Shared abilities are those available to any job. They can be either abilities that are useful in any situation, teachings that are widespread, or simple attribute bonuses. Whenever a character would gain a job ability they may choose to gain a shared ability instead.
Ability: Animal Companion
An animal companion is a tagalong creature that provides various bonuses while being small, agile, or thick-skinned enough to avoid being hurt in combat. They are versatile and skilled, able to follow simple instructions and relay information to their owner nonverbally. The companion is fiercely loyal to its master, and can never be persuaded to act in any way contrary to the direct wishes of the PC. If the owner controlling an Animal Companion is reduced to 0 HP or otherwise incapacitated, it will generally not act until its owner has been revived.
Choose two special tricks from the list below to improve your Animal Companion. The Animal Companion grants the character these features. This ability may be taken multiple times, granting the Animal Companion two more abilities each time.
Commanding your animal companion to perform the attack is a standard action usable once per combat. If this trick is taken additional times you may construct more types of attacks to add to your pet’s arsenal, but it may still only be commanded to attack once per combat.
Ability: Bottomless Pockets
The character can ‘conjure up’ mundane items, no questions asked – provided said items are small enough for the character to be carrying them around. Even if they have no logical reason to be hauling around armor polish, ten feet of rope or invisible ink, the rest of the party can rest assured it’ll be there when they need it the most. These items grant no inherent bonus to skill checks, cannot be sold or equipped as Armor, and are all treated as improbable weapons if used in combat, but just having such items can often turn Godlike or Impossible checks into something more manageable.
In addition, the character can hold an unlimited amount of consumable items within their inventory at any given time.
Ability: Brawling
The character permanently gains access to the Pugilist equipment property, granting them proficiency with Improbable Weapons, allowing them to make two attacks per round when not wielding any equipment in their hands, and causing them to deal a minimum of (PWR x Current Level’s Weapon Tier) + 2d6 points of damage with both unarmed attacks and improbable weapons.
Ability: Call
The character has a pact with the forces of the land and may spend Destiny as a Slow action to summon a random Party Esper into battle based on a die roll and the following chart. Espers summoned in this way have an additional 100 HP for each point of Destiny spent and can only be summoned by characters of appropriate levels.
Ability: Animal Companion
An animal companion is a tagalong creature that provides various bonuses while being small, agile, or thick-skinned enough to avoid being hurt in combat. They are versatile and skilled, able to follow simple instructions and relay information to their owner nonverbally. The companion is fiercely loyal to its master, and can never be persuaded to act in any way contrary to the direct wishes of the PC. If the owner controlling an Animal Companion is reduced to 0 HP or otherwise incapacitated, it will generally not act until its owner has been revived.
Choose two special tricks from the list below to improve your Animal Companion. The Animal Companion grants the character these features. This ability may be taken multiple times, granting the Animal Companion two more abilities each time.
- Bonded: Both you and your companion are of shared mind; you have an understanding that far exceeds intuition. You receive a +2 bonus to Nature skill checks when your companion is acting as a mount for you, and you as a player can choose to take control of your animal companion in non-combat situations.
- Flying: The Animal Companion has wings or the ability to soar under its own power and gains Flight. Depending on the creature’s size and relative strength, they can carry one or more people aloft when acting as a mount.
- Skilled: The Animal Companion has a certain talent that comes in handy for its owner – a monkey trained in Stealth, for instance, makes an ideal pick-pocketing accomplice with a budding Thief. Choose one skill – once per chapter, the player may grant a bonus 1d6 when any player rolls this skill, thanks to the helpful companion lending a hand/paw/claw/fin/etc.
- Talkative: The Animal Companion is capable of understanding the same languages your character does, and can respond with sign language, meaningful sounds, or body language. Often, this allows for animal companions to get information to and from NPCs when their owner isn’t around to help.
- Cheer: The companion is oddly comforting when things seem dire, and can provide encouragement even in the face of overwhelming adversity. The character gains a +4 bonus on the next roll made after suffering a Complication.
- Distract: The companion is good at distracting others, allowing allies to get better strikes in. Once per combat the companion makes an attack that can be used as part of a teamwork attack. If successful, the companion’s attack deals 2d6 damage and ignores both ARM and AVD.
- Search: The Animal Companion is constantly sniffing around for usable items. After defeating a Notorious Monster or a Boss, a character that has an Animal Companion with the Search talent gains one free Item of the GM’s choice, with a value or usage appropriate to the character's current Level. This does not reduce any other item rewards the character obtains.
- Rejuvenating: The creature is able to assist the party by bolstering their spirits with an amusing display, by using a small amount of white magic, or just calling out with encouraging noises. You may command your companion to use this healing power as a Standard action once each combat; it restores (Owner’s Highest Attribute x Half Nature skill) + 2d6 points of HP or MP, chosen when this talent is taken, to the character and one additional target of your choice.
