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Appendix Three: Glossary and Acronym Key

This appendix contains all of the acronyms listed throughout SFRPG as well as keywords (indicated by bold type), along with specific definitions of these terms. This appendix is meant to be used as a quick reference for those who come across a term they aren't familiar with and can't find the original source material that the term came from, or in cases where the source material isn't necessary all that clear. Where possible, the chapter(s) in which the term is used are included with the definition. This glossary does not include the context under which specific terms are used; for that information, players may either use the information provided to find the term in an originating chapter, or refer to the Index.

• Ablaze: A condition a character sustains when they are set on fire. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Abstract Grid: A form of measuring distance in combat using a measuring stick (such as a ruler). (Chapter 9.1)
• Accessories: An object designed to augment the abilities of another object. (Chapter 10.2.4)
• Accommodation Spaces: An amount of space within a vehicle's designated Safe Accommodation Space used to house one or more beings, either as crew or passengers. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Acid: Any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than pure water. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Acquired Flaw: A Flaw given to the vehicle or starship in question during actual use. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Action: Anything performed by a character or object. (Chapter 10.6)
• ACU: Acronym for the Acumen Attribute. (Chapter 2.1)
• Acumen: A mental Attribute that measures a character’s common sense, intuition, and willpower. (Chapter 2.1)
• Adolescence: A life stage during which a Lifeform's adult structures begin to develop and function. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Adulthood: A life stage during which a Lifeform has matured and can actively procreate. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Adventure: A single plot through which involves significant occurrences in the lives of the Player Characters. (Chapter 11.0)
• Adventure Hook: The general idea behind an Adventure, which acts as the starting point for developing a story. (Chapter 11.1)
• Aerodynamic Rating: An amount added to a vehicle's Basic Cost to account for additional thermal protection based on how fast a vehicle may travel. (Chapter 6.2)
• AHP: Acronym for "Armor Hit Points". (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Alpha Sector: The Sector in which Earth is located; the starmap used in Starflight One. (Chapter 8.4)
• Ammunition: Any object that is either used to power a weapon or is propelled by the weapon. (Chapter 5.4)
• Ancient Technology: A type of Artifact that has an useful game effect, manufactured earlier than 3 thousand years ago. (Chapter 5.9)
• Antagonist: A single character, a group of characters, or an "institution of a happening" that represent the opposition against which the Protagonist(s) must contend. (Chapter 11.1)
• Anti-climax: What occurs in a story when the climax is less important or less exciting than everything that has proceeded it. (Chapter 10.5)
• Archetype Character: An original character model from which all other similar persons are patterned, used as a means of rapidly generating an NPC during the course of game-play. (Chapter 11.1)
• Arctic: A planetary temperature category denoting surface temperatures between -100 degrees and 0 degrees Celsius. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Armor: Any form of protection for a character, vehicle or starship that imparts additional, temporary hit points. (Chapter 5.3)
• Armor Hit Points: A number of Hit Points that represent the remaining strength in the armor of a vehicle or starship. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Arth Monetary Unit: The primary mode of currency on Arth (ca. 4620), used as a de facto universal currency in the Alpha Sector. (Chapter 5.4)
• Artifact: A blanket term for any unique object that requires planetary exploration in order to acquire. (Chapter 5.9)
• Atmosphere: All of the gaseous material surrounding an astronomical body. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Atmospheric Density: A categorical property of planets that measures the mass of the atmosphere as compared to its volume. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Attack Action: Any action wherein one combatant attempts to apply damage to another combatant. (Chapter 9.0)
• Attribute: A set of characteristics that measures a character's physical and mental aptitudes. (Chapter 2.1)
• Attribute Damage: A potential effect of a Poison which either temporarily or permanent reduces the number of points in a character's Skills and Attributes. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Auditory Organ: A Sensory Organ that gives a Lifeform the sense of hearing. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Autotroph: Any organism that can synthesize its food from inorganic substances, usually using heat or light as a source of energy; another term for a producer. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Balance: A state of affair within a game wherein the capabilities of all PCs are similar to one another, and similar to the NPCs a group will encounter. (Chapter 10.4)
• Barycenter: The point at which the gravitational forces exerted by two objects are equal. (Chapter 10.2.2)
• Base Height Value: An amount added to the final overall long dimension of a specific lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Base Pocket Unit: Another term for Slot. (Chapter 5.4)
• Bases: Any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity less than pure water. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Basic Combat Statistics: A set of statistics for a combatant that includes the minimum amount of information needed for the combatant in combat. (Chapter 2.1)
• Basic Cost: The cost of a vehicle or starship's chassis. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Basic Damage: A form of damage that occurs to characters wherein they take equal amounts of lethal and non-lethal damage as the result of a single attack, with any remainder going to non-lethal damage. (Chapter 9.2)
• Basic Stats: A set of statistics commonly shared amongst all objects. (Chapter 5.4)
• Bass Mass Value: An amount added to the final overall mass of a specific lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Battery: An object that produces direct-current electricity by a chemical reaction between two substances. (Chapter 5.4)
• Beam Weapon: Any weapon whose mode of damage consists of energetic release from a collection of rays or any similar phenomenon. (Chapters 5.2; 6.2.3; 7.2.2)
• Best Price Point: A value for a trade good that represents the price at which a trader would either like to sell their wares, or to pay for the players’ goods. (Chapter 5.1.1)
• BHD: Acronym for "Blast Hit Difficulty". (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Bio: A shortened form of biodensity. (Chapter 12.4.1)
• Biodensity: A measure of how much of the planet's surface supports higher organisms. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Biomass: Another term for Biodensity. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Biomass Percentage: Another term for Biodensity. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Bite: A Natural Weapon that uses muscular mechanical leverage and sharpened points, usually located in or near the lifeform's gustatory organ. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Blast Hit Difficulty: A Hit Difficulty used in situations where a vehicle or starship is subject to attack by a Blast Weapon or any phenomenon with a similar effect. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Body Area: A non-specific Body Part that houses most of a character's major internal organs. (Chapter 5.4)
• Body Part: A specific region of a character's body that can sustain Wounds. (Chapter 9.2)
• Bonus: Any additional special ability assigned to a starship designed to enhance its capabilities. (Chapter 7.2.2)
• Boundary Price: A price for a trade good that, beyond which, the trader will refuse all offers. (Chapter 5.1.1)
• Boundary Price Point: Another term for either type of Boundary Price. (Chapter 5.1.2)
• Bounding Box: The minimum size of a rectangular prism (a box) possible in order to contain an object. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Brain Death: An irreversible condition that occurs once a character has been in Clinical Death for a number of minutes equal to their Durability score. (Chapter 9.2)
• Building Point Deficit: A condition that may arise when during the character creation process wherein a character has been given more points in Talents than in Complications, without having enough available hero points to cover the difference. (Chapter 2.4)
• Burn: A double Wound received under certain conditions, one of which automatically scars. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Calm Weather: A category of planetary Weather that causes minimal interference to a vehicle's transit. (Chapter 8.1)
• Campaign: A set of Adventures played out in sequence that contain an overarching plot between them. (Chapter 11.0)
• Capsized: A condition that occurs when a sea vehicle critically fails a Vehicle Piloting Check after taking damage, which inflicts further hull damage, causes the vehicle to begin Taking on Water, and renders the vehicle completely immobile. (Chapter 9.3)
