Jargon, decoded
Glossary
The shorthand every MMORPG guide assumes you already know, defined plainly and listed alphabetically. Terms that mean different things in different games say which game they belong to.
A
Abyssal Demon- In Old School RuneScape, an Abyssal Demon is a monster that players can interact with using a specialized lure technique involving its teleport mechanic. This technique requires a high Slayer level and manipulation of line-of-sight rules to control the demon's movement for strategic gameplay purposes.
Aggro- The threat value a monster has assigned to each player, and therefore who it attacks. Losing aggro control is the usual reason a pull goes wrong.
Agris- Agris is a boss fight in Black Desert featuring multiple distinct phases. Players must first handle the Boar encounter before transitioning to the main battle against Agris, where they use strategic mechanics such as dodging Pillars and employing the Black Spirit Rage (BSR) skill to deal significant damage and progress through the fight.
Annihilator Build- The Annihilator build is a character setup designed for effectiveness in Mythic+ dungeons, especially for handling large groups of enemies (AoE). It currently relies on a temporary bug involving global cooldown (GCD) and haste scaling, making it less dependable outside of Mythic+ content.
Archon Shards- Archon Shards are equipment pieces that provide various benefits such as additional armor, ability strength, range, energy capacity, energy economy, ability efficiency, duration, and casting speed. They are shared across the Warframes Sirius and Orion, applying their effects to both frames equally. Players allocate Archon Shards to enhance survivability and optimize Warframe performance by complementing core stats and abilities.
Ashborn- The Ashborn are a splinter group within the Keepers, serving as a type of enemy encountered in an event setting in Albion. They are central to related event missions, lore discoveries, and unlocking unique vanity rewards like the Ashborn Keeper Armor, Helmet, and Avatar Frame.
Astrolabe- In Path of Exile, Astrolabes are valuable items that can be obtained through certain map runs, particularly from boss farming and specialized maps like Mirage maps. They are considered high-value drops and contribute to your farming economy but using them on maps prevents additional Astrolabe drops on those maps.
Auto Vial Smashing- Auto Vial Smashing is a feature in Old School RuneScape that automatically removes empty potion vials during Herblore training, streamlining the process. Players can enable this function through the in-game settings by toggling the option to automatically smash empty vials. This helps improve efficiency by managing inventory space and reducing manual tasks.
B
Beast Taming- Beast taming is a gameplay activity that involves capturing and controlling beasts. Players should consider using maps with fewer modifiers and disable damage-dealing mechanics to avoid accidentally killing the beast during the taming process.
BiS- Best in slot: the highest-value item available for one equipment slot at a given point in a patch. It changes when the patch does, which is why a BiS list without a version stamp is unusable.
Bitter Frost Node- The Bitter Frost node is a passive skill in Path of Exile introduced in patch 3.29 that benefits cold damage builds. It increases the damage enemies take based on the chill effect applied by cold damage hits.
Blackout Pulse- Blackout Pulse is a tool or ability used in Steel Path Railjack missions to stun multiple enemy fighters and reveal weak spots on crewships. It temporarily immobilizes groups of enemies, making them easier to target and destroy.
Blackrose Prison- Blackrose Prison is an instance dungeon in the game used for fast leveling. It is considered one of the high-frequency grinding locations where players can efficiently gain experience, especially when played on normal difficulty.
Blind Bag- A Blind Bag is a game mechanic that grants additional weapon hits on melee swings, increasing burst damage potential. Its effect is triggered based on the number of heavy melee weapons (weighing over 1 kg) stored in the player's inventory, and the attacks from this mechanic ignore weapon attack speed, favoring high-damage hits for effective combat.
Bossrush- Bossrush is a game mode or challenge where players repeatedly face bosses to farm valuable rewards efficiently. In the context of Mirage Bossrush, players optimize their Atlas passive tree and setup to maximize map drop rates and overall loot obtained from these boss encounters.
C
Challenge Mode- Challenge Mode refers to a specific, more difficult gameplay setting where players need to optimize their builds for survivability and damage, actively gather resources before events, and work closely with their squad to overcome complex boss mechanics. Success in this mode requires strategic coordination and understanding of each boss's unique challenges to efficiently complete the event.
