Part 2: Cursed Village

Chapter 2: Cursed Village

Last time on Disgaea 2, Adell's mother accidentally summoned the daughter of the dreaded Overlord Zenon, Rozalin. Today, we start the search for Zenon, and learn a thing or two about Disgaea 2.

Drama- The Overlord's Daughter




But, how do we know if she really is Overlord Zenon's daughter?
Hey, you've got a point. Hey toots, are you really the Overlord's daughter?
How dare you address me as "toots." Do you not know the proper way to speak to a princess?
And to question my lineage, even after witnessing my noble visage... You people are truly deprived...
Yeah yeah, just answer the question.
...Very well. My heart is as broad as the night sky. Now, behold my undeniable proof.



Oh!? That four-leaf clover is...!!
The symbol of Overlord Zenon...!?
Indeed. You are not as ignorant as your garb and demeanor suggest.
This emblem is the ultimate proof of my heritage. It is the bond between our souls, as father and daughter.
The four-leaf clover is the mark of Zenon. The three-leaf clover is the mark of Zenon's curse that we all bear.
Unlike ours, it is said that only those close to Zenon himself bear the mark of the four-leaf clover.
It looks like she really is his daughter.
...See, Adell? This is great. We can use her as a hostage. Oh, hohohohoho!
Are you nuts!? This isn't good at all!
Me? A hostage? Don't be absurd. I simply am not hostage material.
Ahahah, but we performed the ritual. "In the name of Adell, I summon Zenon." Hmm? Those are the terms.
Until Adell meets Overlord Zenon, "your highness" is bound by the ritual to stay by Adell's side.
You can't disregard these conditions, can you?
(Hmph...! Stupid summoning rituals...!)



Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait! You're kidding, right...? You don't really expect me to go out looking for Zenon with her, do you?
What's the problem? Be a man. You can't give up now. What about all that fair fight nonsense?

So now we're almost ready to start playing the game. The game's got one more thing to show us real quick, and then we're free to wander Holt Village.




Fighters are skilled at close combat. They have well balanced offense and defense. They will be your main attackers early on.
Red Skulls are boy magicians. Red means they use fire type magic. Long ranged magic attacks work really well.
Healers are important for rejuvenation. They aren't skilled in close combat, so use a bow and do long range attacks.
Oh... uh... Always save before going on an adventure.
Press the triangle button and select Save to log your progress.
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll be fine. You worry too much, Dad.

Now we're free to wander Holt Village, which will be our base for most of the game. It's best to start each Episode by seeing what the inhabitants of Holt have to say, as they sometimes hint at what's to come. We'll start with Adell's family.

The clover is Overlord Zenon's symbol. This symbol is carved into various places that have been influenced by him.
Not just buildings, but even our bodies that were changed to demons by Zenon's curse...
Oh. Where is the symbol on your body?
Uhm, I can't say in front of a lady...

15 years of searching and we still can't find him. Where is Overlord Zenon?
Hmph. Father will not readily show himself in front of altered humans like you.
Ha, I wonder. Maybe he's just scared?

I want to go with you, too! Take me!
Yeah yeah, one day. When you're bigger and stronger I'll take you, too.
Boo. You always say that... I'm already strong and all grown up.

Why is only Adell still human? Is it because he's the main character?
...Is that why?
...I don't think so.

Now let's talk to some of the transformed villagers.



......
Hmmm. There are those who welcome my father's doing. See?
He's not free with his own will. That isn't true freedom!



Bridget: It's okay. I'm a guy.



Now, don't say that. Live a little. You might like it.





Great. Just stay away from me.



You're too kind for a demon. If you're a demon, you should act like one.







Right now the only thing we have access to is the Dimension Guide. We can't buy things, upgrade items, create characters, or anything else. Before we start, though, let's go over some basics.

Disgaea 2 101:
Let's take a look at Adell and Rozalin's stats as a lead-in to some game mechanics discussion.




At the top of the screens we can see Adell's stats and equipment. If his HP is reduced to zero in combat he's defeated. SP is used to power special abilities. ATK governs physical attacks, INT magical attacks. DEF defends against physical attacks, RES against magical attacks. HIT determines our chance to connect with a blow, SPD increases our chance to avoid. Counters let us strike back when attacked. MV controls how far a character can move and JM how high they can jump in a single go. Our ability to resist elemental attacks is also displayed. Adell is equipped with the fist weapon Worn Gloves and Old Cloth, which is armor.

