DAoC Terminology

The following terminology should serve as a "dictionary" of sorts for those new or returning to Dark Age of Camelot.

This is a work-in-progress and additional terms may be added upon request.

  • +++ or ---: Relative level an enemy player, mob, or item considers to you. Show's an item's or creature's level in relation to yours. See Consider.
  • Add: Used to describe that a monster (mob) has joined the fight that a group is already engaged in. Usually unexpected and quite troublesome. Your current target can call for help thus adding another mob.
  • Admin: An Atlas staff member that may assist with troubleshooting player problems in addition to addressing player infractions and conduct breaches.
  • AF: Armor Factor. Describes how much protection your armor gives.
  • AFAIK: As Far As I Know. Indicates you're not certain you are correct, but you have no reason to believe you are wrong.
  • AFK: Away from Keyboard. The person is going to be away from his keyboard for a while. If you are in a group be ready to protect the afk person and don't go attack something you can't kill without his help.
  • Aggression (aggro): Used to describe when 1) a mob attacks a player based on their proximity or 2) the target of a mob's attacks. When a player steps within a certain radius of an aggressive mob, they risk being attacked unprovoked. These mobs do not have to be attacked to trigger the mob chasing a player. In instances of a mob targeting a player in combat, this also describes who has the mob's "attention." Healers and casters can gain aggro in a fight by healing or casting excessive damage, which may result in the mob changing targets and the defending player effectively "has aggro." See Taunt.
  • Alb: Albion.
  • AoE: Area of Effect. Spell that affects area around the target, not just the target. Good when needing to affect more than one mob at a time. Is also dangerous, can affect mobs not wanted and wake up mezzed ones.
  • Assist: Term used in a group situation where there are more than 1 mobs in camp. It is the action of assisting (using /assist) 1 person in the group in order to all have the same target.
  • ATM: At the Moment.
  • BAF: Bring a Friend. Used to describe mobs that will "Bring a Friend" (or more) when they are pulled.
  • Battlegrounds (BG): Used to describe zone instances (e.g., Thidranki, Molvik, Caledonia) in which players may engage in more limited-scale RvR as they level up. Multiple battlegrounds exist with varying level brackets/requirements, which offers players an alternative method to PvE with regard to leveling up. Watch for context regarding BG as it might be confused with "battlegroup."
  • Battlegroup (BG): Describes a formation of multiple groups gathered to complete a specific goal, such as completing an end-game dungeon like Tuscaran Glacier or claiming a relic keep. Use the '/bg' slash command for battlegroups. Also see Raid. Watch for context regarding BG as it might be confused with "battleground."
  • Bind: When you bind yourself at a bind stone, you will re-appear there when you die.
  • Bladeturns: A spell type that deflects/cancels the first physical (melee or ranged) attack made against you.
  • Bleed: A timed combat style effect that causes residual damage against an opponent and keeps them in combat for the duration of the timer.
  • Bio: Used to indicate a player is taking a restroom break.
  • Blue: A term for a monster that is several levels below you and thus usually solo-able. When you click on it, this is the color of the window you get. So a player might say that it's "blue to me." Blue mobs can usually be soloed.
  • BRB: Be Right Back. Usually typed by a person who needs to step away from the keyboard for a quick soda, beer, relief, etc.
  • Broadcast: Shout. Broadcasts for all in your zone see.
  • BRT: Be right there.
  • BTW: By the Way.
  • Bubble (bub): Refers to 1) the 10 circles on your stats bar (where the HP, endurance, and power bars are shown), which effectively illustrate a character's progression toward the next level or 2) a Bladeturn spell effect. When someone says that they only have one bubble to go to 11th level that means they need to fill two more circles' worth of XP.
  • Buff(s)/Buffing: Refers to casting resist, damage adds/shields, or stat-enhancing spells onto someone. Also see Buffbot.