• Cargo Capacity: A value that indicates the total amount of space a vehicle or starship has for cargo carrying, based on the base amount and any accessories or pods installed. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Cartographer: A player assigned by a group to make a map of the Adventure, particularly during a Site-Based Adventure. (Chapter 10.5)
• CHA: Acronym for the Charm Attribute. (Chapter 2.1)
• Character: A person or object marked by notable or conspicuous traits. (Chapter 11.1)
• Character Archetype: An original character model from which all other similar persons are patterned, used as a means of rapidly generating an NPC during the course of game-play. (Chapter 12.3.1)
• Character Size Class: A shorthand measurement of the overall Bounding Box Volume of a character or creature. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Characteristics: A composite term that covers a character's Attributes, Disciplines, and Traits. (Chapter 2.1)
• Charged: The state of a weapon before it has been used during a combat round, indicating its readiness for use. (Chapter 9.3)
• Charges: A measure of the remaining electrical power that can be provided by a battery. (Chapter 5.4)
• Charm: A mental Attribute that measures a character’s force of personality. (Chapter 2.1)
• Chassis: The basic frame of a vehicle or starship. (Chapters 6.0; 7.0)
• Chassis Weight: A measure of the density and size of any particular type of Chassis. (Chapters 6.0; 7.0)
• Check: A die roll made in order to determine whether or not a character is successful when conducting a specific action, usually involving one of the character's Skills or Sub-Disciplines. (Chapter 2.4)
• Chemical Weapon: A weapon of mass destruction which releases a noxious substance into a given environment. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Childhood: A life stage between birth and adolescence during which a lifeform begins to develop. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Clairvoyance: The knowledge of an object or event without perceiving it through normal sensory channels. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Claw: A Natural Weapon that uses muscular mechanical leverage and sharpened points, usually located in or near the lifeform's motor appendages. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Cliffhanger: A method of ending a story which leaves a portion of the tale open, leaving a starting place for subsequent stories. (Chapter 10.5)
• Climax: The most crucial point within a story wherein the action reaches its highest point. (Chapter 11.1)
• Clinical Death: A reversible condition that occurs when a character or creature is reduced to zero Hit Points, takes a number of Wounds equal to three times their Durability, or is reduced to -100 Physique at any time. (Chapter 9.2)
• Clothing: Any object designed as an external adornment for a character, usually (but not always) a container object. (Chapter 5.4)
• CMD: Acronym for the Command Discipline. (Chapter 2.1)
• Cognitive Organ: A Body Part that controls all of a character's mental capabilities. (Chapter 5.4)
• Colonizable Planet: An uninhabited planet that fulfills a set of criteria that would enable it to support sapient lifeforms on a long-term basis. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Colony Recommendation: A message sent to a governing body advising them of the existence of a world suitable for colonization, made by a starship crew as a means of generating revenue. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• COM: Acronym for the Communications' Discipline. (Chapter 2.1)
• Comatose: A condition that occurs when a character or creature has taken twice their maximum number of Non-Lethal Hit Points. (Chapter 9.2)
• Combat Arc: A division of the area immediately surrounding a vehicle equal to one-quarter the total area when viewed on a two-dimensional plane, containing all the vehicle's weapons and defenses within that area. (Chapter 9.3)
• Combatant: Anyone or anything actively involved in a combat action. (Chapter 9.0)
• Combination Adventure: A type of Adventure wherein the Event Pacing uses elements of both Location-Based Adventures and Event-Based Adventures. (Chapter 11.1)
• Command: A Discipline that measures a character’s ability to negotiate and to lead others. (Chapter 2.1)
• Commander: A character in charge of a vehicle's operation. (Chapter 9.3)
• Communication Technologies: Any mechanical device designed to facilitate the transmission and/or reception of a message. (Chapter 5.4)
• Communications: A Discipline that measures a character's ability to exchange information with other characters, their ability to utilize proper equipment during that exchange, and to understand information exchange applications. (Chapter 2.1)
• Complication: Any negative trait that may be assigned to a character. (Chapter 2.4)
• Composite Effect: Any environmental effect that has aspects of two or more other environmental effects. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Composite Strength Index: The sum of the strength indices of a group of combatants. (Chapter 9.1)
• Computer Technology: Any type of machine that manipulates data according to a given list of instructions. (Chapter 5.4)
• Conflict: A state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests. (Chapter 11.1)
• Container: Another term for Pocket. (Chapter 5.4)
• Container Object: Any object that contains pockets. (Chapter 5.4)
• Conventional Power Center: A form of municipal government that utilizes a stable traditional power structure. (Chapter 10.2.3)
• Cost Multiplier: An amount by which the total cost of a vehicle is multiplied by after all factors are totaled based on the vehicle's chassis. (Chapter 6.2)
• Cover: The ability of a vehicle, starship or other object to absorb damage for its occupants. (Chapters 9.3; 9.4)
• Creature: Another term for Lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Creature Trait: Any special ability possessed by a Lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Crew: A number which indicates the minimum necessary personnel needed to operate a vehicle or starship. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Crew Complement: A number which indicates the total number of personnel a vehicle or starship may carry. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Critical Failure: A die roll result that indicates spectacular failure, usually with negative consequences. (Chapter 1.1)
• Critical Hit: A die roll result in combat that allows for damage above and beyond the normal amounts. (Chapter 9.2)
• Critical Miss: A die roll result in combat that accidentally causes damage to a friendly combatant. (Chapter 9.2)
• Critical Potential: A class of die rolls which allows for either spectacular success, spectacular failure, or both. (Chapter 1.1)
• Critical Success: A die roll result that indicates spectacular success, usually with positive consequences. (Chapter 1.1)
• Critical Thresholds: A die result that either must be exceeded to indicate a Critical Success, or that must not be exceeded to indicate Critical Failure. (Chapter 1.1)
• CSC: Acronym for "Creature Size Class". (Chapter 10.2.5)
• CSI: Acronym for "Composite Strength Index". (Chapter 9.1)
• Cubic Meter: The volume of a box that is one meter tall, one meter long, and one meter wide. (Chapter 8.0)
• Curio: A type of Artifact that has no in-game effects or intrinsic value other than its own. (Chapter 5.9)
• Current: The free flow of any fluid within a fluid. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• d%: A roll of two ten-sided dice, with one die representing the "tens" place and the other the "hundreds" place. (Chapter 1.1)
• Damage Reduction: A property that indicates the amount of physical damage that is removed from a physical attack prior to the reduction of the object's available hit points. (Chapter 10.2.4)
• Dazed: A debilitating condition wherein a character or creature has been either been reduced to half of their maximum HP or less, or has been subjected to a special attack. (Chapter 9.2)
• DC: Acronym for "Difficulty Class". (Chapter 1.1)
• Declaration: A game phase wherein players announce what they intend for their characters to do during a round. (Chapter 10.5)
• Default Armor: The optimal armor rating for a vehicle chassis. (Chapter 6.2)
• Default Engine: The optimal engine rating for a vehicle chassis. (Chapter 6.2)
• Defense Arc: A Combat Arc containing all of the defensive systems (shields and armor) located in that arc. (Chapter 9.3)
• Defenses: Any object designed to keep other objects (including living beings) from taking physical damage or experiencing effects that would significantly degrade the protected object's performance. (Chapter 10.2.4)
• Degree Of Failure: The amount by which a die roll falls short of the Difficulty Class of that roll. (Chapter 1.1)
• Degree Of Success: The amount by which a die roll exceeds the Difficulty Class of that roll. (Chapter 1.1)
• Delta Sector: The Sector to which the Leghk species are native; the starmap used in Starflight Two. (Chapter 8.4)
• Denouement: Another term for Resolution. (Chapter 10.5)
• Density: A property of matter that measures an object's mass as compared to its volume. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Derived Statistics: Any statistic that is determined based on a character's, vehicle's, or starship's other statistics. (Chapters 2.4; 6.2; 7.2)
• Design Flaw: A Flaw given to the vehicle or starship in question during the craft's creation process. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Destination Planet: In Interplanetary travel, the point to which a space vehicle or starship is ultimately heading. (Chapter 8.3)
• Difficulty Class: The minimum result on a die roll (usually d%) needed to indicate success in an action by any character. (Chapter 1.1)
• Discharged: The state of a weapon after it has been used during a combat round, usually preventing its use again until becoming Charged once again. (Chapter 9.2)
