Skill nomenclature
The names of many skills follow a predictable pattern. This skill nomenclature allows players to get an idea of a skill's effects or damage type from the name. This article ignores obvious synonyms, e.g. that Furious Axe is an axe-related skill.
Universal[edit]
These keywords are always associated with a particular skill or damage type:
|
|
|
Indirect relation[edit]
Most keywords are more artfully than literally connected to their effects.
- The list works in terms of keywords and the effects that they're bound to, not the reverse, because no effect is bound to any one keyword.
- Some keywords are homonyms: there is more than one regular application for the same term. Sometimes the skill's profession is a clue as to which one is being used. (For example, the keyword "renew" does not refer to the technical term renewal used in concise descriptions.)
A - H[edit]
I - R[edit]
Keyword | Meaning | Examples | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Illusion | Bonus/penalty with reversal when it ends | Illusion of Haste Illusion of Pain Illusion of Weakness |
|
Intervention | Heals or prevents damage at a threshold | Divine Intervention Faithful Intervention Judge's Intervention |
Malign Intervention does not conform to this pattern. Angelic Bond is also associated with this group. Its functionality was altered from a Bonder skill. |
Insecurity | Degeneration hex | Mark of Insecurity Recurring Insecurity |
|
Instability | Knocks down | Psychic Instability Mark of Instability |
|
Judge | Inflicts holy damage | Judge's Insight Judgment Strike Ray of Judgment Shield of Judgment |
|
Lead | Requires earshot allies to function | "Lead the Way!" Leader's Comfort Leader's Zeal |
|
Light | Significant healing | Blessed Light Ethereal Light Spirit Light |
Light of Deldrimor, Light of Dwayna, and Spear of Light do not conform to this pattern. |
Lotus | Gain energy on hit | Black Lotus Strike Falling Lotus Strike Lotus Strike |
|
Lyric | Triggered by use of signets | Lyric of Purification Lyric of Zeal |
|
Magehunter | unblockable vs enchanted foes | Magehunter's Smash Magehunter Strike |
|
Mantis | Inflicts crippled | Black Mantis Thrust Leaping Mantis Sting Mantis Touch |
|
Mantra | Stances unique to the Mesmer profession | Mantra of Lightning Mantra of Recovery Mantra of Signets |
Mantra of Recall does not conform to this pattern. Distortion, Elemental Resistance, Physical Resistance, and Hex Breaker are also associated with this group. |
Mend | Removes conditions | Mend Body and Soul Mending Grip Mending Touch |
Mending and Mending Refrain do not conform to this pattern. |
Mind | Bonus when foe has less energy than you | Mind Blast Mind Burn Mind Freeze Mind Shock |
Mind Wrack's bonus occurs when foe has no energy. Mindbender, and Spotless Mind do not conform to this pattern. |
Mystic | Bonus for being enchanted | Mystic Healing Mystic Sandstorm Mystic Sweep |
Signet of Mystic Speed does not conform to this pattern. |
Natural | Benefit for having no enchantments | Natural Temper Natural Stride Natural Healing |
|
Order | Enchantments that buff physical damage attacks | Order of Pain Order of the Vampire Order of Apostasy |
Order of Undeath only affects minions. |
Ox | Knocks down | Horns of the Ox Trampling Ox |
|
Penetrating | bonus damage and armor penetration | Penetrating Attack Penetrating Blow Penetrating Chop |
|
Pious | removes a Dervish enchantment for a bonus effect | Pious Assault Signet of Pious Light |
Pious Renewal is actually an enchantment that perfectly synergizes with the other Pious skills. |
Plague | Transfers conditions from self to foe(s) | Plague Sending Plague Signet Plague Touch |
|
Power | Energy for allies | Blood is Power Empowerment "The Power Is Yours!" |
Glyph of Elemental Power, Power Attack, and Power Shot do not conform to these patterns. |
Interrupts a spell or chant | Power Spike Power Block Power Return | ||
Prison | Snare hexes | Dark Prison Ice Prison Shadow Prison |
|
Pure | Removal and/or reduced duration of conditions | Reap Impurities Purifying Finale Purifying Veil Pure Was Li Ming |
