User Tools

Site Tools


unit-abilities

This is an old revision of the document!


Unit Abilities

Dominions 5 is full of units with a multitude of "Unit abilities" - abilities and characteristics that govern how a particular unit performs on the battlefield and the map. This page will aim to collect a short description of all unit abilities with links to those abilities that require further explanation. Please keep the list in alphabetical order.

Abilities often have values, denoted by the number in brackets after the ability name.

Icon Ability Description
Acid Splash Melee attackers suffer the listed value of AP acid damage, reduced by 3 per weapon length.
Adept Crossbreeder
Adept Researcher Provides a flat increase to the unit's research ability.
Adept Sacrificer Increases the number of blood slaves that can be used in sacrifice each turn by the listed value.
Affliction The unit is suffering from a wound of some form.
Affliction Resistance The unit has a 1/(1+value) chance of not receiving an affliction when it otherwise would.
Air Shield The unit has the listed percentage chance to ignore single target projectile attacks that do not ignore shields.
Alchemist The unit produces the listed percentage more gold when casting spells such as Distill Gold.
Ambidextrous The unit's attack skill penalty from wielding multiple weapons is decreased by the listed number of points.
Amphibious The unit may travel both underwater and on land without penalty.
Animal The unit is an animal, and is subject to various effects specific to animals.
Animal Awe Functions as the awe ability, but only for animals: they must make a morale check to be able to attack in melee.
Aquatic The unit may travel underwater without penalty, but will suffocate if somehow brought above water.
Army Healer The unit may spend their turn to heal afflictions in their current province. Note that this ability is available only via modding.
Asleep The unit is asleep, and will only wake when it takes non-poison damage.
Assassin The unit may assassinate hostile commanders in its current province.
Astral Fetters Astral teleportation abilities such as Returning do not function while this unit is on the battlefield.
Astral Shield Melee attackers must make a magic resistance check or become paralyzed.
Awe Attackers must pass a morale check of 10+ability value to be able to initiate a melee attack.
Bad Formation Fighter The unit may fit fewer units in a single square. The ability value indicates the how many size points.
Banefire Shield Melee attackers suffer AP damage, and must make a magic resistance check or suffer decay.
Beastmaster Animals under the command of this unit gain the listed value as a morale bonus.
Berserker Upon being damaged, the unit must make a morale check or go berserk. This will cause it to attack the nearest enemy within range, experience some stat modifications and never rout.
Black Ships The commander may sail with any number of units of any size, so long as both their current and the destination province are inside friendly dominion.
Blessed The unit is affected by its owner's bless.
Blind The unit need not use eyes to fight, and as such is unaffected by eye loss or darkness.
Blink The unit may instantly teleport to its target on the battlefield.
Blood Bond Damage dealt to this unit is shared evenly between all units with blood bond in a 5 square radius. This does not function on effects that deal 999 damage.
Blood Searcher If the commander has blood paths, provides the listed value as a flat bonus to their blood level for the purposes of blood hunting.
Blood Surge Upon killing a non-inanimate unit, the unit temporarily gains moderate stat bonuses.
Blood Vengeance Whenever this unit is wounded, the unit responsible for the damage must make a magic resistance check or take an equal amount of damage.
Blunt Resistant Halves blunt damage taken, after protection is applied.
Bodyguard The unit is more likely to appear in assassinations when assigned to guard a commander.
Bringer of Fortune Gives a percentage chance to force a good random event to occur in the unit's province. Events caused in this way bypass the normal event limit.
Bringer of Misfortune Gives a percentage chance to force a bad random event to occur in the unit's province. Events caused in this way bypass the normal event limit.
Broken Shield The unit's shield is broken and provides -50% protection.
Cannot Pass Rivers The unit cannot pass rivers, not even when they are frozen.
Carcass Collector The unit may spend a turn to convert the listed number of nature gems to death gems.
Castle Defence Bonus Applies the listed value as a flat bonus to the unit's siege defence.
