Unlike the Passive Abilities, Active Abilities do require payment in order to activate them. Payment can be in the form of any card with a suit that matches your hero’s, or any picture card or joker. If you’re not sure of the suit, theres a picture of the suit symbol behind the character illustration in the middle of the card, and also a little symbol at the start of the Active ability text on the card.

The card used for payment is discarded and you’ll need to pull another card when executing the ability. Don’t forget that your picture cards each confer additional bonuses when used for actions, but if you spend them as payment to activate an ability the additional bonuses DO NOT COUNT!! Don’t use your picture cards or jokers to pay to use an Active ability unless you’re desperate! 

Just to reiterate, you’ll need 2 cards to play an Active Action – the payment card to activate the ability and the card you’ll use with your dice rolls when executing the ability.