How are the used. Are they constantly on? So if I have an ability that affects all characters with three causeing free surge. How many times can it be use each turn. If I go first I can help 3 other team members if the stay within 3?

Heroic abilities are always 'on', they are passive and constant so yes, characters with ranged abilities that offer boosts are usually very good.

Yes. They are always on (unless the hero is not on the map and the ability isn't specifically about being knocked out) and can be used as many times as the heroes wish, unless there is a timing limiter (once per turn, once per round, etc.)

Thanks I thought so. Just checking. So even if you don't have you turn yet your ability can affect others unless ut states otherwise

Thanks I thought so. Just checking. So even if you don't have you turn yet your ability can affect others unless ut states otherwise

Correct. For example, Leoric's heroic ability is in effect whenever he is on the map- even when he is dark charmed, since he's considered a monster for that action (it's been ruled, even if he attacks himself.) Orkell's ability can be triggered each time he's attacked. Avric's ability can be triggered during the spend surges step of any hero figure's attack who is close enough.

While on the topic of Hero abilities. Can hero skills, abilities, or heroic feats that heal, recover health of knocked down hero's?

Or must the hero actually be on the board?

Elder Mok's ability triggers during any player's turn where a hero within 3 squares recovers health or fatigue. THis includes the OL's turn but it IS possible, though very tricky to do so.

While on the topic of Hero abilities. Can hero skills, abilities, or heroic feats that heal, recover health of knocked down hero's?

Or must the hero actually be on the board?

Hero abilites that do not refer to being knocked out, don't apply when the hero is knocked out. as you said, they are no longer on the board.

While on the topic of Hero abilities. Can hero skills, abilities, or heroic feats that heal, recover health of knocked down hero's?

Or must the hero actually be on the board?

Hero abilites that do not refer to being knocked out, don't apply when the hero is knocked out. as you said, they are no longer on the board.

Correct. However, a hero ability of a hero that is not knocked out could affect a hero who is knocked out, if that hero ability involves recovering wound- since for any ability that recovers wound, you can treat hero tokens as actual heroes (for example, Prayer of Healing can be used to revive an adjacent hero with one health.) I don't know of any hero abilities (as in, the ones called "hero ability" on the hero sheets) that allow nearby players to recover wound, though.

I would think the Spiritspeaker's healing rain would apply as well

I would think the Spiritspeaker's healing rain would apply as well

Definitely. Another example would be Avric's heroic feat, and the Bard's "Song of mending."

So if a Hero is knocked out, an ability could recover some of their health but not cause them to stand up? Because their token on the board is still treated as a figure?

Am I understanding this correctly?

So if a Hero is knocked out, an ability could recover some of their health but not cause them to stand up? Because their token on the board is still treated as a figure?

Am I understanding this correctly?

1) Normally, abilities can't target hero tokens, because hero tokens aren't heroes, they just mark the location of knocked out heroes. Knocked out heroes are not technically on the map. A healing ability (like prayer of healing, healing rain, Avric's heroic feat, etc) is specifically allowed to target hero tokens as if they were heroes (this is in the main rulebook on the top right of page 15, "knocked out heroes.")

2) If a knocked hero recovers any amount of wound, he is then replaced onto the board, and is no longer knocked out. He has the amount of wound remaining that he recovered (that is, if he recovered 1 damage, taking 1 damage will knock him out again.) This is in the main rulebook, also on page 15, under the "knocked out" section.

3) When a hero recovers wound like this, he does NOT roll the 2 red dice, as he would if he were revived/ performed a stand up action, because he did not perform either of those actions- he merely recovered damage.

Thanks that clears it up pretty well.

Thanks for the clarification.

Sometimes, healing a hero is preferable to reviving a hero or that hero standing up, usually when it's a race type quest. Healing the hero, however, usually leaves him fully fatigued as well as still damaged, unlike the recoveror stand up action, which allows you to recover stamina equal to the surges rolled on the red dies.

It's a tough choice, sometimes!