• Discipline: A set of characteristics that measures a character's expertise, experience and learning in certain applied fields. (Chapter 2.1)
• Dungeon: The traditional term for a Site. (Chapter 11.2.1)
• Durability: A generic physical Attribute used to measure raw strength and toughness. (Chapter 2.1)
• Duration Period: A period of time during which a Poison or Pathogen's effects continue. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Dwarf Planet: A small planet that has not cleared its neighboring region of significant planetesimals. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• EC: Acronym for "Encumbrance Class". (Chapter 5.4)
• Economic Level: An indication of the health of the planetary economy on any world inhabited by sapient lifeforms. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Ecosphere: The zone around a star wherein conditions for supporting life exist. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Elements: A listing of materials that can be retrieved from a destroyed vehicle or starship. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Emergency Surgery: An attempt to rapidly heal a character or creature's Wounds after the onset of Clinical Death. (Chapter 9.2)
• Encounter: Any situation wherein the player characters are intercepted by or must interact with non-player characters or significant objects, usually providing a means to exercise one or more Skills or Sub-Disciplines. (Chapters 8.2; 8.3; 8.4)
• Encumbrance: A method of limiting the amount of gear a character is allowed to carrying accounting for both weight and volume. (Chapter 5.4)
• Encumbrance Class: An indirect measure of the mass of an object, which acts a penalty to a character's physical actions. (Chapter 5.4)
• Encumbrance Total: Another term for Total Encumbrance Class. (Chapter 5.4)
• Endurium: A crystalline element used as the fuel element in Starflight One. (Chapter 8.1)
• ENG: Acronym for the Engineering Discipline. (Chapter 2.1)
• Engine: An object designed to provide locomotive and electrical power to a vehicle or starship. (Chapter 10.2.4)
• Engineering: A Discipline that measures a character's ability to acquire and apply scientific and technical knowledge to the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. (Chapter 2.1)
• Equipment: Another term for Accessories. (Chapter 10.2.4)
• Escort: An additional starship hired on to accompany a principal starship for whatever reason. (Chapter 12.2)
• Esper Potential: An optional mental Attribute which can be used to measure a character's Psionic abilities. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Event Pacing: A term used to describe when significant events will occur during the course of an Adventure. (Chapter 11.1)
• Event-Based Adventure: A type of Adventure wherein the Event Pacing is dependent upon what events have already taken place when another event is scheduled to occur. (Chapter 11.1)
• Expendable Pod: A Pod that has a specific one-time use requiring removal while the ship is in operation. (Chapter 7.2.2)
• Fail: A condition wherein a body part has taken sufficient damage to stop functioning normally. (Chapter 9.2)
• Failure Threshold: Another name for Difficulty Class. (Chapter 1.1)
• Fast Pack: A set of predetermined equipment for a character based on a Wilderness Backpack Container Object. (Chapter 12.3.1)
• Fatigued: A condition wherein a character or creature has taken half or more of their maximum number of Hit Points, causing reduced performance. (Chapter 9.2)
• FHD: Acronym for "Flat-Footed Hit Difficulty". (Chapters 2.4; 6.2; 7.2; 9.1)
• Field Of Vision: The region that a combatant can view at any given time, used to establish line-of-sight to the enemy. (Chapter 9.2)
• FIN: Acronym for the Finesse Attribute. (Chapter 2.1)
• Finesse: A physical Attribute that measures a character’s agility, reflex actions, and coordination. (Chapter 2.1)
• Firing Arc: A Combat Arc containing all of the weapons located in that arc. (Chapter 9.3)
• First Quadrant: One of the four Quadrants of a star system, selected arbitrarily and usually located in the upper-right hand corner on a two-dimensional representation of the system. (Chapter 8.3)
• Flat-Footed Hit Difficulty: A Hit Difficulty used in situations wherein a combatant or group of combatants are targets in a Surprise Round in combat. (Chapters 2.4; 6.2; 7.2)
• Flaw: Any condition given to a vehicle or starship that has a permanent, debilitating effect. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Flier: A lifeform that is capable of powered flight. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Floater: A lifeform that is capable of flight, but is not capable of powered flight. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Flux: A stable gravitational singularity linked to a second such "node", between which a stable wormhole exists that can act as a shortcut during hyperspace travel. (Chapter 8.4)
• Food: Any item that can be consumed by a character for energy. (Chapter 5.4)
• Fortitude Save: A roll made in dire situations where a character's innate toughness can mitigate the outcome. (Chapter 2.4)
• Free Action: Any action that is considered "automatic", taking no appreciable amount of time to complete. (Chapter 9.0)
• Frozen Planet: A planet that is so cold that whatever water does exist on the planet's surface is most commonly in the form of ice. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• FRS: Acronym for "Fortitude Save". (Chapter 2.4)
• Frustration Level: A value which measures how frustrated a trader is with the players, based upon how things go during the course of a trading transaction. (Chapter 5.1.2)
• Fuel: A substance that provides energy for a vehicle or starship. (Chapter 5.8)
• Fuel Efficiency: A ratio which measures the amount of fuel that is expended by the vehicle over a given distance of travel. (Chapter 8.1)
• Fuel Point: A cubic meter of fuel contained by a vehicle or starship while Simple Count is employed. (Chapter 8.1)
• Full-Round Action: A complex action requiring a full combat round in order to complete. (Chapter 9.0)
• Gamemaster: A player whose job it is to direct the game for the remaining players. (Chapter 10.0)
• Gamemastering: The art of running a role-playing game, telling a story while keeping things within the confines of the rules. (Chapter 10.0)
• Gas Giant Planet: A large planet primarily composed of large amounts of gases, usually with poorly defined solid or liquid centers. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• GM: Acronym for "Gamemaster". (Chapter 1.1)
• Goal: An objective that may be assigned to a combatant group during Simple Combat other than the total elimination of all opposing parties, OR an objective which must be fulfilled by the Player Characters in order to bring an Adventure to a successful conclusion. (Chapters 9.1; 11.1)
• Gore: A Natural Weapon that causes damage through piercing, usually by running a sharpened point into the Target. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Gunner: A Specialist in charge of aiming and firing a vehicle's weaponry. (Chapter 9.3)
• Gustatory Organ: A Sensory Organ that gives a Lifeform the sense of taste. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Haggle: The art of re-negotiating the price of an item, whether being bought or sold. (Chapter 5.1.2)
• Hangar Capacity: The volume of space a parent vehicle or starship may use for the storage of child craft. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Hastily: A method a character may employ for putting on physical armor quickly, at the cost of various penalties. (Chapter 5.3)
• HD: Acronym for "Hit Difficulty". (Chapter 1.1)
• Heavy Weather: A category of planetary Weather that causes significant interference to a vehicle's transit. (Chapter 8.1)
• Helpless: A condition wherein a character or creature is unable to perform any action for whatever reason. (Chapter 9.2)
• Hero Level: A term describing a number of building points a character possess above the amount they had as a new character, given either as a result of game-play or deliberately in the creation process. (Chapter 2.4)
• Heterotroph: Any organism that cannot synthesize its own food and must get energy from external sources; another term for a consumer. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Hit Difficulty: The Difficulty Class of an attack roll, used to determine if a combatant is successfully hit or not. (Chapter 1.1)
• Hit Points: A measure of the amount of physical damage a character or object can take before dying or being destroyed, respectively. (Chapter 2.4)
• Hot Racking: The act of assigning more than one person to a small Accommodation Space, increasing a vehicle or starship's capacity at the cost of a performance drop. (Chapter 6.2)
• House Rule: Any rules adopted by a particular role-playing group outside the normal rules. (Chapter 10.1)
• HP: Acronym for "Hit Points". (Chapter 2.4)
• Hull Damage: A form of damage that occurs to a vehicle or starship's outer hull, which leads to structural fatigue. (Chapters 9.3; 9.4)
• Hydrosphere: All of the liquid material located on the surface of an astronomical body. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Hyperspace: A phenomenon wherein space-time is contracted ahead of a craft and expanded behind, forming a "warp bubble" which allows superphotonic travel to occur. (Chapter 8.4)
• Hyperspace Coordinates: A set of coordinates ranging from 0 to 250, used to denote the position of all stars, fluxes, nebulae, starships and other phenomena within a Sector. (Chapter 8.4)
• Hyperspace Lane: The outermost Orbital Lane of all star systems, used as the Destination Planet when a space vehicle or starship wants to enter hyperspace and as the Source Planet when the craft enters the system from hyperspace. (Chapter 8.3)
• ICC: Acronym for "Interstel Comm Center".
