Boss timers · Addon guide
Deadly Boss Mods (DBM) for WoW Forever
DBM warns you before a boss casts something dangerous. It is the addon that turns a first raid or dungeon pull from guesswork into a set of timers everyone in the group can follow.
Classic version exists — Forever support not confirmed
Last verified · All WoW Forever addons
Download Deadly Boss Mods (DBM)
DBM-Core_Vanilla.toc and the DBM-Vanilla module in the official repositories. Addons are free: Blizzard's UI Add-On Development Policy requires it. If a site asks you to pay, or hands you an .exe instead of a folder, close the page.
What Deadly Boss Mods (DBM) does
- Shows a timer bar for every boss ability it knows about, counting down to the next cast.
- Puts a large warning on screen for mechanics you have to react to, such as a fear or a breath.
- Runs a pull timer the whole group sees, so nobody starts early.
- Announces mechanics to the group in chat when the leader enables it.
How to install it
- Download the addon from one of the official pages above.
- Close the game, including the Battle.net launcher. Addons are read at startup.
- Unzip the download. Inside you get the folders
DBM-Core,DBM-Party-Classic,DBM-*Raid packs*. - Move them into your WoW Forever install under
Interface/AddOns. Do not nest a folder inside a folder of the same name — that is the most common reason an addon does not show up. - Start the game. On the character select screen, open AddOns and make sure it is ticked.
If it still does not appear, tick "Load out of date AddOns" in that list: a Classic build can be marked for an older interface version than the Forever client reports.
Set it up before you level
- Install the dungeon pack as well as the core: the core alone has no encounter data.
- Run /dbm test once to see where the bars appear, then drag them somewhere you actually look.
- Turn the sound warnings on. Most wipes come from the mechanic you did not see, not the one you did not read.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /dbm | Opens the options. |
| /dbm pull 10 | Starts a 10-second pull timer for the group. |
| /dbm test | Runs a fake encounter so you can position the bars. |
Deadly Boss Mods (DBM) in WoW Forever
Status: The new Forever bosses need new modules, so timers for them will only appear once the DBM team has written them.
- Forever's two new dungeons and its reworked raids are not in any Classic Era boss mod yet. Timers only exist once someone has logged the encounters and shipped an update.
- Blizzard has described in-combat limits on addons that do calculations or automate communication in Forever. Boss timers are the category most likely to be affected, and Blizzard has not published the details.
- BigWigs is the alternative if you prefer a lighter interface; do not run both at once.
Hitting crashes or a frozen client in the beta instead? That is a graphics setting, not an addon: see the beta crash fixes.
Addons that pair with it
- BigWigsA lighter, modular alternative to DBM with boss timers and warnings. Classic bosses come from the separate BigWigs_Classic module.
- QuestiePuts quest givers, objectives and turn-ins on your map and minimap, adds a quest tracker and shows which quests are available around you. The most used quest helper in Classic.
- Leatrix PlusA long list of optional interface tweaks: auto-repair and selling junk, faster looting, hiding clutter, a larger quest log and more. Nothing is switched on until you pick it.
- TomTomShows your coordinates and lets you set waypoints with /way, with an arrow that points to the next one. Many guides and other addons use it.
- Details! Damage MeterRecords damage, healing, interrupts and deaths per fight and shows them in compact bars, with a detailed breakdown per player and spell.
- WeakAurasLets you build your own on-screen icons, bars and text for buffs, debuffs, cooldowns and resources, or import ready-made setups shared by other players.
Deadly Boss Mods (DBM) FAQ
Do I need DBM for Classic dungeons?
For five-player dungeons, no — most groups get through without it. It matters in raids and for tanks learning a new instance.
DBM or BigWigs?
They do the same job. DBM has more warnings on by default; BigWigs is quieter and lighter. Running both gives you double warnings, so pick one.
Will DBM have timers for Forever's new bosses?
Not until its authors add them. New encounters need someone to record what the boss casts and when, then ship it in an update.
Addon behaviour changes with every update. Something out of date here? Tell us. This is a fan site, not affiliated with Blizzard or with the addon's author, and we host no addon files other than our own.