Chaos orb- The common mid-tier Path of Exile currency, and the unit most early-league prices are quoted in before the economy settles.
Combat Power- Combat Power is a measure of a player's overall strength and effectiveness in the game Throne and Liberty. It is essential for tackling higher-tier content such as dungeons and endgame challenges, and can be increased by upgrading gear quality, weapon mastery levels, completing the Path of Ascension, and acquiring powerful upgrades like heroics and Snowsoul Weapons.
Cosmic Exploration- Cosmic Exploration is a feature in Final Fantasy XIV that offers high experience reward missions for crafting professions, allowing players to level from 1 to 100 efficiently. It provides missions that include all necessary materials, enabling players to gain crafting XP without using additional resources. It also provides access to starter crafting gear and remains a key method for leveling crafting professions, especially from level 70 onwards.
Crafting Macros- Crafting macros are automated command sequences used in Final Fantasy XIV to streamline and optimize the crafting process, improving efficiency when leveling crafting professions. They allow players to perform multiple crafting actions automatically, which speeds up experience gain during crafting.
Crucifix Build- The Crucifix Build in Throne and Liberty is a character setup that combines the use of a crossbow and an orb to excel in PvE (player versus environment) content. It focuses on specific gear progression, skill rotation, and stat priorities such as high attack speed and cooldown speed to maximize damage output and efficiency.
Crystal Armor- Crystal Armor is a type of protective gear in Old School RuneScape that provides significant bonuses to melee, ranged, and magic combat styles. It is valued for its flexibility, allowing players to efficiently switch between combat modes without changing equipment, and offers combat bonuses comparable to high-end gear in each style.
D
Destructive Play- Destructive Play is a keystone passive ability located in the Atlas Passive Tree in Path of Exile. It allows up to three boss monsters to spawn per map and enables bosses to respawn within Mirage areas, increasing loot opportunities. Players can maximize its effect by clearing mobs around map bosses first and focusing on influenced maps for efficient boss farming and rewards.
Dimensional Trials- Dimensional Trials are specialized player-versus-environment activities involving combat challenges. They allow the use of specific skills and builds, such as taking advantage of Nightmare Passive for crowd control benefits. Both aggressive and tactical character builds can be effective in these trials.
Divine orb- A high-value Path of Exile currency that rerolls the numeric values of an item’s existing modifiers without changing which modifiers it has.
Downstate- Downstate is a condition in Guild Wars 2 PvP that occurs when a player loses all their health. In this state, players have limited abilities they can use to disrupt opponents or support teammates, such as fear or pulling skills. Managing downstate involves focusing attacks to prevent enemy revival, utilizing downstate abilities strategically, and prioritizing reviving teammates safely.
DPS- Damage per second. Also used as a role name for a character whose job in a group is damage rather than healing or tanking.
Draconic Tribute- Draconic Tribute is a crafted item in Guild Wars 2 required for Aurene's weapons. It is made by combining various materials such as venom sacks, blood, fangs, bones, claws, Mystic Clovers, Amalgamated Draconic Stones, and other standardized crafting materials in the Mystic Forge.
E
Elemental Hit- Elemental Hit is a skill used primarily in early and mid-game progression for its high flat elemental damage. It is ideal for leveling and early mapping, offering significant damage bonuses before transitioning to skills with larger area effects and critical damage scaling.
Elite Builds- Elite builds in Guild Wars 2 are character setups optimized for versatility, self-sustain, and adaptability. They enable players to effectively handle dynamic events, exploration, loot farming, and challenging boss fights solo in open-world content.
Elite Sanctuary Onslaught- Elite Sanctuary Onslaught is a high-level mission mode accessed via the navigation panel alongside the normal Sanctuary Onslaught mode. It involves intense combat scenarios where players benefit from builds that emphasize crowd control and survivability to perform effectively.
Evolved Mode- Evolved Mode is a gameplay option that focuses on streamlined rotations with fewer button inputs and consolidated abilities. It emphasizes choice-driven, strategic risk-reward scenarios and simplifies traditional job abilities without reducing challenge, representing a modern redesign of job mechanics.
Exotic Luck- Exotic Luck is a crafting material used to create Aurene's weapons. It is obtained by refining lower-tier luck items such as blue, green, and yellow luck using an Artificing Station.
