PSO Weapons FAQ
by: Sephiroth
Email:
[email protected]
Last Updated 8/10/01
Copyright 2001 Joshua Sauppé
All Rights Reserved
---------------------------------------
This FAQ is not to be posted on any site except GameFAQ's or
Neoseeker.com unless I give written permission to do so. To ask for my
permission to put this FAQ on a page, email me at the address listed above.
This FAQ is not to be sold or used for personal profit or gain. The
plagiarizing of this FAQ is illegal.
NOTE: As of 6/19/01, I have changed the Weapons Tables into Weapons Lists
to cut down the size of this FAQ and to get rid of the information that does
not pertain to anything discussed in this FAQ.
NOTE: As of 7/16/01, I have corrected the Formula for Calculating your ATP
with percentages.
________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
2. Normal Weapon Families Lists
A. Sword Family List
B. Throwing Blade Family List
C. Short Sword Family List
D. Long Sword Family List
E. Large Sword Family List
F. Handgun Family List
G. Machine Gun Family List
H. Rifle Family List
I. Shot Family List
J. Cane Family List
K. Wand Family List
L. Rod Family List
3. Unique Weapons Families Lists
A. Knuckle Family List
B. Claw Family List
C. Double Saber Family List
4. Stars
5. Prefixes
A. Prefix List
6. Percentages
7. Grinding
8. Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ was designed in an effort to organize all the weapons in
Phantasy Star Online into different families so players could better
understand how the weapons are categorized. In this FAQ I have not included
where you would be able to find rare weapons. For that information, I suggest
you check out Khaotika's Rare Items FAQ (also on GameFAQs). I did, however,
create the tables from scratch. Most of the star amounts I verified at
www.planetdreamcast.com/psoworld.
This FAQ is based on my interpretations of how the weapons system in
PSO works and is by no means absolutely correct.
Also, I would appreciate any emails with information on additional
weapons in PSO. If you notice an error anywhere in my FAQ, please email me.
My email address is listed above. Please use the subject PSO, PSO Weapons,
or some other variation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORMAL WEAPON FAMILIES LISTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First, I'll begin with the basics. All normal weapon families have 5
basic weapons (except for the Force weapon families which each have 4 basic
weapons), each progressively stronger than the previous one. The colors of
these weapons, from weakest to strongest, are Green, Blue, Purple, Red, and
Gold. These first five weapons can have prefixes which give them additional
powers as well as percentage bonuses against a certain type of monster.
Each normal weapon family also has three more powerful weapon types,
all of which are nine star weapons and are always found as an unidentified
"SPECIAL WEAPON". These weapons cannot have prefixes as they already have
a set special attack. They can, however, have percentage bonuses. The colors
of these weapons, from weakest to strongest, are Green/Blue, Purple/Red, and
Gold/Green.
Some normal weapon families also have more unique 10 (or more) star
weapons. These weapons are very hard to find and look very different from
other weapons of that family. They do not get prefixes as they already have
set special attacks. These can be found as an unidentified "SPECIAL WEAPON"
or they can be found on special quests. Those gotten as a reward from a quest
can not have percentage bonuses but those found as a "SPECIAL WEAPON" can.
Additionally, certain normal weapon families have truly unique Enemy
Weapons. Each Enemy Weapon functions like a weapon from that normal weapon
family but looks like an enemy's weapon. They are dropped by enemies and
appear as "enemy name's ARM". They have to be taken to Dr. Montague to be
forged into the actual weapon. Each has a set special attack and they can
have no prefixes or percentage bonuses.
Please note, the family a weapon belongs to is determined by two main
factors. These two factors are:
-how the weapon attacks (how a person moves when attacking and how
fast the person attacks with that weapon)
-how many enemies are hit by a normal attack
What a weapon looks like does not determine which family it will be placed
in. There are several weapons that I am aware of that do not meet both these
criteria. Both the FLAME VISIT and the INFERNO BAZOOKA hit one enemy like
a Rifle, but perform combo attacks like a Shotgun. I finally decided that
because they are fired like a Shotgun type (but with only one shot) they would
be listed in the Shotgun family. The Spread Needle is shot like a Rifle (but
with 5 shots) so it would be listed in the Rifle family.
The weapons listed here are only those that are legitimately found in
the American version of Phantasy Star Online. This means that the weapons
currently banned by SEGA from online play (NEI'S CLAW, EGGBLASTER, etc.) are
not listed in this FAQ.