- Aggressive: The companion is able to help its master in combat by spitting poison, breathing small bouts of flame, trampling, pecking, or other such abilities. Smart owners take the time to learn how to fight alongside their companion, aiding one another to help defeat even the most dangerous of monsters.
Commanding your animal companion to perform the attack is a standard action usable once per combat. If this trick is taken additional times you may construct more types of attacks to add to your pet’s arsenal, but it may still only be commanded to attack once per combat.
Ability: Bottomless Pockets
The character can ‘conjure up’ mundane items, no questions asked – provided said items are small enough for the character to be carrying them around. Even if they have no logical reason to be hauling around armor polish, ten feet of rope or invisible ink, the rest of the party can rest assured it’ll be there when they need it the most. These items grant no inherent bonus to skill checks, cannot be sold or equipped as Armor, and are all treated as improbable weapons if used in combat, but just having such items can often turn Godlike or Impossible checks into something more manageable.
In addition, the character can hold an unlimited amount of consumable items within their inventory at any given time.
Ability: Brawling
The character permanently gains access to the Pugilist equipment property, granting them proficiency with Improbable Weapons, allowing them to make two attacks per round when not wielding any equipment in their hands, and causing them to deal a minimum of (PWR x Current Level’s Weapon Tier) + 2d6 points of damage with both unarmed attacks and improbable weapons.
Ability: Call
The character has a pact with the forces of the land and may spend Destiny as a Slow action to summon a random Party Esper into battle based on a die roll and the following chart. Espers summoned in this way have an additional 100 HP for each point of Destiny spent and can only be summoned by characters of appropriate levels.
Destiny Amount |
Minimum Level to Call |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
Adrammelech |
Belias |
Crusader |
King Mog CCXIV |
Mateus |
Valefor |
2 |
7 |
Bismarck |
Garuda |
Ifrit |
Ramuh |
Shiva |
Titan |
3 |
14 |
Cerberus |
Diabolos |
Kujata |
Leviathan |
Seraph |
Tritoch |
4 |
21 |
Anima |
Doomtrain |
Maduin |
Phoenix |
Shinryu |
Zeromus |
5 |
28 |
Alexander |
Bahamut |
Eulogia |
Knights of the Round |
Odin |
Zirconiade |
Ability: Cheat Death
Your character always seems to survive no matter the situation. Instead of dying your character escapes certain death somehow - maybe the planet calls to your spirit as you fade away, maybe an explosion leaves you trapped unconscious under rubble, or maybe you’re captured while the rest of the party is left for dead. Whatever the situation, your character comes back after some period of time with a story to tell - far after the current combat is over and when the rest of the party has long believed you dead. This ability can be used in conjunction with Blaze of Glory but the cost of Blaze of Glory is doubled when you use it.
Ability: Cinematic Scene
Once per Chapter you may take a Standard or Slow action as an Instant action. You may take this ability multiple times, gaining an additional use of this ability each time.
Ability: Combat Rider
Slow and Standard attacks can now be made by the character when they are commanding a Mount or Vehicle. If the character uses a Slow or Standard action, the mount or vehicle cannot use theirs for the round. More information about Vehicles and Mounts can be found in the Equipment section.
Ability: Combo Strike
Every third weapon attack made by the character deals one additional step of damage per character tier. This resets at the end of every combat.
Ability: Defy Gravity
This multipurpose shared ability allows for almost complete freedom of movement, ignoring gravity and physics for sheer mobility. The character no longer takes damage from jumping or falling, no matter the distance (without this ability, falling from a Medium Range causes the character to take 50% of their maximum HP in damage, and a Long Range is immediate unconsciousness). They also gain a +2 bonus to Athletics skill checks, helping them (eventually!) run directly up sheer, vertical cliffs, or leap from falling object to falling object even if they’re hundreds of feet apart.
Ability: Destined for Greatness
The character’s Maximum Destiny limit increases by 2 and they immediately gain a point of Destiny. This ability may be taken multiple times, increasing the limit by 2 each time. If this ability is ever lost the character loses a point of Destiny (or the next point of Destiny they would earn if they are currently without any).
Ability: Destructive Strike
When making a Force check specifically to destroy an object or equipment (and not as part of a resistance roll to avoid a status effect or similar), the character always receives a +4 bonus to their roll.
Ability: Disciple of the Hand
When crafting consumables using Synthesis checks you make 2d6 consumables of that kind (instead of the usual 1d6).
Ability: Divide Attention
When Dual Wielding the character can choose to separate their attack into two attacks when they take the attack action (one with each weapon).
Ability: Dominant’s Cloak
Choose a single Party Esper you have made a pact with. You gain their special features, spells, and abilities, however the spells cost MP, the abilities deal half damage and have a -2 to inflict negative status effects, and their Astral Flow ability can only be used as a Limit Break by spending Destiny equal to their tier. As a Slow action you may choose to swap the Party Esper with a different one you have made a pact with.
