Gaming Glossary

+1 #

Also: Plus one

A note that a player already won an item, so their next rolls rank below people who haven't.

2-minute burst #

Also: Raid buffs, Two-minute window

Most jobs line up their big damage buffs every two minutes, so the party bursts together.

Add #

Also: Adds

Extra enemies that join a fight, usually summoned by or alongside a boss.

"Adds incoming, switch to them."

Affixes #

Extra rules added to Mythic+ dungeons that change how they play.

AFK #

Also: Away from keyboard

The player is away and not at the controls.

Aggro #

Also: Threat, Enmity

How much an enemy wants to attack you. Whoever has the most aggro is usually the one the enemy hits.

"I pulled aggro off the tank."

Aggro range #

Also: Pulling range

How close you can get to an enemy before it notices you and attacks.

Alt #

Also: Alternate character

Any character a player has besides their main one.

AoE #

Also: Area of Effect

An ability or attack that hits everything in an area rather than a single target.

"Use AoE on the trash pack."

AST #

Also: Astrologian

Astrologian, a healer job that uses cards.

Battle rez #

Also: Combat rez, Brez

Reviving a player while the fight is still going on, usually limited in some way.

Bench #

Also: Benched

Sitting out of the raid for a fight or night, often so someone else can play.

"You're benched for this boss."

BiS #

Also: Best in slot

The best possible gear piece for a given slot for your character.

BLM #

Also: Black Mage

Black Mage, a caster DPS job.

Bloodlust #

Also: Heroism, Lust, Time Warp

A raid-wide buff that greatly increases haste for a short time. Several classes have an equivalent version.

"Lust on pull."

Body pull #

Starting a fight by walking into an enemy's aggro range instead of attacking it.

Boss #

A powerful named enemy, usually the main challenge of a dungeon or raid area.

BRB #

Also: Be right back

The player is stepping away briefly.

BRD #

Also: Bard

Bard, a ranged physical DPS job.

Buff #

A helpful effect that makes a character stronger for a time.

Burst #

Dealing as much damage as possible in a short window, usually with cooldowns lined up.

Carry #

Helping a weaker player or group through content they couldn't finish alone.

Cataclysm Classic #

Also: Cata Classic

A Classic version of the game based on the Cataclysm expansion.

Catalyst #

Also: Revival Catalyst

A system that turns certain gear pieces into your class's tier set version.

CC #

Also: Crowd control

Abilities that stop an enemy from acting for a while, such as stuns, roots, sleeps or fears.

Classic #

Also: Classic Era, Vanilla

Versions of the game based on earlier expansions, run separately from the current game.

Clear #

Beating a fight for the first time, or the act of finishing it.

"Looking for a clear party."

Cleave #

An attack that hits the main target and others nearby, usually in front of the attacker.

Combat res limit #

Also: Brez charges

A shared limit on how many battle rezzes the group can use in a fight or key.

Consumables #

Also: Consumes

Single-use items such as food and potions that boost a character for a while.

Cooldown #

Also: CD, CDs

The waiting time before an ability can be used again. "Use CDs" usually means use your strongest abilities now.

"Healing CDs on the next big hit."

Crests #

An upgrade currency earned from content and used to raise the item level of gear.

Data Centre #

Also: DC

A group of servers that can play together. Some content and travel work across a whole data centre.

DBM / BigWigs #

Also: Deadly Boss Mods, Boss mods

Addons that show timers and warnings for boss abilities.

Debuff #

A harmful effect placed on a character that weakens or hurts them.

Depleted key #

A keystone that went down in level because the dungeon wasn't finished in time.

Dispel #

Also: Cleanse

Removing a harmful effect from an ally, or a helpful one from an enemy.

DKP #

Also: Dragon Kill Points

A loot system where players earn points for attending and spend them to bid on items.

DNC #

Also: Dancer

Dancer, a ranged physical DPS job.

DoT #

Also: Damage over Time

An effect that deals damage in repeated small amounts over several seconds.

Downtime #

Time in a fight when you can't attack, such as when the boss is untargetable or you must move.

DPS #

Also: Damage per second, Damage dealer

Both the role whose main job is dealing damage and the measure of how much damage someone does over time.

DPS check #

A part of a fight where the group must deal enough damage in time or fail.

DRG #

Also: Dragoon

Dragoon, a melee DPS job.

DRK #

Also: Dark Knight

Dark Knight, a tank job.

Duty #

Any instanced content, such as a dungeon, trial or raid.

Duty Finder #

Also: DF

The tool that automatically matches you with other players for content.

Echo #

Also: The Echo

A buff in some duties that increases your stats, often after wiping or when content is older.

Enrage #

When an enemy becomes much stronger, often after a time limit or at low health, usually ending the fight if it isn't dead soon.

EPGP #

Also: Effort Points / Gear Points

A loot system that tracks effort earned and gear received, giving items to whoever has the best ratio.

Esuna #

A healer spell that removes certain harmful effects.

Extreme #

Also: EX

Harder versions of trial (single boss) fights.

Flask #

A consumable that gives a long-lasting stat boost, commonly used for raiding.

