Activating Limit Breaks
Limit breaks can be used by characters when 2 or more of the following conditions are met:
- The character is at 25% HP or less.
- The character has been suffering from a status effect that prevents them from contributing to a fight at all for at least 3 rounds in a row (petrification, stopped away from all enemies, etc.). This debilitating condition ends immediately before the Limit Break is used and still cannot be used if the character is unconscious.
- The combat has the character’s pre-defined ideals at risk if the battle is lost or a major setback to accomplishing the character’s pre-defined life goal will happen if the battle is lost. This condition can only be met against notorious monsters, bosses, or secret bosses.
- The character scores a critical hit on their turn.
- One or more allies are dead.
Building Limit Breaks
The Limit Break Creation System that follows allows players to design the special moves their characters will learn over the course of their career. It uses a point-buy method to determine the exact effects of a given Limit Break.
A rank one Limit Break, learned at character creation, gives 10 points to work with. At 11th level a rank two Limit Break is learned, this time with 20 points. At 21st level a rank three Limit Break is learned, with 30 points to use.
Using a Limit Break requires the use of Destiny; the 10 point one costs 1 Destiny to use, the 20 point one costs 2 Destiny to use, and the 30 point one costs 3 Destiny to use.
A rank one Limit Break, learned at character creation, gives 10 points to work with. At 11th level a rank two Limit Break is learned, this time with 20 points. At 21st level a rank three Limit Break is learned, with 30 points to use.
Using a Limit Break requires the use of Destiny; the 10 point one costs 1 Destiny to use, the 20 point one costs 2 Destiny to use, and the 30 point one costs 3 Destiny to use.
Limit Break Properties
Area Effect (5 points)
The limit break affects either all enemies or all allies.
Ability Gain (5,10, 15, or 20 points)
The Limit grants access to an ability not normally available to the character, lasting until the end of combat. If this is an ability the character could normally learn it costs 5 points. Increase this cost by 10 more points if it would normally be a once per chapter ability and increase the cost by 5 points if the character could not normally learn this ability (such as if a defining ability is chosen or an ability is chosen from a different class). If the chosen ability is ever learned, a different ability may be chosen that meets the same point cost requirement as the original ability did. Ultimate abilities may not be chosen by this property and this property may be taken multiple times, choosing a different ability each time.
Ability Use (2, 5, or 12 points)
The Limit is an improved version of an ability, maneuver, or basic weapon property that usually requires a Slow, Standard, or Instant action to activate and that the character already has access to, allowing the character to use this ability or property as part of their Limit Break without taking up its standard use. If this ability or property would deal damage, Attack: Weapon or Attack: Magic must also be chosen, based on what type of damage the ability would deal. Similarly, all requirements for that ability must be met, such as having the necessary items to use it, having enough HP to use the ability, or having the correct amount of Luck points. The one exception to this is that the ability can still be used even if it was already used in the current combat or chapter (if that’s one of the restrictions for using it). If that ability is always usable this costs 2 points, if it’s usable once per combat this costs 5 points, and if it’s usable once per chapter it costs 12 points. This property may only be taken a single time per Limit Break.
Attack: Weapon (3 points)
The Limit is designed to inflict heavy damage on the target using your equipped weapon. This sort of Limit break may either deal ARM or M.ARM damage, automatically hits, and uses your normal attack to determine how much damage is dealt – with some modifications. First, Attack: Weapon always deals non-elemental damage unless paired with the Elemental property – even if your weapon would normally deal elemental damage of a specific type. Secondly, the damage dealt is increased by a number of steps equal to the rank of the Limit Break. Limit breaks are considered to be Medium-range attacks, no matter the weapon with which they are performed, and Attack: Weapon cannot be combined with Attack: Magic. Taking this multiple times increases the steps of damage caused by the attack equal to the rank of the Limit Break each time.
