Description
nBuff – Custom Buff and Debuff Frames for World of Warcraft
nBuff completely replaces World of Warcraft's built-in buff and debuff display with two fully customizable, freely movable frames. If you've ever wanted to move your buffs away from the top-right corner, change how they grow, or just get a cleaner look without a bloated UI suite, nBuff does exactly that — nothing more, nothing less.
What Does nBuff Do?
Replaces Blizzard's Default Buff and Debuff Frames
The moment nBuff loads, it hides WoW's original BuffFrame and DebuffFrame and replaces them with two independent containers: one for buffs (up to 32 icons) and one for debuffs (up to 16 icons). These containers are completely separate and can each be positioned anywhere on your screen.
Freely Movable Frames with Live Preview
Type /nbuff move or click "Unlock Frames" in the settings panel to enter positioning mode. Both containers become draggable — just click and drag them wherever you want. While in this mode, nBuff automatically fills the frames with realistic-looking example buffs and debuffs so you can see exactly how your layout will look during actual gameplay. Your chosen positions are saved and restored every session.
Cooldown Sweep Animation and Timers
Every icon shows a native WoW cooldown sweep — the same circular wipe animation used on ability buttons — to visually represent the remaining duration of a buff or debuff. A text timer is also displayed directly on the icon, showing the remaining time formatted as seconds, minutes, hours, or days depending on how long the effect lasts. The timer's position (top or bottom of the icon) and size are configurable.
This means you don't need to hover over every debuff to figure out whether your healer can dispel it — the color does the talking.
Stack Count Display
Any buff or debuff that stacks — such as DoTs that apply multiple times or buffs refreshed repeatedly — shows its current stack count in the top-right corner of the icon.
Full Tooltip Support
Hovering over any icon brings up WoW's full game tooltip, including the aura name, effect description, and remaining duration, just like the default UI.
Right-Click to Cancel Buffs
Outside of combat, you can cancel any buff by right-clicking its icon — the same behavior you'd expect from the default buff display.
Minimap Icon
nBuff adds a small icon to the minimap for quick access to the settings panel. The icon can be dragged around the minimap's border or hidden entirely through the settings.
Settings Panel
- Icon Scale
- Growth Direction
- Icons per Row
- Icon Spacing
- Row Spacing
- Timer Size
- Timer Position
- Minimap Icon
- Unlock Frames / Reset Position
Slash Commands
/nbuff - Opens the settings panel
/nbuff move - moveToggles frame drag mode on/off
/nbuff reset - resetResets both frames to their default screen positions
Compatibility and Technical Notes
nBuff is built for World of Warcraft: The War Within (Interface 12.0.1) and uses only up-to-date, API-compliant Blizzard methods.
Unfortunately, the following is no longer supported since WoW Midnight (thanks Blizzard)
Color-Coded Debuff Borders by Dispel Type
Debuff icons automatically get a colored border that tells you at a glance what type of effect you're dealing with:
Blue = Magic
Purple = Curse
Brown = Disease
Green = Poison