gaming
N, NN, or TN Neutral, or True Neutral
NDA Non-disclosure agreement
NE Neutral Evil
Nerf Weaken an ability or character through updates to the game rules
NG Neutral Good
NPC Non-Player Character
OA Opportunity Attack
OA Oriental Adventures rulebook
OC Original Content
OD&D, ODnD Old/original D&D
OGC Open Gaming Content
OGL Open Game License
OotA Out of the Abyss adventure
OP Over-Powered
OSR Old School Revival
OTOH On the other hand
Pal Paladin
Pally Paladin
PBeM Play by email
PC Player Character
PF Pathfinder rule set
PH, PHB Player’s Handbook, any edition
PM Private Message
PO Player’s Option books
PotA Princes of the Apocalypse
pp Platinum pieces
PP Power Player
PrC Prestige Class
PS Planescape campaign setting
Psi Psion/Psionic
PvP Player versus Player
RAF Rules as Fun.
RAI Rules as Intended
RAW Rules as Written
Rgr Ranger
RL Ravenloft campaign setting
RoD Rage of Demons
Rog Rogue
RoT Rise of Tiamat
RP Roleplay
RPG Roleplaying Game
RPGA Roleplaying Game Association network
SA Sage Advice
SA Sneak Attack
SCAG Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
SJ Spelljammer campaign setting
SKT Storm King’s Thunder adventure
Sor Sorcerer
sp Silver Pieces
SR Spell Resistance
SRD System Reference Document
ST Saving Throw
Stats The statistical representation of a character
Str Strength
TCG Trading Card Game
THAC0 To Hit AC Zero (ref ad&d)
THP Temporary hit points
Thx Thanks
ToA Tomb of Annihilation
ToD Tyranny of Dragons adventure
ToH Tomb of Horrors adventure
ToM Tome of Magic
TPK Total Party Kill
TRoT The Rise of Tiamat adventure
TSR Tactical Studies Rules. Original publishers of D&D
TWF Two-Weapon Fighting
TY Thank you
UA Unearthed Arcana
UMD Use Magic Device
UND Underdark
VGtM Volo’s Guide to Monsters
WDH Waterdeep Dragon Heist
WGtE Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron
WH, WHFWarhammer Fantasy
WIP Work in progress
Wis Wisdom
Wiz Wizard
WoG WG World of Greyhawk
WotC Wizards of the Coast
XbowCrossbow
XGE Xanthar’s Guide To Everything
XP Experience Points