Attack: Magic (3 points)
Attack: Magic is the spellcaster’s version of Attack: Weapon. Rather than elaborate blade dances or crushing axe blows, you use the power of your magical arts to burn, freeze, disintegrate, or otherwise destroy your foes in spectacular ways. Choose one damage-dealing spell you know, which is cast at this time for no MP against a single target as an Instant action. Just like Attack: Weapon, its damage is increased by the rank of the Limit Break. In addition, damage dealt in this way is Non-elemental despite its normal type, unless you also take the Elemental effect. It is also still reduced by M.ARM as normal, and Attack: Magic cannot be combined with Attack: Weapon. Taking this multiple times increases the steps of damage caused by the spell equal to the rank of the Limit Break each time. You may replace the chosen spell once per chapter.
Attribute Boost (1+ points)
An Attribute Boost augments the subject's normal abilities, making them stronger, tougher, faster, or smarter. When taking this effect, choose an attribute such as DEX or PWR or MND, and increase that stat temporarily by 1. This effect remains until the end of the current combat and may be taken multiple times to further boost the same or different attributes by 1 each time. Even though this bonus might increase a character’s Finesse, characters may not spend skill points based on this inflated and ‘fake’ Finesse score.
Backfire (3 point refund)
The limit break is dangerous to its user as well as to his enemies, for every time the power is used, there is a 25% chance that it backfires affecting the user instead of its intended target. This may not be combined with beneficial Primary Effects such as Revive, Healing or Clear, and may not be used in conjunction with Random Target. If combined with Area Effect, a Backfire causes all allies to be affected. If taken multiple times, the chance of backfiring increases by 25% each time.
Beacon (2 points)
The Limit Break allows an ally to make an attack or cast a spell on the character’s behalf. This must be taken in conjunction with Attack: Weapon or Attack: Magic.
Call (1 point)
Additional allies or creatures are summoned as part of this Limit Break, who increase a single attack or assist with a supportive maneuver before retreating. This can manifest in several ways: When used the character’s next attack roll, damage roll, specific skill check, or opposed roll gains a +2 bonus. The choice as to what roll is improved must be determined when the Limit Break is created. For each time Call is taken after the first for the same roll, the cost increases by 1. (For example, to give the next Swimming check a +6 bonus, Call would need to be taken three times and cost 6 points in total; 1 for the first, 2 for the second, 3 for the third). Call’s benefit must be used before the end of the chapter or the benefit is lost.
Clear (5 points)
Clear removes all negative status effects from the target.
Death Attack (10 or 20 points)
This requires a successful opposed check. Death Attack slams a single opponent with a maneuver that reduces their health by 50% of the maximum value. For the 20-point version, Death Attack reduces the target to 0 hit points instantly. This does not work on Bosses, Superbosses, or Notorious Monsters.
Debilitate (2 or 4 points)
Debilitate infuses the enemy with a random elemental weakness. Roll 1d6; on a 1 the weakness is Fire, 2 is ice, 3 is water, 4 is lightning, 5 is wind, and 6 is earth. If cast a second time, the new weakness will replace the first. This lasts until the combat ends or the weakness is overridden by a new attempt to Debilitate. If the target already possesses an Immunity or Absorbency to the resultant element, roll again. Taking this ability twice will allow for the user of the limit break to choose a weakness instead of rolling one randomly, and also allows the user of the limit break to choose Shadow or Holy as an elemental weakness.
Drain HP (3 or 6 points)
The limit break, which must deal damage of some type to the opponent, returns 50% of the damage dealt back to the user as health, restoring HP. For 6 points, Drain HP allows the user to return 100% instead. HP Drain may not be combined with Healing.
Drain MP (3 or 6 points)
The limit break, which must deal damage of some type to the opponent, returns 50% of the damage dealt back to the user as magical energy, restoring MP. For 6 points, Drain MP will allow the user to return 100% instead. MP Restore may not be combined with Healing.
Eagle Eye (1+ points)
The target’s ACC score is increased by 1 until the end of combat. Each time Eagle Eye is taken after the first increases its cost by 1 when building the same limit break.
Elemental (1 or 3 points)
The attack carries a certain element with it - Fire, Ice, etc, and does damage of that type. If the limit break is used with a weapon that has an elemental property, the element of the limit overrides the element of the weapon. If your elemental choice is Holy or Shadow, then the cost of this effect is increased from 1 to 3. If the target is immune or resistant to the Element of that type, normal damage is dealt instead. As always, if multiple Elements are used in the Limit Break, treat the attack as whichever element would be most effective.
