Your abilities work in harmony with one another. Depending on what you have they have combat or field work applications. Custom Techniques can be separate from your abilities or build off of them to improve certain functions of your character.
Let's use Kaden's
Erupt technique as an example.
Quote:Erupt - With his Sight, Kaden can identify the ki-flows in the objects around him, minimal though they may be. By using these natural flows of ki, he can insert his own energy to detonate in remote locations. The explosion caused by this technique is rather potent, since Kaden can detonate any latent energy along with his own, though it has the obvious draw-back of needing his target to be on or near whatever medium he's using (standing on the ground, or against a wall, for example).
At a base level, Kaden has Ki Sense, which is described as such.
Quote:Ki Sense - An accurate sense of the approximate number of ki somebody has. Makes scouters obsolete and is the only known method of sensing Dark Ki. With Ki Sense, you can also locate dragon balls without the use of a radar. Those with Ki Sense do not need Fighting Sense.
At it's base level, it's pretty powerful. It can track and detect,
accurately no less, fighters around the planet. Also detects dragonballs and Dark Ki.
Now to
Sight. Which Erupt is built off of.
Quote:Sight - An extension of his ability to sense ki, Kaden can visualize the flow of ki through other beings. This can be used to figure out how an opponent performs specific attacks, or when they're storing energy, or just to see some pretty lights. While active, Kaden's eyes gain a faint glow.
Sight adds the capability to visualize KI onto his Ki Sense ability. What it describes can be done now in combat. Working up from that, Kaden uses Sight and Ki Sense combined to make the potent Erupt attack. This is an example of building up from a base ability to do more with your character.
However, if you're referring to combo attacks, like Cain is currently creating. They are melee combos unlike Kaden who specializes in energy.
I could even use myself if I wanted to. I created Metallurgy to allow Vad the ability to generate metal for his Metal Binding from his own energy supply.
Quote:Metallurgy
Vad has the ability to shape and morph any acquired metal into any shape he needs, be it a sword, spear, shield, or just a counter attack in combat. He has developed a useful skill to convert his energy reserves into metal. It can either exit through his hands or seeped from his pores. This removes the need for reagent metal to be acquired in order to use Metal Binding.
Note: I could have totally missed your point. I went with what I thought you were asking.
EDIT: I totally saw Sage post first. This was already half done.