Abilities are the unique champion and summoner skills that can be applied in game. Every champion has four active abilities and the player may choose two more summoner abilities to use before each game for a total of six different abilities per player to be used in each game.
Every champion has five unique abilities. Four of these abilities can be purchased using ability points, and the fifth is a passive ability that the champion begins the session with. One ability point is granted to every champion at the start of a game, and another point is earned by each champion every time they level up. A champion can level up individual abilities by spending subsequent ability points in those abilities which they have already learned.
Some abilities can also be improved by increasing a champion’s ability power, attack damage, or cooldown reduction.
Normal Ability: Normal abilities are the three abilities that appear furthest to the left side of the player’s UI and which are set to the hotkeys Q, W, and E. Normal abilities are available to be learned at level one and have five possible levels of power. A normal ability’s level cannot exceed one half of the champion’s level rounded up. In other words, a level 5 Champion can have, at most, a normal ability with a level of 3.
Ultimate Ability: The fourth champion ability placed to the right of the other three with the default hotkey R is almost always considered an ultimate ability. These abilities cannot be learned until champion level 6 and cannot be increased in level until champion levels 11 and 16. These abilities are generally more powerful than the other three normal abilities and often have increased cost and cooldown to match.The champion Udyr does not have an ultimate ability, and all of his abilities are available starting at level 1.
Summoner spells are chosen in Champion Select before the start of the game. Each player is allowed two summoner spells chosen from a list of spells determined by the player’s summoner level. These summoner spells can be used in game to aid the player’s champion in various ways. Some summoner spells increase in effectiveness relative to your champion's level, but many provide the same effect at champion level 1 as they do at champion level 18. They also do not have any cost other than their cooldown.
Abilities have certain attributes that determine how they are used in game. These attributes include range, area, cost, cooldown, and effect.
Range: The range of a specific ability determines how far away a target can be and still take the effect of the ability. This range can often be seen by placing the mouse over the ability; a range indicator will appear on screen showing the possible cast range.
Area: Some abilities can affect more than one unit at the same time. There are various ways in which this can take place, but many abilities have an area of effect indicator that can be placed at a location to show the area the ability will affect. One type of area of effect is a circle. Circular areas of effect are often used for abilities that can be cast at a range. Cone shaped area of effects, on the other hand, are often used for Abilities that are cast from the position of the champion casting the ability. There are various other forms of multi-target spells.
Cost: Most abilities, but not all, have a specific cost associated with them. Some abilities cost mana, others cost health, and others have some champion specific cost. In order for an ability to be used, the champion must pay the ability's cost. If a champion does not have a sufficient amount of the required unit of cost, the spell cannot be cast. Summoner spells generally have no cost.
Cooldown: Abilities can only be used a certain number of times in a given time frame, they have a cooldown, or a period for which the ability is unavailable for cast. Some abilities have very short cooldowns, under a second even, and can be used very often. Other abilities have much longer cooldowns and can only be used once every few minutes.
Abilities can have a wide range of differing effects on their targets, these are detailed below.
Effects are the results of various abilities, buffs, spells, and items in the game. They refer to alterations to the basic state of units. There are many different types of effects in the game and understanding them is an essential part of playing League of Legends.