Below you will find certain words and terms used in roleplay across many games. This is for you to use and to refer to anytime you may need! Feel free to suggest anything else you think should be included in here.

In-Character (IC) and Out-of-Character (OoC)

In-Character means everything and anything that pertains to the personal perspective of your own character and their endeavors. Much like an actor is whilst on stage, it is when you are actually roleplaying, embodying your character and everything that revolves around such. This pertains to your character.

Out-of-Character means when you are dissociated from your character. Speaking out-of-character means you are talking in brackets, on a platform outside of the game, in private messages and all else that does not involve your character and their action. Talking out-of-character should not involve subjects that are in-character as to avoid revealing sensitive information and developments. This pertains to the player.

Fade to Black (FtB)

Coined from a theatre term to signify a change of scene by dimming the lights whilst skipping certain events and / or time. It means that the current happenings HAPPEN without needing to roleplay it out explicitly. Using fade to black is a very viable option to skip over certain scenes that make players uncomfortable while still suffering whatever outcome is supposed to happen out of it; good or bad. If used, a generic yet concise summary of the faded events should be shared to those involved in the scene without going into unnecessary details. Here’s an example in a case where someone requested a FtB of torture and mutilation;

“You have bruises and cuts all over your body, more precisely over your stomach and your pinky finger is now missing.”

Instead of;

“Using a large dented knife, my character has cut XYZ places to watch you bleed out, as well as using a large cleaver to cut off your finger. He’d look happy and delighted while he did all of that, keeping you chained up.”

These would be impactful details that may make the other feel uncomfortable when they wanted to avoid these kinds of detailing by using FtB. There are ways to describe injuries precisely without tangling said description with adjectives and unnecessary information that, at the end of the day, does not help paint a better picture and only make the other’s experience unenjoyable.

Blending

The mixing of IC and OoC. Associating oneself to their character on a deep level. Taking in-character happenings personally. Letting out-of-character emotions take control of in-character actions. The dislike of some player(s) tainting the roleplay on an out-of-character level. Giving the favored roleplay partners, whether IC or OoC favored, more leeway, more opportunities, more chances or more power over a character or player, including your own.

Metagaming

Metagaming is a player's use of real-life (OoC) knowledge concerning the state of the game to determine their character's actions, when said character has no relevant knowledge or awareness under the circumstances. This can refer to plot information in the game such as secrets or events occurring away from the character, as well as facets of the game's mechanics such as abstract statistics or the precise limits of abilities. Metagaming is an example of "breaking character", as the character is making decisions based on information they could not know and thus would not make in reality.

From Wikipedia

God Modding and Powerplaying

Godmodding is taking control of another player’s character during roleplay. Controlling another roleplayer’s character without permission, deciding their emotes without their input. Not giving the other player a proper chance to answer before continuing with your own narrative.
Example;

John throws a punch aimed squared at Bob’s jaw!

Bob narrowly avoids the punch thrown by John by taking a sidestep. From that angle, he throws a punch of his own straight into John’s ribcage, which makes him stagger backwards. With John dazed, Bob throws another punch!

God modding and powerplaying can also occur if someone walks away from an altercation that could have escalated, if they ignore warnings and do not wait for emotes of fellow players. This description also includes ridiculous amounts of knowledge and expertise such as the usage of every weapon, of every dialect and other skills.

Thought Posting

When someone, in active roleplay, emotes about inner thoughts or reactions that the outside characters would have no way of knowing; or acknowledging it could perhaps even count as metagaming. In more private sessions, with partners and such, players can emote whatever they so desire but doing so in a public roleplay session with characters their own do not know will add no sustenance to the on-going situation. An example;

John looks at the man that had just spoken. He finds himself in a deep state of disgust, remembering when he was young how his uncle used to do the same kind of thing. He shudders and thinks to himself that he’ll probably avoid this man from now on, if only not to witness that again.

Most of this emote cannot be taken in-character by anyone around yet it gives insight on how the character views another in a way that should not be happening. Here is what could be more proper;

John’s face changes, features twisting in hints of disgust and a faint shudder crawls down his spine. Those who did see this abrupt yet brief shift in mood could tell something disturbed him.

Rumor Mills and Grapevines

Two popular expressions have become associated with the circulation of rumors. One is rumor mill. This familiar expression implies that rumors, like grain being processed in a mill, are turned out regularly in large numbers, altered, and circulated within the confines of a certain group or organization. Roleplayers who are information collectors are all too frequently the chief providers of grist for the rumor mills.

The second popular expression is grapevine, which means an unofficial, confidential, person-to-person chain of verbal communication. The grapevine can best be viewed as an underground network that operates within a community. The rumor mill may get the message started, but the grapevine keeps it moving.

