Details here: http://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/2013/11/best-rpg-descriptive-words-phrases.html
If you suggest something, please give me a context and/or anecdote from your own gaming experiences. Thanks!
VS
Come on, man. At least give me a question I can answer to without having to click on that link. Please?
Not worth clicking on the link.
Good list of Lovecraft's famous adjectives (plus some other words)! I'm not sure I agree with this though:
Quote from: VengerSatanisMy point is that they should be used with greater frequency.
I think it's easy to overdo-it with such words. Lovecraft himself, though definitely unrestrained when he wants to be, tends to release such adjectives in kaleidoscopic, multifarious torrents of daemoniacal profusion, rather than scattering them throughout at an even distribution. They work better when they're
special, in other words.
Some of my own personal favourite evocative words:
Tenebrous - it means dark or shadowy, also obscure. I like it because it has an ancient Latin quality to it, and it sounds sort of spidery. Bonus points because it's an epithet of Orcus in D&D.
Mucilaginous - even those unfamiliar with this word know that its suggestive of mucus and its secretion.
Mucal is also a word, but it actually means "pertaining to mucus," whereas mucilaginous is more "like mucus" or "similar to mucus" - sticky, viscous, oozing, etc. A thoroughly disgusting yet oddly sophisticated-sounding word.
Corpulent - as a more grotesque word for "fat." I like it because it suggests a kind of morbidity, a corpse-like quality, again derived from the strongly Latin sound. I use it to describe bloated blood-drench fiends or swollen alien egg-sacs and the like.
Putrescence - a word Poe uses to great effect. I like it because it's a noun that encompasses decay and all its concomitants. It's wonderfully vague and very useful, suggestive and repulsive and unsettling.
Hecatomb - has a nice ring to it. Useful for hideous sacrifices and the like.
Gloom - may just be the most evocative word in the English language, for my money. Even though darkness doesn't make any sort of sound "gloom" somehow manages to sound like it's somehow onomatopoeic.
Haven't clicked through the link, but your examples are great. I agree with others, though: they need to be used judiciously to avoid the spoken equivalent of purple prose.
Unctuous...
Glabrous.
Using those words too often is like scrubbing the head of your dick with sandpaper. When I read ACKS I was tired of "cthonic" by page 9.
The 4e CoC rulebook is choc-a-bloc full of great meta-humor, one of the best parts being a two page list of "lovecraftian" adjectives (gibbous, glibbering, meeping, necrous, etc. etc.) and suggests that if you read the entire thing in one sitting give yourself (not your character) a d3 sanity loss.
...
But, yeah not clicking that link.
Squamous.
Why is everyone acting like clicking on the link takes some sort of progious effort or investment? Are you guys really so reluctant to visit someone's blog? It takes more effort to write "Not worth clicking on the link" than it does to click on the link.
Some other words that haven't been mentioned:
Mephitic
Noisome
Malodorous
Glistening (in relation to slimy things)
Seething
Writhing
Pulsating
Slick (simple but rather evocative)
Tumourous
Iridescent
Deliquescent
Quote from: Old Geezer;705560Glabrous.
Using those words too often is like scrubbing the head of your dick with sandpaper. When I read ACKS I was tired of "cthonic" by page 9.
To be fair, ACKS uses that in the original meaning of the word, which is in pretty common use in discussions of the Gods and worldview of time period ACKS is modeled around.
Ichorous doesn't get enough airplay these days. Also did anyone mention viscid? I'm mentioning viscid.
Quote from: Bobloblah;705594To be fair, ACKS uses that in the original meaning of the word, which is in pretty common use in discussions of the Gods and worldview of time period ACKS is modeled around.
That does not prevent it from becoming tiresome.
Tentacular! Bilious! Visceral?
Rugose!
In the broader sense, I strongly agree with VS's argument that a certain amount of verbiage, delivery, and the ability to tell a story are very important skills for a GM; this is an area which is commonly neglected in general RPG discourse, to the detriment of the experience, I feel. Aside from minis and maps, the crucial means by which we communicate our imaginations to others are verbal.
Moist.
You can never go wrong when you use the word: Moist.
Quote from: Old Geezer;705597That does not prevent it from becoming tiresome.
Fair enough.
Mellifluous.
Unspeakable was one of my favorites.
I played on a CoC themed MUD and the top end exclamatory for hitting something you could achieve was UNSPEAKABLE damage!
Quote from: BarefootGaijin;705619Moist.
You can never go wrong when you use the word: Moist.
And tumescent! Wait, I think we might be confusing purple prose into this...
