Ability Keywords¶
Each ability has one or more keywords that explain how the ability functions. Keywords appear in the first line of the ability beneath the flavor text, on the left side, and can include any of the following entries. (An ability that has no keywords is noted as "-".)
Area¶
Abilities with the Area keyword create an area of effect. Many area abilities deal damage to targets in their area, but such abilities are treated differently than strikes made against specific targets. (See the It's Not All Strikes! sidebar, as well as Strike and Area Abilities below for more information.)
Charge¶
Abilities with the Charge keyword can be used with the Charge main action instead of a melee free strike. (The Charge main action is described in Main Actions in Chapter 10: Combat.)
Magic¶
Abilities with the Magic keyword are used by characters who can cast spells, have innate magical features, or wield magic treasures. Such abilities do magical things such as create rays of fire, open swirling portals, or summon creatures.
Melee¶
Abilities with the Melee keyword can be used only over very short distances, typically within a character's reach, because they require a character to make contact with a creature or object with their body, a weapon, or an implement. (An implement is a special object used by characters channeling magic or psionic power, described in Imbue Treasure in Chapter 12: Downtime Projects.)
Psionic¶
Abilities with the Psionic keyword are used by characters who can manifest psionic powers, have innate psionic features, or wield psionic items. These abilities might create blasts of psychic energy, move objects with telekinesis, or slow down time with chronopathy.
Ranged¶
Abilities with the Ranged keyword can be used to affect creatures who are too far away to make contact with.
Strike¶
Abilities with the Strike keyword (often referred to simply as "strikes") deal damage to or impose a harmful effect on specific creatures or objects.
It's Not All Strikes!
The Strike keyword and phrases such as "makes a strike" are reserved for abilities that have a creature targeting specific creatures or objects (not affecting creatures or objects in an area) and harming those targets in some way by making a power roll. The many abilities in the game that target areas of effect are not strikes. They instead use the Area keyword. That means if a feature distinctly interacts with a strike, that feature has no effect on abilities with the Area keyword.
Weapon¶
The Weapon keyword is used in abilities that must be used with a blade, a bow, or some other offensive weapon. Weapon abilities also include strikes creatures make with their own bodies, such as a character's unarmed strikes or a monster's punches, kicks, bites, tail slaps, and more.
Your character's kit determines the types of weapons you wield and use with your weapon abilities (see Chapter 6: Kits).