F
Faction Warfare- Faction Warfare is a non-lethal player versus player (PvP) activity that takes place in yellow zones, allowing players, especially new ones, to experience open-world combat. It offers opportunities for rewards through participation in events and sieges, blending safe zone activities with larger PvP engagements.
Favor Currency- Favor Currency is a type of in-game currency earned by completing quests, defeating bosses, and participating in events after choosing a faction. It is primarily used in the Night Market and to purchase items such as Splinters from faction vendors.
Foil Card- A Foil Card is a rare item in the OSRS Cardcore Hardcore Ironman mode that grants unique advancements and significant gameplay benefits. For instance, obtaining a foil card for an NPC like General Graardor unlocks all unique collection logs associated with Bandos-related items.
Foil Cards- Foil Cards are rare items in the Cardcore Hardcore Ironman mode of OSRS. They provide unique advancements and substantial gameplay benefits.
Fractals- Fractals are a type of tiered dungeon content that offers progressive challenges and valuable rewards. Players start from lower tiers and advance as they gain experience and resources, providing an opportunity to learn advanced mechanics and prepare for more difficult activities like raids.
G
Gearing- Raising a character’s item level to the point where the next tier of content is survivable. Distinct from progression, which is clearing that content.
Gearing Path- A gearing path is the sequence of activities and sources a player follows to improve their character's gear progressively. This typically involves completing weekly quests, engaging in specific hunts or delves, crafting, and obtaining rewards from PvP vendors and factions.
Glacial Heart- Glacial Heart is a trait in Guild Wars 2 that significantly enhances hammer attacks by adding chill and immobilize effects to impair enemies. It improves hammer damage and provides healing and sustain through its passive benefits when used with specific hammer abilities like Mighty Blow and Ring of Warding. This trait is central to builds focusing on crowd control, burst damage, and self-healing during combat.
H
Helminth Abilities- Helminth Abilities in Warframe are special abilities that can be infused onto the player's primary Warframe, enhancing its capabilities. They are chosen carefully to complement the Warframe's build and playstyle, but can only be applied to the primary frame.
Hunting Mastery- Hunting Mastery is a skill level or stat related to hunting effectiveness in a game. It can be enhanced by consuming certain items such as elixirs, food, and other consumables, which improve hunting efficiency and provide supplemental benefits when the mastery is below a certain threshold, such as 2,000.
I
Ilvl- Item level: the internal number that sets an item’s stat budget. Not the same as the character level required to equip it, and the two often diverge.
Imbued Heart- The Imbued Heart is a rare drop obtained primarily from Superior Slayer monsters during Slayer tasks. It requires specific strategies and prolonged efforts, with farming durations estimated between 65 to 80 hours after unlocking relevant tasks.
In-Game Credits- In-Game Credits are a form of currency earned by players through activities like leveling up, defeating monsters, and gaining experience. They are integral to the gameplay system and can be used within the game for various purposes.
Intrinsic System- The Intrinsic System in Railjack is a skill tree-based progression system that includes Tactical, Piloting, Gunnery, and Command skill trees. Players can optimize their experience by focusing on skill trees that align with their preferred playstyle, such as maxing out Command for enhanced crew abilities when playing solo.
K
Keeper Memories- Keeper Memories are lore fragments found in the game Albion Online. They are untradable and encourage players to explore the world, sometimes hidden in secret locations. They contribute to event missions and are recorded within the Exploration journal.
Kullervo- Kullervo, also known as the Kullervo Gunblade, is a ranged melee weapon in Warframe. It is recognized as one of the strongest boss-killer weapons of 2026, valued for its effectiveness in boss fights.
L
League start- The opening days of a fresh economy, when nothing has been farmed and prices bear no relation to their settled values. Most build guidance is written for one side of this line or the other.
Light Party Positions- Light Party Positions are designated areas within an arena where players should stand during a specific phase or mechanic of a game. These positions are clearly marked to help players maintain proper spacing and avoid damage or other negative effects during encounters.
Lightning Arrow- Lightning Arrow is a skill that becomes effective for area-of-effect (AoE) clearing once a player acquires better gear that boosts elemental damage, such as a bow with high flat elemental DPS and items like Hyrri's Ire. It is typically used as a primary skill after early progression, offering larger AoE radius compared to some early skills like Elemental Hit, enhancing clear speed and efficiency.