Sorry for the naked link. I am unfamiliar with many internet traditions.
QuoteRoleplaying is essentially storytelling. We imagine what's going on based upon verbal and non-verbal communication; the most important being verbal (feel free to argue that point, if you must).
Certain words have more impact than others. A few are so impactful they can affect the potency of an encounter, if not the entire session. These are the most stimulating and immersive. They not only get the point across but add another layer or two of reality [no, not reality exactly, but some kind of hyper-stylized aesthetic which artfully replaces reality], expanding and deepening the story in a satisfactory way. Those are the best descriptive words in a roleplaying context.
My point is that they should be used with greater frequency. Of course, first they have to be identified.
Short words, long words, seldom-used words, compound words, and phrases. They are the little bytes, puzzle pieces, moments which hold the entire story together, driving points home, building atmosphere, creating worlds! Some have resonance because they are fresh or innovative or strange or classic with nostalgia or some combination of these.
Ideally, this blog post will be a list of 100 best RPG descriptive words and phrases. However, I don't want to build it alone. Suggest one and I'll put it down below. Feel free to include your reasoning for why you think it's awesome... did you use it in one of your games, did you hear someone else use it, etc.? Or simply comment on words/phrases mentioned that you either love or hate. Any feedback is cool.
I'll start...
1. Sickly as in "sickly purple death ray". Sickly alone is cool, and can be used in various ways. Incidentally, "sickly purple death ray" is the name of an OSR blog, but it probably came from somewhere (anyone know the source?). In fact, I like the whole phrase so much that I used it verbatim in tonight's LotDS game at the Game Hole convention. I thought it had more pulp pizzazz than "lightning bolt".
2. Eldritch
3. Cyclopean
4. Cosmic
5. Gargantuan
6. Colossus (colossal?)
7. Batracian
8. Resplendent
9. Dweomer
10. Ruinous
11. Ravenous
12. Ethereal
13. Bestial
14. Searing (as in searing light, pain or heat)
15. Gibbous
16. Rugose
17. Abhorrent
18. Sanguine
19. Lurid
20. Esoteric
21. Membranous
22. Blasphemous
23. Iridescent (I would also include viridescent and nigrescent)
24. Irascible
25. Incandescent
26. Transcend and transcendent
27. Stagnant (always good to have scent-based description)
28. Dripping with slime (I think that's better than "slimy"... I'd also accept "dripping with ichor".)
29. Holocaust
30. Galant
31. Gluttonous
32. Baleful
33. Dread (also dreadful or dread-filled and filled with dread... how about dread-infused?)
34. Grimoire
35. Preternatural
36. Abattoir
37. Swarthy
39. Catacombs
40. Grotto
41. Labyrinth and labyrinthine
42. Sepulcher
43. Decrepitude
44. Obstreperous (that's a favorite of mine; it means "unruly".)
45. Venereal
46. Don't worry about it. (From the GM)
47. Vomitous
48. Foul
49. Vile
50. Miasmal vapors of the tomb
51. Noxious
52. Permeating
53. Gygaxian (sure, why not?)
54. Dank
55. Bilious
I think we (as GMs) should consider tailoring our adventures to fit these transcendent words. What if those gaming sessions suddenly became more to our liking and individual aesthetic because we used blasphemous, lurid, and batracian? Let those Lovecraftian words be our damnable guide!
VS
I will add appropriate and unused words right now.
Regarding overuse... yes, I agree. When used continually, it ruins the effect. However, occasional sprinkling could very well heighten the roleplaying experience. Here's a good rule of thumb: don't use any word on this list more than once per session, twice if you're mentioning the same thing again or trying to jog a player's memory.
Quote from: VengerSatanis;705733Roleplaying is essentially storytelling.
This is where you went off the rails...
Multitudinous.
Vomitous
EDIT: whoops, that is in there.
If I started shoehorning purple prose into my games, my Players would laugh at me, and I would be deserving of that derision!
A GM should find their voice, and use it.
Splendiferous.
If you'd like to argue the roleplaying / storytelling point, then go ahead. I've never played an RPG that didn't have some kind of story, but maybe you have. If so, I'd be interested in reading your experiences. I've roleplayed without dice, sheets, magic, weapons, and violence, but never without at least a hint of story - setting, characters, conflict, etc.
"Multitudinous" doesn't really evoke much of anything, in my opinion. It's just kind of unnecessarily archaic.
