Status Effects

Overview

Status effects are conditions that adversely affect a character in battle by adding passive damage, increasing elemental weaknesses, or limiting her use of abilities. (For the purposes of this wiki, conditions that positively affect a character in battle and conditions that solely reduce a character's stats are both considered Stat Boosts.) Any single status effect is rarely seen, but most enemy groups have potential to use at least one of them.

Note: depending on gameplay balance and the challenges of implementation, some status effects may be cut from the final game while others may be altered.

Status Effects

Last Stand

When a hero-class character's HP is taken down to 0, she enters her Last Stand. When affected by this status effect, her critical hit rate is increased by 25%, but her HP can no longer be healed, her EP drains continuously, she takes 25% more damage (to her EP) from all attacks, and she's subject to being KOed by almost any attack.

Asleep

A character who's Asleep is unable to block, counter, or perform any action. Any damage she takes will cure her of this status effect, but the damage amount will be tripled. The Asleep effect is especially devastating when it can be used, but most characters and enemies are immune to it, including the common species.

Berserk

When affected by the Berserk status effect, a character can't use any healing, status effects, or defensive stat boosts; she can only attack or increase offensive stats such as Speed and Magic Power. She also loses 25% of her max EP with each energy attack (above any normal EP cost the move has), although her energy damage is doubled. Berserk wears off over time, but can also be cured with some magic.

Bound

Many Light and Genesis techniques have a small chance to inflict the Bound status effect, which comes in three forms. Bound Arms, the most common, prevent a character from using techniques involving her arms, such as punches and slashes. Bound Legs prevent a character from using techniques involving her legs, such as charging moves, jumping moves, and almost any close combat technique. Being Fully Bound prevents a character from using any non-magic, non-energy technique (and will even prevent some of those).

Binding wears off over time and its duration will be shorter depending on how high the affected character's stats are. Certain magic can also cure it. Binding is an extremely powerful status effect, but a fairly high percentage of characters can't be affected by it, including magical species like golems, transforming species like slimeshifters, liquid species like aqualings, and Synergists.

Burning

Most Fire techniques have a small chance to inflict Burning. When affected by this status effect, a character is set on fire and gradually loses HP. (Some characters may lose HP more slowly, not lose HP at all, or even recover HP from burning depending on their elemental resistances and passive abilities.) Her fire can be put out with--among other options--most Water or Wave magic, some Wind magic, or by using speed-based attacks. Burning will also wear off over time or when a character enters her Last Stand. Burning damage usually spells trouble for defensive characters who rely on health regeneration.

Confused

When a character is Confused, she may perform random techniques instead of what the player intends. Confused wears off over time or can be cured with certain magic.

Disoriented

A Disoriented character can't block or counter attacks and her Skill (accuracy) is reduced by 25%. It's a short-term status effect that only lasts for one turn.

Fatigued

When a character's EP sinks below 15%, she becomes Fatigued and won't be able to use energy-based attacks (even if their EP cost is under 15%). Fatigue wears off when her EP recovers above 35%.

Flustered

Halfway between Berserk and Paralyzed is the Flustered status effect. When Flustered, a character can't use healing or boost her or her teammates' stats; furthermore, she'll be able to perform one less Followup per turn than usual. Taking a physical attack will knock her out of Fluster, as will some magic.

Frozen

Many Cold techniques have a tiny chance to inflict Frozen. A character who's Frozen can't block, counter, or perform any action; she also takes double damage from Fire and is immune to Cold. Being hurt by Fire damage or taking any non-Cold damage three times will cure her of this status effect. Being Frozen is especially devastating, but it's one of the rarer status effects to trigger.

Oiled

A character who's Oiled takes double damage from Fire, including the Burning status effect, and her Skill and Evasion drop by 15% and 10% respectively. Oil wears off over time or can be removed by adding the Watered status effect.

Paralyzed

Many Lightning techniques have a small chance to inflict Paralyzed. When a character is Paralyzed, her Speed is cut by 70% and she can't use physical attacks. Being Paralyzed is the bane of many speed-based characters and will not wear off unless cured by magic or another technique.

Poisoned

Poisoned characters gradually lose HP according to their Poison resistance and/or passive abilities. (Some characters may not lose HP or may even recover HP.) Poison damage is slow-acting, but a character may remain affected by it until the end of a battle or beyond. Because of most species' biology, typical methods of injecting Poison like venomous bites or stingers don't work, making Poison a rare status effect to encounter; however, the corollary is that few techniques were developed to neutralize it, so very few characters can cure Poison either.

Sealed

A Sealed character can't use (most) magic techniques. Seals wear off over time and their duration will be shorter depending on how high the affected character's stats are. Certain techniques can also cure them, sometimes even including magic; Shining Flare is an example of a spell that can break through Seals.

Spasming

Many Lightning techniques have a small chance to inflict Spasming. For a Spasming character, there's a 20% chance that each Followup she attempts will fail. Spasming wears off after a few turns.

Stunned

A Stunned character can't act for her next turn. Stun is a short-term status effect and few characters can make use of it.

Tempted

A Tempted character temporarily joins the enemy side. Being hit twice will end her Temptation.

Tranquilized

Like a polar opposite to Berserk, a Tranquilized character can't use attacks, status effects, or offensive stat boosts. She also can't counter attacks. However, her Magic Power is doubled. Taking direct damage three times will end her Tranquility; taking passive damage from another status effect like Burning or Poisoned will not. Depending on whether the affected character is an attacker, healer, or supporter, being Tranquilized can be either a nightmare or a joke.

Watered

Most Wave and all Water techniques leave a character Watered. When Watered, she takes double damage from Lightning and is twice as likely to become Paralyzed or Spasming, but takes half damage from Fire and can't be Burned. She'll dry off after three turns or when hit by Fire damage.

History

Discarded Status Effects

Status effects that were once considered but have been left on the cutting room floor include:

Cursed

(removed before the wiki began)

Rather than applying to a character, equipment can be Cursed. If a character puts on a piece of Cursed equipment, her Defense is reduced by 20% and she can't remove that equipment until the curse is removed. This status effect might come back, but if it does it almost certainly won't have this exact effect.

Miniaturized

(removed before the wiki began)

When Miniaturized, a character's Evasion quadruples, but her max HP, Power, Defenses, and Skill are cut by varying amounts. It all sounded logical, but when I ran the numbers this status effect seemed way too powerful, almost at the level of Vanish from Final Fantasy VI.

Supersized

(removed before the wiki began)

When Supersized, a character's max HP increases but her Speed, Skill, and Evasion are cut. I dropped this status effect because it didn't make sense in the context of characters who are mostly energy-based.

Zombified

(removed before the wiki began)

This idea was dropped for the same reason it was initially created: I realized I got it from the rarely-seen Zombie status effect in Final Fantasy VI. Besides making the character perform random attacks, it would have tripled the damage she took from Light magic and doubled damage from Fire and Dark, but made her immune to Cold.