BlockPooky is an Elder Scrolls Online addon that provides critical combat awareness for PvP scenarios. Originally inspired by rumors about ballgroup „BLOCK“ warning addons, it has evolved into a comprehensive tool that helps players react to incoming threats and optimize their defensive gameplay.

As it turns out, the rumor was true. There is now also an officially available add-on that provides similar functionality: Agony Warning. I later made BlockPooky compatible with it. This means that if one add-on sends a block warning, the other can receive and interpret it.

However, BlockPooky offers more advanced logic for triggering the block message. Over time, many additional features have also been added.

Download and install the required dependencies:

• LibChatMessage
• LibAddonMenu-2.0
• LibMapPing
• LibGPS

Download and extract BlockPooky to your ESO AddOns folder:

Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\AddOns\

Launch ESO and enable the addon in the Add-ons menu

• Visual Alerts: Large, customizable UI frame with „BLOCK Pooky!“ message
• Audio Notifications: Configurable sound alerts (Duel Start sound)
• Center Screen Announcements (CSA): BA-style messages for critical awareness
• Chat Integration: Optional chat warnings with addon tags
• Group Messaging: Cross-addon compatibility with Agony Warning

• Ability Recognition: Detects incoming pull abilities (Dark Convergence, Rush of Agony, chains, etc.)
• Group Awareness: Ignores abilities from group members and companions
• Custom Triggers: Add your own ability IDs for personalized detection
• Language Support: Works across different ESO client languages

• Block Detection: Shows when you're actively blocking (solves „Am I Blocking?“ uncertainty)
• CC Immunity Tracking: Visual bar showing immunity duration from dodge rolls/potions/skills
• Negate Warnings: Alerts when standing in enemy Negate Magic fields
• Ready Hints: Notifications when DC/ROA abilities are off cooldown

• Vigor Timing: Optimal recasting reminders (8s intervals for group play)
• Custom Cooldown Bars: Track any ability or effect with personalized bars
• Mount Notifications: Reminds you when it's possible to mount in Cyrodiil

• Movable UI: Drag and position all elements anywhere on screen
• Color Themes: Customize colors for all UI components
• Font Sizing: Adjustable font sizes for visibility
• Duration Controls: Configure how long messages stay visible
• Combat Visuals: Adjust maximum AOE brightness, outline thickness, and target outline intensity from the settings menu
• RGB AOE Cycling: Enable color cycling for AOE indicators (with speed and turbo controls)

The main and original feature: It tells *Pooky* (you) to BLOCK!

It displays the big red „BLOCK“ message shown above, along with a white CSA message and a sound alert. Optionally, a chat message can also be sent. You can even send a „They pulled me“ message to your group members, which triggers a block warning for them — similar to the functionality of the Agony Warning add-on.

If this feels overwhelming, don’t worry — everything is configurable in the BlockPooky menu:

CSA enables the *Center Screen Announcement* message, similar to those used in BAs. This shows a white “BLOCK POOKY!” text in the usual BA message area, accompanied by a sound (Duel Start Sound).

UI Frame refers to the red movable message. If CSA is disabled, you can choose to play the sound independently.

Send msg only on ROA/DC pulls means that only specific triggers (like ROA pulls) will send messages to group members. This mimics Agony Warning’s behavior, which only sends messages for ROA pulls.

So, what actually triggers the BLOCK message? This is also configurable in the menu:

If something is missing or the game evolves faster than the add-on, you can define your own custom triggers:

Just enter the ability ID:

You can also customize how long the BLOCK message stays visible:

Nice — now you know when to block, Pooky! But… sometimes you *think* you're blocking, when you're actually not. It's a common issue — and yes, there are even specialized add-ons for it: AmIBlocking

Fortunately, BlockPooky also tells you when you are actively blocking:

Of course, BlockPooky gives you even more (or sometimes less 😄) useful hints.

We’ve already covered the „Blocking“ hint. In addition, there are two „Ready“ hints shown as CSA messages:

• DC is ready to cast
• ROA is ready to cast

The Recast Echoing Vigor hint helps you optimize your Vigor uptime and usage.

After ~8 seconds, „Vigor!“ appears for 4 seconds. If you cast Vigor, it disappears. If not, it reappears around 16 seconds and starts blinking. The blinking stops after 4 seconds. Reminder: In a group of 12, you should cast it every 8 seconds.

Now, Pooky… you're standing in a Negate. Did you notice? But is it friendly or enemy? The Negate Warning hint tells you:

Note: When you leave the negate, the message disappears. When you re-enter, it reappears.

Another hint — shown as a cooldown bar. If you use a skill, roll dodge or use an immunity potion (also works with escapist potions), you gain CC immunity. This bar shows its duration.

You can also define your own cooldown bars!

You can create cooldown bars for effects and abilities. Here’s an example for setting one up:

→ A cooldown bar for Major Resolve

You’ll need the Effect ID. If you don’t know it, open the BlockPooky menu:

Then activate Investigate Effects under Debug Tools:

Now cast *Frost Cloak* (for example), and you’ll see:

“Größere Entschlossenheit” is Major Resolve (in German, of course). You’ll see the ID, start time, and end time of the effect. Just remember the ID: 61694.

Now go back to the BlockPooky menu and turn off Investigate Effects to avoid chat spam.

Next, go to Custom Cooldown Bars and enter a name for your bar:

Then choose Effect, enter the ID, and pick a nice color 😉

You don’t need to set a cooldown time for effects, because the event already includes start and end times (BT = Begin Time, ET = End Time).

Exception: If BT and ET are the same (some effects behave this way), you can manually set the cooldown time.

For abilities, always set the cooldown time based on the skill description.

Once done, activate the bar:

Then test it:

There are some possibilities to customize the UI:

Set Colors and font size, …

and move the frames:

As seen before, there is a litte tool to investigate the ability and effect ids: