Part 77: Monster Time Part 7

Kraken doesn't have much HP but his fire-breath attack deals an absurd amount of damage (it's equivalent to Fire γ) so fights with him tend to end quickly, one way or another.

In my fight with him I got hit by his fire breath twice in a row. The only survivor was Marie and her Flame Pendant.

So I had her Pray.

Two rounds later I got the "rainbow-colored light" effect, which revives everyone with full HP. Welp.

Anyway, I'd say it's that time again.




Monsters of Summers

Summers is a pretty tame place, but like Twoson and Fourside there are occasional random encounters. Nothing to worry about - as always, there's a hotel and hospital very close by.


Crazed Sign
Repeat enemy. You can easily bash it to death by now.

HP 295, PP 98, Offense 64, Defense 96, Speed 17, Luck 11.
Weak vs Hypnosis. Strong vs Fire. Immune to Flash and Brainshock.
Worth 3,618 XP and $244, with a 1/64 chance to drop a Big bottle rocket.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Bash for about (128 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Use Paralysis α.
(1/4) Use Hypnosis α.


Mad Taxi
Also a repeat. You can paralyze it, but you shouldn't need to.

HP 253, Offense 53, Defense 68, Speed 38, Luck 8.
Weak vs Paralysis. Strong vs Fire, Freeze, Flash and Hypnosis.
Worth 2,336 XP and $216, with a 1/128 chance to drop an Xterminator spray.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Rev and accelerate, dealing about (159 - Defense) damage.
(1/2) Spew exhaust fumes, giving one person the Crying status.


Over Zealous Cop
These guys would be a little more dangerous if they came in packs; as it is, you can easily take them down with focused attacks before they can do much damage.

HP 325, Offense 69, Defense 75, Speed 18, Luck 16.
Strong vs Brainshock.
Worth 7,448 XP and $420, with a 1/32 chance to drop a Double burger.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/4) Come out swinging, dealing about (138 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Grapple and use a submission, dealing about (207 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Lose his temper, increasing his Offense by about 8.
(1/4) Be on guard (no action).


Tough Guy
Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hit him until he goes away, no surprises. They only appear on the beach anyway, and there's no reason to go there.

HP 342, Offense 72, Defense 92, Speed 18, Luck 16.
Strong vs Brainshock.
Worth 9,310 XP and $525, with a 1/4 chance to drop a Chick.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(3/4) Come out swinging, dealing about (144 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Lose his temper, increasing his Offense by about 9.


Shattered Man
Miniboss! There's a glitch you can do much later in the game if you manage to leave one of the two Shattered Men alive. You shouldn't have too much trouble killing these guys using Freeze Gamma; the only real problem is that if they attack Poo he's probably going to die. You might want to just have him defend.

HP 694, Offense 104, Defense 138, Speed 18, Luck 38.
Weak vs Paralysis. Strong vs Fire and Brainshock.
Worth 44,690 XP and $2,630, with a 1/2 chance to drop a Mummy wrap.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Bash for about (208 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Growl and lunge forward, dealing about (312 - Defense) damage.
(1/8) Give someone a great big hug, solidifying one person.
(1/8) Reach out with its icy hand, solidifying one person.




Monsters of Magnet Hill

FUCK THIS PLACE AAAAAAHHHHHH

No room to maneuver, painful and/or debilitating enemies... all I can say is, make damn sure to bring an Exit mouse with you in case you suffer losses halfways through. You don't want to have to backtrack - even with the monsters running away from you, they're still hard to avoid.

This is also Poo's debut. Bring lots of bottled water - each one is worth two Lifeup αs. Remember, no enemy in here (except the boss) has any PP, so you can't recharge with PSI Magnet.


Filthy Attack Roach
The least dangerous enemy in the sewers. The Roach can do some serious damage with its continuous attack, but its Defense is so low you can probably kill it with physical attacks before your HP meter runs down to zero. You can also Freeze or Paralyze them if you need to.

HP 399, Offense 84, Defense 33, Speed 77, Luck 24.
Weak vs Fire, Freeze, Paralysis and Brainshock. Immune to Hypnosis.
Worth 10,543 XP and $432, with a 1/16 chance to drop a Secret herb.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/4) Bash for about (168 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Start a continuous attack, with each blow hitting for about (168 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Leap forward and spread its wings, solidifying one person.
(1/4) Knit its brow (no action).


Deadly Mouse
So, imagine the Rowdy Mouse came in groups of up to four and could one-shot half your team. That's the Deadly Mouse! They have Guts 215, so about half their attacks will SMAAAASH!, doubling its base damage. Also they can poison you, but that's easily cured. Individual Mice can be handled with Freeze and physical attacks. When they gang up on you, spam Fire and Bacon, and maybe fire a bottle rocket to clear the crowd a bit. Poo's best bet against these guys is to Mirror them or cast Freeze.

HP 416, Offense 63, Defense 98, Speed 18, Luck 13.
Weak vs Fire. Strong vs Hypnosis.
Worth 9,225 XP and $406, with a 1/64 chance to drop a Rust promoter DX.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(3/4) Use a biting attack, dealing about (126 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Bite with its poisonous fangs, dealing about (126 - Defense) damage and giving the target the Poisoned status.


Stinky Ghost
Oh no. Stinky Ghosts are a double dose of fuck-you, with a massive Defense that forces you to waste PP attacking it, and the ability to saddle you with everyone's favorite tag-along, the Tiny Ghost. I like to spam the Slime generator against them - they're neither fast nor lucky enough to get around it very often. If you meet two, try paralyzing one and sliming the other.

