City of Heroes Respec Guide, Part One

MMORPG.com City of Heroes Correspondent Marjorie Rhoadhouse writes this guide to respeccing in NCsoft's superhero game. In part one, she goes over some of the terminology involved.

Presuming one of the Respec Trials is merely being considered or has already been completed, and the player has a basic idea of the changes needed to improve his character's repertoire of Powers, this guide provides the semantics about performing the Respec itself. It reveals the Respec as a feature, defines the various forms of Respecs, how to start the process, how to proceed, the do's and don'ts, and what to expect.  Part One of this Guide is devoted to terminology, clarification and details, while Part II (to be published at mid-month) shall then illustrate the process:

Powers, Pools, Sets and Builds - Interchangeable Terms?

As often as these terms are confused, one might think they're interchangeable, but they are not.

Power Sets: Each character begins the game with two Power Sets: a Primary Set and a Secondary Set. These are chosen from a variety of Sets designed for each Archetype (i.e. Tank; Scrapper; Blaster etc), and become permanent attributes from the moment the character is fully created. Power Sets can NOT be changed during a Respec. A Controller with Fire Control as his Primary and Radiation Emission as his Secondary will ALWAYS be a Fire/Rad Controller. Likewise, an Invulnerable/Super Strength Tank will NEVER be able to carry a Shield.

Individual Powers: A Respec addresses the potential for improvement WITHIN Power Sets. Individual Powers and the order in which they were chosen from both Primary and Secondary Sets --- across 50 levels --- CAN be changed. Perhaps one Power does not live up to your expectations, or you've learned another might serve better. Maybe a Power that was useful while your toon was young seems lame now. If you do a lot of exempting, or jumping through Ouroboros, you might like some of those earlier abilities back again, to assist your toon while stripped of his higher Powers.

For those Veteran Reward Powers which require a choice, it is a permanent one. Veteran Rewards cannot be altered by a Respec.

Temporary Powers are unaffected by a Respec, unless you have one that is limited by real time in-game. The time spent performing the Respec will be used against you. The time allotted may even run out and the Power will disappear.

Power Pools: Mini Power Sets, known as Power Pools, become available at Level 6 to all Hero Archetypes (with the exception of Kheldians, who are offered fewer travel power choices), and remain available through Level 50. These mini Sets include Travel Powers; Medicine; Fitness; Leadership, etc. These sets CAN be changed during a Respec. A toon with Fly can drop the Flight Pool [Set] and pick up the Teleportation Pool [Set] instead ---- or keep elements from each Set, in part or in whole.

Ssssh! Nowhere in the game is a player informed that, out of the 10 Power Pool Sets available, each toon is allowed to choose from a maximum of only four Sets. Once Individual Powers have been chosen from a total of four Sets, the rest of the Pool Power Sets are locked out. Future choices of Individual Powers may be added from the four Sets already accessed, but choices from additional Power Pool Sets will not be possible.

At Level 41, a different Power Pool becomes available. This mini Power Set is called the Epic (aka Ancillary) Pool, and offers Mastery Powers from a selection of mini Sets designed for each Archetype. Only one Set may be chosen for each toon, but the choice can be changed with every Respec. Within each of these mini Sets are several powers to chose --- or not --- as you please.