Elemental Mastery (2 or 5 points)
Grants one target an Absorbency to one element for four rounds (All damage dealt by that element is reversed, restoring HP instead of reducing it). The element must be chosen when the ability is learned, and Undead targets still only get an Immunity instead of an Absorbency. For 5 points, the Absorbency lasts until the end of combat. This may be taken multiple times, choosing a different element each time.
Healing (5, 10, or 20 points)
For 5 points, a target of your choice regains 50% of their HP or MP, chosen when this Effect is added to the limit break. For 10 points, the target either recovers 50% of their total HP and MP, or 100% of either, decided when the Limit Break is used. The 20-point version fully recovers a target’s HP and MP to their maximum values.
Movement (1, 2, or 5 points)
The Limit Break causes either the user or its target to move a distance based on the number of points spent – Short Range for 1 point, Medium Range for 2 points, and Long Range for 5 points. This can be used to knockback opponents, but also to get allies out of harm’s way or perform attacks at extreme distances. Allies do not have Slow actions interrupted when friendly characters perform beneficial Limit Breaks involving them, including Movement.
Multi-Attack (5+ points)
The Limit Break now requires an attack roll, and must be combined with the Attack: Weapon effect. For 5 points, the character using the Limit Break now attacks twice, potentially dealing its damage twice. For 10 points, the character attacks 3 times. For 15 points, 4 times; so forth and so on. Each attack may target a different enemy.
If a character chooses to do so, they may have each attack (including the first one) deal half as much damage as normal to make twice as many additional attacks.
Multi-Spell (5+ points)
The Limit Break must be combined with the Attack: Magic effect. The character may cast the spell chosen with Attack: Magic one additional time for every (4 + Spell’s Tier) points spent. If Multi-Spell is taken a character cannot swap to a higher tier spell when changing the chosen Attack: Magic spell once per chapter.
Neutralize (3 or 8 points)
For 3 points, Neutralize removes all Weaknesses and Resistances from the target until combat ends, and reduces all Immunities and Absorbencies to Resistances. For 8 points, Neutralize completely removes all Weaknesses, Vulnerabilities, Resistances, Immunities and Absorbencies from the target until combat ends.
New Form (1+ points)
The character, their equipment, or the limit break’s target adopts a different form when the Limit Break is used, changing its type from the standard ‘Humanoid’ to any category, chosen when the Limit Break is created. They may also retain their Humanoid category if they so wish.
If the user of New Form is the one targeted by this limit break, they gain a passive benefit; For every point spent in New Form, one attribute may temporarily increase by 2 while another decreases by 2. Thus, New Form 10 allows the character to increase one or more attributes by a total of twenty points, and decrease one or more attributes by twenty points as well for the duration of the shapechange.
The character then uses the points spent to purchase specific Biological Monster Abilities for this shape, the effects and costs of which can be found in the table below. New Form lasts until the character chooses to end the effects, is reduced to 0 hit points, or the combat ends.
Piercing (4 points)
The attack, which must deal damage in some fashion, is able to penetrate even the strongest of enemy defenses. The Limit Break ignores ARM and M.ARM.
Power Item (1 point refund)
The Limit Break cannot be performed unless the character has a certain item available in their inventory, whether it be a crystal shard, a set of pointed red sunglasses, the ashes of their fallen comrade, or even just access to their weapon or a particular item.
Random Target (1, 3, or 5 point refund)
The attack is chaotic in nature and cannot be completely controlled. For the 1 point refund, the technique targets a random enemy (or ally, if the limit break is beneficial). For the 5-point refund the target is completely random, and may be either an enemy or a friend. If combined with Area Effect, the limit break targets a random Group and is a 3-point refund.
Revenge (4 points)
A Revenge attack – which must be combined with Attack: Weapon or Attack: Magic – has greater effect as your health declines. A limit break with this effect does additional damage equal to half the difference between your max HP and your current HP- i.e., half the amount of damage you have taken so far. If Revenge is taken twice, it instead does additional damage equal to the entire difference between your maximum HP and your current.