Similarly, I wasn't going for purple prose. Instead, my goal was to list words and phrases that helped everyone at the table imagine the scene. Not all those listed are worthy of being up there. Feel free to pick out ones you feel are "too much" or whatever. This is supposed to be an interactive exercise for readers of my old school gaming blog... and you guys.
VS
Quote from: VengerSatanis;705775If you'd like to argue the roleplaying / storytelling point, then go ahead. I've never played an RPG that didn't have some kind of story,
Yes, railroading does exist in some games. But, RPG's are NOT story telling games. That is an aberration that was introduced later on by some companies. Despised by the vast majority of RPGers.
Orgulous! Cankerous! Slimeous!
Hey Venger, aren't you the guy behind Empire of Satanis?
Quote from: Warthur;705822Hey Venger, aren't you the guy behind Empire of Satanis?
In which case, i suggest discombobulate.
I like lugubrious. It means dismal, but i always picture a very sad gelatinous cube when i hear the word.
Lovecraft's ridiculous use of adjectives is one of the elements that keeps his work down at the level of genre kitsch. Games can be kitsch and fun, sure, but there's nothing worse than a GM peppering his game with redundant, meaningless words.
Quote from: The_ShadowLovecraft's ridiculous use of adjectives is one of the elements that keeps his work down at the level of genre kitsch
I disagree very strongly. Not only do I greatly enjoy Lovecraft's purple patches, I think they're fascinating from a linguistic/semiotic/stylistic standpoint. His word-choices are
far from meaningless, though they do point to the ultimate futility of language in the face of the universe's horrific thingness. Or so I'd argue. While historically critics have tended to share your derisive view of Lovecraft, many have recently argued that Lovecraft's use of language can actually be extremely sophisticated. Books have been written on the subject.
You're of course entitled to your opinion, though. He definitely is not to everyone's taste - his style is very unique and idiosyncratic, and his baroque excesses can definitely alienate those who prefer more minimalistic, workmanlike, or concise prose styles.
Quote from: Arduin;705782Yes, railroading does exist in some games. But, RPG's are NOT story telling games. That is an aberration that was introduced later on by some companies. Despised by the vast majority of RPGers.
Then we might be at odds because of unclear terms. I don't mean "storytelling" as in railroading. What I meant was that the GM and players collectively tell a story, of some kind, via group imagining characters, setting, conflict, etc.
I'm not a fan of railroading, but I do like a good story. Who doesn't?
VS
Quote from: Warthur;705822Hey Venger, aren't you the guy behind Empire of Satanis?
Unfortunately, yes. Not my best effort. The original idea was decent, but my approach was fairly half-baked.
More recently, I self-published the module
Liberation of the Demon Slayer. Now THAT I'm proud of. It's available on RPGNow and Amazon.
VS
Quote from: Steerpike;705854I disagree very strongly. Not only do I greatly enjoy Lovecraft's purple patches, I think they're fascinating from a linguistic/semiotic/stylistic standpoint. His word-choices are far from meaningless, though they do point to the ultimate futility of language in the face of the universe's horrific thingness. Or so I'd argue. While historically critics have tended to share your derisive view of Lovecraft, many have recently argued that Lovecraft's use of language can actually be extremely sophisticated. Books have been written on the subject.
You're of course entitled to your opinion, though. He definitely is not to everyone's taste - his style is very unique and idiosyncratic, and his baroque excesses can definitely alienate those who prefer more minimalistic, workmanlike, or concise prose styles.
This.
VS
Quote from: Steerpike;705854I disagree very strongly. Not only do I greatly enjoy Lovecraft's purple patches, I think they're fascinating from a linguistic/semiotic/stylistic standpoint. His word-choices are far from meaningless, though they do point to the ultimate futility of language in the face of the universe's horrific thingness. Or so I'd argue. While historically critics have tended to share your derisive view of Lovecraft, many have recently argued that Lovecraft's use of language can actually be extremely sophisticated. Books have been written on the subject.
You're of course entitled to your opinion, though. He definitely is not to everyone's taste - his style is very unique and idiosyncratic, and his baroque excesses can definitely alienate those who prefer more minimalistic, workmanlike, or concise prose styles.
Reasonably argued. Aesthetics will always alternate between poles of the minimalist and the baroque. I will continue to think that less is more, and judicious use of adjectives in writing has far more effect than a purple style. And Lovecraft was certainly talented compared to many of his imitators.
Quote from: VengerSatanis;705934I don't mean "storytelling" as in railroading.
Storytelling is a trigger word round here VS, check out some of the threads in the Pundit's blog for further info.