Free Company #

Also: FC

The game's version of a guild.

Frontal #

Also: Frontal cone

An attack that hits a cone or line in front of an enemy. Stand behind or to the side to avoid it.

GCD #

Also: Global cooldown

The short shared delay after using most abilities before you can use another one.

GDKP #

Also: Gold DKP

A loot system where items are auctioned for in-game gold and the gold is split among the group afterward.

Gear check #

Content that requires a minimum level of gear to beat.

GG #

Also: Good game

A friendly way to say well done at the end of a fight or session.

Glamour #

Also: Glam

Changing how your gear looks without changing its stats.

GNB #

Also: Gunbreaker

Gunbreaker, a tank job.

Great Vault #

Also: Vault

A weekly reward chest that offers a choice of loot based on what you completed the previous week.

Hard enrage #

Also: Enrage timer

A fixed time limit after which the boss kills the group outright.

Healer #

The role that restores health to the group and keeps everyone alive through damage.

Healing check #

A part of a fight with heavy damage that tests whether the healers can keep everyone alive.

Healthstone #

A warlock-made item that instantly restores some health.

HoT #

Also: Heal over Time

A heal that restores health in small amounts over several seconds instead of all at once.

HR #

Also: Hard reserve

An item set aside in advance for one specific person or purpose, so no one else rolls on it.

ilvl #

Also: Item level

A number showing how powerful a piece of gear is, or the average across all your gear.

Instance #

Also: Dungeon

A private copy of an area made just for your group.

Interrupt #

Also: Kick

Stopping an enemy's spell while it is being cast.

"Kick the heal cast."

Key level #

The difficulty level of a Mythic+ keystone. Higher levels make enemies stronger.

Keystone #

Also: Key

The item that opens a Mythic+ dungeon at a specific level.

Kiting #

Also: Kite

Moving an enemy around by staying out of its reach, often while attacking it or leading it somewhere.

LFG / LFM #

Also: Looking for group, Looking for more

LFG means a player wants to join a group; LFM means a group wants more players.

LFR #

Also: Looking for Raid, Raid Finder

The easiest raid difficulty, with groups formed automatically.

Limit Break #

Also: LB

A powerful party-wide ability that charges during combat; its effect depends on who uses it.

Line up #

Arrange the group or cooldowns so they all happen together at the right moment.

"Line up your burst for the add phase."

Linkshell #

Also: LS, CWLS

A chat channel group players can join to talk across the game.

Loot council #

Also: LC

A loot system where a small group of officers decides who gets each item.

LoS #

Also: Line of sight

Whether there is a clear path between you and a target. Breaking line of sight, often behind a pillar, can avoid attacks.

M0 #

Also: Mythic 0

The Mythic version of a dungeon without a keystone or timer.

Main #

The character a player plays most and usually raids with.

Main assist #

Also: MA

The player whose target everyone else follows, so the group focuses the same enemy.

Main tank #

Also: MT

The tank responsible for the boss or most important enemy.

MCH #

Also: Machinist

Machinist, a ranged physical DPS job.

Mechanic #

Also: Mechanics

A special rule or attack in a fight that the group must handle correctly, such as moving out of a circle.

Mentor #

A player badge for experienced players who help newer ones.

Mit #

Also: Mitigation

Abilities that reduce damage taken.

MNK #

Also: Monk

Monk, a melee DPS job.

Mob #

Any computer-controlled enemy.

MS/OS #

Also: Main spec, Off spec

A loot rule: main spec rolls (for the role you play in the raid) beat off spec rolls (for a secondary role).

MVP #

Also: Most valuable player

Praise for the player who did the most to help the group succeed.

Mythic+ #

Also: M+

Timed, harder versions of dungeons that scale with a keystone level.

Need/Greed #

Also: Need before Greed, Need over Greed

A rolling system where players who truly need an item roll first, and others may roll for it only if no one needs it.

NIN #

Also: Ninja

Ninja, a melee DPS job.

Normal raid #

The story-difficulty version of a raid series, available through Duty Finder.

Off tank #

Also: OT

The second tank, who handles adds, swaps onto the boss when needed, or helps out the main tank.

OOM #

Also: Out of mana

A player, usually a healer, has run out of the resource they need to cast spells.

Party Finder #

Also: PF

A board where players post and join groups for specific content and goals.

Party mitigation #

Also: Party mit

Mitigation that reduces damage for the whole party, often planned for raidwide attacks.

PCT #

Also: Pictomancer

Pictomancer, a caster DPS job.

Pet #

A creature controlled by a player that fights alongside them.

Phase #

Also: P1, P2

A stage of a boss fight. The fight often changes when a new phase starts.

PLD #

Also: Paladin

Paladin, a tank job.

Power Infusion #

Also: PI

A priest spell that gives another player a short boost, often given to a strong damage dealer during burst.

Priority target #

Also: Prio, Focus target

An enemy that should be killed before others, such as a dangerous add.

"Healer add is prio."

Proc #

An effect that triggers by chance or when a condition is met.

"My trinket procced."

Prog #

Also: Progression

Learning a fight over many attempts before you can clear it.

"Prog party to phase 3."

