Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song - REFERENCE GUIDE by BTB TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. INTRODUCTION 2. STATS & CHARACTER GROWTH 3. CLASSES & SKILLS 4. WEAPONS & BATTLE MECHANICS 5. SPELLS & CALCULATING ATTACK COSTS 6. PROFICIENCIES 7. EVENT RANK & QUEST NOTES 8. GODS, FAVOR & THE ENDGAME 9. APPENDIX ========================================================================================================= 1. INTRODUCTION ========================================================================================================= This is a spoiler-free guide intended to help new players enjoy the game without giving them all of the answers. SaGa games are notoriously obtuse, even with proper documentation on hand. And while the joy of discovery is one of the best parts of the series, there's a difference between things that are best left unexplained and those which really should be. This guide is meant to address the latter. If you don't pay attention to anything else in this guide, I'll begin with two major pieces of advice: don't grind and talk to everyone. Both will be explained in detail later on. Also, there's a soft reset function: press L1+R1+START+SELECT. Use it freely. -BTB (btb@abusemynipples.biz) ========================================================================================================= 2. STATS & CHARACTER GROWTH ========================================================================================================= STR • Damage dealt by most weapons/martial arts and some(*) Bow techs --- • Accuracy due to weapon weight (bonus if STR > 4x weapon weight) VIT • Damage taken from from all attacks and from poison --- • Resistance to and recovery time from physical status ailments • Resistance to instant death and LP attacks DEX • Damage dealt by most(*) Bow/Foil/Short Sword attacks and some other techs --- • Accuracy of all physical attacks • Chance to deflect attacks • Chance to inflict Stat Down, Stun, and some physical statuses (see below) AGI • Damage of some(*) techs --- • Turn order in battle • Chance to dodge (NOT deflect) attacks • Chance to deflect attacks with Martial Arts (with DEX) or for allies (DEX/COM) • Chance to avoid Stun, Snare, and Stat Down attacks WIL • Damage of Nine Marks/Insight techs and Wave Of Life spell --- • Chance to inflict Berserk, Curse, and instant death • Effectiveness of Stat Down attacks (inflicting and receiving) • Resistance to Shock and all mental status ailments except Charm • Recovery time from all mental status ailments (including Charm) INT • Strength of most offensive spells and Phoenix Arrow (Bow tech) --- • Chance to inflict Sleep/Nightmare/Petrify/Phobia/Confusion/Snare/Shock COM • Strength of all healing spells and Second Wind (Martial Arts tech) --- • Chance to deflect attacks for allies (with AGI) CHA • Accuracy and damage of all Illusion spells (Hypnotism accuracy = with INT) --- • Resistance to (and chance to inflict) charm *Refer to the appendix at the end of this file for a list of these attacks Finally, there's also the game's four "point" stats: HP, LP, BP, & DP. HP is fairly self-explanatory and should be familiar to anyone who's ever played a video game before. Note that, unlike traditional JRPGs, all characters' HP is restored to max at the end of each battle in Romancing SaGa. Long-term survivability is instead tied to LP (see below). LP is Romancing SaGa's traditional secondary measure of a character's life. A character's LP decreases whenever he or she dies in battle or gets hit while already dead. LP can also be lowered by certain attacks, using a proficiency with no uses remaining, or by using a spell or martial art that's too far beyond the character's abilities. Unlike other stats, max LP is a static value for every character, and unlike HP it can only be restored at a hotel. If a character reaches 0 LP, he or she dies permanently. BP is the MP stand-in for Romancing SaGa, with the twist that everything beyond basic weapon attacks consumes it. Characters start each battle with only a set percentage of their maximum BP available and recover 1/4 of their max BP every round up to a cap that varies depending on the character (see below). DP, lastly, is a measure of a weapon's durability. Just as powerful spells and martial arts may cost LP to use, so too do many weapon techniques consume a weapon's DP. Weapons that reach 0 DP can no longer be used until they are repaired at a hotel or by a blacksmith. Note that tempered weapons (see "WEAPONS & OTHER BATTLE MECHANICS" section below) can *only* have their DP restored by re-tempering them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stat growth in Romancing SaGa is largely the result of two factors: the character in question and which skills that character has used in the last several battles. As per SaGa tradition, there is also a heavy random element in play that completely eclipses what should be an obvious mechanic and makes the whole thing seem like witchcraft. The basic gist is that any character can achieve decent growth in any stat, but the lower that character's ranking in that stat (see table below), the more he or she will need to exercise it with a relevant skill (see table further below) in order to make it grow. Thus, the most significant differences between characters are their LP and initial BP%/recovery, as these are static. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARACTER HP BP STR VIT DEX AGI INT WIL COM CHA LP INITIAL BP%/RECOVERY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albert C C B B D D B B E B 12 30%/+4 max per round Aisha D B E E C C C C A B 10 30%/+4 max per round Barbara C C B B C C E E D A 12 40%/+4 max per round Claudia A B B B B B E E D D 17 20%/+5 max per round Gray C C C C C C C C C C 11 40%/+3 max per round Hawke B C C C A A C C D E 14 50%/+3 max per round Jamil C C D D A A B B E C 12 50%/+3 max per round Sif C C A A B B D D E C 12 40%/+3 max per round -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darque E C E E A A A A A E 10 30%/+3 max per round Diana D C C C A A E E B C 11 30%/+3 max per round Dowd B B D D E E D D A B 17 20%/+4 max per round Dragon Knight E D A A C C A A D E 5 40%/+2 max per round Farah C B D D B B D D A C 16 40%/+3 max per round Frielei E D E E A A A A E A 8 40%/+2 max per round Galahad A D A A D D E E B E 18 40%/+2 max per round Gian C D B B B B D D B E 12 50%/+2 max per round Guella Ha B D A A D D C C D D 16 30%/+3 max per round Herman B B D D D D B B B D 18 30%/+3 max per round The Minstrel B C C C E E C C D A 16 40%/+3 max per round Myriam D C D D C C A A D B 13 30%/+3 max per round Neidhart E C A A C C C C E A 10 40%/+2 max per round Patrick E D D D E E B B B B 12 50%/+2 max per round Raphael D C B B D D D D B B 10 30%/+3 max per round Silver E C A A D D B B C C 7 40%/+2 max per round (NOTE: all characters gain an additional +1 to BP recovery per round at 25 and 50 maximum BP) /-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------\ | Foil BP, DEX | Short Sword BP, DEX, AGI | Long Sword HP, DEX | | Scimitar BP | Great Sword HP, VIT | 2-H Sword HP, STR, VIT | | Katana * | Hand Axe HP, STR, VIT | 2-H Axe HP, STR, VIT | | Club * | Pole Arm HP | Lance BP | | Staff * | Bow DEX | Martial Arts BP, VIT, AGI | +-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+ | Pyrology BP, INT | Aerology INT | Demonology BP, WIL | | Hydrology WIL, COM | Terrology INT, WIL | Illusions INT, CHA | | Bewitchery INT, WIL | Cosmology WIL, COM, CHA | - | \-------------------------------+-------------------------------+-------------------------------/ *These weapons promote a character's "base" stat growth, as seen above ========================================================================================================= 3. CLASSES & SKILLS ========================================================================================================= Classes in Romancing SaGa serve two purposes: they decrease the LP/DP cost of in-class skills and spells as your class level rises and they convey a class "perk" which will also have a greater effect as your class level rises. By contrast, BP cost is determined solely by skill level, as are tech glimmer rates and your odds to trigger combos, surges/reverses, and to deflect or counter incoming attacks. Keep this in mind when given the option to raise skill levels independently of class level (available when one of your characters reaches level 3 in any class), particularly given that jewels are generally not abundant enough outside of New Game+ mode for most (or any) of your d00ds to reach the maximum class level of 5. In addition to class level, there are two other things that lower LP/DP costs. The first is a one-time LP/DP reduction for actually possessing the relevant skill (level doesn't matter - you merely no longer suffer a DP/LP "penalty" for using a skill you don't possess). The second is a tech or spell "crown". Crowns are obtained by possessing 20 techs and no more than 2 spells (tech crown) or 10 spells and no more than 1 tech (spell crown); a crown grants a DP/LP reduction for *all* tech or magic skills. To recap... /---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | | | Raising your SKILL LEVEL... Raising your CLASS LEVEL... | | --------------------------- --------------------------- | | • Lowers BP cost of techs/spells • Lowers LP/DP cost of in-class techs/spells | | • Raises tech glimmer rate • Enhances class perks | | • Raises deflect & counter rates | | • Raises combo & surge/reverse rates | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | To Lower BP Costs... To Lower DP/LP Costs... | | -------------------- ----------------------- | | • Raise your skill level • Raise your class level (in-class skills only) | | • Possess the skill (at any level) | | • Have a crown | | | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ There are three kinds of classes in the game: basic, advanced, and legendary. The difference between basic and advanced classes is that basic classes have fewer associated skills and are thus cheaper to level up whereas advanced classes tend to offer more attractive perks. Advanced classes also require a minimum level of two whereas basic classes do not. Legendary classes aren't discussed here because they are generally useless outside of providing a flat DP/LP reduction equivalent to a tech and magic crown and being marginally cheaper than raising another class to level four (legendary classes require a skill level of three in all *seven* associated skills and provide no benefits beyond the requisite levels). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BASIC CLASSES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ascetic Raises resistance to physical status ailments Blacksmith Raises resistance to willpower/mental (?) status ailments Craftsman Randomly decreases EP/LP consumption by 1 Entertainer Lowers odds for enemies to combo Frontier Guard Gives a chance of not being ambushed when attacked from behind Geckling Knight Raises odds of countering attacks Herbalist Allows you to recognize herbs (no benefits beyond level 4) Pioneer Faster recovery from willpower/mental (?) status ailments Pirate Makes you act faster (turn order in battle) Ranger Randomly decreases BP consumption by a random amount Swordsman Bonus to damage if weapon (or Martial Arts) is in ATK mode Thief Increases the range of Find Chest/Treasure Trader Raises odds of trading with monsters (non-trader odds = 5%) Valhallan Warrior Faster recovery from physical status ailments ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVANCED CLASSES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assassin Gives a chance of ambushing foes when attacking from the front Castle Knight Raises odds to deflect attacks for allies Draconite Raises the strengths/weaknesses of ATK/DEF/TRK mode weapons/arts Estamirian Rebel Raises odds to inflict status ailments Hunter Raises accuracy of Aerial-type(*) attacks Imperial Knight Raises odds to combo with previous ally & increases combo rate Imperial Marine Raises odds to combo with next ally Imperial Scholar Can fuse two spells (class level has no effect) Kjar Sentinel Bonus to damage of Aerial-type(*) attacks Martial Artist Raises odds of triggering Surges and/or Reverses Rosalian Lancer Raises the bonus of TRK mode for weapons and Martial Arts Rosalian Mage Can fuse three spells (class level has no effect) Rosalian Officer Bonus to defense Wizard Bonus to magic damage *Refer to the appendix at the end of this file for a list of these attacks /-------------------+-------------------------------------------+-------------------------------\ | BASIC CLASS | COMBAT SKILLS | MAP SKILLS | +-------------------+-------------------------------------------+-------------------------------+ | Ascetic | Staff Martial Arts Terrology | - - - | | Blacksmith | Club Pyrology - | Gathering - - | | Craftsman | Short Sword Cosmology - | Strategy - - | | Entertainer | Long Sword Martial Arts - | Covert - - | | Frontier Guard | Foil Long Sword Shield | - - - | | Geckling Knight | 2H Axe Lance Martial Arts | - - - | | Herbalist | Terrology - - | Gathering Survival - | | Pioneer | Hand Axe Club - | Gathering - - | | Pirate | Foil Hand Axe Hydrology | - - - | | Ranger | Bow Terrology - | Search - - | | Swordsman | Foil Long Sword 2H Sword | - - - | | Thief | Foil - - | Search Strategy - | | Trader | - - - | Strategy Survival Trading | | Valhallan Warrior | 2H Sword Hand Axe - | Survival - - | /------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------\ | ADVANCED CLASS | COMBAT SKILLS | MAP SKILLS | +------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------+ | Assassin | Short Sword Illusion *Sorcery - - \ Covert/Trade | | Castle Knight | Long Sword Great Sword 2H Sword Pole Arm Shield \ - | | Estamirian Rebel | Scimitar Katana Martial Arts Illusion - | Search | | Hunter | Scimitar Hand Axe Bow Terrology - | Search | | Imperial Knight | Foil Great Sword 2H Axe Shield Cosmology | - | | Imperial Marine | Short Sword Scimitar Hand Axe Aerology - | Survival | | Imperial Scholar | Hydrology Aerology Illusion Cosmology - | Trading | | Kjar Sentinel | Bow Lance Hydrology Demonology - | Covert | | Rosalian Lancer | Short Sword Bow Pole Arm Bewitchery - | Search | | Rosalian Mage | Staff Club Hydrology Demonology Bewitchery | - | | Rosalian Officer | Long Sword Lance Club Shield Bewitchery | - | | Wizard | Staff Pyrology Aerology Demonology Cosmology | - | +------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------+-------------+ | Draconite | Great Sword 2H Sword Katana Pyrology Illusion Bewitchery | | Martial Artist | Martial Arts Scimitar Katana Pole Arm Staff Bow | \------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ *You can't access this skill until late in the game or (ever) learn any spells for it ========================================================================================================= 4. WEAPONS & BATTLE MECHANICS ========================================================================================================= Perhaps the most basic of the game's battle mechanics is the selection of weapons. As discussed above in section 2, different weapon types promote the growth of different stats, and the next section explained that different classes help you use different weapons more efficiently by lowering the DP cost of their techniques. Aside from that, the differences between weapon types include the techs they offer (swords, for example, focus largely on single-target damage), their speed and/or power bonuses according to your formation position, and the ability to parry attacks and/or use a shield. Finally, different weapons do different types of damage (blunt, slash, projectile) that are resisted differently by different enemies. Initially, your characters are capable of only basic attacks with their equipped weapons. New techniques are randomly "sparked" (or "glimmered") during battle, at which point they can be used freely by that character for their BP cost. Many techniques are usable by more than one type of weapon and can be used with any compatible weapon once learned. Different techniques have different chances of being sparked depending on what technique you use: lower-level techs can be easily sparked with basic attacks while more advanced ones prefer - or demand, in some cases - to be sparked with other techniques. Your overall chances of sparking techniques at all is governed by your weapon skill and the strength of your enemy. In addition to BP, many techniques also consume DP. When a weapon's DP reaches zero, it cannot be used again until it is repaired at a hotel or by a blacksmith. Blacksmiths can also alter the stats of your weapons or "temper" them by adding certain materials. Tempering weapons is a very expensive process due to the cost of the materials and labor, as well as the fact that tempered weapons can not be repaired to restore their DP except by re-tempering them. For best results, you must temper weapons with materials that are "harmonious" with them (they will appear red in the blacksmith menu); the weapon then must be "broken in" by using it in battle until its name changes to indicate that the material has taken, at which point it may be further tempered with a new material. Weapons that are not yet broken in may be repaired by re-tempering them with the same material without losing any progress toward breaking it in. (Note: some special weapons use LP instead of DP; these weapons never break and cannot be tempered.) Blacksmiths can also change the "mode" of your weapon to one of three types: ATK (default), DEF, or TRK. Attack mode results in greater damage, defense mode raises your defense and chance to parry attacks, and trick mode raises your speed. All non-magical attacks are associated with one of these three modes; they have a "rock-paper-scissors" relationship wherein a weapon's mode bonus is lost on any round where its target uses an attack that "beats" the weapon's mode. You'll also receive a small damage bonus by using techniques that match your weapon's current mode, but far more significant is the fact that your odds of *sparking* techniques that match your weapon's mode are doubled. Weapons can freely switch between two different modes in battle if set to a "dual" type; you'll receive the spark bonus for both regardless of which it is set to at the expense of a small (5%) overall penalty to power and speed. Multi-mode allows access to all three at once, but comes with larger speed (10%) and power (15%) penalties. (Note: the TRK mode bonus can never apply on the first turn of a battle due to a bug.) Finally, in addition to being ATK, DEF, or TRK style, techniques are also classified as one or more of: contact, movement, or aerial. Contact refers to any technique where the attacker makes physical contact with the target and may be countered either by martial arts or the Self-Immolation spell. Movement is a sub-type of contact technique (ALL movement techs are also contact) that can trigger powerful attacks known as surges and/or reverses (discussed further below) and can be prevented with the "snare" status. Any attack that does *not* make contact with its target is instead classified as "aerial" and can be blocked with the Missile Shield spell. Attack types are important when forming combos (discussed later). (Note: aerial-type attacks should not be confused with "projectile"-type damage. All bow techniques are both, but there is otherwise little overlap between the two. Many aerial attacks deal blunt and/or slash damage, while projectile damage includes any sort of "thrust" attack from weapons like spears or foils.) There are several methods to deflect attacks, each differing in effectiveness depending on the attack in question. Certain weapon types are able to block certain incoming attacks, while others also allow the wielder to block such attacks directed at their allies. Any one-handed weapon may be used with a shield, which will vary in effectiveness depending on the shield used and the type of damage (blunt, slash, or projectile), and most "contact" attacks may be blocked and countered by a character using martial arts. There are also several "magical" shields set by certain spells, discussed in the "SPELLS" section below. Aside from the attack being blocked, the chances of deflecting/countering are influenced by... /---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | | | DEFLECT ATTACK (SELF) DEFLECT ATTACK (ALLIES) | | --------------------- ----------------------- | | Foil - Short Sword - Scimitar - Staff - Club Long/Great/2H Sword - Pole Arm - Lance | | | | • DEX • DEX/AGI/COM | | • Weapon skill level • Weapon skill level | | • Weapon in DEF mode • Weapon in DEF mode | | • (Can also use "ally" guard weapons) • Class level (Castle Knight only) | | | | BLOCK ATTACK (SHIELD) COUNTER-ATTACK | | -------------------- -------------- | | Any 1-handed weapon* (no magic or martial arts) Martial Arts | | | | • Shield skill level (class doesn't matter) • DEX/AGI | | • Shield used (evasion varies per attack type) • Martial Arts skill level | | *1-handed weapons include: Foil, Short Sword, • Martial Arts in DEF style | | Long Sword, Scimitar, Hand Axe, and Club • Class level (Geckling Knight only) | | | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The last major consideration for your choice of weapon is your party's formation, which refers to the placement of each character in the front, middle, and/or back rows. This affects how likely characters are to be targeted by the enemy in addition to a defense bonus (for the middle and back rows). Weapons may receive speed and/or power bonuses according to the chart below; formation is also a significant factor in the ability to execute vortexes, which are discussed at the end of this section. /---------------+-------------------------\ /---------------+-------------------------\ | WEAPON | ROW POWER SPEED | | WEAPON | ROW POWER SPEED | +---------------+-------------------------+ +---------------+-------------------------+ | | Front *** **** | | | Front *** **** | | Foil | Middle * | | Short Sword | Middle | | | Back | | | Back | +---------------+-------------------------+ +---------------+-------------------------+ | Long Sword | Front ** *** | | Great Sword | Front ** ** | | Katana | Middle * * | | 2H Sword | Middle * * | | Scimitar | Back | | 2H Axe | Back | +---------------+-------------------------+ +---------------+-------------------------+ | | Front ** **** | | | Front *** ** | | Club | Middle * * | | Hand Axe | Middle | | | Back | | | Back | +---------------+-------------------------+ +---------------+-------------------------+ | | Front ** * | | | Front * | | Pole Arm | Middle * *** | | Lance | Middle ** *** | | | Back * * | | | Back * * | +---------------+-------------------------+ +---------------+-------------------------+ | | Front ** ** | | | Front | | Staff | Middle * ** | | Bow | Middle *** * | | | Back * * | | | Back ** *** | +---------------+-------------------------+ +---------------+-------------------------+ | | Front ** *** | | | Front ** | | Martial Arts | Middle * | | Magic | Middle * | | | Back | | | Back | \---------------+-------------------------/ \---------------o-------------------------/ Note that your row positions will be scrambled if you are attacked from behind by an enemy - in addition to them getting a massive speed bonus for the first round (i.e. they will most likely act first). On the other hand, ambushing your enemies from behind grants your party the same first-strike bonus as well as more starting BP (equal to the amount restored per round). This makes getting the drop on your foes massively beneficial and the proficiencies that help you to do this highly recommended in any situation. Regarding turn order, the major influencing factor is agility. Other factors include formation (as seen above), use of weapons in TRK mode and/or TRK-style techniques, the total weight of your equipment, and the pirate class bonus. Finally, certain techniques are either fast or slow and are thus far more likely to go first or last; refer to the appendix at the end of this file for a list of them. Aside from merely acting first in battle, turn order comes largely into play when your characters begin to form combos from their attacks. All offensive techs and spells have different combo properties, and the specifics of it are extremely complicated - it's much more a game of experimenting and seeing what all you can get. The basic requirement to form a combo is that all characters involved are targeting the same opponent (this can include area effect attacks), and the resulting combo will deal much more damage to your enemies than the sum of its parts would. A fulcrum is a special type of combo that is started by a technique with a special effect which is then maintained throughout the combo. Only certain bow techs and spells can trigger a fulcrum, but they will always trigger one if they are used to start the combo. You'll need to trigger a fulcrum at least once before you can execute vortexes: the easiest ways are with the Splash Shot or Rapid Volley techs, one of the basic Illusion spells, or the Shock Wave or Mind Blast Demonology spells. Characters using certain movement-type attacks may sometimes trigger attacks called "surges". Surges are more powerful than ordinary attacks and cannot be dodged; they are also more conducive to forming combos with other attacks. Weapon skill is a significant factor in your chances to trigger a surge, as is the total weight of your character's equipment. A "reverse" is similar to a surge in that it is more accurate, stronger, and better for forming combos. But where a surge is a bit stronger and unblockable, reverses are instead a bit more accurate and much stronger. Some reverses actually change the targeting or effects of the technique, such as the "Second Wind" martial art tech changing from a self-heal into an offensive move. Only certain techniques can trigger reverses, but not all of them are movement-type. Surges and reverses can trigger at the same time, resulting in an incredibly powerful attack. Only a few techniques qualify for both and they all have different rates for triggering surges and reverses, either individually or together. The easiest technique to trigger a surge reverse as early as possible (so that you can begin to trigger vortexes) is Cutting Lunge (Foil, Short/Long Sword, or Scimitar). Lastly, vortexes are basically ultimate combos that not only deal insane damage but can also influence how you finish the game (see the "GODS, FAVOR & THE ENDGAME" section below). You cannot trigger a vortex until you have triggered at least one of everything else: combos, fulcrums, surges, reverses, and surge reverses. Vortexes depend heavily on the type of attack used and your party's formation; a list of them along with their attack and formation requirements can be found in the above-mentioned section below. ========================================================================================================= 5. SPELLS & CALCULATING BP/DP/LP COSTS ========================================================================================================= Although there are eight schools of magic in the game, the most any character can use at a time is five. Whenever a character learns a spell, any spells that he or she knows from that spell's opposing school will become unavailable outside of using certain weapons that can channel magic. The opposing schools, from most to least obvious, are (Pyrology~Hydrology), (Aerology~Terrology), and (Demonology~Illusions). Bewitchery and Cosmology *should* oppose one another, but rather oppose the completely-unused (except by enemies) schools of Sorcery and Necromancy, possibly because whoever laid out this system was on crack. Aside from allowing characters to cast spells from opposing schools, the main advantage of channeling spells is that it uses the weapon's skill level to determine BP/LP costs, thus allowing characters with no magic skills to use them effectively. Channelled spells are also more powerful as they will use the the power of the weapon and receive the weapon's "row" bonus to power and speed as well as the Swordsman class bonus. Channeled spells will respect a magic crown if one is present, but an LP penalty equal to the crown bonus is applied when channelling spells. The obtain the BP cost of a spell, subtract the caster's skill level in the relevant school from the BP cost displayed on the spell list below. LPS refers to "Life Point Stage", which is used to calculate LP cost according to the table at the end of this section (after the spell list). (Note: BP and DP costs of weapon techniques follow these same rules) As stated earlier, the strength of all healing spells is based on the catser's COM stat while the power of most offensive spells uses INT - those that use a different stat are noted as such below. The values listed here indicate the spells' base power; the value shown when looking up a spell's power in-game is the final product that also includes the influence of the character's relevant stat. Several spells are magical "shields" with varying evasion rates (shown in parenthesis in lieu of a power rating) against certain types of attacks and last for ten turns. Revive and Self-Immolation are special shields that go away when they're they're triggered and Starlight goes away when the Starbeam or Cosmic Tide spells are cast. Note that a character can only have one magical shield active at any time; setting one will remove any shield that's already set (which again includes Revive, so be careful). The final two spells in each school (marked with a section break) are fusion-exclusive, and are thus available only to the Imperial Scholar and Rosalian Mage classes. /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | P | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | Y |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | R | 5 (0) Hellfire 7 Fire damage (foe) | | O | 5 (1) Flame Of Life - HP regen for 10 turns (ally) | | L | 9 (4) Self-Immolation (100) Counters next "contact" attack & blocks fire/ice damage (self) | | O | 12 (10) Summon Elemental - Summons a fire elemental to fight in your place (self) | | G | 12 (8) Bird Of Fire 100 Fire damage (all foes) | | Y | 11 (6) Revive (*) Revives to full HP on death (ally) | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | 13 (4) Song Of Souls - HP regen for 10 turns (all allies) | | | 21 (8) Crimson Flare 180 Fire damage + INT down (foe) | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | H | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | Y |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | D | 5 (0) Healing Water 2 Cures HP (ally) | | R | 8 (2) Water Blast 15 Blunt/Cold damage | | O | 8 (2) Holy Water - Clears all status ailments (includes HP regen) (ally) | | L | 12 (10) Summon Elemental - Summons a water elemental to fight in your place (self) | | O | 13 (8) Fold Time - Ends current turn | | G | 14 (6) Freeze Time - Stops timer for all statuses (includes HP/BP regen) (ally) | | Y |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | 20 (10) Overdrive - Caster gets 5 extra turns | | | 30 (12) Hasten Time - Ends current turn for foes, but not allies | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | A | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | E |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | R | 5 (0) Blades Of Wind 9 Slash damage (foe) | | O | 6 (2) Strengthen Pull - Increases bow damage + ends target's turn (ally) | | L | 8 (4) Blood Curdle 40 Cold damage + Unconsciousness (foe) | | O | 12 (10) Summon Elemental - Summons a wind elemental to fight in your place (self) | | G | 9 (2) Missile Shield - Nullifies aerial (NOT projectile) damage for one turn (allies) | | Y | 13 (8) Snowstorm 80 Cold damage (all foes) | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | 15 (12) Whiteout - Retreat from battle | | | 25 (10) Simulacrum - Summons a snowman to fight in your place (ally) | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | T | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | E |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | R | 5 (0) Pulverize 10 Blunt damage (foe) | | R | 5 (0) Camouflage - Set's enemy hostility on target to 0 (ally) (note: can miss) | | O | 7 (2) Earthen Grasp - Snare (all foes) | | L | 12 (10) Summon Elemental - Summons an earth elemental to fight in your place (self) | | O | 9 (6) Tremor 10 Blunt damage + stun (all foes) | | G | 13 (8) Aegis (35) Blocks all damage types for 10 turns (ally) | | Y |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | 15 (6) Petra Delta 60 Energy damage + petrify (foe group) | | | 13 (4) Wallbreaker - Breaks *ALL* magical shields | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | E |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | M | 5 (0) Energy Bolt 6 Energy damage + Shock (foe) | | O | 8 (2) Weapon Blessing - Attack up (ally) | | N | 8 (2) Armor Blessing - Defense up (ally) | | O | 8 (2) Enhance Spells - INT up (ally) | | L | 10 (4) Shock Wave 25 Energy damage + Shock (all foes) | | O | 14 (6) Mind Blast 50 Energy damage + WIL down (all foes) | | G |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Y | 10 (6) Anti-Magic (75) Blocks all offensive magic for 10 turns (ally) | | | 10 (4) Shield Breaker - Breaks a magical shield (foe) | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | I | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | L |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | L | 6 (0) Fire Illusion *10 Fire damage (*CHA) (foe) | | U | 6 (0) Ice Illusion *10 Cold damage (*CHA) (foe) | | S | 6 (0) Lightning Illusion *10 Bolt damage (*CHA) (foe) | | I | 6 (2) Break Illusions - Clears Sleep & Nightmare (all allies) | | O | 9 (4) Hypnotism - Sleep (foe group) | | N | 18 (12) Phantom Warrior - Summons illusion of self to fight in your place (self) | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | 12 (6) Phantom Shield (40) Blocks all damage types for 10 turns (self) | | | 9 (2) Veil Of Fog - Increases combo chances to 100% for 1 turn | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | B | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | E |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | W | 4 (0) Way Of Defense - VIT up (self) | | I | 4 (0) Way Of Spirit - WIL up (self) | | T | 4 (0) Way Of Strength - STR up (self) | | C | 6 (4) Wave Of Life *30 Energy (*WIL) damage (foe); effective vs. undead | | H | 6 (2) Way Of Focus 20 Cures HP & physical status ailments (self) | | E | 18 (6) Mark Of Awakening ? Attack power up; nullifies HP regen/BP recovery (self) | | R |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Y | 16 (6) Spirit Barrier - Halves all damage/HP regen for 1 turn (all allies) | | | 20 (!) Rain Of Life 20 Cures HP (all allies ~ !LP cost = # of allies) | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | C | BP/(LPS) SPELL PWR(%) DESCRIPTION | | O |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | S | 6 (0) Sunray 5 Fire/Energy damage (foe); effective vs. undead | | M | 8 (2) Moonbeam 10 Cures HP & Willpower status ailments (ally) | | O | 10 (4) Starlight (*35) Blocks all damage types (self), *stackable up to 5x (+5% each) | | L | 8 (4) Bind To Earth - Paralysis (foe) | | O | 10 (4) Starbeam *20 Energy damage (*breaks Starlight to boost power) (1 foe) | | G | 10 (6) Cosmic Tide *25 Energy damage (*breaks Starlight to boost power) (all foes) | | Y |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | 15 (8) Galactic Rift 250 Energy damage (all foes) | | | 20 (8) Andromeda - Nullifies all damage/HP regen for 1 turn (all allies) | \---+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ /--------------------------\ /----------------------------------\ /------------------------------\ | FOR ALL WEAPON TECHS | | FOR MAGIC AND MARTIAL ARTS TECHS | | DPS/LPS MODIFIERS | \--------------------------/ \----------------------------------/ \------------------------------/ /-----------+--------------\ /-----------+----------------------\ /------------------------------\ | DPS COST | DPS COST | | LPS COST | LPS COST | | • WEAPON MODIFIERS | +-----------+--------------+ +-----------+----------------------+ | (from tempering; varies) | | 22 24 | 10 4 | | 22 6 | 10 3 | +------------------------------+ | 21 22 | 9 4 | | 21 6 | 9 2 | | • POSSESS THE SKILL | | 20 20 | 8 3 | | 20 6 | 8 2 | | (-2) | | 19 18 | 7 3 | | 19 6 | 7 1 | +------------------------------+ | 18 16 | 6 2 | | 18 6 | 6 1 | | • CLASS LEVEL | | 17 14 | 5 2 | | 17 6 | 5 1 | | (-2 for each level past 1) | | 16 12 | 4 1 | | 16 6 | 4 1 | +------------------------------+ | 15 10 | 3 1 | | 15 5 | 3 1 (ARTS=50%) | | • WEAPON/TECH CROWN | | 14 8 | 2 1 (50%) | | 14 5 | 2 1 (50%)(ARTS=0) | | (-2) | | 13 7 | 1 1 (25%) | | 13 4 | 1 1 (25%)(ARTS=0) | +------------------------------+ | 12 6 | 0 0 | | 12 4 | 0 0 | | • CHANNELED SPELLS | | 11 5 | - - | | 11 3 | - - | | (+2) | \-----------+--------------/ \-----------+----------------------/ \------------------------------/ (Note: legendary classes recieve a -2 modifier to *all* skills, not just in-class ones) ========================================================================================================= 6. PROFICIENCIES ========================================================================================================= ---/-------------------------------------------------------------\--------------------------------------- | FIND CHESTS (Search) + PICK LOCKS & DISARM TRAPS (Strategy) | \-------------------------------------------------------------/ First and foremost, assume that Find Chests is always needed. There are very few maps that don't have at least one hidden chest, and there's little point in listing them here. Unless you're just not interested in treasure or plan on returning for it later, it's best to keep this proficiency active at all times. (Note that many maps have chests that appear at random - which ones appear is randomly determined every time you enter the area. This can often result in a map not having any hidden chests even when it should and it also means that multiple visits are usually necessary if you intend to fully clean an area out.) The two strategy proficiencies are directly linked to opening chests, as well, hence why they're also discussed here. Pick Locks is the more important of the two, since you can't open locked chests without it and will be forced to return for them if you don't have the proficiency activated. Disarm Traps is more of a convenience ability that can be replaced with judicious use of the quicksave feature in most cases since many traps are merely annoying rather than harmful. Be warned, however, that one particular type of trap will destroy the contents of the chest and another spawns an encounter with monsters that will rape your ass for the first half of the game or so. (As with chests appearing in the first place, some locks and/or traps are assigned at random. Thus, you may find that areas listed below as having such chests may not. It would seem that locked and trapped chests become more frequent as the game progresses, though I don't have any proof to back that up.) As far as skill level is concerned, there are only a few chests (listed below) require a Search level greater than one to find. Pick Locks and Disarm Traps, however, while basically just a straight-up roll against the RNG that you can keep trying if you fail (at least in the case of Pick Locks), eventually reach a success rate of zero as the game progresses and the "difficulty level" of locks and traps rises. A skill level of two (cheap and recommended) gives you at least some chance against most difficulties, while a skill level of three gives you a chance against everything but the highest difficulty setting. Abandoned Keep Find Chests (Lv.3) Estamir Tunnels Find Chests (Lv.3) Mt. Scurve Find Chests (Lv.2) Silver's Cave Find Chests (Lv.4) Bayre Plateau Pick Locks (?) Great Pit Pick Locks Melvir Sewers Pick Locks Mirsaburg Castle Pick Locks Mt. Scurve Pick Locks Abandoned Keep Disarm Traps Aquamarine Cave Disarm Traps Assassins' Guild Disarm Traps Elizabeth Palace Disarm Traps Isthmus Keep Disarm Traps (?) Kidnappers' Cave Disarm Traps *Mt. Tomae Disarm Traps Saoki Cavern Disarm Traps Silver's Cave Disarm Traps South Cave Disarm Traps (?) Vampire's Den Disarm Traps Desert Ruins Pick Locks & Disarm Traps Estamir Tunnels Pick Locks & Disarm Traps Frosthold Fortress