• In Melee: A condition wherein a combatant has an opponent within two melee combat range increments. (Chapter 9.2)
• Incubation Period: A period of time after a character or creature's exposure to a Poison or Pathogen before Stage I effects begin to take effect. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Industrial Age: A level of Technological Development, which denotes industrial societies incapable of faster-than-light space travel. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Infection: A condition that occurs when a character with one or more Wounds has a critical failure on a healing Check, with effects similar to those of necrotoxins. (Chapters 9.2; 12.4.2)
• Inferno: A planetary temperature category denoting surface temperatures between 100 degrees and 2000 degrees Celsius or higher. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Inflation: The act of assigning extra Building Points to a new character in an attempt to make them balanced with previously established characters. (Chapter 10.4)
• INIT: Acronym for "Initiative". (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Initial Offer: Another term for Initial Offer Price. (Chapter 5.1.2)
• Initial Offer Price: A value for a trade good that represents a trader’s opening offer for a good, either for sale or purchase. (Chapter 5.1.1)
• Initiative: A measure of a character's quickness and availability to react, or the relative agility of a vehicle or starship. (Chapters 2.4; 6.2; 7.2)
• Initiative-Based Movement: A method for determining how far a combatant can travel during a round, which utilizes the combatant's Initiative rating. (Chapter 9.1)
• Innerzone: Another term for Pre-Ecosphere. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• INT: Acronym for the Intellect Attribute. (Chapter 2.1)
• Intellect: A mental Attribute that measures a character’s ability to learn and reason. (Chapter 2.1)
• Interplanetary Travel: Travel between two points within the same star system, whether the source and/or destination are planets or not. (Chapter 8.3)
• Interstel Comm Center: The official name of the Starflight III forums, located at http://icc.starflight3.org.
• Interstellar Travel: Travel between two points in hyperspace, usually between two star systems. (Chapter 8.4)
• Intertemporal Travel: An extremely hazardous process involving travel between two points in time. (Chapter 8.5)
• Interval Multiplier: An amount dependent upon the outcome of a die roll that is either added to the mass or long dimension of a specific lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Intraplanetary Travel: Travel between two points on the same planet; also known as planetary exploration. (Chapter 8.2)
• Invulnerable: A special condition wherein a starship is incapable of being damaged without fulfilling very specific pre-conditions first. (Chapter 7.3)
• Jump Pod: A pod designed to open a temporary artificial flux, requiring a Quantum Mechanics Check to properly operate. (Chapter 8.4)
• Kilometer Per Hour: A non-relativistic velocity wherein a vehicle travels one kilometer over the course of one hour. (Chapter 8.0)
• Kilometer Per Second: A relativistic velocity wherein a vehicle travels one kilometer over the course of one second. (Chapter 8.0)
• Kph: Abbreviation for Kilometer Per Hour. (Chapter 8.0)
• Kps: Abbreviation for Kilometer Per Second. (Chapter 8.0)
• Learning Rate: A generic mental Attribute used to measure raw intelligence and the speed at which a character learns. (Chapter 2.1)
• Lethal Damage: Any kind of damage which is intended to kill or cause lasting effects to a combatant. (Chapter 9.2)
• Life Stage: One of several time periods in a character's life marked by variations in their characteristics due to the character's age. (Chapter 2.4)
• Lifeform: Any specific living organism. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Lifeform List: A directory of Significant Lifeforms that may be found on a planet's surface. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Light Weather: A category of planetary Weather that causes some interference to a vehicle's transit. (Chapter 8.1)
• Limitation: The maximum class of basic equipment that may be installed on a chassis of a given type. (Chapter 7.2.1)
• Linear Kinematics: The motion of objects in straight lines without consideration of the circumstances leading to the motion. (Chapter 8.0)
• Liquid Planet: A planet whose surface is at least half-covered by water or any other liquid compound. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Lithosphere: A list of the predominant solid elemental material located within the surface of an astronomical body. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Location-Based Adventure: A type of Adventure wherein the Event Pacing is dependent upon the site of the adventure itself. (Chapter 11.1)
• Long Dimension: The spatial extent of a lifeform involving the greatest overall distance. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• MAB: Acronym for "Melee Attack Bonus". (Chapter 2.4)
• Maimed: A condition wherein a single body part takes twice the number of Wounds as the character's Durability, resulting in permanent loss of function in that body part. (Chapter 9.2)
• Maintenance Cycle: An amount of time that passes between maintenance Checks in a synthetic lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Marching Order: The distance between members of a group relative to each other, used to determine what members of the group may be targeted by opposing groups first. (Chapter 9.1)
• Massive Attack: A single attack that causes 50 or more points of Lethal Damage, resulting either in Unconsciousness or Clinical Death. (Chapter 9.2)
• Maximum Age: The latest age an individual Lifeform can obtain, determined upon reaching Venerable Age. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Maximum Armor: The maximum armor Class a vehicle can use without the need for the Reinforced Chassis Accessory. (Chapter 6.2)
• Maximum Bound: A trader's Boundary Price when purchasing items from the players. (Chapter 5.1.1)
• Maximum Potential Lifespan: The longest possible age to which a lifeform may live, barring any kind of injury or illness. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Maximum Speed: The highest velocity a vehicle can achieve without risking structural collapse. (Chapter 6.2)
• MED: Acronym for the Medicine Discipline. (Chapter 2.1)
• Medical Technologies: Any kind of device or tool designed to be used for the purpose of diagnosing medical problems in a sentient being and/or treating those problem. (Chapter 5.4)
• Medicine: A Discipline that measures a character's understanding of the science and "art" of maintaining and/or restoring health through study, diagnosis, and treatment. (Chapter 2.1)
• Medicine (Object): An object that can be administered to a character as a means of treating on-going medical problems. (Chapter 5.4)
• Megafauna: Any animal on a planet's surface that is a Significant Lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Megaflora: Any non-animal on a planet's surface that is a Significant Lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Melee: Any form of combat wherein the combatant is in the same grid square as the target. (Chapter 9.1)
• Melee Attack Bonus: An amount added to a character's attack roll when engaged in melee combat. (Chapter 2.4)
• Melee Combat: Any combat on the character scale wherein the attacking combatant is within 75 meters of their target. (Chapter 9.2)
• Melee Weapon: Any weapon whose mode of damage consists of mechanical energy imparted to the weapon by the strength of its user, generally used in close quarters. (Chapter 5.2)
• Mental Disease: Any disease inflicted upon a character or creature that was contracted as a result of a psychokinetic attack. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Mercator Projection: A cylindrical map projection of a planet's surface that represents lines of constant course as straight segments. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Metadata: Any data used to describe other data, such as a listing of a vehicle's accessories during the course of game-play. (Chapter 3.8)
• Meta-Game Thinking: A non-role-playing form of thinking that occurs when a player decides on an action based upon the way the gamemaster is running the game rather than what their character would probably do. (Chapter 10.1)
• Metal Age: A level of Technological Development, which denotes pre-industrial societies, but not pre-historical societies. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Microsleep: A condition which may occur while a character has a sleep debt wherein the character temporary falls asleep after failing a Check. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Middle Age: A life stage occurring between adulthood and old age during which deterioration of physical abilities begins. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Min: A shortened form of mineralogical density. (Chapter 12.4.1)
