Dungeons and Dragons players, like any hobbyists, tend to use lots of hobby-specific abbreviations.  Below, I’ve included some of the abbreviations you’re likely to see on my blog and on other Dungeons and Dragons sites.

4e, 3.5e, 3e, 2e: D&D editions (4th edition, 3.5 edition, etc.)

AC: Armor Class (PC defense against normal attacks)

AD&D: Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (as I understand it, this is basically first edition)

AOE: Area of Effect (a spell that affects several squares on the board, often dealing damage to all enemies in that area)

DM: Dungeon Master (the person “running” the game)

DMG: Dungeon Master’s Guide (a WotC book that explains how to be a DM)

DMG1, DMG2: Dungeon Master’s Guide 1 and Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (a third is on the way)

D&D or Dnd: Dungeons and Dragons

D&DI: D&D Insider (WotC’s subscription service for D&D tools and info)

DPR: Damage per Round (the amount of damage a character can deal in a round, or a character that focuses on dealing lots of damage)

DPS: Damage per Second (a term from World of Warcraft that some D&D players use to mean the same thing as Damage per Round)

FLGS: Friendly Local Game Store (retailers who carry D&D supplies and typically host games)

FRW: Fortitude, Reflex, Will (the three non-Armor Class defenses a character has)

GM: Game Master (the non-D&D specific version of DM)

HP: Hit Points (how much damage a creature or player can take before dying)

LFR: Living Forgotten Realms (a series of D&D games held in game stores)

Mini: Miniature (a small statue in real life or a small image online that represents a character or monster)

MM, MM1, MM2, MM3: Monster Manual 1, 2 and 3 (books that provide information on monsters for characters to fight)

NAD: Non-Armor Class Defenses (Fortitude, Will, Reflex – defenses against special attacks)

NPC: Non-Player Character (in-game characters controlled by the DM)

PC: Player Character (the in-game character that a player controls)

PHB: Player’s Handbook (a WotC book that explains the rules of D&D for players)

PHB1, PHB2, PHB3: The three different Player’s Handbooks

RPG: Role-Playing Game (such as D&D)

TPK: Total Party Kill (when all of the characters are wiped out in a battle)

WotC: Wizards of the Coast (the company that publishes D&D)

XP: Experience Points (the reward for progressing in D&D; when players earn enough, they level up)