Why does the ability cooldown timer change?

[gorbeno]

Hi, new player here, I noticed that the cooldown timer for my abilities are sometimes fast and sometimes slow even though I didnt change anything, may I know what mechanic is behind this?

[Nibbie]

There are many things that can influence your cooldowns. The base timer is based on your stats (hover over them on your character screen), but there are weapon perks, aspects, fragments, armor mods, strike modifiers, and so on that can cause your abilities to recharge faster.

[gorbeno]

Originally posted by Nibbie:

There are many things that can influence your cooldowns. The base timer is based on your stats (hover over them on your character screen), but there are weapon perks, aspects, fragments, armor mods, strike modifiers, and so on that can cause your abilities to recharge faster.

I guess I understand, but I still dont know how it went from real slow to real fast and then back to real slow again. I just started and barely have any items.

[Emurinus]

Each ability stat (Mobility, Resilience, Recovery, Discipline, Intellect, and Strength) are influenced by your armor rolls, equipped mods, subclass fragments, etc.

The higher those stats get, the faster/stronger your abilities recharge and passive stats get; likewise, the lower they are, the slower the recharge. While the each stat has a range of 100 points, the cooldowns/changes occur only every 10 points- the 10 point thresholds are often called tiers.

For example, 75 Recovery is Tier 7, 32 Mobility is Tier 3, and 99 Strength is tier 9. It's better to min/max your stats to get the most out of your loadout.

If you want to know which stats affect which abilities, here's the quick answers

Mobility -> Hunter Dodge
Resilience -> Titan Barricade
Recovery -> Warlock Rift
Discipline -> Grenade abilities
Intellect -> Super abilities
Strength -> Melee abilities


Hope this helps.

[Sad_Gumby]

Since you're new, I'm assuming you aren't using exotics (which can heavily influence ability recharge, I'm also assuming armor stats are consistent, but if those changed, see the above comment).

That would leave weapons and aspects/fragments. Are you far enough to be unlocking and using Void/Solar 3.0? If not, then I would think weapons are influencing the fluctuation. What weapons are you using and with what perks when it happens?

[Mez Koo]

Originally posted by YungGucciLean:

Originally posted by Nibbie:

There are many things that can influence your cooldowns. The base timer is based on your stats (hover over them on your character screen), but there are weapon perks, aspects, fragments, armor mods, strike modifiers, and so on that can cause your abilities to recharge faster.

I guess I understand, but I still dont know how it went from real slow to real fast and then back to real slow again. I just started and barely have any items.

To state a specific example of one of the many things that could affect them, there is a new strike modifier called combat acceleration or something like that which increases the base cool downs of abilities and as you do damage in combat you'll gain stacks that increases the speed at which they charge.