Breath of Fire 4

BOF4-manual Eng.QXD 6/2/03 9:46 am Page ii

CONTENTS

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A Special Message from CAPCOM EUROSOFTThank you for selecting BREATH OF FIRE IV for your personalcomputer. We at CAPCOM EUROSOFT are proud to bring you thisnew addition to your video game library.

CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2000, 2003 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Setting Up 2

Controls 3

The Princess Vanishes! 4

Characters 5

Starting a Game 7

Maps 8

The Sub Screen 9

Sub Screen Commands 10

Saving Games 11

Camp Screen 12

Battle Screen 12

Magic and Skills 15

Dragon Transformation 16

Masters 17

Fishing 18

Fairy Colony 19

Magic Spells 20

Adventurers Notebook 22

BOF4-manual Eng.QXD 6/2/03 9:46 am Page 1

SETTING UP

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SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONOS: Windows 98, 2000, Me, XPCPU: Pentium 128 (recommended); Pentium II 350 (recommended)RAM: 64MB (required)Hard Disk: 550MB (standard install)CD-ROM: 4X or higherSound: Microsoft Direct SoundGraphics: Microsoft Direct 3DVRAM: 8MB (required); 16MB (recommended)

INSTALLATION1. Insert the BREATH OF FIRE IV disc into your CD-ROM drive.

2. Click the INSTALL button on the install screen.

3. The software will be installed. If the Auto Insert notification is not on, click the SETUP.EXE icon.

RUNNING THE GAMEAfter installation, insert the game disc into the CD-ROM drive. When the BREATH OF FIRE IV screenappears, press the Enter key. To run the game from the desktop, click START > PROGRAMS >BREATH OF FIRE > BREATH OF FIRE.

Note: Be sure to leave the BREATH OF FIRE IV disc in the CD-ROM drive while playing the game.


3CONTROLS

MENU CONTROLSArrow keys Move cursor

Enter key Confirm a selection

Esc key Cancel a selection

GAMEPLAY CONTROLSEnter key Start game / Pause / Access Option mode

Arrow keys Move character (F/A) / Rotate character (D/E)

X key Run / Toggle characters Status Screens

Z key Open Sub Screen / Review enemy info (during battle)

C key Check / Talk

V key Action / Cancel

TAB Change Rank

A key Turn camera left

D key Turn camera right

Note: You can change the control key assignments in Option mode. See page 7.


In a far-away world, two continents float, separatedby a vast swamp-land. For eons, no contactexisted between the two continents becauseships couldnt sail across the expanse. Atlast, when the historic first contact wasmade between the two powers, warerupted!

After long and costly fighting betweenthe Fou Empire in the west and analliance of countries in the east, bothsides exhausted all their strength andresources. With no other alternative,the two powers agreed to an armistice.

One year later, Princess Elena vanished.She had been traveling in the east fromtown to town, exploring battlegroundsand visiting war veterans. Her trail vanishedin a small town near the front line. Nobodyknew her whereabouts!

The Eastern Alliance wanted to avoid sending a largearmy to the front. Such a move would be a political blunder,breaking the armistice and stirring up hostilities. It becameimpossible to carry out a large-scale search for Elena. Timepassed ... with no sign of the princess.

Elenas sister, Princess Nina, finally makes up her mind. Sheleaves on a journey in search of her sister by herself.

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THE PRINCESS VANISHES!


RYUPersonal Action: SlashThe focus of this story, Ryu meetsNina while he is lying unconsciouson a street in a desert townin the eastern continent. His raceand native land are unknown. Ryu has a Dragons Eye, whichempowers him amazing abilitiesto transform into a dragonand summon dragons.

FOU-LUFou-lu unified the western

continent single-handedlywith his paranormal

powers. He became thefirst emperor of the FouEmpire several hundred

years ago. Despite hisyouthful look, he has

mystic dignity. It is said that he predicted

his own resurrectionas he passed away.

NINAPersonal Action: JumpThe princess of Wyndia, a townof the Fae tribe (winged folk). Ninameets Ryu on her journey to seek

her lost sister Elena.Though somewhat

nave, Nina isskilled in Healingmagic.