Ability: Echo
The character understands all languages and is immune to mind-influencing abilities. By spending 2 points of destiny as a Slow action the character can use their connection to others to gather information about a single creature they would not otherwise have been privy to, such as a past event, predicting their next action, or knowledge of their current location. How this manifests is up to the GM’s discretion and stays consistent throughout the campaign, often inflicting Stun on the character until the vision is over.
Ability: Elemancy
You may choose for your spells that deal elemental damage to deal damage of a different type that isn't Holy or Shadow. The damage type you can change your spells into is chosen when you gain this ability and this ability may be taken multiple times, choosing a different element each time.
Ability: Equipment Training
The character gains access to either two additional weapon categories, one additional armor category, the ability to dual wield, or the ability to wield either shields or relics. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Evasion
Once per combat as an Instant action, even when it isn’t their turn, the character may do a combat stunt that would aid them or an ally in avoiding damage from an attack. Doing so grants a +2 bonus to one target’s AVD for one attack.
Ability: Extra Attributes
The character gains a permanent +1 bonus to two attributes of their choice, or a +2 bonus to a single one. This ability may be taken multiple times but it may never place an attribute above its maximum value.
Ability: Fashionable
A character with this ability is capable of equipping a total of two accessory-type items at any time, gaining the benefits of both. This ability may be taken up to three times, granting access to an additional accessory ‘slot’ each time; thus, a character who has taken Fashionable the maximum of three times may equip up to four accessories simultaneously.
Ability: Favored Spell
Upon taking this ability, designate any one spell the character can cast as a Favored Spell.
Once per chapter the character may reduce the casting time of that spell from a Slow action to Standard action, or from a Standard to an Instant action. By spending one point of Destiny they may also cast a Favored Spell when a status condition (excluding Charm) would prevent it, such as being under the effects of Petrify or Seal.
A character may take this ability multiple times, gaining one additional use of their Favored Spell in this way each time. And finally, they may choose to change their Favored Spell whenever they defeat a Boss-type enemy.
Ability: Favored Terrain
Some individuals have honed their skills and combat capabilities in one particular environment, whether from simple familiarity or some other reason entirely. Upon taking Favored Terrain, choose one of the following eleven locales; Plains, Town, Forest, Mountains, Desert, Swamp, Water, Underground, Snow, Lava, or Cosmic. The character receives a +2 bonus to all skill checks, opposed rolls, and attack rolls while in this environment.
Ability: Full Power
Once per chapter the character can ignore all prerequisites required to use their Limit Breaks. They must still use Destiny to use them however.
Ability: Fundaments
The character has access to all three of the bonuses and moves below.
Ability: Golden Apple
The character gains 5 extra HP per level. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Grand Summoner
The character possesses a supernatural pact with a Summoned creature - it might have taken the party under its wing for reasons unknown, or manifest due to being spiritually tied to an ages-old heirloom in the character’s possession, or anything else the player can dream up! The Esper chosen by Grand Summoner may be a Party Esper or an Individual Esper, a decision made by the character when taking this ability. A character must be level 8+ to pick a Rank 2 Esper to accompany them, level 16+ to choose a Rank 3 creature, and level 24+ to obtain a Rank 4 Esper. Grand Summoner then allows the character to make further pacts with Summoned creatures with a +2 bonus on skill checks to persuade them, needing to somehow gain the trust and respect of these creatures (such as through promises, trials by combat, common goals, or tribute).
This ability may be taken multiple times, gaining an additional Esper as an ally each time.
Ability: Halfsies
Once per combat the character may use a healing item as though it had the Party Effect property. When they do so the healing that the item does to each target is halved.
Ability: Heirloom
The character gains any weapon, armor, shield, relic, or accessory of the recommended tier of equipment for that level. This equipment increases in power as the character does, based on the recommended level of equipment for that level.
Heirlooms can only be earned or upgraded into Tier 8 equipment through special quests created by GMs.
Ability: Huge Arms Expert
You are able to wield Huge weapons in such a way that they no longer turn all of your Standard actions into Slow actions.
Ability: Hide
Once per chapter the character may find a sheltered location where they can take cover and retreat from the chaos of combat. This is an Instant action that causes the character to be automatically removed from battle as if they made a successful Run Away check. The character does not receive any rewards from battle if it ends while they were in hiding. However, status conditions continue to affect them while they are hidden (such as Poison or Regen), and they can reappear and rejoin the battle as a Standard action at the start of any of their turns.
Ability: Job Peruser
Whenever the character defeats a Boss-type enemy, they may perform a Job Change without any associated Destiny cost.
