If you're ditching the terminology why not just call them assigned dice?

Assigned dice works.

Do you agree that my terminology, err, bites?

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with the bullet style terminology.

But assigned or allocated dice would work too!

+++
JoE
+++

Prince of Darkness Games
Rock N' Role-Play....

Assigned is good.

As are:
Active (vs spare or inactive)
Anchored (vs floating dice)
Committed (vs Free and Dead for spent dice)

Actually I really like Committed for dice which have been assigned to traits, Free for dice which you haven't yet done anything with and Dead for all the dice which have been used up. Then you could get ultra cheesey and call the pile of used up dice the Body Bag. Taking the cheese even further, you could call giving someone a bonus die Resurrecting that die.

Surely giving someone a bonus die would become giving them a Lazarus die? ;o)

Taking the counter view, I like the idea of using the buller/cartridge terminology:

Loaded
Chambered
Hang-fire
Spent
Cocked (ooo er Missus! Sorry)
Loose
etc

There's lots of good cartridge related terminology out there.

Cheers
Malcolm

Contested Ground Studios

I have to agree. I much prefer the gun-related terminology. It lends a little flavour, and can act as a good guide to what the dice do in the framework of the rules.

I'd much rather have dice 'loaded' than 'assigned'. One sounds cool, and comes with various connotations that are appropriate to your game (I assume), the other is a little bland.

However, feel free to disagree; it's your game after all.

:D

Andy Law
www.hapimeses.com

Well if people actually like the gun and bullet terminology, then who am I to disagree? I just thought it might sound silly!

Oh, and doesn't loaded dice have other conotations?

They do have other connotations, but I think most players of your game will read it in context. Maybe you should go with Malcolm's suggestion of chambered.

You could go with dice being referred to as shots or shells, with used dice being spent, and assigned dice being chambered.

I like terminology myself. If used right it can add a lot to the feel of a game.

Cheers
Iain

Lead Developer Mob Justice RPG

Check out my home brew games like 'Reel Adventures'

>You could go with dice being referred to as shots >or shells, with used dice being spent, and >assigned dice being chambered.

Actually I was going to refer to dice as bullets, as per the game title :-)

I also like the bullet terminology for dice, but I'm also thinking back to our one musketeer playtest where it was about swords and not guns.

Obviously given that the movies and stories you're tapping for inspiration tend to favour guns the bullets terminology sits well, but I was just wondering if it makes the game too western-ish.

Then again the game is called six _bullets_ :) I think building on that theme seems better then watering it down with 'vanilla' dice names.

Hmm...my own 3 rounds:

Reserve/'In the clip' (unspent)
Targeted (assigned)
Spent (used)

I would defiantly persevere with the idea of dice as bullets.

As others have said it forms a strong association with the games title and also from what you have hinted the mechanics of the game.

Without knowing anything about the games premise or mechanics other than what has been said here, its pricked my interest.

Giving mechanics gimmicky names if done right, i.e. the name ties in with what the rules does and makes it easier for the player to remember/associate with, is a great idea. Its certainly sold me on Burning Wheel which uses all gimmicky rules names all over the shop, mainly to show that it is different from a traditional fantasy rpg.

Regards

;O)Newt

You can find out all sorts more about Six Bullets here, including the beautiful artwork!

Definitely stick with the bullet references for dice - it sounds cool and everybody likes a gimmic if it sounds cool.

What about:

In the Clip (free/unassigned)
In the Chamber/In the Breach (assigned)
Brass/Casings/Shot/Spent (used)

Best of luck.

Well I've gone with the following:

*spare dice - free, unassigned dice. Like spare bullets.
*loaded dice - dice that are loaded into an attribute.
*chambering the dice - the act of pushing dice forwards ahead of a conflict
*hits and misses - successes and failures during a conflict

But then I've also got "pools" of dice - that doesn't sound very bullety. But then, everyone knows what it means. Clips could work, but I don't think you had clips in the wild west.

I've also got "setting the stakes" and "conflict aftermath." Not sure if I should gunnify that!

Andrew

How about:
Dice belts for pools.
Picking your target /taking aim /drawing a bead for stakes.
When the smoke clears for aftermath.

+++
JoE
+++

Prince of Darkness Games
Rock N' Role-Play....

I like 'setting the stakes' - sounds sort of riverboat gambler/saloon patron chewing on a cheroot and measuring up his opponents.

I agree that 'pools' are instantly recognisable, but if you're going with the bullet motif (which I think you should), perhaps the 'ammo crate' or 'bandolier' or 'gun belt' would suggest the same, but with more flavour.

The 'conflict aftermath' sounds a bit starchy after 'chambering the dice' and 'hitting' or 'missing'. Perhaps 'back in the holster' or 'when the iron cools' or 'picking up the pieces' or 'in the blood and broken glass' or 'when the piano starts' or 'the tumbleweeds' or something similar (but better, obviously).

Everyone loves the leathery gunslinger image and this is a chance to cut loose with some really rich imagery.

I'm not sure about bandolier or ammo crate - it sounds a little too forced to me.

But I love "picking up the pieces."

That's a fair comment - I suppose that an 'ammo crate' of dice does sound a bit clunky.

What about something in keeping with the western motif but not necessarily immediately connected to bullets - like 'stable' or 'posse' or something?

Or am I just being silly?

Hmm, posse of dice ... me like!