Fear
What Is Fear?
Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. --Frank Herbert
Or, in terms of CoX game mechanics, Fear is a status effect, like disorient, or knockback. An enemy under the affects of a Fear power will cower. A player who is Feared is immobilized. Mobs sometimes run a short distance, but mostly stand still and cower. Fear also causes an accuracy debuff. Most importantly, while Fear is in effect, the target cannot attack unless it is attacted first. Then the target can perform one counter-attack, after which it will go back to cowering until the Fear effect wears off. Note that, unlike a hold, Fear does not detoggle its target.
What Powers Cause Fear?
Anyone can obtain a fear inflicting power through the power pools, but there are also a few fear inducing powers scattered among the primaries and secondaries for scrappers, brutes, stalkers, defenders, controllers, and dominators.
Power Pools
The third and fourth powers of the presence pool are fear powers. Like with any Power Pool, players must take either the first or second power in the pool in order to have access to the third power, and must take two of the first three powers before taking the fourth.
Dark Melee
Scrappers, Brutes, and Stalkers have access to the Dark Melee attack powerset.
Dark Armor
Scrappers, Brutes, and Stalkers have access to the Dark Armor defensive powerset.
Mind Control
Controllers and Dominators have access to the Terrify power through the Mind Control powerset.
Dark Miasma
This powerset is available to Defenders, Corruptors, and Masterminds, but not Controllers. Note that the Dark Servant pet in Dark Miasma can not cast Fearsome Stare. Also note that Petrifying Glare is not a fear power; it is a hold.
Illusion
Although Controllers can not take Dark Miasma as a secondary, they do have access to Spectral Terror through the Illusion primary, which causes fear. Illusion is not available as a primary for Dominators.
Storm
Storm Defenders can cast Tornado, which has a minor side effect of causing fear.
What Powers Protect Against Fear?
There are a lot of powers which offer resistance to Fear.
tactics gives fear resistance. so does dark armor (obsidian shield). break frees work on it. there is a 1 hour minor fear resistance buff available from the empowerment station in a sg base. empathy's clear mind protects against fear. so does stimulant from medicine pool. shadowfall gives resistance (dark miasma, defenders, controllers, masterminds) toggle aoe. stalker ninjitsu Kuji-In Rin gives fear resistance. clarity from defender sonic resonance gives fear defense (also available to corruptors and controllers). indomitable will (ancillary pool power for controllers) has fear resistance. * resistance and protection aren't the same thing. One cuts duration of mez effects, one increases your magnitude of protection.