Ability: Magic Bearer
Upon taking this ability you immediately learn one Novice black or white magic spell, one Intermediate black or white magic spell at level 11 or higher, and one Expert black or white magic spell at level 21 or higher. When casting spells you may choose to use HP instead of MP, costing five times the amount of HP to cast a spell in this way. If this HP loss reduces you to 0, you are immediately Petrified.
Ability: Onion Knight
Upon taking the Onion Knight ability the character can never change jobs again. They then Job Change into Onion Knight. Job changing into Onion Knight is special in a few ways: After taking this ability the only other abilities the Onion Knight may gain are Shared Abilities.
Ability: Oration
Once per combat as a Slow action, the character may attempt to convince a creature of its current state through skilled rhetoric. Target one enemy that can hear and understand you, then make a Negotiation check opposed by their Finesse check. If successful, the target is inflicted with any status effect of your choosing (except instant death). The status effect this inflicts is determined when you first take this ability and this does not work on creatures immune to that status effect. You may take this ability multiple times, gaining an additional use of Oration (and potentially a different status effect) each time.
Ability: Reprimand
Once per combat as a Slow action, the character may give a good scolding to the nasty monsters intent on ripping their allies to shreds. Target one enemy that can hear you, then make a Negotiation check opposed by their Finesse check. If successful, the target is Scolded.
Whenever the GM wishes to take an action with a Scolded enemy, they must inform the character of what the monster intends to do – this might be through body language (“The dragon lunges forward, jaws agape, but seems to pause just before closing down on you as if searching for approval to use his Vicious Bite attack.”) or through more direct description. (“The ghast hesitates mid-incantation, before hissing out an embarrassed ‘Er…would a Firaga spell be alright?’”) Then, the character may choose to either approve of the action or deny it. If the character informs the GM that action is not okay, the monster may still go through with it…but suffers from the effects of Power Break and Magic Break until the beginning of its next turn as the uncertainty becomes overwhelming. Alternatively, the monster may instead choose any other spell or attack it possesses and use that with no penalty.
The effects of Reprimand last until the end of combat or until the character deals damage to the Scolded target, and Notorious Monsters and Bosses may expend one point of Destiny to end the effects of Reprimand and render themselves immune to further uses of this ability.
GMs may choose to grant additional bonuses to the Negotiation roll if it is role-played especially well.
Ability: Routine Skill
Upon taking this ability, the character chooses a single skill. That skill can be used once per round as an Instant action.
In addition, the character chooses a particular task or condition that’s fairly easy to meet that relates to that skill (such as when disguised for Acting, or after a morning of deep meditation for Lore). When those conditions are met the character gains a +2 bonus to the next roll they make using that skill.
This ability may be taken multiple times, choosing a different skill each time.
Ability: Soma Drop
The character gains 3 extra MP per level. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Skillful Hero
Upon taking this ability, the character receives an additional 5 skill points to distribute anywhere they see fit. Skill points do not have to be spent immediately. Furthermore, the maximum number of points you can have in any skill is now limited by your (Finesse + 2) instead of your (Finesse + 1).
This ability may be taken multiple times, granting 5 additional skill points and increasing the cap by one each time.
Ability: Special Mount or Vehicle
The character is the proud owner of an airship, land vehicle, drilling machine, rare chocobo, cybernetic armor system or the like, which allows for speed and/or maneuverability across different types of terrain. The special mount or vehicle automatically is considered a Standard monster of the player’s level and gains the Party Mount ability, plus two extra abilities specifically from the mount and vehicle ability list. This vehicle or mount also levels as the character does, gaining additional statistics and abilities as the party advances.
When a Special Vehicle is reduced to 0 hit points it is unable to function (and often crashes), and can only be repaired after a sufficient amount of time has passed with a Synthesis (Tinkering) or Systems skill at an appropriate difficulty. The GM may even rule this repair requires special parts.
When a Special Mount is reduced to 0 hit points it is badly injured and cannot assist the player, needing lots of time and rest to both recuperate and trust the player again. This usually requires multiple Nature and Healing checks over a decently long period of time.
Ability: Spontaneous Spellcast
As an Instant action once per combat the next time you would begin casting a white or black magic spell, you can instead begin casting any spell from the same tier or lower and of the same magic type. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Status Resistant
Choose two of the following status effects - Berserk, Blind, Charm, Confuse, Curse, Fear, Petrify, Poison, Seal, Sleep, Slow, Stop, Stun, Transform or Zombie - the character is permanently Immune to their effects. This resistance will often extend past the obvious combat benefits and into other facets of the character’s life; for example, a character who is Immune to Poison can chomp down some toxic substances without ill effects, and is forever unable to become intoxicated. A fearless character is quick to develop a local reputation. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Take Heart
In times of crisis it falls on the character to inspire their companions. They may spend a Slow action once per chapter by spending a point of destiny to have all allies immediately heal as though they took a travel rest.
