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. Assassin Strikes made from hide will Demoralize the Stalker's foes leaving them with a reduced chance to hit and has a chance to terrorize them. Additionally, a Stalker has a 10 percent base chance to critically hit, which is increased by an additional 3 percent per member in your party, against non-player enemies. Stalkers have a chance to land a critical hit against players if they are Held or Slept.

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

Conditioning

Soldiers of Arachnos undergo intense physical training before leaving "boot camp." Those that survive have greater than average healing rates and tire less quickly than others.

The increase in Regeneration and Recovery are not bonuses but are higher base values than other Archetypes.

Level Gained Threat Level 1 Type Archetype-Specific (Soldiers of Arachnos) Effects Self: Increased Regeneration (0.50%) and Recovery (1.75%)

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. Each Peacebringer, Warshade, Arachnos Widow or Arachnos Soldier on their team gives a 10% Recharge Slow Resistance. Finally each nearby Controller or Dominator teammate will grant you limited protection from Control effects. You cannot put Enhancements in this power.

As of Issue 13, Cosmic Balance is active while in Bright Nova or White Dwarf mode.

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. Each Peacebringer, Warshade, Arachnos Widow or Arachnos Soldier on their team gives a 10% Recharge Slow Resistance. Finally each nearby Controller or Dominator teammate will grant you limited Protection from Control effects. You cannot put Enhancements in this power.

As of Issue 13, Dark Sustenance is active while in Dark Nova or Black Dwarf mode.

Type Archetype-Specific (Warshade) Effects Auto: Special

Defiance

Main article: 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.

The current version of Defiance was released on December 11, 2007. Prior to that, it worked differently. See the main article for more details.

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.

Gauntlet -- also referred to as "PunchVoke" -- causes the Tanker's AoE attacks and auras to taunt every PvE enemy they affect. Their single-target attacks taunt the enemy hit and up to four more around it. Gauntlet has reduced chances of affecting exceptionally high-rank foes like Giant Monsters, and even worse chances of affecting other players in PvP.

Brutes possess a smaller version of this power, occasionally labeled as "PokeVoke" by the community, as it does not possess an official name. The Brute's version of Gauntlet does not apply in PvP, and their single-target attacks only taunt the one target hit.

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.

Vigilance can be monitored as "Endurance Discount" in the Combat Attributes window. The formula for calculating your total discount is Cost/(1 + bonus). So a 100% discount would halve the cost of powers. A simple chart can be found here. There is debate on what the maximum amount of discount Vigilance will accrue [source].

Type Archetype-Specific (Defender) Effects Endurance Discount

Booster Pack Powers

Self Destruction

Some situations call for the ultimate sacrifice...self-destruction. This causes damage to those around you and sends your character to the hospital.

Self Destruction is not affected by enhancements or any buff except Knockback, ToHit, and Accuracy. It should be noted that its recharge is not affected by buffs. It is permanent, available at character creation, and does not have usage charges. Debt does not accrue from a Self Destruct. It should also be noted that the description "sends your character to the hospital" is inaccurate; your character remains immobile until you choose to go to the hospital, or use an Inspiration or Self-Rez power, or revived by a resurrection power from another character which does not require a target, such as Howling Twilight.

Recharge Very Long (60min) Effects PBAoE 40ft Extreme DMG(Smashing/Fire) Knockback Self defeat

LKT-1700 Rocket Pack

Main Article: LKT-1700 Rocket Pack

Delusion, Inc., the same company that makes all of Rose Star's gadgets, has mass-produced the LKT-1700 ducted-fan jet pack. This stylish jet pack enables you with the power of Flight.

Duration 30 Real Days Effects Toggle: Self Fly

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

Convention Costume Powers

Freakshow Boss Costume

Main Article: Freakshow Boss Costume

This costume will let you dress up as a Freakshow Boss at any time. Note that the costume is mutually exclusive with most self-stealth powers, and cannot be used while shape shifted. Thank you for joining us at Comic-Con!

Effects Costume change Incompatible with stealth toggles

PPD Hardsuit Costume

Main Article: PPD Hardsuit Costume

This costume will let you dress up in a Paragon Police Hard Suit at any time. Note that the costume is mutually exclusive with most self-stealth powers, and cannot be used while shape shifted. Thank you for joining us at PAX!

Effects Costume change Incompatible with stealth toggles

Carnival Harlequin Costume

Main Article: Carnival Harlequin Costume

This costume will let you dress up as a Harlequin at any time. Note that the costume is mutually exclusive with most self-stealth powers, and cannot be used while shape shifted. Thank you for joining us at the City of Heroes Community Fan Event!

Effects Costume change Incompatible with stealth toggles

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.