Vagrant Story - Miscellaneous Guide Version 0.1
The U.S. Version of Vagrant Story for PSX

By Dan GC (Guardian Cloud) <[email protected]>

When Made: 07/22/00 06:38 PM PT
Last Updated: 07/22/00 06:38 PM PT
Document Information: 239 K (244, 796) bytes
                     Designed for, at least, IE 3 or NN 3 at 640x480
                     Resolution and Courier New font enabled
                     244, 796 characters (letters, numbers, etc.)

 Vagrant Story was...
Created by: Square
Licensed by: SquareSoft
Published by: Square EA
Released: May 2000

 Okay, if you have any comments, questions, corrections, or any other
things you can add to this, E-mail them to <LB Dan [email protected]>
_________________
Table of Contents
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1.  Updates
2.  Introduction to Vagrant Story
   1. Legend
   2. Controls
   3. Screen
   4. Menu
      - MAGIC
      - BREAK ARTS
      - BATTLE ABILITIES
      - ITEMS
      - STATUS
      - MAP
      - DATA
      - OPTIONS
      - SCORE
      - QUICK MANUAL
        A. Basic Controls
        B. Game Modes
        C. Status
        D. Damage Effects
        E. RISK Effects
        F. Learning Magic
        G. Chain Abilities
        H. Defense Abilities
        I. Break Arts
        J. Puzzle Cubes
        K. Arms and Armor
        L. Simple Map
        M. Area Map
        N. READ ME!
   5. The Workshops
      - Combining
        A. Useful Info
        B. Hagane, Silver, Damascus
        C. Combination Tables
           * WEAPONS *
           * ARMOR *
3.  MAGIC
   1. Warlock (ATT)
   2. Shaman (REC)
   3. Sorceror (AID)
   4. Enchanter (AFF)
   5. Teleportation
4.  BREAK ARTS
   1.  Dagger
   2.  Sword
   3.  Great Sword
   4.  Axe & Mace
   5.  Great Axe
   6.  Staff
   7.  Heavy Mace
   8.  Polearm
   9.  Crossbow
   10. Bare Hands
5.  BATTLE ABILITIES
   1. Chain Abilities
      - Quick Tips
   2. Defense Abilities
      - Quick Tips
6.  ITEMS
   1. Weapons
   2. Blades
   3. Grips
   4. Shields
   5. Armor
   6. Gems
   7. Misc
7.  AREAS
8.  SCORE
   *  Riskbreaker Rank
   1. Title
   2. Gazette
   3. Record Time
   4. Encyclopaedia
9.  Strategy, Hints, and Tips
10. Secrets
11. Ending Credits
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Special Thanks
14. Author Information

Copyright Disclaimer:

Unpublished Work Copyright © 2000 Dan GC

 This FAQ is for private and personal use only. It may only be
reproduced electronically, and if placed on a Web Page or Site, may be
altered as long as this Disclaimer and the above Copyright Notice
appears in full. This FAQ is not to be used for profitable/promotional
purposes; this includes being used by publishers of magazines, guides,
book, etc. or being incorporated into magazines, etc. in ANY way without
Full Authorization from me and any cohorts I may have.
  Vagrant Story and Squaresoft are Registered Trademarks and Copyright
© to Square Co., Ltd. Any other things are Copyright to their rightful
owners.

 This FAQ was created and is owned by me, Danny Duong <[email protected]>
All Copyrights and Trademarks are acknowledged that are not
specifically mentioned in this FAQ. Please give credit where it is due.

 If you would like to print these document, save it as a Text Document
on your Hard Drive first, then open WordPad (if you have it), then
change the font to a more suitable one, such as Times New Roman with the
size of 10, take out unnecessary things, then print it afterwards.

This FAQ should only be found at:
________________________________________________________________________
GameFAQs                              www.gamefaqs.com
________________________________________________________________________
Part 1:  Updates
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Version 0.1 07/22/00:
 First Edition
________________________________________________________________________
Part 2:  Introduction to Vagrant Story
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 Vagrant Story...most importantly, this game tries to resemble that of
real life. Which means if you need to know something, just use common
sense. The problem is...common sense is very uncommon. From what I've
seen, some people have a lot of trouble with something easier than they
think. They make it seem so hard, but if they consider and think about
all of the facts, it is actually easier. Also, sometimes it helps if
they tried different things. This applies to everyone.
 This game takes up 3 Slots on a Memory Card. The game manual explains
in more detail of the game features, but I try to help people understand
it a bit more in here. The game also has a "Quick Manual" which you can
always refer to as long as you have access to the Menu. I've typed it up
in here for those who have yet to play/see the game. This also helps
people who haven't played Vagrant Story yet get a little preview.

______________________________________________________________________
|My REVIEW for "Vagrant Story":                               |
|______________________________________________________________________|
|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|  Vagrant Story is a wonderful RPG. It's not a typical RPG and so     |
|steers away from the turn-based battle system. Depending on how much  |
|you want to do in this game, the longer it'll take for you to finish  |
|playing it. That also determines how long it'll take you to beat the  |
|game on first play. If you're reckless, you can be killed. You may    |
|also be killed if you're unprepared for an attack.                    |
|                                                                      |
|Alright, now for my ratings:                                          |
|                                                                      |
|Graphics: 10                                                          |
|  I would give it a 9, but the PSX could handle no more and it's been |
|used to its max, so it's only fair to give it a 10. Well, the graphics|
|are superb. Compared to, say...PS2 graphics, it's okay. The polygons  |
|are not blocky, everything has details, and if you can't see something|
|then most likely you aren't supposed to.                              |
|                                                                      |
|Audio/Video stuff: 10                                                 |
|  Music is by Hitoshi Sakimoto, the guy responsible for Final Fantasy |
|Tactics. But this time, he's not with Masaharu Iwata, the other guy   |
|responsible for music for Final Fantasy Tactics. This means 100%      |
|instrumental music. Instrumental music composed greatly sounds        |
|wonderful (in this case, it is). The sounds match whatever the current|
|setting you are currently in. There is only one FMV in the game and   |
|that's the intro. This doesn't mean the graphics in the game are bad, |
|because they aren't (see above).                                      |
|                                                                      |
|Gameplay: 9                                                           |
|  I would give it a 10, but the problem is it isn't perfect (for all  |
|people as a whole) because it seems some first-time players have a    |
|difficult time with this game. I can't see why, though. The game tries|
|to resemble that of real life, so take some things in real life and   |
|put it in this game. Try it when you come upon something difficult in |
|this game and the problem will be so much more simpler. Take the case |
|of blade types: Blunt, Edged, and Piercing. Blunt is used to smash or |
|break things in pieces. Edged is used to slice things apart. And      |
|Piercing is used to cut away flesh and rip it apart.                  |
|  Considering all of that, you can choose what blade type to use      |
|against certain enemies. Something made of bones is easily broken     |
|apart, so use a Blunt weapon against them. Edged can easily cut a     |
|living thing's body parts away as well as slice through bone, so it   |
|works well against living things/skeletons. Something with thick,     |
|scaly skin is difficult to smash or cut, so use a Piercing weapon     |
|against it. Also, armor with any holes in them can be stabbed through,|
|thus hurting the enemy. A Piercing weapon works well here, too.       |
|                                                                      |
|Controls: 10                                                          |
|  The controls are really simple and have no complications. What's    |
|better is there is a Shortcut Menu for access to eight different      |
|parts of the menu: MISC Items, Defense Abilities, Chain Abilities,    |
|Break Arts, Shaman Magic, Sorcerer Magic, Warlock Magic, and Enchanter|
|Magic. This relieves you of the time it takes to go through the menu  |
|and such.                                                             |
|                                                                      |
|Fun: 9                                                                |
|  Vagrant Story is just a blast to play. There's so much you can do,  |
|and then some. Killing a boss with a high-numbered Chain combo...it's |
|just killer. And what's good is the game has replay value: testing you|
|to do things you couldn't do in the first time you played and trying  |
|to beat any records you have. None of it is really necessary, but it  |
|gives you bragging rights if you can do/get everything.               |
|                                                                      |
|Story: 10                                                             |
|  Excellently developed story, featuring as its main characters Ashley|
|Riot, Sydney Losstarot, and Romeo Guildenstern. You take control of   |
|Ashley Riot, a Riskbreaker for the Valendia Knights of Peace (i.e. an |
|agent). As you go through Léa Monde you discover more about Ashley's  |
|past and the history of Léa Monde, and then some.                     |
|  What's even better is the game gives way to a sequel, which can have|
|so much more and almost anything. But you have to know the story for  |
|this game first, and then you can see why.                            |
|                                                                      |
|Overall: 9                                                            |
|  It's almost there to a 10, but not quite. Only 9 and two-thirds.    |
|This game certainly deserves it, but the sales aren't quite high      |
|many people aren't used to this kind of RPG. Another problem may be   |
|that it wasn't endorsed as much. Whatever the reason, if you're       |
|thinking about this game, then you should BUY IT! Forget RENTING IT!  |
|Just BUY IT! What's so bad about it? Nothing? What's so hard about it?|
|If you aren't very smart (common-sense and logic), then it might be   |
|difficult. As long as you know what's going on and what you're doing, |
|you should be fine. So, as I said, consider BUYING THIS GAME if you   |
|haven't already.                                                      |
|  Some people have trouble because realism is tried to be put in this |
|game, and it's too complicated for them. Then they complain about the |
|story and yet they probably haven't even finished the game to know    |
|what the actual story is. Also, a few have said you will spend most of|
|your time in Workshops (a place where you get to combine stuff, etc.),|
|but that's them.                                                      |
|                                                                      |
|Different personalities = different styles of play.                   |
|                                                                      |
|Reviewer's Score: 9 / 10                                              |
|______________________________________________________________________|
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_______________________________________
        2.1: Legend
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        []     Square button
         O     Circle button
        /\     Triangle button
         X     X button
        L1     L1 button
        R1     R1 button
        L2     L2 button
        R2     R2 button
     D-Pad     Directional Pad
Left Stick     Left Analog Stick
Right Stick     Right Analog Stick
_______________________________________
        2.2: Controls
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Controls:

  UL  U  UR       Up-Left        Up           Up-Right
    \ | /
 L -- N -- R      Left           Neutral      Right
    / | \
  DL  D  DR       Down-Left      Down         Down-Right
________________________________________________________
Normal Mode Controls:

  Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Move + grip (hanging)
|_   _|         climb (climbing)
  |_|  - Change perspective in Free-look mode

*Press in the direction in which to climb, and Ashley will grip and
 climb up.

 Right stick - Free-look

 SELECT button       START button
 |¯¯| - Zoom in      l> - Free-look
  ¯¯  - Zoom out        - Skip demo

*Press the SELECT button to change the screen display size.

 O button - Execute command
          - Draw weapon (enter Battle Mode)

 X button - Cancel
          - Open doors and treasure chests
          - Move cubes (push, carry, place)
          - End Free-look mode

 [] button - Jump
 /\ button - Display menu

 L1 button - Rotate map counterclockwise
 R1 button - Rotate map clockwise

 L2 button - Shortcut commands
 R2 button - Walk, with directional buttons or left stick
_______________________________________________________
Battle Mode Controls:

  Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Move
|_   _|- Select target
  |_|  - Change perspective in Free-look mode

*You can only select a target when the targeting sphere is open.

 Right stick - Free-look

 SELECT button       START button
 |¯¯| - Zoom in      l> - Free-look
  ¯¯  - Zoom out        - Skip demo

 O button - Execute command
          - Open and close targeting sphere

 X button - Cancel
          - Open doors and treasure chests
          - Close targeting sphere
          - Switch to Normal Mode
          - End Free-look mode

 [] button - Jump
 /\ button - Display menu

 L1 button - Rotate map counterclockwise
 R1 button - Rotate map clockwise

 L2 button - Shortcut commands
           - Switch targets
 R2 button - Walk, with directional buttons or left stick

*You can only switch targets when the targeting sphere is activated.
________________________________________________________
Menu Screen Controls (basic):

  Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Move cursor
|_   _|- Switch categories in the Item menu
  |_|

  Right stick - Not used

 SELECT button       START button
 |¯¯| - Not used      l> - Not used
  ¯¯
 O button - Execute command
 X button - Cancel

 [] button - Not used
 /\ button - Exit menu screen

 L1 button - Switch menus
           - Switch characters
 R1 button - Switch menus
           - Switch characters

*You can only switch characters in the status menu.

 L2 button - Not used
 R2 button - Not used
________________________________________________________
Area Map Controls:

Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Shifting the screen
|_   _|
  |_|

Right stick  - Rotates the map

     SELECT button - Turns on/off the menu display
     START button  - Highlights first room visited

O button - Lists the areas previously visited

*To view another Area Map, select the area from the list and press the
 O button.

X button  - Cancel
[] button - Not used
/\ button - Exits the Menu screen

L1 button - Shifts room
R1 button - Shifts room

L2 button - Press and use directional buttons/left stick to rotate the
            map
R2 button - Press and use directional buttons/left stick to zoom in or
            out.
_______________________________________
        2.3: Screen
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Here is an example of the screen when in Normal Mode:

|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|[1]HP  ###·###  [3]MP     ##·##                                   |
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|                                  |
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯                                   |
|[2]RISK      ###                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                               [5]                |
|                                                 |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| |
|                                                 |              | |
|                                                 |              | |
| [4]                                             |              | |
|  O                                              |              | |
| /|\                                             |              | |
| / \                                             |______________| |
|__________________________________________________________________|

[1] = HP (Hit Points) with number and bar
[2] = RISK with number (percentage) and bar
[3] = MP (Magic Points) with number and bar
[4] = Hit Locations Limb Gauge
[5] = Simple Map
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Here is an example of the screen when in Battle Mode:

|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|[1]HP  ###·###  [3]MP     ##·##             [6] BATTLE MODE       |
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|                                  |
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯                                   |
|[2]RISK      ###                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                                                  |
|                                               [5]                |
|                                                 |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| |
|                                                 |              | |
|                                                 |              | |
| [4]                                             |              | |
|  O_                                             |              | |
|_/|\|                                            |              | |
| / \                                             |______________| |
|__________________________________________________________________|

[1] = HP (Hit Points) with number and bar
[2] = RISK with number (percentage) and bar
[3] = MP (Magic Points) with number and bar
[4] = Hit Locations Limb Gauge (sword/shield shown drawn)
[5] = Simple Map (red frame around it if <FRAME> activated in the Simple
     Map Display under the OPTIONS
[6] = Words "BATTLE MODE" shows you are in Battle Mode
_______________________________________
        2.4: Menu
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 The Menu Screen is accessed by pushing the /\ button. At the right
side of the screen, the following will appear:

MAGIC
BREAK ARTS
BATTLE ABILITIES
ITEMS
STATUS
MAP
DATA
OPTIONS
SCORE
QUICK MANUAL

 Below here are what is shown when you select each of the choices.
        ______________________________
        - MAGIC
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 After selecting "MAGIC," you'll see the below except
"Teleportation" until you get it. Here, I'll put a brief
description of each one to its right.

WARLOCK (ATT)   - Attack Magic
SHAMAN (REC)    - Recovery Magic
SORCERER (AID)  - Aiding Magic
ENCHANTER (AFF) - Affinity Magic
TELEPORTATION   - Teleportation Magic
        ______________________________
        - BREAK ARTS
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 When you select "BREAK ARTS" from the menu, at the right of the
screen will appear the weapon type of the weapon you have
currently equipped, the Break Arts for that weapon type, "View Arts,"
and the remaining experience points to get a new Break Art for the
current weapon type. Each weapon type has four Break Arts, and after
you have all four, the Experience Points for the next Break Art will
no longer be shown. If you select "View Arts," a list will pop up
showing the below:

DAGGER      - Edged·Piercing
SWORD       - Edged·Piercing (only Rapier is Piercing)
GREAT SWORD - Edged
AXE & MACE  - Edged·Blunt (Axe = Edge; Mace = Blunt)
GREAT AXE   - Edged
STAFF       - Blunt
HEAVY MACE  - Blunt
POLEARM     - Blunt·Edged·Piercing (all Break Arts are Piercing)
CROSSBOW    - Blunt·Piercing
BARE HANDS  - Blunt

 As you can see, to the right of each weapon type I listed the
blade types weapons in the category may be. I could be wrong since I
have seen all weapons of each weapon type but have not closely inspected
every one to notice which blade type it is. So if I can be corrected,
please do so.
 By selecting one of the weapon types, you will be shown what Break
Arts you currently have for it. If you don't have any, then you will be
unable to select it.

*Note: You cannot use Break Arts when you are not in Battle Mode.
        ______________________________
        - BATTLE ABILITIES
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 After selecting "BATTLE ABILITIES," under it will show the following:

CHAIN ABILITIES
DEFENSE ABILITIES
 NEXT    ####PT
        ______________________________
        - ITEMS
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
OPTIONS
- EQUIP
- SETUP
 - Assemble    - Assemble weapons (made of Blade + Grip)
 - Disassemble - Disassemble any assembled weapons/shields
 - Attach Gems - Attach gems to weapon/shield
 - Rename      - Rename weapon
 - Repair      - Repair all equipment
 - Combine     - Combine weapons, shields, or other armor

WEAPONS - see current Weapons
BLADES  - see current Blades
GRIPS   - see current Grips
SHIELDS - see current Shields
ARMOR   - see current Armor
GEMS    - see current Gems
MISC    - see current MISC items
     _________________________________________________
O   / If a blade, grip, or gem is part of a weapon    \
/|\ <  (or shield for gems), then to the left of it     \
/ \  | (when it is listed) will be the word "SET" with   |
    | an orange circle around it. If you are currently  |
    | equipping something [including a blade, grip, or  |
    | gem that is attached to a weapon (or shield for   |
    | gems)], then the three letters "EQP" with an      |
    | orange circle around it will appear to the left  /
     \of the equipped piece of equipment.             /
      ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
        ______________________________
        - STATUS
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Status screen:
|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|[1]HP  ###·###  [3]MP     ##·##      [4]_________________________ |
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|       |Ashley Riot              ||
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯         ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
|[2]RISK      #                       [5]R. ARM[]EXCELLENT         |
|                                                                  |
|            [7] /¯¯\                    L. ARM[]EXCELLENT         |
|                \  /                                              |
|            /¯¯¯¯  ¯¯¯¯\                  HEAD[]EXCELLENT         |
|           /            \                                         |
|          |  /|      |\  |                BODY[]EXCELLENT         |
|          | | |      | | |                                        |
|          | | |      | | |                LEGS[]EXCELLENT         |
|          | | |      | | |                                        |
|          | | |      | | |                                        |
|          /__\|      | /__\                                       |
|             /  /¯¯\  \                                           |
|            /  /    \  \                                          |
|           /  /      \  \                   [6]           ORG/EQP |
|          |  |        |  |                       STRENGTH         |
|          |  |        |  |                   INTELLIGENCE         |
|          |  |        |  |                        AGILITY         |
|         /___|        |___\                                       |
|                                                                  |
|__________________________________________________________________|

[1] - Hit Points (life). The game ends when HP reach 0.
[2] - RISK points. A high RISK means you will receive more damage and be
     less likely to score hits.
[3] - Magic Points. Used for casting spells.
[4] - Name of character
[5] - Body parts and their conditions
[6] - Character's base statistics (ORG); and character's statistics with
     the equipped accessory included (EQP)
      STRENGTH - Strength level. Affects attack and defense power.
  INTELLIGENCE - Intelligence level. Affects magic attacks and defense.
       AGILITY - Agility level. Affects chance to hit and evade.
[7] - The body of the character
     _________________________________________________
O   / The above isn't exact, but it's close enough.   \
/|\ <  Pretty good for someone who's not exactly good   \
/ \  | at this ASCII art or whatever it's called. Oh     \
    | yeah, there's actually a line connecting the       |
    | body part on the figure to the words. The colors   |
    | too (refer to the Quick Manual "Damage Effects"    |
    | for more information):                             |
    |   (Blue) [] = Excellent                            |
    |  (Green) [] = Good                                 |
    | (Yellow) [] = Average                             /
    | (Orange) [] = Bad                                /
     \   (Red) [] = Dying                             /
      ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
        ______________________________
        - MAP
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* See the Quick Manual "Area Map" for more details.

Basically, it isn't very complicated. Upon accessing this, a map of the
current area you're in will pop up. The room you're in is highlighted
and where you entered the room is a blinking red dot. White dots are
exits out of the room and blue dots are exits out of the area. Controls
while looking at the map are the following:

- Use D-Pad/left stick to shift the screen
- Right stick rotates the map
- SELECT button turns on/off the menu display
- START button highlights the room Ashley Riot is currently in
- L1 shifts one room back
- R1 shifts one room forward
- Hold L2 and use D-Pad/left stick to rotate the map
- Hold R2 and use D-Pad/left stick to zoom in or out


- The O button lists the areas you've previous visited
- To view another Area Map, select the area from the list
 and press the O button (from above)
- The X button is used to Cancel
- The /\ button exits the Menu
        ______________________________
        - DATA
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This game takes 3 Slots.

SAVE is only allowed to be chosen from the menu when standing on a
Magic Circle (save spot). Saving is also possible through a Container,
but you can't choose that from the menu.

LOAD can be chosen anytime from the menu.

SAVE - Saves current game data
- Memory Card Slot 1
- Memory Card Slot 2

LOAD - Loads saved game data
- Memory Card Slot 1
- Memory Card Slot 2
        ______________________________
        - OPTIONS
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Selecting 'OPTIONS' in the menu will result in showing a list of each
of the headings such as 'SIMPLE MAP' and 'TIMING DISPLAY.' When one of
the headings are highlighted, at the bottom of the screen will show
'Information' on the heading. Here it is to the right of the heading.
 After selecting a heading, possible settings for it will appear under
it. The top possible setting is the default one.

SIMPLE MAP - Select options for the simple map display.
 FRAME
 SIMPLE
 OFF

TIMING DISPLAY - Display signals to help with timing the use of Battle
 ON             Abilities.
 OFF

WEAPON STATUS - Display any weapon status changes in the lower left
 ON            corner of the screen.
 OFF

ARMOR STATUS - Display any armor status changes in the lower left corner
 ON           of the screen.
 OFF

CURSOR MEMORY - Store the cursor's last position in the menu.
 ON
 OFF

INFORMATION - Change the settings for the information displayed at the
 ON          bottom of the screen.
 OFF

PUZZLE MODE - Set the cube puzzle mode ON/OFF. This will only affect
 ON          cleared levels.
 OFF

SOUND - Change sound output settings.
 STEREO
 MONO

VIBRATION - Change vibration mode settings.
 ON
 OFF
        ______________________________
        - SCORE
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
TITLE         - Shows all Titles you've obtained
GAZETTE       - Shows records
RECORD TIME   - Shows record times, if any, of The Keep bosses
ENCYCLOPAEDIA - Shows all enemies previously slain (killed)
        ______________________________
        - QUICK MANUAL
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

_________________
A. Basic Controls - Explains basic Controller use.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section explains the basic game controls.
Controls change depending on the curren mode.

The following topic are covered.

 1. Normal Mode
 2. Battle Mode
 3. Menu Screen
 4. Shortcut Commands

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these functions.
___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Normal Mode Controls

  O    - In Normal Mode, Ashley's weapon and shield
 /|\     are put away.
 / \   - Use this mode for regular movement.
       - See the "Game Modes" section for details.

  Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Move + grip (hanging)
|_   _|         climb (climbing)
  |_|  - Change perspective in Free-look mode

*Press in the direction in which to climb,
 and Ashley will grip and climb up.

 Right stick - Free-look

 SELECT button       START button
 |¯¯| - Zoom in      l> - Free-look
  ¯¯  - Zoom out        - Skip demo

*Press the SELECT button to change the screen display size.

 O button - Execute command
          - Draw weapon (enter Battle Mode)

*See the "Game Modes" section for a complete
 description of Battle Mode.

 X button - Cancel
          - Open doors and treasure chests
          - Move cubes (push, carry, place)
          - End Free-look mode

*See "Puzzle Cubes" below for a complete
 description of cubes.

 [] button - Jump
 /\ button - Display menu

 L1 button - Rotate map counterclockwise
 R1 button - Rotate map clockwise

 L2 button - Shortcut commands
 R2 button - Walk, with directional buttons
             or left stick

*See "Shortcut Commands" below for
 a complete description of shortcuts.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2. Battle Mode Controls

  O_   - In Battle Mode, Ashley has his weapon
_/|\|    and shield drawn and ready.
 / \   - Use this mode for combat.
       - See the "Game Modes" quick manual for
         details.

  Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Move
|_   _|- Select target
  |_|  - Change perspective in Free-look mode

*You can only select a target when the
 targeting sphere is open.

 Right stick - Free-look

 SELECT button       START button
 |¯¯| - Zoom in      l> - Free-look
  ¯¯  - Zoom out        - Skip demo

 O button - Execute command
          - Open and close targeting sphere

 X button - Cancel
          - Open doors and treasure chests
          - Close targeting sphere
          - Switch to Normal Mode
          - End Free-look mode

*For a detailed description of Normal Mode,
 see the "Game Modes" quick manual.

 [] button - Jump
 /\ button - Display menu

 L1 button - Rotate map counterclockwise
 R1 button - Rotate map clockwise

 L2 button - Shortcut commands
           - Switch targets
 R2 button - Walk, with directional buttons
             or left stick

*You can only switch targets when the
 targeting sphere is activated.

*For a detailed explanation of Battle
 Abilities, see the "Chain Abilities" and
 "Defense Abilities" sections.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
3. Menu Screen Controls

- Controls differ slightly depending on which
  menu you are using. This section explains
  the basic controls.

  Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Move cursor
|_   _|- Switch categories in the Item menu
  |_|

  Right stick - Not used

 SELECT button       START button
 |¯¯| - Not used      l> - Not used
  ¯¯
 O button - Execute command
 X button - Cancel

 [] button - Not used
 /\ button - Exit menu screen

 L1 button - Switch menus
           - Switch characters
 R1 button - Switch menus
           - Switch characters

*You can only switch characters in
 the status menu.

 L2 button - Not used
 R2 button - Not used

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
4. Shortcut Commands

- Pressing the L2 button while in Battle or
  Normal mode opens the shortcut menu.
- Keeping the L2 button depressed, select
  from an on-screen menu of shortcut commands.
- There are two kinds of shortcut commands:


Shortcuts to menu commands
(Using directional buttons/left stick)

                      ITEMS

                      _|¯|_
           DEFENSE   |_   _|   CHAIN
                       |_|

                    BREAK ARTS

 ITEMS
   Opens the MISC category of the Items menu.
   The menu is set so that you can immediately
   use items.

 DEFENSE
   Assign Defense Abilities from the Battle
   Abilities menu.

 CHAIN
   Assign Chain Abilities from the Battle
   Abilities menu.

 BREAK ARTS
   Open Break Arts menu.

Shortcuts to Magic
(Using /\, O, X, and [] buttons)

                     SHAMAN
                       /\
          SORCEROR []      O WARLOCK
                       X
                   ENCHANTER

Open menus for each class of magic.

Special Controls

- Press the START button when viewing a
  Quick Manual page to return to the top
  of the current section.

- Press the START button when viewing the
  Map Menu to return the map facing and angle
  to its original orientation.

- Press the L1, L2, R1, R2, SELECT, and START
  buttons simultaneously to perform a soft reset.






This ends the Basic Controls section.

_____________
B. Game Modes - Explains the difference between Normal Mode and Battle
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   Mode.

This section explains the difference between
Battle Mode and Normal Mode.

The following topics are covered:

1. Stance and Movement
2. Controls
3. Mode Effects
4. Mode and Magic

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these functions.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Stance and Movement
- The greatest difference between Battle Mode
  and Normal Mode is Ashley's readiness
  for battle.

Normal Mode

- Because Ashley does not have his sword and
  shield readied in Normal Mode, he can use
  both hands. This allows gripping (hanging
  from ledges and stairs) and climbing
  (climbing up obstacles).
  Normal Mode is the primary mode used for
  exploring rooms.

Battle Mode

- If Ashley is in Normal Mode, he cannot
  use his shield or make attacks, even if
  his sword and shield are equipped.
  To attack or use his shield, Ashley must
  switch to Battle Mode.
  Battle Mode is the mode used for combat.

*When Ashley switches to Battle Mode,
 BATTLE MODE will appear flashing in the
 top right corner of the screen.
 Ashley's profile, in the bottom left of the
 screen, will also change.
     O                  O_
    /|\ Normal Mode   _/|\| Battle Mode
    / \                / \
*No matter which mode he is in,
 Ashley can always use Defense Abilities,
 magic, and items.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2. Controls
- In Normal Mode, Ashley can manipulate
  (push, carry, place) the cubes he finds.
  He can also grip and climb over obstacles.
- Ashley cannot manipulate cubes when he is
  in Battle Mode, nor can he grip or climb.

*Ashley is able to run and jump in either
 mode, as well as perform basic actions like
 opening doors and chests.

*Please refer to the software manual for a
 complete description of these modes. Also
 see "Basic Controls" in the Quick Manual.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
3. Mode Effects
- When Ashley is in Normal Mode, he recovers
  HP and MP at a slightly faster rate. His
  RISK gauge also decreases faster, helping
  get rid of RISK built up by attacking and
  using Chain Abilities.
- Using weapons and shields in battle increases
  their PP (Phantom Points). PP slowly decrease
  when Ashley is in Battle Mode.
  However, they will not decrease while he
  is in Normal Mode.
- Switch between Battle Mode and Normal Mode for
  the best tactical advantage.

*See "RISK Effects" for a detailed description
 of RISK.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
4. Mode and Magic
- Equipping armor helps prevent damage from
  both physical and magical attacks.
- By equipping strong armor, you can greatly
  improve Ashley's resistance to magic.
  While this reduces damage from magic attacks,
  it also reduces the effects of beneficial
  healing magic.
- Unequip Ashley's armor for best results when
  using healing magic.

*Note that shield bonuses also apply when
 Ashley is in Battle Mode, further reducing
 the effects of healing magic.





This ends the Game Modes section.

_________
C. Status - Explains status abnormalities such as Poison and Paralysis.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section explains status abnormalities.

*Please refer to the software manual for
complete descriptions of these game features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Status Abnormalities
 "Effect": the effect of a status abnormality.
 "Remedy": how to cure the effect of a status
           abnormality

Status Abnormalities Affecting Attributes

STR STR-down
\¯/ Effect: Strength temporarily decreased
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"
/_\
STR STR-up
    Effect: Strength temporarily increased.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"

INT INT-down
\¯/ Effect: Intelligence temporarily decreased.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"
/_\
INT INT-up
    Effect: Intelligence temporarily increased.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"

AGL AGL-down
\¯/ Effect: Agility temporarily decreased.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"
/_\
AGL AGL-up
    Effect: Agility temporarily increased.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"


Status Abnormalities Affecting Actions

    Quicken
    Effect: Movement speed increased
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"
 _
|X| Silent
 ¯  Effect: Cannot cast spells
    Remedy: - Be the target of a spell
            - Move to a different room
  ,
|¯\ Paralysis
 ¯X Effect: Physical attacks and Break Arts
            cannot be used temporarily.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Clearance"
            - Use "Yggdrasil's Tears"

    Poison
    Effect: HP decrease over time
    Remedy: - Cast "antidote"
            - Use "Faerie Chortle"

    Numbness
    Effect: Battle abilities cannot be used
            temporarily and move 50%.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Receive damage
            - Caste "Clearance"
            - Use "Spirit Orison"
 _
(o) Curse
 ¯  Effect: STR, INT, and AGL decreased.
    Remdy: - Cast "Blessing"
           - Use "Angelic Paean"

    Regeneration
    Effect: HP recovery speed increases.
    Remedy: - Be the target of a spell
            - Move to a different room
            - Cast "Dispel"

    Magic Ward
    Effect: Nullifies the next spell cast
            on Ashley.
    Remedy: - Be the target of a spell
            - Cast "Dispel"

    Item Ability Decrease (Equip-down)
    Effect: Weapon and armor temporarily
            weakened.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"

    Item Ability Increase (Equip-up)
    Effect: Weapon and armor temporarily
            strengthened.
    Remedy: - Unequip affected items
            - Wait for duration of effect
            - Cast "Dispel"

Status Abnormalities Affecting Affinity

      Attach Air
      Effect: Weapon's air affinity increases
              and its earth affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

      Attach Fire
      Effect: Weapon's fire affinity increases
              and its water affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

      Attach Earth
      Effect: Weapon's earth affinity increases
              and its air affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

      Attach Water
      Effect: Weapon's water affinity increases
              and its fire affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

      Resist Air
      Effect: Armor's air affinity increases
              and its earth affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

      Resist Fire
      Effect: Armor's fire affinity increases
              and its water affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

      Resist Earth
      Effect: Armor's earth affinity increases
              and its air affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

      Resist Water
      Effect: Armor's water affinity increases
              and its fire affinity decreases.
      Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
              - Cast "Dispel"

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Incompatible Status Abnormalities

- While it is possible to have multiple status
  abnormalities, some are incompatible and cannot
  be in effect concurrently.

Attributes
 _     STR /_\ INT /_\ AGL /_\
(o)<-->\¯/ STR \¯/ INT \¯/ AGL
 ¯

Actions
Poison<-->Regeneration    Quicken<-->Numbness

Affinity
Equip-up &<-->Attach  Attach  Attach  Attach
Equip-down     Air     Fire    Earth   Water
              Resist  Resist  Resist  Resist
               Air     Fire    Earth   Water



This ends the Status section.

_________________
D. Damage Effects - Explains the effects of hit location damage on
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   Ashley.

This section explains the effect of hit location
damage.

The following topics are covered:

1. Hit location damage
2. DYING status
3. Remedying hit location damage effects

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these game features.
___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Hit Location Damage
- Ashley and many of his opponents in the game
  have "hit locations." Each location's health
  is calculated separately.
- You can check each location's health status
  in the Status menu.

     Blue   [] EXCELLENT Excellent condition
     Green  [] GOOD      Good condition
     Yellow [] AVERAGE   Normal condition
     Orange [] BAD       Badly damaged
     Red    [] DYING     Critically injured

 Ashley's profile (limb gauge) on the bottom
 left changes color with his condition.

         Blue                    Blue
    Blue Blue Blue   ->   Yellow Green Green
      Blue  Blue             Green  Green

The condition reading are meant as a battle
aid, and do not affect Ashley's performance.
However, negative side-effects will occur when
a hit location is DYING.

2. DYING Status
- When a hit location is DYING, special status
  abnormalities are triggered that dramatically
  reduce Ashley's performance.

   Location: Right Arm
   Effect  : Attack 50%
             Damage dealt by regular attacks and
             Break Arts decreases.

   Location: Left Arm
   Effect  : Parry 50%
             Chance to parry attacks decreases.

   Location: Head
   Effect  : Silent
             Unable to cast spells.

   Location: Body
   Effect  : RISK 200%
             RISK accumulates while the targeting
             sphere is open and only recovers
             at the Battle Mode rate while Ashley
             is in Normal Mode.

   Location: Legs
   Effect  : Move 50%
             Reduces movement speed.

*Of these effects, only the MOVE 50% status
 abnormality applies to Ashley's foes.
 However, if he reduces a foe's hit location
 to DYING, Ashley can disable some opponent
 special attacks.

3. Remedying Hit Location Damage Effects
- These status abnormalities are removed when
  the DYING hit location is healed to BAD or
  better condition.
- Hit locations heal when Ashley uses magic or
  items to recover HP.  Use healing items or
  magic to remedy these status abnormalities.









This ends the Damage Effects section.

_______________
E. RISK Effects - Explains how RISK affects Ashley's battles.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section explains RISK and its effects.

The following topics are covered:

1. Effect on chance to hit and evade
2. Effect on damage
3. Effect on critical hits

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Effect on Chance to Hit and Evade
- As RISK increases, Ashley's chance to hit
  with normal attacks (armed and unarmed),
  targeted spells, and Break Arts decreases.
- Ashley's chances to evade also decline as
  RISK increases.
- As RISK decreases, Ashley's chance to hit
  and evade improves, returning to normal when
  RISK is zero.

2. Effect on Damage
- As RISK increases, so does the amount of
  damage Ashley receives from enemy attacks.
- As RISK decreases, damage received drops,
  returning to normal when RISK is zero.
- Note that HP recovery spells like "Heal"
  are more effective when Ashley's RISK is high.

3. Effect on Critical Hits
- As RISK increases, so does Ashley's chance
  of landing a critical hit.







This ends the RISK Effects section.

_________________
F. Learning Magic - Explains how to use magic to help Ashley in battle.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section explains how to acquire magic.

The following topics are covered:

1. Acquiring Magic
2. Obtaining Grimoires
3. Grimoire Effects
4. Varieties of Grimoires

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these game features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Acquiring Magic
- In order to acquire magic, you must obtain one
  of the tomes of magic, known as "Grimoires."</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
- Using a Grimoire transfers knowledge of the
  spell it contains to Ashley.

2. Obaining Grimoires
- Grimoires are scattered throughout the city
  of Léa Monde.
- Sometimes, Ashley will have to vanquish a foe
  or find a treasure chest to obtain a Grimoire.

3. Grimoire Effects
- Any Grimoire can be used once to cast the
  spell it contains.
- A Grimoire vanishes once it is used, but at
  the same time, Ashley learns the spells
  that it contains. Ashley can cast any spell
  he learns in this fashion by spending MP.

*Using Grimoires requires an expenditure of MP.

4. Varieties of Grimoire
  The following types of Grimoire can be found
  in Léa Monde:

 Grimoire Guerir
   Heals target's wounds, restoring HP.
   Ashley can use this Grimoire to learn
   the spell "Heal."

 Grimoire Lux
   Summons a spirit of light to attack enemies.
   Ashley can use this Grimoire to learn
   the spell "Spirit Surge."

 Grimoire Debile
   Temporarily decreases foe's strength.
   Ashley can use this Grimoire to learn
   the spell "Degenerate."

*There are many more Grimoires that Ashley can
 find in his exploration of Léa Monde.


This ends the Learning Magic section.

__________________
G. Chain Abilities - Explains how to gain and master Chain Abilities.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section explains Chain Abilities.

The following topics are covered:

1. Chain Abilities
2. Acquiring Chain Abilities
3. Assigning Chain Abilities
4. Using Chain Abilities

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these game features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Chain Abilities
- Chain Abilities are extra attacks, triggered
  when you press the O, /\, or the [] button at
  the exact time Ashley lands a regular attack.
- In order to use Chain Abilities, you must
  assign button to them under the Battle
  Abilities menu.

2. Acquiring Chain Abilities
- As Ashley uses Battle Abilities, he will gain
  Experience Points towards acquiring new
  Abilities.
- When Ashley accumulates enough experience,
  you may choose new techniques from a list of
  the Chain and Defense Abilities Ashley has yet
  to learn.

*Every successful use of a Chain or Defense
 Ability earns one Experience Point.
*See the "Defense Abilities" section for
 a detailed explanation of Defense Abilities.

- You can confirm the number of Experience Points
  needed to learn the next technique under the
  Battle Ability menu.
- Ashley cannot learn or use any Battle
  Abilities before defeating the first boss!

3. Assigning Chain Abilities
- Choose "Chain Abilities" under the Battle
  Abilities menu to see a list of available
  techniques.
- With this list displayed, select the Ability
  you wish to use with the cursor and press
  the O, /\, or the [] button.
- An icon indicating the assigned button will
  appear next to the Ability you selected. Press
  this button to use the Chain Ability in battle.

4. Using Chain Abilities
- Press the assigned button at the exact moment
  that Ashley lands a hit with a weapon or his
  bare hands to trigger a Chain Ability.

- When Ashley lands a hit on an opponent, an
  exclamation mark appears over his head.

   |¯|
   | | Press the Chain Ability button at the
   |_|
   |_| exact moment this mark appears!

- If you time it well, you can "Chain" off a
  Chain Ability.  Just press a button with a
  Chain Ability assigned to it at the exact
  moment Ashley's first Chain Ability attack hits.
  You can continue to string along Chain
  Abilities as long as your timing is accurate!.
- Note that you cannot use the same Chain Ability
  twice in a row (for example O -> O).
  Instead, you must alternate between Abilities:
  O -> /\ -> O
- The more Chain Abilities you string together,
  the more difficult the timing becomes.
- Ashley's RISK increases each time you "Chain"
  an attack.

*Selecting <OFF> in the Timing Display option
 under the Options menu will hide the timing
 mark.

*"Chaining" is ineffective against certain foes.
 You will still be able to "chain" multiple
 attacks against these foes, but you won't gain
 any Ability effects other than damage.









This ends the Chain Abilities section.

____________________
H. Defense Abilities - Explains how to gain and master Defense
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   Abilities.

This section explains Defense Abilities.

The following topics are covered:

1. Defense Abilities
2. Acquiring Defense Abilities
3. Assigning Defense Abilities
4. Using Defense Abilities

*Please refer tot he software manual for
 complete description of these game features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Defense Abilities
- Defense Abiliteis are special defense
  techniques triggered when you press the
  O, /\, or the [] button at the exact time
  an opponent's attack strikes Ashley.
- In order to use Defense Abilities, you must
  assign buttons to them under the Battle
  Abilities menu.

2. Acquiring Defense Abilities
- As Ashley uses Battle Abilities, he will gain
  Experience Points towards acquiring new
  Abilities.
- When Ashley accumulates enough expierence,
  you may choose new techniques from a list of
  the Chain and Defense Abilities Ashley has yet
  to learn.

*Every successful use of a Chain or Defense
 Ability earns one Experience Point.

*See the "Chain Abilities" section for a
 detailed explanation of Chain Abilities.

- You can confirm the number of Experience Points
  needed to learn the next technique under the
  Battle Ability menu.
- You will not be able to learn or use any Battle
  Abilities before defeating the first boss.

3. Assigning Defense Abilities
- Choose "Defens eAbilities" under the Battle
  Abilities menu to see a list of available
  techniques.
- With this list displayed, select the Ability
  you with to use with the cursor and press
  the O, /\, or the [] buttons.
- An icon indicating the assigned button will
  appear next to the ability you selected.
  Press this button to use the Defense Ability
  in battle.

4. Using Defense Abilities
- Press the asigned button at the exact moment
  Ashley is hit by an opponent's attack or
  offensive magic to trigger a Defense Ability.
- When Ashley lands a hit on an opponent an
  exclamation mark appears over his head.

   |¯|
   | | Press the Defense Ability button at the
   |_|
   |_| exact moment this mark appears!

*Defense Abilities are ineffective against
 certain attacks and types of offensive magic.










This ends the Defense Abilities section.
________________________________________________________________________
_____________
I. Break Arts - Explains how to gain and use Break Arts for tactical
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   advantage in battle.

This section explains the acquisition and use
of Break Arts.

The following topics are covered:

1. Using Break Arts
2. Acquiring Break Arts
3. Break Arts and Weapon Type
4. Break Arts Experience Points

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Using Break Arts
- Ashley's HP decrease each time he uses
  a Break Art. Check the Break Arts menu to
  see the HP cost for each Break Art.
- Ashley will be unable to use a Break Art
  if using it would reduce him below 1 HP.

2. Acquiring Break Arts
- Each time Ashley bests an opponent, he will
  gain Experience Points towards acquiring new
  Break Arts.
- When Ashley accumulates enough experience, he
  gain a new Break Art for the weapon he is
  currently using.

*Every successful battle earns one Experience
 Point.

3. Break Arts and Weapon Type
- Break Arts are divided by weapon type, and
  Experience Points are calculated separately
  for each.
- By using one weapon exclusively, you can
  acquire increasingly powerful Break Arts for
  that weapon type.
- There are 4 Break Arts for each weapon type.

4. Break Arts Experience Points
- You can see the number of Experience Points
  needed to learn the next Break Art under the
  Break Arts menu.



This ends the Break Arts section.

_______________
J. Puzzle Cubes - Explains the many different types of cubes in the
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   game.

This section explains the puzzle cubes.

The following topic are covered:

1. Puzzle Cubes
2. Cube Types and Features
3. Puzzle Mode

*Please reer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these game features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Puzzle Cubes
- Strange crate-like objects called "cubes" made
  of wood, stone, and metal, are scattered
  throughout Léa Monde.
- By pressing the X button, you can lift, push,
  and stack any cube within reach that is not
  held in place by another cube resting on top
  of it.
- a regular attack can destroy some types of cubes.

*The cube types are described in detail later.

- Cubes are useful as stepping stones to help
  Ashley jump to otherwise unreachable ledges.
- If you find a ledge Ashley cannot reach, look
  around for cubes.

*Just because you find a cube doesn't mean you
 will necessarily have to use it.

- By leaving and reentering a room, you can reset
  the room's cubes to their original positions.

*If you mistakenly destroy a cube or drop it
 where you don't want it, you can start over
 by exiting and reentering the room.

- Use long-hafted weapons to destroy any distant
  cubes that block Ashley's path.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2. Cube types and features
- There are 6 different kinds of cubes to be
  found in Léa Monde.

 ____  Rolling Cubes (made of stone)
/   /|  (indestructible)
|¯¯¯| | - Push these cubes to roll them one
|___|/    square.
       - These cubes cannot be rolled over any
         obstacles even 1/2 their height.

 (2)_  Counter Cubes (made of stone)
/   /|  (indestructible)
|¯¯¯| | - Push these cubes to roll them one
|___|/    square.
       - These cubes cannot be rolled over any
         obstacles even 1/2 their height.

*When Ashley approached a Counter cube,
 a number appears above the cube.
 Every time the cube is pushed, the number
 drops one point. If the number drops
 below 1, the cube disintegrates.

 ____  Push Cubes (made of wood)
/   /|  (can be destroyed)
|¯¯¯| | - Push these cubes to move them one
|___|/    square.
       - These cubes cannot be pushed over an
         obstacle even 1/2 their height.

 ____  Frictionless Cubes (made of metal)
/   /|  (indestructible)
|¯¯¯| | - These cubes will slide in the
|___|/    direction they are pushed.
¯¯¯    - These cubes cannot be pushed over an
         obstacles even 1/2 their height.
       - Once pushed, these cubes will not
         stop until they hit an obstacle or
         fall off a ledge.

 ____  Carry Cubes (made of wood)
/   /|  (can be destroyed)
|¯¯¯| | - Pick these cubes up and place them
|___|/    in the desired location.
       - Ashley cannot carry these cubes up
         steps 1/2 their height or higher.
       - These cubes can be placed on any
         surface lower than Ashley's height.

 ____  Magnet Cubes (made of metal)
/   /|  (indestructible)
|¯¯¯|/| - Pick these cubes up and place them
|¯¯¯|/    in the desired location.
¯¯¯    - Ashley cannot carry these cubes up
 ____    steps 1/2 their height or higher.
/   /| - These cubes can be placed on any
|¯¯¯|/|   surface lower than Ashley's height.
|¯¯¯|/
¯¯¯
*Magnet Cubes come in blue and red. Stacking
 cubes of a similar colore causes them to float
 in the air a full cube-height over the cube
 below them. Stacking different-colored cubes
 causes them to fuse together permanently.
*Magnet cubes only work in a straight,
 vertical line, and only if they are not
 already attached to or floating above another
 cube.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
3. Puzzle Mode
- Ashley must rearrange cubes in some areas
  of Léa Monde in order to clear a path through
  the rooms.
- Once Ashley has cleared a path through a room,
  entering the same room a second time will
  activate Puzzle Mode.

*In Puzzle Mode, you test how fast you can
 move the room cubes to their proper positions
 and make it to the exit.
 You are given a rank depending on your
 performance.

