Line #43 FunWithAcronyms/TabletopGames


1	* ''TabletopGame/JamesBond007'' RPG couln't use the infamous S.P.E.C.T.R.E. for licensing reasons, so used a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute; '''T'''echnological '''A'''scension, '''R'''evenge, and '''O'''rganized '''T'''errorism, or T.A.R.O.T.
2	* {{NPC}} = '''N'''ot '''P'''articularly '''C'''ooperative.
3	* '''D'''andenong '''W'''argamers '''A'''nd '''R'''oleplayers '''F'''ederation.
4	* '''F'''rom '''A'''nother '''T'''ime '''A'''nother '''L'''and. [[TabletopGame/{{FATAL}} Also known as "Fantasy And Tales Of Adult Lechery"]].
5	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has a very powerful Necromancy spell, typically only used by antagonists, that functions as a OneWingedAngel transformation immediately upon what would ordinarily be their death. Its name? '''B'''irth '''O'''f '''S'''anity's '''S'''orrow.
6	* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Illuminati'' included a sidebar on an organization that called itself "TRI", which stood for '''T'''hree '''R'''andom '''I'''nitials.
7	** Subverted in ''[[TabletopGame/GURPSIlluminatiUniversity GURPS IOU]]'', which stands for Illuminati University. People asking what the ''O'' stands for are told they're not cleared to know.
8	*** Not to mention an entire department called C.T.H.U.L.H.U., which stands for '''C'''ollege of '''T'''emporal '''H'''appenstance, '''U'''ltimate '''L'''ies and '''H'''istorical '''U'''ndertakings.
9	** TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} itself is the '''G'''eneric '''U'''niversal '''R'''ole'''P'''laying '''S'''ystem.
10	*** Prior to release, it was referred to as the "Great Unnamed Role Playing System" in at least one of [=SJG=]'s publications.
11	* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' has a couple fun acronyms, one that has been explicitly explained and one that is merely fun. '''M'''yomer '''A'''cceleration '''S'''ignal '''C'''ircuitry is a movement booster, while the NARC Missile Beacon has never been explained.
12	** You missed the '''T'''arget '''A'''quisition '''G'''ear, a spotting laser for artillery and semi-guided missiles.
13	** It's also very, very common for Inner Sphere [[HumongousMecha [=BattleMech=]]] designs to have both a name and a more "technical" designation which is a combination of letters and numbers that more or less obviously refers directly back to the name. So you have the '''[=COM=]''' ''Commando'' series (nominally starting with the -1A model, though the first to see print was the -2D), the '''[=PXH=]''' ''Phoenix Hawk''s, the '''[=CPLT=]''' ''Catapult''s, the '''GRM-R-PR''' ''Grim Reaper''s... It's unclear which is cause and which effect or indeed whether the acronyms have any meaning other than ''as'' back-references even in universe. (The Clans, incidentally, seem to have shed the habit and simply refer to their units by name alone.)
14	*** Someone was very clearly having fun redesigning the ''Goliath'' WalkingTank style 'Mech for ''Technical Readout 3050''. The original model number is GOL-1H, but one of the redesigns featured in ''3050'' was a third-generation model sponsored by House Marik... that is, the [[{{Golem}} GOL-3M]].
15	** Creator/{{FASA}} (the creator of ''[=BattleTech=]'', among many other games) originally stood for the '''[[Film/DuckSoup F]]'''[[Film/DuckSoup reedonian]] '''A'''eronautics and '''S'''pace '''A'''dministration.
16	* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' Chaos Earth has the '''N'''orthern '''E'''agle '''M'''ilitary '''A'''lliance
17	** In the main setting, there's a famous suit of PoweredArmor called the '''S'''trategic '''A'''rmored '''M'''ilitary '''A'''ssault '''S'''uit. Presumably it lets you [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} hit like a girl]].
18	** Then there are the '''A'''rtificial, '''R'''obot, '''C'''erebellum, '''H'''ousing, '''I'''ntellect, '''E'''xperiment number <x> MasterComputer[=s=] built by the '''C'''yberworks '''A'''erospace '''N'''etwork before the Great Cataclysm (and one built afterward).
19	* ''TabletopGame/MonstersAndOtherChildishThings'' has the '''M'''onster '''I'''nvestigation '''B'''ureau, which is tasked with capturing and studying what they call '''B'''iological '''E'''xtraterrestrial '''M'''erchandise -- if you don't get the second one, that more typically stands for '''B'''ug '''E'''yed '''M'''onster.
20	* The game ''S.A.V.A.G.E.'' = '''S'''urvival '''A'''nd '''V'''ictory '''A'''fter '''G'''lobal '''E'''xtinction
21	* GORE, or '''G'''eneric '''O'''ld-school '''R'''ole-playing '''E'''ngine
22	* There is an ''TabletopGame/{{Earthdawn}}'' adventure titled '''T'''error '''I'''n '''T'''he '''S'''kies.
23	* ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'' has "'''E'''lven '''L'''iberation '''F'''ront" and "'''F'''ree '''A'''rmed '''E'''lven '''R'''esistant '''Y'''outh" in Glantri -- if you didn't guess yet, half of the time preoccupied with getting at each other's throats, as they come from two clans that don't get along at best.