CHARACTERS

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6CRAYPersonal Action: PushA young leader of the Worentribe (cat people) in theeastern alliance, Cray joinsNina to search for PrincessElena, his childhood friend.He has a strong sense ofresponsibility and acts as theleader of the party. His highoffensive and defensive abilitiesare very dependable.

SCIASA mercenary soldier,

Scias was hired by theeastern side during thewar. Scias becomes thepartys watcher. He is veryquiet and aloof from the world.

Scias can perform a powerful double attackwith his sword.

URSULAPersonal Action: ShootUrsula is a middle-class

leader of the Fou Empire.She came to the eastern

continent in search ofdragons, and meets up

with Ryu and hiscompanions. Ursula was

brought up in the military, andknows very little about worldly

concerns. She is excellent atattacking with both magic and

weapons.

ERSHINPersonal Action: Ram

Ershin wears completely sealedarmor to protect her from

any kind of curse. Sinceshe wears the armorall the time, no oneknows her real faceor background. Shemeets the party

in a mysterious placepolluted by a curse

and decides to join them.


After loading BREATH OF FIRE IV, watch theintro sequence and then press Enter. The Titlescreen will appear. Press Enter again to begin thegame.

At this point, you have a choice between startinga NEW GAME or re-starting a game with LOADGAME.

NEW GAMETo start a new game, highlight NEW GAME andpress Enter. Follow the on-screen instructions andname the main character. The game starts whenyou finish naming your player.

LOAD GAMETo load a saved game and resume play, highlightLOAD GAME and press Enter. See page 11 formore information on saving.

GAME OVERIf the Hit Points (HP) of all your characters dropto zero in battle, your game is over.

OPTION In Option Mode, you can adjust various settings.To enter Option Mode, choose OPTION in theTitle Screen or Sub Screen.

DASH When AUTO is chosen, you can dashonly with the Arrow keys.

CAMERA Change the direction of screenrotation.

D-PAD Change control types to moveyour characters.

SOUND Choose STEREO or MONAURAL

BGM Adjust volume for the backgroundmusic.

SE Adjust volume for the sound effects.

BUTTONS Choose from four types to resetthe controls configuration.

SCREEN Adjust the screen position usingthe Arrow keys.

RESET Reset all Option settings to default.

STARTING A GAME

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AREA MAPThe Area Maps aredrawn in 3D andinclude cities,villages, dungeons,etc. When on anArea Map, you cantalk to othercharacters and encounter enemies. This is alsowhere events occur. You can enter individual AreaMaps from the World Map.

CHANGING YOUR VIEW

Change your view by pressing the A and D keys.Try changing views when youre having a hardtime seeing whats around you. The compass onthe top left side of the screen shows how manydegrees you can change your view of the area.

WORLDMAPIn the World Map,you can travel longdistances betweenArea Maps. Moveyour characters tothe place whereyou want to go and press Enter to enter it. As thestory proceeds, you will gain access to moreplaces. Command menu:

ENTER Enter an Area Map CAMP Enter a Camp MAP Open a larger map MENU Open Sub-screen

Name of the area you are in. The names of Area Maps next to the character.Move to the Area Map by pressing the Arrow keys. Play time.? Mark

While moving in the World Map, a ? marksometimes appears over your character. When thishappens, you can investigate the area by pressingEnter. You may find a hidden route or secret items.You may also encounter enemies.

MAPS

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You can changeperspective 360.

You can changeperspective 90.

You cannot changeperspective.


In the Sub Screen, you can execute variouscommands. To open the Sub Screen, pressthe Z key in the World Map or Area Map.Change characters with the Arrow keys D/E.

INFO WINDOW Various explanations appear here.

COMMAND A list of executable commands. Choose with the Arrow keys and press Enterto accept.

TIME Total play time.

ZENNY Amount of money you have.

When an item is chosen, the Sub Screen on theright is displayed:

INFO WINDOW Various explanationsappear here.

COMMAND A list of executable commands. Choose with the Arrow keys and press Enterto accept.

ITEM LIST Toggle between four item listswith the Arrow keys D/E.