• Mineral Density: A measure of how much of the planet's surface contains mineable materials. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Mineralogical Density: Another term for Mineral Density. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Mineralogical Percentage: Another term for Mineral Density. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Minimum Bound: A trader's Boundary Price when selling items to the players. (Chapter 5.1.1)
• Minimum Engine: On certain vehicles, the minimum Class of engine that can be installed that will still allow the vehicle to be operated successfully. (Chapter 6.2)
• Mission: Another term for Adventure. (Chapter 11.0)
• Mode Of Contraction: The method through which a character is exposed to a Poison or Pathogen. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Molten Planet: A planet that, for whatever reason, has a surface that is at least half-covered with lava flows or molten material. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Money: A generally accepted means of exchange and measure of value. (Chapter 11.1)
• Moon: Any body within a star system that is a natural satellite of another body in the same system. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Moonlet: A particularly small Moon. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Motivation: A general listing of the reasons why a member of a sapient species may choose to go on an adventure, used by a GM to help gather story ideas involving members of the species. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Motor Appendage: Any part of a character's body whose primary function is to manipulate objects. (Chapter 9.2)
• Mount: An accessory which allows a starship to carry Pods. (Chapter 7.2.2)
• Mountpoint: A property of container objects that indicate on what part of the body the contained is meant to be worn. (Chapter 5.4)
• Move Action: Any standard action that involves the relocation of a combatant or an adjustment of their armament. (Chapter 9.0)
• Movement: Any action that affects a combatant's range to its current target. (Chapter 9.1)
• MU: Acronym for "(Arth) Monetary Unit". (Chapter 5.4)
• Mutilated: A form of Brain Death which occurs when a character sustains damage equal to twice their maximum number of Hit Points or more. (Chapter 9.2)
• Multiped: Any Runner that has more than four propulsive appendages. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Nascent Feature: A property of a star that has either recently come to exist or can come into existence at a future date as set by the system's creator. (Chapter 10.2.2)
• Natural Armor: Any form of Armor that occurs as part of a lifeform's natural makeup. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Natural Weapon: A specialized Body Part used by a Lifeform to deliberately damage another Lifeform. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• NAV: Acronym for the Navigation Discipline. (Chapter 2.1)
• Navigation: A Discipline that measures a character's ability to pilot craft and get people from one place to another without getting lost. (Chapter 2.1)
• Navigation (Concept): The process of planning, reading, and controlling movement from one place to another. (Chapter 8.0)
• Navigational Unit Distance: A distance used to measure a vehicle's fuel efficiency which is specific to the type of chassis involved. (Chapter 8.1)
• Nebula: A cloud in space consisting of gas or dust, oftentimes presenting a hazard to navigation. (Chapter 8.4)
• Nebula Shields: A type of energy Shield capable of functioning within the boundaries of a nebula. (Chapters 6.2.3; 7.2.2)
• Neutral Character: A Non-Player Character that neither supports nor hinders the Player Characters. (Chapter 11.1)
• NHP: Acronym for "Non(-Lethal) Hit Points". (Chapter 2.4)
• Niche: A Lifeform's position on the food chain. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• No Grid: A form of measuring distance in combat using a 2d10 roll. (Chapter 9.1)
• Non-Lethal Damage: Any kind of damage which is intended to disable the combatant, but not necessarily to cause any kind of lasting damage. (Chapter 9.2)
• Non-Lethal Hit Points: A measure of the amount of non-lethal damage a character can take before they pass out. (Chapter 2.4)
• Non-Player Character: Any character who is under the direct control of the gamemaster. (Chapter 2.4)
• Non-sapient: A Lifeform whose behavior does not indicate wisdom and discernment subjectively. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• NPC: Acronym for "Non-Player Character". (Chapter 2.4)
• Old Age: A latter life stage marked by more significant deterioration of physical abilities. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Olfactory Organ: A Sensory Organ that gives a Lifeform the sense of smell. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Onomastikon: A name dictionary. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Opportunity Attack: An attack made as by an opposing combatant prior to a (usually significant) attack by a combatant. (Chapter 9.2)
• Optimal Arc: The area within a combatant's Field of Vision wherein they may target an opponent and attack without penalty. (Chapter 9.2)
• Optimal Planet: A Colonizable Planet with surface gravity between 0.8 and 1.2 gees, where life has a particularly good chance to thrive. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Orbital Lane: A designated path in which a planet or other object may be placed in orbit around a star. (Chapter 8.3)
• Orbital Position: The position of a planet within a star system relative to the system's Ecosphere. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Order Of Battle: During turn-based combat, an ordered list used to determine in what order combatants will conduct their actions based on Initiative Checks made by all combatants. (Chapter 9.1)
• Outerzone: Another term for Post-Ecosphere. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Outfit: A set of clothes worn for a specific purpose. (Chapter 5.4)
• Outfitter Rule: A method of using real-world data to rapidly generate objects for in-game use without pre-existing data on the object. (Chapter 5.4)
• Overcrowded: A situation wherein a vehicle is carrying more personnel than it is rated for, resulting in a drop in performance. (Chapter 9.3)
• Overdosed: A condition wherein a medical patient attempting to temporarily regain consciousness either gains no benefit from a stimulant or wherein their doctor fails the necessary Check, leading to poisoning. (Chapter 9.2)
• Parent Vehicle: Any vehicle that carries another vehicle. (Chapter 6.2)
• Parsec Per Hour: A relativistic velocity wherein a vehicle travels one parsec over the course of one hour. (Chapter 8.0)
• Passengers: A number which indicates the maximum number of personnel that are not essential to the operation of a vehicle or starship but may still use it as a means of conveyance. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Pathogen: Any organism or substance capable of causing disease. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• PC: Acronym for "Player Character". (Chapter 2.4)
• Percentage Count: A method of keeping track of a vehicle or starship's fuel consumption that compares the current fuel status to the maximum fuel capacity as a percentage. (Chapter 8.1)
• Peripheral Arc: The area within a combatant's Field of Vision wherein they may target an opponent, but take a penalty when attacking. (Chapter 9.2)
• Permanent Pod: A Pod that is not designed to be removed from a starship unless located at a drydock. (Chapter 7.2.2)
• Personality: A listing of how a member of that species can be expected to behave in social situations. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• PHY: Acronym for the Physique Attribute. (Chapter 2.1)
• Physical Grid: A form of measuring distance in combat using an orthogonal grid of squares. (Chapter 9.1)
• Physique: A physical Attribute that measures a character’s health, stamina, and recuperative abilities. (Chapter 2.1)
• Pincer: A Natural Weapon consisting of two Claws, which also commonly acts as the manipulator portion of their motor appendages. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Planetary Orbital Lane: Any Orbital Lane located around a planet, used for the purpose of placing moons, rings or other phenomena in orbit of that planet. (Chapter 8.3)
• Planetary Size Class: A shorthand measurement of the overall Bounding Box Volume of a planet or space body. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Planetary Type: A generic planetary stat that describes the predominant surface conditions. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Planet-Side Adventure: An Adventure with a Setting located on a planet's surface, but outside of a community. (Chapter 11.2.2)
