When a Risen casts a Power, the same basic rules are used regardless of the Risen’s class level, Power level, or what the effects of the Power are.

Each Power comes with a list of information, including the Power’s name, casting time, recharge die and value, reach or range or scope, cost, and duration. Some Powers have special properties, which are also listed. The rest of the Power’s entry describes the effect of the Power.

Casting a Power is not the same as taking the Attack action, even if the Power calls for an attack roll and costs your action to do so. When you cast a Power you are taking the Cast a Power action.

Casting Time and Type

All Powers have a listed casting time and type. By default, casting a Power is an action, but some Powers can be cast as a bonus action, a reaction, or even as an item interaction. Each Power will also state what type of charge you need to spend to cast it. If you don’t have the appropriate resources to cast a Power, you can’t cast that Power.

A Power that costs a bonus action or item interaction to cast requires you to use such to cast the Power. You cannot choose to cast a Power as an action if it costs a bonus action or item interaction to do so.

Casting Time: 1 Attack

When a creature would take the Attack action, it may substitute one of the attacks they would normally make with a Power that has a casting time of 1 attack. You must have and spend an appropriate Power charge in order to do so, as normal. You may not substitute an offhand weapon attack for a Power with a casting time of 1 attack.

Add-On Effects

Some Powers you can cast are listed as an add-on effect. You can’t cast this Power until you meet the condition described by it. For instance, the arcstrider’s Combination Blow tactical Power is an add-on effect. It states you may cast Combination Blow when you hit with an unarmed strike.

You can’t cast more than one add-on effect on a turn. 

Like normal, casting a Power as an add-on effect still costs an appropriate Power charge to do so. 

Casting a Power vs. Cast a Power

When you cast a Power as 1 attack or as an add-on effect, you are still considered to be casting a Power, even though you’re not taking the Cast a Power action. This matters in certain situations that differentiate between casting a Power and specifically taking the Cast a Power action.

If a feature, trait, exotic item, or other source is affected when you cast a Power, it is affected when you cast a Power as 1 attack or as an add-on effect. However, if a source specifically references the Cast a Power action, casting a Power as 1 attack or as an add-on effect does not affect this.

Reach, Range, or Scope

The target of a Power must be within the Power’s reach, range, or scope. For a Power like Nova Warp, the target is the Risen creature casting the Power. For a Power like the Incendiary grenade, the target is a point in space within the grenade’s range. This point is where the grenade detonates. 

Most Powers have ranges expressed in feet. Some Powers can target only a creature (including you) that you touch. Other Powers affect only you and thus have a range of ‘self.’ 

Powers that create cones, lines of effect, or other areas that originate from you also have a range of ‘self,’ indicating that the origin point of the Power’s effect must be you. If the Power’s area doesn’t have to originate from yourself, it will have a range listed, within which is where you must cast the Power. The origin point of the area is the point where you cast the Power.

Mortar

Like with weapons, Powers can be cast with the Mortar property. A Mortar-type Power travels in an upward arc, allowing you to indirectly target above or behind obstacles such as over walls or atop cliffs. When you cast a Mortar Power, treat the range of the Power as reduced by twice the height of any obstruction you’re casting the Power over. 

For example, if you attempt to hurl a Nova Bomb over a 10-foot wall, treat all ranges of the Power as reduced by 20 feet for that cast. 

If, after adjusting the ranges to account for the obstruction, the target is calculated as being beyond the Power’s range, you can’t target them. The Power will prematurely detonate, fizzle out, fall off, or otherwise fail to reach its target or do any damage. However, if the target is still within range, cast and resolve your Power as normal.

Like normal, if you can’t see your target, you have disadvantage on attack rolls against it.

Duration

A Power’s duration is the length of time the Power persists. A duration can be expressed in rounds, minutes, hours, or even years. These Powers usually require concentration. If you ever die, all your ongoing Powers end.

Powers are instantaneous unless stated otherwise. The Power harms, heals, creates, or alters a creature or an object in a way that can’t be disrupted, because its effect exists only for an instant.