A buff increases a stat or ability. A debuff reduces said stat or ability. Example: " Throw a debuff so the boss can't heal!" A green symbol under the name indicates a buff,red indicates a debuff.
In role-playing games, a status effect is a temporary modification to a game character’s original set of stats that usually comes into play when special powers and abilities (such as spells) are used, often during combat. It appears in numerous computer and video games of many genres, most commonly in role-playing video games. The term status effect can be applied both to changes that provide a character an advantage (increased attributes, defensive barriers, regeneration), and those that hinder the character (decreased attributes, incapacitation, degeneration). Especially in MMORPGs, beneficial effects are referred to as buffs, and hindering effects are called debuffs. A term used in gaming, most likely stemming from MMORPG lingo, where shortening terms becomes essential for text communication. A debuff can be used in two similar respects. It replaces the drawn-out phrase "negative status ailment", where an attack or spell causes some ill effect on it's target, i.e. poisoning, silence, bleed. Debuff can also be used referring to an attack or spell that removes positive status effects. Many traditional RPGs have adopted this term as well.