Ability: Twin Soul
Upon taking Twin Soul, choose another character in the game, either an NPC controlled by the GM or another PC. If an NPC is chosen, that character automatically receives the Twin Soul ability as well – if another character is chosen, the other PC must take this ability as well for it to be of any use. This individual will henceforth be referred to as a Partner. A character may only ever take the Twin Soul ability once, and it grants all of the following bonuses:
Twin Spell: When the character’s Partner casts a spell, if the character is capable of doing so, they may choose to pay the MP cost of the spell as an Instant action as well. If they do, the Partner’s spell has its damage and healing increased by two steps, and the difficulty to resist any status effects it may cause are increased by +2. This MP expenditure cannot be reduced by any means.
Best of Friends: Even while under the effects of Charm or other status effects, the character may choose not to attack their Partner at any time. If they make an attack that deals damage to a random target and their Partner is the unlucky one, they may choose to re-roll.
Greatest of Enemies: The character deals an additional two steps of damage to their Partner at all times. For example, if an attack was to do (PWR x 6) points of damage, it would do (PWR x 8) instead.
United We Stand: The character and their Partner have long since mastered the fine art of fighting back-to-back, covering the other. When making a Teamwork Attack with one another, either the character or their partner (but not both) may re-roll one dice.
Together We Fall: As the ultimate proof of the linked destinies of the two characters, it has been predetermined that their fates are linked. When death comes for the character, permanently sending their soul to the Farplane, the other is fated to die within the day as well. This is not a game mechanic that can be avoided through the normal means – rather, when one of the two characters suffers their final fate, the GM is forced to concoct a situation that will lead to the demise of the other, no matter how unlikely it may seem.
Ability: Unusual Size
A character may simply be much larger or smaller than the average citizen.
A tiny character is usually less than three feet in height, standing eye-to-eye with a Moogle or possibly even having to look up to one. They gain a permanent +1 bonus to their AVD score, a +2 bonus to Stealth, and a +1 bonus to all Finesse rolls where their size could possibly be advantageous.
A huge character usually hovers around the 12-foot mark, and has difficulty using standard mounts, vehicles, and even fitting through most doorways. They gain a permanent +2 bonus to their PWR and RES attributes (which can go beyond the normal cap), but will forever suffer from a -1 penalty to their AVD score. They also gain a +1 bonus to all Force rolls where their size could possibly be advantageous.
Ability: Victory Pose
Whenever the character would gain Destiny for defeating a boss or major enemy, they gain an additional point.
Ability: W-Item
Whenever the character would take a Standard action to use a single consumable item, they may choose to use two of their consumable items instead.
Your character always seems to survive no matter the situation. Instead of dying your character escapes certain death somehow - maybe the planet calls to your spirit as you fade away, maybe an explosion leaves you trapped unconscious under rubble, or maybe you’re captured while the rest of the party is left for dead. Whatever the situation, your character comes back after some period of time with a story to tell - far after the current combat is over and when the rest of the party has long believed you dead. This ability can be used in conjunction with Blaze of Glory but the cost of Blaze of Glory is doubled when you use it.
Ability: Cinematic Scene
Once per Chapter you may take a Standard or Slow action as an Instant action. You may take this ability multiple times, gaining an additional use of this ability each time.
Ability: Combat Rider
Slow and Standard attacks can now be made by the character when they are commanding a Mount or Vehicle. If the character uses a Slow or Standard action, the mount or vehicle cannot use theirs for the round. More information about Vehicles and Mounts can be found in the Equipment section.
Ability: Combo Strike
Every third weapon attack made by the character deals one additional step of damage per character tier. This resets at the end of every combat.
Ability: Defy Gravity
This multipurpose shared ability allows for almost complete freedom of movement, ignoring gravity and physics for sheer mobility. The character no longer takes damage from jumping or falling, no matter the distance (without this ability, falling from a Medium Range causes the character to take 50% of their maximum HP in damage, and a Long Range is immediate unconsciousness). They also gain a +2 bonus to Athletics skill checks, helping them (eventually!) run directly up sheer, vertical cliffs, or leap from falling object to falling object even if they’re hundreds of feet apart.
Ability: Destined for Greatness
The character’s Maximum Destiny limit increases by 2 and they immediately gain a point of Destiny. This ability may be taken multiple times, increasing the limit by 2 each time. If this ability is ever lost the character loses a point of Destiny (or the next point of Destiny they would earn if they are currently without any).
Ability: Destructive Strike
When making a Force check specifically to destroy an object or equipment (and not as part of a resistance roll to avoid a status effect or similar), the character always receives a +4 bonus to their roll.
Ability: Disciple of the Hand
When crafting consumables using Synthesis checks you make 2d6 consumables of that kind (instead of the usual 1d6).
Ability: Divide Attention
When Dual Wielding the character can choose to separate their attack into two attacks when they take the attack action (one with each weapon).
