Power Icons Legend

Overview

This page is intended to provide a key for the symbols used inside the City of Heroes power icons.

Hierarchy

Symbols have a hierarchy. If a power does damage and has a mez effect, the mez icon would be used.

If one effect of a power is much stronger than the other, the primary effect's icon is used. Frozen Armor provides defense and resistance, but the primary effect of the power is to provide defense. The defense symbol is used.

Control trumps buff/debuff trumps resist/defense trumps damage.

There are a couple of specific things that trump one another in the same general category.

Compound symbols (see below) trump standard icons.

Hold trumps disorient trumps sleep trumps immobilize.

Increase recharge speed (Hasten) trumps increase run speed (Swift).

Running trumps jumping trumps flying.

Healing trumps endurance.

Defense trumps resistance.

Damage trumps accuracy if the power's effect is equal.

Knockback/up/down sometimes trumps other control powers even when it is not the strongest effect.

Instant and Persistent / Buffs and Debuffs

Buff/debuffs have two main types of symbols. One is an arc, the other is a triangle. Buff/debuffs with the triangle have an instant effect. Buffs/debuffs with an arc have persistant effects. A triangle or arc at the top of the icon means a buff. A triangle at the bottom of the icon means a debuff. The exchange symbol is only used when the two things being affected are the same. Powers that buff/debuff multiple aspects should be using the icons found in Powers like Equip Thugs, Tactical Upgrade and Serum. Usage of which icon depends on the strength of the buff/debuff.

Compound Symbols

A few of the symbols used in power icons are combinations of two or more icon graphics. Some of the best examples of this are the power icons for Unchain Essence (defeated plus damage), Invincibility (defense plus accuracy/to hit plus buff) and Shiver (slow recharge plus slow movement). Many, many of the powers currently in the game could use compound icons to replace the current graphic. For example, Dark Extraction could use the defeated plus single pet summon icon. Stygian Circle could use the defeated plus heal buff icon.

Icon Table

Some of the images in the table below are not found in the game, but are provided for reference purposes.