- By selecting <OFF> in Puzzle Mode, under the
  Option menu, you can turn Puzzle Mode off.
- When Puzzle Mode is off, room cubes will
  stay in the solved position.

*Even if Puzzle Mode is turned off, you will
 still have to solve cube puzzles in rooms you
 visit for the first time.









This ends the Puzzle Cubes section.

_________________
K. Arms and Armor - Explains the composition and parameters of weapons
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   and armor.

This section explains weapons and armor.

The following topics are covered:

1. Weapons in Vagrant Story
2. Weapons and Armor Setup
3. Damage Points and Phantom Points
4. Weapon and Armor Status
5. Checking Status

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these game features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Weapons in Vagrant Story
- Weapons are constructed by assembling a blade
  with a grip. Assembled weapons can be equipped
  for use in battle.
- Ashley cannot use a blad or grip
  without first assembling them into a weapon.

- There are three grip types:
  Edged·Blunt·Piercing
  B;ades are also divided into these categories.
- Grip type is determined by the blade attached
  to it.

   Blade "Scimitar"  (edged)
   Grip  "Short Hilt"
   This combination will form an "edged" weapon.

   Blade "Rapier"  (piercing)
   Grip  "Short Hilt"
   This combination will form a "piercing" weapon.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2. Weapons and Armor: Setup
- Some of the options under "Setup" in the Item
  menu can only be used in workshops.
- Workshops are found throughout Léa Monde.
  While Ashley is in a workshop, you can
  "Assemble" and "Repair" weapons.
- You can only use Combine to merge blades and
  armor at workshops that support the materials
  you wish to combine. In order to combine items
  made of rarer materials, you will have to
  search Léa Monde for the right workshop.

*The "Attach Gems," "Disassemble,"
 and "Rename" functions under "Setup" in
 the Item menu can be performed whether Ashley
 is in a workshop or not.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
3. Damage Points and Phantom Points
- This section explains Damage Points and Phantom
  Points.

 Damage Points (DP)
 - DP reflect the amount of wear on armor and
   weapons.
 - As Ashley uses weapons and armor, their DP drop.
 - When DP reach 0, the weapon or armor's
   effectiveness is halved.

 Phantom Points (PP)
  - PP reflect the Dark energies absorbed by
    weapons and armor used within Léa Monde.
  - PP increase as you use a weapon or piece of
    armor (unlick DP).
  - When PP reach max, the weapon or armor's
    effectiveness doubles.

- When both DP and PP are full, your weapons and
  armor are at max efficiency.
- Restore DP at any factory by using the "Repair"
  command under Setup in the Item menu.
  Repairing DP drains an equal amount of PP from
  the weapon or shield.

   *If an item has insufficient PP, repairing
    it will completely restore DP, but reduce PP
    to zero.

- When Ashley is in Battle Mode, his weapons
  and armor will slowly lose PP.
  Switching to Normal Mode prevents this.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
4. Weapon and Armor Status
- Weapons and Armor each have an "Affinity"
  and a "Class."
  This section explains these characteristics
  and how they change during the game.

 Affinity
 - There are six affinities:
   Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Dark
 - If a weapon's fire affinity increases, that
   weapon will deal more damage to water-based
   creatures. When a piece of armor's fire
   affinity increases, its resistance to attacks
   from fire-based creatures rises.
 - The affinities are related as shown below:

                   Opposites
                FIRE  <--> WATER
                EARTH <--> AIR
                LIGHT <--> DARK

 Affinity Changes
 - When Ashley attacks a creature, the weapon he
   uses will gain in the affinity opposite that
   of the creature.
 - Similarly, when a creature attacks Ashley,
   his armor will gain in the same affinity as
   that of the creature.

   If Ashley attacks a fire creature, his
   weapon's water affinity will increase.

   If a fire creature attacks Ashley, his
   armor's fire affinity will increase.

   *Occasionally, when an affinity rises,
    the opposite affinity will drop.

   *There is no opposite affinity to
    Physical-type attacks. Attacking a physical
    affinity foe will not affect Ashley's weapon
    affinity in any way.

   *A weapon's attack affinity is determined
    by that weapon's highest affinity. Check
    weapon status to see which affinity is
    currently the highest.

 Weapon and Armor Class
 - Each of Ashley's foes belongs to one class.
 - By fighting foes of a particular class,
   Ashley's weapon and armor will become more
   effective against foes of that class.

 Class Changes
 - When Ashley attacks or is attacked by foes,
   his weapon (or armor) will gain in the class
   of the foe.

   If Ashley attacks a dragon-class foe, his
   weapon's dragon class rating will increase.

   If a dragon-class foe attacks Ashley, his
   armor's dragon class rating will increase.

   *Like affinity, if one class rises,
    the class below it may drop. See the list
    below for class rankings.

   *Weapon and armor classes are ranked
    by priority as follows:

                         -
                         -
                 /\    EVIL
                 ||    HUMAN
              (strong) BEAST
                       UNDEAD
                       PHANTOM
                       DRAGON
               (weak)  EVIL
                 ||    HUMAN
                 \/      -
                         -

 For instance, if the dragon-class foe from
 the example above attacks Ashley, his armor's
 dragon class rating rises, but the classes
 below dragon (i.e. evil and human) may drop.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
5. Checking Status
- You can check the status of Ashley's armor
  and weapons by going to "Status" under the
  Item menu.
- When you change Ashley's equipment setup or
  remove and armor or weapons, the status change
  display resets.

*By intentionally resetting the status change
 display, you can easily keep track of
 how Ashley's armor and weapons are developing.



This ends the Arms and Armor section.

_____________
L. Simple Map - Explains the features of the room maps.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section explains the Simple Map.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Viewing the Simple Map

- The map shown on the lower right side of the
  screen represents the room in which Ashley is
  currently standing.
- When you change the camera angle with the
  L1 button and R1 button, the Simple Map
  rotates as well.
- Adjacent rooms that have been visited
  previously are also shown next to the current
  room.
- Colored markers on map walls show the location
  of exits and other room features.

                  |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
                  |              |
                  | Simple   Map |
                  |              |
                  |   Example    |
                  |              |
                  |______________|

 · White Marker
   Indicates room exits

 · Red Blinking Marker
   Indicated where Ashley entered teh room.

 · Blue Marker
   Indicated an exit to another area.

   Lock Marker
   Indicates door locked with a key or sigil.
   Once the door is unlocked, the marker
   disappears.

*Open "Simple Map" under the Options menu and
 select "Frame" to have the Simple Map's frame
 flicker red when in Battle Mode.








This ends the Simple Map section.

___________
M. Area Map - Explains how to use area maps.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section explains the Area Map.

The following topics are covered:

1. Area Map Controls
2. Using Area Map

*Please refer to the software manual for
 complete descriptions of these game features.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1. Area Map Controls

Direction buttons/left stick
 _|¯|_ - Shifting the screen
|_   _|
  |_|

Right stick  - Rotates the map

     SELECT button - Turns on/off the menu display
     START button  - Highlights first room visited

O button - Lists the areas previously visited

*To view another Area Map, select the area
 from the list and press the O button.

X button  - Cancel
[] button - Not used
/\ button - Exits the Menu screen

L1 button - Shifts room
R1 button - Shifts room

L2 button - Press and use directional buttons/
            left stick to rotate the map
R2 button - Press and use directional buttons/
            left stick to zoom in or out.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2. Using Area Map

- Select "Map" on the Menu screen to see
  Ashley's current location.
  All the rooms previously visited are shown
  here as well.

- The direction the Area Map faces is the
  same as when the "Map" menu was open
- Pressing L2 button and directional buttons
  rotates the map, though it will not change
  Ashley's view of the room when you close the
  map.

- Room names appear on the bottom of the screen.
  Saved games also display the name of the room
  in which the game was saved.
- Many icons shown on the map may contain
  information necessary to progress through
  the game.

Icons

          Ashley Icon
          Indicates Ashley's current location

 EXIT     Exit Icon
          Indicates exits to other areas.
          The area names are also shown.

 SAVE     Save Icon
          Indicates that the room has a Save Point.

CONTAINER  Container Icon
          Indicates that the room has a Container
          in which to store equipment and items

WORKSHOP  Workshop Icon
          Indicates that the room is an equipment
          workshop.

*If a room has more than one icon, each icon
 will be shown briefly, one at a time.


Map Exits

    · White Marker
      Indicates room exits.

    · Red Blinking Marker
      Indicates where Ashley entered the room.

      Locked Icon
      Indicates locked doors and names of the
      required keys/sigils.

      Unlockable Icon
      Indicates that you possess the key/sigil
      required to unlock this door.

*If you don't know where to use a newly-
 acquired key or sigil, check the Area map!



This ends the Area Map section.

___________
N. READ ME! - A summary of the most important facts and information.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This section reviews important strategy advice
and other useful game hints.

___________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
|¯| 1. Control Tips
| | Basic controls everyone should know.
|_| Essential for the modern Vagrant(tm)!
|¯|
¯
- /\  Open menu
      Close menu
- L2  Open shortcut menu
      Quick access to just the item you need!

- Use moving Cloudstones to add a boost to
  a jump that would normally fall short.
- To a limited extent, you can change Ashley's
  direction in mid-jump.
- Use Free-look mode and camera angles to find
  treasure chests and doors you might've missed!


|¯| 2. Game Mode Tips
| | Read this for the scoop on Vagrant Story's
|_| two game modes: Normal and Battle
|¯|
¯
- Ashley can use Defense Abilities, magic, and
  items in either mode.
  He can also perform basic actions, such as
  running, jumping, and opening things.
- HP, MP, and RISK all recover faster in Normal
  Mode.
- PP (Phantom Points) don't decrease when Ashley
  is in Normal Mode, either.
- When wearing armor, Ashley's resistance to
  magic also increases. Shield bonuses are also
  added to this resistance in Battle Mode, so
  when you want magic (like healing magic) to
  work, switch to Normal Mode first.


|¯| 3. Hit Location Damage Tips
| | Damage to Ashley's Hit Locations can cause
|_| status abnormalities. Read the following,
|¯| and be on your guard!
¯
- Using magic or items to heal Ashley's HP will
  automatically reduce damage on his Hit
  Locations. At the same time, this will cure
  any status abnormalities resulting from
  damage, killing two birds with one stone!


|¯| 4. RISK Tips
| | When RISK is high, things can get dicey.
|_| Read the following and live up to the
|¯| "RISK"-breaker name!
¯
- As RISK increases, Ashley's chance to hit
  with normal attacks (armed and unarmed),
  targeted spells, and Break Arts decreases.
- As RISK increases, so does the amount of
  damage Ashley receives from enemy attacks.
- As RISK increases, so does Ashley's chance
  of landing a critical hit.
- Not that HP recovery spells like "Heal" are
  more effective when Ashley's RISK is high.
- Using multiple Chain Abilities makes RISK
  increase even faster.


|¯| 5. Tips for Learning Magic
| | You'll need magic to complete your mission,
|_| and you'll need to read the following to
|¯| learn how to get that magic!
¯
- Ashley learns all his magic from the
  spellbooks known as "Grimoires."
- Using a Grimoire transfers the knowledge
  of the spell it contains to Ashley, so be sure
  to use the Grimoires you're lucky enough
  to find.
- Magic doesn't come cheap: using a Grimoire
  costs MP.


|¯| 6. Chain Ability Tips
| | Chain Abilities can get Ashley through some
|_| pretty tight spots. Read the following and
|¯| grow strong.
¯
- In order to obtain Chain Abilities, you must
  gain experience by using Battle Abilities.
- When experience reaches a certain level,
  you can choose a Battle Ability from a list
  of Abilities Ashley has yet to obtain.
- Each time you use a Chain or Defense Ability,
  you gain one Experience Point.
- You cannot use the same Chain Ability twice
  in a row. Alternate between two or three
  Abilities to "Chain" multiple attacks.
- "Chaining" is ineffective against certain foes.
  You will still be able to "Chain" multiple
  attacks against these foes, but you won't gain
  any Ability effects other than damage.


|¯| 7. Defense Ability Tips
| | Defense Abilities can save Ashley from
|_| severe beatings. Read the following and
|¯| take cover!
¯
- Defense Abilities are obtained in the same
  manner as Chain Abilities (see above).
- Match the proper Defense Ability for the
  attack against which you are defending.
  Certain attacks can only be blocked by certain
  Defense Abilities.


|¯| 8. Break Arts Tips
| | Break Arts are the ultimate in fighting
|_| techniques. Read the following to get the
|¯| most out of them!
¯
- Using Break Arts consumes HP. If you don't
  have enough HP, you may not be able to use
  some Break Arts.
- Acquire Break Arts with experience gained from
  vanquishing your foes.
- When you gain enough Experience Points, you
  will be rewarded with a new Break Art for the
  weapon you are currently using.
- Every foe felled earns on Experience Point
  towards a new Break Art.
- Experience Points are calculated separately
  for each type of weapon.
- Some Break Arts possess their own affinity,
  while others depend on the weapon used. Check
  Break Arts information for more details.


|¯| 9. Puzzle Cube Tips
| | Cubes--sometimes annoying, but you can't make
|_| it through Léa Monde without them. Read
|¯| below to find out more!
¯
- If you mistakenly push a cube in the wrong
  direction, or destroy a cube you din't want
  to, you can reset all cubes to their original
  positions by leaving and reentering the room.
- Use a long-hafted weapon or ranged weapons
  to destroy cubes from a distance.
- Ashley can move and grab cubes that are on a
  slightly lower surface than him, too.


|¯| 10. Armor and Weapon Tips
| | Armor and weapons are Ashley's basic combat
|_| tools in the halls of Léa Monde. Read the
|¯| following and use them well!
¯
- Weapons are comprised of a "blade" and a "grip."
  Assemple these two parts, and equip the
  completed weapon!
- You can use the "Attach Gem," "Disassemble,"
  and "Rename" commands anywhere--not just in
  workshops.
- DP reflect the amount of wear on armor and
  weapons. As you use weapons and armor, their
  DP will drop.
- When DP reach 0, the weapon or armor's
  effectiveness is halved.
- PP reflect the Dark energies absorbed by
  weapons and armor used within Léa Monde.
  They increase as you use a weapon or a piece
  of armor.
  When PP reach max, the weapon or armor's
  effectiveness doubls.
- Restore DP at any workshop by using the
  "Repair" command under Setup in the Item
  menu. Repairing DP drains an equal amount of
  PP from the weapon or armor.
- You can check the status of Ashley's armor
  and weapons by going to "Status" under the
  Item menu. However, when you change setup,
  or remove any armor or weapons, the status
  change display resets.


|¯| 11. Map Tips
| | The Simple Map and Area Map can help keep
|_| Ashley on the right path. Read the following
|¯| and you won't get lost!
¯
- When you dont' know where to use a key or a
  sigil you've obtained, just check the Area
  Map. If you check the key or sigil information
  and then look at the Area Map, you should be
  able to find where to use it.





This ends the Read Me! section.

_______________________________________
        2.5: The Workshops
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 In each Workshop are a Container and Magic Circle (Save spot). You
can put any items you have in your Gadget Bag in the container, as
long as you aren't equipping it or it's an absolutely necessary item
(Keys/Sigils).
 When a workshop is entered (or reading the sign near the door in the
workshop), the following will appear at the bottom of the screen:
================================================
Workshop "[name of workshop]"
The following materials may be combined:
[materials that can be combined at the workshop]
================================================
 For instance, when entering the first workshop in the game:

Workshop "Work of Art"
The following materials may be combined:
W:Wood L:Leather B:Bronze
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Work of Art"
Materials: Wood, Leather, Bronze

"The Magic Hammer" B, I
Materials: Bronze, Iron

"Keane's Crafts"
Materials: Bronze, Iron, Hagane

"Junction Point"
Materials: Wood, Leather, Bronze, Iron, Hagane

"Metal Works"
Materials: Silver, Damascus

"Godhands"
Materials: Wood, Leather, Bronze, Iron, Hagane, Silver, Damascus
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        ______________________________
        - Combining
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 In any Workshop, you are able to 'Assemble Weapons,' 'Repair,' and
'Combine.' What you can combine is based on the materials you can
combine in the shop (see directly above.)
 Out of a Workshop you can 'Disassemble,' 'Attach Gems,' and 'Rename.'
In a Workshop you can do those three as well.
 Those are all accessed in the ITEMS menu. You choose SETUP and you'll
be able to do all of that.

 When you Assemble Weapons, you are putting a blade and a grip
together. The grip

All of the materials are the following:
Wood, Leather, Bronze, Iron, Hagane, Silver, Damascus
______________
A. Useful Info
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Materials (in order of strongest to weakest):
Damascus, Hagane, Iron, Silver, Bronze, Wood, Leather

Materials (in order of weight, from lightest to heaviest):
Leather, Wood, [Silver, Hagane, and Damascus are equal], and
[Bronze and Iron are equal]

 So if you just can't take the time to upgrade your equipment to
Damascus (a somewhat hard and grueling process for armor), then just
keep it at Hagane because it's the second strongest material. Damascus
surpasses it with a +2 STR and +1 INT. The AGL is the same. Silver,
which has the same STR of Iron but has more AGL, is -2 that of Hagane.
     ____________________________________________
O   / Don't be fooled by what people say. Silver \
/|\ <  is *ACTUALLY* weaker than Hagane. Hagane    |
/ \  \ *IS* the second strongest material.        /
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
___________________________
B. Hagane, Silver, Damascus
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Hagane: This material can be made easily. The way to do it on first
       play is to combine one Bronze equipment and one Iron equipment.
       It's simple. And the plus side is that Hagane is the second
       strongest material. So don't feel bad you can't get Silver
       equipment, or even Damascus because Hagane is good enough.

Silver: This material can't be made easily, except for Shields. The
       best way, it seems, to get Silver is to combine one Bronze
       equipment and one Hagane equipment. The Bronze is the first
       combinant and Hagane is the second. This always works for
       Shields. As for weapons and other armor, it seems to be
       more difficult and Silver is only made by certain cases for
       them.

Damascus: This material is even harder to make. The best way, it seems,
         by normal means to get Damascus is to combine one Hagane
         equipment and one Silver equipment. It isn't easy, and is
         only the case for certain cases to turn into Damascus. It
         most likely deals with the number of the equipment on the
         list (the first one is #1, the second one is #2, the third
         one is #3, etc.).
_____________________
C. Combination Tables
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
/=-=-=-=-==-\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
| * WEAPONS * ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
\=-=-=-=-=-=//////////////////////////////////////////////\
Format:

|First Slot          |Second Slot         |Result
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 _______
l DAGGERS l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Dirk                 Scramasax            Throwing Knife
Throwing Knife       Scramasax            Kudi
Kudi                 Throwing Knife       Cinquedea
Cinquedea            Kudi                 Kris
Kris                 Cinquedea            Hatchet
Hatchet              Kris                 Khukuri
Khukuri              Hatchet              Baselard
Baselard             Baselard             Stiletto
Stiletto             Stiletto             Jamadhar
 ______
l SWORDS l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯
Rapier               Spatha               Short Sword
Firangi              Short Sword          Shamshir
Shamshir             Firangi              Falchion
Falchion             Shamshir             Shotel
Shotel               Falchion             Khora
Khora                Khora                Khopesh
Khopesh              Khopesh              Wakizashi
 ____________
l AXES & MACES l (Axes first, then Maces)
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Francisa             Battle Axe           Tabarzin
Tabarzin             Francisca            Chamkaq
Chamkaq              Tabarzin             Tabar
Tabar                Tabar                Bullova
Bullova              Bullova              Crescent

Ball Mace            Spiked Club          Footman's Mace
Footman's Mace       Ball Mace            Morning Star
Morning Star         Footman's Mace       War Hammer
War Hammer           War Hammer           Bec de Corbin
Bec de Corbin        Bec de Corbin        War Maul
 ____________
l GREAT SWORDS l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Katana               Broad Sword          Executioner
Executioner          Katana               Claymore
Claymore             Executioner          Schiavona
Schiavona            Claymore             Bastard Sword
Bastard Sword        Bastard Sword        Nodachi
Nodachi              Nodachi              Rune Blade
 __________
l GREAT AXES l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Sabre Halberd        Large Crescent       Balbriggan
Balbriggan           Sabre Halberd        Double Blade
Double Blade         Double Blade         Halberd
 ___________
l HEAVY MACES l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Footman's Mace       Sabre Mace           Gloomwing
Gloomwing            Footman's Mace       Mjolnir
Mjolnir              Mjolnir              Griever
Griever              Griever              Destroyer
 ______
l STAVES l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯
Summoner's Baton     Clergy Rod           Shamanic Staff
Shamanic Staff       Summoner's Baton     Bishop's Crosier
Bishop's Crosier     Bishop's Crosier     Sage's Cane
 ________
l POLEARMS l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Scorpion             Glaive               Corcesca
Corcesca             Scorpion             Trident
Trident              Corcesca             Awl Pike
Awl Pike             Trident              Boar Spear
Boar Spear           Trident              Fauchard
Fauchard             Boar Spear           Voulge
Voulge               Fauchard             Pole Axe
Pole Axe             Pole Axe             Bardysh
Bardysh              Bardysh              Brandestoc
 _________
l CROSSBOWS l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Target Bow           Gastraph Bow         Light Crossbow
Light Crossbow       Target Bow           Windlass
Windlass             Target Bow           Cranequin
Cranequin            Windlass             Lug Crossbow
Lug Crossbow         Lug Crossbow         Siege Bow
Siege Bow            Siege Bow            Arbalest
__________________   __________________   __________________
|First Slot          |Second Slot         |Result

           \//////////////////////////////////////////////=-=-=-=-=-=\
           |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| * SNOPAEW * |
           /\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\=-=-=-=-=-=/
________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
/=-=-=-=-=\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/
| * ARMOR * ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
\=-=-=-=-=////////////////////////////////////////////////\

|First Slot          |Second Slot         |Result
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 _______
l SHIELDS l
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Targe                Buckler              Pelta Shield
Pelta Shield         Targe                Quad Shield
Quad Shield          Targe                Circle Shield
Circle Shield        Quad Shield          Tower Shield
Tower Shield         Quad Shield          Spiked Shield
Circle Shield        Tower Shield         Spiked Shield
Spiked Shield        Circle Shield        Round Shield
Round Shield         Tower Shield         Kite Shield
Round Shield         Spiked Shield        Kite Shield
Kite Shield          Round Shield         Casserole Shield
Casserole Shield     Round Shield         Heater Shield
Casserole Shield     Kite Shield          Heater Shield
Heater Shield        Casserole Shield     Oval Shield
Oval Shield          Heater Shield        Knight Shield
Knight Shield        Oval Shield          Hoplite Shield
Hoplite Shield       Hoplite Shield       Jazeraint Shield
Jazeraint Shield     Jazeraint Shield     Dread Shield
 ____
l HEAD l
 ¯¯¯¯
Chain Coif           Bone Helm            Spangenhelm
Spangenhelm          Chain Coif           Cabasset
Cabasset             Spangenhelm          Sallet
Sallet               Barbut               Basinet
Basinet              Barbut               Armet
Armet                Basinet              Close Helm
Close Helm           Basinet              Burgonet
Burgonet             Close Helm           Hoplite Helm
Hoplite Helm         Hoplite Helm         Jazeraint Helm
Jazeraint Helm       Jazeraint Helm       Dread Helm
 ____
l ARMS l (one each)
 ¯¯¯¯
Reinforced Glove     Knuckles             Ring Sleeve
Knuckles             Ring Sleeve          Chain Sleeve
Ring Sleeve          Chain Sleeve         Gauntlet
Gauntlet             Vambrace             Plate Glove
Vambrace             Plate Glove          Rondanche
Rondanche            Plate Glove          Tilt Glove
Tilt Glove           Tilt Glove           Freiturnier
Freiturnier          Rondanche            Fluted Glove
Fluted Glove         Freiturnier          Hoplite Glove
Hoplite Glove        Hoplite Glove        Jazeraint Glove
Jazeraint Glove      Jazeraint Glove      Dread Glove
 ____
l BODY l
 ¯¯¯¯
Banded Mail          Cuirass              Ring Mail
Ring Mail            Banded Mail          Chain Mail
Chain Mail           Ring Mail            Breastplate
Breastplate          Chain Mail           Segmentata
Segmentata           Breastplate          Scale Armor
Scale Armor          Breastplate          Brigandine
Brigandine           Breastplate          Plate Mail
Brigandine           Scale Armor          Plate Mail
Platemail            Brigandine           Fluted Armor
Fluted Armor         Platemail            Hoplite Armor
Hoplite Armor        Hoplite Armor        Jazeraint Armor
Jazeraint Armor      Jazeraint Armor      Dread Armor
 ____
l LEGS l
 ¯¯¯¯
Fusskampf            Chain Leggings       Poleyn
Fusskampf            Poleyn               Jambeau
Poleyn               Chain Leggings       Jambeau
Jambeau              Poleyn               Missaglia
Jambeau              Chain Leggings       Missaglia
Missaglia            Poleyn               Plate Leggings
Plate Leggings       Missaglia            Fluted Leggings
Fluted Leggings      Plate Leggings       Hoplite Leggings
Hoplite Leggings     Hoplite Leggings     Jazeraint Leggings
Jazeraint Leggings   Jazeraint Leggings   Dread Leggings
__________________   __________________   __________________
|First Slot          |Second Slot         |Result

           \////////////////////////////////////////////////=-=-=-=-=\
           |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| * ROMRA * |
           /\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\=-=-=-=-=/
________________________________________________________________________
Part 3:  MAGIC
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Magic is obtained by using Grimoires. Once you use a Grimoire, the
knowledge of the spell is tranferred to Ashley (it means you learn the
spell in the Grimoire). Also note that Grimoires are scattered through-
out the game. You can also obtain Grimoires from slain foes or treasure
chests. Once you obtain a Grimoire, it can be used once to cast the
spell it contains. You learn the spell the Grimoire contains, which
vanishes once used. Any spell or Grimoire requires MP usage.

