Splatbook: Difference between revisions

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A '''Splatbook''' is a non-core sourcebook for an RPG that provides additional rules and material that can be used with the main system. An example of a well-known splatbook is [[the Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic]].
A '''Splatbook''' is a non-core sourcebook for an RPG that provides additional rules and material that can be used with the main system. An example of a well-known splatbook is [[the Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic]].


The term comes from [[White Wolf]] games. Practically all of their Storytelling System games have a variety of character types, with a variety of names for these character types, and lots and lots of books about these character types, "tribebooks," "clanbooks," and so on. These came to be known as "*books", or "splatbooks". Asterisks are often used in computing as wildcards, to represent "everything" or "anything else". Don't asterisks look like little splats? (Thank you, TV Tropes.)
The [[White Wolf]] fandom is often cited as the origin of the term. The names of the supplemental material books for [[World of Darkness]] depended on which branch of the game they were for: [[Vampire: The Masquerade|clanbooks]], [[Werewolf: The Apocalypse|tribebooks]] (say that three times fast!), [[Mage: The Ascension|tradition books]], etc. On Usenet newsgroups, these came to be known as "*books", after the asterisk's function as a wildcard character in computing. Common CIS slang calls these "splats", because they (kind of, sort of, if you squint) look like star-shaped splatters of paint, slime, blood, or some other slightly viscous fluid.


Splatbooks tend to be known for their containing [[Mary Sue|significantly more powerful classes, feats, etc.]] than the core books for the respective system.
Splatbooks tend to be known for their containing [[Power creep|significantly more powerful classes, feats, etc.]] than the core books for the respective system.


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[[Category:Game Books]]
[[Category:Game Books]]

Revision as of 14:40, 8 September 2015

A Splatbook is a non-core sourcebook for an RPG that provides additional rules and material that can be used with the main system. An example of a well-known splatbook is the Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic.

The White Wolf fandom is often cited as the origin of the term. The names of the supplemental material books for World of Darkness depended on which branch of the game they were for: clanbooks, tribebooks (say that three times fast!), tradition books, etc. On Usenet newsgroups, these came to be known as "*books", after the asterisk's function as a wildcard character in computing. Common CIS slang calls these "splats", because they (kind of, sort of, if you squint) look like star-shaped splatters of paint, slime, blood, or some other slightly viscous fluid.

Splatbooks tend to be known for their containing significantly more powerful classes, feats, etc. than the core books for the respective system.

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