Provoke #

The tank ability that puts you at the top of an enemy's enmity list.

PUG #

Also: Pick-up group

A group made of strangers rather than guildmates or friends.

Pull #

Starting a fight by attacking an enemy, or one attempt at a boss.

"Last pull got it to 10%."

Pull timer #

Also: Countdown

A countdown shown to the group before the fight starts.

Raid #

A large group content activity, harder than a dungeon, designed for a bigger group of players.

Raid difficulty #

Also: Normal, Heroic, Mythic

Retail raids come in Normal, Heroic and Mythic difficulties, each harder with better rewards.

Raid ID #

Also: Saved

Your saved progress in a raid for the lockout period. Being saved means you've already killed some bosses this lockout.

Raid lockout #

Also: Lockout, Saved

A limit on how often you can receive loot or rewards from a raid within a reset period.

Raider.IO score #

Also: IO, Rio

A score from a third-party site that sums up a player's Mythic+ progress.

Raidwide #

An attack that hits the whole party.

Raise #

Spells that bring a dead player back to life.

Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer #

Also: Ony buff

A Classic world buff given to nearby players when Onyxia's head is turned in.

RDM #

Also: Red Mage

Red Mage, a caster DPS job that can also raise.

Ready check #

A pop-up the leader sends so everyone confirms they're ready to start.

Respawn #

When defeated enemies come back after some time.

Retail #

The current, main version of World of Warcraft with the newest expansion.

Rez #

Also: Res, Resurrect

Bringing a dead player back to life.

RL #

Also: Raid lead, Raid leader

The person who organises the raid and makes calls during fights.

Roulette #

A Duty Finder option that puts you in a random duty of a chosen type for bonus rewards.

RPR #

Also: Reaper

Reaper, a melee DPS job.

SAM #

Also: Samurai

Samurai, a melee DPS job.

Sated #

Also: Exhaustion, Temporal Displacement

A debuff after Bloodlust or an equivalent that stops you benefiting from it again for a while.

Savage #

Harder versions of the normal raid series, aimed at organised groups.

SCH #

Also: Scholar

Scholar, a healer job that uses a fairy pet.

Season of Discovery #

Also: SoD

A Classic season with new features, runes and changed raids.

SGE #

Also: Sage

Sage, a healer job.

Shirk #

A tank ability that passes much of your enmity to another party member, often used in tank swaps.

SMN #

Also: Summoner

Summoner, a caster DPS job.

Soak #

Deliberately stand in a marked area or attack to absorb damage, often split between several players.

Soft enrage #

A fight that gets steadily harder over time until the group can no longer survive, rather than a single instant cutoff.

Soulstone #

Also: SS

A warlock spell that lets the target revive themselves after dying.

Spread #

Move apart from each other so an effect doesn't hit several people at once.

Spread marker #

A marker showing the player must move away from others.

Sprout #

Also: New Adventurer

The leaf icon shown next to new players.

SR #

Also: Soft reserve, Soft res

A loot system where each player reserves one or more items in advance; if it drops, only those who reserved it roll.

Stack #

Group up tightly in one spot, often to share damage or keep heals efficient.

"Stack on the tank."

Stack marker #

A marker over a player showing that others should stand with them to share the damage.

Swiftcast #

Also: Swift

An ability that makes your next spell cast instantly.

Tank #

The role that keeps enemies focused on themselves and takes most of the hits so the rest of the group stays safe.

Tank swap #

When the tanks trade who is holding the boss, usually because of a stacking debuff.

Tankbuster #

Also: TB, Buster

A very strong attack aimed at a tank, usually needing mitigation.

Taunt #

An ability that forces an enemy to attack you, used by tanks to take or regain control of a target.

Threat drop #

An ability that lowers your aggro so enemies stop attacking you.

Tier set #

Also: Tier

A class-themed gear set that gives bonuses for wearing several pieces.

Timed key #

Also: In time

A Mythic+ run finished within the time limit, which upgrades the keystone.

Trash #

Also: Trash mobs

The ordinary enemies between bosses in a dungeon or raid.

Trinket #

A gear slot item that often has a special use or proc effect.

Ultimate #

The hardest raid fights in the game, built around long and demanding mechanics.

Uptime #

How much of the fight you spend attacking or keeping an effect active.

VPR #

Also: Viper

Viper, a melee DPS job.

WAR #

Also: Warrior

Warrior, a tank job.

Warcraft Logs #

Also: WCL, Logs, Parse

A site that analyses combat logs. A parse is your performance compared to others in the same role.

WeakAuras #

Also: WA

A popular addon that shows custom alerts and displays, often used for raid mechanics.

Weakness #

Also: Brink of Death

Debuffs given after being raised that lower your stats for a while; Brink of Death is the stronger version.

Weekly loot lockout #

Savage raids limit how much loot you can get from each floor per week.

Weekly reset #

Also: Reset

The weekly moment when raid lockouts and many weekly rewards reset.

WHM #

Also: White Mage

White Mage, a healer job.

Wipe #

When the whole group dies, or chooses to die, ending the attempt.

World buffs #

In Classic, powerful buffs from world events or quests that players gather before raiding.