 Below is a list of Grimoires you can get from regular enemies (not
including bosses). It is highly possible you can get some of these
same spells from other enemies. From what I've seen, all Grimoires
Ghosts have Wraiths also have. I believe for every Grimoire
obtainable from regular enemies, there are two per Grimoire (except
for Grimoire Banish). I know Wraith can do Vulcan Lance, Aqua Blast,
and Fireball, so it can be naturally assumed they hold the Grimoires
for those spells.
 This list comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>. Thanks to him I wouldn't know this info
nor would I have gotten all of the Grimoires.
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Grimoires Obtainable from Slain Foes
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Grimoire Banish (Banish) - Harpy
Grimoire Terre (Vulcan Lance) - Ghost
Grimoire Teslae (Lightning Bolt) - Zombie Mage, Dark Eye
Grimoire Glace (Aqua Blast) - Ghost
Grimoire Incendie (Fireball) - Ghost
Grimoire Patire (Dark Chant) - Wraith, Dark Eye
Grimoire Lux (Spirit Surge) - Ghost, Wraith
Grimoire Zephyr (Solid Shock) - Ghost, Wraith
Grimoire Radius (Radial Surge) - Lich, Lich Lord
Grimoire Avalanche (Avalanche) - Water Elemental, Marid
Grimoire Foudre (Thunderburst) - Air Elemental, Djinn
Grimoire Flamme (Flame Sphere) - Fire Elemental, Ifrit
Grimoire Gaea (Gaea Strike) - Earth Elemental, Dao
Grimoire Meteore (Meteore) - Dark Elemental, Nightmare
_______________________________________
        3.1: WARLOCK (ATT)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Solid Shock
MP    25
Physical Attack; Conjuration; Single Target.
Strikes enemies with an explosive shockwave.

Lightning Bolt
MP    25
Air affinity; Conjuration; Single Target.
Shoots out arrows of lightning.

Fireball
MP    25
Fire affinity; Conjuration; Single Target.
Pummels enemies with balls of fire.

Vulcan Lance
MP    25
Earth affinity; Conjuration; Single Target.
Showers enemies with volcanic debris.

Aqua Blast
MP    25
Water affinity; Conjuration; Single Target.
Engulfs enemies with freezing water blast.

Spirit Surge
MP    28
Light affinity; Conjuration; Single Target.
Summons a spirit of light to attack enemies.

Dark Chant
MP    28
Dark affinity; Conjuration; Single Target.
Afflicts enemies with crippling pain.

Exorcism
MP    22
Light affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Exorcise undead foes.

Banish
MP    25
Dark affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Forbidden spell of instant death.

Explosion
MP    LV. 1 = 36, LV. 2 = 44, LV. 3 = 52, LV. 4 = 60
Physical attack; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
A highly focused, devastating blast.

Thunderburst
MP    LV. 1 = 36, LV. 2 = 44, LV. 3 = 52, LV. 4 = 60
Air affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Calls down a great bolt from the heavens.

Flame Sphere
MP    LV. 1 = 36, LV. 2 = 44, LV. 3 = 52, LV. 4 = 60
Fire affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Wreaths target in flames.

Gaea Strike
MP    LV. 1 = 36, LV. 2 = 44, LV. 3 = 52, LV. 4 = 60
Earth affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Creates crushing gravity warp around target.

Avalance
MP    LV. 1 = 36, LV. 2 = 44, LV. 3 = 52, LV. 4 = 60
Water affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Super-freezes air around target.

Radial Surge
MP    LV. 1 = 38, LV. 2 = 46, LV. 3 = 54, LV. 4 = 62
Light affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Pierces enemies with focused rays of light.

Meteor
MP    LV. 1 = 38, LV. 2 = 46, LV. 3 = 54, LV. 4 = 62
Dark affinity; Evocation; Multiple Targets.
Rains meteors down on the target.

Drain Heart
MP    12
Dark affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Steals HP from enemies.

Drain Mind
MP    2
Dark affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Steals MP from enemies.
_______________________________________
        3.2: SHAMAN (REC)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Heal
MP    5
Light affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Restore's target's HP.

Restoration
MP    3
Light affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Cures "Paralysis."

Antidote
MP    3
Light affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Cures "Poison."

Blessing
MP    17
Light affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Cures "Curse."

Clearance
MP    15
Light affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Cures all status abnormalities.

Surging Balm
MP    20
Light affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Recharges HP over a short period of time.
_______________________________________
        3.3: SORCEROR (AID)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Herakles
MP    12
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily increases target's strength.

Degenerate
MP    7
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily decreases target's strength.

Enlighten
MP    12
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily increases target's intelligence.

Psychodrain
MP    7
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily decreases target's intelligence.

Invigorate
MP    12
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily increases target's agility.

Leadbones
MP    7
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily decreases target's agility.

Prostasia
MP    15
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens target's equipment.

Tarnish
MP    7</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily weakens target's equipment.

Silence
MP    7
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily prevents target from casting spells.

Magic Ward
MP    21
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Nullifies the next spell cast on target.

Stun Cloud
MP    7
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Casts "Paralysis" on target.

Poison Mist
MP    11
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Casts "Poison" on target.

Curse
MP    17
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Casts "Curse" on target.

Fixate
MP    3
Support Magic; Evocation.
Freezes the room's Cloudstones in place.

Dispel
MP    10
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Nullifies any spell currently affecting target.

Unlock
MP    3
Support Magic; Evocation; Treasure Chest.
Opens treasure chests locked with magic.

Eureka
MP    6
Support Magic; Evocation; Multiple Traps.
Reveals all traps in the room.

Analyze
MP    5
Support Magic; Evocation; Single Target.
Analyzes enemies' parameters and stats.
_______________________________________
        3.4: ENCHANTER (AFF)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Luft Fusion
MP    10
Air affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens weapon's air affinity.

Spark Fusion
MP    10
Fire affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens weapon's fire affinity.

Soil Fusion
MP    10
Earth affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens weapon's earth affinity.

Frost Fusion
MP    10
Water affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens weapon's water affinity.

Aero Guard
MP    9
Air affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens armor's air affinity.

Pyro Guard
MP    9
Fire affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens armor's fire affinity.

Terra Guard
MP    9
Earth affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens armor's earth affinity.

Aqua Guard
MP    9
Water affinity; Evocation; Single Target.
Temporarily strengthens armor's water affinity.
_______________________________________
        3.5: TELEPORTATION
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 The following is the full(?) list of all Magic Circles:

 Worker's Breakroom    (Wine Cellar)
**Wine Guild Hall**     (Wine Cellar)
 Blackmarket           (Wine Cellar)
**Hall of Revenge**     (Catacombs)
 The Withered Spring   (Catacombs)
**Work of Art/WS**      (Catacombs)
**Advent Ground**       (Sanctum)
 Rue Vermillion        (Town Center West)
**Magic Hammer/WS**     (Town Center West)
 The Crossing          (Abandoned Mines B1)
 The Dark Tunnel       (Abandoned Mines B1)
 Rue Bouquet           (Town Center West)
 The Sunless Way       (Undercity West)
 The Faerie Circle     (Snowfly Forest)
**Forest River**        (Snowfly Forest)
 The Wood Gate         (Snowfly Forest)
 Valdiman Gates        (Town Center South)
 The Warrior's Rest    (The Keep)
**Keane's/WS**          (The Keep)
 Sinner's Corner       (Undercity West)
 Crumbling Market      (Undercity West)
 Treaty Room           (Abandoned Mines B2)
 Bandits' Hollow       (Abandoned Mines B2)
 The Ore Road          (Limestone Quarry)
 The Auction Block     (Limestone Quarry)
 Way Down              (Limestone Quarry)
 Rue Lejour            (Town Center East)
 Kesch Bridge          (Town Center East)
**Metal Works/WS**      (Town Center East)
**Junction Pt./WS**     (Town Center East)
**The Dark Coast**      (Temple of Kiltia)
 Plateia Lumitar       (Town Center East)
**Sin and Punishment**  (Great Cathedral L1)
 The Atrium            (Great Cathedral L4)
**Godhands/WS**         (Town Center West)

**[]**= CONTAINER is also in the room
     ____________________________________________
O   /                                            \
/|\ <  Godhands/WS is not available on first play. |
/ \  \                                            /
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
________________________________________________________________________
Part 4:  BREAK ARTS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Each weapon type: Dagger, Sword, Great Sword, Axe & Mace, Great Axe,
Staff, Heavy Mace, Polearm, Crossbow, as well as Bare Hands, each have
FOUR BREAK ARTS. Each Break Art costs an amount of HP to execute and if
you have less than the Break Art's cost, you will be unable to execute
it.
 Generally, the higher the HP cost, the stronger the Break Art. This
usually isn't the case, though, because it is totally dependent on the
enemy (their Affinity and Blade Type weaknesses).
 Break Arts are affected by RISK, so generally, the higher the RISK,
the less accuracy as well as damage. Although I've seen a few Break
Arts (Polearms Break Art #1) increase in damage and accuracy to a
certain extent as RISK increased, then start going down after it
surpassed that RISK. It really means nothing, so the rule still applies
about high RISK = less accuracy, less damage.

 Break Arts give tactical advantage in battle if used correctly. First,
they are RISK-free, meaning they don't add RISK. This means you can do
Break Arts forever until you have insufficient HP.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
________________________
Easy Break Arts Strategy
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Do as many Break Arts you want to do then Heal yourself (read: use
the Shortcut menu) or use items. It's so simple, and if you keep using
the Break Art (one that does a high amount of damage but doesn't cost
too much HP), then you can do easy damage. Then all you need to do from
there is Heal.
 What's even better is after doing a lot of Break Arts, you can use
the Chain Ability Raging Ache. It does damage equal to 10% of your total
HP loss. So if you're in a critical state (really low HP) and the
standard damage you do is little, you can keep attacking using Chains
(Raging Ache). The same applies if you do little damage with both Break
Arts AND normal attacks. And when the enemy is about to attack, just
Heal yourself. However, Chain Abilities are ineffective against certain
enemies so it might be useless to do Chains.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The first Break Art in each weapon type costs 25 HP. The next costs
40 HP. The third costs 55 HP. And the last costs 70 HP. So it's like
this:

Break Art #    HP Cost
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     One      25
     Two      40
     Three    55
     Four     70
_______________________________________
        4.1:  DAGGER
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Whistle Sting]
Bludgeons foe with focused power from the blade.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Blunt

[Shadoweave]
Paralyzes foe with a damaging strike.
Affinity: Dark / Type: Blunt

[Double Fang]
Repeatedly strikes the same location.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Piercing

[Wyrm Scorn]
Splits the blade to attack from all directions.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Piercing
_______________________________________
        4.2:  SWORD
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Rending Gale]
Launches a sonic wave to shred foe to pieces.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Piercing

[Vile Scar]
Forms a poisonous cloud to choke the enemy.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Edged.

[Cherry Ronde]
Encases both blade and foe in an icy sheath.
Affinity: Water / Type: Edged

[Papillon Reel]
Calls heavenly light down into the blade.
Affinity: Light / Type: Edged
_______________________________________
        4.3:  GREAT SWORD
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Sunder]
Focused energies cut the life from foe.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Piercing

[Thunderwave]
Paralyzes foe with a damaging strike.
Affinity: Air / Type: Edged

[Swallow Slash]
A quick flick of the blade deals double damage.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Edged

[Advent Sign]
Rippling holy energy shreds foe.
Affinity: Light / Type: Edged
_______________________________________
        4.4:  AXE & MACE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Mistral Edge]
Whips a stunning sheet of air at foe.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Edged

[Glacial Gale]
Numbs foe with a damaging strike.
Affinity: Air / Type: Edged

[Killer Mantis]
A blinding rush damages and saps MP from foe.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Edged

[Black Nebula]
Blasts foe with a burst of negative energy.
Affinity: Dark / Type: Blunt
_______________________________________
        4.5:  GREAT AXE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Bear Claw]
Smashes foe with a luminescent downward strike.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Blunt

[Accursed Umbra]
Curses foe with a damaging strike.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Blunt

[Iron Ripper]
Powerful blow that damages both armor and foe.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Blunt

[Emetic Bomb]
Unleashes a series of slashing blows.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Edged
_______________________________________
        4.6:  STAFF
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Sirocco]
Searing hot winds and wildfire engulf foe.
Affinity: Fire / Type: Blunt

[Riskbreak]
Focused blow that deals damage and reduces RISK.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Piercing

[Gravis Aether]
Solidifies aether to crush foe.
Affinity: Earth / Type: Blunt

[Trinity Pulse]
Crushes foe with a triad of shockwaves.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Blunt
_______________________________________
        4.7:  HEAVY MACE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Bonecrusher]
Energy release meets out a bone-crushing blow.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Blunt

[Quickshock]
Numbs foe with a damaging strike.
Affinity: Air / Type: Blunt

[Ignis Wheel]
A spreading sheet of flame engulfs foe.
Affinity: As weapon & Fire / Type: Blunt

[Hex Flux]
Fuses powers of Light and Darkness in one.
Affinity: Light & Dark / Type: Blunt
_______________________________________
        4.8:  POLEARM
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Ruination]
Lashes out with a focused thrust of energy.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Piercing

[Scythe Wind]
Inflicts damage and tarnishes arms and armor.
Affinity: Air / Type: Piercing

[Giga Tempest]
Energy storm damages both armor and foe.
Affinity: As weapon / Type: Piercing

[Spiral Scourge]
Whips air moisture into a penetrating whirlwind.
Affinity: Water / Type: Piercing
_______________________________________
        4.9:  CROSSBOW
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Brimstone Hall]
Unleashes the fury of the Dark to damage foe.
Affinity: Fire & Dark / Type: Piercing

[Heaven's Scorn]
The haft becomes a conduit for heaven's light.
Affinity: Air & Light / Type: Piercing

[Death Wall]
Fires a bolt of pure demonic energy.
Affinity: Earth & Dark / Type: Piercing

[Sanctus Flare]
Channels the powers of the dragons of light.
Affinity: Water & Light / Type: Piercing
_______________________________________
        4.10: BARE HANDS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[Lotus Palm]
Focuses spirit into Ashley's fist.
Affinity: Physical / Type: Blunt

[Vertigo]
Numbs foe with a damaging strike.
Affinity: Physical / Type: Blunt

[Vermillion Aura]
Strikes the Dark using the power of light.
Affinity: Light / Type: Blunt

[Retribution]
Turns the power of the Dark against itself.
Affinity: Dark / Type: Blunt
________________________________________________________________________
Part 5:  BATTLE ABILITIES
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Below the Chain Abilities are some Quick Tips. The same goes for
Defense Abilities.

 Here I'll list the name of the Battle Ability, how much RISK it adds
when used, and what it is.
_______________________________________
        5.1: CHAIN ABILITIES
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Heavy Shot
RISK    1
Inflicts an amount of additional damage equal to 70% of damage dealt.

Gain Life
RISK    2
Regenerates an amount of Ashley's HP equal to 30% of damage dealt.

Mind Assault
RISK    1
Reduces foe's MP by an amount equal to 30% of damage dealt.

Gain Magic
RISK    2
Regenerates an amount of Ashley's MP equal to 30% of damage dealt.

Raging Ache
RISK    1
Inflicts an amount of additional damage equal to 10% of the damage
Ashley has sustained.

Mind Ache
RISK    1
Reduces foe's MP by an amount equal to 20% of the MP Ashley has used.

Temper
RISK    2
Inflicts an additional 40% of damage on foe and repairs a small amount
of weapon DP.

Crimson Pain
RISK    2
Inflicts an additional 100% of damage on foe and deals 30% of base
damage to Ashley.

Instill
RISK    1
Inflicts additional damage equal to 10% of damage dealt and adds that
amount to PP.

Phantom Pain
RISK    3
Inflicts additional damage equal to the total accumulated Phantom Points
in Ashley's weapon.

Paralysis Pulse
RISK    3
Adds Paralysis to attack.

Numbing Claw
RISK    3
Adds Numbness to attack.

Dulling Impact
RISK    3
Adds Silence to attack.

Snake Venom
RISK    3
Adds Poison to attack.
        ______________________________
        - Quick Tips
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 These strategies come from the Vagrant Story FAQ author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 If you want to do pull off a high number of Chains, it is best to
swap back and forth between two easy Chain Abilities. Ones that are
easy to time, which happen to only be pure attacking Chains (Heavy Shot,
Raging Ache, Phantom Pain, and Crimson Pain). Other Chains take
somewhat longer and so may be more difficult to time. All weapon types
have their own way of executing Chains, so some are more complicated
(it doesn't mean it's any more difficult, just has more or less parts
to it). The way Chains are executed also depend on where you are
standing and where the enemy is located.

|¯|- This model of an exclamation mark is similar to that of the Timing
| |  Display for Battle Abilities in Vagrant Story. Up to the 13th Chain
|_|  you can just simply push one of the buttons set to whatever Chain
|¯|  Abilities upon seeing the exclamation mark pop up. For the 14th
¯   Chain and higher, you must anticipate when it'll appear and push it
    then. Don't anticipate too early though because you'll make an easy
    mistake.
  - The higher the Chain, the harder the timing is because you aren't
    given as much time to continue Chaining. That's why you have to
    anticipate after the 13th one.
  - Anticipation can be done easily in two ways: Push the button...
    * When the weapon comes into contact with the creature
    * At the peak of the sound of the attack
  - Using both, it is really easy to anticipate Chains (so you can even
    do 30 Chains to receive a Title)
  - After the 8th Chain, your RISK will increase greatly if you continue
    Chaining
  - Against bosses and regular enemies, you _should_ keep your RISK low,
    so only do 8 Chains then stop and do another 8 Chains, and so on.
    That way your RISK doesn't go skyhigh and you can still do things.
  - But it can be good to have really high Chains just as long you can
    keep doing so. With each Chain you do, the more damage it does
    (only 1 HP damage increase per Chain). This way you can eventually
    do some decent damage against troubling foes, although it could be
    smarter to try different Affinities/Blade Types.

 Here are some good Chain Abilities used together:

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\BASIC ATTACK CHAINS/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 All of these Chains are only 1 RISK, so they don't increase your RISK
quickly. 'Heavy Shot' and 'Raging Ache' are possibly the most used
Chains (for me they are). 'Instill' I always use to fill up the PP
(Phantom Points) of any weapon (usually repaired). You can do a few easy
8-Chains before your RISK gets too high.

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\THE ACHE AND PAIN OF TWO/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Raging Ache works well against any enemy that isn't immune to Chain
Abilities as long as you have low HP. It's an easy way to damage a tough
enemy. And Crimson Pain (does 100% damage and deals 30% of the damage to
Ashley) can feed it to an extent. But if you're using Raging Ache to
hurt a tough enemy, then it's quite useless to use Crimson Pain. It's
good if you can do some decent damage with it. Although Break Arts can
substitute for Crimson Pain and Raging Ache can do well from there.

Utilizing the Ultimate Chain Ability (under low-damage circumstances)
 Works well against enemies against enemies you can actually do some
damage to get Instill to work (get Phantom Points). Then do Phantom Pain
to do a high amount of damage. It is also possible to do Phantom Pain as
the first Chain then built up your Phantom Points using Instill (and
switch off with something like Raging Ache or Heavy Shot until your PP
are full then do Phantom Pain again). If you want, you can get full PP
with all your weapons in your Gadget Bag and do Phantom Pain with each
weapon.

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\STATUS ABNORMALITY-CAUSING CHAINS/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 The four Chains are the following: Paralysis Pulse, Numbing Claw,
Dulling Impact, and Snake Venom. You should only set one of these to one
button (for normal battle unless you want to have some fun and set three
of them to buttons). Numbing Claw must be the last move because a
physical attack cancels Numbness. A Magic attack cancels Silent (Dulling
Impact causes Silent).

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\MY THREE CHAINS/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 My personal set of Chains. They are: Heavy Shot (O), Raging Ache ([]),
and Dulling Impact (/\). When I want to build up my PP, I just replace
Raging Ache with Instill. Other status abnormality-causing Chain
Abilities (especially Paralysis Pulse) doesn't really apply to me
because if you are able to use it on an enemy, then it is most likely
the enemy is weak, which means it can easily be killed. Dulling Impact
is different though because it can work on some deadly Magic users. It
also stops them from casting spells all the time, which is really
annoying.
_______________________________________
        5.2: DEFENSE ABILITIES
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Ward
RISK    1
Successful use of this Ability prevents Paralysis and Numbness.

Siphon Soul
RISK    6
Adds 50% of the MP used in foe's magical attack to Ashley's MP.
Effective vs. magical attacks.

Reflect Magic
RISK    2
Reflects 40% of damage. Does not reduce damage received. Effective vs.
magical attacks.

Reflect Damage
RISK    2
Reflects 40% of damage. Does not reduce damage received. Effective vs.
non-magical attacks.

Absorb Magic
RISK    4
Reduces damage received by 20%. Effective vs. magical attacks.

Absorb Damage
RISK    4
Reduces damage received by 20%. Effective vs. non-magical attacks.

Impact Guard
RISK    4
Reduces physical damage by 50%.

Windbreak
RISK    4
Reduces air-affinity damage by 50%.

Fireproof
RISK    4
Reduces fire-affinity damage by 50%.

Terra Guard
RISK    4
Reduces earth-affinity damage by 50%.

Aqua Guard
RISK    4
Reduces water-affinity damage by 50%.

Shadow Guard
RISK    4
Reduces light-affinity damage by 50%.

Demonscale
RISK    4
Reduces dark-affinity damage by 50%.

Phantom Shield
RISK    6
Uses the accumulated Phantom Points in Ashley's shield to counter an
equal amount of damage.
        ______________________________
        - Quick Tips
        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 These strategies come from the Vagrant Story FAQ author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

|¯|- This model of an exclamation mark is similar to that of the Timing
| |  Display for Battle Abilities in Vagrant Story. Just simply push
|_|  one of the Defense Abilities buttons when it appears above Ashley's
|¯|  head when he's attacked.
¯ - If you use a Defense Ability that has nothing to do with the attack
    a foe does on you, then it won't work.

