Inherent Powers
Overview
Inherent powers are permanent powers that a Hero or Villain automatically has without having to select them during training. There are Inherent powers that are Archetype-specific, Origin-specific, and open to all characters. Not all Inherent powers are available at level 1.
Origin-Specific Powers
Every character receives a minor ranged attack power that depends on his or her origin. For more information, see Origin Powers.
Archetype-Specific Powers
The following inherent powers are specific to the archetypes available in City of Heroes and City of Villains.
Assassination
A Stalker does his best work when attacking from ambush. When properly 'Hidden', a Stalker can pull off critical hits with his attacks, and even land a massive 'Assassin's Strike' with an assassin's power. Additionally, the Stalker has a chance to land a critical hit with most of his attack powers when attacking Held or Slept foes.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Stalker) |
Effects | Always criticals from Hide |
20% chance of critical on Held or Slept opponents |
Combat Flight
For hovering and aerial combat. This power is much slower than Energy Flight, but provides some Defense, offers good air control, costs little Endurance, and has none of the penalties associated with Energy Flight. Switch to this mode when fighting other flying foes. Also See: Hover
Level Gained | Security Level 10 |
Type | Archetype-Specific (Peacebringer) |
Effects | Self: Fly, + Defense |
Containment
Controllers are the masters at locking down and controlling their opponents. Few can escape their will. Controllers do extra damage to any target that is already Held, Immobilized, Slept, or Disoriented.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Controller) |
Effects | Self: Critical Damage (Special) |
Cosmic Balance
Kheldians naturally thrive off the energy and essence of their teammates. Peacebringers' metamorphic nature allows them to bring balance to their team. Your Damage will increase for each nearby Tanker, Mastermind, Corruptor or Defender teammate. Your Damage Resistance will increase for each nearby Scrapper, Brute, Stalker or Blaster teammate. Finally each nearby Controller or Dominator teammate will grant you limited protection from Control effects. You cannot put Enhancements in this power.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Peacebringer) |
Effects | Auto: Special |
Critical Hit
The Scrapper is a fierce melee combatant. In hand to hand, no other hero can compare. All Scrapper melee attacks have a chance to land a Critical Hit for up to double damage. The higher the rank of the target, the greater the chance for a successful Critical Hit.
The standard chance of a Critical Hit is 5% against players, pets, and critters of Minion rank and below, and 10% against critters above Minion.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Scrapper) |
Effects | Critical Damage |
Dark Sustenance
Kheldians naturally thrive off the energy and essence of their teammates. Warshades' absorbing nature allows them to draw on the power of their teammates' power to increase their own. Your Damage Resistance will increase for each nearby Tanker, Mastermind, Corruptor or Defender teammate. Your Damage will increase for each nearby Scrapper, Stalker, Brute or Blaster teammate. Finally each nearby Controller or Dominator teammate will grant you limited Protection from Control effects. You cannot put Enhancements in this power.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Warshade) |
Effects | Auto: Special |
Defiance
Blasters’ earliest abilities come so naturally to them, that they are accessible even in states that normally prevent them from using powers, such as being Held, Slept or Stunned. Additionally, each time the Blaster attacks with a primary or secondary power, they gain a stacking damage bonus for the next several seconds. The amount of the damage bonus and its duration is dependent on the exact power used, with single target abilities generally giving the largest bonus.
Defiance was added with Issue 5. Defiance was updated to 'Defiance 2.5' with Version 16.20071128.3T, released on December 11, 2007. Each attack grants the Blaster a stacking damage boost. Also, the Blaster Is able to use Tier One and Two powers while under control effects.
This new bonus overwrites the previous bonus, which is provided below for comparison.
-Old Defiance-
As a Blaster loses health, he begins to unleash his true power in a last ditch display of Defiance. The less health he has, the more damage he deals, and the more accurate his attacks become.
As a Blaster’s health drops, he begins to see an increase in his damage output and a similarly-scaled To Hit buff. They are small at first, but the lower the Blaster's health gets, the bigger the bonuses become. An orange meter between Endurance and Experience Points shows the Blaster's current Defiance level, although it is graphically laggy and does not instantly show sudden changes.