Whatever pertains to those terms is what is greatly damaging to any roleplay community and why it is of utmost importance to know when they are at play and may be influencing you or others around you.

Echo Chamber

An environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered. We often see echo chambers within clan discords where the same mindset is chewed and spat out endlessly. An echo chamber also often goes hand in hand with rumor milling.

Play to Win

The act of doing anything necessary to come out on top, resorting often to backstabbing tactics, the usage of Meta information both in-character and out-of-character. To play in an especially competitive, committed manner, focused intently on winning. Such a mindset is what causes the most disputes in a roleplay community. Every player must recognize that they should never be immune to anything negative and be accepting of whatever fate is brought upon their character; injuries, defeat, loss and even death.

Playing to win means you are considering your own character the absolute protagonist of the server and so, are ready to win no matter what the cost may be; to the detriment of everyone around your character. Not only is it discouraged but that mentality is punishable by staff due to the fact that constantly winning means that this player will use every tactic possible in the books to achieve their goals without letting anyone else have a chance to shine and trap them.

Play to Lift

Playing to Lift means giving an amazing challenge to the characters while ensuring that everyone gets a chance to get the spotlight and shine. It means being the number one fan of the player character's stories. Play to lift differs from the hypercompetitiveness of "Play to Win" that we can so easily get caught up in when our characters' lives are on the line. You're not just focused on your own survival, but on giving your opponent a good story, even if it's a story of their eventual death. It also differs from "Play to Lose" that many antags feel they must adopt to give heroic characters their chance in the spotlight. It lets them know that they don't have to be cannon-fodder for someone else's story. Playing to Lift is the mentality that makes the best stories all across the server as everyone sees not only the character, but the player behind the screen as well; to give others opportunities, even if it may bite me in the ass later on.

Allowing your secrets to go out, allowing yourself to be beaten in combat.. To cheer others on to properly portray their character, to toss them tomatoes if they fail.. These are all ways to play to lift others. Do that and others will do the same to you. If everyone has the same mindset, then everyone can play to lose and not worry about overwhelming consequences and immediate death.

Play to Lose

Playing to lose is a technique or concept used by a player to create better drama by not trying to win, letting their character lose. It is used in a collaborative play style rather than a competitive play style. Playing to lose can be extremely fun for both you and others involved since you are already accepting of consequences that may come and embrace them fully.. But often people feel forced into a playing to lose mindset when their character aligns with a more ‘antagonist’ playstyle, it should not be the case unless you wish for it to be. There are bad characters that win and should win, if only to make it more threatening and interesting all around.

Playing to lose may also potentially be the best outcome for certain characters when it reaches a certain point. For a Conan example, a Nordheimer’s death is much more glorious and honorable than being taken as a slave! Overall, the one thing to preach about the play to lose mentality is the fact that you, as a player, understand your character can and will fail, bringing forth appropriate consequences; good or bad. That is what makes this mentality the healthiest outlook on consequences and even find dire situations enjoyable; the thrill of injuries, of insults, of exile, of persecution, of death…

It is why it is stated above, in the playing to lift section, that if everyone plays to lift, then everyone can play to lose and already expect reasonable and appropriate consequences because we are all here for collaborative story writing.

Protagonist

The main character in a story, taking priority over all the other characters around. In a roleplay setting, we are all the protagonists of our own stories but it should never be engulfing every other player you encounter. Understand every player you meet is their own protagonist and you can only do your best as a side character to enhance their own stories.

It is not because we are protagonists that it means we will win! Take for example popular movies in which the protagonist suffers setbacks, defeats and even death;

Rocky Balboa, in the first movie, loses his first boxing match that he worked really hard for.

Avengers; Infinity war, part 1. The Avengers lose to Thanos who then famously snaps his fingers and half of life vanishes.

Gladiator, where Maximus ultimately perishes fighting Commodus in his final fight after a lot of build up.

Being a protagonist is simply a term we refer to in roleplay and theatre which should not bear much meaning in this kind of storytelling setting.

Antagonist

A character who is strongly opposed to something or someone. A character often defined by opposing actions, morals and values to another character. An antagonist is not defined by themselves but by the others around them; as such, there rarely is a true, purely evil antagonist character since it is all subjective. In the Conan setting, even the worst of antagonists will find characters that somewhat align to them and their mindset since it is a very dark, very grim setting. The Mitran knight will see the Asura worshiping Vendhyan as purely and utterly evil due to the stark contrast in values, morals and upbringing.. But to others, this Vendhyan may just be very normal.

Much like protagonist, it is a term that should not hold much value due to how variable and subjective it is to each character’s backstories.

Sister Clan

When one main clan is filled, they branch into a ‘sister clan’, meaning another settlement yet of the same clan.