 On first play you should always do your best to defend (use Defense
Abilities) against bosses, especially. That's why the Shorcut menu
exists, to give shortcuts to the most used things in battle.
 You should set one type of defense to each button (the types of attacks
include: physical, non-magical, magical, paralysis/numbness, and
elemental). Physical belongs to non-magical.
 Non-magical should go to one button, magical to another, and
Paralysis/Numbness or Elemental to another.
 All Defense Abilities are executed after the attack done on Ashley. So
if you're Paralyzed/Numbed but you successfully execute Ward, then at
the end they will go away.
     ____________________________________________
O   / Whenever you need to change any Battle     |
/|\ <  Abilities, just simply use the Shortcut    |
/ \  | menu and choose Chain or Defense Abilities.|
    | This saves time and can help you prepare   |
    | for certain enemies quickly. USE IT!       |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     ____________________________________________
O   / You can literally DIE but if you use the   |
/|\ <  correct Defense Ability, you can still     |
/ \  | live. This is done using a Defense Ability |
    | that reduces or absorbs damage (they are   |
    | both the same). That's basically what makes|
    | up Defense Abilities.                      |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 It is also possible for a Defense Ability to MISS (the effects don't
work). This is because you may have a Gem that increases the chance to
evade non-magical attacks by 20% or magical attacks by 20%. Also, your
Agility may be too high. It will usually not MISS, but there's that
chance of it missing.

 After beating the game, I got lazy and just decided not to fiddle
around with Defense Abilities and just keep it the same forever. Here
are my settings:

O  = Absorb Damage
[] = Absorb Magic
/\ = Ward
________________________________________________________________________
Part 6:  ITEMS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

_______________________________________
        6.1: Miscellaneous Info
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Materials:
Wood, Leather, Bronze, Iron, Hagane, Silver, Damascus

Materials (in order of strongest to weakest):
Damascus, Hagane, Iron, Silver, Bronze, Wood, Leather

Materials (in order of weight, or Agility, from lightest to heaviest):
Leather, Wood, [Silver, Hagane, and Damascus are equal], and
[Bronze and Iron are equal]

I'm not sure about Wood and Leather, but I don't really care about
those two materials, they're the weakest and thus, useless.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Equipment Enhancement
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The first two paragraphs come from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy
Nicholson <[email protected]>.

 The way to get stronger is to enhance your equipment (other than
combining equipment into better ones and using Elixirs/Wines to get
stronger). The more equipment is used, the stronger it becomes against
the enemies you fight. If you fight a particular enemy for a long time
then your equipment will be better at fighting THAT enemy.
 Under most circumstances you shouldn't discard equipment. Now, when
you don't need certain Wood/Leather equipment (they really don't mean
anything: you can get the same as Bronze or better, and get better
equipment as well).
 As explained in the Quick Manual:

Weapons and Armor each have an "Affinity" and a "Class."

Affinity
- There are six affinities: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Dark
- If a weapon's fire affinity increases, that weapon will deal more
 damage to water-based creatures. When a piece of armor's fire affinity
 increases, its resistance to attacks from fire-based creatures rises.
- The affinities are related as shown below:

                   Opposites
                FIRE  <--> WATER
                EARTH <--> AIR
                LIGHT <--> DARK

Affinity Changes
- When Ashley attacks a creature, the weapon he uses will gain in the
 affinity opposite that of the creature.
- Similarly, when a creature attacks Ashley, his armor will gain in the
 same affinity as that of the creature.
- The affinity change will not always occur, but it usually will.

If Ashley attacks a fire creature, his weapon's water affinity will
increase.

If a fire creature attacks Ashley, his armor's fire affinity will
increase.

*Occasionally, when an affinity rises, the opposite affinity will drop.

*There is no opposite affinity to Physical-type attacks. Attacking a
physical affinity foe will not affect Ashley's weapon affinity in any
way.

*A weapon's attack affinity is determined by that weapon's highest
affinity. Check weapon status to see which affinity is currently the
highest.

Weapon and Armor Class
- Each of Ashley's foes belongs to one class.
- By fighting foes of a particular class, Ashley's weapon and armor will
 become more effective against foes of that class.
- The class change will not always occur, but it usually will.

Class Changes
- When Ashley attacks or is attacked by foes, his weapon (or armor) will
 gain in the class of the foe.

If Ashley attacks a dragon-class foe, his weapon's dragon class rating
will increase.

If a dragon-class foe attacks Ashley, his armor's dragon class rating
will increase.

*Like affinity, if one class rises, the class below it may drop. See the
list below for class rankings.

*Weapon and armor classes are ranked by priority as follows:

                         -
                         -
                 /\    EVIL
                 ||    HUMAN
              (strong) BEAST
                       UNDEAD
                       PHANTOM
                       DRAGON
               (weak)  EVIL
                 ||    HUMAN
                 \/      -
                         -

For instance, if the dragon-class foe from the example above attacks
Ashley, his armor's dragon class rating rises, but the two classes
below dragon (i.e. evil and human) may drop.
     ____________________________________________
O   / The two classes below one class are likely |
/|\ <  to drop when raising that one class. Take  |
/ \  | this example: While raising the Human class|
    | the Beast and Undead classes are likely to |
    | drop. But if you raise the Beast class, the|
    | Human class won't drop.                    |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

It is best to use one weapon for at least two classes. You can do any
two classes, although if you use the same weapon for two classes that
are weak to each other (Human and Phantom; Beast and Dragon; Undead and
Evil) then they will never drop. Although if you use the same weapon for
two classes not like the above, one may drop while raising the other,
but not vice versa.
 People have said "IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to have a weapon for more than two
classes and the classes you raise HAVE to be next to each (i.e., Human
and Beast, Undead and Phantom, Dragon and Evil)."
 Now, I must laugh at that a great deal, but it's not funny, it's just
PLAIN STUPID!

 Allow me to explain:
You can use a weapon against any two classes, and it's even possible to
have a weapon good against all six classes. Under any circumstances,
class points will drop (except for Human and Phantom, Beast and Dragon,
and Undead and Evil). If your class points are exceedingly high (about
100 each), then you can have all six at that value and have no worries
about the weapon being reduced to worthlessness.
 The only problem with this is DP will lower quickly because you're
using the same weapon against ALL enemies. Furthermore, some enemies may
have a strong defense against the blade type of the weapon you are
using. But Edged is the basic killer and works against MOST enemies.
     ____________________________________________
O   / It doesn't really matter, though. You can  |
/|\ <  do whatever you do. Don't blame me or Dan  |
/ \  | GC for any problems you run into based on  |
    | problems dealing with weapons. Remember,   |
    | Different personalities = different styles |
    | of play.                                   |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The Spoils of Foes
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 Equipment enemies have can be quite useful in upgrading your own
equipment. There is always a base percentage of receiving any piece of
equipment from an enemy. But there also seems to be a way to increase
the percentage of receiving a certain piece of equipment. And that is to
keep attacking the body part where the equipment is (that means killing
them like that as well). It is best to do high damaging attacks to that
body part (gets the body part to DYING status). This really only affects
enemies with almost/about full equipment, so, say an Ogre with only a
weapon and an accessory, it doesn't really matter what body part you
attack because it's useless. The reason is you'll either get the
equipment or not, so the more you kill the enemy, the more likely you'll
get that piece of equipment. The percentage isn't higher, it's just
after killing the enemy a lot, you'll eventually get some equipment. The
faster you kill the monster, the more you can kill it, so you'll get it
eventually faster (possibly).
 From certain enemies you automatically can only get specific pieces of
equipment or will always get certain pieces of equipment.
 For example, if you want the boots they're carrying, keep on attacking
the legs.

For REAL HUMANS (body part and what they hold):

R. ARM - Weapon, R. Arm Armor
L. ARM - Shield (if equipped), L. Arm Armor
HEAD   - Head Armor, Accessory
BODY   - Body Armor, and partially affects all other equipment
LEGS   - Leg Armor

 In reality, all you do is just attack the body part that is holding
whatever equipment you want. Weapon is sometimes R. Arm, L. Arm, or even
both (two-handed weapons only). Only weapons and shields can appear in
different body parts out of all creatures (Human, Beast, Undead, Dragon,
and Evil). All Humans have some equipment (real Humans have full
equipment), Beasts have some equipment (Ogres), Undead always
have some equipment, Dragons have some equipment (Lizards), and all
Evil foes have some equipment (except Golems, Crabs, Gargoyles, and
Imps).
 Know only that attacking a specific body part only increases the
probability of getting a certain piece of equipment. Just because the
probability of something is increased it certainly doesn't mean you WILL
get that. There is still a base percentage of getting the other
equipment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"Titles of Equipment" (music plays) dun dun dun!
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 When a piece of equipment (weapons or armor, except accessories) are
highlighted, then at the bottom left of the screen is the following
(example):

Title: Armor
Hagane Glove

 So it has the title of the piece of equipment, what material it is
made of, and what kind of equipment it is. For a weapon, it's the
weapon (including gems), not the blade. For a shield, it's the shield
(including gems).
 The title doesn't mean much, except that you have two stats that are
low to exceedingly high. Titles are actually determined by the second-
highest stat out of all three things (Class, Affinity, and Type).
Depending on what the value of the second-highest stat is determines
what the title of the weapon or armor is.
 Since it's determined by the second-highest stat, then the highest
stat is either equal to or higher than the second-highest stat.
 Here are all the titles (Shields are Armor):

Required Attributes     Title
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯     ¯¯¯¯¯
Below 10                Weapon / Armor
10 to 19                Warrior's Weapon / Armor
20 to 29                Knightly Weapon / Armor
30 to 39                Prestigious Weapon / Armor
40 to 49                Brave Weapon / Armor
50 to 59                Warlord's Weapon / Armor
60 to 69                Champion's Weapon / Armor
70 to 79                Glorious Weapon / Armor
80 to 89                Legendary Weapon / Armor
90 to 99                Supreme Weapon / Armor
Above 99                Divine Weapon / Armor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_-_-_-_-_-_-_Blade Types:=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
               A                       _____
BBB  L         /A\     DDDDD   EEEEE   |TTTTT| Y   Y PPPP  EEEEE   SSS
B  B L        /A A\    D    D  E        \|T|/   Y Y  P   P E     SSS
BBB  L       /A___A\   D     D EEEE      |T|     Y   PPPP  EEEE    SSS
B  B L      /AAAAAAA\  D    D  E         |T|     Y   P     E         SSS
BBB  LLLLL /A/     \A\ DDDDD   EEEEE     |T|     Y   P     EEEEE   SSS
          ¯¯       ¯¯                   \V/

Blunt - used to smash or break things in pieces
Edged - used to slice things
Piercing - used to stab hard-to-reach areas and is a concentrated stab

 Considering all of that, it shouldn't be very difficult to choose
what blade type to use against different enemies.
- A skeleton creature is very frail (made of purely bones) and can be
easily broken apart, so a Blunt weapon can work well against them.
- A living creature (such as a human or beast) without much armor
protection can have their body parts sliced off, so Edged works well
here.
- A rock creature or dragon has a very tough hide and something
concetrated is required to penetrate it, so use a Piercing weapon
against it. Some people would first consider to destroy a rock creature
with a Blunt weapon, it works, but think about what they do to actually
destroy rocks in real life...a Piercing tool (like a pickax to dig
through the rock-hard ground) or a drilling tool, which is _supposed_ to
be a piercing tool. And since a Piercing weapon can be used to hit hard-
to-reach areas, it can be used against something _with_ armor protection
because it can go right through the armor (or hit a small, open area),
thus hurting the enemy.

 It is quite shocking (to me) that some people actually have difficulty
with the blade types. All you have to remember is that this game tries
to resemble that of *REAL LIFE* by including things from real life in
this game. Like this: an animal (that includes humans) can be stabbed
so easily with a pocketknife, so in Vagrant Story, anything with flesh
can be stabbed as well (remember: REAL LIFE). If you didn't figure out
what blade type goes with this example, it's Piercing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Training Dummies
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 If you walk into a room with a training dummy, then the sound you will
hear is similar to that of undead skeletons. Damage to dummies are very
low (only around 5, but calculated, it is only 0). Your RISK does not
really have any affect on your accuracy and damage, since your accuracy
will always be 100% and even as low as 99% (understand? Just some bad
humor on my part). This means you can raise your Class the dummy is
really quickly and high.
 Also, you can do easy Chains to get those
Battle Abilities experience points. Although you can only gain a Battle
Ability by killing an enemy.
 The Affinity of dummies is actually Physical, and is the only
exception that you can lose other Affinities' points. Remember that
Physical attacks are direct attacks and aren't affected (damage-wise) by
other affinities.
 Know that only the first attack can gain/lose you Class/Affinity
points. If you Chain, you won't lose or gain anything.

Format:
CLASS of dummy (NAME of dummy)
Area: Room

HUMAN (CRIMSON BLADE)
Wine Cellar: Blackmarket
Wine Cellar: Worker's Restroom

BEAST (OGRE)
Abandoned Mines B1: The Dark Tunnel

UNDEAD (SKELETON KNIGHT)
Catacombs: Hall of Sworn Revenge

PHANTOM (GHOST)
City Walls North: From Boy To Hero

DRAGON (LIZARDMAN)
City Walls South: The Boy's Training Room

EVIL (GREMLIN)
Town Center East: Gharmes Walk

     ____________________________________________
O   / The dummies are not there the first time   |
/|\ <  you reach the room. After beating or going |
/ \  | to certain areas, then the dummy will be   |
    | there if you so happen to go to the room   |
    | as listed above.                           |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     ____________________________________________
O   / If you have a turbo controller, then use it|
/|\ <  against a dummy. You can sleep while doing |
/ \  | so. This is how you do it: activate turbo  |
    | for O, then put something to weigh down on |
    | on the button so Ashley will automatically |
    | attack. After he's done killing the dummy, |
    | you will usually gain about 30+ in the     |
    | Class of the dummy.                        |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     ____________________________________________
O   / It doesn't really matter, though. You can  |
/|\ <  do whatever you do. Don't blame me or Dan  |
/ \  | GC for any problems you run into based on  |
    | problems dealing with weapons. Remember,   |
    | Different personalities = different styles |
    | of play.                                   |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Dummies have items for you when you kill them. They always give you a
'Cure' and 'Mana' item. It depends on the dummy for which you will
receive. In addition, under certain circumstances you will get another
item, an Elixir, which is also totally dependent on the dummy.
 You get the Elixir by doing the following:
- Attacking only the BODY (and killing it by doing so)
- Beating or doing the same number of Chains as your Chain Record
* If you do this, there is about an 84% chance of getting the Elixir.

 Here are the items you get from the dummies (I haven't gotten a chance
to get the Elixirs from all the dummies):

Dummy     Cure & Mana   Elixir of
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Human     Bulbs         Queens(?)
Beast     Potions       ???
Undead    Potions       Kings
Phantom   Bulbs         ???
Dragon    Potions       ???
Evil      Potions       ???
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Below is listed the stats format for weapons and armor.
ORG: the stats of the piece of equipment
EQP: the total stats of Ashley himself and piece of equipment

Weapon stats:
          ORG/EQP
    Range   #/  #
     RISK   #/  #
Attack/STR   #/  #
Attack/INT   #/  #
  Agility   #/  #

Range: Weapon's range of attack.
RISK: RISK points added with each use of the weapon.
Attack/STR: Weapon attack strength. Increases physical weapon damage.
Attack/INT: Magic attack strength. Increases magic potency.
Agility: Speed attribute based on weight.
        Increases chance to hit and evade attacks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armor stats (except accessories):
           ORG/EQP
Defense/STR   #/  #
Defense/INT   #/  #
   Agility   #/  #

Defense/STR: Defense strength. Increases resistance to physical attacks.
Defense/INT: Magic defense strength. Increases resistance to magical attacks.
Agility: Speed attribute based on weight.
        Increases chance to hit and evade attacks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accessory stats:
            ORG/EQP
   Strength   #/  #
Intelligence   #/  #
    Agility   #/  #

Strength: Strength level. Affects attack and defense power.
Intelligence: Intelligence level. Affects magic attacks and defense.
Agility: Agility level. Affects chance to hit and evade.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Status screen:
|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|[1]HP  ###·###  [3]MP     ##·##      [4]_________________________ |
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|       |Ashley Riot              ||
| |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯         ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
|[2]RISK      #                       [5]R. ARM[]EXCELLENT         |
|                                                                  |
|            [7] /¯¯\                    L. ARM[]EXCELLENT         |
|                \  /                                              |
|            /¯¯¯¯  ¯¯¯¯\                  HEAD[]EXCELLENT         |
|           /            \                                         |
|          |  /|      |\  |                BODY[]EXCELLENT         |
|          | | |      | | |                                        |
|          | | |      | | |                LEGS[]EXCELLENT         |
|          | | |      | | |                                        |
|          | | |      | | |                                        |
|          /__\|      | /__\                                       |
|             /  /¯¯\  \                                           |
|            /  /    \  \                                          |
|           /  /      \  \                   [6]           ORG/EQP |
|          |  |        |  |                       STRENGTH         |
|          |  |        |  |                   INTELLIGENCE         |
|          |  |        |  |                        AGILITY         |
|         /___|        |___\                                       |
|                                                                  |
|__________________________________________________________________|

[1] - Hit Points (life). The game ends when HP reach 0.
[2] - RISK points. A high RISK means you will receive more damage and be
     less likely to score hits.
[3] - Magic Points. Used for casting spells.
[4] - Name of character
[5] - Body parts and their conditions
[6] - Character's base statistics (ORG); and character's statistics with
     the equipped accessory included (EQP)
      STRENGTH - Strength level. Affects attack and defense power.
  INTELLIGENCE - Intelligence level. Affects magic attacks and defense.
       AGILITY - Agility level. Affects chance to hit and evade.
[7] - The body of the character
     _________________________________________________
O   / The above isn't exact, but it's close enough.   \
/|\ <  Pretty good for someone who's not exactly good   \
/ \  | at this ASCII art or whatever it's called. Oh     \
    | yeah, there's actually a line connecting the       |
    | body part on the figure to the words. The colors   |
    | too (refer to the Quick Manual "Damage Effects"    |
    | for more information):                             |
    |   (Blue) [] = Excellent                            |
    |  (Green) [] = Good                                 |
    | (Yellow) [] = Average                             /
    | (Orange) [] = Bad                                /
     \   (Red) [] = Dying                             /
      ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
_______________________________________
        6.2: BLADES
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Daggers
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Battle Knife
Scramasax
Dirk
Throwing Knife
Kudi
Cinquedea
Kris
Hatchet
Khukuri
Baselard
Stiletto
Jamadhar

Swords
¯¯¯¯¯¯
Spatha
Scimitar
Rapier
Short Sword
Firangi
Shamshir
Falchion
Shotel
Khora
Khopesh
Wakizashi
Rhomphaia

Axes & Maces
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Hand Axe
Battle Axe
Francisca
Tabarzin
Chamkaq
Tabar
Bullova
Crescent
Goblin Club
Spiked Club
Ball Mace
Footman's Mace
Morning Star
War Hammer
Bec de Corbin
War Maul

Great Swords
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Broad Sword
Norse Sword
Katana
Executioner
Claymore
Schiavona
Bastard Sword
Nodachi
Rune Blade
Holy Win

Great Axes
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Guisarme
Large Screscent
Sabre Halberd
Balbriggan
Double Blade
Halberd

Heavy Maces
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Langdebeve
Sabre mace
Footman's Mace
Gloomwing
Mjolnir
Griever
Destroyer
Hand of Light

Staves
¯¯¯¯¯¯
Wizard Staff
Clergy Rod
Summoner Baton
Shamanic Staff
Bishop's Croiser
Sage's Cane

Polearms
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Spear
Glaive
Scorpion
Corcesca
Trident
Awl Pike
Boar Spear
Fauchard
Voulge
Pole Axe
Bardysh
Brandestoc

Crossbows
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Gastraph Bow
Target Bow
Light Crossbow
Windlass
Cranequin
Lug Crossbow
Seige Bow
Arbalest
_______________________________________
        6.3: GRIPS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
______________________________________________________________________
|Grip Name   |   |STR·INT·AGL|  |Blunt·Edged·Piercing|  |# of Gem Slots|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
==Grips for Daggers/Swords/Great Swords==++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|Short Hilt        1 · 0 · -1      0  ·  4  ·   1        0             |
|Swept Hilt        1 · 1 · -1      0  ·  2  ·   4        0             |
|Cross Guard       2 · 1 · -1      8  ·  6  ·   2        1             |
|Counter Guard     ? · ? · -?      0  ·  8  ·   7        1             |
|Knuckle Guard     2 · 2 · -2      0  ·  5  ·   9        2             |
|Side Ring         3 · 3 · -2      10 ·  12 ·   10       2             |
|Murderer's Hilt   4 · 3 · -3      0  ·  13 ·   17       2             |
|Power Palm        4 · 3 · -3      0  ·  15 ·   12       3             |
|Spiral Hilt       5 · 4 · -3      20 ·  20 ·   20       3             |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
==Grips for Axes/Maces/Staves==________________________________________
|Wooden Grip       1 · 0 · -2      5  ·  1  ·   0        0             |
|Czekan Type       2 · 1 · -2      8  ·  4  ·   0        0             |
|Sand Face         1 · 2 · -2      3  ·  6  ·   0        1             |
|Sarissa Grip      2 · 2 · -3      6  ·  9  ·   0        1             |
|Heavy Grip        3 · 1 · -3      6  ·  15 ·   0        1             |
|Gendarme          3 · 2 · -3      13 ·  5  ·   0        2             |
|Runkasyle         4 · 3 · -3      17 ·  7  ·   0        2             |
|Grimoire Grip     1 · 8 · -4      21 ·  9  ·   0        2             |
|Bhuj Type         5 · 1 · -4      8  ·  19 ·   0        3             |
|Elephant          6 · 3 · -4      11 ·  22 ·   0        3             |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
==Grips for Polearms==-------------------------------------------------
|Wooden Pole       1 · 0 · -3      11 ·  0  ·   1        0             |
|Winged Pole       3 · 2 · -4      2  ·  6  ·   16       0             |
|Spiculum Pole     2 · 1 · -3      2  ·  12 ·   4        1             |
|Ahlspies          ? · ? · -?      10 ·  14 ·   12       1             |
|Framea Pole       4 · 3 · -4      16 ·  4  ·   10       2             |
|Spiral Pole       6 · 5 · -5      15 ·  6  ·   21       3             |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
==Grips for Crossbows=================================================
|Simple Bolt       1 · 0 · -1      1  ·  0  ·   10       0             |
|Steel Bolt        2 · 0 · -1      1  ·  0  ·   13       1             |
|Javelin Bolt      3 · 1 · -1      17 ·  0  ·   2        1             |
|Falarica Bolt     4 · 1 · -1      3  ·  0  ·   20       1             |
|Stone Bullet      2 · 0 · -2      23 ·  0  ·   4        1             |
|Sonic Bullet      4 · 2 · -2      5  ·  0  ·   25       1             |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
_______________________________________
        6.4: SHIELDS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Some people have said something like this, "Shields aren't exactly
weapons, but they are. And they aren't armor."
 I don't like that, if they actually paid attention while playing
Vagrant Story, they would've noticed that under the "Shields" category
in the ITEM menu, it obviously says Shields are armor.

