Every hero in Cinder & Crowns fights with a full kit of skills. All 30 heroes share the same five-slot structure, and four of those slots are fully authored, named abilities. Skills unlock as a hero rises through star tiers and grow stronger as you level them, so a hero's kit develops right alongside the hero.
The Five Skill Kinds
Each hero has five kinds of skill. The four named skills are fully designed for all 30 heroes; the Basic Attack is the default attack and does not level.
- Basic Attack — the hero's default attack. Always available, and it does not level up.
- Active Skill — an ability the hero casts in battle on cooldown.
- Passive — an always-on effect that works without being cast.
- Talent — a persistent bonus for the hero or the whole team.
- Unique Skill — the hero's signature, high-impact ability, often their named ultimate.
Leveling and Unlocking
The four named skills can be leveled up, and their level cap sits higher than the Basic Attack, which never levels. Raising a skill's level makes it stronger. Skills also unlock progressively: some stay locked until the hero reaches a higher star tier, which ties skill access directly to Hero Ascension. Because each kit is built around the hero's combat job, the skills line up with the hero's troop role under the Three Troops system.
Four Effect Categories
No matter the hero, skill effects fall into four categories:
- Buffs — strengthen the caster or allies.
- Debuffs — weaken enemies.
- Crowd-control — restrict what enemies can do.
- Damage-over-time — deal damage across a duration.
Worked Example: Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang is an Infantry hero. His kit shows the framework in action: his Active Skill strikes the target directly ahead and buffs himself; his Passive lowers the crit chance of nearby enemies when his side outnumbers the foe; his Talent grants allied heroes damage reduction; and his Unique Skill hits up to five enemies in a line for heavy damage. For exact skill names and numbers, see each hero's own page.