Plenty of newcomers lose items in Lineage 2 simply because they never understood the flagging and karma system. The gap between legal PvP and murdering a peaceful player (PK) is huge: the first costs you nothing, the second can drop equipment straight off your character. Let us lay the system out clearly.
Flagging (PvP) versus PK
| State | Name color | How you get it | Consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Default | — | None |
| Flagged (PvP) | Purple | Hit an already-flagged player | Mutual combat, no penalty |
| PK | Red | Kill a non-flagged player | Karma, item drops, guards attack |
How flagging works
If you strike a player who is not in combat with you, you gain a purple flag for a few minutes. While flagged you can be hit with no penalty and you fight back the same way. This is fair PvP — killing a flagged opponent grants no karma. It is exactly how farm-spot skirmishes and siege brawls play out (more in the castle siege guide).
What karma is and why it is dangerous
If you kill a player who is not flagged and never fought back, you become a PK — your name turns red and you gain karma. While you carry karma:
- ▸On death you can drop worn equipment and inventory items — a real loss.
- ▸Town guards attack you, making it dangerous to be in a town.
- ▸Your PK count rises — the higher it is, the harsher the penalties.
The higher your karma and PK count, the higher the item-drop chance on death. Deliberately PKing valuable players always risks losing your own gear. Do not kill peaceful players for no reason, especially while wearing expensive equipment.
How to remove karma
Karma is worked off by farming mobs: killing monsters gradually grinds it back to zero. The more karma you have, the longer it takes. Some servers add an NPC or item to speed up cleansing — check the project's rules.
Accidentally hit the wrong target and got flagged? Just wait for the flag to fade and do not finish the target off. Flagging alone gives no karma — only killing a non-flagged player does.
PvP count versus PK count
The game separately counts fair PvP kills (flagged opponents) and PK kills (peaceful players). A high PvP count is a badge of a fighter; a high PK count marks a griefer, penalties included. If you want to fight without consequences, seek mutual PvP: farm spots, the Olympiad (guide) and sieges.
Learning PvP classes? See the dagger guide and the archer guide, with the overall picture in best PvP classes Interlude.