Buckler
Targe
Pelta Shield
Quad Shield
Circle Shield
Tower Shield
Spiked Shield
Round Shield
Kite Shield
Casserole Shield
Heater Shield
Oval Shield
Knight Shield
Hoplite Shield
Jazeraint Shield
Dread Shield
_______________________________________
        6.5: ARMOR
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     _________________________________________________
O   / Dread armor (that includes shields, of course)  \
/|\ <  lose about 3 INT but also gain about 3 STR from  \
/ \  | Jazeraint armor. So, in reality, Jazeraint armor  \
    | are the strongest in INT, and Dread armor are best |
    | in STR. As for AGL, they're both the same. The INT |
    | and STR are not much; the use of Gems easily       |
    | makes up for it. Then, it's just a preference      |
    | for which equipment you want. Once you get to      |
    | Jazeraint, you _can_ just stop there. And          |
    | know this, if you worked hard on your             /
    | Jazeraint armor, then upgrading to Dread         /
     \may cause you to lose some of that work.        /
      ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Head
¯¯¯¯
Bandana
Bear Mask
Wizard Hat
Bone Helm
Chain Coif
Spangenhelm
Cabasset
Sallet</pre><pre id="faqspan-4">
Barbut
Basinet
Armet
Close Helm
Burgonet
Hoplite Helm
Jazeraint Helm
Dread Helm

Arms (one each)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Bandage
Leather Glove
Reinfored Glove
Knuckles
Ring Sleeve
Chain Sleeve
Gauntlet
Vambrace
Plate Glove
Rondanche
Tilt Glove
Freiturner
Fluted Glove
Hoplite Glove
Jazeraint Glove
Dread Glove

Body
¯¯¯¯
Jerkin
Hauberk
Wizard Robe
Cuirass
Banded Mail
Ring Mail
Chain Mail
Breastplate
Segmentata
Scale Armor
Brigandine
Plate Mail
Fluted Mail
Hoplite Armor
Jazeraint Armor
Dread Armor

Legs
¯¯¯¯
Sandals
Boots
Long Boots
Cuisse
Light Greaves
Ring Legging
Chain Leggings
Fuzzkampf
Polelyn
Jambau
Missaglia
Plate Leggings
Fluted Leggings
Hoplite Leggings
Jazeraint Leggings
Dread Leggings
     _________________________________________________
O   / If you noticed, there are 16 pieces of armor    \
/|\ <  total for each type (Shields, Head, Arms, Body,  \
/ \  | and Legs. The corresponding one on each list is   |
    | on the same line (exp. Buckler, Bandana, Bandage, |
     \ Jerkin, and Sandals).                           /
      ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Accesories (31 total)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Rood Necklace - Necklace with the rood of the Iocus
               priesthood. Once owned by Tia.

Rune Earrings - Silver earrings engraved with ancient Kildean lettering.

Lionhead - Necklace with a lion's head motif.

Rusted Nails - Claws of iron worn by Rinomy,
              the ancient Kildean tactician.

Sylphid Ring - Ring imbued with the essence of a sylph air spirit.

Marduk - Nose-ring that is said to have been owned
        by Marduk, the storm deity.

Salamander Ring - Ring imbued with the essence of
                 a salamander fire spirit.

Tamulis Tongue - Tongue stud favored by the fire god Tamulis.

Gnome Bracelet - Bracelet imbued with an earth spirit.

Palolo's Ring - White gold ring adorned with the wings
               of the earth deity, Palolo.

Undine Bracelet - Arm bracelet imbued with the essence
                 of an undine water spirit.

Talian Ring - Delicate ring used by the sea spirit, Talia,
             to pacify the Kraken.

Agrias's Balm - Balm used by the great knight Agrias
               as told in the Zodiac Brave Story.

Kadesh Ring - Silver ring with rose and snake motif, symbol of
             the love and fertility goddess, Kadesh.

Agrippa's Choker - Choker imbued with evil, made by the alchemist
                  Agrippa. Said to now imprison Agrippa's soul.

Diadra's Earring - Earring favored by the famed beauty Diadra,
                  who was fated to bring sadness and ruin.

Titan's Ring - Ring worn by the Titans of legend, large enough
              to be used as a bracelet by mortals.

Lau Fei's Armlet - Armlet of might worn by the legendary
                  queen of the Titans, Lau Fei.

Swan Song - Brooch a poor craftsman made for his wife.
           Lauded for its quality after his death.

Pushpaka - Earring made in ancient times to talk with the
          Pegasi drawing the chariot 'Pushpaka.'

Edgar's Earrings - Earring possessed by a demon-wight,
                  worn by the great necromancer Edgar.

Cross Choker - Decorative leather choker with a
              pendant in the shape of a cross.

Ghost Hound - Armlet imbued with the vain ambition of those
             whose names the storytellers do not sing.

Beaded Anklet - Anklet worn by Müllenkamp, a dancer, and
               the head priestess of ancient Kiltia.

Dragonhead - Talisman made from dragon skull.
            A aids slightly in battles against dragons.

Faufnir's Tear - Necklace bearing a crystal, Faufnir's Tear, wept
                from the dragon's eye when it died.

Agales's Chain - Necklace forged to torment Agales, the duke
                of the underworld, by the great sage Solomon.

Balam Ring - Ring bearing one of the 47 scattered shards of the
            great devil Balam, guardian of knowledge.

Nimje Coif - Coif worn by the water nymph Nimje
            in the tales of the old land.

Morgan's Nails - Nails worn by the evil sorceress Morrighan
                in the tales of the old land.

Marlene's Ring - Ring worn by the sage Marlene, said to
                prove her half-devil, half-human blood.

     _________________________________________________
O   / For 'Dragonhead,' it's supposed to have "Aids   \
/|\ <  slightly in battles against dragons." But while  \
/ \  \ they were making the game there were some errors,/
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
_______________________________________
        6.6: GEMS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Talos Feldspar - Feldspar imbued with the dark powers of Talos.
                Increases the power of direct attacks.

Titan Malachite - Malachite with a Titan's soul bound inside.
                 Increases the power of direct attacks.

Sylphid Topaz - Topaz imbued with the power of the Sylphs.
               Slightly increases air affinity.

Djinn Amber - Amber imbued with the power of Djinn.
             Increases air affinity.

Salamander Ruby - Ruby imbued with the power of the Salamanders.
                 Slightly increases fire affinity.

Ifrit Carnelian - Carnelian imbued with the power of Ifrit.
                 Increases fire affinity.

Gnome Emerald - Emerald imbued with the power of the Gnomes.
               Slightly increases earth affinity.

Dao Moonstone - Moonstone imbued with the power of Dao.
               Increases earth affinity.

Undine Jasper - Jasper imbued with the power of the Undines.
               Slightly increases water affinity.

Marid Aquamarine - Aquamarine imbued with the power of Marid.
                  Increases water affinity.

Angel Pearl - Pearl imbued with the power of the angels.
             Slightly increases light affinity.

Seraphim Diamond - Diamond with a seraph's soul bound inside.
                  Increases light affinity.

Morlock Jet - Jet stone sealed with Morlock's magical power.
             Slightly increases dark affinity.

Berial Blackpearl - Blackpearl with Berial's soul bound inside.
                   Increases dark affinity.

Haeralis - Star sapphire with the power of Haeralis the Brave.
          Slightly increases power against humans.

Orlandu - Actinolite containing a fragment of Orlandu's skeleton.
         Increases power against hmans.

Orion - Black coral holding the hair of Orion the Beast.
       Slightly increases power against beasts.

Ogmius - Amethyst containing Ogmious the Guardian's soul.
        Increases power against beasts.

Iocus - Lazurite containing St. Iocus's prayer.
       Slightly increases power against undead.

Balvus - Chiastrite containing the ashes of Balvus.
        Increases power against undead.

Trinity - Jade containing the Nordic holy spirits.
         Slightly increases power against phantoms.

Beowulf - Armandine holding Beowulf the Great's hair.
         Increases power against phantoms.

Dragonite - Serpentine containing a dragon's power.
           Slightly increases power against dragons.

Sigguld - Fire agate with the soul of Sigguld the Dragoon.
         Increases power against dragons.

Demonia - Blood opal containing the blood of devils.
         Slightly increases power against evil enemies.

Altema - Garnet containing Altema the Fallen's spirit.
        Increases power against evil enemies.

Polaris - An artificial malachite made by the ancient
         Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Basivalen - An artificial serpentine made by the ancient
           Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Galerian - An artificial cat's eye made by the ancient
          Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Vedivier - An artificial amethyst made by the ancient
          Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Berion - An artificial moonstone made by the ancient
        Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Gervin - An artificial topaz made by the ancient
        Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Tertia - An artificial emerald made by the ancient
        Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Lancer - An artificial ruby made by the ancient
        Kildeans, named after a legendary knight.

Arturos - An artificial diamond made by the ancient
         Kildeans, named after a legendary king.

Braveheart - Increases the success rate of non-magical attacks by 20%.
            Must be equipped on a weapon.

Hellraiser - Increases the success rate of magic by @0%.
            It must be equipped on a weapon.

Nightkiller - Increases the chance to evade non-magical attacks by 20%.
             Must be equipped on a shield.

Manabreaker - Increases the chance to evade magical attacks by 20%.
             It must be equipped on a shield.

Powerfist - Increases the chance to evade 'STR-down' by 20%.
           It must be equipped on a shield.

Brainshield - Increases the chance to evade 'INT-down' by 20%.
             It must be equipped on a shield.

Speedster - Increases the chance to evade 'AGL-down' by 20%.
           It must be equipped on a shield.

Silent Queen - Increases the chance to evade 'Silent' by 20%.
              It must be equipped on a shield.

Dark Queen - Increases the chance to evade 'Paralysis' by 20%.
            It must be equipped on a shield.

Death Queen - Increases the chance to evade 'Poison' by 20%.
             It must be equipped on a shield.

White Queen - Increases the chance to evade 'Numbness' by 20%.
             It must be equipped on a shield.
_______________________________________
        6.7: MISC
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Cure Root - Roots of an herb that restores strength. Restores 50 HP.

Cure Bulb - Bulbs of an herb that restores strength. Restores 100 HP.

Cure Tonic - Extract of an herb that restores strength. Restores 150 HP.

Cure Potion - Potion made from an herb that restores strength.
             Restores all HP.

Mana Root - Roots of an herb that restores mental acuity.
           Recharges MP by 25 points.

Mana Bulb - Bulbs of an herb that restores mental acuity.
           Recharges MP by 50 points.

Mana Tonic - Extract of an herb that restores mental acuity.
            Recharges MP by 100 points.

Mana Potion - Herbal potion that restores mental acuity.
             Recharges all MP.

Vera Root - Roots of an herb that restores concentration.
           Lowers RISK by 25 points.

Vera Bulb - Bulbs of an herb that restores concentration.
           Lowers RISK by 50 points.

Vera Tonic - Extract of an herb that restores concentration.
            Lowers RISK by 75 points.

Vera Potion - Potion made from an herb that restores concentration.
             Clears all RISK.

Acolyte's Nostrum - Nostrum used by the acolytes in Léa Monde.
                   Restores 100 HP and MP.

Saint's Nostrum - The nostrum that a high priest received from the
                 heavens. Restores all HP and MP.

Alchemist's Reagent - An experimental potion made by Valnain's
                     alchemists. Restores 25 HP; lowers RISK by 25.

Sorceror's Reagent - Reagent made by sorcerers in ancient times.
                    Restores 50 HP; lowers RISK by 50 points.

Yggdrasil's Tears - Extract of Yggdrasil known to heal status
                   abnormalities. Cures "Paralysis."

Faerie Chortle - Made by the faerie king as a remdy for use in battle
                against serpents. Cures "Poison."

Spirit Orison - Pellets made from flower petals and dried yak livers.
               Cures "Numbness."

Angelic Paean - A talisman bearing the icon of St. Iocus. Cures "Curse."

Panacea - Potion made with odd bits of herbs.
         Cures "Paralysis," "Poison," and "Numbness."

Snowfly Draught - Potion of dried snowfly wings.
                 Cancels magical effects cast on target.

Faerie Wing - Powder that fairies use to accelerate movement and improve
             jumps temporarily.

Elixir of Kings - Elixir used by the first king of Valendia.
                 Adds a few points of STR.

Elixir of Sages - Elixir given to St. Iocus by the Seven Wisemen of Ologo.
                 Adds a few points of INT.

Elixir of Dragoons - Elixir used by the dragoons.
                    Adds a few points of AGL.

Elixir of Queens - Elixir given to soldiers by Léa Monde monks in
                  ancient times. Adds a few points of HP.

Elixir of Mages - Elixir the mages of Léa Monde once used.
                 Adds a few points of MP.

Valens - A Léa Monde red wine with a delicate, yet robust flavor.
        (Same as Elixir of Kings.)

Prudens - The most elegant red wine, with a gentle flavor and bouquet.
         (Same as Elixir of Sages.)

Volare - A Léa Monde white wine known for its honey-like fragrance.
        (Same as Elixir of Dragoons.)

Audentia - A Léa Monde quality sweet wine allowed to age to perfection.
          (Same as Elixir of Queens.)

Virtus - A sparkling wine made from a blend of three grapes.

Eye of Argon - Temporarily enables Ashley to see traps set in the room.

Bronze Key - Open doors locked with the Bronze Key.

Iron Key - Open doors locked with the Iron Key.

Silver Key - pen doors locked with the Silver Key.

Gold Key - Open doors locked with the Gold Key.
          (Not available during first play.)

Platinum Key - Open doors locked with the Platinum Key.
              (Not available during first play.)

Steel Key - Open doors locked with the Steel Key.
           (Not available during first play).

Crimson Key - Open doors locked with the Crimson Key.

Chest Key - Opens locked treasure chests.
________________________________________________________________________
Part 7:  AREAS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 These Traps information comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy
Nicholson <[email protected]>.

 There are rooms in all areas, of course. In addition, there are traps
in some rooms as well. Here are all of the traps:

Trap Name      Effect
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯
Eruption       Physical affinity attack
Gust           Air affinity attack
Inferno        Fire affinity attack
Terra Thrust   Earth affinity attack
Freeze         Water affinity attack
Death Vapor    Light affinity attack
Diabolos       Dark affinity attack

Poison         Causes "Poison"
Paralysis      Causes "Paralysis"
Curse          Causes "Curse"

Heal Panel     Light Affinity; Restores HP, restores full concentration
Cure Panel     Light Affinity; Cures Poison, Numbness, and Paralysis
Trap Clear     Inactivates all trap panels in the room

* Traps are not killers. At base they are percentage attacks, which means
 they make you lose a certain amount of HP based on your total HP. You
 can lower the damage by going into Battle Mode (if you have equipment
 equipped). It is also possible for the trap to MISS.
* Traps are exactly like attacks, except they're activated when you step
 on them (so Elemental affinities take a role as well).
* All Traps in the room can be located by using the item 'Eye of Argon'
 or using the Sorcerer spell 'Eureka' (only 3 MP).

Here are all of the Areas of this game (according to the "Map" accessed
through the menu):

Wine Cellar
Catacombs
Sanctum
Abandoned Mines B1
Abandoned Mines B2
Limestone Quarry
Temple of Kiltia
Great Cathedral B1
Great Cathedral L1
Great Cathedral L2
Great Cathedral L3
Great Cathedral L4
The Paling (unlisted; last area; top of Great Cathedral)
Forgotten Pathway (not available on first play)
Escapeway (not available on first play)
Iron Maiden B1
Iron Maiden B2 (not available on first play)
Iron Maiden B3 (not available on first play)
Undercity West
Undercity East
The Keep
City Walls West
City Walls South
City Walls East
City Walls North
Snowfly Forest
Snowfly Forest East (not available on first play)
Town Center West
Town Center South
Town Center East


 Here are some things dealing with the Map:

- Select "Map" on the Menu screen to see Ashley's current location. All
  the rooms previously visited are shown here as well.
- The direction the Area Map faces is the same as when the "Map" menu
  was open (the compass direction Ashley is is facing when looking
  forward by pushing Up on the D-Pad/left stick).
- Pressing L2 button and directional buttons rotates the map, though it
  will not change Ashley's view of the room when you close the map.
- Room names appear on the bottom of the screen. Saved games also
  display the name of the room in which the game was saved.
- Many icons shown on the map may contain information necessary to
  progress through the game.

Icons

          Ashley Icon
          Indicates Ashley's current location

 EXIT     Exit Icon
          Indicates exits to other areas.
          The area names are also shown.

 SAVE     Save Icon
          Indicates that the room has a Save Point.

CONTAINER  Container Icon
          Indicates that the room has a Container
          in which to store equipment and items

WORKSHOP  Workshop Icon
          Indicates that the room is an equipment
          workshop.

*If a room has more than one icon, each icon will be shown briefly, one
 at a time.


Map Exits

    · White Marker
      Indicates room exits.

    · Red Blinking Marker
      Indicates where Ashley entered the room.

      Locked Icon
      Indicates locked doors and names of the required keys/sigils.

      Unlockable Icon
      Indicates that you possess the key/sigil required to unlock this
      door.

*If you don't know where to use a newly-acquired key or sigil, check
 the Area map!
________________________________________________________________________
Part 8:  SCORE
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*  Riskbreaker Rank

Lv. #    Rank Name                Required Score
¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Lv. 1    Normal Agent             Default rank
Lv. 2    Gladiator                ???
Lv. 3    Daredevil                ???
Lv. 4    Berserker                ???
Lv. 5    Destroyer                3,000,000
Lv. 6    Spectrebane              4,000,000
Lv. 7    Paladin                  5,000,000
Lv. 8    Mystic Wanderer          7,000,000
Lv. 9    Blademaster              13,000,000 (my current rank)
Lv. 10   ???                      ???
Lv. 11   ???                      ???
Lv. 12   ???                      ???
Lv. 13   ???                      ???
Lv. 14   ???                      ???
Lv. 15   ???                      ???
Lv. 16   ???                      ???
_______________________________________
        8.1: TITLE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
01. Seeker of Truth - Finished the game once.
02. Conqueror of the Dark - Finished the game within ten hours.
03. Treasure Hunter - Checked all the chests in the game.
04. Wanderer in Darkness - Visited every map location in the game.
05. Destroyer of Gaeus - Defeated Damascus Golem in Forgotten Passage.
06. Hunter of the Snowplains - Defeated Damascus Crab
                              in Snowfly Forest East.
07. Ally of the Wood - Defeated ravana in Iron Maiden B2.
08. Slayer of the Wyrm - Defeated Dragon Zombie in Iron Maiden B2.
09. Vanquisher of Death - Defeated Death and Ogre Zombie
                         in Iron Maiden B2.
10. Warrior of Asura - Defeated Asura in Iron Maiden B3.
11. Conqueror of Time - Received an 'Excellent!!' rating for
                       all the Time Attack battles.
12. Knight of Brilliance - Turned out more than
                          30 Chain Abilities in a row.
13. Bearer of the New World - Found the rare item Gold Key.
14. Hoard-Finder - Found the rare item Chest Key.
15. Hands of Might - Mastered all Break Arts.
16. Hands of Skill - Mastered all Battle Abilities.
17. Wanderer of the Wyrding - Finished the game without
                             saving at any point.
18. Adventurer of Legend - Finished the game without using magic.
19. Lone Werreour - Finished the game without using Battle Abilities.
20. Finished the game without using Break Ars.
21. Blood-thirsty Hunter - Defeated each class of monster 500 times.
22. Master of Arms - Attacked enemies 5000 times
                    with each type of weapon.
23. Silent Assassin - Attacked over 500 times with
                     a weapon in the Dagger group.
24. Great Swordsman - Attacked over 500 times with
                     a weapon in the Sword group.
25. Master of Blades - Attacked over 500 times with
                      a weapon in the Great Sword group.
26. Steel Dragoon - Attacked over 500 times with
                   a weapon in the Axe & Mace group.
27. The Earthshaker - Attacked over 500 times with
                     a weapon in the Great Axe group.
28. Sweeper of the Dark - Attacked over 500 times with
                         a weapon in the Staff group.
29. Acolyte of Iron - Attacked over 500 times with
                     a weapon in the Heavy Mace group.
30. Spearsman of the Gale - Attacked over 500 times with
                           a weapon in the Polearm group.
31. Heaven's Huntman - Attacked over 500 times with
                      a weapon in the Crossbow group.
32. Master Martial Artist - Attacked over 500 times
                           with bare hands.
_______________________________________
        8.2: GAZETTE
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Games Completed                       #
Record Completion Time      R# --:--:--
Current Chest Count                  #%
Chest Count Highscore                #%
Current Map Completion               #%
Map Completion Highscore             #%
Chain Ability Highscore               #
Kill List: Human                      #
          Beast                      #
          Undead                     #
          Phantom                    #
          Dragon                     #
          Evil                       #
Weapon Usage: Dagger                  #
             Sword                   #
             Great Sword             #
             Axe & Mace              #
             Great Axe               #
             Staff                   #
             Heavy Mace              #
             Polearm                 #
             Crossbow                #
             Unarmed                 #
_______________________________________
        8.3: RECORD TIME
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
_____________                       SCORE
Player Time |                      RECORD TIME
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯                          Minotaur
 _________________                    Dragon
| 1ST  --:--:--   |                   Earth Dragon
|       ROUND #   |                   Snow Dragon
|                 |                   Damascus Golem
| 2ND  --:--:--   |                   Damascus Crab
|       ROUND #   |                   Death & Ogre Zombie
|                 |                   Asura
| 3RD  --:--:--   |
|       ROUND #   |
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
_______________
Reference Time|
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 _________________
|      --:--:--   |
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯


Time Attack Battle 1
Mission: Vanquish the Minotaur!
Reference Time     00:25:00
MY BEST TIME       00:01:69
                   ROUND 1

Time Attack Battle 2
Mission: Vanquish the Dragon!
Reference Time     00:30:00
MY BEST TIME       00:00:65
                   ROUND 1

Time Attack Battle 3
Mission: Vanquish the Earth Dragon!
Reference Time     00:40:00
MY BEST TIME       00:01:39
                   ROUND 2

Time Attack Battle 4
Mission: Vanquish the Snow Dragon!
Reference Time     00:50:00
MY BEST TIME       00:00:75
                   ROUND 2

Time Attack Battle 5
Mission: Vanquish the Damascus Golem!
Reference Time     01:00:00
MY BEST TIME       00:01:46
                   ROUND 2

Time Attack Battle 6
Mission: Vanquish the Damascus Crab!
Reference Time     01:15:00
MY BEST TIME       00:04:09
                   ROUND 2

Time Attack Battle 7
Mission: Vanquish Death & the Ogre Zombie!
Reference Time     01:00:00
MY BEST TIME       00:41:20
                   ROUND 2