Cause Unrest Adds the listed amount of unrest per turn to the unit's current province.
Chaos Power Provides stat boots when in provinces of turmoil or high unrest.
Chaos Recruitment Provides a gold rebate when recruting units in provinces with turmoil or unrest.
Chill Aura Projects an aura of chill around the unit, causing cold fatigue damage to those nearby.
Cold Blooded The unit suffers additional encumbrance penalties in cold provinces.
Cold Power Provides stat boosts when in cold provinces.
Cold Resistant Reduces incoming cold damage by the specified number of points.
Combat Caster The unit has a 50% chance of casting spells in melee range, and is only half as likely to be interrupted when casting.
Communion Master The unit is the leader of a communion.
Communion Slave The unit is a slave to leaders of a communion, and will not act while there are masters on the field.
Corpse Eater The unit will consume the listed number of corpses in its current province to permanently increase its maximum hit points.
Corruptor The unit may attempt to corrupt a hostile commander in its current province, converting it if successful. May produce an assassination battle if unsuccessful.
Curse Bestower Anything attacking the unit in melee must make the described MR check or become cursed.
Curse of Stones Applied by the Curse of Stones spell, causes increased encumbrance and fatigue per square moved.
Cursed The unit is more likely to suffer afflictions when damaged.
Cursed Luck 50% of the time, the unit suffers -1d6 to certain combat rolls.
Damage Reversal Whenever the unit takes damage, the unit that inflicted the damage must make a magic resistance check or take the damage instead.
Damaged Shield The unit's shield is damaged and provides 30% less protection. It is also easier to break.
Damaged Weapon
Dark Power Provides stat boosts when in darkness.
Darkvision Reduces the penalties for fighting in darkness.
Death Curse When the unit is slain, the unit that kills it becomes cursed.
Death Power Provides stat boosts when in provinces with death scales, and penalties in growth.
Death Recruitment When recruited, provides a gold rebate equal to the ability value multiplied by the death scales in the province.
Death Weapons Struck units must make two magic resistance checks: failing the first inflicts 2 AN damage, while failing the second inflicts disease.
Decay Decaying units age 5 years and lose hit points over the course of combat.
Defence Organizer The unit will raise the province defence of their province by the listed value per turn, up to a maximum of 19. No gold is required for this ability.
Demon The unit is demonic, which enables certain spells and effects to affect it.
Disbelieve
Disease A particular affliction that causes a unit to use 10% of its maximum hit points per turn.
Disease Grinder Cures the listed number of diseases from units in the current province per turn, generating one death gem per disease cured in this way.
Disease Healer
Disease Immunity The can be diseased, but suffers no ill effects from it.
Disruptive Researcher Researchers in the unit's province all experience the listed penalty to their research.
Divine Insights A priest with this ability may research, but the number of divine insights researchers in any province cannot exceed the friendly dominion score there.
Dominion Immortality The unit is immortal and will reform when slain, but only should it die inside friendly dominion.
Dominion Monster Summoner The unit summons creatures when in friendly dominion.
Dominion Power Provides stat bonuses in friendly dominion, and penalties in hostile dominion.
Dragon Master Whenever this unit summons drakes, the ability value is added to the number summoned.
Dream Seduction
Elegist
Enlarged The unit is magically enlarged, increasing its size by 1 and altering its stats slightly.
Ethereal The unit is ethereal, causing nonmagical damage to have a 75% chance to be negated. These units can also move through obstacles such as walls on battlefields.
Exhaustion The unit gains the listed amount of fatigue per combat round.
Experience The unit is experienced, gaining boosted stats.
Eye Vengeance Melee attackers must make a magic resistance check or lose an eye.
Far Caster The unit may project rituals and combat spells the indicated amount further.
Fateweaving Melee attackers must make a magic resistance check or suffer from cursed luck.
Fear Nearby enemies' morale is reduced, making them more likely to rout.
Fire Power Provides stat bonuses in provinces with heat, and penalties in cold provinces.
Fire Resistant Reduces incoming fire damage by the specified number of points.