Revive (3 points)
A companion finds the strength to rise and fight on thanks to you. This effect revives a character whose Hit Points have been depleted, returning him to consciousness and restoring 1 HP. Revive cannot be used on an Undead enemy.
Self-Only (1 point refund)
The effect, which must be beneficial in nature, works in such a way so that it can only affect its user - no other ally or enemy may be targeted. May not be used in conjunction with Area Effect, Short Range, or Random Target.
Short Range (1 point refund)
Normally, all Limit Breaks are considered Medium Ranged, meaning they can target flying creatures without penalty. However, with this effect the attack is restricted to melee range. This must be combined with an offensive ability and cannot be combined with Self-Only.
Special Item (2+ points)
A consumable item is immediately created and used in battle at the cost of two points per item Tier property. The effects of this item last until the end of combat if it causes a status effect, buff, or debuff.
Specialized Target (1 or 5 point refund)
One or more types of monster is unaffected by attack. For one point, choose one type of creature from the following list that is Immune to the Limit Break; Aerial, Amorph, Arcana, Aquan, Beast, Construct, Dragon, Fiend, Humanoid, Insect, Plant, or Undead. For a 5 point refund, ALL types of monsters are Immune to the attack except for one chosen category. Specialized Target cannot be taken more than once, and the user cannot choose a specialized target for a species that they belong to. For example, a Blue Mage with the Dragon mutation could not choose a Humanoid or Dragon specialized target.
Stat Boost (3+ points)
For the remainder of combat the target’s attacks and spells are increased by one step. This upgrades both healing and damage. This may not be combined with Backfire and may be taken multiple times to increase the steps by one each time.
Status Effect (Varies)
The limit break attempts to bestow one or more positive or negative status effects on the target (with an opposed Force or Finesse roll if the status is negative). The total cost of a Status Effect may be doubled to have that status last until the end of combat, or doubled to make a target have no opposed roll for a negative status. When taken multiple times this provides a different status effect each time, however all of them need to have their values doubled if one of the doubling conditions was chosen.
Stylish (1+ point)
The Limit Break is combined with a dazzling display of light, color, or raw power to awe allies and enemies alike. After the Limit Break is used, all allies receive a +1 bonus to ACC and AVD until the beginning of your next turn. Alternatively, all enemies suffer a -1 penalty to ACC and AVD for the same duration.
For each time Stylish is taken after the first, the cost increases by 1. (So to give all allies a +3 bonus, Stylish would need to be taken three times and cost 6 points in total; 1 for the first, 2 for the second, 3 for the third) Sinking 28 points into Stylish would grant a total bonus or penalty of 7 ACC and EVA.
Summoning (Varies)
The Limit Break includes the summoning of an Esper, who proceeds to act as normal. The Esper can be either an Individual or Party Esper and costs 5 points per tier of Esper; summoning Bahamut, for example, would cost 25 points total. Additionally the rest of the points used on this Limit Break may be used to enhance the Summoned creature or cause them to act immediately instead of characters already on the battlefield.
When taken, the Destiny cost for this Limit Break changes; it is now whichever Destiny value is higher - the rank of the Summon or the rank of the Limit Break.
Untouchable (1+ points)
The target’s AVD score is increased by 1 until the end of combat. For each time Untouchable is taken after the first, the cost increases by 1.
Upgrade (Varies)
You may gain the benefits of any equipment property at the cost of two points per Tier required. For example, if you wished to gain the HP Drain property – which requires Tier 5 equipment – you would need to purchase Upgrade for 10 points. Break Damage Limit would cost 16, and so on. The effects of Upgrade last until the end of combat and this property may be taken multiple times, picking a different equipment property each time.
Worldshaker (Varies)
Your limit break carries such fury that the ground trembles and the tides change, volcanoes explode and the wind becomes still.
For 3 points, the terrain becomes actively hostile. The air nearby becomes superheated, meteors break through the atmosphere and slam into the earth’s crust nearby, the ground begins liquefying, or some other feature violently modifies the terrain. The terrain deals damage to all enemies and allies at the start of each of their turns that cannot be reduced in any way. This damage is equal to the character’s level.