THE SUB SCREEN

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ITEM

Use or organize Items. You can carry up to 99 ofeach item. Items include Item, Weapon, Armor,Other and Treasure items which you cannot throwaway.

SPECIAL

Abilities include magic and skills. Your characterswill learn new magic as they increase their levels.Skills can be learned regardless of level (see page 15).

EQUIP

Each character can equip a weapon, armor andaccessory.

STATUS

Check charactersstatus and abilities: INFO WINDOWS

Display variousdata.

STATS Display a characters statistics.

EQUIPMENT Lists the characters equipment.

EXP NEXT shows the experience points needed to the next level. TOTAL shows the total experience points the character has acquired.

DATA Data for fighting and points acquiredin mini-games (Game pts.) appear here. For Ryu and Fou-lu, a list of transformable dragonsalso appears here.

STATS

LV Characters level. When a character levelsup, other stats will increase.

HP Characters Hit Points. When it dropsto zero, the character becomes unconsciousand cannot fight.

AP Characters Ability Points used for magicand skills (see the Magic Spells sectionbeginning on page 20).

CP The amount of Ability Points recoveredfor each turn when the character is restingin the Rear Rank in a battle.

PWR Characters offensive ability withweapons.

DEF Characters defensive ability. The higherthis is, the less damage a character takesfrom enemies physical attack.

AGI The higher this is, the better chancethe character has of moving ahead of enemies.

WIS This affects the characters attackingability with magic and defense ability fromenemies magical attack.

SUB SCREEN COMMANDS

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sSAVINGGAMES

CHANGE

Change your character order for Normal Screenand Battle Screen.

NORMAL SCREEN Only the Front Rank isdisplayed on the Area Map.

BATTLE SCREEN Only the Front Rankparticipates in battles, while the Rear Rankrests.

SETTING

Adjust various settings (see page 7).

SAVE

You can save your play data. The Save commandis available in the Sub Screen when you enter itfrom the World Map.

You can save by staying at an Inn, checking theDiary, entering a Camp, and from the Sub Screenwhen you enter it from the World Screen.

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checkingthe

diary

staying at an inn


You can enter a camp by pressing the G key onthe World Screen. In a camp, you can makevarious preparations for your journey.

CAMP COMMANDS

REST Recover your characters life.

SKILL Change skills. It requires an Aurumto equip a skill.

SAVE Save your play data.

MASTER Change your characters Masters(see page 17).

COMMAND INPUT CHARACTER Switch characters with the Arrow keys D/E.

ACTION PANEL Shows the order of command input of the character. You can input up to three commands.

COMMAND Choose from various options including attack, defense, etc.

ENEMY NAME AND NUMBER Pressthe Z key to look at information about the enemy.

CHARACTER STATUS PANELS Display your party members HP and AP.

CAMP SCREEN BATTL

E SCREEN

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If you encounter enemies while moving in theArea Map, a battle occurs. If you win, you getexperience points, money, etc.

The color of the battle screen indicates thefollowing:

GREEN Your characters attack first.

BLUE The attack order is decided by thespeed of your characters and the enemy.

RED The enemies attack first.

BATTLE FLOWThree characters can participate in attackingduring each turn. The first three characters toinput commands will be in the Front Rank; therest will be in the Rear Rank. You can freelychange the characters in the Front and RearRanks before each turn.

FRONT RANK CHARACTERS Participate inattacking.

REAR RANK CHARACTERS Rest and are notattacked.

A characters Abnormal status (except Poison andIncapable of Fighting) can be recovered bykeeping that character in the Rear Rank for threeturns in sequence.

The characters AP will recover by the charactersCP each turn.

HOW TO ATTACK

1. Choose the First Character to Attack. Movethe cursor with the Arrow keys D/E to choosea character.

2. Choose a Command. Choose a commandwith the Arrow keys F/A and accept bypressing Enter.

3. Choose an Action Target. If you choose acommand such as Attack, Special or Item, youwill need to determine the target to make theaction to. Select the object (enemy or yourparty member) and accept by pressing Enter.

COMMANDS

Four types of commands are used in battles.Hold down the D key to display additionalcommands.

ATTACK Attack with a weapon.

SPECIAL Use Ability (magic or skill).