Quote from: Steerpike;705593Mephitic
Wich reminds me, I gotta do another go at trying to win DC:SS tonight...:D
Quote from: The Traveller;705987Storytelling is a trigger word round here VS, check out some of the threads in the Pundit's blog for further info.
I have heard that correlation before. Noted.
The list is finished, BTW. If anyone wants to argue for a more compellingly transcendent word or phrase than what's already listed, be my guest:
http://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/2013/11/best-rpg-descriptive-words-phrases.html
For those who don't want to click on my old school gaming blog link...
Quote1. Sickly as in "sickly purple death ray". Sickly alone is cool, and can be used in various ways. Incidentally, "sickly purple death ray" is the name of an OSR blog, but it probably came from somewhere (anyone know the source?). In fact, I like the whole phrase so much that I used it verbatim in tonight's LotDS game at the Game Hole convention. I thought it had more pulp pizzazz than "lightning bolt".
2. Eldritch
3. Cyclopean
4. Cosmic
5. Gargantuan
6. Colossus (colossal?)
7. Batracian
8. Resplendent
9. Dweomer
10. Ruinous
11. Ravenous
12. Ethereal
13. Bestial
14. Searing (as in searing light, pain or heat)
15. Gibbous
16. Rugose
17. Abhorrent
18. Sanguine
19. Lurid
20. Esoteric
21. Membranous
22. Blasphemous
23. Iridescent (I would also include viridescent and nigrescent)
24. Irascible
25. Incandescent
26. Transcend and transcendent
27. Stagnant (always good to have scent-based description)
28. Dripping with slime (I think that's better than "slimy"... I'd also accept "dripping with ichor".)
29. Holocaust
30. Galant
31. Gluttonous
32. Baleful
33. Dread (also dreadful or dread-filled and filled with dread... how about dread-infused?)
34. Grimoire
35. Preternatural
36. Abattoir
37. Swarthy
39. Catacombs
40. Grotto
41. Labyrinth and labyrinthine
42. Sepulcher
43. Decrepitude
44. Obstreperous (that's a favorite of mine; it means "unruly".)
45. Venereal
46. Don't worry about it. (From the GM)
47. Vomitous
48. Foul
49. Vile
50. Miasmal vapors of the tomb
51. Noxious
52. Permeating
53. Gygaxian (sure, why not?)
54. Dank
55. Bilious
56. Tenebrous
57. Mucilaginous or muculent
58. Corpulent
59. Putrescence
60. Hecatomb
61. Gloom
62. Unctuous
63. Glabrous
64. Squamous
65. Writhing
66. Glistening
67. Seething
68. Tumorous
69. Slick
70. Deliquescent
71. Pulsating
72. Malodorous
73. Mephitic
74. Noisome
75. Seething
76. Ichorous
77. Viscid
78. Visceral
79. Tentacular or tentacled
80. Moist
81. Mellifluous
82. Unspeakable
83. Tumescent
84. Susurration
85. Bloated, blood-drenched fiends
86. Swollen, alien, egg-sacs
87. Witch-haunted
88. Melange
89. Cronenbergian or Cronenberg-esque
90. Lovecraftian (this one probably gets overused a lot, but still worthy of placing here)
91. Ultra-telluric
92. Atlantean
93. Decadent
94. Degenerate
95. Under the scarlet light of a bloated, dying sun (that's from AS&SH)
96. Disharmonious (or harmonious)
97. Unrelenting
98. Incongruent (or congruent)
99. Crystaline
100. Kaleidoscopic
Quote from: BedrockBrendan;705848I like lugubrious. It means dismal, but i always picture a very sad gelatinous cube when i hear the word.
The Norwegian version of the word, "luguber", basically means extremely dubious (in the sense of, well, if say a dive is "luguber", that'd be something like some place that's hardly ever cleaned in wich the customers all look like drug addicts, criminals, prostitutes or some kinda mix...).
Gamers do have a tendency toward verbiosity...
Quote from: RPGPundit;708208Gamers do have a tendency toward verbiosity...
It's in the literary roots of our hobby.
VS
Quote from: RPGPundit;708208Gamers do have a tendency toward verbiosity...
Oh hell yes.
I've come to prefer "I hit the orc".
Why?
Because it sure beats "I swing my longsword in a glittering arc descending upon the neck of the vile creature" style stupidity.
Quote from: The Ent;708657Oh hell yes.
I've come to prefer "I hit the orc".
Why?
Because it sure beats "I swing my longsword in a glittering arc descending upon the neck of the vile creature" style stupidity.