  • Buffbot: Used to describe a character that is used solely to buff another character for greater ease in PvE or to gain a competitive edge over opponents in RvR. This is typically associated with dual logging or multi-boxing.
  • Camp: Refers to 1) the practice of sitting at a spawn point and waiting for monsters to regenerate and then picking them off as they appear. Also, A place where a group stays together and have a puller go out and look for mobs to bring back to camp. Usually, camps are set up in safe-spots. Also refers to 2) Waiting for an event to start or 3) ending a playing session and logging off.
  • Caster: A player character that primarily casts magical spells.
  • Consider (Con): Taken from EverQuest, this is the color level of the Mob when you click on it, which describes their aggro and difficulty. See Purple, Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Green, and Grey.
  • Crack: Used to describe each realm's power regen buff. It earned this nickname due to its addictive nature as it greatly expedites the regeneration of one's power.
  • Crowd Control: Term used mostly by those who possess mesmerize, stun, and snare spells. Used when more than one mob has been pulled and all but one has been mezzed so that the group can concentrate on a single mob, without interference from the other ones. Also applicable in RvR with regard to managing enemies and ensuring the right characters are unable to move or perform actions.
  • CU/Cya: See you. Goodbye.
  • DD: Direct Damage spell. Mostly used by spell casters to describe a type of spell, as opposed to bolt (who have a visible ball of magic hurled at the enemy) or dots.
  • Delve: Used to describe the dialog window displaying the stats for an item, spell, ability, etc. Right-click on an item and select INFO to delve an item's stats.
  • Ding: Achieved a new level. Used to describe leveling up.
  • Disease: A type of spell effect that slightly reduces a player's movement speed, halves the effectiveness of all healing spells cast on the affected target, and reduces the player's strength.
  • DoT: Damage over Time. A timed duration spell effect during which the target repeatedly receives damage at regular intervals (called "ticks").
  • Endurance (End/Endo): Stat used to perform combat styles and sprint.
  • Experience Points (EXP/XP): Used to establish progression in a game, or level up. Completing tasks or quests, killing mobs, and other activities result in XP rewards.
  • Farming: Term used when a person or group stays in one place and repeatedly kills the same mob or set of mobs for specific items. This is a little more difficult in DAoC than EQ.
  • Fatigue: Less endurance.
  • Fetch/Fetcher: Refers to a member of a group that "pulls" or gets a monster to chase them to an ambush spot where the other members of the party are ready to attack it.
  • Focus: Spell enhancement.
  • FYI: For Your Information.
  • Gank: Used to describe 1) the act of being horribly beat up or defeated in combat and 2) 8-player groups specifically designed for 8v8 RvR combat.
  • GC: Guild Chat. Use the '/gu' command to speak in guild chat and '/gc' command to perform guild commands.
  • GM: Game Master. Also see Admin.
  • Grape: Purple-conned creature. See Purple.
  • Gray: A term for a mob that is so low in level compared to you that you will get no experience or loot for killing it.
  • Green/Greenies: A term for a monster(s) that look easy when you click on it. The monster description comes in green text. You should be able to easily kill a green mob.
  • Griefer/Griefing: Used to describe a player that actively attempts to cause frustration to other players. This is typically the case where a player repeatedly steals another player's PvE pulls, camps a player's farming location and kills them, or otherwise actively attempts to sabotage players' fun.
  • GTG: Good To Go/Got to Go. Normally used to signal when you are ready to fight or move or if you need to log out.
  • GTM: Green to me. Describes the consider value of a monster (see green above).
  • Haste: Term used to describe a property of an item or weapon that grants faster speed of attack to the wielder. Such items remain to be seen in DAoC thus far.
  • Hib: Hibernia.
  • IC: In Character. Used by role players to indicate when they're switching between their character's persona and themselves.
  • IMHO: In My Honest Opinion.
  • IMO: In My Opinion.
  • Inc: Incoming. Shouted when a member of your group has lured a monster and is bringing it back to be killed.
