Champion Ability

An **ability** is a unique action (as opposed to summoner spells / active ability items) performed by and only available to a champion ( Baron Nashor and Rift Herald are currently the only examples of non-champion units with abilities). Each of these special moves make up a portion of a champion's 'kit'.

## Champion Kits

Every champion kit (with some exceptions) follows the same basic structure: an innate with no ranks, three basic abilities with five ranks each, and an ultimate with three ranks.

* **Innate:** Available as soon as the game starts, innate abilities passively affects a champion for the entire match but cannot be ranked up at will, often scaling with their owners' level to compensate.
	+ Innates sometimes feature a unique mechanic that helps define a champion's playstyle.

* **Basic abilities:** Available from level 1 and controlled by the - - keys, basic abilities are learned over the course of the game by ranking them up after every level-up, the earliest for maxing one out being level 9 (current rank cannot be higher than half the champion's rounded out level, limiting each new rank for the same ability to every odd, single-digit level)

* **Ultimate:** Available from level 6 (can only be ranked up again at levels 11 and 16 at the least) and controlled by the key, ultimates are considered a champion's strongest, most characteristic, and most game-changing ability.
	+ Ultimate abilities feature a HUD indicator attached to the champion's portrait (can be set to appear on top of the minimap or on the left of the screen) letting allies know the state of each other's ultimate cooldowns (black if not learned yet, gray when on cooldown, green when ready to cast)

* **Pseudo-Ultimate**: Is classified as ultimate for ultimate-interaction **abilities** or items.

## Componenets

*Any given ability can possess one or more of the following components (combinations may vary)*
* **Scaling:** Abilities increase in potency and/or strength through a portion of certain stats champions acquire via items and/or runes.

* **Cost:** Most abilities require the champion to expend a resource cost ( mana,  energy,  health or others) in order to be cast, becoming unable to do so if they possess less than the required amount (the ability's HUD icon will turn gray)
	+ Note yet to be written.

* **Cooldown:** Champions must wait a certain length of time before they can use the same ability again via a  cooldown. This wait can be shortened by purchasing ability haste.

* **Ammo:** Some abilities run on charges (as opposed to a cooldown) in order to be used.
	+ Note yet to be written.

* **Range:** How many units the caster and the target (unit / location) must be from one another in order for the ability to be cast / to hit (hitbox collision detection determines if the range used is center-based or edge-based)
	+ Note yet to be written.

* **Cast time:** The champion is unable to perform any other actions for a brief period of time until the ability takes effect (can only be interrupted by the champion's death or by some crowd control effects). Most abilities have a 0.25 second cast time (setting the effect to begin after the button press rather than instantaneously), then introduce a delay for the actual effect.
	+ Note yet to be written.

* **Channel:** The champion must not perform any other actions for a brief period of time in order for the ability to take full effect (can be interrupted by the caster themselves unless otherwise stated or by most crowd control effects)
	+ Note yet to be written.

* **Active:** Must be cast at a target unit / location / direction in order to be used (innate abilities never feature this component). Autonomous actives usually require a nearby target or no targets in some cases to be used.

* **Passive:** Affects the champion without any specific input required on their part.
	+ Note yet to be written.

* **Toggle:** Allows the champion to cycle the ability between 'on' and 'off' status, activating and (willingly/forcefully) disabling it or swapping an effect for another.
	+ Note yet to be written.
* **Stance:** The champion 'shapeshifts' themselves and/or their abilities, gaining persistent effects (mutually exclusive) and/or temporary ones (may overlap by gaining high ability haste) while losing others.
	+ Note yet to be written.

* **Summon:** Champions can bring forth other units to assist them and/or their allies.

* **On-Action Effects:** Abilities within a champion's kit can interact with certain actions and/or each other for synergistic effects and results.
	+ Note yet to be written.

## Effects

*Any given ability can possess one or more of the following effects (combinations may vary)*
* **Combat:** Enhances offensive and/or defensive aspects.
	+ Damage allows champions to kill minions, monsters and other champions in order to obtain gold to become stronger.
		- Note yet to be written.
	+ Crowd control effects hinder and/or disable a champion's fighting capabilities.
		- Note yet to be written.
	+ Buffs affect the caster and/or their allies for their benefit.
	+ Debuffs affect the caster's enemies for their detriment.

* **Utility:** Enhances non-combat aspects.
	+ Blinks and dashes allow champions to move through otherwise solid obstacles/terrain or as a simple method of gaining distance or means of escape, similarly to Flash.
	+ Heals provides a means of sustains through combat.
	+ Shields enhance survivability by absorbing damage to prevent health loss.
	+ Stealth grants invisibility and camouflage to avoid enemy detection.
	+ Invulnerability gives immunity to sources of enemy damage.
	+ Untargetability grants immunity to enemy focus-fire ( damage over time and delayed damage debuffs can still apply if durations and circumstances permit)