What does DBNO mean in The First Descendant? Explained

✓ At a glance

• DBNO stands for “Down but not out” and represents the state when your character is downed but can be brought back up by an ally before being forced to respawn.
• You can find “DBNO Duration” affixes on External Components which increase the amount of time your allies have to revive you.

You’ll quickly find that there is plenty to learn and discover while playing The First Descendant. The game’s nomenclature is vast and varied, meaning that it will take you some time to get accustomed to all terms used in the game. If you’ve looted an item with the DBNO modifier, you’ll know exactly what we mean. 

What is DBNO in The First Descendant?

DBNO is an abbreviation for the popular term “Down but not out”. In The First Descendant, DBNO represents the state when your Descendant is downed, but can be aided back up by an ally. This happens when the enemies overwhelm your shields and deplete your health. 

The character will fall to the ground, only able to crawl slowly, and a timer will begin to run out. If the timer reaches zero, you will be forced to respawn. However, if an ally is close by, they can come to your aid and press X to pull you back up. 

Being forced to fall down will happen rarely during normal play. However, when facing the game’s bosses, there is a real danger of going down as the difficulty increases. Instead of risking using up a respawn counter, DBNO state can give your friends a chance to bring you back into the fight.

What is DBNO modifier on gear?

Some items in The First Descendant can come with affixes in addition to stat increases. Most notably, you can find the DBNO modifier on External Components, called DBNO Duration. This affix can extend the timing window you have after falling – before it runs out and you are forced to respawn. It may seem negligible at first, but when you start pushing the game’s tougher encounters with a group, having this modifier can help you salvage a few precious seconds.