Loot Filters- Loot filters are tools that help players manage and optimize the collection of item drops by displaying only the most relevant or valuable items. They allow players to focus on what matters by filtering out less useful loot, improving gameplay efficiency.
M
Mechanist- Mechanist is a build that revolves around using a Jade Mech to provide damage, sustain, and generation of boons. It is known for its ease of use and its ability to grant alacrity and quickness but relies heavily on its mech as well as external support to be effective.
Meta- The set of builds, specs or strategies currently considered strongest. It is a description of what people are playing, not a rule, and it moves every balance pass.
Mirage- In Guild Wars 2, Mirage is an elite specialization known for its simple gameplay focused on dodging, offering consistent sustain, ranged condition damage, and strong boon generation that makes it an S-tier choice for solo open-world PvE. It excels in ease and versatility but struggles somewhat with burst AoE damage in group encounters. Additionally, in Path of Exile 3.28, "Mirage" refers to specific maps and bosses for which players should optimize their Atlas passive tree and use keystones and Scarabs to efficiently farm rewards.
Mirage Expansion- The Mirage Expansion is content for the game Path of Exile that includes modifications such as boss rush strategy elements. It involves features like influenced maps, scarabs, and the Atlas Passive Tree, which players can configure to maximize loot and boss spawns.
Murky Matt- Murky Matt is an NPC located at the southeastern section of the Grand Exchange in Old School RuneScape. He offers a service that decants semi-charged jewelry into maximally charged items, allowing players to restore the full charge of their jewelry.
Mythic+- World of Warcraft’s scaling dungeon system, where a key level sets both the difficulty and the reward tier.
N
Negative Range Bonus- A Negative Range Bonus is a gear attribute that reduces the effective range of attacks, sometimes to the point of causing zero damage. Players equip items with this bonus to manipulate attack mechanics, such as triggering teleport effects without harming a target.
Nek'zali- Nek'zali the Soulcoilers is a boss fight that consists of two phases separated by an intermission. Players must manage add control, strategic repositioning, and debuff management to defeat Nek'zali.
Nightblade Viper Mamba- The Nightblade Viper Mamba is a build in Path of Exile 3.28 that focuses on poison proliferation and critical strike scaling using elusive effects. It emphasizes high mobility and utilizes specific gear like Bino's Kitchen Knife and cluster jewels such as Low Tolerance to maximize poison damage and effectiveness against mobs and endgame bosses.
Noxious Halberd- The Noxious Halberd is a melee weapon that allows players to attack enemies from up to seven tiles away, offering increased damage and healing. It is central to certain builds that focus on maximizing damage output and healing potential through custom synergies.
P
Passive Battery Mechanic- The Passive Battery Mechanic refers to a core gameplay feature of the character Gauss Prime, which is central to how his abilities function. Managing this mechanic effectively is key to optimizing his performance, including the use of his Redline ability.
Path of Ascension- The Path of Ascension is a core progression system in Throne and Liberty unlocked at level 55 by completing the main questline. It introduces many gameplay aspects such as dungeon matchmaking, daily contracts, weapon mastery, rune system, and farming techniques. Completing the Path of Ascension is essential for increasing combat power and advancing to higher-tier content.
Poetics- Poetics is a currency in Final Fantasy XIV used to purchase gear from specific vendors at various level brackets. Players earn Poetics primarily through daily roulette rewards and use it to progressively upgrade their equipment by buying and augmenting Poetics gear suited for their level.
Poison Dynamite- Poison Dynamite is an item or technique used in gameplay to manipulate enemy movement, particularly demons, by applying poison effects alongside explosives. It can be combined with other tools like cannons to create controlled interactions against opponents.
Prog- Progression: attempting an encounter the group has not yet cleared, as opposed to farming one it has. The two need different consumables and a different schedule.
Progression Systems- Progression systems are game mechanics that manage how a player’s character or status develops and advances over time. They often include factors like character customization, skill improvements, and unlocking new abilities or content, helping players to measure their long-term growth and maintain motivation.