Ability: Dominant’s Cloak
Choose a single Party Esper you have made a pact with. You gain their special features, spells, and abilities, however the spells cost MP, the abilities deal half damage and have a -2 to inflict negative status effects, and their Astral Flow ability can only be used as a Limit Break by spending Destiny equal to their tier. As a Slow action you may choose to swap the Party Esper with a different one you have made a pact with.
Ability: Echo
The character understands all languages and is immune to mind-influencing abilities. By spending 2 points of destiny as a Slow action the character can use their connection to others to gather information about a single creature they would not otherwise have been privy to, such as a past event, predicting their next action, or knowledge of their current location. How this manifests is up to the GM’s discretion and stays consistent throughout the campaign, often inflicting Stun on the character until the vision is over.
Ability: Elemancy
You may choose for your spells that deal elemental damage to deal damage of a different type that isn't Holy or Shadow. The damage type you can change your spells into is chosen when you gain this ability and this ability may be taken multiple times, choosing a different element each time.
Ability: Equipment Training
The character gains access to either two additional weapon categories, one additional armor category, the ability to dual wield, or the ability to wield either shields or relics. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Evasion
Once per combat as an Instant action, even when it isn’t their turn, the character may do a combat stunt that would aid them or an ally in avoiding damage from an attack. Doing so grants a +2 bonus to one target’s AVD for one attack.
Ability: Extra Attributes
The character gains a permanent +1 bonus to two attributes of their choice, or a +2 bonus to a single one. This ability may be taken multiple times but it may never place an attribute above its maximum value.
Ability: Fashionable
A character with this ability is capable of equipping a total of two accessory-type items at any time, gaining the benefits of both. This ability may be taken up to three times, granting access to an additional accessory ‘slot’ each time; thus, a character who has taken Fashionable the maximum of three times may equip up to four accessories simultaneously.
Ability: Favored Spell
Upon taking this ability, designate any one spell the character can cast as a Favored Spell.
Once per chapter the character may reduce the casting time of that spell from a Slow action to Standard action, or from a Standard to an Instant action. By spending one point of Destiny they may also cast a Favored Spell when a status condition (excluding Charm) would prevent it, such as being under the effects of Petrify or Seal.
A character may take this ability multiple times, gaining one additional use of their Favored Spell in this way each time. And finally, they may choose to change their Favored Spell whenever they defeat a Boss-type enemy.
Ability: Favored Terrain
Some individuals have honed their skills and combat capabilities in one particular environment, whether from simple familiarity or some other reason entirely. Upon taking Favored Terrain, choose one of the following eleven locales; Plains, Town, Forest, Mountains, Desert, Swamp, Water, Underground, Snow, Lava, or Cosmic. The character receives a +2 bonus to all skill checks, opposed rolls, and attack rolls while in this environment.
Ability: Full Power
Once per chapter the character can ignore all prerequisites required to use their Limit Breaks. They must still use Destiny to use them however.
Ability: Fundaments
The character has access to all three of the bonuses and moves below.
- Throw Stone: The character hurls a small rock at one enemy once per chapter, hoping to get their attention for a moment. But even the most well-intentioned acts tend to have consequences. As a Standard action once per combat, the character may automatically bean an enemy with a rock for 1d6 points of damage, ignoring ARM and other types of damage reduction. The enemy is automatically Stunned for one round if they’re susceptible to the status effect. For the next 4 rounds the monster will attempt to attack the character that threw the rock or include them as a target whenever possible.
- Flee: The character firmly believes that escape is always an option; and when they turn tail and run, they can help lead their friends to safety. The character and their allies receive a +2 bonus to their Escape skill checks when attempting to Run Away in combat. The effects of Flee stack if multiple allies have the Fundaments ability.
- We the People: The character didn’t come from a glamorous lifestyle, but that’s okay; they made friends in low places. The common people are their allies, and they gain a +2 bonus to their Inquiry skill checks when dealing with regular-class citizens. In addition, Inn stays are generally free for the character and their friends except in extenuating circumstances.
Ability: Golden Apple
The character gains 5 extra HP per level. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Grand Summoner
The character possesses a supernatural pact with a Summoned creature - it might have taken the party under its wing for reasons unknown, or manifest due to being spiritually tied to an ages-old heirloom in the character’s possession, or anything else the player can dream up! The Esper chosen by Grand Summoner may be a Party Esper or an Individual Esper, a decision made by the character when taking this ability. A character must be level 8+ to pick a Rank 2 Esper to accompany them, level 16+ to choose a Rank 3 creature, and level 24+ to obtain a Rank 4 Esper. Grand Summoner then allows the character to make further pacts with Summoned creatures with a +2 bonus on skill checks to persuade them, needing to somehow gain the trust and respect of these creatures (such as through promises, trials by combat, common goals, or tribute).
This ability may be taken multiple times, gaining an additional Esper as an ally each time.
