Abilities

An ability is a definition asset that says when and at what it can be cast, plus a list of effect assets that say what happens.

Authoring

Create → Vantage → Abilities → Ability Definition.

Field	Meaning
Targeting Mode	`Self`, `SingleTarget` or `GroundPoint`.
Range	Maximum distance, measured on the ground plane. 0 means no range check.
Resource Kind / Cost	What the cast spends. Charged at cast start, refunded if interrupted.
Cast Time	0 for instant. Otherwise a cast bar runs first.
Cooldown	Seconds before the ability can be cast again.
Triggers GCD / Ignores GCD	Whether the cast starts the global cooldown and whether it waits for it. A basic attack does neither.
Can Auto Cast	Lets the ability sit in the auto-fire slot, which is how auto-attacking works.
Scales With Attack Speed / Range Bonus	Attack-speed stat shortens the cooldown; range-bonus stat extends the range.
Is Channeled	The cast keeps running for `Channel Duration`, firing `Tick Effects` every `Channel Tick Interval`.
Effects	Runs in order when the cast resolves.

Then create effect assets under Create → Vantage → Abilities → Effects and drag them into Effects.

Shipped effects

Effect	What it does
Damage	Rolls a damage range, optionally scaled by a stat, and sends it through the pipeline. Can launch a projectile, splash to nearby units, and chain more effects on hit.
Basic Attack Damage	Like Damage, but reads the numbers from the caster’s unit definition. One asset serves every unit.
Heal	Restores HP, with an optional crit roll.
Apply Buff	Applies a buff definition to the target for a duration.
AoE Damage, AoE Heal, AoE Buff	The same, to every unit in a radius around the target or a ground point.
Persistent AoE Damage	Leaves a damaging area on the ground for a while.
Taunt, AoE Taunt, Threat On Apply, Threat Shed	Threat manipulation, see Threat.
Learn Recipe	Teaches a recipe, see Crafting.

New behaviour is a new effect class; see Extending.

Casting from keys

Put VtAbilityHotkeys on the player and fill its slots. Each press casts at the unit or point under the cursor, or at the current target. See Movement and input.

Casting from code

var abilities = unit.GetComponent<VtUnitAbilities>();
abilities.GrantAbility(fireball);

var result = abilities.TryCast(fireball, VtAbilityTargetData.SingleTarget(enemy));
if (result != VtAbilityCastFailReason.Success) ShowFeedback(result);

abilities.TryCast(rainOfFire, VtAbilityTargetData.GroundPoint(clickPoint));
abilities.TryCast(warCry, VtAbilityTargetData.Self());

abilities.InterruptCast();

TryCast tells you exactly why a cast was refused: not granted, invalid target, out of range, on cooldown, on global cooldown, not enough resource, caster dead, incapacitated, or already casting. If the unit is mid-cast, one follow-up cast is queued and fires when the current one resolves.

Auto-attack is the auto-fire slot:

abilities.SetAutoCast(unit.Definition.basicAttack, enemy);
abilities.ClearAutoCast();

While a target is set, the unit chases into range, faces it, and recasts the ability whenever it is ready.

What interrupts a cast

Taking damage, losing the ability to cast (stun, silence), an explicit InterruptCast, and a new move order from the click-to-move input. Interrupts refund the resource cost and drop the queued cast.

Events

abilities.OnAbilityCastStarted     += def => ShowCastBar(def.castTime);
abilities.OnAbilityCast            += def => PlayVfx(def);
abilities.OnAbilityCastInterrupted += def => HideCastBar();
abilities.OnGCDStarted             += () => FlashHotbar();
abilities.OnAbilityChannelTick     += def => PulseVfx();
abilities.OnAbilityChannelEnded    += def => HideChannelBar();

Cooldowns for a hotbar: abilities.GetCooldown(def) and abilities.GetCooldownFraction(def).

Projectiles and area effects

Set a prefab on the Damage effect’s Projectile to make the ability fire a projectile that resolves damage on impact, with optional homing and arc. Fill in Splash to damage units near the primary target with distance falloff and an optional cone. The unit definition’s basic attack has the same two options.