This week we begin our exploration of the City of Heroes power sets. Each article looks at a collection of power sets, organized by theme. The common themes being: Dark, Electrical, Energy, Fire, Ice, Psychic, Radiation, and Sonic. These eight core themes run across multiple archetypes; each of them tweaked slightly to fit the archetype.
From Digital To Analog
Power sets have some common qualities, expect them to have some type of area of effect, for melee types this tends to be a cone, while support characters have more PBAOEs (Player Based Area of Effects). Controller sets are going to have a means to lock down foes, while Defender sets are going to have powers to support the party.
With 10 standard archetypes, we are boiling them down into four key focus areas. Each unique in their own way, allowing heroes to focus their abilities down a given path within the theme. The four focuses are: Damage, Minions, Support, and Tanking. This allows us to move features common to an archetype, and not necessarily the theme to its respective focus area.
Power Design
Each power has a starting cost of 30 Selections / AP. Each focus has a cost of 14 Selections / AP. If the hero adds the in Archetype specific abilities a Classic hero will not be able to to purchase everything. This gives players options for advancement as they select what aspects of the power they wish to begin with, and an idea of what they might grow to look like. Of course, because there are no classes in Metahumans Rising, heroes can mix and match from across the focuses to build the character they want, and do not have to focus exclusively on a single role.
Into the Darkness
Why are we starting with the Dark power sets? Because we are going alphabetically. Also, Dark is perhaps one of the most prevalent themes. What defines Dark powers in City of heroes though?
There are 10 power sets within the Dark theme:
Dark Armor
Dark Assault
Dark Blast
Dark Mastery
Dark Melee
Dark Miasma
Darkness Affinity
Darkness Control
Darkness Manipulation
Darkness Mastery
The most common theme is the ability to reduce a target’s accuracy. Dark also focuses on ways to hold or immobilize foes, damage over time, stealing health, and stealth. Also, a good number of their powers use either a radius or cone effect, even for the more melee focused characters. Overall, Dark is more about keeping damage off, and layering on the pain than it is about mitigation. Now, let’s see what this might look like in Metahumans Rising.
Darkening Miasma
- Parent Attribute: Constitution or Mental
- Primary Role: Offense
Cone TY
Radus TY
Lingering MA
Devastating (Boost Devastation) MA2
Drain (Siphon) MA2
Trapping MA
Secondary Role: Support: Intimidation MA
Healing: Others TY
Limited: Only following a Siphon Attack
Meddling (Disorenting) MA2
Insubstantial MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Passive Defense TY
Requires Activation
Phased MA
Resist: Darkness MA
Cost: 1 Power + 30 Selections / AP
Lingering pain and lockdowns, Darkening Miasma wielders can set up fields that first drain the life of their foes, then leave them trapped in place as they slowly wither under dark tendrils of force. Inciting fear, their foes can become panicked, missing shots, and easily struck. Those who focus on the dark have few defenses, but when applied appropriately, they are extremely potent, becoming shadow stuff themselves to avoid injury. They prefer instead to keep the pressure up, draining the life of their foes.
Dark Foci
Damage
Increase Devastating (Boost Devastation) MA2 to Devastating (Boost Devastation, Total Devastation) MA3 (+ MA)
Increase Drain (Siphon) to Drain (Siphon 3) MA4 (+MA2)
(S) Life Drain 10 (Used with Siphon + Total Devastation.
(S) Shadow Strike 10
Limited: Must use 2 Levels of Heavy Blow with Life Drain.
Ranged Option: Reduce Siphon 3 to Siphon 2 and and add Ranged MA
Cost: +13 Selections / AP
Boons
Combo: Shadow Strike: Attack + Meddling TY
Cost: 1 Selection / AP
Minions
Backup: Shadow Beasts (More Backup, Powerful Backup 5: Talented: Intimidation + Shooter + Crowd Control) MA6
Cost: +14 Selections / AP
Support
Selective MA
Defended By: Psyche MA
Increase Trapping MA to Trapping (Tougher Traps) MA2 (+ MA)
Added Support: Stealth MA
Control: Shadow Puppet (Broad Control, Expanded Control) MA3
Cost: +14 Selections / AP
Tanking
Increase Secondary Role: Defense MA to Secondary Role: Defense (Full Role) MA2 (+MA)
Armor (Boost Armor) MA2
Increase Phased to Phased 2 MA2 (+MA)
Change Healing: Others to Healing: Self (Regeneration) MA1TY (+MA)
Limited: Must use a Siphon Attack and not be at Full Stamina first.
Cost: +12 Selections / AP
Boons
Critical Skill: Intimidation MA
Cost: 2 AP