USE ITEM Use an item.

GUARD Reduce damage by about halfwhen attacked. Also, you can sometimes learnan enemys skill.

CHARGE Attack successively with a weapon.

ESCAPE Escape from an enemy. If theescape fails, you will be attacked.

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ABNORMAL STATUS DURING BATTLEYour characters may develop Abnormal status resulting from the enemies special attacks or theunhealthy areas you travel through. Blindness and Mute can be cured if the character stays in the RearRank for three turns.

STATUS EFFECT CURE

POISONED The character loses HP each turn. Purify-line spells, Antidote, Panacea

ASLEEP The character cannot move until the end Remedy spell, Panacea, Getting attacked,of the battle. Resting in the Rear Rank for three turns

CONFUSED The character cannot choose a target Remedy spell, Croc Tear, Getting attacked to attack.

BLINDNESS The character cannot hit an enemy Remedy spell, Croc Tear, Panacea, Eye as skillfully as usual. Drops

MUTE The character cannot use magic. Remedy spell, Croc Tear, Panacea

UNCONSCIOUS The character cannot move until Raise Dead-line spells, Ammoniathe end of the battle.

EGG The characters defense becomes zero. After three turns, the character will return The character gets Eggs Abilities. to normal and HP/AP will be fully

recovered

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MAGIC can only be obtained by increasinga characters level. Magic types are dependenton the character. For example, Nina gets mainlyWind and Healing magic.

SKILLS are independent of the characters leveland are obtained through earning and learning:

A character can sometimes earn a skill fromenemies by executing a Guard command.

A character can learn a skill from a Master(see page 17).

CHANGING SKILLSSkills can be equipped and taken off just likeweapons and armor. For example, you can takeoff a skill from Ryu and equip it on Cray. AnAurum is required to equip skills.

Obtained skills are shared by the whole group.You can change skills in Camp. Your groupcannot get the same skill more than once.

By using certain Abilities (magic and skills) insuccession, you can execute a Combo. Combossignificantly increase the effect of the Abilities.There are three main types of Combos: MixCombos, Successive Combos and AdditionalCombos.

MIX COMBO

Each Ability has its attribute. By using Abilitieswith the attributes in this order; Fire E Wind EWater E Earth E Fire, etc., you can perform aMix Combo. When a Mix Combo takes place,powerful magic with multiple attributes isperformed.

SUCCESSIVE COMBO

By using Abilities of the same attributesuccessively, you can perform a SuccessiveCombo. You can connect more than two Abilitiesof the same attribute for even greater effect.

ADDITIONAL COMBO

By using a magic or Physical skill attribute(example: Ershins Risky Shot) after a magicwhich causes Abnormal status (example: Sleep),the second magic gets the additional effect of theAbnormal status.

There are also other types of Combos.Try various combinations.

A Combo can sometimes fail.

MAGIC & SKILLS

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Dragon Transformation is an Ability that onlyRyu and Fou-lu can use. Choose Meditatefrom the Abilities and then choose a dragonto transform into. As you discover DragonCrystals, more types of dragons will becomeavailable to transform into.

While being a dragon, the characters statusincreases significantly and the character canuse powerful Magic and Dragon Breathattack. However, a certain amount of AP isconsumed every turn.

CANCELING DRAGONTRANSFORMATIONTo cancel DragonTransformation, choose RevertForm from the Abilities. Also,when the character doesnthave enough AP to maintainDragon Transformation or his orher HP drops to zero, theDragon Transformation endsautomatically. The dragons HPlost during a DragonTransformation can becompletely recovered by restingat an Inn. (HP is also recovered gradually inthe Area Map.)

EVOCATIONEvocation is an Ability only Ryu has. ChooseEvocation from the Abilities to call a dragonto help Ryu. As Ryu meets more dragonsduring game play, they become available forEvocation. After evoking a dragon, Ryu mustrest at an Inn before he can call it a secondtime.

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DRAGON TRANSFORMATION


As your adventure progresses, you will meetcharacters called Masters who are highly qualifiedin various skills. By becoming a Masters pupil,your character can acquire the Masters secretskills.