  • JK: Just Kidding.
  • K (kk): OK. Yeah, it is pretty lazy to skip the "O," but many people do it.
  • Kill stealing: The act of taking a kill from another player by attacking a creature they have already engaged or pulled and doing sufficient damage to get experience and treasure.
  • Kite: The combined use of spells or other ranged attacks, in addition to frequent movement in large circles, which allows a player or group to slowly kill a high-level mob without actively engaging in melee combat. For casters, this might entail rooting or stunning a target, casting a DoT and other DD spells, meditating, or running, all while the mob is chasing.
  • KOS: Killed on Site. Refers to the welcome, or rather lack of welcome, some players get from NPC's of opposite factions.
  • Lag: Slow Connection.
  • Lamo: Stupid.
  • Leech/Leeching: Used to describe 1) a non-contributing group member that passively gains XP through others' efforts and 2) a solo player that attacks another player's pull in an attempt to gain a portion of their XP. Also used to describe when a player brings a low-level friend into a group with the intention of power leveling.
  • Lifetap (LT): Damage and HP leech spell. Describes a spell type that causes DD and also converts a portion of that damage into HP, which is then used to heal the caster.
  • Life Transfer: HP transfer spell. Describes a spell type that takes a portion of your health and gives it to another player as a form of "heal."
  • Link dead (LD): Used to describe when a user's DAoC connection ends abruptly or unexpectedly. If a person is link dead, they are still in the game, but cannot defend themselves do to lag or another computer error.
  • Level up: Increase your character level.
  • LFG: Looking for a Group. Used to describe the LFG channel or to indicate a player is actively interested in joining a group for PvE or RvR purposes.
  • Location (loc): Used to describe a player, mob, NPC, or landmark's coordinates or geographic placement within a region or zone. To know your exact location, use the '/loc' slash command.
  • LOL: Laughing out Loud (That was funny).
  • Loot: Items received as a result of killing a mob in combat or completing a quest. Players may only receive loot for kills from which they gain XP well as if they or their group cause the most damage to a target.
  • LOP: The P is for power which is used in DAoC. See LOM.
  • LOS: Line Of Sight.
  • Lowbie(s): What some high level characters call people under 20th level.
  • Med: Meditate. If a magic user says he has to Med it means he is low on power and has to regenerate it by sitting down.
  • Melee: Used to describe 1) a character archetype that predominantly engages in close-quarter combat (such as with a sword) or 2) the act of performing a physical attack upon a target.
  • Mez/Mezzed: Mesmerize. Term used to describe a crowd-control spell effect that prevents a target from performing any actions, except use the Purge RA.
  • Mid: Midgard.
  • Mob: Mobile Object. Basically, any computer-controlled creature that moves, which describes most monsters. Not to be confused with NPCs.
  • MT: Empty or Main Tank. 1. Used in EQ when a mob had no loot on its corpse. 2. Used mostly in high-end situations where a large number of people are required to defeat 1 mob, a designated "main tank" is used to take all the damage and keep the mob on him. Thus, healers can concentrate healing 1 person.
  • Nerf: Used to describe a change applied to a player's overall game experience or to a specific class that is perceived as reducing its overall effectiveness.
  • Newbie: Anyone new to the game, and thus unfamiliar with the rules. Also refers to low level characters.
  • NP: No Problem. It is usually used after someone gets thanked.
  • NPC: Non-Player Character. Any character that can be interacted with that is handled by the computer or even a GM rather than another player. These entities cannot be attacked by players of the same realm.
  • Nuke: The process of unleashing the most powerful spells everyone has as fast as you can.
  • OMW: On My Way. This is to let someone know you are coming to meet them.
  • OOC: Out of Concentration. Used by classes with concentration-based buffs when they reach the limit of buff spells they can maintain.
  • OOE: Out of Endurance. Used to indicate that a player may no longer sprint or perform combat styles.