There's a big difference between constant, unnecessary purple prose and its occasional, judicious use for heightened effect. "I hit the orc." has a place, too. Every gamer has his own preferred style, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't experiment once in awhile.
VS
G: Ah, Dr. Johnson! Damn cold day!
J: Indeed it is, sir -- but a very fine one, for I celebrated last night the
encyclopaedic implementation of my pre-meditated orchestration of demotic
Anglo-Saxon.
G: (nods, grinning, then speaks) Nope -- didn't catch any of that.
J: Well, I simply observed, sir, that I'm felicitous, since, during the
course of the penultimate solar sojourn, I terminated my uninterrupted
categorisation of the vocabulary of our post-Norman tongue.
G: Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds damn saucy,
you lucky thing! I know some fairly liberal-minded girls, but I've
never penultimated any of them in a solar sojourn, or, for that matter,
been given any Norman tongue!
E: I believe, sir, that the Doctor is trying to tell you that he is happy
because he has finished his book. It has, apparently, taken him ten years.
G: Yes, well, I'm a slow reader myself...
Quote from: VengerSatanis;709020There's a big difference between constant, unnecessary purple prose and its occasional, judicious use for heightened effect. "I hit the orc." has a place, too. Every gamer has his own preferred style, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't experiment once in awhile.
VS
Oh absolutely, agreed.
I do tend to go a bit Lovecraftian when describing ancient temples and deep dungeons and such myself.
Quote from: RPGPundit;709348G: Ah, Dr. Johnson! Damn cold day!
J: Indeed it is, sir -- but a very fine one, for I celebrated last night the
encyclopaedic implementation of my pre-meditated orchestration of demotic
Anglo-Saxon.
G: (nods, grinning, then speaks) Nope -- didn't catch any of that.
J: Well, I simply observed, sir, that I'm felicitous, since, during the
course of the penultimate solar sojourn, I terminated my uninterrupted
categorisation of the vocabulary of our post-Norman tongue.
G: Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds damn saucy,
you lucky thing! I know some fairly liberal-minded girls, but I've
never penultimated any of them in a solar sojourn, or, for that matter,
been given any Norman tongue!
E: I believe, sir, that the Doctor is trying to tell you that he is happy
because he has finished his book. It has, apparently, taken him ten years.
G: Yes, well, I'm a slow reader myself...
By "implementation", I knew you were quoting that one Black Adder episode. Nice. It's been years since I've watched those.
VS
Quote from: rpgpundit;709348g: Ah, dr. Johnson! Damn cold day!
J: Indeed it is, sir -- but a very fine one, for i celebrated last night the
encyclopaedic implementation of my pre-meditated orchestration of demotic
anglo-saxon.
G: (nods, grinning, then speaks) nope -- didn't catch any of that.
J: Well, i simply observed, sir, that i'm felicitous, since, during the
course of the penultimate solar sojourn, i terminated my uninterrupted
categorisation of the vocabulary of our post-norman tongue.
G: Well, i don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds damn saucy,
you lucky thing! I know some fairly liberal-minded girls, but i've
never penultimated any of them in a solar sojourn, or, for that matter,
been given any norman tongue!
E: I believe, sir, that the doctor is trying to tell you that he is happy
because he has finished his book. It has, apparently, taken him ten years.
G: Yes, well, i'm a slow reader myself...
sausage!!!!
Quote from: VengerSatanis;705775If you'd like to argue the roleplaying / storytelling point, then go ahead. I've never played an RPG that didn't have some kind of story, but maybe you have. If so, I'd be interested in reading your experiences. I've roleplayed without dice, sheets, magic, weapons, and violence, but never without at least a hint of story - setting, characters, conflict, etc.
"Multitudinous" doesn't really evoke much of anything, in my opinion. It's just kind of unnecessarily archaic.
Similarly, I wasn't going for purple prose. Instead, my goal was to list words and phrases that helped everyone at the table imagine the scene. Not all those listed are worthy of being up there. Feel free to pick out ones you feel are "too much" or whatever. This is supposed to be an interactive exercise for readers of my old school gaming blog... and you guys.
VS
Venger, it's a point of religion in these parts that the elfgames folks do around here has nothing to do with the "swine" who were behind the 2nd most successful RPG of all time. I'd advise doing some off site research in regards to sandbox vs narrative RPGs, the Forge, the OSR, Pundit's blog and other venues of Nerd Holy War. Of course, 'storytelling' gets confused with 'storygaming' here often due to it's purple prosaic use in early White Wolf products.
I love purple prose myself. The man EGG did, and that made him even more awesome!