• Player Character: A character who is under the control of any player besides the gamemaster, who acts as that player's alter ego within the game. (Chapter 2.4)
• Plot Slicing: A technique for developing the plot of a story that involves asking progressive questions about intended events within the story, filling in additional information as the process continues. (Chapter 11.1.1)
• Pocket: Any item or device which allows a player to carry an item without the use of a motor appendage. (Chapter 5.4)
• Pod: An semi-permanent accessory which acts as an add-on module attached to the outer hull of a starship. (Chapter 7.2.2)
• Point: A numerical value used during the character building process to determine the character's final characteristics. (Chapter 2.4)
• Poisoned: A debilitating condition which occurs when a character fails a Fortitude Save after being exposed to a harmful substance. (Chapters 9.2; 12.4.2)
• Polysolar System: Any star system that contains more than one star. (Chapter 10.2.2)
• Post-ecosphere: The zone around a star between its Ecosphere and its outer boundary, where conditions are too cold for life to exist. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Power: A physical Attribute that measures a character’s muscle and physical strength. (Chapter 2.1)
• Precognition: Knowledge of future events or what another being will think in the future. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Pre-ecosphere: The zone around a star between the star and its Ecosphere, where conditions are too hot for life to exist. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Premise: Another term for Adventure Hook. (Chapter 11.1)
• Primary Category: A designation of the most important function of an object. (Chapter 10.2.4)
• Projectile Weapon: Any weapon whose mode of damage consists of mechanical energy released from the impact of any propelled object. (Chapters 5.2; 6.2.3; 7.2.2)
• Prone: A condition wherein a character or creature has dropped to the ground. (Chapter 9.2)
• Proportions: The ratio of the length of a lifeform's long dimension to the area of its other two dimensions. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Propulsive Appendage: A Body Part that enables a character to move from one point to another by any means. (Chapter 5.4)
• Prosthetics: Any artificial body part used to replace a maimed body part. (Chapter 9.2)
• Protagonist: The central or main character in a story; another term for Player Characters. (Chapter 11.1)
• PSC: Acronym for "Planetary Size Class". (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Pseudorandom Encounter: A Random Encounter that is planned before the adventure begins. (Chapter 11.1)
• Psionics: The study and/or practice of using the mind to induce phenomena without necessarily having any means of explaining the resultant phenomena. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Psychokinesis: The ability to hold influence over an object or event mentally. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• PWR: Acronym for the Power Attribute. (Chapter 2.1)
• Quadrant: When in lowercase, a division of a star system equal to one-quarter the system's area, when viewed on a two-dimensional plane. (Chapter 8.3)
• Quadrant: When capitalized, a division of a galaxy equal to one-quarter its entire area, when viewed on a two-dimensional plane. (Chapter 8.4)
• RAB: Acronym for "Ranged Attack Bonus". (Chapter 2.4)
• Radiation Poisoning: A form of poisoning which occurs when a character fails a Fortitude Save after being exposed to a radioactive environment or substance. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Random Encounter: An encounter whose purpose is anything other than fulfilling an objective within a story. (Chapter 11.1)
• Range Zero: A situation which occurs when a combatant is in the same grid square with their target, is immediately adjacent to the target, or rolls zero for range to target. (Chapter 9.1)
• Ranged Attack Bonus: An amount added to a character's attack roll when engaged in ranged combat. (Chapter 2.4)
• Ranged Combat: Any combat on the character scale wherein the attacking combatant is within 400 meters of their target. (Chapter 9.2)
• Reaction: The final determination of the outcome of a character's Actions. (Chapter 10.5)
• Real Count: A method of keeping track of a vehicle or starship's fuel consumption that uses the actual amount of fuel mineral currently contained by the craft. (Chapter 8.1)
• Real Distance: A method of measuring the distance between two points in hyperspace that employs the Pythagorean Theorem. (Chapter 8.4)
• Real-World Training: Any training that a character receives in a given Skill or Sub-Discipline as a result of game-play, other than training lessons purchased. (Chapter 11.1)
• Reflex Save: A roll made in dire situations where a character's quick reflexes can mitigate the outcome. (Chapter 2.4)
• Relations With Other Races: A listing of how members of a sapient species commonly interact with other sapient races, usually limited to those species in the same Sector of space. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Relative Speed Category: One of five categorical indicators that compare how fast lifeforms with a particular mode of transportation move as compared to each other. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Repair Mineral: One of five specific elements required in order to conduct major repairs outside of Starport. (Chapter 12.2)
• Reproductive Organ: A Body Part used by a character as a means to continue their species. (Chapter 5.4)
• Resolution: The portion of a story wherein the plot is concluded or resolved. (Chapter 11.1)
• Resurrection: An impossible state of affairs in SFRPG involving the revival of a character after the onset of Brain Death. (Chapter 9.2)
• Resuscitation: Any attempt made to bring a character or creature out of clinical death. (Chapter 9.2)
• RFS: Acronym for "Reflex Save". (Chapter 2.4)
• Rock Planet: A planet with a solid surface that otherwise fails to meet the definition of a Liquid, Molten or Frozen Planet. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Role-Playing Game: A specific class of games in which the player(s) assume the role of a character, played either with pencil and paper, on a computer, or through another medium. (Chapter 1.0)
• Rolled: A condition that occurs when a land vehicle critically fails a Vehicle Piloting Check after taking damage, which inflicts further hull damage and renders the vehicle completely immobile. (Chapter 9.3)
• Round: A period of time equal to six seconds used for combat purposes. (Chapter 9.0)
• RPG: Acronym for "Role-Playing Game". (Chapter 2.1)
• RPG-style: A mode of game-play that requires characters to include the use of Attributes and Skills. (Chapter 2.0)
• Runner: A lifeform that is based on land. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Safe Accommodation Space: A volume of space used in the design process for living quarters, based on the Size Class of the vehicle or starship being created. (Chapter 6.2)
• Safe Cargo Space: A volume of space used in the design process for internal cargo carrying, based on the Size Class of the vehicle or starship being created. (Chapter 6.2)
• Sapient: A Lifeform whose behavior indicates wisdom and discernment subjectively and is capable of acting with judgment, including the capacity to abstractly communicate ideas to other beings. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• SC: Acronym for "Size Class". (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Scanner: Any device used to electronically gather information about a character's surroundings. (Chapter 5.4)
• SCI: Acronym for the Science Discipline. (Chapter 2.1)
• Science: A Discipline that measures a character’s understanding of gathering and applying systematic knowledge. (Chapter 2.1)
• Scribe: A player assigned by a group in order to keep track of particularly important information for the group. (Chapter 10.5)
• Searing: A planetary temperature category denoting surface temperatures between 50 degrees and 100 degrees Celsius. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Sector: A square interstellar area covering 62,500 square parsecs, used as a basic intergalactic division of space. (Chapter 8.4)
• Sector Block: A subdivision of a Sub-Quadrant equal to one-twenty-fifths of its entire area when viewed on a two-dimensional plane, containing twenty-four individual Sectors. (Chapter 8.4)
• Self-Control Check: A voluntary die roll made by a player in order to overcome the negative effect of a Complication. (Chapter 11.1)
• Sensory Organ: A Body Part that performs any function related to perception. (Chapter 5.4)
• Sentient: Any Lifeform that has the capacity to feel sensations. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Services: Activities performed by one entity for the benefit of another entity (usually the player characters). (Chapter 5.4)