R
Ranger Class- The Ranger Class is a character class in the game that features unique ranged abilities which enhance gameplay. It was available during the playtest and can be accessed by players choosing the character Baron.
Reborn Mode- Reborn Mode in FFXIV 8.0 preserves the traditional gameplay and job system, allowing players to experience jobs in the familiar format from previous expansions. It maintains classic mechanics while incorporating updates to content and abilities, providing flexibility for those who prefer the existing gameplay style.
Relic Splinters- Relic Splinters are collectible items used to craft unique relics and expand your Night's Den house. They are key collectibles needed to access district-specific relics and unlock additional features in your Night's Den house.
Reliquarian- The Reliquarian is a new Ascendancy class for the Scion in Path of Exile. It focuses on permanently hiring up to three mercenaries, allowing players to customize their gear and build unique synergies with their allies through passives and aura enhancements.
S
Savage- Final Fantasy XIV’s harder raid tier, released after and above the normal version of the same fight.
Scar Progression- Scar Progression is a system in the MMORPG Scars of Honor where scars represent significant milestones in a character's journey. Players earn scars by achieving specific accomplishments or overcoming challenges such as defeating bosses.
Scarabs- Scarabs are items used in Path of Exile 3.28 to enhance map rewards and efficiency. Different types of Scarabs, such as Cartography Scarabs, Interference Scarabs, and Rusted Scarabs, increase map drops, spawn additional bosses, and provide special rewards like Maven invitations, respectively. Using Scarabs strategically improves farming outcomes, especially in Mirage maps and boss rush strategies.
Scion- In the game Path of Exile, the Scion is a character class that has recently received a new Ascendancy called 'The Reliquarian'. This Ascendancy focuses on ally-based gameplay, allowing the Scion to hire and empower mercenary allies permanently, thus enhancing team synergy and offering unique build customization options.
Scrips- Scrips are a type of currency unlocked around level 70 through Collectables and Custom Deliveries. Players use Scrips to purchase high-level crafting gear sets from specific NPCs, aiding in crafting progression.
Scrying Pool- A Scrying Pool is an item in Old School RuneScape that players can place in the portal room of their Player-owned House. It allows them to preview activity or players at various teleport destinations before traveling, helping to avoid risky areas such as PvP zones.
Shatter Burst- Shatter Burst is a battle mod used primarily to remove shields and shield generators from enemies or points of interest, particularly in Steel Path Railjack missions and Veil Proxima missions. It is effective at long range and enables players to disable enemy defenses, making it easier to target weak spots or use artillery hits.
Silver Farming- Silver farming is the process of earning silver efficiently through various in-game activities such as gathering Tier 3 fiber using food boosts, refining fiber on bonus days, and selling items in high-demand markets. Beginners can engage in silver farming by combining marketplace transactions, faction activities, and mob clearing for steady income.
Skyreach Catacombs- Skyreach Catacombs is an instance dungeon in Elder Scrolls Online used for efficient leveling by farming mobs in a controlled environment without competition from other players. It offers a high-frequency grinding location suitable for players looking to gain experience rapidly.
Skyshard Collection- Skyshard Collection refers to gathering Skyshards, which are items you can find throughout the game world that grant skill points when collected. They are a reliable way to gain skill points while exploring and can be supplemented with addon tools that mark their locations in each zone.
Succession Striker- The Succession Striker is a character class in Black Desert that excels at hunting Shadow Lions due to its high base critical chance. Players should level this class to 60 and equip it with optimized gear, consumables, and mastery skills to maximize damage output and resource harvesting efficiency. Effective play with the Succession Striker involves manual skill activations and rapid weapon swaps during combat.
T
Teak Tree Two-Tick Woodcutting- Teak Tree Two-Tick Woodcutting is a highly efficient woodcutting method used on teak trees, which are found on Fossil Island. It involves timing actions to optimize woodcutting speed according to game ticks.
Tel Var Farming- Tel Var Farming is the activity of collecting Tel Var Stones in the Imperial City, which serves as a central location for this farming during certain events.
Tequatl- Tequatl is a high-reward event known for its direct gold rewards and valuable loot, making it a key activity for efficient gold farming. Players often prioritize participating in Tequatl along with other major events to maximize their gold earnings consistently.
