Fear
Overview
Fear is a Status Effect. A mob or player under the affects of a Fear power will cower in terror for the duration of the power. NPC enemies have a chance to run a short distance or stand still and cower. Most importantly, while Fear is in effect, the target cannot attack unless it is attacked first. Then the target can either perform one counter-attack, or run away for 10 seconds, after which it will go back to cowering until the Fear effect wears off. Fear does not detoggle its target.
Magnitude, Resistance, Protection
Except for Slows, all status effects work the same way. The target has both Resistance and Protection. In order for the attack to take effect, it must have a big enough Magnitude to overcome the Protection. Once the Protection is overcome, the duration of the effect depends on the target's Resistance. Attacks can stack in order to overcome a target's Protection. No Slow Protection exists, only Resistance.
PVE: Minions have a Protection of 1. Lts are 2. Bosses are 3. Elite Bosses are 6. The Purple Triangles of Doom on an Archvillain or Hero add 50 to all but Sleep while they are up. Some specific enemies are resistant to fear.
PVP: As of Issue 13, Protection does not exist in PVP, only Resistance.
How to tell if a power uses fear
Most fear power icons include a skull, seen at left.
Examples
Ranged (Cone) Foe Fear Mag 3
The sixth power in the Dark Miasma powerset for Defenders, Corruptors, and Masterminds.
Melee Foe Fear Mag 3
A power from the Dark Melee powerset for Scrappers, Tankers, Brutes, and Stalkers.
History
This effect did not exist until around Issue 2 when it replaced the Afraid effect in several powers. Need date for this change.