Status effect
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A status effect is a modification to a game character’s original set of properties that usually comes into play when special powers and abilities (such as spells) are used, often during combat. It appears in numerous computer and video games of many genres, most commonly in role-playing games. The term status effect can be applied both to changes that provide a character an advantage (boosted attributes, defensive barriers, regeneration), and those that hinder the character (decreased attributes, incapacitation, disease, loss of control). Especially in MMORPGs, beneficial effects are referred to as buffs, and hindering effects are called debuffs.
Contents
Definitions
Although status effects vary widely from one game to another, certain effects appear in numerous games. Below is a partial listing of the most common status effects and descriptions of how they usually work.Positive Status Effects
- Attribute Up — A particular attribute is increased temporarily.
- Auto-Life/Preraise/Auto-Revive — The character will automatically be revivied when he or she is knocked unconscious. Games differ in how much HP the character gains, usually either half or full.
- Counterattack — The character responds to a physical attack by striking back. In some games, the defender takes no damage, but in others they do. Games also differ in how much damage is countered: it could be anything from a third to all to double damage.
- Protect/Shell — Characters affected by the protect status take less damage from physical attacks.
- Reflect — Magic spells (or other projectiles) cast on the character are reflected. This usually means that the spell is used on a random character on the opposite side from the one it was cast on, be it player or monster. in some games, however, the rules are different. In Final Fantasy Tactics for example, a reflected spell is retargeted on a square the same distance away from the intended target as the caster was. The reflect ability generally doesn't work (or has less chance of working) against the highest level spells.
- Regeneration — The character slowly regains hit points over time. Sometimes works on magic power as well, or it can have its own effect (called "Osmosis" at times). Sometimes shortened to "Regen". The rate at which a character recovers HP under this effect differs from game to game; in Final Fantasy VII, for example, a chracter under Regen continiously recovers HP, while a character in Final Fantasy X will recover a small amount of HP after any character's turn.
Negative Status Effects
Note: Negative status effects usually have a success rate, or in other words they aren't guarrenteed to work once the attack is launched.
- Allergic — This is a status effect that prevents all other status effects. This sounds good because allergic characters can't get poisoned or such, but they also can't raise their attack or defense.
- Asleep — The character incapable or doing anything. Sometimes, getting attacked will wake them up right away.
- Attribute down — A particular attribute is decreased temporarily.
- Berserk — In some games, the Berserk status effect is harmful and causes a character to become uncontrollable, and constantly attack. In other games, the Berserk effect merely increases a character's fighting abilities. It can also do both of these things and in these cases it can be classified as both a positive and negative effect (usually dependent on whether it is cast upon a fighter or a spellcaster), although it is usually classed as negative. It is a reasonably common tactic to use this variant of the beserk effect on spellcasters, who generally have very poor physical stats and will therefore still not be particularly strong, even with the stat boost.
- Blindness — This usually greatly decreases the chances that the affected character's attacks will successfully damage their targets. Called "Dizziness" in some games, and "Crying" in EarthBound.
- Burn — This is a status effect that has a varying effect depending on the game. In Paper Mario games, it is equivocal to "Poison"; it has a similar effect for the Pokémon series, but with an additional decrease in Attack power. In other games not of these series, such as some titles in the Final Fantasy series, "Burn" designates an instant KO for any character that takes action while afflicted with the condition.
- Confusion — In many games a confused character may mistake allies for foes and attack them. In other games however, a confused character's simply attacks at random, hitting friends, foes, or even him or herself. In some games, a confused character may even perform actions other than attacking, such as using random items or magic, thus making confusion even more dangerous and unpredictable. In many Action-RPGs, the player's controls will be inverted or scrambled instead. Confusion usually ends after a certain period of time. In some games a single physical attack also cures this status effect. EarthBound has an equivocal effect known as "Feeling Strange."
- Curse — This effect has many different meanings. Sometimes, it prevents a character from attacking. At other times it functions like poison or deals even more damage and sometimes it blocks the victim's magic. Curse may also lower ability points until the curse is removed, usually by a spell. In some games, being cursed in battle begins a countdown; the character affected dies when the counter reaches zero. This type of curse is also sometimes referred called 'doom' or 'death sentence', especially in the Final Fantasy series. Sometimes, this is combined with Stone, in that a character will turn to stone after a set number of rounds have passed. In the Xenosaga series Curse deals damage to the person afflicted every time he/she attacks. The damage done to character is equal to the damage done to the enemy. In Pokémon, a Cursed Pokemon loses roughly one-quarter of its' HP, where the user of Curse loses half theirs to inflict the damage.
