Is Striking ST "Always On" or "Transient"

[Donny Brook]

I couldn't find any reference to "transient" abilities anywhere in Basic Set.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

I couldn't find any reference to "transient" abilities anywhere in Basic Set.

They aren't given a formal label to my knowledge. Costs Fatigue (B111) is at least one location where the distinction is made (and I believe the one where it's spelled out the most clearly) - you pay 1 FP per use for abilities with instantaneous effects (what OP is calling transient abilities), but 1 FP per minute for those with ongoing effects (what OP is calling Always On). Well, for abilities that cost more than 1 FP, the latter gets a discount for extending the use (it costs half as much, round up, to renew it for another minute), but regardless, that's where what a "use" means is largely codified - it's a single instance for transient abilities, a full minute for Always On abilities, to use the terms from the first post.

[Stormcrow]

If the Striking ST is part of your racial template, then it is "always on" (p. B34).

The opposite of always on is "switchable," requiring a Ready maneuver to turn it on. Someone with Striking ST that isn't part of a power doesn't usually have to take a Ready maneuver to turn it on, so it's not switchable, which means it's always on.