The first screen gives a description of the unit and their special ability. Adell's ability is to deal more damage when attacking a target that's higher level than him. The second screen is quite dense. It includes weapon mastery, experience, mana, and aptitudes. Mana is used to create characters and pass resolutions in the dark assembly. Aptitudes apply to all our equipment's stats as multipliers. There are seven classes of weapons we can have mastery in. The letter rating controls how fast we can gain skill in the weapons. Our mastery allows us to use more skills and provides extra stats from equipment. As we can see, Adell is best with Fists.

Fists: Fists use our ATK + SPD / 2 for their attacks and provide ATK and SPD. They provide skills which move characters around, which is very useful. They also provide characters extra counters. The move to ATK + SPD / 2 is a change in Disgaea 2, and is a reduction in attack power from the original. It improves the evasion of Fist users, though, which is nice.

Swords: Swords use ATK for their attacks. They provide very versatile skills, but lack some of the single target attacks of the original game. The powerful Nightsever attack was replaced, and Swords are no longer the absolute best at the top tier.

Spears: Spears use ATK for their attacks and also provide some DEF. They can attack two squares away, and have many skills that move the user. Spears also allow you to defend against attacks from the front. They're substantially better than they were in Disgaea.

Bows: Bows use ATK + HIT / 2 for their attacks and they provide ATK and HIT. They can attack four squares away and have quite versatile skills. Killing enemies with bows sometimes leaves treasure chests that if killed provide extra items and money. Bows are quite a bit better in Disgaea 2 than they were previous, although this is largely due to the changes to Guns.

Guns: Guns use HIT for their attacks. They can attack a range of five squares but only attack in a straight line. This means that while Guns have better attack potential than Bows, they're harder to use properly.

Axes: Axes use ATK for their attacks. They can dish out the most powerful physical attacks in the game, but have the least versatility.

Staves: Staves use ATK for their attacks but provide INT and ATK. Staves are for casters, and allow them to cast longer range and larger area spells than they'd otherwise be able to.

The third panel shows our skills. Adell has learned the skill Triple Strike for his Fists Mastery of one. This hits an enemy three times and knocks them into the square behind them. The fourth panel shows a character's Master and Students. Masters can learn skills from their Students when adjacent, and get bonus stats from them. Now let's take a look at Rozalin.



Rozalin provides bonus stats to adjacent male units. She's best with guns, although she is a passable caster and okay with bows. She's slower than Adell, and can't counter. Now let's get back to the story. Talking to the Dimension Guide gets us started.

Drama- The Promise




What? You don't know where it is?
Well, that summon of yours is quite jarring. And, truth be told, I have never been outside the mansion before.
What!? Are you serious? What kind of life can you live without ever going outside?
Hmm, I shall grant your request and tell you all about the superior lifestyle of a noble. The standard recital takes two whole days...
...Forget that. Look, all I want is for you to cooperate. OK?
Cooperate? Let me make this perfectly clear: I will not abide being taken hostage.
Look, that's fine. I wasn't going to do that anyway.
Then, what are you going to do?
I'm going to take you back to Zenon... Back to your father.
What? Why would you do such a thing? Are we not enemies, you and I? Do you expect me to believe you?
Look, princess, I only have one goal in mind: To defeat Overlord Zenon. After that, I won't need you anymore.
But, I do need you to guide me there.
What did you just say? ...You are going to defeat my father?
Yeah. ...Why? What's wrong with that?



Go ahead and laugh. But, I will be the one to defeat Zenon!
Well, you sure are confident. ...Ah, I see. You are planning to use me as a hostage to threaten my father.
Ha, I already told you, I'm not gonna take you hostage. Especially since you're a girl.
Then what was the point of summoning me if you will not take me hostage? I have better ways to waste my time.
We were trying to summon Zenon, but ah...
No, there's no excuse for it. I apologize for summoning you. ...I'm sorry.
......



OK, look! I will keep my promise. I will return you to your father. I pledge my honor on it.
I still do not trust you. If you are truly honorable, why not simply release me?
If it was that simple I would have done so already. But, breaking the terms of a summon requires the sacrifice of a life... my life.
Your life...
Very well. You do appear truthful. I shall escort you to my father's mansion.

The Overlord's daughter is going to escort us to his mansion so we can kill him. What could possibly go wrong?

Next update: Character Classes Then and Now
Next time on Disgaea 2: What do you mean you don't know how to fight?