Ability: Halfsies
Once per combat the character may use a healing item as though it had the Party Effect property. When they do so the healing that the item does to each target is halved.
Ability: Heirloom
The character gains any weapon, armor, shield, relic, or accessory of the recommended tier of equipment for that level. This equipment increases in power as the character does, based on the recommended level of equipment for that level.
Heirlooms can only be earned or upgraded into Tier 8 equipment through special quests created by GMs.
- Levels 1-4: Tier 1
- Levels 5-8: Tier 2
- Levels 9-12: Tier 3
- Levels 13-16: Tier 4
- Levels 17-20: Tier 5
- Levels 21-24: Tier 6
- Levels 25-28: Tier 7
- Levels 29-30: Tier 8
Ability: Huge Arms Expert
You are able to wield Huge weapons in such a way that they no longer turn all of your Standard actions into Slow actions.
Ability: Hide
Once per chapter the character may find a sheltered location where they can take cover and retreat from the chaos of combat. This is an Instant action that causes the character to be automatically removed from battle as if they made a successful Run Away check. The character does not receive any rewards from battle if it ends while they were in hiding. However, status conditions continue to affect them while they are hidden (such as Poison or Regen), and they can reappear and rejoin the battle as a Standard action at the start of any of their turns.
Ability: Job Peruser
Whenever the character defeats a Boss-type enemy, they may perform a Job Change without any associated Destiny cost.
Ability: Magic Bearer
Upon taking this ability you immediately learn one Novice black or white magic spell, one Intermediate black or white magic spell at level 11 or higher, and one Expert black or white magic spell at level 21 or higher. When casting spells you may choose to use HP instead of MP, costing five times the amount of HP to cast a spell in this way. If this HP loss reduces you to 0, you are immediately Petrified.
Ability: Onion Knight
Upon taking the Onion Knight ability the character can never change jobs again. They then Job Change into Onion Knight. Job changing into Onion Knight is special in a few ways: After taking this ability the only other abilities the Onion Knight may gain are Shared Abilities.
- The Onion Knight’s innate ability is this ability.
- The character picks up to 3 job abilities they currently have. These are now their defining abilities, all of which they get to keep and use even if they are at a lower level than where they would traditionally gain these.
- The rest of their job abilities become the ability Onion Points. Onion Points grants 5 attribute points if the Onion Knight ability was gained at level 21 or higher, 3 attribute points if the Onion Knight ability was gained at level 11-20, and 2 attribute points if the Onion Knight ability was gained at level 1-10. These attribute points are allowed to push the Onion Knight beyond the stat point limit, however they must be split amongst the 4 attributes as evenly as possible.
- The Onion Knight’s ultimate ability is changed into 3 instances of Onion Points. This is only gained at level 30.
Ability: Oration
Once per combat as a Slow action, the character may attempt to convince a creature of its current state through skilled rhetoric. Target one enemy that can hear and understand you, then make a Negotiation check opposed by their Finesse check. If successful, the target is inflicted with any status effect of your choosing (except instant death). The status effect this inflicts is determined when you first take this ability and this does not work on creatures immune to that status effect. You may take this ability multiple times, gaining an additional use of Oration (and potentially a different status effect) each time.
Ability: Reprimand
Once per combat as a Slow action, the character may give a good scolding to the nasty monsters intent on ripping their allies to shreds. Target one enemy that can hear you, then make a Negotiation check opposed by their Finesse check. If successful, the target is Scolded.
Whenever the GM wishes to take an action with a Scolded enemy, they must inform the character of what the monster intends to do – this might be through body language (“The dragon lunges forward, jaws agape, but seems to pause just before closing down on you as if searching for approval to use his Vicious Bite attack.”) or through more direct description. (“The ghast hesitates mid-incantation, before hissing out an embarrassed ‘Er…would a Firaga spell be alright?’”) Then, the character may choose to either approve of the action or deny it. If the character informs the GM that action is not okay, the monster may still go through with it…but suffers from the effects of Power Break and Magic Break until the beginning of its next turn as the uncertainty becomes overwhelming. Alternatively, the monster may instead choose any other spell or attack it possesses and use that with no penalty.
The effects of Reprimand last until the end of combat or until the character deals damage to the Scolded target, and Notorious Monsters and Bosses may expend one point of Destiny to end the effects of Reprimand and render themselves immune to further uses of this ability.
GMs may choose to grant additional bonuses to the Negotiation roll if it is role-played especially well.
Ability: Routine Skill
Upon taking this ability, the character chooses a single skill. That skill can be used once per round as an Instant action.
In addition, the character chooses a particular task or condition that’s fairly easy to meet that relates to that skill (such as when disguised for Acting, or after a morning of deep meditation for Lore). When those conditions are met the character gains a +2 bonus to the next roll they make using that skill.
This ability may be taken multiple times, choosing a different skill each time.
