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...

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