Skills

Skills are learned abilities a character can acquire and improve through the accumulation of Skill Points (SP). Skill points are given as characters rise in level or through other occasions. Each skill is rated on a level scale of 0-10, with 0 representing no ability and 10 representing mastery. However, none of the skills start off as visible except the ones your characters begin with until you start buying skill sets at Skill Guilds. One combat skill is not available at a guild and must be found. Skills are used to build up Specialty levels. Certain skills also increase particular character statistics, and, in the case of combat skills, may add new abilities for the battlefield.

Skill Format

Name
Skill Point Progression (the number of SP needed to raise a skill's level)
Game Description (taken from game text)
Statistical Benefits (taken from game text)
Related Specialties
Extra Comments (if any)

--Knowledge 1--

Mineralogy
1 / 2 / 4 / 6 / 9 / 12 / 16 / 20 / 40 / 70
Description: Knowledge about minerals and gems.
Benefits: Skill Level x 3 INT increase.
Related Specialties: Identify, Metalwork, Alchemy
Comments: A cheap skill, good INT increase for spellcasters.

Herbal Medicine
2 / 3 / 5 / 8 / 12 / 17 / 23 / 30 / 38 / 47
Description: Knowledge about medicinal herbs.
Benefits: The amount restored by blue and blackberries is increased by Skill Level x 3%.
Related Specialties: Identify, Compounding, Survival
Comments: Another cheap skill, with good benefits.

Recipe
1 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 10 / 20
Description: Knowledge about cooking ingredients.
Benefits: Effects vary according to whether favorite items are eaten or not.
Related Specialties: Cooking
Comments: Makes a huge difference in the restoration power of each character's favorite food item.

--Knowledge 2--

Musical Notation
2 / 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 90 / 40 / 50 / 70 / 90
Description: Knowledge about musical notation.
Benefits: Skill Level + 1 AGL increase.
Related Specialties: Musical Talent
Comments: Musical Notation and Musical Instrument are the only skills that contain a (large) "bump" in their SP progression.

Biology
12 / 22 / 32 / 42 / 62 / 80 / 82 / 85 / 90 / 95
Description: Knowledge about the science of life.
Benefits: Skill Level squared x 10 HP increase.
Related Specialties: Compounding
Comments: The only skill that raises max HP.

Tool Knowledge
1 / 5 / 9 / 13 / 17 / 21 / 25 / 29 / 33 / 37
Description: Knowledge about different tools and weapons.
Benefits: Item selling prices increase by Skill Level x 3%.
Related Specialties: Identify
Comments: One party member should have a high level for this skill, as the highest is taken for selling purposes at shops.

--Knowledge 3--

Mental Science
8 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 32 / 52 / 62 / 82 / 90 / 95
Description: Knowledge about the mysterious powers of the mind.
Benefits: Skill Level x 5 MP increase.
Related Specialties: Compounding
Comments: The only skill that raises max MP.

Piety
5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13 / 33 / 43 / 53 / 63 / 80
Description: Knowledge about faith and the gods.
Benefits: Skills increase somewhat.
Related Specialties: none
Comments: The benefit is somewhat misleading. The actual effect of raising Piety is a random increase in one of the character's statistics, ranging from no increase to 5 or more. Piety may also increase item creation chances.

Fairyology
40 / 41 / 42 / 43 / 44 / 45 / 46 / 47 / 48 / 50
Description: Knowledge about fairies and the origins of life.
Benefits: Skill Level + 1 INT increase.
Related Specialties: Alchemy

--Sensibility 1--

Courage
1 / 2 / 4 / 5 / 7 / 28 / 30 / 31 / 43 / 55
Description: With courage you won't be nervous even in front of a large of people.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Pickpocket

Patience
2 / 4 / 7 / 11 / 16 / 22 / 29 / 37 / 46 / 56
Description: The willpower to endure difficulties and sadness.
Benefits: Skill Level x 2 CON increase.
Related Specialties: Practice, Survival
Comments: The only skill to raise CON.

Esthetic Sense
10 / 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 99
Description: A feeling, the degree of maturity that enables an understanding of love and beauty.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Art, Metalwork

Good Eye
2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 / 20 / 22 / 24 / 26 / 28
Description: The ability to choose good cooking ingredients.
Benefits: HP restoration amount increases.
Related Specialties: Cooking
Comments: Allows for greater effect when a character eats a food.

--Sensibility 2--

Playfulness
12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 20 / 22 / 24 / 26 / 28 / 30
Description: An open mind to forgive the God of Creation for thinking up silly things.
Benefits: A gift from heaven!
Related Specialties: Oracle
Comments: The "gift from heaven" in this case results in an increase in Fol for each level of the skill. The exact formula for the amount of money is determined by the recursive formula (previous payment) + (Skill Level - 1) x 600, with a starting base of 100. Thus, Playfulness pays 100 Fol at level 1, 100+(2-1)x600=700 Fol at level 2, 700+(3-1)x600=1900 at level 3, and so on until at level 10 Playfulness pays 27100 Fol.