Pick Locks & Disarm Traps Geckling Cave Pick Locks & Disarm Traps Isle of Evil Pick Locks & Disarm Traps Pagan Ruins Pick Locks & Disarm Traps Water Dragon Temple Pick Locks & Disarm Traps *This is an exception to the "Find Chests always" rule since Jump is required and it has ore to mine ---/-------------------------------------------\--------------------------------------------------------- | FIND HERBS (Search) + HARVEST (Gathering) | \-------------------------------------------/ These proficiencies allow you to find and harvest herbs on maps that have them (see list below). Higher skill levels will allow you to find more harvesting spots (Find Herbs) and obtain more/better herbs from them (Harvest). As with chests, herbs tend to appear at random and thus require multiple visits to a map to clear out. Herbs restock after a period of time, however, so you can keep going back for more. • Auldburg • Inner Jungle • *Mazewood • New Road • Plains (Ligau Isle) • Shiverland • Steppes Of Galessa Night-time only (seen during the Creepy Butterfly quest) Note that the quality of the herbs you find is based entirely on the current Battle Rank and has nothing to do with the location. The color of harvested herbs is randomly determined when you enter the map; if your Herbalist doesn't recognize it, then you will instead receive the corresponding generic herb. HERBALIST LV GENERIC COLOR ACTUAL COLOR ----------------------------------------- 1 Green Jade 1 Green Verdant 2 Blue Azure 2 Blue Indigo 3 Yellow Golden 3 Yellow Tawny 4 Red Crimson 4 Red Scarlet ---/--------------------------------------\-------------------------------------------------------------- | FIND ORE (Search) + MINE (Gathering) | \--------------------------------------/ Same as above, just replace "herbs" with "ore" and "Harvest" with "Mine" and remove the bits about the Herbalist class. As with herbs, getting better ore is tied to Battle Rank, not location. • Aurefont Mine (requires Find Ore lv. 5?) • Aquamarine Cave • Bayre Plateau • Desert Ruins • Drachenvale • Geckling Cave • Mt. Tomae • Plains Hollow • Saoki Cavern ---/-----------------------------------------------\----------------------------------------------------- | FIND TREASURE (SEARCH) + EXCAVATE (GATHERING) | \-----------------------------------------------/ The name of the "Find Treasure" proficiency is somewhat misleading, as it has nothing to do with finding treasure chests (that would be the "Find Chests" proficiency discussed above). Rather, it's used in conjunction with the "Treasure Map" item randomly dropped by monsters. Travel to the location specified on the map and then dick around until your "Find Treasure" sense tingles. Then use it and the "Excavate" proficiency similar to the Fire Herbs/Ore situations above. A skill level of 1 is sufficient for most of the game; it can potentially be higher later on. ---/---------------------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | FIND TRAPS (SEARCH) | \---------------------/ The name of this proficiency is *very* misleading. It has absolutely nothing to do with finding *actual* traps (the "Disarm Traps" proficiency does this automatically for trapped chests) and is used only to find a pair of hidden chests in the Geckling Cave and to get through Silver's Cave. To my knowledge, there is no need to possess a skill level greater than 1 for either purpose. ---/-------------------------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------- | JUMP & CLIMB (SURVIVAL) | \-------------------------/ The two Survival proficiencies are, along with the "Find Traps" proficiency, the only ones that can be actually required to progress through the maps that call for them (though they are just as often merely needed to access hidden chests). Below is a list of all areas that require survival skills. /-----------------------+---------------------------------------------\ | Area | Jump Climb Mandatory? | +-----------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Abandoned Keep | Lv.1 - - | | Aquamarine Cave | Lv.2 - Yes | | Bayre Plateau | - Lv.3-4 - | | Desert Ruins | Lv.2 - - | | Estamir Tunnels | Lv.2 - - | | Isle Of Evil | (Any Level) - ? | | Jewel Beast's Lair | Lv.1 Lv.1 Both | | Mt. Scurve | - Lv.2 / Lv.5 Climb Lv.2 | | Mt. Tomae | Lv.1 - Yes | | Saoki Cavern | Lv.2-3 Lv. 2-3 - | | South Cave | Lv.3 - (3rd Quest) | | Treasure Cave | Lv.4 Lv.3 - | | Water Dragon Temple | Lv.3 - - | | West Cave | Lv.2 - - | \-----------------------+---------------------------------------------/ ---/-------------------------------\--------------------------------------------------------------------- | LURK & MOVE SILENTLY (Covert) | \-------------------------------/ Perhaps the most important proficiencies in the game, if not the most useful, for a few reasons. First, they are the best/only way to avoid random encounters, which is important because if you fight every battle you get into, the game will progress to endgame levels much more quickly than your ability to complete quests. While I would advise first-time players not to worry too much about missing quests, especially given the New Game+ feature that encourages multiple playthroughs, I would also advise them to spam the ever-loving shit out of these two proficiencies throughout at least the first half of the game and to avoid getting into fights unless necessary. ENEMY TYPE STEALTH SKILL (LOOKS LIKE...) ---------------------------------------------------------- Demons Move Silently (Flying thingie that teleports) Plants Move Silently (Plant) Insects Move Silently (Bee) Aquatics Move Silently (Fish) Avians Lurk (Bird) Beastmen Lurk (Big, GRR-looking thing) Beasts Lurk (Wolf) Reptiles Lurk (Lizard) Undead Lurk (Zombie) Unknown Neither (Slow-moving slimey thing) Aside from avoiding encounters, the other main use of these proficiencies is earning jewels. You get one jewel for each proficiency used, and these two are by far the easiest way to burn through your remaining allotment whenever you're about to leave a hostile area. It may not seem like much at first, but believe me when I say that it adds up over time. Spamming these skills for jewels is also much quicker at lower levels of Covert since they wear off quicker, which coincides quite comfortably with the fact that the jewels you get from doing so are the most useful to buy low-level skills in the early game. ---/----------------------------------------\------------------------------------------------------------ | AMBUSH (Covert) & VIGILANCE (Survival) | \----------------------------------------/ These can be useful in conjunction with the above, but more likely will be used as replacements for them when you're not trying to avoid enemy encounters. Unlike Lurk and Move Silently, which are meant to be used together, Ambush and Vigilance are sort of an either-or deal since they both sort of do opposite things depending on your situation. Ambush is generally the more preferable of the two, as Vigilance would only prove useful if you're more likely to be attacked from behind rather than head on (in which case you're probably trying to avoid battles, and so you should stick with the evasion proficiencies). These skills use the same success probability chart as Pick Locks and Disarm Trap, substituting the difficulty level of the chest with the current battle rank. ---/-------------------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | TRADING (Trading) | \-------------------/ This one is the oddball of the lot. It allows you to exchange any items assigned to the trade window (accessible in the item menu via triangle) with monsters for various other items, the value of which will increase with your battle rank. Monsters willing to trade show up as Green and will not initiate fights as long as Trade is the currently selected proficiency. Higher level increases success rates for trades listed as grey (trades listed as white always succeed) and allows you to recognize higher value items; unidentified ones will simply show up as their category (Minerals, Leather items, etc.). Note that monsters will always take the most valuable item in the trade window, although this is modified to account for their preferred item type (the undead, for example, favor cloth items). (Note that levels in the trading skill - which have the above-mentioned benefits - shouldn't be confused with levels in the trading *class*, which increase the chances of being able to trade at all.) ========================================================================================================= 7. EVENT RANK & QUEST NOTES ========================================================================================================= Because Romancing SaGa is an open-ended game that eschews traditional leveling, it needs a metric by which to judge how powerful you are. For each battle fought and won (retreating doesn't count), the game awards you a randomly-determined number of "rank points" depending on how powerful the enemies defeated were (stronger enemies = more points). Rank points serve to raise two independent metrics over time: the "battle rank", which determines how strong enemy encounters are; and the "event rank", which determines which quests are available to you. This guide is mostly concerned with the second one. Whenever you enter a town from the world map (re-entering Melvir from the sewers, for example, doesn't count), the game tallies up your rank points and then raises the event rank - or just ER for short - as necessary. This causes certain quests to become available, while others may shut off. One of the primary reasons I wrote this guide is to gently nudge new players in the direction of the game's time-sensitive quests while spoiling as little as possible for them. Keeping track of your ER is a simple matter despite the fact that it's a hidden statistic. All you need to do is find one of those obnoxious "Volunteer Brigade" shits (there's one in every town) and ask them for help - one new topic gets added per ER as detailed below: o-------o-----------------------------------------o-------o---------------------------------o | ER 1 | What are proficiencies? | ER 