The Passive Skill Tree- The Passive Skill Tree in Path of Exile 2 is a vast and intricate interface that displays interconnected nodes and connections representing passive skills. Each character class starts at a specific location on the tree based on their primary attributes, and players unlock nodes with passive points to customize their character’s abilities.
Thrax Enemies- Thrax enemies are hostile units encountered in the Void Cascade mission mode, particularly during the Steel Path difficulty. They disrupt mission objectives by possessing Exolizers and require specific tactics to defeat, such as using magnetic damage and Secondary Fortifier arcane to remove their overguard, stripping their armor, and targeting their ghost forms with high-damage Operator amps.
U
Ultimate Attacks- Ultimate attacks are powerful and difficult moves executed by Shinryu Unreal in Final Fantasy XIV that occur during specific fight phases. These attacks often require coordination, precise execution, and specific player positioning to handle safely, as they can change the arena and introduce new mechanics.
Upgrading Item Rarity- Upgrading item rarity is a one-way process that changes an item's rarity to unlock more modifier slots. This is often done using specific currency orbs, such as Orbs of Transmutation, to enable further crafting or enhancements.
V
Vampyrium- Vampyrium refers to a theme or set of content in Old School RuneScape, introduced in the Blood Moon Rises update, that includes unique skilling methods and resources such as bloodwood sap and blood sacs. These Vampyrium-themed elements are linked to crafting and skilling activities with enhanced experience rates and utility, increasing their value and importance within the game.
Vanity Rewards- Vanity rewards are exclusive cosmetic items that players can unlock by completing specific missions or event tiers. Examples include armor, helmets, and avatar frames that do not affect gameplay but provide unique visual customization options.
Vault- A weekly reward chest whose contents are decided by what content a character completed that week. It is the reason a week’s first few runs are worth more than its last few.
Vaults of Atal’utek- Vaults of Atal’utek are locations or instances in World of Warcraft's Season 2 Midnight where players can engage in public events and weekly quests. These vaults offer opportunities to obtain veteran and champion gear as rewards. Players progress in associated quests by combat and exploration within these vaults.
Virtues Hammer- The Virtues Hammer is a Luminary build used in World vs. World (WvW) gameplay as a Guardian. This build focuses on using gear with Dragon stats to maximize resolution uptime, and it leverages Glacial Heart's chill and immobilize effects to enhance damage and sustain. The build emphasizes critical chance, damage, and sustain through skill and trait synergy.
Void Cascade- Void Cascade is a mission mode in the game Warframe, particularly featuring a challenging Steel Path version. It involves objectives disrupted by Thrax enemies possessing Exolizers and is designed for resource and arcane farming, with greater mod drop chances on Steel Path. Success in Void Cascade requires using tanky or invisible Warframes, optimized loadouts to cleanse Exolizers, and strategies for efficient map traversal and combat.
Voidal Turbulence- Voidal Turbulence is a mechanic in the Final Fantasy XIV trial The Unmaking Extreme that requires players to pre-position to avoid unsafe zones. It is one of several mechanics during the encounter demanding precise positioning and mitigation to successfully manage.
W
Waystones- Waystones are items used in Path of Exile to unlock map slots and enhance the modifiers on maps. They can be prepared with specific modifiers and combined with tablets to create high-modifier maps that increase the chance of encountering unique beasts with powerful stats.
Weapon Swapping- Weapon swapping is a mechanic that allows players to change between different weapons during gameplay. It enables the management of complex builds by intelligently pairing attributes and preset skill assignments to maximize effectiveness.
Willbender- Willbender is a solo elite specialization for the Guardian profession that focuses on condition damage. It excels in area-of-effect (AoE) damage, burst damage capabilities, and boon generation, making it a strong choice for solo play in the open world.
Wipe- The whole group dying, ending the attempt and returning everyone to the start of the encounter.
Wizard's Vault- Wizard's Vault is a system in Guild Wars 2 that offers daily and weekly objectives for players to complete in exchange for rewards such as gold and Astral Acclaim. It encourages engaging with activities like fractals and focusing on gear progression and mastery advancement after reaching max level.
Worm’s Heart- The Worm’s Heart is a mechanic involving spawns that must be managed carefully to prevent the corrupted ether gauge from reaching 100. Controlling these spawns is essential within its context.