The chart below demonstrates just how much of a bonus a player will see when his or her health is low:
Health Percentage | Bonus Damage | Bonus To-Hit |
---|---|---|
100% | +0.55% | +0.03% |
75% | +3.13% | +0.16% |
50% | +17.7% | +0.88% |
45% | +25% | +1.25% |
30% | +70.7% | +3.5% |
20% | +141% | +7.1% |
10% | +283% | +14.1% |
1% | +528% | +26.4% |
As you can see, although the damage bonus is significant, the To Hit bonus is not likely to make a difference when fighting high-defense foes. Also note that these values are subject to the usual damage and to-hit caps.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Blaster) |
Effects | Special: Self, +Damage, +Accuracy |
Domination
Nothing delights a Dominator more than inflicting pain. When a Dominator attacks, his sadistic nature grows. When your Domination bar is over 90% you can activate this power to unleash his true potential. Your control powers will typically last 50% longer and will more easily Dominate stronger opponents. Additionally, you will fully recharge your Endurance and increase the damage to all your attacks by 75%. Domination lasts for 90 seconds and recharges in 200 seconds. The recharge can be reduced by self and ally buffs, but cannot be slotted with enhancements.
Domination protects the villain from Knockback/Knockup, Repel, Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Fear, and Confuse effects, and can be activated even while suffering from them to break the villain free.
Domination doubles the magnitude of the villain's own Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Fear, and Confuse effects for their normal durations, then keeps them going at normal magnitude for half that amount of time longer. Debuffs and other secondary effects are not improved.
A Dominator's Domination level is shown by an orange bar between Endurance and Experience Points. It rises each time he attacks. It rises faster if the Dominator has more teammates. This is a mild effect with one or two teammates, but on a large team Domination can be brought from 0 to over 90% with fewer than ten attacks. The Domination level falls very slowly when not used. It's automatically reduced to zero 90 seconds after Domination is activated.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Dominator) |
Effects | Self: Critical Control |
Energy Flight
Energy Flight allows you to travel long distances quickly. If you attack a target while this power is on, your Flight speed will be temporarily reduced. Your Energy Flight speed increases with your Level. Also See: Fly
Level Gained | Security Level 1 |
Type | Archetype-Specific (Peacebringer) |
Effects | Toggle: Self Fly |
Fury
As a Brute engages in combat, it unleashes his Fury. The longer he remains in combat, attacking and being attacked, the more damage he deals.
A Brute's Fury level is shown by an orange bar between Endurance and Experience Points. It rises each time he makes an attack or is attacked himself (regardless of hit or miss). The speed at which it rises is directly proportional to the recklessness of the Brute.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Brute) |
Effects | Self: +Damage (Special) |
Gauntlet
Although many try, few can withstand the irresistible force of the Tanker. Each time a Tanker attacks, he enrages the target, and those around him, enticing them to attack the Tanker. Each punch continues to provoke your enemies and allows the Tanker to do what he does best.
This power is also referred to as "Punch-voke". A special note needs to be made for Brutes, who possess a smaller version of this power. When Tankers hit a target, this will taunt the affected target, along with up to five others around it. When Brutes hit a target, this will taunt only the effected target. The Brute version of "Punch-voke" is occasionally labelled as "Poke-voke".
Type | Archetype-Specific (Tanker) |
Effects | Taunt |
Scourge
The Corruptor is a dastardly villain indeed. As a Corruptor's foe health wanes, the Corruptor can start to land Scourge hits with his attack powers for up to double damage. The weaker the target is, the greater chance the Corruptor has of landing Scourge. Once a foe is weak enough, there is no escaping the Corruptor's wrath. A Corruptor shows no mercy.