• Setting: The time, place and circumstances under which an Adventure or Campaign are set. (Chapter 10.5)
• Severe Weather: A category of planetary Weather that causes substantial interference to a vehicle's transit and causes damage as well. (Chapter 8.1)
• SF1: Acronym for "Starflight One" (Starflight). (Chapter 1.0)
• SF2: Acronym for "Starflight Two: Secrets of the Cloud Nebula" (Starflight). (Chapter 1.0)
• SFRPG: Acronym for "The Starflight Role-Playing Game". (Chapter 1.0)
• Shaken: A debilitating condition imposed on a character after a traumatic experience, usually in combat. (Chapter 9.2)
• Shield: A form of armor that consists of a physical object carried by a motor appendage. Can also refer to a device or system that emits a protective energy field around the character, vehicle or starship on which it is employed. (Chapters 5.2; 6.2.3; 7.2.2)
• Shield Hit Points: A number of Hit Points that represent the remaining strength in the shields of a vehicle or starship. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Shooting: Any form of combat wherein the combatant is at a non-zero range to the target. (Chapter 9.1)
• SHP: Acronym for "Shield Hit Points". (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Shyneum: A crystalline element used as the fuel element in Starflight Two. (Chapter 8.1)
• Shyneum Penny: The primary mode of currency in the Delta Sector in 4640. (Chapter 5.4)
• SI: Acronym for "Strength Index". (Chapters 2.4; 6.2; 7.2)
• Significant Lifeform: Any lifeform that has intrinsic monetary value, usually of significant overall size. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Simple Combat: A form of combat that resolves the action as quickly as possible, with a minimum amount of detail about the action. (Chapter 9.1)
• Simple Count: A method of keeping track of a vehicle or starship's fuel consumption that allows a certain number of actions to be performed per whole cubic meter of fuel expended. (Chapter 8.1)
• Simple Distance: An inaccurate but fast method of measuring distance between two points in hyperspace that simply adds the difference in the x Hyperspace Coordinate to the difference in the y Hyperspace Coordinate. (Chapter 8.4)
• Simultaneous Combat: A form of combat timing that resolves a combatant's actions only after all combatants have conducted their actions during a round. (Chapter 9.1)
• Sinking: Another term for Taking on Water; when the involved count exceeds the sea vehicle's Size Class, the vehicle is considered sunk and destroyed. (Chapter 9.3)
• Site: A single, given location used as the Setting for an Adventure. (Chapter 11.2.1)
• Size: A shortened usage of Size Class. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Size Class: A shorthand measurement of the overall Bounding Box Volume of a vehicle or starship. (Chapters 6.2; 7.2)
• Skill: A field of application in a given Attribute whose use is more specific than that of the Attribute. (Chapter 2.1)
• Skill Check: Another term for Check. (Chapter 3.0)
• Slap: A Natural Weapon that uses direct physical force, using a specialized portion of the lifeform's body. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Sleep Debt: A cumulative measure of the number of hours of rest a character has missed, used to measure the degree of Sleep Deprivation effects a character may be experiencing. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Sleep Deprivation: A condition wherein a Lifeform has not received sufficient rest, resulting in a drop in overall function and an accumulation of Sleep Debt. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Slot: A measure of the size of a pocket or object, used to reflect volume. (Chapter 5.4)
• Smoke Inhalation: A damaging condition which occurs when a character fails a Stamina Check after being exposed to an atmosphere containing a substance their physiology cannot process. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Snap Turn: Any attempt to turn a vehicle without using movement points, requiring a Vehicle Piloting Check to execute. (Chapter 9.3)
• Sniper-Style Weaponry: Any weapon designed to be able to hit a target beyond the normal bounds of ranged combat. (Chapter 9.2)
• Sniping: Any attempt made to hit a target at a distance greater than fifteen ranged combat increments. (Chapter 9.2)
• Source Planet: In Interplanetary travel, the point from which a space vehicle or starship departs. (Chapter 8.3)
• SP: Acronym for "Shyneum Penny". (Chapter 5.4)
• Space Adventure: An Adventure wherein a character group must leave the confines of a planet for any particular reason. (Chapter 11.2.4)
• Special Action: Any action that has special effects involved, usually involving on-going effects. (Chapter 9.0)
• Special Weapon: Any weapon that does not match the criteria of a beam weapon, projectile weapon, or melee weapon. (Chapters 5.2; 6.2.3; 7.2.2)
• Specialist: A character who is charged with a specific function during a vehicle's operation. (Chapter 9.3)
• Specialty Trade Good: A trade good that can be bought or sold at a very limited number of worlds, which are usually highly desirable to the final purchaser. (Chapter 5.6)
• Speed: A measure of the distance an object travels over a given time period. (Chapter 9.1)
• Speed-Based Movement: A method for determining how far a combatant can travel during a round, which utilizes the combatant's established maximum speed. (Chapter 9.1)
• Sphere Of Influence: A Starfaring-Age sapient's lifeform's Territory encompassing at least one star system and part of the surrounding area of hyperspace, where their ships can be encountered. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Stall: A condition that occurs when an air vehicle cannot generate enough lift in order to stay airborne. (Chapter 9.3)
• Standard Action: A simple action that requires only a small amount of time in order to complete. (Chapter 9.0)
• Standard Trade Good: A trade good that can be bought and sold at most planets, the value of which is dependent upon market forces. (Chapter 5.5)
• Standard Trade Value: The fair market value of any trade good. (Chapter 5.1.1)
• Standard Trade Value Per Cubic Meter: The ratio of a Lifeform's Standard Trade Volume to its overall Volume. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Starfaring Age: A level of Technological Development, which denotes highly industrialized societies capable of faster-than-light space travel. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Starflight-style: A mode of game-play that requires characters to exclude the use of Attributes and Skills. (Chapter 2.0)
• Starship: Any spacecraft that has the capability to travel at a rate of speed faster than that of light. (Chapter 7.0)
• Starvation: A process that occurs when a Creature does not take in sufficient food or water, possibly leading to death. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Starving: A potentially fatal condition wherein a character or creature has not taken in sufficient food or liquid necessary to sustain their life processes. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Stasis: A condition wherein a character or creature is placed in suspended animation. (Chapter 9.2)
• Stellar Luminosity Class: A categorical property of stars that measures them based on how large and how hot they are. (Chapter 10.2.2)
• Step: A free action on the character scale wherein a combatant moves less than six meters during the round. (Chapter 9.2)
• Sting: A type of Gore weapon, usually smaller with a serrated edge and containing venom. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Stone Age: A level of Technological Development, which denotes pre-historic societies. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Strength Index: A composite value of available hit points and maximum weapon damage available, used to gauge the overall strength of a combatant compared to other combatants. (Chapters 2.4; 6.2; 7.2)
• Structural Fatigue: A condition that occurs when any vehicle has hull damage, requiring checks of the vehicle's structural integrity after most subsequent actions. (Chapter 9.3)
• Stunt: Any movement on the character scale designed to give a temporary bonus to a combatant's Hit Difficulty. (Chapter 9.2)
• Subarctic: A planetary temperature category denoting surface temperatures between absolute zero and -100 degrees Celsius. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Sub-discipline: A field of application in a given Discipline whose use is more specific than that of the Discipline. (Chapter 2.1)
• Sub-quadrant: A subdivision of a Quadrant (capitalized) equal to one-fifth of its entire area, when viewed on a two-dimensional plane. (Chapter 8.4)