Danger Sense
2 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 10 / 13 / 17 / 21 / 26 / 40
Description: A feeling, high sensitivity to murderous intent.
Benefits: Skill Level x 3 STM increase.
Related Specialties: Scout
Comments: A good skill for all to learn, as STM is important for HP and MP recovery after each battle.

Perseverance
8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8
Description: The willpower to continue effort.
Benefits: Reduces the number of SP required to learn skills.
Related Specialties: Practice
Comments: Each level of Perseverance reduces the amount to learn every skill by 2, down to a minimum of 1 SP (with the exception of Perseverance itself, which always costs 8 SP to learn). This is probably the most powerful skill as well as one of the cheapest, and all characters should devote their SP to this skill as soon as it is available.

Poker Face
5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13 / 33 / 43 / 53 / 63 / 80
Description: The ability to keep a straight face under any circumstances.
Benefits: Skill Level x 3 GUTS increase.
Related Specialties: Pickpocket
Comments: A more suitable name for this skill might be Stoicism. The only skill to increase GUTS.

--Sensibility 3--

Functionality
15 / 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 / 65 / 75 / 75 / 85 / 85
Description: A feeling, the ability to balance beautiful form with function.
Benefits: Skill Level x 6 STR, DEX, AGL, INT increase.
Related Specialties: Customize
Comments: The only skill that raises more than one statistic, and has the highest rate of increase for DEX, AGL, and INT.

Radar
20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 90 / 99
Description: Supernatural powers that enable reception of messages from unknown beings.
Benefits: A gift from heaven!
Related Specialties: Oracle
Comments: The "gift from heaven" this time is a random item that appears in your inventory.

Effort
20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 90 / 90
Description: The willpower to achieve one's goals.
Benefits: Lowers the needed experience to gain levels.
Related Specialties: Practice
Comments: Each level reduces the needed experience by about 4%. A great skill to learn, the earlier the better.

--Technique 1--

Whistling
1 / 2 / 4 / 6 / 12 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40
Description: The ability to put fingers to mouth and whistle loudly.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Familiar

Copying
40 / 50 / 50 / 60 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 90 / 99
Description: The ability to grasp the true characters of things and make them your own.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Reproduction

Sketching
5 / 10 / 20 / 30 / 50 / 70 / 90 / 90 / 90 / 90
Description: The ability to grasp and reproduce the forms of objects.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Art

Kitchen Knife
2 / 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 40 / 50 / 55 / 65 / 90
Description: The ability to use a kitchen knife, essential to any respectable chef.
Benefits: Skill Level x 20 STR increase.
Related Specialties: Cooking
Comments: Apparently everyone starts martial training with a kitchen knife, as this skill is the fastest way to increase your STR and attacking power. Fighters should invest in at least a few levels.

--Technique 2--

Mech Knowledge
6 / 10 / 14 / 18 / 22 / 32 / 42 / 52 / 62 / 80
Description: Knowledge about machines.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Machinery

Craft
2 / 4 / 7 / 11 / 16 / 22 / 29 / 37 / 46 / 56
Description: The ability to do jobs that demand manual dexterity.
Benefits: Skill Level + 2 AGL increase.
Related Specialties: Customize, Metalwork

Animal Training
20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 30
Description: The ability to tame and train animals.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Familiar

Writing
3 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 11 / 14 / 20 / 25 / 40 / 60
Description: The intellectual ability to create literature.
Benefits: Skill Level + 2 DEX increase.
Related Specialties: Authoring

--Technique 3--

Musical Instrument
2 / 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 90 / 40 / 50 / 70 / 90
Description: The ability to play a musical instrument.
Benefits: Skill Level + 1 AGL increase.
Related Specialties: Musical Talent
Comments: Musical Notation and Musical Instrument are the only skills that contain a (large) "bump" in the SP progression.

Metal Casting
3 / 6 / 12 / 24 / 48 / 58 / 68 / 78 / 88 / 98
Description: The ability to cast metals.
Benefits: Skill Level x 2 DEX increase.
Related Specialties: Customize

Scientific Ability
6 / 10 / 14 / 18 / 22 / 32 / 42 / 52 / 62 / 80
Description: The ability to use laboratory equipment such as a still.
Benefits: Skill Level x 10 STR increase.
Related Specialties: Metalwork
Comments: Another good skill for fighters to learn a few levels.

Mech Operation
12 / 22 / 32 / 42 / 62 / 80 / 82 / 85 / 90 / 95
Description: The ability to operate machines successfully.
Benefits: none listed
Related Specialties: Machinery

Note: combat skills differ from the other skills in that they are solely for battlefield purposes and don't contribute to specialties or statistics. Each combat skill has a certain probability for it to work, and raising skill levels increases that probability, but none of them are guaranteed to work 100% of the time. Most combat skills, when used successfully, will be indicated during as part of a message on the side of the screen. As you may not want to use certain skills at all times, all combat skills can be toggled on the skills screen by selecting a skill and pressing Square.