Pure Strike does not conform to this pattern. |
Purge | Removes all hexes and/or conditions | Purge Conditions Purge Signet |
|
Quick | Reduces skill recharge time | Quickening Zephyr Serpent's Quickness Weapon of Quickening |
"Of Quickening" is a weapon upgrade that halves skill recharge of spells. Quick Shot and Quicksand do not conform to this pattern. Mantra of Recovery is also associated with this group. |
Rage | Bonus adrenaline | Battle Rage Enraged Smash Rage of the Ntouka |
Ancestors' Rage, Enraged Lunge, and Signet of Rage do not conform to this pattern. Focused Anger and "For Great Justice!" are also associated with this group. Primal Rage had a functionality change. |
Rampage | increased attack speed | Heket's Rampage Never Rampage Alone Rampage as One |
|
Refrain | Reapplied whenever a chant or shout ends | Bladeturn Refrain Burning Refrain Hasty Refrain Heroic Refrain |
|
Remedy | Remove 1 condition | Assassin's Remedy Weapon of Remedy |
|
Rend | Removes enchantments | Rend Enchantments Rending Aura Rending Sweep |
|
Renew | Energy gain | Renewing Memories Zealous Renewal Ether Renewal |
Nature's Renewal does not conform to these patterns. |
Instant recharge | Renewing Smash Glyph of Renewal Pious Renewal | ||
Trigger when it ends | Blood Renewal Pious Renewal Renewing Surge | ||
Resilient | Regeneration while conditioned/hexed | Conviction Melandru's Resilience Resilient Was Xiko Resilient Weapon |
Conviction is also associated with this group. |
Restore | Conditional health gain | Song of Restoration Ballad of Restoration Aria of Restoration |
Restoration, Restore Life, and Pious Restoration do not conform to this pattern. |
Revealed / Inspired | Becomes the skill it affects | Inspired Enchantment Revealed Hex |
The skills named "Revealed" and "Inspired" are duplicate skills. |
Reverse | Turns normally harmful effects into benefits | Reversal of Damage Reversal of Fortune Reverse Hex |
|
Riposte | Block the next attack and damage the attacker | Riposte Deadly Riposte |
S - Z[edit]
Keyword | Meaning | Examples | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Savage | Interrupts with bonus vs. spells | Savage Shot Savage Slash Savage Pounce |
||
Scavenger | gain energy when hitting foes with conditions | Scavenger's Focus Scavenger Strike |
||
Scourge | Punishment hexes | Scourge Healing Scourge Sacrifice |
||
Shadow | Shadow step to target foe | Shadow Fang Shadow Theft |
Shadow Form does not conform to this pattern. | |
Shatter | Removes a hex or enchantment | Shatter Delusions Shattering Assault Shatter Storm |
Shatterstone does not conform to this pattern. | |
Siphon | Benefits the user at a similar expense to the target | Life Siphon Siphon Speed Spirit Siphon |
Stolen Speed and Life Transfer are also associated with this group. | |
Smoke / Dust | Inflicts blindness | Dust Trap Smoke Powder Defense Smoke Trap |
||
Soldier's | Bonus if under a shout or chant | Soldier's Fury Soldier's Speed Soldier's Stance |
||
Soothing | Anti-adrenaline | Soothing Soothing Images |
Soothing Memories does not conform to this pattern. | |
Song of | Triggered by use of skills | Song of Purification Song of Power Song of Restoration |
||
Spider / Asp | Inflicts poison under certain circumstances | Black Spider Strike Falling Spider Entangling Asp |
||
Splinter | Damage to foes adjacent to target | Splinter Shot Splinter Weapon |
||
Stability | Prevents knockdown | Dwarven Stability Fleeting Stability Ward of Stability |
||
Storm | Area damage over time | Chaos Storm Fire Storm Mystic Sandstorm Sandstorm Snow Storm |
Shard Storm and Shatter Storm do not conform to these patterns. | |
speed boost | Storm Chaser Storm Djinn's Haste Storm's Embrace | |||
Symbolic | Enhances or is enhanced by signets | Symbolic Celerity Symbolic Posture Symbolic Strike |
Symbols of Inspiration had a functionality change. | |
Teinai's | Elementalist cross-attribute synergy | Teinai's Crystals Teinai's Prison Teinai's Heat Teinai's Wind |
||
Tiger | Increases attack speed | Tiger's Fury Tiger Stance |
||