Fire Shield Melee attackers take the indicated amount of AP fire damage, reduced by weapon length.
Flaming Arrows Weapon projectiles are set ablaze, inflicting an additional 8 AP fire damage.
Flaming Weapons All the unit's weapons (except intrinsic ranged attacks) are set ablaze, inflicting 8 AP fire damage.
Flesh Eater
Floating The unit is floating, allowing it to pass rivers and mountain passes without penalty. Additionally, it is unaffected by Earthquake.
Flying The unit flies, both on the strategic map and in battle.
Fool's Luck The first time a unit takes damage, the damage is negated. The second time, the damage is doubled. This pattern continues indefinitely while the unit is still alive.
Forest Survival Reduces the map move cost to enter and leave forests by 2.
Forge Bonus Provides a discount on gem costs when forging items of the listed amount (either flat or percentage).
Formation Fighter The unit may accommodate more size points in a single square. The ability value is the additional number of size points allowed in a square where all have this ability.
Fortune Teller The unit has the listed percent chance to prevent bad random events in its current province.
Frost Weapons Attacks by the unit's non-intrinsic weapons inflict 8 cold damage.
Gem Generator The unit generates the listed number of gems per turn.
Gift of Water Breathing The unit can bring the specified number of size points under his commander underwater, if they were not able to do so previously.
Glamour The unit gains Mirror Image upon entering battle, and cannot be seen on the strategic map unless a unit in the same province has spirit sight.
Global Enchantment The unit is holding one or more global enchantments, which will fall if the unit dies or becomes feebleminded.
Gluttony Increases supply usage by the listed value.
Gold Generator Generates the listed quantity of gold per turn.
Gone Berserk The unit is experiencing the effects of going berserk.
Halt Heretic Functions as awe but only towards hostile sacred units: they must make a morale check every time they attempt to attack in melee.
Healer The unit attempts to heal the listed number of afflictions on units in its current province every turn.
Heat Aura The unit projects heat around it, inflicting fire fatigue damage to those nearby.
Heretic The unit reduces dominion in its current province, regardless of whether that dominion is hostile or friendly.
Heroic The unit has a heroic trait.
Homesickness The units maximum hit points are reduced by the listed percentage for each turn it spends away from its home province. Returning to the home province will reset the decline.
Horror Mark Horror marked commanders have a small chance of being assassinated by horrors every turn. Any unit that is horror marked is a preferential target for horrors in battle.
Ice Forging Generates the listed number of resources per cold scale in the current province.
Ice Protection The unit's protection is increased by the listed amount per cold scale, and similarly decreases in heat.
Immortal Unless the unit is killed by soul slay or its home province is taken, it will reform its body when slain.
Inanimate The unit is lifeless, and is not subject to various effects which only target living beings.
Inept Researcher The unit suffers a flat penalty to its research score.
Innate Spellcaster The unit ignores spell casting times, and will cast the listed number of spells per round in addition to performing other combat actions. This will stop only when the unit passes 100 fatigue.
Inquisitor The unit's holy levels are doubled for the purposes of preaching in hostile dominion.
Insane The unit has the listed percentage chance to be insane on any given turn, refusing orders and instead potentially doing something unwanted.
Inspirational All troops under this unit's command will gain the listed bonus to morale.
Inspiring Researcher This unit increases the research of all researchers in its current province by the listed value.
Invisible Attackers without spirit sight suffer -10 to their attack rolls. Only patrollers with spirit sight stand any chance of finding it.
Invulnerability When struck by non-magical damge, the invulnerability value will be used in place of the unit's natural protection if it is higher.
Iron Vulnerablity Upon being struck by an iron weapon, the unit suffers the listed amount more damage.
Ivy Lord Adds the ability value to the number of vine ogres or vine men summoned by this unit.
Land Encumberance Increases encumbrance when not underwater.
Liquid Body Reduces strength but provides all three physical resistances and affliction resistance.
Lord over Heathen Tribes
Luck Whenever the unit would suffer fatal damage, there is a 75% chance that the damage is negated. Cannot be applied to undead or inanimates.