ENTRANCE TEST

To become a Masters pupil, your character needsto meet the conditions the Master sets. Once thatis accomplished, the character is allowed to bethe Masters pupil. Each member of your partycan become a pupil of different Masters.

BEING A PUPIL

Depending on the Masters characteristics, yourcharacters status increases in certain ways. Forexample, if your character becomes a pupil of awarrior-type Master, the characters HP will grow.

ACQUIRING SECRET SKILLS

By completing a task which the Master assigns,a character can acquire the Masters secret skill.The tasks vary from simple to difficult. The moredifficult the task, the higher the skill acquired.

THE MASTERS WILL

As a pupil, a character will sometimes follow hisor her Masters teaching to perform an action inbattle. For example, if the Master teaches thecharacter to protect the injured in battle, thecharacter will do so with high probability. This iscalled the Masters Will.

CHANGING MASTERS

Masters who take on your characters as pupils areadded to your Scroll. You can change acharacters Master by choosing the Mastercommand in the Camp Menu. It is recommendedthat you choose a Master with a skill orcharacteristics you want to improve in thecharacter who will become the Masters pupil.

PROPER WILL

Some characters have innate Will from thebeginning of the game. For example, Nina hasCheering and Ursula has Covering Fire.

MASTERS

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If you get a fishing rod and lure, you can enjoyfishing at various fishing spots in the world. Thefish you catch can be used not only as healingitems, but also traded for items at Manilos tradeshop.

HOW TO FISH1. Enter a Fishing Spot from the World Map.

2. Select a spot to fish in and press Enter. (AFishing Mark blinks over available fishinglocations.)

3. Press the M key to display a Fishing Menu. Youcan equip a fishing rod and lure in the menu.

4. Determine the direction to throw the lure withthe Arrow keys D/E. Then determine thepower by pressing Enter.

5. When the lure is in the water, try to lure fish bymoving the Arrow keys D/E or rolling thereel. When a fish bites the lure, a battle with thefish begins.

BATTLING FISHTo catch a fish that bites the lure, it is importantto decrease the fishs vitality by keeping an eventension on the fishing string.

If the tension is too high or low, the fish will run.Adjust the tension gauge so it will be within ayellow frame. Increase the tension by pressingEnter (roll the reel) and decrease by releasing thekey.

Tension Gauge Tension of the fishing string.

Lure/Water Depth Shows the depth of the lure in the water.

Fishs Vitality Shows how much fightthe fish has.

FISHING

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You will encounter fairies in your adventure.By helping them develop their village, you can getrare items, play mini-games and more.

COLONYS GROWTHThe colony is almost empty at first. Its up to youto instruct the leader and give fairies jobs. Thefirst thing you should have them do is securefood. Fairies will die without food. (See page 23for how to get food.)

As the fairy population grows, have them enlargethe land and build houses. When houses are built,have some fairies open stores.

As the culture level of the Colony gets higher,fairies will be able to acquire more professions.Try various professions and see what they can do.

CHECKING THE COLONYSHAPPENINGSBy looking at the signage at the entranceof the Colony, you can check all the happeningsin the Colony since you arrived. Checkingthe Colonys progress frequently will help youdevelop the Colony more quickly.

FAIRY COLONY

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OFFENSIVE MAGICMAGIC NAME AP ATTRIBUTE TARGET EFFECTFlare 3 Fire Single Rank 1: Minor DamageFire Blast 6 Fire Multiple Rank 2: Medium DamageInferno 10 Fire Single Rank 3: Major DamageSever 3 Wind Single Rank 1: Minor DamageCyclone 6 Wind Multiple Rank 2: Medium DamageTyphoon 12 Wind Multiple Rank 3: Major DamageFrost 3 Ice Single Rank 1: Minor DamageIce Blast 5 Ice Single Rank 2: Medium DamageBlizzard 12 Ice Multiple Rank 3: Major DamageRock Blast 4 Earth Multiple Rank 1: Minor DamageStone Pillar 5 Earth Single Rank 2: Medium DamageQuake 12 Earth Multiple Rank 3: Major DamageKyrie 9 Holy Multiple Instant Death AttackDeath 13 Death Single Instant Death Attack