For 3 points, you can also create a Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Earth, or Lightning Elemental Terrain in the current area, lasting until combat ends. For 6 points, you may create Holy or Shadow elemental terrain instead.
For 9 points, you can make the damage and detrimental effects caused by Worldshaker affect only enemies instead of all Local targets.
The limit break affects either all enemies or all allies.
Ability Gain (5,10, 15, or 20 points)
The Limit grants access to an ability not normally available to the character, lasting until the end of combat. If this is an ability the character could normally learn it costs 5 points. Increase this cost by 10 more points if it would normally be a once per chapter ability and increase the cost by 5 points if the character could not normally learn this ability (such as if a defining ability is chosen or an ability is chosen from a different class). If the chosen ability is ever learned, a different ability may be chosen that meets the same point cost requirement as the original ability did. Ultimate abilities may not be chosen by this property and this property may be taken multiple times, choosing a different ability each time.
Ability Use (2, 5, or 12 points)
The Limit is an improved version of an ability, maneuver, or basic weapon property that usually requires a Slow, Standard, or Instant action to activate and that the character already has access to, allowing the character to use this ability or property as part of their Limit Break without taking up its standard use. If this ability or property would deal damage, Attack: Weapon or Attack: Magic must also be chosen, based on what type of damage the ability would deal. Similarly, all requirements for that ability must be met, such as having the necessary items to use it, having enough HP to use the ability, or having the correct amount of Luck points. The one exception to this is that the ability can still be used even if it was already used in the current combat or chapter (if that’s one of the restrictions for using it). If that ability is always usable this costs 2 points, if it’s usable once per combat this costs 5 points, and if it’s usable once per chapter it costs 12 points. This property may only be taken a single time per Limit Break.
Attack: Weapon (3 points)
The Limit is designed to inflict heavy damage on the target using your equipped weapon. This sort of Limit break may either deal ARM or M.ARM damage, automatically hits, and uses your normal attack to determine how much damage is dealt – with some modifications. First, Attack: Weapon always deals non-elemental damage unless paired with the Elemental property – even if your weapon would normally deal elemental damage of a specific type. Secondly, the damage dealt is increased by a number of steps equal to the rank of the Limit Break. Limit breaks are considered to be Medium-range attacks, no matter the weapon with which they are performed, and Attack: Weapon cannot be combined with Attack: Magic. Taking this multiple times increases the steps of damage caused by the attack equal to the rank of the Limit Break each time.
Attack: Magic (3 points)
Attack: Magic is the spellcaster’s version of Attack: Weapon. Rather than elaborate blade dances or crushing axe blows, you use the power of your magical arts to burn, freeze, disintegrate, or otherwise destroy your foes in spectacular ways. Choose one damage-dealing spell you know, which is cast at this time for no MP against a single target as an Instant action. Just like Attack: Weapon, its damage is increased by the rank of the Limit Break. In addition, damage dealt in this way is Non-elemental despite its normal type, unless you also take the Elemental effect. It is also still reduced by M.ARM as normal, and Attack: Magic cannot be combined with Attack: Weapon. Taking this multiple times increases the steps of damage caused by the spell equal to the rank of the Limit Break each time. You may replace the chosen spell once per chapter.
Attribute Boost (1+ points)
An Attribute Boost augments the subject's normal abilities, making them stronger, tougher, faster, or smarter. When taking this effect, choose an attribute such as DEX or PWR or MND, and increase that stat temporarily by 1. This effect remains until the end of the current combat and may be taken multiple times to further boost the same or different attributes by 1 each time. Even though this bonus might increase a character’s Finesse, characters may not spend skill points based on this inflated and ‘fake’ Finesse score.
Backfire (3 point refund)
The limit break is dangerous to its user as well as to his enemies, for every time the power is used, there is a 25% chance that it backfires affecting the user instead of its intended target. This may not be combined with beneficial Primary Effects such as Revive, Healing or Clear, and may not be used in conjunction with Random Target. If combined with Area Effect, a Backfire causes all allies to be affected. If taken multiple times, the chance of backfiring increases by 25% each time.