--Combat 1---

Spirit Force
20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 90 / 99
Description: Increases defensive powers.

Below the Belt
40 / 40 / 50 / 50 / 60 / 60 / 70 / 70 / 80 / 80
Description: The ability to ignore the enemy's defenses while attacking.

Strong Blow
20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 30
Description: The ability to blow the enemy away.
Comments: When Strong Blow succeeds, the enemy will be knocked back, possibly preventing a follow-up attack or combo. The enemy may be instead knocked in the air for certain Killer Moves.

Cancel
10 / 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 99
Description: The ability to eliminate the gap between normal attacks and immediately use a killer move.
Comments: Hit L1 or R1 to execute the killer move immediately after you hit an opponent to catch them while they're still recovering from your first attack. Cannot be used with aerial attacks.

--Combat 2--

Flip
12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 20 / 22 / 24 / 26 / 28 / 30
Description: The ability to flip around the enemy and attack from behind.
Comments: Use of this specialty is potentially dangerous, as the extra time your character takes while running behind the opponent leaves you vulnerable to attack from another opponent. [I never use this unless I have Bunny Shoes equipped. And sometimes not even then.]

Gale
5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13 / 33 / 43 / 53 / 63 / 80
Description: Increases one's combat speed.
Comments: Everyone can use some extra running speed...

Feint
12 / 22 / 32 / 42 / 62 / 80 / 82 / 85 / 90 / 95
Description: The ability to improve aim.

Mental Training
4 / 7 / 14 / 21 / 28 / 35 / 42 / 49 / 56 / 63
Description: The ability to increase attack power.

--Combat 3--

Counterattack
5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 85 / 99
Description: Increases the probability of counterattacking when attacked by an enemy.
Comments: Similar to Cancel. Attack by pressing X as you're hit and you'll counter, but you still take the damage. Note that this skill can also work when you parry, so getting hit doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have to take damage to counterattack. Also note that counterattacking will make your character move within normal attack distance to counter, which may or may not be a good thing.

Parry
12 / 22 / 32 / 42 / 62 / 80 / 82 / 85 / 90 / 95
Description: An increase in the ability to parry [i.e. dodge] the enemy's attack.

Body Control
10 / 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 99
Description: Prevents fainting.
Comments: Besides preventing fainting (on rare occasions), Body Control can prevent dizziness ("peeping") and status ailments. While it doesn't happen often enough to ditch those Stone Checks, this skill is quite useful for any character.

Motormouth
40 / 50 / 50 / 60 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 90 / 99
Description: Reduces the time it takes to cast Heraldic spells.
Comments: The only combat skill exclusively for spellcasters. [And the only one you REALLY should level up for them!]

Provocation
20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 90 / 99
Description: The ability to use the SELECT button to taunt an enemy during combat.
Comments: Can only be done once per battle. A successful taunt may focus the enemies' attention on you and raise your stats a little, depending on your skill level. Each character has up to 4 different taunts. [Fairly useless.]

--Combat (special)--

Float
20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 90 / 99
Description:
Comments: Only available as a special item from the bonus dungeon. Float only works on normal attacks. A successful Float will pop the enemy into the air, leaving them temporarily defenseless. The time span of this float is quite short, and only fast cancels will be guaranteed damage. However, this skill can also be combined with the Strong Blow skill, resulting in some truly silly air times for the enemy.

While it's nice to know what all the skills are and how the specialties relate, it does no good if you can't get the skills you want. To help you plan ahead, here is the list of the skill sets followed by the cities that offer those sets. Sets with an asterisk aren't available until you reach Lacour.

Knowledge 1 (Mineralogy, Herbal Medicine, Recipe): Cross, Clik, Linga, Central City
Knowledge 2 (Musical Notation, Biology, Tool Knowledge): Herlie, Hilton, Linga, Central City
*Knowledge 3 (Mental Science, Piety, Fairyology): Linga, North City

Sensibility 1 (Courage, Patience, Esthetic Sense, Good Eye): Cross, Clik, Central City
Sensibility 2 (Playfulness, Danger Sense, Perseverance, Poker Face): Herlie, Hilton, North City
*Sensibility 3 (Functionality, Radar, Effort): Lacour, Armlock

Technique 1 (Whistling, Copying, Sketching, Kitchen Knife): Cross, Clik, Herlie, Central City
*Technique 2 (Mech Knowledge, Craft, Animal Training, Writing): Hilton, North City
*Technique 3 (Music Instrument, Metal Casting, Scientific Ability, Mech Operation): Linga, North City

Combat 1 (Spirit Force, Below the Belt, Strong Blow, Cancel): Clik, Herlie, Lacour, Armlock
*Combat 2 (Flip, Gale, Feint, Mental Training): Hilton, Lacour, Armlock
*Combat 3 (Counterattack, Parry, Body Control, Motormouth, Provocation): Lacour, Armlock