Abilities and Aura Counters
Abilities are unique and powerful things that your character can unleash by expending a valuable resource known as “Aura Counters.” There are many different Abilities to choose from, with each one performing something distinctly different and exciting. Abilities grant your character access to their inner power, tapping into their natural energy; this energy is referred to in the world of Fragment Skies as an entity's Aura. The truly unique aspect of abilities is that they do not necessarily rely on traditional magic. Instead, they harness the essence of aura energy. Consequently, even in an anti-magic area where typical spells may falter, abilities can still be utilized.
Using an ability will consume your character’s Aura Counters, or AC’s, which are vital to your survival in the world of Fragment Skies. These counters replenish very slowly over time, meaning that you will not often be able to spam your powerful Abilities with reckless abandon. Take a moment to think strategically before unleashing your big ability in an attempt to take down that fearsome boss monster. It might just mean that you don’t have enough AC’s left to defend yourself against its relentless minions that are lurking nearby. The maximum number of Aura Counters (ACs) that your character starts with will never, ever change and will never increase throughout the entirety of your character’s existence. That fixed amount is set at 30. However, it's important to note that Abilities are not the only element that will consume your precious Aura Counters. Whenever your character has to dig deep within themselves in order to accomplish a task or perform an action, it will also consume Aura Counters; although, it is quite unlikely that such efforts will consume as much as a single Ability would.
When we mentioned that Aura Counters (ACs) come back slowly, I really meant to emphasize just how slow that process can be. You will only be able to restore your Aura Counters after completing a full rest, and even then, you will only regain 1d6 ACs at a time. This means that under perfectly ideal circumstances—in which you miraculously roll a six every single time—it would still take you a minimum of five whole days to fully restore your aura counters from having a starting point of zero.
Many Abilities will have a prerequisite; something you must already have in order to obtain this ability. If they do not have the prerequisite, then your character cannot learn that ability. Unless otherwise specified, an Ability can only be used during your Perform Phase. The glorious thing about an ability is that when it is used, it just happens. No outside force can stop an ability once it has been initiated, including Counter Actions, unless something specifies being able to stop an Ability. It is one of the most reliable resources that your character has access to. Keep in mind that we said they cannot be stopped. This does not mean that they cannot miss. There are some abilities that are used as an attack. These are still attacks, and an RTH will still likely be required.
When deciding what Abilities to get, keep a look out for ones that have a second effect, next CA. This shows that the ability has a Counter Action effect. Counter Actions are extremely powerful and useful, because they directly effect something immediately happening, such as causing that big attack to miss, even though the RTH result said otherwise. This could literally be the difference between life and death.
Using a Counter Action will consume your Reaction for the round, so take a minute to assess your situation before deciding to take an attack of opportunity against something moving away from you. If you already used your Reaction for the round, then you wont be able to use your Counter Action when the boss chooses you as their target.
All Counter Action has a specific trigger, which will be explicitely stated, and detailed, in the Abilities description. If that specific thing happens, then you may use your Counter Action in response. From here, whatever the Abilities Counter Action description says, goes.
It is highly recommended that every character have access to at least 1 Counter Action amongst their available resources, especially at low level. As we mentioned, they could be the difference between life and death. Most Abilities have a Counter Action effect, and can be different, yet similar, to their normal effect. Look over both effects before making a decision. Counter Actions typically consume a lot of Aura Counters, since it is a sudden powerful burst of aura energy, instead of being a careful and slow burn. In the end, they are worth it. Just be conservative about those Aura Counters, so that you don’t run out too quickly.
Counter Actions
Some Abilities meld your aura energy with your Elemental Arts to create something very powerful. These are called “Elemental Abilities”. These are especially powerful Abilities that will not only consume Aura Counter, but will also consume Focus Points; since it is a combination of the two. There are 4 different Elemental Abilities for each of the elements, and have the prerequisite of having access to a certain level in your Elemental Arts; the highest being level 5. These Abilities may be particularly expensive, but the outcomes are usually worth it. You can find a seperate list of Elemental Abilities by clicking on this button.