Beacon (2 points)
The Limit Break allows an ally to make an attack or cast a spell on the character’s behalf. This must be taken in conjunction with Attack: Weapon or Attack: Magic.
Call (1 point)
Additional allies or creatures are summoned as part of this Limit Break, who increase a single attack or assist with a supportive maneuver before retreating. This can manifest in several ways: When used the character’s next attack roll, damage roll, specific skill check, or opposed roll gains a +2 bonus. The choice as to what roll is improved must be determined when the Limit Break is created. For each time Call is taken after the first for the same roll, the cost increases by 1. (For example, to give the next Swimming check a +6 bonus, Call would need to be taken three times and cost 6 points in total; 1 for the first, 2 for the second, 3 for the third). Call’s benefit must be used before the end of the chapter or the benefit is lost.
Clear (5 points)
Clear removes all negative status effects from the target.
Death Attack (10 or 20 points)
This requires a successful opposed check. Death Attack slams a single opponent with a maneuver that reduces their health by 50% of the maximum value. For the 20-point version, Death Attack reduces the target to 0 hit points instantly. This does not work on Bosses, Superbosses, or Notorious Monsters.
Debilitate (2 or 4 points)
Debilitate infuses the enemy with a random elemental weakness. Roll 1d6; on a 1 the weakness is Fire, 2 is ice, 3 is water, 4 is lightning, 5 is wind, and 6 is earth. If cast a second time, the new weakness will replace the first. This lasts until the combat ends or the weakness is overridden by a new attempt to Debilitate. If the target already possesses an Immunity or Absorbency to the resultant element, roll again. Taking this ability twice will allow for the user of the limit break to choose a weakness instead of rolling one randomly, and also allows the user of the limit break to choose Shadow or Holy as an elemental weakness.
Drain HP (3 or 6 points)
The limit break, which must deal damage of some type to the opponent, returns 50% of the damage dealt back to the user as health, restoring HP. For 6 points, Drain HP allows the user to return 100% instead. HP Drain may not be combined with Healing.
Drain MP (3 or 6 points)
The limit break, which must deal damage of some type to the opponent, returns 50% of the damage dealt back to the user as magical energy, restoring MP. For 6 points, Drain MP will allow the user to return 100% instead. MP Restore may not be combined with Healing.
Eagle Eye (1+ points)
The target’s ACC score is increased by 1 until the end of combat. Each time Eagle Eye is taken after the first increases its cost by 1 when building the same limit break.
Elemental (1 or 3 points)
The attack carries a certain element with it - Fire, Ice, etc, and does damage of that type. If the limit break is used with a weapon that has an elemental property, the element of the limit overrides the element of the weapon. If your elemental choice is Holy or Shadow, then the cost of this effect is increased from 1 to 3. If the target is immune or resistant to the Element of that type, normal damage is dealt instead. As always, if multiple Elements are used in the Limit Break, treat the attack as whichever element would be most effective.
Elemental Mastery (2 or 5 points)
Grants one target an Absorbency to one element for four rounds (All damage dealt by that element is reversed, restoring HP instead of reducing it). The element must be chosen when the ability is learned, and Undead targets still only get an Immunity instead of an Absorbency. For 5 points, the Absorbency lasts until the end of combat. This may be taken multiple times, choosing a different element each time.
Healing (5, 10, or 20 points)
For 5 points, a target of your choice regains 50% of their HP or MP, chosen when this Effect is added to the limit break. For 10 points, the target either recovers 50% of their total HP and MP, or 100% of either, decided when the Limit Break is used. The 20-point version fully recovers a target’s HP and MP to their maximum values.
Movement (1, 2, or 5 points)
The Limit Break causes either the user or its target to move a distance based on the number of points spent – Short Range for 1 point, Medium Range for 2 points, and Long Range for 5 points. This can be used to knockback opponents, but also to get allies out of harm’s way or perform attacks at extreme distances. Allies do not have Slow actions interrupted when friendly characters perform beneficial Limit Breaks involving them, including Movement.