24	* In 1987, Creator/MiltonBradley put out a line of motorized action games called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrMHJuDoLWA T.H.I.N.G.S.]] ('''T'''otally '''H'''ilarious '''I'''ncredibly '''N'''eat '''G'''ames of '''S'''kill). They used it in a motorized Girl Talk board game based off a Disney licensed product brand (hidden inside a crystal ball, voiced by Raven-Symone) a few years later.
25	* Creator/{{TSR}}'s ''TabletopGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' [=RPG=] from TheEighties used [[GamingStatTropes seven stats for characters]] - '''F'''ighting (ability), '''A'''gility, '''S'''trength, '''E'''ndurance, '''R'''eason, '''I'''ntuition, and '''P'''syche. Put 'em together, and what does that spell? '''[[FacialHorror FASERIP]]'''.
26	* The '''RAY''' in RAY gun stands for '''R'''adiation '''A'''ccelerating Weaponr'''y'''.
27	* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' has '''S.U.R.G.E.''', '''Su'''dden '''R'''ecessive '''G'''ene '''E'''mergence, an odd phenomena characterized by the sudden expression of recessive genes, often triggered by manastorms. This can result in anything from LittleBitBeastly, to BeastMan, to PlantPeople. The scientists still haven't figured out quite why animal traits are common. They also copied the '''S'''ystem '''I'''dentification '''N'''umber from Gibson's ''Literature/SprawlTrilogy''. There's also the '''G'''rid '''O'''verwatch '''D'''ivision which keeps a tight watch on the matrix, always trying to capture or take out hackers. The heads of their subdivisions for each grid are even known as "demi[=GOD=]s".
28	* TabletopGame/BlissStage:
29	-->Commander Jim Preston: "Keenan, suit up for a hot launch of the [=A.N.I.Ma.=] -- Yukiko will Anchor."
30	-->Keenan Caine: Roger that. Incidentally, what does [=A.N.I.Ma.=] mean?
31	-->Derek Smith: '''A'''lien '''N'''umina '''I'''nversion '''Ma'''chine.
32	-->Keenan Caine: ...Someone reads too much Carl Jung.
33	* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'':
34	** The main good-guy agency helping your heroes is the '''U'''nited '''N'''ations '''T'''ribunal on '''I'''nternational '''L'''aw.
35	** Villain organization VIPER was always written like the name was an acronym, but it didn't get an official "full" name until the Fifth Edition sourcebook. [[spoiler:'''V'''enomous '''I'''mperial '''P'''arty of the '''E'''ternal '''R'''eptile. [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece That's what happens when you let the Victorian megalomaniac name your organization]].]] The vast majority of Nest Leaders who find out the real name deliver a FlatWhat and make up their ''own'' interpretation.
36	* '''''W'''isher, '''T'''heurgist, '''F'''atalist'' is a meta-RPG by Jenna Moran in which the player characters use their stats of Knowledge, Insight, and Harmony to define the setting ''and'' play mechanics of a fantasy world.
37	* In ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' the rogue military AIs that destroyed Earth were called '''T'''actical '''I'''nformation '''T'''otal '''A'''wareness '''N'''etworks. A decent allusion to Greek Mythology, but it does cause some confusion with the residents of Saturn's largest moon.
38	* Some {{Game Master}}s refer to themselves as the '''G'''ame '''O'''perations '''D'''irector.
39	* ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds TabletopGame/FreedomCity'':
40	** The superspy group in the Freedomverse is the '''A'''merican '''E'''lite '''G'''overnment '''I'''ntervention '''S'''ervice. (Note that the aegis was a legendary ''shield''.)
41	** The HYDRA-type organisation is the '''S'''ecret '''H'''ierarchy of '''A'''gents for '''D'''omination '''O'''ver the '''W'''orld. The MirrorUniverse Anti-Earth has its GoodCounterpart '''L'''iberty's '''I'''nsurgency for '''G'''oodness, '''H'''ope and '''T'''ruth, and the AlternateTooniverse Ani-Earth is home to the '''S'''inisterly '''N'''amed '''A'''cronym for '''K'''eeping '''E'''veryone '''S'''uspicious, because SnakesAreSinister.
42	* The ''Adventure Game Engine'' system's name appears to have been backronymed from ''TabletopGame/DragonAge''. Other settings include ''Modern AGE'' and ''Fantasy AGE''.
43	* The original release of ''MediaNotes/{{Fate}}'' stood for "MediaNotes/{{FUDGE}} Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment", then replaced "FUDGE" with "Fantastic" in the second edition. At some point around ''Fate 3.0'' and ''Fate Core'', the title stopped being an acronym.
44	* Following a 2023 controversy over Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast announcing they planned to retire the original version of the MediaNotes/D20System Open Game License, Creator/{{Paizo}} announced they would be collaborating with several other game companies to create a truly irrevocable open-source license titled the Open RPG Creative License--the "[[OurOrcsAreDifferent ORC]] License" for short.

Context FunWithAcronyms / TabletopGames