Turn on the meter, then compare the right numbers

Death Recap: inspect incoming damage before changing DPS

Current v0.130.0 client text adds Death Recap with the fatal attacker, overkill, recent incoming damage, absorbed damage, final blows and source breakdown. The avoidable-mechanic share answers a different question from an outgoing DPS meter. We inspected the labels, not a completed death-screen combat test.^[1]

1. Read Killed by and the fatal blow first; overkill tells you how far the final hit passed your remaining health.
2. Inspect recent sources and absorbed damage. A large final hit can arrive after earlier damage left too little health.
3. Check the avoidable-mechanic share. If positioning dominates the explanation, another damage upgrade alone may not fix the failure.
4. Change one relevant defensive, movement or damage choice and compare the next similar attempt.

Absorbed damage is not missing DPS, and a low outgoing total does not prove why the character died. No exact lethal-window duration or source percentage is invented here. Check difficulty and healing penalties →^[1]

Start with the built-in meter

1. Open Options and find Show Damage Meter in the HUD/interface settings.
2. Enable it, then use the meter’s minimap button or window.
3. Adjust HUD Scale if it is too small; Damage Meter on Top controls whether it stays over upgrade cards.
4. Select the view that matches the question: total damage, healing, boss damage or party output.

Client messages include “No damage yet”, “No healing yet” and “Only in a party”. An empty view before its relevant event is not by itself an addon failure. ^[1]

Choose a measurement window

kex0 documents a default ten-second window, configurable settings and a “Since the start” average. The author also groups proc damage under the spell actually cast; a different row label can reflect attribution rather than missing damage. ^[2]

When using AZS Spell Meter

Install the author’s addon → first. Commands documented by the author are /azsm to show/hide, /azsm resetpos to restore position and /azsm lock to lock dragging. The title-bar settings control the DPS window and columns. While an addon window is open, its author says the built-in Damage Done meter is hidden; closing all addon views restores it if it was enabled. ^[2]

Do not promote one number into a tier list

Record class, capstone, zone, difficulty, permanent gear and time before comparing two readings. A kill-triggered build in a dense wave and a shield build against a lone boss are not the same experiment. An impressive screenshot does not establish the best class for a fresh save. Check each build’s trigger →

The author reports v1.32 tested with game 0.123.0. We inspected the original 0.127.0 text, but have not run a compatibility benchmark with that addon; check the latest author release if a view behaves differently. ^[2]

Can DoTs crit? Separate a tick from a triggered attack

We have not verified a universal yes or no for independent damage-over-time tick critical rolls in the original game. The inspected talent text establishes narrower interactions: a critical hit can create a bleed, and a periodic tick can trigger a separate spell. Neither observation alone proves that the tick itself rolled a critical strike. ^[1]

Observation	What the inspected text establishes	What it does not establish
A critical strike creates a bleed	The initiating hit supplies a damage basis for the bleed.	That each later tick rolls another independent critical strike.
Corruption triggers Nightfall	A tick can trigger a free Shadow Bolt under that talent’s condition.	That the Shadow Bolt is a critical Corruption tick.
Shadow Word: Pain triggers an apparition	The talent can create a separate Mind Blast.	That the extra hit is the original periodic tick critting.

When comparing a recording or meter, record the exact host, client version, spell, talents and addon attribution. Separate direct hits and triggered spells from periodic events. A larger total, floating number or combined spell row is insufficient to answer the tick-roll question. Until a versioned combat trace or code check resolves it, do not choose a critical-only item on the assumption that every DoT independently crits. This is an evidence limit, not proof that DoTs never crit. ^[1]