Avalon: The Riven Veil · Board game rules
Can only Lords use the Lord's ability?
Quick answer
This isn't covered in the rulebook as a specific rule — "Lord's ability" isn't a defined term, but some actions (like exploring) are Lord-exclusive.
Details
The rulebook distinguishes between Abilities (denoted by the ♦ icon), Reaction Abilities, and Passive Effects, all of which are activated by the player controlling the Faction Board or Artifact — not restricted to being "used by" a Lord specifically [p.6 — Abilities]. If the ability is printed on an Artifact, it can only be used if that Artifact is equipped on a Champion or Lord, but either type of Hero qualifies, not Lords exclusively [p.6 — Abilities].
However, certain unique privileges are explicitly restricted to Lords: only a Lord can explore an unexplored region, and only a Lord may move onto Avalon from the supply in the same way as a deploy [p.7 — Move]. Champions, by contrast, can equip Artifacts and enable Battle Plan play in their region, much like Lords do [p.13 — Terminology].
Watch out: If you're asking about a specific faction's unique "Lord" text (e.g., Arthur/Guinevere for the Knights), that's governed by faction-specific rules in the Appendix, not a general "Lord's ability" rule [p.14 — Appendix]. If you can clarify which ability or faction you mean, I can give a more precise answer.