  • OOP: Out of Power. The "P" stands for power and means a player can no longer cast spells and must rest.
  • OOR: Out of Range. Used when someone is trying to do an action (most often healing) and the recipient or other player involved is too far away.
  • OOT: Out of Time.
  • OOW: On Our Way. Used to let someone know you and more are coming to meet them.
  • OTW: On the Way.
  • PBAoE: Point-Blank Area of Effect. Used to describe spells where range is centered on the caster's location and affects all nearby friendly or enemy players.
  • Pet: A creature summoned or charmed by one of the summoning/charming magic classes who will obey and fight for him.
  • PC: Player Character or Price Check.
  • PH: Placeholder. The creature that spawns in place of the creature you really want to kill.
  • PK: Player Kill. The act of attacking players from another Realm.
  • PoM: Purity Of Mind. Spell (Midgard only).
  • Pop: Term describing that a mob has spawned near-by. Used mostly to alert the group that there might be an add to deal with soon.
  • Power: A caster's pool from which they draw to complete spells, sometimes referred to (incorrectly) as mana. Each spell costs power, and once a player is out of power, they can no longer cast spells until they rest/meditate or consume a potion.
  • Power leveling (PL/PLing): Used to describe when a high-level player adds a low-level player to their group and then kills mobs with the intention of maxing out XP gains and rapidly leveling the low-level toon.
  • Pray: '/pray' at a gravestone to get back lost experience from a death.
  • Proc: Process. Used to describe a weapon that randomly triggers a magical effect either against a player's current target or on themselves.
  • Pull(ing): This entails bringing a mob to a more defensible position so your party can beat the snot out of it in relative safety.
  • Pulse: Used to describe a type of spell that automatically refreshes or triggers at regular intervals and will not end until a player cancels the pulse effect. For example, speed spells cast by Bards, Minstrels, and Skalds are pulse-based spells.
  • Purge: A realm ability that allows a player to cancel/remove all negative effects actively affecting them. This also resets all current effect immunities.
  • Purple: Term for a mob that is significantly higher than your current level. When you click on such a mob, its name will appear in purple. Attacking a purple mob solo or pre-50 is likely to result in death.
  • PvE: Player versus Environment. Used to describe when players kill mobs for money, loot, and XP.
  • PvP: Player versus Player. Those who choose to be plus PVP can attack and be attacked by other players. A plus PVP player can's be healed or aided by non PVP players. Also known as RvR.
  • Quest item: Rare item. An item that can only be acquired through the fulfillment or as part of completing a quest/task. Quest items typically have no purpose outside the quest, though some may might be wearable.
  • Raid: Used to describe the formation of a battlegroup with the intention of completing an end-game dungeon, like Tuscaran Glacier (TG). See Battlegroup.
  • Ready (R/rdy): Ready. Signals readiness to attack or move on.
  • Realm Ability (RA): Used to describe special abilities only attainable by gaining realm ranks, such as Purge.
  • Realm Points (RP): In-game "scoring" points. Finishing quests, or participating in the capture or defense of a relic will earn Realm Points.
  • Realm Rank (RR): Used to describe a character's RvR advancement (e.g., 4L4), similar to XP-based leveling. With each realm rank gained, the player receives one (1) RA point that may be used to purchase realm abilities.
  • Red: Term for a monster that is several levels higher than you. When you click on it the text is in red. These mobs need a group to kill.
  • Region: Used to describe the "continent" or overland combination of multiple zones that border or connect with one another. For example, the Midgard region includes zones like Muspelheim, Vale of Mularn, and Myrkwood Forest. See Zones.
  • Release: Return to life. If you type /release you will return to your bind stone with full res sickness and an extra 5% experience and constitution loss.
  • Resurrect (rez): Used to describe the action of bringing someone back to life using magic. A rezzed player is returned to life at the location of their rezzer, without XP or constitution loss (versus releasing).