_____________________________________________
SYMBOLS KEY
x* = Stars (x is number of stars)
capitalized WEAPON name = SPECIAL WEAPON
(EW) after weapon name = Enemy weapon
_____________________________________________
Sword Family Throwing Blade Family
------------------------------ ------------------------------
0* Saber 1* Slicer
1* Brand 2* Spinner
2* Buster 3* Cutter
3* Pallasch 4* Sawcer
4* Gladius 5* Diska
9* DB'S SABER 9* SLICER OF ASSASSIN
9* KALADGOLG 9* DISKA OF LIBERATOR
9* DURANDAL 9* DISKA OF BRAVEMAN
9* VICTOR AXE
9* AGITO
12* OROTIAGITO
10* AKIKO'S FRYING PAN
12* LAVIS CANNON
11* DELSABER'S BUSTER (EW)
Short Sword Family Long Sword Family
------------------------------ ------------------------------
1* Dagger 1* Partisan
2* Knife 2* Halbert
3* Blade 3* Glaive
4* Edge 4* Berdys
5* Ripper 5* Gungir
9* BLADE DANCE 9* BRIONAC
9* BLOODY ART 9* VJAYA
9* CROSS SCAR 9* GAE BOLG
11* PAN ARMS' BLADES (EW) 10* SOUL EATER
11* S-BEAT BLADES (EW) 11* SOUL BANISH
Large Sword Family Gun Family
------------------------------ ------------------------------
1* Sword 0* Handgun
2* Gigush 1* Autogun
3* Breaker 2* Lockgun
4* Claymore 3* Railgun
5* Calibur 4* Raygun
9* FLOWEN'S SWORD 9* VARISTA
9* LAST SURVIVOR 9* CUSTOM RAY v.00
9* DRAGON SLAYER 9* BRAVACE
11* CHAIN SAWD 10* SUPPRESSED GUN
11* HOLY RAY
12* HEAVEN PUNISHER
Machine Gun Family Rifle Family
------------------------------ ------------------------------
1* Mechgun 1* Rifle
2* Assault 2* Sniper
3* Repeater 3* Blaster
4* Gatling 4* Beam
5* Vulcan 5* Laser
9* M&A60 VISE 9* VISK*235W
9* H&S25 JUSTICE 9* WALS-MK2
9* L&K14 COMBAT 9* JUSTY-23ST
11* C-BRINGER RIFLE
11* SPREAD NEEDLE
Shotgun Family Cane Family
------------------------------ ------------------------------
1* Shot 0* Cane
2* Spread 1* Stick
3* Cannon 2* Mace
4* Launcher 3* Club
5* Arms 9* CLUB OF LACONIUM
9* CRUSH BULLET 9* MACE OF ADAMAN
9* METEOR SMASH 9* CLUB OF ZUMIURAN
9* FINAL IMPACT 11* STING TIP
11* FLAME VISIT
11* INFERNO BAZOOKA
Wand Family Rod Family
------------------------------ ------------------------------
1* Wand 1* Rod
2* Staff 2* Pole
3* Baton 3* Pillar
4* Scepter 4* Striker
9* ICE STAFF: DAGON 9* BATTLE VERGE
9* FIRE SCEPTER: AGNI 9* BRAVE HAMMER
9* STORM WAND: INDRA 9* ALIVE AGHU
10* TECHNICAL CROZIER 11* CADUCEUS
11* MAGICAL PIECE 12* PSYCHO WAND
11* C-SORCERER'S CANE (EW)
-----------------------------------------
UNIQUE WEAPON FAMILIES
-----------------------------------------
Unique weapon families are very different from normal weapon families.
All the members of a unique weapon family are "SPECIAL WEAPONS" and must be
identified. As such, they have no prefixes and always come with a set special
attack. They can, however, get percentage bonuses. Most of the weapons in
a unique weapon family have 10 or more stars, but occasionally there is one
with nine stars. The colors have no set pattern in a unique weapons family.
Knuckle Family Claw Family
------------------------------ ------------------------------
9* BRAVE KNUCKLE 9* PHOTON CLAW
10* ANGRY FIST 11* SILENCE CLAW
11* GOD HAND
Double Saber Family
------------------------------
9* DOUBLE SABER
10* STAG CUTLERY
11* TWIN BRAND
------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To begin with, each weapon in PSO has a certain number of stars. The
number of stars a weapon has can be viewed, along with a description of the
weapon, on page 3 of the weapon's sub-menu. Stars are used as a kind of rating
system in PSO. The more stars a weapon has, the better (and rarer) it is.
Each basic weapon in a normal weapon family has one star more than the previous
weapon. For example, a regular Saber has zero stars, a regular Brand has one
star, a Buster has two stars, a Pallasch gets three, and a Gladius has four
stars. Some stronger normal weapon families start out with one star. For
example, a Rifle has one star, a Sniper has two, and so on. This is just because
these weapons are stronger than those in other normal weapon families. The
number of stars a weapon has is not affected by the +, or grinded amount,
of a weapon, nor is it affected by the percentages against a certain monster
type. The number of stars a weapon has can change with the prefix of a weapon.
The more powerful the prefix, the more additional stars a weapon has. If a
weapon has 9 stars or more, it's name will appear in gold font.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREFIXES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prefixes are special abilities a weapon can have when it is identified.
