Fear

What Is Fear?

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. --Frank Herbert

Or, in terms of CoX game mechanics, Fear is a Status Effect, like disorient, or knockback. A mob or player under the affects of a Fear power will cower in terror for the duration of the power. NPC enemies sometimes run a short distance, but mostly stand still and cower. Fear, in some cases, also causes an accuracy debuff. Most importantly, while Fear is in effect, the target cannot attack unless it is attacked first. Then the target can either perform one counter-attack, or run away for 10 seconds, after which it will go back to cowering until the Fear effect wears off. Note that, unlike a hold, Fear does not detoggle its target.

Magnitude, Resistance, Protection

All status effects work the same way. The target has both Resistance and Protection. In order for the attack to take effect, it must have a Magnitude greater than (not equal to) the Protection. Attacks can stack in order to overcome a target's Protection. The duration of the effect depends on the target's Resistance.

PVE: Minions have a Protection of 1. Lts are 2. Bosses are 3. Elite Bosses are 6. The Purple Triangles of Doom on an Archvillain or Hero add 50 while they are up. Some specific enemies are resistant to fear.

PVP: Players have a Protection of 1. Dark Armor and Ninjitsu status protection adds an additional 10. Certain ally-only buffs can add as much as an additional 13.

What Powers Cause Fear?

Anyone can obtain a fear inflicting power through the power pools, but there are also a few fear inducing powers scattered among the primaries and secondaries for Scrappers, Brutes, Stalkers, Defenders, Controllers, Dominators, and Blasters.

The third and fourth powers of the presence pool are fear powers. Like with any Power Pool, players must take either the first or second power in the pool in order to have access to the third power, and must take two of the first three powers before taking the fourth.

Intimidate Ranged single target. Mag 2-3. The third power in the Presence power pool. Causes 8 seconds of mag 2 fear, plus a 30% chance of mag 3 (additional mag does not proc on players). Recharge time is 30 seconds.

Invoke Panic PBAoE. Mag 2. The fourth power in the Presence power pool. Causes 8 seconds of mag 2 fear. Recharge time is 60 seconds.

Touch of Fear Mag 3. Melee, single target. Scrappers, Brutes, and Stalkers have access to this power from the Dark Melee attack powerset.

Cloak of Fear Mag 2 for Stalkers and Scrappers, Mag 3 for Brutes. PBAoE Toggle power Scrappers, Brutes, and Stalkers have access to the Dark Armor defensive powerset.

Terrify Mag 3. Ranged cone. Controllers and Dominators have access to the Terrify power through the Mind Control powerset. It inflicts minor damage as well as causing fear.

Fearsome Stare Mag 2. Ranged cone. This power is available to Defenders, Corruptors, and Masterminds through the Dark Miasma set, but not Controllers. Note that the Dark Servant pet in Dark Miasma can not cast Fearsome Stare. Also note that Petrifying Glare in the same powerset is not a fear power; it is a hold.

Spectral Terror Mag 3 Controllers, but not Dominators, have access to the Illusion powerset, which includes Spectral Terror. This power creates a ghastly apparition which projects Fear in both a PBAOE aura and a single-target attack. The apparition does not move.

Tornado Mag 10 Storm Defenders, Controllers, Corruptors, and Masterminds can cast Tornado. One of the minor side-effects of this power is that it briefly causes fear.

Scare Mag 3 This power is available to Blasters with the Mental Manipulation secondary power set.

What Powers Protect Against Fear?

Thaw Ranged Resistance+Free, Ally Part of the Thermal Radiation powerset available to Corruptors. Frees an ally from and provides Protection against Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Confusion, and Fear. Also increases resistance to Cold damage and Slow.

Antidote Ranged Resistance+Free, Ally Part of the Poison powerset available to Masterminds. Frees an ally from and provides Protection against Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Fear and Confusion. Also provides resistance to Toxic and Cold damage, as well as a large amount of resistance to Sleep effects.

Clarity Ranged Resistance+Free, Ally Part of the Sonic Resonance powerset available to Controllers, Corruptors, and Defenders. Frees an ally from and provides Protection against Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Fear, Confusion, and Immobilize. Also increases Perception.

Clear Mind Ranged Resistance+Free, Ally Part of the Empathy powerset available to Controllers and Defenders. Frees an ally from and provides Protection against Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Fear, Confusion, and Immobilize. Also increases Perception.

Indomitable Will Resistance, Self Part of the Psionic Mastery Ancillary pool available to Controllers. Provides defense to Psionic damage and Protection against Sleep, Fear, Hold, and Disorient.

Kuji-In Rin Toggle Resistance, Self Part of the Ninjitsu powerset available to Stalkers. Provides Protection against Sleep, Fear, Hold, Immobilize, Confuse, and Disorient.

Obsidian Shield Toggle Resistance, Self Part of the Dark Armor powerset available to Brutes, Scrappers, and Stalkers. Provides Protection against Sleep, Fear, Hold, and Disorient. Also provides resistance to Psionic damage.

Shadow Fall Toggle PBAoE Resistance, Self+Ally Part of the Dark Miasma powerset available to Corruptors, Defenders, and Masterminds. Provides Stealth, minor Defense to all damage types, and Resistance to Psionic damage, Negative damage, and Energy damage. Also provides protection against Fear.

Stimulant Ranged Resistance+Free, Ally Second power in the Medicine pool. Frees an ally from and provides protection against Immobilize, Sleep, Disorient, Hold, Fear, and Confuse.

Tactics Toggle PBAoE Resistance, Self+Ally Third power in the Leadership pool. Provides a bonus to ToHit, increases Perception, and provides resistance to Fear.

Break Free Resistance+Free, Self This inspiration frees from and provides protection against sleep, hold, immobilization, disorient, fear, confuse, knockback, repel, taunt, and placate.

Emerge Resistance+Free, Self This inspiration frees from and provides Protection against sleep, hold, immobilization, disorient, fear, confuse, knockback, repel, taunt, and placate.

Escape Resistance+Free, Self This inspiration frees from and provides protection against sleep, hold, immobilization, disorient, fear, confuse, knockback, repel, taunt, and placate.

Fear Resistance (Empowerment) Resistance, Self This Empowerment Buff provides resistance to Fear for an hour.

• Resistance and Protection aren't the same thing. The former cuts duration of mez effects, and the latter increases your magnitude of protection, though the in-game descriptions treat both as the same thing.