Ability: Soma Drop
The character gains 3 extra MP per level. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Skillful Hero
Upon taking this ability, the character receives an additional 5 skill points to distribute anywhere they see fit. Skill points do not have to be spent immediately. Furthermore, the maximum number of points you can have in any skill is now limited by your (Finesse + 2) instead of your (Finesse + 1).
This ability may be taken multiple times, granting 5 additional skill points and increasing the cap by one each time.
Ability: Special Mount or Vehicle
The character is the proud owner of an airship, land vehicle, drilling machine, rare chocobo, cybernetic armor system or the like, which allows for speed and/or maneuverability across different types of terrain. The special mount or vehicle automatically is considered a Standard monster of the player’s level and gains the Party Mount ability, plus two extra abilities specifically from the mount and vehicle ability list. This vehicle or mount also levels as the character does, gaining additional statistics and abilities as the party advances.
When a Special Vehicle is reduced to 0 hit points it is unable to function (and often crashes), and can only be repaired after a sufficient amount of time has passed with a Synthesis (Tinkering) or Systems skill at an appropriate difficulty. The GM may even rule this repair requires special parts.
When a Special Mount is reduced to 0 hit points it is badly injured and cannot assist the player, needing lots of time and rest to both recuperate and trust the player again. This usually requires multiple Nature and Healing checks over a decently long period of time.
Ability: Spontaneous Spellcast
As an Instant action once per combat the next time you would begin casting a white or black magic spell, you can instead begin casting any spell from the same tier or lower and of the same magic type. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Status Resistant
Choose two of the following status effects - Berserk, Blind, Charm, Confuse, Curse, Fear, Petrify, Poison, Seal, Sleep, Slow, Stop, Stun, Transform or Zombie - the character is permanently Immune to their effects. This resistance will often extend past the obvious combat benefits and into other facets of the character’s life; for example, a character who is Immune to Poison can chomp down some toxic substances without ill effects, and is forever unable to become intoxicated. A fearless character is quick to develop a local reputation. This ability may be taken multiple times.
Ability: Take Heart
In times of crisis it falls on the character to inspire their companions. They may spend a Slow action once per chapter by spending a point of destiny to have all allies immediately heal as though they took a travel rest.
Ability: Twin Soul
Upon taking Twin Soul, choose another character in the game, either an NPC controlled by the GM or another PC. If an NPC is chosen, that character automatically receives the Twin Soul ability as well – if another character is chosen, the other PC must take this ability as well for it to be of any use. This individual will henceforth be referred to as a Partner. A character may only ever take the Twin Soul ability once, and it grants all of the following bonuses:
Twin Spell: When the character’s Partner casts a spell, if the character is capable of doing so, they may choose to pay the MP cost of the spell as an Instant action as well. If they do, the Partner’s spell has its damage and healing increased by two steps, and the difficulty to resist any status effects it may cause are increased by +2. This MP expenditure cannot be reduced by any means.
Best of Friends: Even while under the effects of Charm or other status effects, the character may choose not to attack their Partner at any time. If they make an attack that deals damage to a random target and their Partner is the unlucky one, they may choose to re-roll.
Greatest of Enemies: The character deals an additional two steps of damage to their Partner at all times. For example, if an attack was to do (PWR x 6) points of damage, it would do (PWR x 8) instead.
United We Stand: The character and their Partner have long since mastered the fine art of fighting back-to-back, covering the other. When making a Teamwork Attack with one another, either the character or their partner (but not both) may re-roll one dice.
Together We Fall: As the ultimate proof of the linked destinies of the two characters, it has been predetermined that their fates are linked. When death comes for the character, permanently sending their soul to the Farplane, the other is fated to die within the day as well. This is not a game mechanic that can be avoided through the normal means – rather, when one of the two characters suffers their final fate, the GM is forced to concoct a situation that will lead to the demise of the other, no matter how unlikely it may seem.
Ability: Unusual Size
A character may simply be much larger or smaller than the average citizen.
A tiny character is usually less than three feet in height, standing eye-to-eye with a Moogle or possibly even having to look up to one. They gain a permanent +1 bonus to their AVD score, a +2 bonus to Stealth, and a +1 bonus to all Finesse rolls where their size could possibly be advantageous.
A huge character usually hovers around the 12-foot mark, and has difficulty using standard mounts, vehicles, and even fitting through most doorways. They gain a permanent +2 bonus to their PWR and RES attributes (which can go beyond the normal cap), but will forever suffer from a -1 penalty to their AVD score. They also gain a +1 bonus to all Force rolls where their size could possibly be advantageous.
Ability: Victory Pose
Whenever the character would gain Destiny for defeating a boss or major enemy, they gain an additional point.
Ability: W-Item
Whenever the character would take a Standard action to use a single consumable item, they may choose to use two of their consumable items instead.