Icon Type	Icon	Notes
Buff, Accuracy		Persistent accuracy or tohit buff.
Buff, Damage		Persistent damage buff.
Buff, Defense		Persistent defense buff.
Buff, Defense, Area of Effect		Persistent buff to area of effect defense.
Buff, Defense, Energy and Negative Energy		Persistent buff to energy and negative energy defense.
Buff, Defense, Fire and Cold		Persistent buff to fire and cold defense.
Buff, Defense, Melee		Persistent buff to melee defense.
Buff, Defense, Psionic		Persistent buff to psionic defense.
Buff, Defense, Ranged		Persistent buff to ranged defense.
Buff, Defense, Smashing and Lethal		Persistent buff to smashing and lethal defense.
Buff, Defense and To-Hit		To-Hit and defense granting buff.
Buff, Hit Points		Hit point granting buff.
Buff, Hit Points, Defeated		Hit point granting buff that requires a defeated target.
Buff, Hit Points, Timed		Hit point buff for a fixed period of time.
Buff, Endurance		Endurance granting buff.
Buff, Instant		A buff that provides an instant benefit.
Buff, Jump, Height		Jump height buff.
Buff, Mega		Potent buff to multiple attributes with trade-offs after power expires.
Buff, Multiple		Persistent buff to multiple attributes.
Buff, Multiple, Defeated		Persistent buff to multiple attributes that requires a defeated target.
Buff, Persistent		A buff that remains after the power has activated.
Buff, Range		Persistent range buff.
Buff, Recharge		Buff that increases the recharge speed of a targets' powers.
Buff, Recovery		Persistent recovery buff.
Buff, Regeneration		Persistent regeneration buff.
Buff, Run Speed		Increases the run speed of a power.
Buff, Secondary Effects		Buffs heals, defense buffs, endurance drains, disorients, holds, immobilizes, knockbacks and more.
Confusion		Confuse control effect.
Damage		Damage power.
Damage, Assassination		An interuptable melee power that does extra damage when hidden.
Damage, Chaining		A power that does damage to one target and has the chance "jump" to do damage to another target.
Damage, Defeated		Power that requires a defeated target to work.
Damage, Extreme		Power with extreme damage.
Damage, Melee, Heavy		Power with heavy melee damage.
Damage, Melee, Minor		Power with minor melee damage.
Damage, Melee, Moderate		Power with moderate melee damage.
Damage, Melee, Over Time		Melee power that does damage over time.
Damage, Melee, Superior		Power with superior melee damage.
Damage, Over Time		Power that does damage over time.
Damage, Ranged, Heavy		Ranged damage power that does heavy damage.
Damage, Ranged, Minor, Fast		Minor damage ranged power that has a recharge of fast.
Damage, Ranged, Minor, Very Fast		Minor damage ranged power that has a recharge of very fast.
Damage, Ranged, Moderate		Ranged damage power that does moderate damage.
Damage, Ranged, Short		Ranged damage power with decreased range.
Damage, Ranged, Sniper		An interuptable ranged damage power with increased range.
Damage, Weapon		Power that creates a weapon from one of the four classic elements (air, earth, fire, ice).
Damage, Weapon, Greater		Power that creates a superior weapon from one of the four classic elements (air, earth, fire, ice).
Debuff, Accuracy		Accuracy or to-hit debuff.
Debuff, Damage		Persistent damage debuff.
Debuff, Defense		Persistent defense debuff.
Debuff, Endurance		Endurance debuff.
Debuff, Hit Points		Hit point debuff.
Debuff, Instant		Debuff that has an instant effect.
Debuff, Mez		Debuff to control-type powers..
Debuff, Multiple		Debuff to multiple attributes.
Debuff, Perception		Persistent perception debuff.
Debuff, Persistent		A debuff with persistent effects.
Debuff, Recovery		Persistent recovery debuff.
Debuff, Regeneration		Persistent regeneration debuff.
Debuff, Resistance		Persistent resistance debuff.
Disorient		Disorient control effect.
Effect Over Time		A power that has an effect over a period of time.
Endurance		Endurance related power.
Exchange		A power that exchanges the same attribute between caster and target..
Fear		Fear control effect.
Fly		Flight related power.
Force Bubble		Power that prevents foes from entering and remaining in melee range.
Hold		Hold control effect.
Immobilize		Immobilization control effect.
Intangibility		Intangibility related power.
Invisibility		Power that causes invisibility.
Jump, Distance		Jump distance power.
Jump, Height		Jump height power.
Knockback		Knockback related power.
Knockdown		Knockdown related power.
Knockup		Knockup related power.
Mez		Control related power.
Placate		Placate related power.
Resistance		Damage resistance related power.
Resistance, Cold		Power that provides cold resistance.
Resistance, Energy		Power that provides energy resistance.
Resistance, Energy and Negative Energy		Power that provides energy and negative energy resistance.
Resistance, Fire and Cold		Power that provides fire and cold resistance.
Resistance, Negative Energy		Power that provides negative energy resistance.
Resistance, Mez		Power that provides protection from control-type effects.
Resistance, Psionic		Power that provides psionic resistance.
Resistance, Smashing and Lethal		Power that provides smashing and lethal resistance.
Resurrection		Power that revives a fallen character.
Shapeshift		Power that shifts form.
Sleep		Sleep control effect.
Slow, Movement		Movement-slowing power.
Slow, Recharge		Power that increases target's recharge time.
Slow, Recharge and Movement		Power that increases the recharge time and decreases the movement speed of the target(s).
Stealth		Power that provides stealth to the target.
Summon		Power that summons a pet or henchman.
Summon, Buff, Multiple		Power that provides a buff to multiple attributes of a pet or henchman.
Summon, Equip		Power that provides a moderate increase to the capabilities of a pet or henchman.
Summon, Extraction		Summons one pet or henchman from a defeated target.
Summon, Fear		Summons or upgrades a pet or henchman with fear abilities.
Summon, Multiple		Summons a large number of pets.
Summon, One Ally		Summons one pet or henchman.
Summon, Placate		Summons a pet or henchman with placate abilities.
Summon, Taunt		Summons a pet or henchman with taunt abilities.
Summon, Three Allies		Summons three pets or henchmen.
Summon, Two Allies		Summons two pets or henchmen.
Summon, Upgrade		Power that provides further increase to the capabilities of a pet or henchman.
Taunt		Taunt related power.
Teleportation		Power that teleports target from one location to another without physically touching the space in-between.
Teleportation, Group		Power that teleports a group from one location to another.
Teleportation, Target		Power that teleports a foe from one location to another.

Comments

There are many internal inconsistencies within the game that makes some of this page guesswork rather than fact. If the power rings and the power symbols were consistent within the game, it would be easy to identify what a power does just by it's icon.