- Daze — A dazed character can walk around at a reduced speed, but cannot perform any actions, such as fighting or casting spells.
- Frozen — Usually (if not always) caused by an ice-based attack, being frozen usually halts further action of the character. In the Final Fantasy series, if any character gets hit with a physical attack while frozen, it immediately inflicts KO, possibly due to a frozen object shattering with a well placed hit. In some games, a fire attack will end the effect instantly. In Pokémon, the Frozen pokemon cannot take any action, and after the GSC era, Freeze thaws quickly, or quicker with Sunny Day in effect. In all versions of the game, Fire attacks melt the ice.
- Hold — A held character is similar to a character in paralysis, but the effects mostly come from a spell that binds the character.
- KO — This happens when a character's HP is 0. Technically it's considered in RPG's as a status effect because it causes inability of action that can be cured. Also, in RPG Maker, it's listed as a status effect and the only one you can't edit or delete. As an attack that causes it, if successful, the character's HP instantly becomes 0.
- Lock/Hold — Seen in a number of games under different names, this effect is like "Mute" for physicals. Under this ailment, units can no longer use their physical offense in battle.
- Paralysis — A paralyzed character is usually incapable of action. This usually prevents physical attacks and often prevents magical spells also. In some games, including the Pokémon series, a paralyzed character can attack with reduced speed, but his or her attacks will occasionally fail.
- Poison/Seizure/On Fire/Cold — A character who is affected by Poison takes damage at a regular rate (once a turn, usually). In some games, this drain of HP is not able to kill the character, but leaves him or her so weak that even the most pathetic of attacks can defeat him or her. Some games also have an "On Fire" effect, which is very similar. EarthBound, which still has this status effect, also has a similar, weaker version known as "cold." Several Final Fantasy titles also have a status called "Seizure," which works similar to Poison, but cannot be cured with items that normally cure the latter.
- Silence/Mute/Lock — A character afflicted with the Silence status effect cannot use magic. This is based on the idea that casting magic requires chanting and therefore since the character cannot speak, they can't cast magic. This is called Lock in Chrono Trigger. In Flyff, a move called Silent Shot allows a Ranger to disable magic by the opposition.
- Slow — A Slowed character moves at reduced speed, usually half.
- Petrified — This status effect usually denotes that a character has been petrified and is thus incapable of any action whatsoever until the status has worn off or been lifted. In some games, stone'd characters are also invincible. Usually, if the entire party gets petrified, the game ends. In some games, like Final Fantasy X, petrified characters can take damage and when their HP reaches zero they are 'shattered' and removed from the battle permanently.
- Stop — A Stopped Character cannot take any actions. In games with an Active Time Battle system, a Stopped character's ATB gauge will freeze. In some cases, such as Final Fantasy III, a team of Stopped characters is considered defeated.
- Stun — A stunned character is unable to walk or perform any actions. Can be either electrical stun or frozen-time stun. Unlike Paralysis, it usually lasts for a short duration, such as one turn or a few seconds.
- Zombie/Undead — Bodily death, this is a status effect that differs with the game. In some, "undead" status simply opens up new job classes, while altering elemental affinities (ex:Ogre Battle). In others, it is a status effect like any other, and causes the character to "die," but still remain in play with 0 HP and 'confusion.' In almost all cases, "undead" units take damage from curative spells and potions, and gain a weakness to holy and light elements. In addition, some games will allow your own characters to only take damage from Healing spells(meaning a curative item would kill them) whereas all other attacks are ignored.
Unique Status Effects
Note: The following status effects are not common, but rather unique to a particular series or game. Maybe creative, sometimes bizarre, but they do give a flavor that describes the game as a whole.
- Blink — In the Final Fantasy series, this creates three illusions of the character that will take three physical hits, which effectively renders a miss.
- Charm/Attraction — Seen in a few game series, and works pretty much the same all the time. In Final Fantasy this will "recruit" the target to the side of whomever 'charmed' them. In Pokémon, your chance of attacking the enemy who used it on you, assuming they are the opposite gender, drops significantly.
- Eject — Seen in various Final Fantasy games, a character who has been "Ejected" has been forcefully removed from battle. However, this does not render the character dead; it is simply a mandatory escape from battle.