• Suffocating: A potentially fatal condition wherein a character has failed a Stamina Check after being exposed to an atmosphere in which they cannot respire. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Surface Gravity: A measure of the effect of the attraction of objects of mass to one another on a planet's surface. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Surface Type: One of five categorical indicators that indicate a planet's predominant surface conditions. (Chapter 8.2)
• Surprise Round: A round of combat which may occur in which certain combatants who are unprepared for combat cannot take any actions. (Chapter 9.1)
• Suspension Of Belief: A formula devised to justify the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements within a story. (Chapter 11.1)
• Swimmer: A lifeform that is based in liquid mediums. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Symmetry: The level of a Creature's correspondence of bodily features on either side of a dividing line, plane, center or axis. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Systems Damage: Any damage that occurs to a vehicle or starship after its SHP and AHP are reduced to zero. (Chapters 9.3; 9.4)
• Tailored Encounter: The main events that take place within the story, used to move the plot further along. (Chapter 11.1)
• Take 50: A condition that occurs when a player decides not to roll the dice when a die roll is indicated, instead accepting a result of 50 for the die roll. (Chapter 3.0)
• Take 99: A condition that occurs when a player decides to take as much time as is needed to achieve maximum results on a die roll, agreeing to take twenty times the normal amount of time and ineligibility to earn real-life experience in exchange for a result of ninety-nine on the dice. (Chapter 3.0)
• Taking On Water: A process wherein a sea vehicle has taken enough damage to its hull to begin the process of Sinking. (Chapter 9.3)
• Talent: Any positive trait that may be assigned to a character. (Chapter 2.4)
• Target: A combatant subjected to an action by another combatant, usually an opponent. (Chapter 9.0)
• TEC: Acronym for "Total Encumbrance Class". (Chapter 5.4)
• Technological Development: A term that gives a general indication of how advanced a society is. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Technology: A type of Artifact that has an useful game effect, manufactured within the last 2-3 thousand years. (Chapter 5.9)
• Telepathy: The awareness of thoughts of another being without communication through normal sensory channels. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Teleportation: The instantaneous movement of objects from one place to another using technological means. (Chapter 8.2)
• Temperate: A planetary temperature category denoting surface temperatures between 0 degrees and 25 degrees Celsius. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Temperature Severity Level: A modifier based on the ambient temperature which determines the number of dice to be rolled when a character sustains Heat or Cold Damage. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Terrain Difficulty: A measure of the degree to which the terrain plays a factor in a vehicle or starship's transit. (Chapter 8.1)
• Terrestrial Planet: A planet of any type other than Gas Giant. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• Territory: A listing of the general region of space in which a starfaring species is most commonly found, or the most heavily inhabited areas of a non-starfaring race's homeworld. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• THD: Acronym for "Touch Hit Difficulty". (Chapter 2.4)
• Tools: Any device or piece of equipment which typically provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task, or provides an ability that is not naturally available to its user. (Chapter 5.4)
• Total Encumbrance Class: The sum value of the encumbrance classes of all objects a character is carrying. (Chapter 5.4)
• Touch Hit Difficulty: A Hit Difficulty used in situations where an attack involves directly touching an opposing character combatant, which discounts any bonus or penalty from the character's Finesse Attribute. (Chapter 2.4)
• Trade Good: An object designed for the sole purpose of being bought and sold to various parties. (Chapter 10.2.4)
• Trade Route: A type of Artifact that maps out a chain of buyers and sellers of Specialty Trade Goods. (Chapter 5.9)
• Trait: A special type of characteristic used to add abilities and depth to a character. (Chapter 2.4)
• Transmission Vector: Another term for Mode of Contraction. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Trap: A manufactured device intended either as a means of raising an alert or causing direct damage to intruders. (Chapter 11.2.1)
• Trojan Planetary System: A series of planets in close proximity to one another that orbit around a Barycenter, which itself orbits around a star. (Chapter 10.2.2)
• Tropical: A planetary temperature category denoting surface temperatures between 25 degrees and 50 degrees Celsius. (Chapter 10.2.1)
• True Random Encounter: A Random Encounter that is not planned before the adventure begins. (Chapter 11.1)
• Turn-Based Combat: A form of combat timing that resolves a combatant's actions immediately after they occur. (Chapter 9.1)
• Unarmed Attack: Any attack on the character scale made without the use of a weapon, causing non-lethal damage. (Chapter 9.2)
• Unconscious: A condition wherein a character or creature's Non-Lethal Hit Points have fallen to zero or less, but are still above twice the amount of their NHP. (Chapter 9.2)
• Unconventional Power Center: A form of municipal government that utilizes a generally unstable traditional power structure. (Chapter 10.2.3)
• Undermanned Penalty: A debilitating condition which occurs when all of a vehicle's specialists are performing two or more jobs simultaneously. (Chapter 9.3)
• United States Dollar: The primary mode of currency in the United States of America, used in real life. (Chapter 5.4)
• Unusual Power Center: A form of municipal government that utilizes any non-traditional power structure. (Chapter 10.2.3)
• Urban Adventure: An Adventure with a Setting located within a community, involving multiple Sites within that area. (Chapter 11.2.3)
• USD: Acronym for "United States Dollar". (Chapter 5.4)
• User: A property of a vehicle that indicates what type of group will primarily operate that vehicle. (Chapter 6.0)
• Vaporized: Another term for Mutilated, used depending on the circumstances. (Chapter 9.2)
• Variable Trait: Any trait that may be assigned to a character either as a talent or complication. (Chapter 2.4)
• Vehicle: A machine designed to transport substances, objects or individuals. (Chapter 6.0)
• Venerable Age: The latest life stage, marked by substantial deterioration of physical abilities and ending in death from natural causes. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Visual Organ: A Sensory Organ that gives a Lifeform the sense of sight. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Volume: The total amount of three-dimensional space used by an object, measured by its Size Class. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Weapon Accessories: An object designed to be attached to weapons in order to improve upon or maintain its performance or usability. (Chapter 5.4)
• Weapons Dice: Any extra dice assigned to a Creature's attacks during the design process. (Chapter 10.2.5)
• Weather: A set of all the phenomena occurring in a given atmosphere at a given time. (Chapter 8.1)
• Wield: To carry a weapon. Any penalties from a weapon affect whoever is wielding the weapon. (Chapter 5.2)
• Wilderness Gear: Any piece of equipment designed to be employed in rural areas. (Chapter 5.4)
• Willpower Save: A roll made in dire situations where a character's mental fortitude can mitigate the outcome. (Chapter 2.4)
• Wind: The flow of air or other gases that compose an atmosphere, generally caused by the equalization of density between two or more local areas of atmosphere. (Chapter 12.4.2)
• Wound: An additional form of lethal damage taken by characters that has debilitating effects and can potentially be lethal. (Chapter 9.2)
• WPS: Acronym for "Willpower Save". (Chapter 2.4)
• X: When by itself, a substitution for Special Weaponry (originated in Starflight: Total Brawl). (Chapter 7.3)
• xd10: An abbreviation indicating a situation wherein a player should roll x ten-sided dice, where x is any given integer. (Chapter 1.1)
• xd2: An abbreviation indicating a situation wherein a player should roll x two-sided dice (the result of a ten-sided die where odds count as one and evens count as zero), where x is any given integer. (Chapter 1.1)
• xd5: An abbreviation indicating a situation wherein a player should roll x "five-sided dice" (the result of a ten-sided die divided by two and rounded up), where x is any given integer. (Chapter 1.1)
  

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