Magic Bear Tattoo A tattoo that can be awakened for major bonuses with the Awaken Tattoos spell
Magic Bear Tattoo Awakened Affected unit gains 10 invulnerability and X strength
Magic Being
Magic Boar Tattoo A tattoo that can be awakened for major bonuses with the Awaken Tattoos spell
Magic Boar Tattoo Awakened Affected unit gains 10 + X invulnerability
Magic Horse Tattoo A tattoo that can be awakened for major bonuses with the Awaken Tattoos spell
Magic Horse Tattoo Awakened Affected unit gains 10 invulnerability, X defence and 2 * X combat speed
Magic Power
Magic Snake Tattoo A tattoo that can be awakened for major bonuses with the Awaken Tattoos spell
Magic Snake Tattoo Awakened Affected unit gains 10 invulnerability and X [magic resistance]
Magic Weapons
Magic Wolf Tattoo A tattoo that can be awakened for major bonuses with the Awaken Tattoos spell
Magic Wolf Tattoo Awakened Affected unit gains 10 invulnerability and X attack
Magically Attuned Researcher Magic scales have double the impact on this unit's research ability.
Mason This unit can upgrade forts a tier above the nation's usual limit.
Master Smith Provides a boost to all known magic paths equal to the ability value, but only when forging items.
Mind Slimer
Mindless The unit has no mind, which prevents it being the target of certain spells. Additionally, it will never rout for any reason.
Minimum Leader Size This unit refuses to be put under the leadership of a commander smaller than the specified size.
Mistform Reduces damage by 25 points, to a minimum of 1 damage. Ends if it fails to reduce damage to 1, is hit by any form of magical damage, and has a 1% chance to end whenever struck.
Monster Summoner Some form of creature can be spawned every turn.
Mossbody Has a 75% chance to reduce damage by 15 points. Ends if this damage reduction is insufficient to reduce damage to 0.
Mountain Recruitment Provides a gold rebate of the listed amount when recruiting this unit in mountains.
Mountain Survival Reduces the map move cost of entering and leaving mountains by 2, and allows usage of mountain passes regardless of the temperature.
Mummify
Mundane Researcher When researching, this unit is unaffected by drain scales.
Need Not Eat Prevents starvation. Reduces supply requirement to zero, but this does not prevent gluttony from causing the unit to consume supplies.
Never Heals The unit does not heal naturally. If it is a magic being, it will however heal if taken to a lab.
Obfuscate The unit hides itself and the listed number of troops on the strategic map.
Old Age The unit is old, suffering various stat penalties as well as a chance of becoming diseased during winter.
Overcharged Melee attackers striking this unit suffer the listed amount of AN shock damage. Depending on this effect's source, it may work only once.
Paralyze The unit is paralyzed and may not act.
Part Undead/demon The unit is demonic enough to require undead leadership, but not enough to have other undead or demon traits.
Patrol Bonus Provides a flat bonus to the unit's patrol value.
Patrol Bonus Negative Provides a flat penalty to the unit's patrol value, which may reduce the overall patrol strength below zero.
Pearl Cultivator The unit may spend a turn to convert the listed number of water gems into astral pearls.
Petrification Melee attackers must make a magic resistance check against 13 or become petrified.
Philosopher
Phoenix Pyre Upon being killed, the unit explodes, gains fatigue, and reappears somewhere else on the battlefield at full health. If it dies at over 100 fatigue or to a soul slaying effect, it does not reappear.
Pierce Resistant Halves incoming piercing damage, after protection is applied.
Pillager
Plague Carrier
Plague Doctor
Poison Barbs
Poison Cloud The unit is constantly surrounded by poison gas, poisoning those nearby.
Poison Resistant Incoming poison damage is reduced by the listed amount.
Poison Weapons
Poisonous Skin
Polymorph Immunity The unit cannot have its shape changed by effects such as Curse of the Frog Prince
Poor Amphibian The unit can survive both on land and underwater, but suffers stat penalties when underwater.