Time Attack Battle 8
Mission: Vanquish Asura!
Reference Time     01:25:00
MY BEST TIME       00:14:85
                   ROUND 2
_______________________________________
        8.4: ENCYCLOPAEDIA
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
01. Zombie (UNDEAD) - Once the inhabitants of Léa Monde, zombies emerge
   from the Dark to attack the living.
02. Mummy (UNDEAD) - Ancient Kildean corpses infused with the power of
   the Dark.
03. Ghoul (UNDEAD) - Ghouls lurk in the Catacombs, longing for human
   flesh. Attacking their heads proves effective.
04. Ghast (UNDEAD) - The living dead, given power by demons of the
   Underworld.
05. Zombie Fighter (UNDEAD) - Corpses of Léa Monde's soldiers, brought
   back to life through the Dark's taint.
06. Zombie Knight (UNDEAD) - Zombies of the Knights of the Cross, still
   in possession of potent martial skills.
07. Zombie Mage (UNDEAD) - Zombies of Léa Monde's mages, who employ
   powerful offensive magic.
08. Skeleton (UNDEAD) - Skeletal remains of zombie corpses. they lurk in
   darkness to attack the living.
09. Dark Skeleton (UNDEAD) - Skeletons the Dark has bestowed with more
   power and better defense.
10. Skeleton Knight (UNDEAD) - The bleached skeletons of former
   Kingsguard knights. Still possess great skill with blades.
11. Ghost (PHANTOM) - Souls of the deceased that attack any living
   thing in sight.
12. Wraith (PHANTOM) - Ghosts of the Underworld capable of casting
   potent magic.
13. Goblin (HUMAN) - Stocky demihumans that form bands to attack their
   prey.
14. Goblin Leader (HUMAN) - Goblins endowed with the ability to use
   magic. They make their abode in the Undercity.
15. Orc (HUMAN) - Porcine demihumans that are able to use magic spells
   and any weapon they can find.
16. Orc Leader (HUMAN) - Commanders of the orcs. Like their goblin kin,
   they attack in packs with weapons and magic.
17. Lizardman (DRAGON) - A species of demihuman known for their agility
   and strength.
18. Blood Lizard (DRAGON) - A subspecies of lizardmen with superior
   protection against fire and heat.
19. Lich (EVIL) - Evil mages who have gained powerful magic and eternal
   life through demonic pacts.
20. Lich Lord (EVIL) - Liches with even greater magical knowledge who
   are said to practice ancient Kildean sorcery.
21. Death (EVIL) - The reaper of the Underworld, tasked with claiming
   the souls of the possessed.
22. Gargoyle (EVIL) - Sculptures of mythical creatures that have come to
   life.
23. Imp (EVIL) - Messengers of the Underworld that swoop down to attack
   with weapons and magic.
24. Gremlin (EVIL) - Pernicious demons that use varied weaponry and cast
   magic.
25. Mimic (BEAST) - Large insects that mimic chests of treasure to lure
   unawary treasure hunters.
26. Shadow (EVIL) - Shadows bereft of bodies, commanded by the Dark.
27. Silver Wolf (BEAST) - Wolves, twisted into ferocious man-hunters by
   the Dark's influence.
28. Hellhound (BEAST) - These hounds once guarded the gates of the
   Underworld.
29. Bat (BEAST) - Large, agile bats that swooop down to strike from the
   air.
30. Stirge (BEAST) - Giant vampire bats rumored to drain a victim's life
   in a single blow.
31. Slime (BEAST) - These normally slothful and large amoeba-like
   creatures can leap to assault their prey.
32. Poison Slime (BEAST) - Slime with the ability to spew poisonous
   spores.
33. Dark Eye (PHANTOM) - Often called "the Devil's Eye," these monsters
   are well versed in magic.
34. Basilisk (BEAST) - Powerful jaws give these small, agile reptiles a
   savage attack.
35. Ichthious (BEAST) - Fish-lke forest spirits with armored heads.
   Their magic gives them an extra edge in battle.
36. Harpy (BEAST) - Birds of the Underworld feared for their unmerciful
   spell of death.
37. Quicksilver (EVIL) - Dolls possessed by the souls of children who
   lost their lives to war or illness.
38. Shrieker (EVIL) - Dolls possessed by evil spirits. Their shrieks
   kill all within earshot.
39. Minotaur (BEAST) - Half-beast, half-human monster well known for its
   expert use of a viciously heavy mace.
40. Minotaur Lord (BEAST) - Minotaurs with tattoos of magic protection
   enscribed upon their bodies.
41. Minotaur Zombie (UNDEAD) - Minotaur zombies. They feel no pain, and
   they fight till their final death.
42. Dullahan (EVIL) - Knightly armor possessed by the Dark and capable
   of magical and physical attacks.
43. Dark Crusader (EVIL) - An armor relic of the holy wars. It's only
   weakness is the gap below its chest plate.
44. Nightstalker (EVIL) - Spirits of fallen soldiers, unaffected by
   chain abilities.
45. Last Crusader (EVIL) - Possessed crimson armor, once the special
   raiment of the Holy Knights.
46. Golem (EVIL) - Creatures molded from granite, they deliver
   tremendous physical attacks.
47. Iron Golem (EVIL) - Golems crafted from iron. Their strong bodies
   are impervious to physical attacks.
48. Damascus Golem (EVIL) - Golem made of the rare alloy Damascus.
   Highly resistant to both magical and physical attacks.
49. Ogre (BEAST) - Demons that fought humans in mythic times. Extremely
   agile and strong.
50. Ogre Lord (BEAST) - Highly intelligent ogres with arcane spell
   knowledge.
51. Ogre Zombie (UNDEAD) - Dead ogres restored to life by necromancy.
52. Giant Crab (BEAST) - Giant crabs whose acidic breath can melt even
   the strongest armor.
53. Iron Crab (BEAST) - Crabs with shells of iron. Employ their massive
   weight as a lethal weapon.
54. Damascus Crab (BEAST) - Crabs with shells as hard as Damascus.
   Weapons made from their shells are rare and valued.
55. Air Elemental (PHANTOM) - Lesser air spirits. Use earth affinity
   spells against them.
56. Djinn (PHANTOM) - Air daeva. This violent, angry spirit serves no
   mortal master.
57. Fire Elemental (PHANTOM) - Lesser fire spirits. Vicious opponents
   with fiery magic at their disposal.
58. Ifrit (PHANTOM) - Fire daeva. An arrogant spirit who enjoys burning
   humans with its spells.
59. Earth Elemental (PHANTOM) - Low-level earth spirits. Originally
   benevolent spirits, magic has twisted them to evil.
60. Dao (PHANTOM) - Earth daeva. An evil spirit who casts baneful spells
   to sate its yearning for human life.
61. Water Elemental (PHANTOM) - Lesser water spirits. Do not approach
   them without first preparing a suitable defense.
62. Marid (PHANTOM) - Water daeva. Sunk Léa Monde into the waters 25
   years ago with the aid of Dao, the earth daeva.
63. Dark Elemental (PHANTOM) - Lesser spirits of darkness. More powerful
   than other elemental spirits in Léa Monde.
64. Nightmare (PHANTOM) - Dark daeva. It is filled with an insatiable
   craving to see the living suffer.
65. Wyvern (DRAGON) - Lesser wyrm with deadly breath attacks.
66. Wyvern Knight (DRAGON) - A ferocious subspecies of dragon. They
   rarely appear above ground.
67. Wyvern Queen (DRAGON) - Queen of dragons. Her rule is total and her
   spawn would readily give their lives for her.
68. Dragon (DRAGON) - These legendary creatures possess a cruel and
   cunning intellect.
69. Sky Dragon (DRAGON) - Large dragons inhabiting clouds, they are also
   known as Thunder Dragons.
70. Flame Dragon (DRAGON) - Large dragons who draw energy from magma.
71. Earth Dragon (DRAGON) - Also known as Land Dragons, their tough
   hides are nigh impossible to pierce.
72. Snow Dragon (DRAGON) - Because of their freezing breath attack,
   these dragons are often called the 'Wyrms of Ice.'
73. Arch Dragon (DRAGON) - The most intelligent of all dragons, but at
   the same time, one of the most evil.
74. Dark Dragon (DRAGON) - Dragons of the Underworld who feast on human
   flesh and souls.
75. Dragon Zombie (UNDEAD) - Powerful zombies who crave souls tainted by
   the Dark.
76. Kali (HUMAN) - Statue of the goddess of destruction the Dark
   instilled with unholy life.
77. Ravana (HUMAN) - A mechanical statue of a deity engineered in the
   era of Müllenkamp.
78. Asura (HUMAN) - A deity that lay imprisoned in the depths of Lea
   Monde for centuries.

Humans (no particular order):
Ashley Riot
Tia
Marco
Callo Merlose
Duke Bardorba
Sydney Losstarot
Hardin
Romeo Guildenstern
Samantha
Jan Rosencrantz
Father Grissom
Faemdos (a Crimson Blade; w/ Grissom)
Lamkin (a Crimson Blade; w/ Grissom)
Sir Tieger
Lady Neesa
Father Duane
Sarjik (a Crimson Blade; w/ Father Duane)
Bejart (a Crimson Blade; w/ Father Duane)
Müllenkamp Soldier
Crimson Blade
Goodwin  (a Crimson Blade)
Sackheim (a Crimson Blade)
Mandel (undead)
________________________________________________________________________
Part 9:  Strategy, Hints, and Tips
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 This section has important stratgies, hints, and tips. It's like a
"READ ME!" document, similar to the "READ ME!" section in the Quick
Manual.
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Thought Bubbles
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 Below here are some examples of thought bubbles (the crazy stick-
figure will explain what they are after he does them):
 _____
| ... |
| ____|
|/   _________________________________
O   | This means I'm charging up      |
/|\ <  for my turn. First it starts    |
/ \  | out as one dot, then two, then  |
    | finally three. Next, I'll       |
    | explain what happens afterwards.|
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Every fight-able living thing usually charges up when they know where
 you are. This only applies to attacking/attack magic. Some just cast
 magic without knowing you're exact location.
 _____
|  !  |
| ____|
|/   _________________________________
O   | Okay, so it's supposed to be    |
/|\ <  larger than that. Well, it means|
/ \  | I'm finished charging up for my |
    | turn and can attack/cast magic/ |
    | use items.                      |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* All fight-able living things can attack/cast magic/use items when the
 ! is there.

?
     _________________________________
O   | This means I know you're in the |
/|\ <  area, but you lost me and I have|
/ \  | no idea where you've gone. I    |
    | freeze to ponder, then continue |
    | looking until you're seen or    |
    | leave the room.                 |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* "Lost me" refers to the term "Lose 'em" or "Shake 'em" that is quite
 commonly used when someone or something is chasing a person. Usually
 heard often in military movies, especially ones with fighter jets or
 fast vehicles.
* This can be done by getting out of range of the enemy's sight range
 (they can't see you).

\|/
     __________________________________
O   |Okay, so the lines are supposed   |
/|\ < to be more connected. Well, it's  |
/ \  |a state of "Shock," I'm kinda'    |
    |surprised/confused. This happens  |
    |when I'm attacked by an ally.     |
    |Usually, if I don't see my enemy  |
    |then I'll get revenge on my ally  |
    |who attacked me. Unfortunately,   |
    |my ally will get me back for it   |
    |as well, even though I deserved   |
    |to attack back (one for one). It  |
    |is possible for this to go on     |
    |forever. Once I see my enemy, I'll|
    |go after him (I DO have a job).   |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* Even if the attack is a MISS, the attacked ally will still be Shocked.
* What's kinda' funny is to call this state "Shell Shock." Some people
 may not understand it, so...

Shell shock (noun) - post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers as a
                    result of combat experience
Shell-shocked (adjective) - 1. affected with shell shock
                           2. mentally confused, upset, or exhausted as
                              a result of excessive stress
                                        /\
 Just some bad battle humor on my part. || (above)
 ______
|/¯\/¯\|
|\    /|
| \  / |
|  \/  |
|/¯¯¯¯¯
O    _________________________________
/|\ < If this EVER happens, it means I |
/ \  |have been "Charmed," or i.e., be-|
    |friended by you. The symbol is   |
    |actually supposed to be a red    |
    |heart. Unfortunately it isn't    |
    |colored and round. Close, though.|
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
* It seems only regular enemies (not bosses or allies) can be Charmed.
 An enemy is Charmed by basically restoring their HP either by using
 the spell 'Heal' or using an item (preferably 'Cure Root'). It may
 take one restoration or several restorations to Charm the enemy.
 Remember, they must have lost some HP.
* If it works, the enemy (when not charging up for an attack/magic/
 item) will follow you with the above symbol. When the foe does
 charge, then the "..." will take the heart's place. When the foe is
 done with all that, then the heart will come back. The heart will
 never be shown while charging up or ready to attack, so if you
 restore the foe's HP while it is charging/ready to attack, then you
 won't visibly know it worked.
* The remedy for Charm is to be attacked by the charmer, or befriender
 (Ashley). The once befriended foe will be Shocked temporarily, then go
 after you once again.

* The method the original sender (Daniel Day <[email protected]>) to
 Zy Nicholson said is like this:
 - The Shock symbol must occur three times on an enemy uninterrupted by
   you attacking it
 - After the third one, just simply restore that enemy's HP using the
   spell 'Heal' or using items of HP restoration (it may take one time
   or several depending on the enemy)
 - If it works, the red heart will appear
 - As explained above, "The heart will never be shown while charging up
   or ready to attack, so if you restore the foe's HP while it is
   charging/ready to attack, then you won't visibly know it worked."

EXTRA THOUGHT BUBBLES-RELATED INFO
* It is possible to attack enemies before they spot you, but after doing
 so, they'll know your location immediately (you can always lose them
 though).

* When an enemy is ready to attack, it only tries to attack you when you
 are standing on the ground or hanging from a ledge. If you are falling
 or jumping, then they won't attack until you land (or hang on a
 ledge). The enemy will attack once you land on the ground.
* Briefly, I explain: While jumping, enemies cannot attack you. So it's
 possible to get across a room full of enemies without getting hit once
 just by jumping.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"Take Cover!"
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¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 It is possible to hide behind something, thus making an attack hit an
object instead of you. Single target attack spells and normal attacks
will always MISS if you are hiding behind an object (purposely or
accidentally). Multiple target spells will still hit, and Special
Attacks and Break Arts should MISS as well from what I recall.
 It doesn't have to be an object though, it can be an enemy. See the
section above to see what happens when the enemy you are hiding behind
is attacked by its own ally (state of Shock, symbol shown = \|/ ).
 If you are able to do this, then enemies can too (hide behind objects
or allies, and sometimes, even you).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Status Abnormalties
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 Basically, enemies will usually not do anything to rid you of a
negative status abnormality unless they do something worse, which
includes attacking to get rid of Numbness, or doing a spell to get rid
of Silence, etc.). Of course they won't use an item or magic to rid you
of the status abnormality. For sake of reference, I will list all
negative status abnormalities and their effects/remedies (as well as
what they won't do to you to lose the abnormality):

Status Abnormalities
 "Effect": the effect of a status abnormality.
 "Remedy": how to cure the effect of a status abnormality
 "Enemy" : what the enemy won't do to rid you of the abnormality that
           they normally would if you didn't have the abnormality
 _
|X| Silent
 ¯  Effect: Cannot cast spells
    Remedy: - Be the target of a spell
            - Move to a different room
    Enemy : - Cast magic on you

    Numbness
    Effect: Battle abilities cannot be used
            temporarily and move 50%.
    Remedy: - Wait for duration of effect
            - Receive damage
            - Caste "Clearance"
            - Use "Spirit Orison"
    Enemy : - Attack you

 For many negative status abnormalities (STR-down, INT-down, AGL-down,
Silent, Paralysis, Poison, Numbness, Curse, and Equip-down), if an enemy
causes a status abnormality on you and you get rid of it, there is a
high chance they will try to put the same status abnormality on you. And
since the AI takes longer to attack, you can get in about three free
attacks on that foe. ("Free" means "no cost," so you get three attacks
without any consequences.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The Spoils of Foes
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¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 Equipment enemies have can be quite useful in upgrading your own
equipment. There is always a base percentage of receiving any piece of
equipment from an enemy. But there also seems to be a way to increase
the percentage of receiving a certain piece of equipment. And that is to
keep attacking the body part where the equipment is (that means killing
them like that as well). It is best to do high damaging attacks to that
body part (gets the body part to DYING status). This really only affects
enemies with almost/about full equipment, so, say an Ogre with only a
weapon and an accessory, it doesn't really matter what body part you
attack because it's useless. The reason is you'll either get the
equipment or not, so the more you kill the enemy, the more likely you'll
get that piece of equipment. The percentage isn't higher, it's just
after killing the enemy a lot, you'll eventually get some equipment. The
faster you kill the monster, the more you can kill it, so you'll get it
eventually faster (possibly).
 From certain enemies you automatically can only get specific pieces of
equipment or will always get certain pieces of equipment.
 For example, if you want the boots they're carrying, keep on attacking
the legs.

For REAL HUMANS (body part and what they hold):

R. ARM - Weapon, R. Arm Armor
L. ARM - Shield (if equipped), L. Arm Armor
HEAD   - Head Armor, Accessory
BODY   - Body Armor, and partially affects all other equipment
LEGS   - Leg Armor

 In reality, all you do is just attack the body part that is holding
whatever equipment you want. Weapon is sometimes R. Arm, L. Arm, or even
both (two-handed weapons only). Only weapons and shields can appear in
different body parts out of all creatures (Human, Beast, Undead, Dragon,
and Evil). All Humans have some equipment (real Humans have full
equipment), Beasts have some equipment (Ogres and Orcs), Undead always
have some equipment, Dragons have some equipment (Lizards), and all
Evil foes have some equipment (except Golems, Crabs, Gargoyles, and
Imps).
 Know only that attacking a specific body part only increases the
probability of getting a certain piece of equipment. Just because the
probability of something is increased it certainly doesn't mean you WILL
get that. There is still a base percentage of getting the other
equipment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"Titles of Equipment" (music plays) dun dun dun!
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 When a piece of equipment (weapons or armor, except accessories) are
highlighted, then at the bottom left of the screen is the following
(example):

Title: Armor
Hagane Glove

 So it has the title of the piece of equipment, what material it is
made of, and what kind of equipment it is. For a weapon, it's the
weapon (including gems), not the blade. For a shield, it's the shield
(including gems).
 The title doesn't mean much, except that you have two stats that are
low to exceedingly high. Titles are actually determined by the second-
highest stat out of all three things (Class, Affinity, and Type).
Depending on what the value of the second-highest stat is determines
what the title of the weapon or armor is.
 Since it's determined by the second-highest stat, then the highest
stat is either equal to or higher than the second-highest stat.
 Here are all the titles (Shields are Armor):

Required Attributes     Title
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯     ¯¯¯¯¯
Below 10                Weapon / Armor
10 to 19                Warrior's Weapon / Armor
20 to 29                Knightly Weapon / Armor
30 to 39                Prestigious Weapon / Armor
40 to 49                Brave Weapon / Armor
50 to 59                Warlord's Weapon / Armor
60 to 69                Champion's Weapon / Armor
70 to 79                Glorious Weapon / Armor
80 to 89                Legendary Weapon / Armor
90 to 99                Supreme Weapon / Armor
Above 99                Divine Weapon / Armor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_-_-_-_-_-_-_Blade Types:=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
               A                       _____
BBB  L         /A\     DDDDD   EEEEE   |TTTTT| Y   Y PPPP  EEEEE   SSS
B  B L        /A A\    D    D  E        \|T|/   Y Y  P   P E     SSS
BBB  L       /A___A\   D     D EEEE      |T|     Y   PPPP  EEEE    SSS
B  B L      /AAAAAAA\  D    D  E         |T|     Y   P     E         SSS
BBB  LLLLL /A/     \A\ DDDDD   EEEEE     |T|     Y   P     EEEEE   SSS
          ¯¯       ¯¯                   \V/

Blunt - used to smash or break things in pieces
Edged - used to slice things
Piercing - used to stab hard-to-reach areas and is a concentrated stab

 Considering all of that, it shouldn't be very difficult to choose
what blade type to use against different enemies.
- A skeleton creature is very frail (made of purely bones) and can be
easily broken apart, so a Blunt weapon can work well against them.
- A living creature (such as a human or beast) without much armor
protection can have their body parts sliced off, so Edged works well
here.
- A rock creature or dragon has a very tough hide and something
concetrated is required to penetrate it, so use a Piercing weapon
against it. Some people would first consider to destroy a rock creature
with a Blunt weapon, it works, but think about what they do to actually
destroy rocks in real life...a Piercing tool (like a pickax to dig
through the rock-hard ground) or a drilling tool, which is _supposed_ to
be a piercing tool. And since a Piercing weapon can be used to hit hard-
to-reach areas, it can be used against something _with_ armor protection
because it can go right through the armor (or hit a small, open area),
thus hurting the enemy.

 It is quite shocking (to me) that some people actually have difficulty
with the blade types. All you have to remember is that this game tries
to resemble that of *REAL LIFE* by including things from real life in
this game. Like this: an animal (that includes humans) can be stabbed
so easily with a pocketknife, so in Vagrant Story, anything with flesh
can be stabbed as well (remember: REAL LIFE). If you didn't figure out
what blade type goes with this example, it's Piercing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Training Dummies
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 If you walk into a room with a training dummy, then the sound you will
hear is similar to that of undead skeletons. Damage to dummies are very
low (only around 5, but calculated, it is only 0). Your RISK does not</pre><pre id="faqspan-5">
really have any affect on your accuracy and damage, since your accuracy
will always be 100% and even as low as 99% (understand? Just some bad
humor on my part). This means you can raise your Class the dummy is
really quickly and high.
 Also, you can do easy Chains to get those
Battle Abilities experience points. Although you can only gain a Battle
Ability by killing an enemy.
 The Affinity of dummies is actually Physical, and is the only
exception that you can lose other Affinities' points. Remember that
Physical attacks are direct attacks and aren't affected (damage-wise) by
other affinities.
 Know that only the first attack can gain/lose you Class/Affinity
points. If you Chain, you won't lose or gain anything.

Format:
CLASS of dummy (NAME of dummy)
Area: Room

HUMAN (CRIMSON BLADE)
Wine Cellar: Blackmarket
Wine Cellar: Worker's Restroom

BEAST (OGRE)
Abandoned Mines B1: The Dark Tunnel

UNDEAD (SKELETON KNIGHT)
Catacombs: Hall of Sworn Revenge

PHANTOM (GHOST)
City Walls North: From Boy To Hero

DRAGON (LIZARDMAN)
City Walls South: The Boy's Training Room

EVIL (GREMLIN)
Town Center East: Gharmes Walk

     ____________________________________________
O   / The dummies are not there the first time   |
/|\ <  you reach the room. After beating or going |
/ \  | to certain areas, then the dummy will be   |
    | there if you so happen to go to the room   |
    | as listed above.                           |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     ____________________________________________
O   / If you have a turbo controller, then use it|
/|\ <  against a dummy. You can sleep while doing |
/ \  | so. This is how you do it: activate turbo  |
    | for O, then put something to weigh down on |
    | on the button so Ashley will automatically |
    | attack. After he's done killing the dummy, |
    | you will usually gain about 30+ in the     |
    | Class of the dummy.                        |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     ____________________________________________
O   / It doesn't really matter, though. You can  |
/|\ <  do whatever you do. Don't blame me or Dan  |
/ \  | GC for any problems you run into based on  |
    | problems dealing with weapons. Remember,   |
    | Different personalities = different styles |
    | of play.                                   |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Dummies have items for you when you kill them. They always give you a
'Cure' and 'Mana' item. It depends on the dummy for which you will
receive. In addition, under certain circumstances you will get another
item, an Elixir, which is also totally dependent on the dummy.
 You get the Elixir by doing the following:
- Attacking only the BODY (and killing it by doing so)
- Beating or doing the same number of Chains as your Chain Record
* If you do this, there is about an 84% chance of getting the Elixir.

 Here are the items you get from the dummies (I haven't gotten a chance
to get the Elixirs from all the dummies):

Dummy     Cure & Mana   Elixir of
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Human     Bulbs         Queens(?)
Beast     Potions       ???
Undead    Potions       Kings
Phantom   Bulbs         ???
Dragon    Potions       ???
Evil      Potions       ???
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Materials (in order of strongest to weakest):
Damascus, Hagane, Iron, Silver, Bronze, Wood, Leather

Materials (in order of weight, from lightest to heaviest):
Leather, Wood, [Silver, Hagane, and Damascus are equal], and
[Bronze and Iron are equal]

 So if you just can't take the time to upgrade your equipment to
Damascus (a somewhat hard and grueling process for armor), then just
keep it at Hagane because it's the second strongest material. Damascus
surpasses it with a +2 STR and +1 INT. The AGL is the same. Silver,
which has the same STR of Iron but has more AGL, is -2 that of Hagane.
     ____________________________________________
O   / Don't be fooled by what people say. Silver \
/|\ <  is *ACTUALLY* weaker than Hagane. Hagane    |
/ \  \ *IS* the second strongest material.        /
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
TRAPs
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 These Traps information comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ Author Zy
Nicholson <[email protected]>.