ASSISTANCE MAGICMAGIC NAME AP ATTRIBUTE TARGET EFFECT

Sleep 3 Abnormal Status Multiple Make a target sleepConfuse 2 Abnormal Status Single Make a target confusedSilence 3 Abnormal Status Multiple Make a target muteBlunt 1 Down Status Single Lower Power by 20%Weaken 1 Down Status Single Lower Defense by 20%Slow 1 Down Status Single Lower Agility by 50%Enfeeble 1 Down Status Single Lower Wisdom by 20%Might 3 Up Status Single Raise Power by 20%Protect 2 Up Status Single Raise Defense by 20%Shield 6 Up Status Multiple Raise Defense by 20%Speed 2 Up Status Single Raise Agility by 50%Inspire 2 Up Status Single Raise Wisdom by 20%Barrier 4 Up Resist Single Reduce Magical Damage

by 50% for 3 Turns

MAGIC SPELLS

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HEALING MAGICMAGIC NAME AP ATTRIBUTE TARGET EFFECTHeal 5 Holy Single HP Minor Healing

Rejuvenate 9 Holy Single HP Medium Healing

Restore 18 Holy Single HP Major Healing

Vitalize 20 Holy Multiple HP Minor Healing

Vigor 50 Holy Multiple HP Medium Healing

Raise Dead 18 Holy Single Cure Unconsciousness (HP is 1/4)

Resurrect 30 Holy Single Cure Unconsciousness (HP is Max)

Purify 3 Holy Single Cure Poison

Remedy 6 Holy Single Cure All Abnormal Status Except Unconscious

Drain 3 Death Single Drain Targets HP 20%

Leech Power 0 Death Single Drain Targets AP 20%

PHYSICAL SKILLRisky Shot 0 Physical Single Critical Hit with 40% probability

Wild Shot 0 Physical Single Damage Multiplied by 0-2 randomly

Shining Blade 10 Physical Single Critical Hit with 100% probability, Scias only

FOUR-ELEMENTAL SKILLBurn 1 Fire Single Rank 1: Minor Fire Attack

Eddy 2 Wind Single Rank 1: Minor Wind Attack

Icicle 4 Water Single Rank 2: Medium Water Attack

Plateau 5 Earth Single Rank 2: Medium Earth Attack

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ADVENTURERS NOTEBOOK

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PERSONAL ACTION

Each character (except Fou-lu and Scias) hasa unique Personal Action. Press Enter in an AreaMap to perform the leading characters PersonalAction. When you are stuck, remember to tryvarious Personal Actions.

MAX HP REDUCTION BY UNCONSCIOUSNESS

If a character is unconscious at the end of abattle, the characters Max HP is reduced byapproximately 10%. The reduced Max Hp isdisplayed in yellow. The reduced HP can berecovered by resting at an Inn, but not in Camp.

HUNTING IN A FAIRY COLONY

You can acquire food for your party and help thecolonys growth by hunting. Select the Huntcommand for a fairy to hunt in various places.

MONSTERS

You will encounter various monsters in youradventure. It is important to know the weaknessof each monster. Try various attacks to find outthe monsters characteristics.

DEVELOPING CHARACTERS EFFICIENTLY

You can develop your characters to your likingby changing skills and Masters. Consider eachcharacters role and balance in the party anddevelop your characters accordingly.

1. Learn a Skill When you encounter a newmonster, try the Guard command. Thecharacter can sometimes learn a new skill.Learn from various monsters to get as manyskills as possible.

2. Become a Pupil By becoming a pupil of aMaster, the character can not only learn theMasters skills, but also increase status growthdepending on the Masters characteristics. Forexample:

WARRIOR UNA is a Master of the WorenTribe (cat people). The character whobecomes her pupil will grow significantly inHP, Offense and Defense. Her Will is FullPower.

ROGUE STOLL is a Master who lives nearSynesta. The character who becomes hispupil will grow significantly in Speed. His Willis Filch.

3. Changing Skills You can change charactersskills by using the Skill command in the Campmenu. Determine the skills by considering theattack order and Combo attack you want toperform. Equipping a skill requires an Aurum.


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Breath of Fire 4