User blog comment:VedranTheII/Pretentious Diaries 1: Are my semblances worthy?/@comment-25555436-20150628140859

While I agree that Semblances should only grant 1 ability, I think you should be a bit less hard on them. They give you 1 ability, but 1 ability can have many uses. For example, Ruby. She has super speed (Dash ATM). She can use it to make a Dash like she always does, or she can use it while spinning around the oponent, causing a small whirlwind.

In such case, it would count as both physical and elemental, no? That's why you need to be less hard on them. You should classify each Semblance based on what the ability is, but if you can do multiple things with that single ability, don't divide it, keep it.

That said, just make sure it's still 1 ability. I mean, if you can spread Aura wings to fly, that's 1 ability. Absorbing Dust energy to turn into Aura is another ability. Bad idea to combine them, it would .l. the canon.

Speaking of classifications, I got about 2. It depends on the type of Semblance, and the type of execution.

By execution:

-Active: They have an active effect, either inmediate or short-lived, that needs to be reactivated every time it's used. Examples: Weiss's Glyphs, Ruby's Dash, Sun's and Blake's Clones.

-Passive: They grant a constant effect that may or may not be noticeable, but it's always in effect (at least until they run out of Aura). Example: Yang's Reaver-like Power Boost-per-lost-Aura.

-Mixed: They can manifest in both a passive and active way, with their effect being divided between. Example: Pyrrha's Magnetism (if the "she needs to touch X to move it" theory is correct, that's a passive effect, but the act of moving things is active).

-Buff: Needs to be activated first, but the effect itself is constant and passive during it's duration.

By type

-Offensive: The effect is either directly offensive, or boosts offense. Examples: Sun's Clones, Yang's Power Boost.

-Defensive: The effect either boosts defense or protects the user, either through resistance-increase or helping with evasion. Aura/Body Recovery also counts. Examples: Blake's Clones, Jaune's Flash-of-Light too if we can call that a Semblance.

-Utility: The effect is neutral, neither offensive nor defensive. However, with enough creativity they can be used as such. Examples: Weiss's Glyphs (on their own, they push stuff. However, they can be used for offense and defense with Dust, and also be used to evade stuff), Ruby's Dash (only a semi-linear speed boost. But it makes for good tackles and helps with evasion), Pyrrha's Magnetism (Can help with evading attacks and when attacking).

Now, whether a Semblance is physical, "mental", Aural, elemental or whatever is irrelevant. Does it really matter if shooting lightning from your head counts as mental, Aural or elemental? Does it change anything about it? Nope, it only overcomplicates things. Especially since with Dust, every Semblance can be elemental.

The Semblances are either offensive, defensive or both, either in active, passive or mixed form. That is clear. The way they manifest is unimportant, changes nothing and as proven by Yang may well be cosmetic.

Regarding that "Semblance" you made with Cole, I can classify that as Mixed-Utility. Cole is basically a mass of walking electrical currents. He's constantly absorbing and discharging energy. The electrical manipulation is passive most of the time. However, if he wants to move, shoot or absorb electricity, that is an active use of the electrical manipulation.

Now, electricity itself is not offensive. You can use it to electrocute someone or go the BS route and make shields with it. Can be used both offensively and defensively. However, by itself, it's neither, you need to actively, deliberately, creatively try to use it those ways for it to work like that, otherwise it's just a bit of sparks that make you look cool.

Also, the game is called inFamous, not "Conduit".