11 | Weapons & Shields | | ER 2 | I want more money | ER 12 | Modes | | ER 3 | How do I get more jewels? | ER 13 | Blacksmithing II | | ER 4 | School me in techniques and spells | ER 14 | Concoctions II | | ER 5 | There's a chest I can't reach | ER 15 | Synthesizing Spells | | ER 6 | *(See "Advanced" menu past this point) | ER 16 | Ambush | | ER 7 | Stuns, Shocks, & Snares | ER 17 | Lurking & Moving Silently | | ER 8 | Vendors | ER 18 | Trading | | ER 9 | Herbs & Ore | ER 19 | Blacksmithing III | | ER 10 | Classes | ER 20 | Final Secrets | o-------o-----------------------------------------o-------o---------------------------------o *Neville's Request and Stolen Nymphs become available here; there's no other way to tell In addition to ER requirements, some quests also require certain characters to be present (or, in some cases, not present). Notes on those characters are listed below, followed by notes on all related and missable quests. I recommend looking it over as not only is this a mostly spoiler-free guide, but the majority of the quests that are discussed are ones found in the early game that help get you familiar with how the the game likes to send quests your way. And on that note... My closing advice in this section is an old bit of RPG wisdom that holds very true in this game: talk to everybody. More specifically, talk to people that you wouldn't expect to be relevant to any quests, such as shopkeepers and priests. Pubs are a particularly rich source of quests, and The Minstrel will often tell tales relevant to current or available quests that can help nudge you in the right direction. Bear in mind that the Romancing SaGa series is notorious for requiring you to go to unexpected/unintuitive places to trigger and/or continue quests with with little to nothing leading you there. Considering that and that new quests are always becoming available as others are completed and as your ER rises, the best advice is again to travel to as many places as you can and talk to as many people as you can - even if they didn't have anything interesting to say before and don't seem like they ever will. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARACTER NOTES ---/--------\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Albert | \--------/ Albert is required to enter Crystal Palace (see notes on Neidhart below) until "Find The Aquamarine" has been triggered. He cannot be recruited if Diana is with you. If you are playing as Albert, the Valhalland Monsters quest (see notes on Sif) is unavailable. ---/-------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Aisha | \-------/ Aisha is *not* required for the "Missing Taralians" quest; however, you won't get the quest notes unless you recruit her before ER 7 and then visit the camp with her in your party. If you're playing as Aisha, "Missing Taralians" can be triggered immediately if you were kidnapped in her introduction. ---/---------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Barbara | \---------/ Needed to unlock a huge chunk of the map, most notably Tarmitta (difficult to access otherwise) and the entire Frontier region (impossible to access otherwise). Further, the Amethyst that she comes equipped with is required to unlock Faerie's Grove (both the place and the quest of the same name). You'll need to recruit Barb ASAP if you want to do "Unsettling Settlements" (see quest notes below); the easiest way is to enter/exit the pub at Altours or Crystal City until she appears. If you're playing as Jamil, Barbara won't appear until you've completed the "Wuhan's Secret" quest, at which point you can find her in the pub at South Estamir. ---/---------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Claudia | \---------/ See "Eule Gives A Hoot" quest notes below. ---/-------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Diana | \-------/ Cannot be recruited if Albert is in your party (and vise versa, as noted above). She can't get you into Crystal Palace like Albert can (oddly enough), which means that you can't complete "Find the Aquamarine" with her in your party unless it's already been triggered. ---/-------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Farah | \-------/ See "Wuhan's Secret" quest notes below. Note that getting her to join permanently isn't available until later on (ER 12); she also cannot be recruited by Jamil. ---/------\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Gian | \------/ See "Neville's Request" quest notes below. ---/-----------\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Guella Ha | \-----------/ Required to complete the "Free The Gecklings" quest. It has no ER shutoff, but completing it is required to trigger another quest that is related to a time-sensitive one (see notes on Hawke below). ---/-------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Hawke | \-------/ Hawke has an item related to a time-sensitive quest that he won't mention unless you recruit him after being told that he's carrying it after completing the above-mentioned "Free The Gecklings" quest. If you are playing as Hawke, then this item is obtained by purchasing it after completing "Free The Gecklings". ---/----------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Neidhart | \----------/ To obtain Mirsa's Armor and/or recruit the Dragon Knight, you either need to have Neidhart in your party for the "Dragon Knight" quest or have just never met him at all. Note that option B means that you can't trigger the "Find the Aquamarine" quest (see notes below) nor can Neidhart give you additional notes for "Test of Courage" (they aren't required for completion). Meeting Neidhart requires entry to Crystal Palace (which requires Albert). ---/---------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Raphael | \---------/ See "Pride of the Knights" quest notes below. Note that getting him to join permanently isn't available until *much* later on (ER 18 at the earliest). ---/-----\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Sif | \-----/ Sif is required to unlock the Valhalland region. She's also needed to trigger the "Valhalland Monsters" quest, although she is not required to complete it or to trigger subsequent runs of it; this quest is repeatable once per ER, making it a good way to earn a lot of extra jewels if you keep at it (although the third attempt will see the difficulty ramp up well beyond what an ER 4-era team is capable of). If you're playing as Sif, this is the first quest you're given and is required to progress. This makes the "Unsettling Settlements" quest (see below) extremely difficult to complete if you're playing as Sif due to how hard it is to avoid battles in Shiverland. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST NOTES ---/----------------\-----------------------------------------------------------/---------\-------------- | Ailing Emperor | | ER 9-13 | \----------------/ \---------/ See notes on Guella Ha & Hawke above. Also see notes on "Pirate Invasion" and "Isle of Evil" below. ---/---------------\------------------------------------------------------------/---------\-------------- | Ancient Texts | | ER 1-22 | \---------------/ \---------/ This quest cannot be completed in the *extremely* unlikely scenario that you reduce your favor with Eres and/or Amut to 0 (see "GODS, FAVOR & THE ENDGAME" section below) until you take action to rectify it. ---/---------------------\------------------------------------------------------/---------\-------------- | Constance Kidnapped | | ER 9-17 | \---------------------/ \---------/ How this quest is triggered depends on how/if "Pride of the Knights" (see below) was completed. Failing to trigger and complete this quest will result in a later quest becoming unavailable. ---/-------------------\--------------------------------------------------------/----------\------------- | Eule Gives A Hoot | | ER 6*/8+ | \-------------------/ \----------/ Trigger by paying for a room at an inn (resting in the lobby doesn't work) with Claudia in your party at ER 8 or higher *or* after having completed Neville's Request (see notes below). This quest removes Brau and Sylvan from the party if you're playing as Claudia; doing it early makes getting good completion on Pride of the Knights (which closes at ER 7) easier for her by freeing up some party space. (Alternatively, a much easier way to get rid of Sylvan and Brau even earlier on is to LP-kill them.) ---/------------------------\---------------------------------------------------/-------\---------------- | The Fiends of Saoki | | ER 4+ | \------------------------/ \-------/ Although there is no cutoff date for completion of this quest, it may be no longer possible to trigger later in the game if a certain other quest is not finished in a timely manner. ---/---------------------\------------------------------------------------------/----------\------------- | Find The Aquamarine | | ER 11-15 | \---------------------/ \----------/ Triggering this quest requires recruiting Albert (see notes on him above) and meeting Neidhart (ditto). Doing so is not necessary to obtain the Aquamarine or to complete the quest by giving it to Neidhart, but the Aquamarine still disappears after ER 15 when the quest shuts off. If you complete the quest and get a reward (see notes on the reward in the section below), you give up the Aquamarine. ---/--------------------------------------------\-------------------------------/--------\--------------- | Innkeeper's Daughter & A Suspicious Demise | | ER 1-4 | \--------------------------------------------/ \--------/ These are a pair of early-game quests in Melvir that are related to one another; you'll need to trigger the former before completing the latter or else you'll miss out on it. ---/--------------\-------------------------------------------------------------/---------\-------------- | Isle Of Evil | | ER 9-18 | \--------------/ \---------/ Aside from the ER cutoff, this quest requires you to have completed "Ailing Emperor". ---/-----------------\----------------------------------------------------------/-----------\------------ | The Jewel Beast | | ER 10-(*) | \-----------------/ \-----------/ This one is rather complicated. Triggering it has one of the shortest windows of any quest in the game, expanding the window for completion involves jumping through a few quest-sized hoops, and finishing it isn't particularly easy even once you've pushed the deadline back to its limit. To begin, you must first complete either the Assassin's Guild or Aquatic Ecology quests, both of which become available at ER 10. Either will grant you access to the necessary location, though only the latter (and probably the harder option of the two) will give you the quest notes. Note that you can still get the quest notes so long as Aquatic Ecology is completed before this quest is. The goal of this quest is to defeat the titular monster before ER 13, though that deadline can be pushed back to ER 18 if certain steps are taken. What you must do is complete the three quests in the Frontier region - Unsettling Settlements, The Fiends Of Saoki, and Return Of The Vampires - and fight all of the scripted battles in each. Then, travel to the area unlocked by completing either the Assassin's Guild or Aquatic Ecology quests. There will be five fixed encounters in this area: four pillars and a fifth group of cockatrices and beasts. For each battle that you fight, the deadline gets pushed back by one ER. ---/-------------------\--------------------------------------------------------/-------\---------------- | Missing Taralians | | ER 7+ | \-------------------/ \-------/ See notes on Aisha above. ---/-------------------\--------------------------------------------------------/-------\---------------- | Neville's Request | | ER 6+ | \-------------------/ \-------/ This quest requires you to have completed at least one of Raid on the Depository or A Suspicious Demise unless you are playing as Claudia and have met Gray, It's also unavailable if Gian is in your party; you need to kick him out if he is (you can get him back afterward if you want). It can be triggered at ER 6 and has no shutoff, but "Ailing Emperor" (ER 9-13) takes precedence over it. Claudia in particular has incentive to do this quest ASAP (see "Eule Gives A Hoot" above). Note that there's no way to tell the difference between ER 5 and 6 by speaking with the volunteer squad; your only indication will be the availability of this quest and "Stolen Nymphs" (the latter is a very obvious indicator as it involves an obnoxious bitch who pesters you in every port town you visit). ---/-----------------\----------------------------------------------------------/-----------\------------ | Pirate Invasion | | ER (*)-22 | \-----------------/ \-----------/ Can be proactively triggered at ER 14-15 or any time after completing "Ailing Emperor", which will later allow you to access Pirate Coast. If not manually triggered by ER 16, Pirate Coast will no longer be accessible (though the quest itself will still trigger automatically up until the endgame). ---/----------------------\-----------------------------------------------------/--------\--------------- | Pride Of The Knights | | ER 3-7 | \----------------------/ \--------/ Trigger this quest by speaking with Heinrich at Eugenstat. For good completion, you need two free spots in your party. Note that you don't need to actually finish the quest with the two new characters in your party - you just need to recruit them. How you complete this quest will determine how "Constance Kidnapped" (see above) is triggered. If you decline to do this quest (which is different than just never triggering it), then "Constance Kidnapped" and the later quest that depends on it will be unavailable. ---/----------------\-----------------------------------------------------------/----------\------------- | The Soulgutter | | ER 10-22 | \----------------/ \----------/ While technically missable, triggering this quest isn't particularly difficult. In fact, it's something that many players will do without even realizing it - all you need to do speak to the Minstrel if you happen to stop by Uso during the harvest festival. The aggravatingly obtuse aspect of this quest is the follow-through, as you won't be able to do anything about it right away. Rather, you'll need to return to Uso every ER and speak with the villagers until one of them tells you something that will advance it. ---/------------------------\---------------------------------------------------/--------\--------------- | Raid On The Depository | | ER 3-5 | \------------------------/ \--------/ Early-game quest triggered by entering Aurefont at ER 3-5. If you're playing as Claudia, you can trigger this quest immediately after meeting Gian at Melvir. ---/-------------------------\--------------------------------------------------/-----------\------------ | Return Of The Vampires | | ER 10-22* | \-------------------------/ \-----------/ As with "Fiends Of Saoki" (see above), the lack of a cutoff date is somewhat misleading as failure to finish a certain other quest in a timely manner will make this quest impossible to trigger later on. ---/------------------------\---------------------------------------------------/--------\--------------- | Unsettling Settlements | | ER 0-2 | \------------------------/ \--------/ This quest shuts off after ER 2 (i.e. damn near immediately) and requires you to get Barbara (see notes on her above) to access the Frontier region. You'll need to go to Weston (via the New Road) and talk to someone there to access Yassi. In Yassi, talk to a woman there to trigger the quest. Note that Barbara comes with the Lurk proficiency, which is extremely helpful in avoiding fights to keep your ER low while getting to this quest. It's probably not a horrible idea to go ahead and invest in the "Move Silently" proficiency while you're at it, especially if you plan on keeping Barbara around. Also note that triggering this quest is nearly impossible for Sif due to her starting position unless you're playing a New Game+ and have unlocked a certain character with immediate access to these abilities. ---/----------------\-----------------------------------------------------------/--------\--------------- | Wuhan's Secret | | ER 0-5 | \----------------/ \--------/ Early-game quest triggered in South Estamir; Farah can't be recruited later on unless you complete it. Don't kill Wuhan or you'll screw yourself out of some later rewards (see "Water Dragon Rite" below). ---/---------------------\------------------------------------------------------/---------\-------------- | Valhalland Monsters | | ER 0-21 | \---------------------/ \---------/ See notes on Sif above. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUEST ITEMS & REWARDS ---/---------------------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | A Suspicious Demise | \---------------------/ The reward for the latter quest includes your choice of a Silver Fluret (weapon), Chain Mail (armor), or 2,000 GP. The Chain Mail is great heavy armor for most of the game and is worth almost twice as much as the gold reward - it's probably the best deal by a long shot unless you really need the money. ---/-------------------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Water Dragon Rite | \-------------------/ The reward for this quest includes your choice of the Wisteria (weapon), Battle Mage Armor (armor), or 5,000 GP. The Wisteria is a unique item and the best bow in the game short of a fully-tempered Kjar Bow. Else, the Battle Mage Armor is worth slightly more than 5,000 GP, though it compares unfavorably with a much cheaper Sage Robe in terms of both weight and stat boosts. Note that these rewards are not available if you kill Wuhan in "Wuhan's Secret"; you also must trigger the quest in South Estamir instead of North Estamir (the latter results in a reward of 1,000 GP). ---/---------------------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Find The Aquamarine | \---------------------/ The reward for this quest includes your choice of a Halberd (weapon), Field Plate (armor), or 8,000 GP. Field Plate is the best buyable armor in the game (and one of the best pieces of armor overall) and is worth well more than 8,000 GP. The Halberd, although the best buyable pole arm, is a bit of a ripoff as it's worth only marginally more than 8,000 GP and is outdone by another weapon you'll find later on. ---/----------------\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Ailing Emperor | \----------------/ The reward for this quest includes your choice of the Espada Ropera (weapon), A'la Melvirana (armor), or 10,000 GP. The A'la Melvirana is - arguably - the best heavy armor in the game and the next-best choice (Field Plate) costs more than the 10,000 GP reward. The Espada Ropera, although worth considerably less than 10,000 GP, is the strongest foil in the game and is worth it if one of your character uses them. ---/-------------\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Quest Items | \-------------/ The following quest items can be safely sold or dumped once their quest is completed: • Ancient Texts • Avi's Feather • Corpse's Pendant • Noctilucense Grass ========================================================================================================= 8. GODS, FAVOR, & THE ENDGAME ========================================================================================================= Raising favor with gods increases the damage boost from their associated vortexes and allows for them to grant you benedictions in battle if your favor with them is high enough and certain conditions are met. More importantly, it also determines which one of the three endgame quests you get. Favor with gods is raised by buying spells from their temples, fighting in certain areas, executing vortexes, and by your actions in certain quests. Favor is lowered by getting benedictions or by raising your total favor with all gods over the maximum value of 1,000, thus causing them all to re-average. Benedictions are a special event that may occur during a battle that will greatly turn the tide in the player's favor. The effect differs depending on the god, and the trigger condition is generally that a character or characters