  • Rez sickness: Used to describe an effect applied to characters that recently died and were rezzed. This effect temporarily lowers stats, damage, and more.
  • Rest: To sit, meditate, or bring stats (HP, end, power) back up to full.
  • RFP: Ready for Pull. Used to indicate when a player is prepared for the puller to begin aggroing mobs as part of a PvE group.
  • RL: Real Life. Used mostly in OOC conversations that have reference to real life. Also referred to as IRL (In Real Life). Occasionally referred to as RW:[/B] real world.
  • Roamer: Used to describe mobs that have a patrol route and move around. These are the most prone to become "adds". Also referred to as wanderers.
  • ROFL: Rolling on the Floor Laughing. Meaning that was very funny.
  • Root: Root is a spell effect that prevents a person or monster from moving.
  • RP: Realm Point or Role Play. See Realm Points, if applicable. For role play, players oftentimes use the '/roleplay' slash command to identify themselves as such to other players.
  • RTM: Red to me. Describes the consider value of a monster. See red description above.
  • RvR: Realm versus Realm. Used to describe PvP action in the frontier zones as well as activity around taking/defending keeps.
  • RW: Real World. See RL.
  • Screenshot (SS): Used when talking about taking a screenshot from in-game.
  • Season: Used by role players to describe levels (10th season = level 10).
  • Snare: An offensive spell that reduces a target's overall movement speed.
  • Social: Creatures that defend each other. A social creature is typically able to "yell for help," which triggers aggro of all nearby mobs of the same type or faction.
  • SOS: Speed of Sound realm ability. Used to retain the caster's current speed for a short time regardless of damage received that might normally cancel a speed effect.
  • Spam/Spamming: Used to describe sending the same message over and over again over a very short interval, much to the displeasure and annoyance of everyone else. This typically occurs on the LFG and Trade channels.
  • Spawn: Creature creation. Where a creature pops into existence, it is said to have spawned.
  • Spec: Specialization. Used to describe the allocation of a player's skill points.
  • Static mob: The opposite of roamers. Describes a mob that stays in one location until they are pulled or otherwise aggroed.
  • Send: Used to describe the act of sending a message to another player, accomplished via the '/send ' slash command.
  • Starter Zone: An area where a new character spawns that is full of low-level monsters.
  • Stun: An offensive effect type that prevents the defending player from taking any action (movement, spell, style, etc.), beyond expending the Purge RA.
  • Tank or Tanking: Refers to one person in a group that usually takes the brunt of an attack from a mob while the others in the group attack with spells or from different angles. Usually the group member with the highest AC and melee skills.
  • Taunt: Used to describe abilities or actions intended to gain a mob's aggro in combat.
  • Tell: See Send.
  • TGW: See TPW.
  • Toon: Term used to describe your character/avatar.
  • TTFN: Ta-Ta For Now. Casual goodbye.
  • Temping: The process of creating a full set of armor, weapons, and jewelry with the intention of maxing out all possible stats, skills, and resists.
  • Template (temping): A full set of armor, weapons/shield, and jewelry that (typically) caps all of a character's stats, skills, and resists.
  • TY or TYVM: Thank You or Thank You Very Much.
  • WB: Welcome Back.
  • Whisper: A type of message that may be privately sent to another player or NPC within a short radius. Usable with the '/whisper' slash command.
  • Woot or W00T: Woohoo, great or congratulations.
  • WTB: Want to Buy.
  • WTF: *What the f****. No more needs be said about this.
  • WTT: Willing to Trade.
  • WTS: Want to Sell.
  • Yellow: Term for a monster that is of the same approximate level as you. When you click on it, the mob's name will appear in yellow. These are typically easy to kill solo.
  • YVW: You're very Welcome.
  • YW: You're Welcome.
  • XP: See Experience Points.
  • Zone: A portion of a region, such as Vale of Mularn, East Svealand, and West Svealand. See Region.

This content was originally based on the following archived Allakhazam (now FanByte) page.