Population Killer The unit kills the listed number of population in its current province per turn.
Power of the Turning Year
Pretender This unit is a player's pretender, which bestows a number of special effects.
Profuse Bleeding
Promotion This unit will transform into another unit when it gains enough experience.
Prophet This unit is a player's prophet, causing it to suffer stat bonuses in friendly dominion and penalties in hostile dominion.
Protective Force Protection has a 50% chance to be increased by the listed value.
Quickness The unit gains slight stat increases and may attack twice per turn.
Reanimation Bonus The unit reanimates more undead. The bonus may apply to divine or spell reanimation, or sometimes both.
Reanimator Units killed by this unit will transform into another unit under the control of the killer. In almost all circumstances, this yields soulless.
Reanimator Priest The priest may spend a turn to animate some undead units.
Reaper Kills the given percentage of the current province's population every month. Also may disease units in the province.
Recuperation Unless the unit is old, afflictions will heal over time.
Reduces Unrest Reduces unrest in the unit's current province every turn.
Reforming Gives a percentage chance for a unit to come back to life somewhere else on the battlefield when slain.
Regeneration The unit regenerates the listed percentage of its maximum hitpoints every combat round, and heals fully on the strategic map.
Reincarnation
Reinvigoration Decreases the unit's fatigue by the listed amount per combat round.
Resource Bonus The unit provides the listed amount of resources to its province.
Rusty Equipment The unit's equipment is rusty and may break when used.
Sacred The unit may be blessed by a priest to gain the bonuses chosen at pretender creation.
Sailing The unit may sail across up to two water provinces. Depending on the commander there are indicated restrinctions on the size and number of units that may travel under their command.
Salt Vulnerability
Scale Walls Assassins with this ability may assassinate commanders in forts under siege.
Seduction
Shapechanger The unit has one or more other physical forms which it may freely switch into with the appropriate command.
Shattered Soul The unit has the listed chance per turn of not accepting orders and performing a random action. These actions are typically more destructive than those caused by insanity.
Shock Resistant Incoming shock damage is reduced by the listed amount.
Siege Bonus Provides a bonus to the unit's siege strength.
Siege Penalty Provides a penalty to the unit's siege strength.
Skirmisher The unit may take skirmish and sparse line formations without morale penalty.
Slash Resistant Halves incoming slashing damage, after protection is applied.
Slave The unit has halved upkeep costs.
Slaver The unit may spend a turn to levy slaves. Doing so causes some unrest.
Sleep Cloud The unit is constantly surrounded by a cloud of sleep gas.
Slimer
Sloth Power Provides stat boosts in provinces with sloth, and penalties in provinces with productivity.
Slowed
Snow Move The unit ignores the movement penalty associated with snow in cold provinces.
Solar Weapons Units struck by solar weapons suffer 3 AP fire damage. This is tripled against undead.
Spell Singer This unit casts spells more slowly but accrues less fatigue for doing so.
Spirit Sight Grants perfect darkvision, suffers no penalty for attacking invisible or unseen units, and can see non-stealthed units with glamour in the same province on the strategic map.
Spreads Cold Increases cold in the unit's current province.
Spreads Death Increases death in the unit's current province.
Spreads Dominion Spreads friendly dominion. The ability value is the number of temple checks generated per turn.
Spreads Drain Increases drain in the unit's current province.
Spreads Growth Increases growth in the unit's current province.
Spreads Heat Increases heat in the unit's current province.
Spreads Luck Increases luck in the unit's current province.
Spreads Magic Increases magic in the unit's current province.
Spreads Misfortune Increases misfortune in the unit's current province.
Spreads Order Increases order in the unit's current province.
Spreads Productivity Increases productivity in the unit's current province.
Spreads Sloth Increases sloth in the unit's current province.
Spreads Turmoil Increases turmoil in the unit's current province.
Spring Immortality Acts as immortality, except the unit only reforms its body in the spring, regardless of when it died.