 There are rooms in all areas, of course. In addition, there are traps
in some rooms as well. Here are all of the traps:

Trap Name      Effect
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯   ¯¯¯¯¯¯
Eruption       Physical affinity attack
Gust           Air affinity attack
Inferno        Fire affinity attack
Terra Thrust   Earth affinity attack
Freeze         Water affinity attack
Death Vapor    Light affinity attack
Diabolos       Dark affinity attack

Poison         Causes "Poison"
Paralysis      Causes "Paralysis"
Curse          Causes "Curse"

Heal Panel     Light Affinity; Restores HP, restores full concentration
Cure Panel     Light Affinity; Cures Poison, Numbness, and Paralysis
Trap Clear     Inactivates all trap panels in the room

* Traps are not killers. At base they are percentage attacks, which means
 they make you lose a certain amount of HP based on your total HP. You
 can lower the damage by going into Battle Mode (if you have equipment
 equipped). It is also possible for the trap to MISS.
* Traps are exactly like attacks, except they're activated when you step
 on them (so Elemental affinities take a role as well).
* All Traps in the room can be located by using the item 'Eye of Argon'
 or using the Sorcerer spell 'Eureka' (only 3 MP).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 This list comes from the Vagrant Story FAQ author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>. Thanks to him I wouldn't know this info nor
would I have gotten all of the Grimoires.
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Grimoires Obtainable from Slain Foes
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Grimoire Banish (Banish) - Harpy
Grimoire Terre (Vulcan Lance) - Ghost
Grimoire Teslae (Lightning Bolt) - Zombie Mage, Dark Eye
Grimoire Glace (Aqua Blast) - Ghost
Grimoire Incendie (Fireball) - Ghost
Grimoire Patire (Dark Chant) - Wraith, Dark Eye
Grimoire Lux (Spirit Surge) - Ghost, Wraith
Grimoire Zephyr (Solid Shock) - Ghost, Wraith
Grimoire Radius (Radial Surge) - Lich, Lich Lord
Grimoire Avalanche (Avalanche) - Water Elemental, Marid
Grimoire Foudre (Thunderburst) - Air Elemental, Djinn
Grimoire Flamme (Flame Sphere) - Fire Elemental, Ifrit
Grimoire Gaea (Gaea Strike) - Earth Elemental, Dao
Grimoire Meteore (Meteore) - Dark Elemental, Nightmare
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Easy Break Arts Strategy
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Do as many Break Arts you want to do then Heal yourself (read: use
the Shortcut menu) or use items. It's so simple, and if you keep using
the Break Art (one that does a high amount of damage but doesn't cost
too much HP), then you can do easy damage. Then all you need to do from
there is Heal.
 What's even better is after doing a lot of Break Arts, you can use
the Chain Ability Raging Ache. It does damage equal to 10% of your total
HP loss. So if you're in a critical state (really low HP) and the
standard damage you do is little, you can keep attacking using Chains
(Raging Ache). The same applies if you do little damage with both Break
Arts AND normal attacks. And when the enemy is about to attack, just
Heal yourself. However, Chain Abilities are ineffective against certain
enemies so it might be useless to do Chains.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Quick Chain Abilities Tips
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 These strategies come from the Vagrant Story FAQ author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

 If you want to do pull off a high number of Chains, it is best to
swap back and forth between two easy Chain Abilities. Ones that are
easy to time, which happen to only be pure attacking Chains (Heavy Shot,
Raging Ache, Phantom Pain, and Crimson Pain). Other Chains take
somewhat longer and so may be more difficult to time. All weapon types
have their own way of executing Chains, so some are more complicated
(it doesn't mean it's any more difficult, just has more or less parts
to it). The way Chains are executed also depend on where you are
standing and where the enemy is located.

|¯|- This model of an exclamation mark is similar to that of the Timing
| |  Display for Battle Abilities in Vagrant Story. Up to the 13th Chain
|_|  you can just simply push one of the buttons set to whatever Chain
|¯|  Abilities upon seeing the exclamation mark pop up. For the 14th
¯   Chain and higher, you must anticipate when it'll appear and push it
    then. Don't anticipate too early though because you'll make an easy
    mistake.
  - The higher the Chain, the harder the timing is because you aren't
    given as much time to continue Chaining. That's why you have to
    anticipate after the 13th one.
  - Anticipation can be done easily in two ways: Push the button...
    * When the weapon comes into contact with the creature
    * At the peak of the sound of the attack
  - Using both, it is really easy to anticipate Chains (so you can even
    do 30 Chains to receive a Title)
  - After the 8th Chain, your RISK will increase greatly if you continue
    Chaining
  - Against bosses and regular enemies, you _should_ keep your RISK low,
    so only do 8 Chains then stop and do another 8 Chains, and so on.
    That way your RISK doesn't go skyhigh and you can still do things.
  - But it can be good to have really high Chains just as long you can
    keep doing so. With each Chain you do, the more damage it does
    (only 1 HP damage increase per Chain). This way you can eventually
    do some decent damage against troubling foes, although it could be
    smarter to try different Affinities/Blade Types.

 Here are some good Chain Abilities used together:

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\BASIC ATTACK CHAINS/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 All of these Chains are only 1 RISK, so they don't increase your RISK
quickly. 'Heavy Shot' and 'Raging Ache' are possibly the most used
Chains (for me they are). 'Instill' I always use to fill up the PP
(Phantom Points) of any weapon (usually repaired). You can do a few easy
8-Chains before your RISK gets too high.

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\THE ACHE AND PAIN OF TWO/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 Raging Ache works well against any enemy that isn't immune to Chain
Abilities as long as you have low HP. It's an easy way to damage a tough
enemy. And Crimson Pain (does 100% damage and deals 30% of the damage to
Ashley) can feed it to an extent. But if you're using Raging Ache to
hurt a tough enemy, then it's quite useless to use Crimson Pain. It's
good if you can do some decent damage with it. Although Break Arts can
substitute for Crimson Pain and Raging Ache can do well from there.

Utilizing the Ultimate Chain Ability (under low-damage circumstances)
 Works well against enemies against enemies you can actually do some
damage to get Instill to work (get Phantom Points). Then do Phantom Pain
to do a high amount of damage. It is also possible to do Phantom Pain as
the first Chain then built up your Phantom Points using Instill (and
switch off with something like Raging Ache or Heavy Shot until your PP
are full then do Phantom Pain again). If you want, you can get full PP
with all your weapons in your Gadget Bag and do Phantom Pain with each
weapon.

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\STATUS ABNORMALITY-CAUSING CHAINS/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 The four Chains are the following: Paralysis Pulse, Numbing Claw,
Dulling Impact, and Snake Venom. You should only set one of these to one
button (for normal battle unless you want to have some fun and set three
of them to buttons). Numbing Claw must be the last move because a
physical attack cancels Numbness. A Magic attack cancels Silent (Dulling
Impact causes Silent).

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\
\MY THREE CHAINS/
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 My personal set of Chains. They are: Heavy Shot (O), Raging Ache ([]),
and Dulling Impact (/\). When I want to build up my PP, I just replace
Raging Ache with Instill. Other status abnormality-causing Chain
Abilities (especially Paralysis Pulse) doesn't really apply to me
because if you are able to use it on an enemy, then it is most likely
the enemy is weak, which means it can easily be killed. Dulling Impact
is different though because it can work on some deadly Magic users. It
also stops them from casting spells all the time, which is really
annoying.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Quick Defense Abilities Tips
_______________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 These strategies come from the Vagrant Story FAQ author Zy Nicholson
<[email protected]>.

|¯|- This model of an exclamation mark is similar to that of the Timing
| |  Display for Battle Abilities in Vagrant Story. Just simply push
|_|  one of the Defense Abilities buttons when it appears above Ashley's
|¯|  head when he's attacked.
¯ - If you use a Defense Ability that has nothing to do with the attack
    a foe does on you, then it won't work.

 On first play you should always do your best to defend (use Defense
Abilities) against bosses, especially. That's why the Shorcut menu
exists, to give shortcuts to the most used things in battle.
 You should set one type of defense to each button (the types of attacks
include: physical, non-magical, magical, paralysis/numbness, and
elemental). Physical belongs to non-magical.
 Non-magical should go to one button, magical to another, and
Paralysis/Numbness or Elemental to another.
 All Defense Abilities are executed after the attack done on Ashley. So
if you're Paralyzed/Numbed but you successfully execute Ward, then at
the end they will go away.
     ____________________________________________
O   / Whenever you need to change any Battle     |
/|\ <  Abilities, just simply use the Shortcut    |
/ \  | menu and choose Chain or Defense Abilities.|
    | This saves time and can help you prepare   |
    | for certain enemies quickly. USE IT!       |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
     ____________________________________________
O   / You can literally DIE but if you use the   |
/|\ <  correct Defense Ability, you can still     |
/ \  | live. This is done using a Defense Ability |
    | that reduces or absorbs damage (they are   |
    | both the same). That's basically what makes|
    | up Defense Abilities.                      |
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 It is also possible for a Defense Ability to MISS (the effects don't
work). This is because you may have a Gem that increases the chance to
evade non-magical attacks by 20% or magical attacks by 20%. Also, your
Agility may be too high. It will usually not MISS, but there's that
chance of it missing.

 After beating the game, I got lazy and just decided not to fiddle
around with Defense Abilities and just keep it the same forever. Here
are my settings:

O  = Absorb Damage
[] = Absorb Magic
/\ = Ward
________________________________________________________________________
Part 10: Secrets
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 None, really, except when you beat the game for the first time, you'll
have the Rood Inverse when you start a 'Clear'ed game. With the Rood
Inverse, you are able to get the following titles:

03. Treasure Hunter - Checked all the chests in the game.
04. Wanderer in Darkness - Visited every map location in the game.
05. Destroyer of Gaeus - Defeated Damascus Golem in Forgotten Passage.
06. Hunter of the Snowplains - Defeated Damascus Crab
                              in Snowfly Forest East.
07. Ally of the Wood - Defeated ravana in Iron Maiden B2.
08. Slayer of the Wyrm - Defeated Dragon Zombie in Iron Maiden B2.
09. Vanquisher of Death - Defeated Death and Ogre Zombie
                         in Iron Maiden B2.
10. Warrior of Asura - Defeated Asura in Iron Maiden B3.
11. Conqueror of Time - Received an 'Excellent!!' rating for
                       all the Time Attack battles.
13. Bearer of the New World - Found the rare item Gold Key.

 Of course you have to go through a lot of stuff first, but you get to
start with everything you had when you finished the game (except MISC
items). That includes your Items in your Gadget Bag as well as the
Container, your Magic, Battle Abilities, Break Arts, and Score (and
everything within the Score submenu). What you don't keep are the MISC
items, map completion (it goes on record, but not progress) and the
same goes for checking the chests.
 Experience Points towards your Break Arts and Battle Abilities (if any
more needed) are not added until you beat the first boss, Minotaur.

 After beating the game (at the end of the credits) the game will show
your score and rank. There is a background picture as well. Every time
you beat the game there is a different background (well, just actually
each play you beat...for example, on first play there is one picture and
that's the only one you get to see if you keep beating the game on first
play, but on second play there is another picture and you keep seeing
that picture if beat the game on second play).
________________________________________________________________________
Part 11: Ending Credits
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
 To pay tribute to the development team of Vagrant Story, I will list
the ending credits. And furthermore, I must say this: If you are a
burner (one who gets/makes burned games), then you can burn anything you
like, just not RPGs. RPGs should be the games you buy because the game
companies that make them really rely on sales, otherwise they won't make
RPGs (or any games) any longer after some time.

 Here are the credits (from beginning to end; the centering is not
exact...I'm not finished and...I had to do my best x_x):



                                 The Phantom Pain






                                     Starring
                                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                    Ashley Riot
                                 Sydney Losstarot
                                Romeo Guildenstern


                                  Supporting Cast
                                  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                   Callo Merlose
                                    John Hardin
                                  Jan Rosencrantz
                                  Commander Duane
                                 Commander Grissom
                                 Commander Samantha
                                  Commander Tieger
                                  Commander Neesa
                              Joshua Corrinne Bardorba
                                Aldous Byron Bardorba



                                Executive Producers
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                Hironobu Sakaguchi
                                 Tomoyuki Takechi
                                  Hisashi Suzuki



                               Produced & Directed by
                               ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                   Yasumi Matsuno



                                   Co-producer
                                   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                  Michio Okamiya



                                   Art Direction
                                   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                  Hiroshi Minagawa



                                 Character Design
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                 Akihiko Yoshida



                                 Main Programmer
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                                   Taku Murata



                             BATTLE ALGORITHM SECTION
                             ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                   Battle Design
                                   Yasumi Matsuno



                                Planner (Strategy)
                                 Takayuki Suguro



                                 Assistant Planner
                                    Minori Miura



                                    Programmer
                                    Taku Murata



                                Programmer (Logic)
                                Yoshiki Kashitani



                                BACKGROUND SECTION
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                               Planned & Directed by
                                 Kazutoyo Maehiro



                                Assistant Planners
                                   Ryu Nakamura
                                    Tai Yasue



                               Artistic Supervisors
                                  Akihiki Yoshida
                                  Akiyoshi Masuda



                             Background Model Creators
                                  Yoshinari Hirata
                                   Takafumi Hori
                                   Hiroyuki Sano
                                 Takahiro Yamashita



                            Background Texture Creators
                                    Akiko Honne
                                   Tsutomu Mouri
                                    Rena Sasaki
                                   Yukiko Sasaki



                                Assistant Creators
                                Ryoutaro Hashimoto
                                 Tsutomu Inagaki
                                   Keiji Inoue
                                Tomokazu Kawamata
                                  Toru Shiozaki



                                    Programmer
                                  Kunio Yamaguchi



                                CHARACTER SECTION
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                            Character Model Supervisor
                                 Hiroshi Minagawa



                             Character Model Creators
                                 Eiichiro Nakatsu
                                 Tsuyoshi Namiki



                             Character Texture Creator
                                   Tonomi Fujino



                             Character Motion Creators
                                   Yasuhide Hino
                                   Tadashi Soeda
                                 Kazuhiko Takahashi
                                 Tsunataro Yoshida



                             Assistant Motion Creators
                                   Kouji Machida
                                  Shinichi Matsuda
                                  Hiroaki Saotome
                                  Takahiro Sugita



                                    Programmer
                                Yoshinori Tsuchida



                              VISUAL EFFECT SECTION
                              ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                               Artistic Supervisor
                                   Jiro Mifune



                                 Designer (Artist)
                                   Noriko Ikeda



                                    Programmer
                                   Satoshi Ogata



                                   EVENT SECTION
                                   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                    Directed by
                                    Jun Akiyama



                                    Written by
                                  Yasumi Matsuno



                                     Planner
                                  Hidehito Tanba



                                 Assistant Planner
                                     Yaeko Sato



                                    Programmer
                                  Mitsuo Yoshioka



                              MENU & LAYOUT SECTION
                              ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                Artistic Supervisor
                                  Hiroshi Minagawa



                                 Designer (Artist)
                                Takahiro Yamashita



                                    Programmer
                                 Tadashi Tsushima



                                     ADDITIONAL PROGRAM SECTION
                                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                     CG Programmer
                                     Ryusuke Sasaki



                                     Additional Tool Programmers
                                     Shun Moriya
                                     Toshinori Shimono



                                     PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT SECTION
                                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                     Production Manager
                                     Makoto Kurabayashi



                                     Production Assistants
                                     Yuki Nishimura
                                     Kaori Shibayama
                                     Miho Uchida



                                     SOUND SECTION
                                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                     "SQUARE SOUNDS Co.,Ltd."



                                     Production Manager
                                     Kensuke Matsushita



                                     Production Coordinator
                                     Naoto Echizen



                                     Music & Original Score by
                                     Hitoshi Sakimoto



                                     Sound Programmer
                                     Minoru Akao



                                     Recorded & Mixed by
                                     Kenji Nagashima



                                     Sound Edited & Engineered by
                                     Tomohiro Yajima



                                     Assistant Sound Editors
                                     Jun Nakamura
                                     Shojiro Nakaoka
                                     Makoto Yamaguchi



                                     Synthesizer Programmer
                                     Takeharu Ishimoto



                                     MOVIE SECTION
                                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                     "SQUARE VISUAL WORKS Co.,Ltd."



                                     CG Supervisor
                                     Satoshi Tsukamoto



                                     Chief CG Designer
                                     Hiroyuki Honda



                                     CG Designers
                                     Yuko Akiyama
                                     Tomohiko Osugi
                                     Takeshi Tateishi
                                     Ken Yuasa



                                     Technical Coordinator
                                     Yoshinori Moriizumi



                                     Motion Capture Engineer
                                     Masaharu Inoue



                                     Motion Capture Artists
                                     Shuntaro Furukawa
                                     Keiko Imamura
                                     Kaoru Minemoto (SQUARE Co., Ltd.)



                                     VFX & Composite Designers
                                     Hiroshi Matsuyama (SQUARE Co., Ltd.)
                                     Teruaki Shiraishi
                                     Masaya Suzuki (SQUARE Co., Ltd.)


                                     CG Programmer
                                     Keisuke Miyazaki



                                     Digital Recording Engineer
                                     Keita Takagi



                                     Production Manager
                                     Norimichi Kurosawa



                                     Production Assistant
                                     Noriko Abe



                                     Motion Actor as "Ashley"
                                     Tesshin Murata



                                     Motion Actress as "Müllenkamp"
                                     Miho Miyagawa



                                     Accessories Designer
                                     Yusuke Naora (SQUARE Co., Ltd.)



                                     LOCALIZATION
                                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                     "SQUARE CO.,LTD."



                                     General Manager
                                     Koji Yamashita



                                     Deputy General Manager
                                     Akira Kashiwagi



                                     Director
                                     Aki Ito



                                     Assistant
                                     Yoshiki Yamamoto



                                     Translators
                                     Alexander O. Smith
                                     Amanda Jun Katsurada



                                     "SQUARE SOFT, INC."



                                     Editors
                                     Brian Bell
                                     Richard Amtower



                                     Associate Producer
                                     Aki Kozu



                                     Localization Manager
                                     Yutaka Sano



                                     QA Manager
                                     Jonathan Williams



                                     Lead Analyst
                                     Matthew B. Rhoades



                                     Assitant Lead Analyst
                                     Mohammed A.C. Wright



                                     Analysts
                                     Kelly Chun
                                     Mathew Clift
                                     Jared Ellott
                                     Michael Alan Erickson
                                     Jeff Love
                                     Judah Mehler
                                     James J. Robles



                                     QA Translators
                                     Kenji Nakamura
                                     Rintaro Yoshida



                                     Technical Coordinator
                                     Bennett Neale



                                     "SQUARE ELECTRONIC ARTS L.L.C."



                                     Senior Customer Service Manager
                                     Rick Thompson



                                     Assitant Customer Service Manager
                                     Fernando Bustamante



                                     Customer Service Lead
                                     Alaine DeLeon



                                     Customer Support Representatives
                                     Caroline Liu
                                     Patrick Cervantes
                                     John Mont
                                     James Dilonardo
                                     Mark Abarca
                                     Mark Acero
                                     Alan Deguzman
                                     Ryan Riley



                                     Public Relations & Events Manager
                                     Lisa M. Ahern



                                     Assistant Public Relations Manager
                                     Francine DeMore



                                     Business Development Manager
                                     Elaine Di Iorio



                                     Product Coordinator
                                     Beth Faust



                                     Sales Coordinator
                                     Sean Montgomery



                                     Media Planner
                                     Kyoko Yamashita



                                     Creative Planner
                                     Keiko Kato



                                     Product Associates
                                     Andy Hsu
                                     Irene Sam



                                     Product Administrative Assitant
                                     Mari Nishikawa



                                     Marketing Assistant
                                     Rika Maruya



                                     Assistant Product Manager
                                     Andrew Shiozaki



                                     Marketing Manager
                                     Kenji Mimura



                                     Vice Chairman
                                     Yoshihiro Maruyama



                                     President
                                     Jun Iwasaki



                                     "SQUARTZ CO.,LTD."



                                     Executive Director
                                     Hiromi Masuda



                                     Supervisors
                                     Hideaki Matsuoka



                                     Assistant Coordinators
                                     Shingo Kamata



                                     System Coordinator
                                     Shin Yamamoto (SQUARE Co.,Ltd.)



                                     SPECIAL THANKS
                                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯



                                     "Our European Friends"



                                     Patrick Beja
                                     Nicolas Di Costanzo
                                     Frank Glaser
                                     Warren Harrod
                                     François Hermellin
                                     Christophe Kagotani
                                     Arnaud Saint-Martin



                                     "DENTSU Inc."



                                     Kentaro Kawai
                                     Takuya Nashimoto
                                     Noriyuki Ueno
                                     Kensuke Tanaka
                                     Makoto Takeuchi
                                     Shunsuke Iwai



                                     "DENTSU TEC Inc."



                                     Kouji Fukuoka



                                     "VACANCES Inc."



                                     Kunikazu Mori
                                     Nobuyuki Takaishi
                                     Shiro Ataka






                         Copyright ©2000 SQUARE Co., Ltd.
                               ALL RIGHTS RESERVED





                                   ©2000 SQUARE













                                                                   Fin.
________________________________________________________________________
Part 11: Frequently Asked Questions
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Q = Question
C = Comment
A = Answer

1. Q:
  A:
________________________________________________________________________
Part 12:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Zy Nicholson <[email protected]>
 Various sections: Grimoires Obtainable from Slain Foes, Quick Chain
Abilities Tips, Quick Defense Abilities Tips, Equipment Enhancement,
The Spoils of Foes, Titles of Equipment, Training Dummies, TRAPs,
Thought Bubbles, Take Cover, and Status Abnormalities.

People who helped Zy Nicholson with the above topics.

Red Phoenix <[email protected]>
 The little 'Dragon' ASCII art in the Author Information section.

Chris MacDonald (AKA Kao Megura):
 His old disclaimer which I'm using
________________________________________________________________________
Part 13: Author Information
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
              .      .
         '    }\    /{    '
        / \   ) \__/ (   / \
       /   \  (*\  /*)  /   \
      /     \_ \    / _/     \
     (        \|\../|/        )
     /         | VV |         \
    /          Dan GC          \
   /                            \
  (       LB Dan [email protected]      )
   \                            /
  /          Web Page          \
 /           ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯           \
/           The Shrine           \
(     http://come.to/theshrine     )
|  /\  /~\|T|\/~\/~\/|T|/~\  /\  |
| /  \/   '|'   ))   '|'   \/  \ |
|/             ((               \|
'               )\               '
               (\/)
                \/

"You're funny. But keep it up and you'll just piss me off." ~ Xenogears'
                                                             Fei
Don't plagiarize! It's bad! And always give credit where it is due!

My other FAQs:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Neo-Geo: Blazing Star (FAQ/Walkthrough)
        NAM-1975 (FAQ/Walkthrough)
        Sengoku 2 (FAQ/Walkthrough)
        Shock Troopers (FAQ/Walkthrough)
        Shock Troopers; 2nd Squad (FAQ/Walkthrough)

PlayStation:
Ehrgeiz (Arcade/PSX): Cloud Character Guide
                     FAQ/Move List
                     Quest Mode Guide
                     Sasuke Character Guide
                     Secrets FAQ
                     Sephiroth Character Guide (PSX)
Gran Turismo 2: Quick Cash Guide
               Tuning Guide
Legend of Legaia: Misc FAQ
Star Ocean: The Second Story: Claude Boss Guide
                             Fighter Battle Strategies
                             Rena Boss Guide
                             Secret Dungeon Boss Guide
Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style: Basics FAQ
                       Chang Dao Fo
                       Expert FAQ
                       Gan Wuyin
                       Ghostface Killah
                       Gza
                       Hei-Mudan
                       Inspectah Deck
                       Jin Gang
                       Juwen Long
                       Lei Gong
                       Masta Killa
                       Method Man
                       Mong Zhu
                       Nan Wang
                       ODB
                       Raekwon
                       Secrets FAQ
                       Shrui Shan
                       Suang Dao
                       U-God
                       Wudi SO
                       Wuji
Xenogears: Battling FAQ

Reviews (for PlayStation):
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Ehrgeiz
Vagrant Story
Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style

________________________________________________________________________
Unpublished Work Copyright © 2000 Dan GC
________________________________________________________________________
END