Ability

Classes
Class races	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Ev	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Quests	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evoker	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Abilities	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evoker	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Trainers	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Armor sets	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evoker	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Useful macros	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Class Halls	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior

An ability is an effect granted by a class or race that impacts an entity (like a mob or the player character) in some way. This could include a hunter's [Aimed Shot] dealing damage to a creature, a Nightborne's [Arcane Resistance] reducing their incoming damage, or a rogue's [Wound Poison] applying a healing reduction debuff to another player.

Abilities are usually separated into "active" abilities (some player interaction is needed to use the ability) and "passive" abilities (always active without the need for activation).

Spending talent points can grant abilities, as can acquiring a new profession. A character's abilities can be found in their spellbook.

Sources

Abilities are the main way of interacting with anything in World of Warcraft and as such are acquired in numerous ways as part of the core gameplay.

Most abilities have a level requirement, and are learned once the character has reached the required level. Some (such as profession abilities) may also have other requirements, such as a certain number of skill points in the corresponding profession.

General

General abilities are abilities that any character can learn, regardless of class. There are many sources of general abilities: some are learned automatically, such as the riding abilities. Others come via professions, such as [Disenchant], [Cooking Fire] or [Mixology]. The only ability known by all characters at the time of creation is Auto attack.

Racial

Main article: Racial trait

Each playable race comes with its own selection of racial traits, including some passive and some active abilities. Race also determines which languages a character can speak, reflected in the Languages passive in their spellbook.

Class

Class abilities are available to all characters of a given class, independent of their specialization. Some are known by characters at the time of creation, while most will automatically be taught to players when they reach the appropriate level. The ability to use weapons and armor is also determined by class.

Specialization

Specialization abilities are only available to characters of a certain specialization. Some are shared between two or more specializations, while others are unique to a single specialization. Like class abilities, specialization abilities are gained automatically when the character reaches the appropriate level. Switching specializations will cause the character to lose these abilities, and gain new ones.

Talent

Main article: Talent

Talents are class abilities that are unlocked by investing talent points into specific nodes of the talent tree.

Pet

Hunter pets and warlock minions have their own sets of pet abilities and minion abilities, respectively. Classes with pets will find their current pet's active and passive abilities listed in their spellbook, once they have learned to command their pets. These abilities can be dragged onto the spellbar or keybinded to be cast manually by the player, or can sometimes be auto-cast when enabled and under certain conditions.

Types

Abilities are commonly categorized by their most basic qualities, most notably the time it takes for the effect to occur.

Cast time

Main article: Cast time

Abilities that are usually known as "spells" most often take time to cast, during which the character must stay still. For example, [Fireball].

Channeled

Main article: Channeled

Channeled abilities require the caster to remain stationary for the channeling duration while they regularly cause an effect.

Instant

Main article: Instant

An instant is a spell or ability with a cast time of zero. This can be a spell, like [Fire Blast], but are more often melee attacks, like [Slam].

Empowered

An Evoker empowering [Dream Breath].

Empowered spells increase their potency over the duration of which they are charged up. The empowered spell bar is broken into four colored sections, each of which designates a breakpoint that, if chosen to cast at that point, will cause a certain heightened effect. The fourth section is not any more powerful than the third, but permits the caster more time to delay their cast. After the indicator reaches the end of the bar, the ability is cast regardless of the player's input.

Empowered abilities can be activated in either "Hold-and-release" fashion, or "Press-and-tap". In the first, the ability will be cast once releasing the key. In the second, the ability needs to be pressed again in order to be activated.

Empowered abilities were introduced in Dragonflight as a unique casting mechanic for the Evoker class, with multiple synergistic abilities in their kit like [Tip the Scales] and [Animosity].

In patch 10.2.6, the Plunderstorm mode brought unique abilities that could also be empowered, like [Slicing Winds] and [Mana Sphere].

Magic School

Main article: Magic schools

Each ability belongs to a different kind of school that categorizes it among other abilities, usually based on its thematic and visual elements.

Ability rotation

Main article: Rotation

An ability rotation is a defined sequence of abilities that can be used to achieve a certain role in a group or raid in a PvE setting. Rarely if ever is there a defined rotation for a PvP situation.