Books like "Diablo III: Book of Cain" and "LMS: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter"?
I know, in wikipedia LMS had been described as a graphic novel, but this is not true...
These book are more like Source Books of the Worlds the main character live in.
So I guess I can call them "Source Books"?
Thank you for your help.
The Cain one sounds like a grimoire [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimoire]. On Amazon, the latter is described as "scrapbook-style character bible, prologue, and art book for a comics series".
Books like "Diablo III: Book of Cain" and "LMS: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter"?
I know, in wikipedia LMS had been described as a graphic novel, but this is not true...
These book are more like Source Books of the Worlds the main character live in.
So I guess I can call them "Source Books"?
You mean books based on video games, or books giving a more in-depth view of the world in a video game? Because there are stuff like the Warcraft novels, which would fall under the former category (or more into that, and less into the latter), and Book of Cain would fall under the latter (or you know, more into that, less into the other).
Well, technically both of these are usually called "video game books" but the latter category is supposed to be more of an in-game encyclopaedia.
In RPGs (tabletop ones), such things are usually referred to as "fluff". Well, "fluff" would be anything that's in-game-y view the opposite (straight up game mechanics) are called "crunch". Here is an example of fluff - I'll use Vampire the Masquerade as an example:
- it could be something really short, like a description of a power, a stat, or an item. Anything that's upt to a few sentences long.
Here is the fluff description:
Fire!
Lucasz leaped from the divan as the first waves of hot smoke wisped through the floorboards. First poison, and now this!
Looking to the door, Lucasz figured it must be bracedfrom the outside. The window overlooked the bay, and using that exit would mean a fall of a few hundred feet. The ventilation ducts were far too small for Kindred to crawl through.
Lucasz looked up. The crawlspace. The Fiend surely couldn't have compartmentalized the thin gap between the floors. Simply crawl up there, burst back through above the hallway, and bolt out the front door.
Lucasz turned the divan on its side, climbed atop and hammered his way through the plaster ceiling with his fists. Now it was only a question of what remained outside.
The Wits Trait measures the character's ability to think on her feet and react quickly to a certain situation. It also reflects a character's general cleverness. Characters with low Wits scores are thick and mentally lethargic, or maybe gullible and unsophisticated. By contrast, characters with high Wits Traits almost always have a plan immediately and adapt to their surroundings with striking expedience. Characters with high Wits also manage to keep their cool in stressful situations.
- it could be a full few paragraphs, like a chapter on the history of the world, or maybe just a letter, a document, an essay, written by some denizen from there(presumably told by another denizen of the world)
Whereas the Cainite known as Dylan has committed grievous acts which threaten both the Camarilla and the survival of our kind entire
and
Whereas he has committed numerous acts in violation of the Traditions, such that he has breached the Masquerade, assaulted and killed other Kindred in express violation of the laws of our kind and consorted with the Kindred of the Sabbat
and
Whereas be bas confessed to these acts without repentance, and sworn blood-oaths to the effect that be intends to repeat these crimes
Be it noted that
By the will of Clan Tremere, be is hereby declared Anathema. His name is to be placed on the Red list, and a blood bunt against him is to be declared in all our domains. Any who grant him succor are likewise guilty and shall likewise be punished. Let there be no penalty or censure against any who drinks the blood of Dylan, for he has declared himself outlaw and enemy of the Children of Caine.
So be it decreed this 23rd night of June, 1987
Quaestor
Johannes Dee
Domina
Gabrielle di Riglietti (Justicar)
Witness
Petradon (Justicar)
- occasionally, an entire book with nothing but content that is from the in-world perspective. Example[footnote]I can't really quote an entire book[/footnote]: The Book of Nod which is an in-world item and also got published, as well.
And "fluff" is also usually distinguished from novels, which would be a story set in the world of the RPG.
I am not sure if there is an "official" name for stuff like Book of Cain, but fluff seems to fit, if you were to borrow a term. Alternatively, source book also works, I suppose.
This is why I have my art books and guidebooks on the same shelf, they're largely interchangeable much of the time. I've also got my (tabletop) game books next to them so yeah source book would be a good term I think.
I am so sorry for not answer for a long time. I totally forgot about this Thread.
I didn't decided yet how I will call them, but for now I will stick the term "Source Book"
^ I have to go with 'World (perhaps add 'building') books. Either that or 'lore' ... I play World of Darkness primarily, and the stuff in the game books we call 'fluff', but the novels themselves that often portray key characters? I might call it 'lore' or 'world (building) books'
Yes, but does this apply if it is dedicated to the adventures of a characters? Dor example a book dedicated to Spiderman [I own a book like that, but don't remember the name]
Yes, but does this apply if it is dedicated to the adventures of a characters? Dor example a book dedicated to Spiderman [I own a book like that, but don't remember the name]
I would say so, since those characters are still existing in their own defined worlds, with canon and stories and such, and its this surrounding fluff that the world-books usually tell us about.
I will admit it's not a perfect name for them, though.
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