All weapons with a prefix will be found as a "???? Weapon Name" and will appear
in blue text even if it is not usable by that class. When you take that item
to a Tekker, he will identify it and the "????" will become a prefix. This
prefix enables you to use the "Extra Attack" when you have that weapon
equipped. When you are identifying a weapon, keep in mind that the prefix
can change but only to another prefix in the same family. For example, if
you identify a Raygun as a Dim Raygun and say you don't want to believe the
Tekker and then identify it again, it could only possibly be a Shadow or Dark
Raygun as those are in the Instant Death Prefix Family. The prefix can only
go up or down one prefix from the Base Prefix. The Base Prefix is what the
weapon's most common prefix is. To determine the Base Prefix you need to
have the Tekker identify it several times. The Prefix that occurs most often
is the Base Prefix. What this means is that if you have a Sniper with Shadow
as the Base Prefix, it can only go down one prefix level to Dim, or up one
prefix level to Dark. It can never become a Hell Sniper. Also, if the Base
Prefix is the most powerful it could only go down one level. Again, if the
Base Prefix is the lowest level it could only go up one. Prefix levels also
add stars to the weapon. In the most common four level Prefix family, the
lowest level adds one star, and the highest level adds four. In a two level
family, the lower adds three and the higher adds four. In the one level family,
the prefix adds two stars. Also, prefixes that affect a monster's status such
as confusion or paralysis and Instant Death and HP Reduction will never work
on a boss but all other attacks will.
Prefix Families
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP Draining Family (steals HP) TP Draining Family (steals TP)
------------------------------ ------------------------------
Draw Heart
Drain Mind
Fill Soul
Gush Geist
Fire Damage Family Ice Damage Family (can also freeze)
------------------------------ ------------------------------
Heat Ice
Fire Frost
Flame Freeze
Burning Blizzard
Electric Damage Family Paralysis Family (can paralyze)
------------------------------ ------------------------------
Shock Hold
Thunder Bind
Storm Seize
Tempest Arrest
Confusion Family (can confuse) EXP Draining Family (steals EXP)
------------------------------ ------------------------------
Panic Master
Riot Lord
Havoc King
Chaos
Instant Death Class HP Reduction Class
------------------------------ ------------------------------
Dim Devil
Shadow Demon
Dark
Hell
Charge Class (all add 2*)
------------------------------
Charge (uses Meseta)
Spirit (uses TP)
Berserk (uses HP)
[email protected] provided me with the info for the Prefix Section. Email
him if you want him to raise a MAG for you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENTAGES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certain weapons have advantages, or disadvantages, against certain
types of monsters. These appear in the form of percentages listed on the
second page of the weapon's sub-menu. The percentages are Native, A. Beast,
Machine, and Dark. There is one other known percentage category called Hit.
It increases your chances of hitting a monster (ATA). If a weapon has any
percentages, either positive or negative, it's name will appear in green text
(unless it has more than nine stars, in which case the name will be gold).
Positive percentages allow you to do more damage against that type of monster
while negative percentages decrease the damage you do. Percentages can change
each time you have a Tekker examine a weapon, although they don't change by
much. The most a percentage can change is + or - 10% from the base percentage.
The base percentage of a weapon can be viewed on the second page of the
weapon's sub-menu before the weapon is identified. This means that a weapon
with a base percentage of 30% to Dark can only be identified as having either
20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, or 40% to Dark. Unless a weapon has a percentage listed
before it is identified, it will never get percentages (although I suppose
that, in theory, it is possible to have a weapon with a base percentage of
0% and get either + or - 10%). If a weapon has multiple percentages, all
percentages will increase or decrease by the same amount.
After a good deal of testing, I have figured out how to correctly
calculate your ATP (attack power) with a percentage against a certain type
of monster. Here's the formula.
(BASE ATP + ADDED ATP FROM WEAPON) + % OF BOTH
Here's an example. Say you have 200 Base ATP. Your weapon, which adds
100 to your ATP has a bonus of 20% against Dark monsters. Your ATP, therefore,
would be 360 (200 + 100 + (20% * 300)).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRINDING
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grinding is a way to increase a weapon's attack power. When a weapon
is grinded a + is added at the end of the weapon's name followed by a number.
The number is the grinded amount. For example, a grinded Pallasch would look
like this: Pallasch +3, assuming of course that it had been grinded up three
levels. Grinding can be done with the use of items called Grinders. There
are three types of grinders, Monogrinders, Digrinders, and Trigrinders.
Monogrinders add one, Digrinders add two, and Trigrinders add three. For each
grinding level a weapon has, its attack power increases by 2 points. This
means that the Pallasch +3 would, when equipped, increase your ATP 6 points
more than a regular Pallasch would. Each weapon has a grinding limit. This
grinding limit is the same for the first five weapons in a Normal Weapon Family
but the grinding limit can differ with the other weapons in that family.
Grinding a weapon does not add stars to it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CREDITS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This section is just here to give a little thanks to all the people who
send me information. If you want your name posted here, send me some good
information.
THANKS TO:
Khaotika, for weapon names.
www.planetdreamcast.com/psoworld, for all the star requirements.
[email protected], for the entire Prefix list. Email him if you want him
to raise you a MAG.
[email protected], for various Prefix descriptions
[email protected], for some stat requirement corrections
Bennett Campbell <
[email protected]>, for the first formula for calculating
ATP with percentages