is/are in dire need of that effect. Benedictions are more likely the higher your favor with a god is (a minimum of 200 is required) and are twice as likely if you are fighting in one of their favored regions (see chart below) or if you are in a "boss" fight. Benedictions from the evil gods have no trigger conditions aside from the requisite favor and the stipulation that you are not battling "evil" enemies (i.e. demons, undead, minions, etc.) /-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | GOD | TEMPLE(S) REGION(S) VORTEX VORTEX REQUIREMENTS | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Elore | Melvir Dry Lands The Wheel 5 chars: F-B-B-M-M(*) | | | Rosalia *Must attack in that order | | | Bafal | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Nisa | Crystal City Dry Lands The Stallion 3-5 chars, same row | | | Rosalia Attack w/ "movement" techs | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Amut | North Estamir Kjaraht The Scissors 2 chars, same row | | | Walon Isle Attack w/ "movement" techs | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Eres | - Black Sea The Scissors (See above) | | | Frontier | | | Valhalland | | | Walon Isle | | | Bafal | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Cyril | - Black Sea The Demon 3 chars: F-M-B (any order) | | | Frontier Attack w/ spells | | | Bafal | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Yucomb | Melvir Coral Sea The Dragon 3 chars: F-M-B (in order) | | | South Estamir Valhalland Attack w/ same attack type | | | Rosalia (Quest-related; has higher | | | Bafal priority than The Pillar) | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Mirsa | Crystal City Knight's Dominion The Phantom 4 chars: F-M-B-M(*) | | | *Any order where both M's | | | are separated by 1 space | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Saruin | - Walon Isle The Pillar 3 chars: F-F-(M/B) / M-M-B | | | Rosalia Attack w/ anything except | | | Bafal for "movement" techs | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Death | - Ligau Isle The Pillar (See above) | +-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Shirach | - Kjaraht The Pillar (See above) | \-----------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Note that only temples and quest actions will raise your favor with a god if your favor with them is at zero. This is a non-issue for the most part since it's very difficult to lower favor to zero and, aside from the three evil gods, every character starts out with some favor with them all. The only characters who have initial favor with the evil gods are Jamil (Saruin only), Hawke (possibry), and Gray. As far as the endgame is concerned, your favor with the "neutral" gods doesn't matter: only that with Elore (the "good" god) and Death/Saruin/Shirach (evil) do. You'll get the "good" ending if your favor with Elore is over 200; since many quests raise favor with Elore, this is the one you'll likely get if you finish a lot of them - especially if you're playing as Barbara, Gray, or (especially) Albert, who start out with more favor with Elore than the other characters do. You'll get the "evil" ending if your favor with any one of the evil gods is over 200 and you don't qualify for the "good" ending, else you'll receive the "neutral" ending if neither of these requirements are met. Since most characters start out with no favor with the evil gods and the evil gods don't have temples, getting the evil ending hinges on the select few quests that raise favor with them. More realistically, you will get this quest via your actions in one specific quest: killing a certain character scores you the requisite 200 points of favor provided that character was at any point ever in your party. Once you get "locked" into either the good or evil endings, it's very difficult to undo since the only ways to lower your favor with gods is by triggering benedictions or by raising the fuck out of your favor with other gods until it gets re-averaged down. Avoiding the evil ending is a fairly simple matter as discussed above - as for the good ending, the list of quests to consider avoiding include: • Frosthold Fortress • Isle Of Evil • Raid On The Depository • Silver's Treasure • The Soulgutter • Theodore's Madness • The Underwater Temple • *An Unlucky Woman *This quest can only be completed in New Game+ mode ========================================================================================================= 9. APPENDIX ========================================================================================================= • All Bow techs are DEX-based except for: Splash Shot (STR) Power Shot (STR) Plasma Shot (STR) Zapper (STR) Phoenix Arrow (INT) • All Foil/Short Sword techs are DEX-based except for: Artful Slash (STR) Blood Rage (STR) Cutting Lunge (STR; Surge/Reverse = AGI) Double Slash (STR) Impact Slash (STR) Hawke Blade (STR) Knee Split (STR) Resonance Edge (STR) Shimmering Slash (STR) Sonic Slash (STR) Time Lapse (STR) Blitz (AGI) Kaleidescope (AGI) Roundabout (AGI) Insight (WIL; Short Sword only) • All Martial Arts techs are STR-based except for: Disrupt Air (AGI) Drunken Strike (AGI) Rocket Spear (AGI; Surge/Reverse = STR) Silent Assassin (AGI) Triple Dragon (AGI) Second Wind (COM; Reverse = INT) Nine Marks (WIL) • Non-STR techs for all other weapons: Grasshopper (DEX - Lance/Pole Arm) Split Cranium (DEX - Lance/Pole Arm) Spin Thrust (DEX - Foil/Lance/Staff) Mega Thrust (DEX - Foil/Short Sword/Long Sword/Lance) Blitz (AGI - Foil/Short Sword/Staff) Charge (AGI - Pole Arm) Charging Slash (AGI - Pole Arm/Great Sword/2H Sword/Club/Katana) Stardust (AGI - Lance) Switch Back (AGI - Pole Arm/Long Sword/Great Sword/Hand Axe/2H Axe/Club/Katana) Time And Tide (AGI - Staff) Perforate* (AGI - Foil/Short Sword/Long Sword/Scimitar) Cross-Cut Lunge* (AGI - Foil/Short Sword/Long Sword/Scimitar) No Rhythm* (AGI - Long Sword/Great Sword/2-Handed Sword/Katana) Lightning Speed* (AGI - Long Sword/Great Sword/2-Handed Sword/Katana) Insight (WIL - Short Sword/Long Sword/Scimitar/Katana) *These are the surges/reverses of the STR-based Cutting Lunge and Running Slash techs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AERIAL TECHS • ALL Bow Techs • Demilune (Scimitar) • Flyby (Hand Axe) • Shimmering Slash (Foil, Short Sword, Long Sword) • Throw (Lance) • Throw Axe (Hand Axe) • Triple Star (Foil, Short Sword) • Twin Dragon (Pole Arm, Lance) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /-------------\ /-------------------------------------------| MELEE TECHS |-------------------------------------\ | FAST \-------------/ SLOW | +--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------+ | Arm of Light (Great Sword/Katana/Lance) | Aim (Lance) | | Axle Spin (2H Sword/2H Axe/Club) | Divine Lancer (Pole Arm/Lance) | | Blitz (Foil/Short Sword/Staff) | Still Blade (Long Sword/Great Sword) | | Good Timing (Great Sword/2H Sword/Katana) | | | Puncture (Pole Arm) | | | Sonic Slash (Foil/Short Sword/Long Sword) | | | Shimmering Slash (Foil/Short Sword/Long Sword) | | | Throw (Lance) | | \--------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------/ /----------------+---------------\ /----------------------+----------------\ /-----| FAST | SLOW | | FAST | SLOW |-----\ | B +----------------+---------------+ +----------------------+----------------+ A | | O | Instant Shot | Aimed Shot | | Disrupt Air | Jackhammer | R | | W | Maiming Volley | Phoenix Arrow | | Whirlwind Knife Hand*| Raksha | T | | S | | Sidewinder | | Swift Thrust* | Shimmer Strike | S | \-----| | Sparrow Shot | | | Square Throw |-----/ | | | | | Suplex | \----------------+---------------/ \----------------------+----------------/ *These are the reverses of the Rocket Spear and Knife Hand Strike techniques --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | PHYSICAL STATUS INFLICT/RESIST MAX DURATION DESCRIPTION | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Darkness DEX / VIT 8 rounds Accuracy is halved | | Poison DEX / VIT 12 rounds Lose HP at the end of each round | | Paralysis DEX / VIT 12 rounds Can't act | | Unconscious DEX / VIT 32 rounds Can't act | | Sleep INT / VIT 16 rounds Can't act; goes away if hit | | Nightmare INT / VIT 16 rounds Sleep + Confusion when awakened | | Petrification INT / VIT 60 rounds Can't act | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MENTAL STATUS INFLICT/RESIST MAX DURATION DESCRIPTION | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Curse WIL / WIL 8 rounds Lowers all stats | | Berserk WIL / WIL 16 rounds Can't use spells; physical damage up | | Phobia INT / WIL 16 rounds 50% chance of not acting each round | | Confusion INT / WIL 12 rounds Uncontrollable; attacks allies (?) | | Charm CHA / CHA 16 rounds Like Confusion, but worse (?) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | OTHER INFLICT/RESIST MAX DURATION DESCRIPTION | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Snare INT / AGI 1 round Can't use movement-type attacks | | Shock INT / WIL 1 round Can't use spells | | Stun DEX / AGI 1 round Can't act | | Stat Down DEX / AGI (see below) (see below) | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The effectiveness of Stat Down attacks is determined by the attacker's DEX vs. the target's AGI, whereas Stat Up abilities are percentage-based and therefore more effective the higher the target's base stats (equipment mods don't count). Both Stat Up and Stat Down can be stacked for greater effect, but can't go any lower than 0 or higher than 100 above the base. Stat Up and Stat Down effects will cancel each other out if one hits a target under the influence of the other; the effects of both otherwise gradually wear off at the end of each turn, or completely if the target is rendered inactive (or if the battle ends). ========================================================================================================= 10. CONCLUSION ========================================================================================================= • Thanks to Feathermind because he knows everything about this game --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm afraid that's all we know, gentlemen.