Multi-Attack (5+ points)
The Limit Break now requires an attack roll, and must be combined with the Attack: Weapon effect. For 5 points, the character using the Limit Break now attacks twice, potentially dealing its damage twice. For 10 points, the character attacks 3 times. For 15 points, 4 times; so forth and so on. Each attack may target a different enemy.
If a character chooses to do so, they may have each attack (including the first one) deal half as much damage as normal to make twice as many additional attacks.
Multi-Spell (5+ points)
The Limit Break must be combined with the Attack: Magic effect. The character may cast the spell chosen with Attack: Magic one additional time for every (4 + Spell’s Tier) points spent. If Multi-Spell is taken a character cannot swap to a higher tier spell when changing the chosen Attack: Magic spell once per chapter.
Neutralize (3 or 8 points)
For 3 points, Neutralize removes all Weaknesses and Resistances from the target until combat ends, and reduces all Immunities and Absorbencies to Resistances. For 8 points, Neutralize completely removes all Weaknesses, Vulnerabilities, Resistances, Immunities and Absorbencies from the target until combat ends.
New Form (1+ points)
The character, their equipment, or the limit break’s target adopts a different form when the Limit Break is used, changing its type from the standard ‘Humanoid’ to any category, chosen when the Limit Break is created. They may also retain their Humanoid category if they so wish.
If the user of New Form is the one targeted by this limit break, they gain a passive benefit; For every point spent in New Form, one attribute may temporarily increase by 2 while another decreases by 2. Thus, New Form 10 allows the character to increase one or more attributes by a total of twenty points, and decrease one or more attributes by twenty points as well for the duration of the shapechange.
The character then uses the points spent to purchase specific Biological Monster Abilities for this shape, the effects and costs of which can be found in the table below. New Form lasts until the character chooses to end the effects, is reduced to 0 hit points, or the combat ends.
- 2+ Points: Equipment Property (Costs 2 times the level of the property)
- 4 Points: Regeneration, Specific Habitat, Swift Strikes, Flight
- 5 Points: Large, Vehicle
- 6 Points: Unusual Defense
- 8 Points: Swarm
- 16 Points: Controlled Defense, Impervious, Fearsome
- 22 Points: Multiple Parts
Piercing (4 points)
The attack, which must deal damage in some fashion, is able to penetrate even the strongest of enemy defenses. The Limit Break ignores ARM and M.ARM.
Power Item (1 point refund)
The Limit Break cannot be performed unless the character has a certain item available in their inventory, whether it be a crystal shard, a set of pointed red sunglasses, the ashes of their fallen comrade, or even just access to their weapon or a particular item.
Random Target (1, 3, or 5 point refund)
The attack is chaotic in nature and cannot be completely controlled. For the 1 point refund, the technique targets a random enemy (or ally, if the limit break is beneficial). For the 5-point refund the target is completely random, and may be either an enemy or a friend. If combined with Area Effect, the limit break targets a random Group and is a 3-point refund.
Revenge (4 points)
A Revenge attack – which must be combined with Attack: Weapon or Attack: Magic – has greater effect as your health declines. A limit break with this effect does additional damage equal to half the difference between your max HP and your current HP- i.e., half the amount of damage you have taken so far. If Revenge is taken twice, it instead does additional damage equal to the entire difference between your maximum HP and your current.
Revive (3 points)
A companion finds the strength to rise and fight on thanks to you. This effect revives a character whose Hit Points have been depleted, returning him to consciousness and restoring 1 HP. Revive cannot be used on an Undead enemy.
Self-Only (1 point refund)
The effect, which must be beneficial in nature, works in such a way so that it can only affect its user - no other ally or enemy may be targeted. May not be used in conjunction with Area Effect, Short Range, or Random Target.
Short Range (1 point refund)
Normally, all Limit Breaks are considered Medium Ranged, meaning they can target flying creatures without penalty. However, with this effect the attack is restricted to melee range. This must be combined with an offensive ability and cannot be combined with Self-Only.