- Float — Seen in a few games and series, notably Final Fantasy, this makes the target levitate, effectively negating Earth-based damage. Sometimes this raises evasion to physical attacks overall as well. One of the few beneficial status effects in Final Fantasy to remain after battle, protecting the player from injury when walking on damaging floors in games such as Final Fantasy IV. (In Final Fantasy IV, the effect will wear off if the player ascends or descends floors in a dungeon, or leaves the current area that he/she currently is in.) In Pokémon the most similar effect is the Pokémon Trait "Levitate."
- Frog/Mini — Both are essentially the same status effect, despite aesthetics. Defensive and offensive power drop immensely for the target, and magic may be locked. Frog can be cured using the same spell again, though. These appear in various Final Fantasy titles.
- Glass — Seen in Wild ARMs 3, This makes the next attack against the affected character instantly fatal.
- Haste/Fast — Found in the Final Fantasy games and Chrono Trigger, this status boost will double the speed of the character who has it. Effectively, it causes the ATB for the character to fill twice as fast, giving them more turns during battle. The status effect Fast was only available in Final Fantasy V, where it allowed the next action to be carried out immediately as more potent attacks, such as casting Meteo, would require at least one turn before the spell was actually casted.
- Homesick — Only seen in EarthBound, this solely afflicts the main character, Ness. It could be cured by calling home to your mother, or talking to her in person.
- Imp — In Final Fantasy VI, Imped characters cannot use special abilities other than the Imp spell, and their equipment is rendered useless. However, there is special Imp equipment that can be used in this state.
- Itchy — In Final Fantasy X-2, a character under "Itchy" status cannot perform any commands other than escaping or changing dresspheres. One way of removing this status is to change dresspheres.
- Mushroom — Seen in , this is the game's variation of "Regen," with a catch. While the characters restore HP, they are permanently frozen in the form of a mushroom, unable to make a move. In EarthBound, the affliction was something completely different, which worked similar to "confusion" in battle, and reversed the player's controls on the overworld.
- NulFrost/NulBlaze/NulShock/NulTide — Seen in Final Fantasy X, each of these effects will nullify one attack of its corresponding element.
- Oil — In Final Fantasy Tactics, this drenches the character in oil, and makes the next Fire-attack on that character twice as effective.
- Pig — Only seen in Final Fantasy IV, this is an alternative to "Frog" that prevents the user from casting magic. It also greatly reduces the user's speed. Can be cured with the same spell.
- Possession — Appears in many forms within the games it is in. In EarthBound, this status effect would sap your HP very slowly, while numbing your abilities during battle. You may have to attack the person who is affected to berid of it.
- Quick — Not to be confused with "Haste," some Final Fantasy games utilize "Quick" to give a character two moves in one turn.
- Scarecrow — Seen in , this is the opposite of the "Mute" status effect. The target's body becomes transfixed as a scarecrow, and can no longer use items or physically attack; they are completely limited to their magic spells.
- Slow — Opposite of "Haste" in Final Fantasy games, this causes the speed of a character to drop. In other words, the ATB fills at half its normal speed.
- Sunstroke — An EarthBound exclusive. Similar to "Poison," but is received by walking in "hot" areas of the overworld. Unit is dealt damage in and out of battle.
- Stop — The ATB for characters in Final Fantasy with this status effect will no longer fill, meaning they can no longer receive turns. It goes away after a while.
- Thirsty — Found in Dark Cloud 2 as a Status Effect. The character cannot heal damage as long as they're thirsty.
- Virus — In Final Fantasy IX, a character afflicted with "Virus" status cannot gain any Experience Points or Ability Points. Final Fantasy X-2 instead has a "Pointless" status, which has the same effect as Virus.
- Weight — In , a brother with weights tied on is a brother who can't jump very high. This limits the player's ability to dodge attacks through jumping, and slows the brother down in their reaction time overall.
Curing status effects
This matter varies as widely as the effects themselves and the games in which they appear. Some status effects go away on their own after a certain amount of time has elapsed. Most games contain items capable of healing status effects. Often these items heal a specific status effect (such as Antidotes, which in many games cure Poison), though many games also include one or more universal status effect removing items (such as Full Heal from the Pokémon series, or Remedy in the Final Fantasy series). Many games also include magic spells that can eliminate status effects (such as the Esuna spell from the Final Fantasy series). Most of the time status effects are removed at the end of a battle, however in some games they continue to persist until either they are cured or until the character rests (such as at an inn, temple, or in a tent).
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