Wowpedia

We have moved to Warcraft Wiki. Click here for information and the new URL.

READ MORE

Wowpedia
Register
Advertisement

A debuff is the contrary of a buff. It is an effect that while it persists hampers the target in some way. Among other effects, debuffs frequently lower attributes, hinder the effectiveness of the target's actions, or cause damage over time.[1]

Sometimes the term debuff is also used to describe the act of removing buffs on hostile targets, but it is usual to refer to such an action as a dispel or cure after the common spells that remove such effects. Another popular name for removing debuffs is decurse.

Debuffs come in many varieties and most of them are race/class specific spells or abilities.

Debuffs are also color coded per the table below.

Type Color DebuffTypeColor["type"] Font String
r g b
Curse Purple 0.6 0.0 1.0 |cFF9600FF
Disease Brown 0.6 0.4 0.0 |cFF966400
Magic Blue 0.2 0.6 1.0 |cFF3296FF
Poison Green 0.0 0.6 0.0 |cFF009600
Others (ie. physical) Red 0.8 0.0 0.0 |cFFC80000

Limitations[]

There is no effective limit on the number of debuffs that may be applied to a creature at one time.[2] Prior to the release of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, a single target could have at most 40 debuffs at one time.[3]

Similar debuffs generally do not stack with each other. [4] One prominent exception is damage over time debuffs (DoTs): multiple copies of the same DoT will generally stack when applied by different players, and when applied by the same player to different targets (Ability mage livingbomb [Living Bomb] is a partial exception). As well, many boss monsters can stack several copies of the same DoT on the same player.

Combating debuffs[]

Classes listed below have abilities to remove certain kinds of debuff, but each can usually only remove certain types of debuff.

Nevertheless, certain encounters introduce unique debuffs that are impossible to remove even if they would ordinarily be countered by the classes below.

Unclassified debuffs[]

Some debuffs are not classified in any way, and as such can not be dispelled by any class. There are some exceptions to this - some Bleed effects, which are unclassified, can be cured by using a Inv fabric wool 01 [Luffa] or the Dwarven racial ability Inv gauntlets 03 [Stoneform]. Also, Paladins can dispel nearly any debuff on themselves by using Spell holy divineshield [Divine Shield], as can Mages by using Spell frost frost [Ice Block].

List of shared (non-stacking) debuffs[]

See also: Buff#Raid Buffs
Ability criticalstrike [Mortal Wounds]
Effect: -25% healing received
Class Spec Ability Requirements
Hunter Hunter Any Spell nature corrosivebreath [Acid Bite] Hydra
Ability hunter pet vulture [Bloody Screech] Carrion bird
Inv misc bone 09 [Deadly Bite] Crocolisk
Trade archaeology tinybronzescorpion [Deadly Sting] Scorpid
Inv pet beaver [Gnaw] Rodent
Inv pet direhorn [Gore] Direhorn
Inv misc bone 09 [Grievous Bite] Lizard
Ability devour [Gruesome Bite] Riverbeast
Ability druid primaltenacity [Infected Bite] Hyena
Inv misc bone 09 [Monstrous Bite] Devilsaur
Ability druid ravage [Ravage] Ravager
Ability gouge [Savage Rend] Raptor
Ability poisons [Toxic Sting] Wasp
Monk Monk Windwalker Ability monk risingsunkick [Rising Sun Kick]
Warrior Warrior Arms Ability warrior savageblow [Mortal Strike] Melee weapon
Ability warrior bladestorm [Storm of Destruction]

Patch changes[]

  • Warlords of Draenor Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): Ability warrior sunder [Weakened Armor], Ability deathknight brittlebones [Physical Vulnerability], Warlock curse shadow [Magic Vulnerability], Inv relics totemofrage [Weakened Blows], and Cast Speed Slows have been removed.
  • Wrath-Logo-Small Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): There is no longer a limit on the amount of debuffs a target can have on them at any time.
  • Bc icon Patch 2.0.1 (2006-12-05): Debuff slot limit increased to 40.
  • WoW Icon update Patch 1.11.0 (2006-06-19): The icons of negative effects that appear on the player now have a color to indicate their type. Curse is purple, disease is yellow, poison is green and magic is blue. In addition when a party member is struck by one of these four types of negative effects, their portrait will pulse the appropriate color for 30 seconds or until the effect is removed.
  • WoW Icon update Patch 1.7.0 (2005-09-13): The debuff limit has been increased to 16 (from 8). In addition, the client will now display all 16 debuffs.

See also[]

References[]

 
  1. ^ Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard. Spells & Abilities. Retrieved on 2009-06-12.​ “A debuff is a buff with negative effects, such as Curse of Tongues. Spells like these do damage over time, or modify your character in a negative way.”
  2. ^ Blizzard Entertainment Daelo 2008-12-03. The Debuff Limit and You. Archived from the original on 2008-12-03. Retrieved on 2009-06-12.
  3. ^ Blizzard Entertainment Vaneras 2006-08-14. 14/08 New debuff limit. Retrieved on 2009-06-12.
  4. ^ Blizzard Entertainment Zarhym 2008-08-28. 3.0.2 - On Debuffs, Buffs, and Raid Stacking. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved on 2009-06-12.
Advertisement