City of Heroes
City of Heroes

Power Pools & Ancillary Powers

Customize your hero in City of Heroes with Power Pools and powers from Ancillary Pools. Enhance versatility and strategic options beyond primary sets.

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Power Pools & Ancillary Powers

Beyond your primary and secondary power sets, City of Heroes offers an incredible layer of customization through Power Pools and Ancillary Powers. These allow you to pick up abilities typically outside your archetype or primary power focus, significantly enhancing your character's versatility and strategic options. Understanding how to acquire and effectively utilize these powers is crucial for any aspiring hero or villain.

Understanding Power Pools

Power Pools are groups of related abilities that any archetype can access, provided they meet the level requirements. Each pool typically contains four powers, and you must take at least two powers from a pool to unlock the third, and three to unlock the fourth. You can mix and match powers from different pools, but you are limited in the total number of Power Pool picks you can make over your character's career.

Acquiring Power Pool Powers

You gain access to Power Pool picks at specific level milestones. Here's a breakdown of when you can expect to choose new Power Pool abilities:

  • Level 6: First Power Pool pick available.
  • Level 14: Second Power Pool pick available.
  • Level 20: Third Power Pool pick available.
  • Level 26: Fourth Power Pool pick available.
  • Level 32: Fifth Power Pool pick available.
  • Level 38: Sixth Power Pool pick available.

To select a Power Pool power, simply open your character sheet (default key 'P'), navigate to the 'Powers' tab, and click on the 'Power Pools' section. Available powers will be highlighted. Remember to plan your choices carefully, as respecs can be costly!

Key Power Pools and Notable Powers

While many Power Pools exist, some are universally popular due to their utility:

  • Speed Pool:
    • Sprint: Essential for faster movement. Acquired early, it's a must-have for almost every build.
    • Super Speed: A significant upgrade to Sprint, offering even greater movement speed. Requires Sprint.
    • Combat Jumping: Increases jump height and provides a small defense bonus while jumping. Useful for navigation and avoiding some attacks.
  • Leaping Pool:
    • Jump Pack: Provides a short burst of flight, useful for crossing gaps or gaining high ground.
    • Super Jump: Drastically increases jump height and distance, making vertical traversal much easier. Requires Jump Pack.
  • Flight Pool:
    • Hover: Allows you to float above the ground, useful for avoiding ground-based attacks and gaining a tactical overview.
    • Flight: The ultimate movement power, offering sustained aerial movement. Requires Hover.
  • Concealment Pool:
    • Stealth: Reduces your threat radius, making it harder for enemies to detect you. Invaluable for solo play or strategic positioning.
    • Invisibility: Renders you completely invisible to most enemies, allowing for safe passage or surprise attacks. Requires Stealth.
  • Fighting Pool:
    • Punch: A basic melee attack, often taken for the prerequisite for other Fighting Pool powers.
    • Tough: Increases your maximum hit points, a solid defensive boost for any character.
    • Weave: Increases your defense to all damage types, making you harder to hit.

Ancillary Powers: The Ultimate Customization

Ancillary Powers are powerful, late-game abilities that provide a significant boost to your character's capabilities. Unlike Power Pools, Ancillary Powers are chosen from a specific list available only at higher levels and come with a unique acquisition process.

Acquiring Ancillary Powers

You can select your first Ancillary Power at Level 35 and your second at Level 41. These are major decisions, as they can dramatically alter your playstyle or shore up weaknesses.

  1. Reach Level 35 or 41: The system will notify you when an Ancillary Power choice is available.
  2. Visit a Trainer: Head to any Power Trainer in a major city (e.g., Atlas Park for Heroes, Port Oakes for Villains).
  3. Select "Ancillary Powers": In the trainer's dialogue options, you'll find a dedicated section for Ancillary Powers.
  4. Choose Your Path: You will be presented with a choice of several "Ancillary Power Sets." These sets are themed (e.g., "Mu Mastery," "Soul Mastery," "Force Field Mastery") and each contains a unique set of powerful abilities.
  5. Pick Your Power: Once you've chosen an Ancillary Power Set, you'll then select one specific power from that set. This power is immediately granted to you.

Important Note: Once you choose an Ancillary Power Set, you are locked into that set for any subsequent Ancillary Power picks. For example, if at Level 35 you choose "Mu Mastery" and take "Mu Lightning," at Level 41 you can only choose another power from the "Mu Mastery" set. Plan accordingly!

Strategic Considerations for Ancillary Powers

Ancillary Powers are incredibly diverse and can fill many roles:

  • Damage Augmentation: Powers like Mu Lightning (from Mu Mastery) or Energy Torrent (from Energy Mastery) provide potent area-of-effect or single-target damage.
  • Defensive Boosts: Abilities such as Force Field Generator (from Force Field Mastery) or Stone Skin (from Stone Mastery) offer significant damage resistance or crowd control.
  • Utility and Support: Powers like Resurrection (from Soul Mastery) or Group Heal (from Medicine Mastery) can be game-changers for team play.
  • Movement Enhancements: While less common in Ancillary Powers, some sets offer unique movement options or enhancements to existing ones.

Before making your choice, research the available Ancillary Power Sets thoroughly. Consider your character's primary power sets, your team role, and any weaknesses you want to mitigate. Online resources and community forums are excellent places to find detailed breakdowns and recommendations for specific builds.