Scourge offers no chance of critical damage until the target has less than 50% health. The chance then smoothly increases to 100% once the target has only 10% or less of its health remaining. These percentages are based on the target's base health -- targets with large health boosts from powers can effectively delay the point at which Scourge damage starts being possible.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Corruptor) |
Effects | Critical Damage |
Shadow Recall
You can Teleport one of your teammates to yourself. The target must be a teammate and can be selected from the Team Window. You can also rescue a fallen teammate who may be in a hostile location, as long as he is on the same map. Range is not infinite, but extremely long and can be enhanced. This power can be interrupted. Also See: Recall Friend
Level Gained | Security Level 10 |
Type | Archetype-Specific (Warshade) |
Effects | Zone Range Teleport Teammate |
Shadow Step
You can Teleport long distances. Shadow Step has no recharge time, and can be reactivated without pause as long as you have Endurance. Also See: Teleport
Level Gained | Security Level 1 |
Type | Archetype-Specific (Warshade) |
Effects | Self Teleport |
Supremacy
A good Mastermind knows how to manage his Henchmen. The Mastermind imparts a bonus to his Henchmen's Accuracy and Damage only if he is nearby and has line of sight.
Supremacy gives +25% Damage and +10% ToHit. It has a radius of 60'.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Mastermind) |
Effects | PBAoE, Henchmen bonus, +ToHit, +Damage |
Vigilance
The Defender primary focus is to protect the team. When his allies are in danger, the Defender is able to look deep within him or herself and rise to the occasion. As a Defender's teammates are in danger of being defeated, the Defender gains an Endurance discount and can activate their powers at a reduced cost. The more teammates in trouble, the greater the discount.
Vigilance was introduced on September 20, 2005. As a Defender's teammates lose health, the Defender gains an Endurance discount. This power does not need to be activated. The more injured the Defender's teammates are, on average, and the larger his team is, the greater the discount Vigilance provides. The Defender's own health does not affect Vigilance, nor do teammates who are on other maps or who are too far away.
Type | Archetype-Specific (Defender) |
Effects | Endurance Discount |
City of Heroes Collector DVD/Hero Kit Bonus Power
Prestige Power Slide
Forms a frictionless field of energy beneath the user that allows rapid transit while remaining close to the ground. This power is mechanically identical to Sprint.
Effects | Boost Run Speed |
Enhancements | Reduce Endurance Cost |
Enhance Running Speed | |
Enhance Jump | |
Set Categories | Leaping |
Running |
Good vs. Evil Bonus Powers
Jump Pack
This Jump Pack grants you the ability to not only jump great distances, but also jump and gain altitude in mid air! The Jump Pack will automatically shut down after 30 seconds of continuous use.
Effects | Self Toggle |
+Jump | |
+Fly | |
Special |
Pocket D VIP Pass
You've been given a VIP Pass to Pocket D. It will allow you to access Pocket D from anywhere. It is usable once every 30 minutes.
The pass has a very long interrupt time before it operates.
Effects | Teleport to Pocket D |
Universal Inherent Powers
Brawl
When all else fails, you have only your two fists to depend on.
Damage | Minor |
Recharge | Fast |
Effects | Foe Minor Smashing Damage |
Enhancements | Reduce Endurance Cost |
Increase Attack Rate | |
Enhance Damage | |
Enhance Accuracy | |
Set Categories | Melee Damage |
Rest
Activate Rest to heal Hit Points and recover Endurance. While Resting you cannot attack, and you are extremely vulnerable to attack and damage. Activation of Rest can be interrupted, and the power must be active for a few seconds before you start to recuperate.
Heroes and Villains receive this ability on advancing to Security/Threat Level 2.
Minimum Level | 2 |
Effects | Self Heal Recover |
-Defense | |
Enhancements | Enhance Endurance Modification |
Increase Attack Rate | |
Enhance Heal | |
Reduce Interrupt Time | |
Set Categories | None |
Sprint
Sprint allows you to run slightly faster than normal, while slightly draining your Endurance. You may have to Toggle this off in combat to conserve Endurance.
Effects | Boost Run Seed |
Enhancements | Reduce Endurance Cost |
Enhance Running Speed | |
Enhance Jump | |
Set Categories | Leaping |
Running |
Veteran Reward Powers
Veteran Rewards powers are additional inherent powers that a player may claim once his or her account has been active for a certain length of time. For more information, see Veteran Reward Powers.