Toxic | Inflicts or requires poison | Signet of Toxic Shock Toxic Chill Toxicity |
||
Vampire | Steals life | Vampiric Gaze Order of the Vampire Vampirism |
"Vampiric" is a weapon upgrade that grants the wielder 1 to 5 Life Draining on every hit. | |
Vengeful | Steals life when hit with an attack | Vengeful Weapon Vengeful Was Khanhei |
||
Veil | Relates to enchantments that reduce incoming negative effects | Holy Veil Purifying Veil Veil of Thorns |
||
Verata's | Interacts with minions | Verata's Aura Verata's Gaze Verata's Promise Verata's Sacrifice |
||
Victory | Benefit when you have more health than foe | Victorious Sweep Crippling Victory Thrill of Victory |
Spoil Victor subverts this; it penalizes the target for having more health. "Victory Is Mine!" does not conform to this pattern. | |
Viper | Inflicts poison | Viper's Defense Viper's Nest |
||
Vital | Increases maximum health | Vital Blessing Vital Boon Vital Weapon |
||
Vocal | affects shouts and chants | Vocal Minority Vocal Was Sogolon |
||
Waste | Related to target foe not using skills | Wastrel's Demise Wastrel's Worry Waste Not, Want Not |
||
Watchful | Additional effect when it ends | Watchful Healing Watchful Intervention Watchful Spirit |
||
Way of | affects attacks | Way of the Assassin Way of the Empty Palm Way of the Lotus |
||
Weary | Inflicts weakness | Anthem of Weariness Wearying Strike |
Withering Aura has a similar name and also conforms to this pattern. Well of Weariness does not conform to this pattern. | |
Wielder's | Synergy with weapon spells | Wielder's Remedy Wielder's Strike Wielder's Zeal |
||
Wild | Unblockable; removes a stance | Wild Blow Wild Smash Wild Strike Wild Throw |
Forceful Blow, Irresistible Sweep, and Whirling Axe are also associated with this group. | |
Wrath | deals holy damage | Holy Wrath Kirin's Wrath Signet of Mystic Wrath |
||
Zeal | Conditional energy gain | Arcane Zeal Zealous Anthem Zealous Benediction |
"Zealous" is a weapon upgrade that generates 1 energy on every hit. Zealot's Fire actually causes you to lose energy. | |
... as One | Buffs you and your pet; No effect unless pet is alive | "Together as One!" Heal as One Rampage as One Strike as One |
Divorced / Orphaned relation[edit]
Many keywords are commonly suggested:
- These connections are considered coincidental, as their patterns remain inconsistent or not widespread.
- Some keywords have been weakened and/or altered due to subsequent updates. (For example, the previous keyword "vow" indicated a powerful dervish ability that came at the cost of something with a similar ability.)
Keyword | Meaning | Examples | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Angelic | Protects against attacks | Angelic Bond Angelic Protection |
|
Drunken | General humor and/or unpredictability | Drunken Blow Drunken Master Drunken Stumbling |
Warning: drinking and adventuring can be hazardous to your health. |
Cry of... | Interrupts skills at AoE | Cry of Frustration Cry of Pain |
Cry of Madness and Cry of Lament does not conform to this pattern. |
Eye | Increases chance to get critical hits | Critical Eye "Go for the Eyes!" |
Wandering Eye does not conform to this pattern. |
Irresistible | Deals conditional bonus damage | Irresistible Blow Irresistible Sweep |
|
Lord | Boosts your attributes | Ritual Lord Elemental Lord |
Ether Lord does not conform to this pattern. |
Palm | Inflicts or requires crippled | Iron Palm Palm Strike |
Way of the Empty Palm does not conform to this pattern. |
Seek | Conditional effect if blocked | Seeking Arrows Seeking Blade |
|
Swift | Increased activation / fast movement | Swift Chop Swift Javelin |
"Swift" and "Of Swiftness" are weapon upgrades that grants a half-activation time. |
Vow | Powerful bonus with a severe drawback | Vow of Silence Zealous Vow |
Vow of Piety's name didn't originally include Vow. Vow of Strength followed this pattern, but its functionality changed. Currently it is the only skill that deviates after the update. |
Word | Additional effect if target meets a certain condition | Word of Censure Word of Healing Words of Comfort |