Gameplay Ability System (GAS) in Blueprints

📚 Official Documentation & Resources

Core GAS Documentation:

📖 Gameplay Ability System Overview - Complete system architecture
📖 Ability System Component - Core component setup
📖 Gameplay Attributes - Attribute & AttributeSet creation
📖 Gameplay Effects - Effect system and modifiers

Advanced GAS Resources:

🎥 GAS Multiplayer Implementation - Network replication patterns
🎥 Advanced Ability Combos - Complex ability interactions
🎥 GAS Performance Optimization - Large-scale GAS optimization

📋 System Architecture

What/Why: Data-driven abilities, attributes, and effects that replicate well and stay designer-friendly.

Prereqs

Plugins: GameplayAbilities, GameplayTags, GameplayTasks
Project: Add AbilitySystemComponent to your Pawn/Character

Steps

Attribute setup

Create AttributeSet BPs (e.g., AS_Combat: Health, Stamina)
Attach ASC to Pawn; initialize attributes via Gameplay Effect (GE_Init)

Abilities

Create Ability BPs (e.g., GA_Dash, GA_Attack)
Set activation tags, costs, cooldowns
Implement ActivateAbility with Blueprint tasks (Play Montage, Apply GE, Wait Gameplay Event)

Effects and cues

Create Gameplay Effects (damage, heal, buffs)
Use Gameplay Cues for FX/audio; trigger via GE or explicit events

Input binding

Map input to TryActivateAbilityByClass or tags
Gate activation with tags (e.g., Blocked.UI.Open)

Data assets

DA_AbilityLoadout per archetype with ability classes and starting tags
On Begin Play: grant abilities from loadout

Data

Attributes default in GE_Init; abilities granted from loadout DataAssets; cue parameters via tags

Networking

ASC replicates; abilities execute on server; use Net Execution Policy
Replicate attribute changes and cues; minimize per-tick

Performance

Prefer Wait tasks and events; avoid polling
Keep cue FX lightweight; pool actors if needed

Testing

Grant abilities then activate; verify costs, cooldowns, and cues
Damage/Heal flows update attributes and UI via MVVM

Suggested prompts

“UE 5.6 Blueprints only. Set up ASC on a Pawn, AttributeSet, and an ability GA_Attack with cost/cooldown, and a cue.”
“Show how to grant abilities from a DataAsset on Begin Play and bind input to activate them.”
“Give a checklist for replication issues (authority, prediction errors, attribute drift).”

Prompts for this example

“Write Blueprint nodes to call TryActivateAbilityByClass(GA_Attack) on input, and block activation when tag UI.Open is present.”
“Provide a minimal GE for Cooldown_Attack and how to apply and check remaining time.”