Role-Playing Terminology

RPG - Role-Playing Game

RP - Role-Playing

PC - Player Character - A character that's played by players of an RPG, seen as 'main characters' who have their own fully fleshed out backstories.

GM - Game Master - The 'storyteller' and person managing the RPG.  Also known as a DM in some games like Dungeons & Dragons, referring to the Dungeon Master.

NPC - Non-Player Character - A 'minor' character, most often played by the GM or trusted, experienced players.  They are only played situationally, and exist to move the plot forward.

OC - Original Character - A character created by the player, not from any other existing source (comic book, TV show, movie, video game, anime, manga, etc).

OOC - Out-Of-Character - Any discussion or actions in an RPG that are not actually being performed by the characters.  Players chatting OOCly may put their text in brackets [like these] to show that their conversation is not related to role-play.

IC - In-Character - The opposite of OOC, this refers to dialogue and actions taken by the characters.

FTB - Fade To Black - A generally suggestive method of ending a scene, "fading out" before adult content could occur.

Canon - Officially-recognized information about characters, settings, events, etc.

Headcanon - Something that is believed by individuals of fandoms to be true, but has not been confirmed in canon sources or by the creators of the original content.  Also known as 'Fanon'.

AU - Alternate Universe - A distinct variation of any pre-existing setting.  AUs can entail settings like "modern Japan, except Axis won WW2", or "Naruto, except Sasuke became Hokage".  AUs can be simple changes or wide sweeping ones.