Utility powers are the type of power that fulfill support roles rather than direct attacking.
A power labeled "utility" in its power description is a utility power. If a power is not labeled either "attack" or "utility", it is a utility power if it has no attack roll and does not deal damage.[RC:90]
Utility powers can be gained in various ways, such as racial traits, class features, and gaining levels. There is no definite limit on the number of utility powers a character can acquire; new utility powers replace old ones only in situations such as retraining or power swap feats. A utility power's usage—at-will, encounter, or daily—is irrelevant when retraining or power swapping, so long as both powers are utility powers and the level requirements are met.
Player's Handbook 3 introduced skill powers, which are available to adventures with training in a skill. These may be taken in place of existing class powers, but not those gained from paragon paths or epic destinies.
Character themes have utility powers at level 2, 6 and 10 that may be used in place of a class utility power.
Racial utility powers were first introduced in Dragon 402. As with skill powers, they can be used to substitute class utility powers.
Errata[]
- If playing an arcanist wizard, racial utility powers were originally meant to replace both utility powers learned. This was removed in an update for Dragon 402.