Special Item (2+ points)
A consumable item is immediately created and used in battle at the cost of two points per item Tier property. The effects of this item last until the end of combat if it causes a status effect, buff, or debuff.
Specialized Target (1 or 5 point refund)
One or more types of monster is unaffected by attack. For one point, choose one type of creature from the following list that is Immune to the Limit Break; Aerial, Amorph, Arcana, Aquan, Beast, Construct, Dragon, Fiend, Humanoid, Insect, Plant, or Undead. For a 5 point refund, ALL types of monsters are Immune to the attack except for one chosen category. Specialized Target cannot be taken more than once, and the user cannot choose a specialized target for a species that they belong to. For example, a Blue Mage with the Dragon mutation could not choose a Humanoid or Dragon specialized target.
Stat Boost (3+ points)
For the remainder of combat the target’s attacks and spells are increased by one step. This upgrades both healing and damage. This may not be combined with Backfire and may be taken multiple times to increase the steps by one each time.
Status Effect (Varies)
The limit break attempts to bestow one or more positive or negative status effects on the target (with an opposed Force or Finesse roll if the status is negative). The total cost of a Status Effect may be doubled to have that status last until the end of combat, or doubled to make a target have no opposed roll for a negative status. When taken multiple times this provides a different status effect each time, however all of them need to have their values doubled if one of the doubling conditions was chosen.
- 2 Points: Stop, Poison, Blind, Sleep, Charm, Reflect
- 4 Points: Confuse, Berserk, Seal, Curse, Virus, Zombie, Armor Break, Power Break, Magic Break, Speed Break, Protect, Shell, Flight, Invisible, Regen
- 8 Points: Slow, Transform, Petrify, Haste, Auto-Life, Aura
- 16 Points: Death, Stun
Stylish (1+ point)
The Limit Break is combined with a dazzling display of light, color, or raw power to awe allies and enemies alike. After the Limit Break is used, all allies receive a +1 bonus to ACC and AVD until the beginning of your next turn. Alternatively, all enemies suffer a -1 penalty to ACC and AVD for the same duration.
For each time Stylish is taken after the first, the cost increases by 1. (So to give all allies a +3 bonus, Stylish would need to be taken three times and cost 6 points in total; 1 for the first, 2 for the second, 3 for the third) Sinking 28 points into Stylish would grant a total bonus or penalty of 7 ACC and EVA.
Summoning (Varies)
The Limit Break includes the summoning of an Esper, who proceeds to act as normal. The Esper can be either an Individual or Party Esper and costs 5 points per tier of Esper; summoning Bahamut, for example, would cost 25 points total. Additionally the rest of the points used on this Limit Break may be used to enhance the Summoned creature or cause them to act immediately instead of characters already on the battlefield.
When taken, the Destiny cost for this Limit Break changes; it is now whichever Destiny value is higher - the rank of the Summon or the rank of the Limit Break.
Untouchable (1+ points)
The target’s AVD score is increased by 1 until the end of combat. For each time Untouchable is taken after the first, the cost increases by 1.
Upgrade (Varies)
You may gain the benefits of any equipment property at the cost of two points per Tier required. For example, if you wished to gain the HP Drain property – which requires Tier 5 equipment – you would need to purchase Upgrade for 10 points. Break Damage Limit would cost 16, and so on. The effects of Upgrade last until the end of combat and this property may be taken multiple times, picking a different equipment property each time.
Worldshaker (Varies)
Your limit break carries such fury that the ground trembles and the tides change, volcanoes explode and the wind becomes still.
For 3 points, the terrain becomes actively hostile. The air nearby becomes superheated, meteors break through the atmosphere and slam into the earth’s crust nearby, the ground begins liquefying, or some other feature violently modifies the terrain. The terrain deals damage to all enemies and allies at the start of each of their turns that cannot be reduced in any way. This damage is equal to the character’s level.
For 3 points, you can also create a Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Earth, or Lightning Elemental Terrain in the current area, lasting until combat ends. For 6 points, you may create Holy or Shadow elemental terrain instead.
For 9 points, you can make the damage and detrimental effects caused by Worldshaker affect only enemies instead of all Local targets.