Spy When sneaking in hostile provinces, displays discovered magic sites. Also allows increasing of unrest in any province, and infiltration of hostile capitals to reveal score graphs.
Standard Provides a morale boost to all units in the same squad.
Starving Occurs when there are insufficient supplies in a province. Provides a -4 morale penalty.
Stealthy The unit can sneak into hostile provinces. Patrols in the province may detect the unit, but it is otherwise invisible.
Stolen Strength Permanently reduces the unit's strength by the listed amount.
Storm Immunity The presence of a storm does not stop the unit from flying, if it is able to do so for any reason.
Storm Power Provides stat boosts when a storm is active.
Strength of the Fall Provides a percentage boost to maximium hitpoints in fall, but an equal penalty in spring.
Strength of the Spring Provides a percentage boost to maximium hitpoints in spring, but an equal penalty in fall.
Strength of the Summer Provides a percentage boost to maximium hitpoints in summer, but an equal penalty in winter.
Strength of the Winter Provides a percentage boost to maximium hitpoints in winter, but an equal penalty in summer.
Stun Immunity This unit cannot be stunned.
Stunned This unit is stunned and cannot act.
Stupid
Stygian Guide
Summon Allies This unit may spend a turn to summon some number of units. The number and type of units summoned depend on the specific summoner.
Summoning Skill Alters the outcomes of entering the Void Gate of Rl'yeh.
Sun Awe Provides awe, but only when the sun is visible.
Supply Bonus Generates the listed number of supplies in the unit's current province.
Susceptible to Cold Doubles incoming cold damage, up to the listed amount.
Susceptible to Fire Doubles incoming fire damage, up to the listed amount.
Susceptible to Poison Doubles incoming poison damage, up to the listed amount.
Susceptible to Shock Doubles incoming shock damage, up to the listed amount.
Swallow on Trample Upon a successful (not avoided) trample, the victims are swallowed by the trampler.
Swamp Survival Reduces movement costs of entering and leaving swamps by 2.
Swarm Body
Swiftness
Swimming The unit can cross rivers regardless of temperature scales.
Tainted Presence Increases a unit's leadership values.
Taskmaster Provides the listed morale bonus to any slaves under the unit's command.
Tax Collector Acts as a mobile fort for the purposes of tracing gold income.
Teleport The unit may teleport on the strategic map, giving it great mobility.
Temple Trainer The commander can spend a turn to train some kind of creature at a temple. Only one trainer may work per temple.
Thunder Weapons Being struck by a thunder weapon inflicts 1 capped AN shock damage.
Trample Rather than attack with weapons, the unit will instead try to trample units smaller than them. This forces a defence roll against 10, inflicting 1 damage if successful or 5 + 2*trampler's size if not.
Trinity A trinity pretender has three individual parts which may act independently. Their magic paths are weakened when apart.
True Ethereal Magical weapons have a 75% chance to not inflict damage.
Twiceborn This unit is under the effects of the Twiceborn ritual and will come back as a wight mage in the provinces where the spell was cast.
Twist Fate Negates the first instance of damage on the unit.
Undead The unit is undead, and is both affected and excempted from a number of spells and effects which specifically interact or do not interact with undead beings.
Undisciplined The unit is undisciplined. If it is not a commander, it accepts no combat orders and is forced into the skirmish formation. Additionally, undisciplined units suffer penalties to sieging and patrolling.
Unholy Weapons
Unseen
Unsurroundable Prevents harrassment penalty from applying to the first attacks in a round. The number of attacks affected is given by the ability value.
UW Regeneration The unit regenerates the specified amount of its maximum hitpoints per round, but only when underwater. This adds to conventional regeneration.
Void Sanity Reduces susceptability to insanity.
Wasteland Survival Reduces the map move cost for entering and leaving wastelands by 2.
Weapons of Sharpness All weapons wielded by this creature inflict AP damage if they did not do so already.
Withering Weapons Those struck by withering weapons must make a magic resistance check or suffer decay.
unit-abilities.1612219270.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/02/01 22:41 by joste