HP 444, Offense 90, Defense 179, Speed 18, Luck 7.
Weak vs Fire, Flash, Paralysis and Hypnosis. Strong vs Freeze. Immune to Brainshock and Mirror.
Worth 13,179 XP and $541, with a 1/64 chance to drop a Large pizza.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Bash for about (180 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Have a big grin on its face (no action).
(1/8) Possess you in a frightening manner, giving one person the Possessed status.
(1/8) Vent a terrible odor, reducing one person's Offense and Defense.


Plague Rat of Doom
What happens when you feed a Deadly Mouse a buttload of Sanctuary energy? DOOOOM, that's what you get. Like his lesser brethren, the Plague Rat has absurdly high Guts, so he's going to be scoring lots of SMAAAASH! attacks. PSI Bacon, PSI Fire, and bottle rockets are your weapons of choice here, but you're going to be constantly stopping to heal your teammates, especially poor Poo.

He's not Flash-resistant, so you should probably have Nass do that first - it's not guaranteed to work, but a crying Plague Rat will miss you about half the time (greatly reducing the healing burden). You might even get so lucky as to paralyze him, or even score an instant kill.

Another thing you can try to do is Brainshock him - it's not as good as Flash, since even when he's attacking randomly there's still four of you and one of him to choose from, but a self-inflicted SMAAAASH! buys you a turn and lops off another 100 or so HP. Keep in mind that any Bash attack will cancel the status effect - but PSI and rockets don't count (neither, oddly, does Susan's shooting attack). Shield β is another possible use for Poo's time - while the shield will go down instantly in the face of a SMAAAASH!, it still reflects a nice chunk of damage back at the Plague Rat.

Ultimately there's no easy solution for this guy other than piling on as much damage as you can before you die. It'd be nice if you can keep your Dalaamite friend alive long enough for him to benefit from all that XP. (If you need to revive him, have Nass do it - he's the most likely to go after the rat.)

HP 1,827, PP 60, Offense 71, Defense 180, Speed 19, Luck 45.
Strong vs Freeze, Paralysis and Hypnosis. Immune to Mirror.
Worth 115,272 XP and $4,464.

AI Routine 1: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Bite with its poisonous fangs, dealing about (142 - Defense) damage and giving the target the Poisoned status.
(1/4) Switch to AI Routine 2 and choose a new action from there.
(1/8) Use a biting attack, dealing about (213 - Defense) damage.
(1/8) Bash for about (142 - Defense) damage.

AI Routine 2: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Bash for about (142 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Have a big grin on its face (no action).
(1/4) Switch to AI Routine 1 and choose a new action from there.





Monsters of Pink Cloud

After a literal and metaphorical slog through the sewers, Pink Cloud is a breath of fresh air. None of the monsters here are resistant to Freeze or physical attacks, and they almost never appear in groups larger than two, so you can easily power through almost all encounters using physical attacks and Freeze α/β. It's a fairly short dungeon, too, so you don't need to worry too much about conserving your PP.


Conducting Menace
Probably the most dangerous enemy in Pink Cloud, since Flash β has a nontrivial chance of scoring an instant K.O. The Counter-PSI Unit hamstrings him (with about an 80% chance of success), but you can just as easily beat him to death.

HP 445, PP 238, Offense 107, Defense 107, Speed 20, Luck 8.
Strong vs Hypnosis. Immune to Flash.
Worth 14,792 XP and $574, with a 1/32 chance to drop a Bottle of water.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/4) Use Flash α.
(1/4) Use Flash β.
(1/4) Use Thunder α (one bolt, 120 damage).
(1/4) Use Thunder β (two bolts, 120 damage each).


Kiss of Death
Mwwah! Mostly harmless; the Kiss of Death will either attack for moderate damage or inflict the easily-cured Poison status. You can Hypnotize her if you need to, but the normal bash/Freeze tactics are probably sufficient.

HP 333, Offense 91, Defense 100, Speed 19, Luck 16.
Weak vs Hypnosis. Strong vs Flash. Immune to Brainshock.
Worth 10,354 XP and $528, with a 1/64 chance to drop a Jar of delisauce.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(3/4) Bash for about (182 - Defense) damage.
(1/4) Give the kiss of death, giving one person the Poisoned status.


Tangoo
Very similar to the Kiss of Death. The Tangoo can inflict sleep, but its offensive power isn't especially impressive. Once again: physical attacks and Freeze.

HP 371, PP 5, Offense 96, Defense 99, Speed 19, Luck 16.
Weak vs Flash. Strong vs Brainshock.
Worth 14,718 XP and $572, with a 1/8 chance to drop a Snake.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Bash for about (192 - Defense) damage.
(3/8) Inhale through its flute, giving one person the Sleep status.
(1/8) Poison flute, giving on person the Poisoned status.


Thunder Mite
Thunder is kind of obnoxious; with four people in your team it won't miss you any more, and you've only got the one Franklin badge. That said, it's not tremendously powerful; it's only really dangerous when it hits the same person twice. Fortunately, the Thunder Mite is vulnerable to Freeze, so Kim can easily one-shot it with Freeze β (probably before the Mite even gets to act).

HP 293, PP 200, Offense 85, Defense 83, Speed 20, Luck 8.
Weak vs Fire and Freeze. Strong vs Brainshock. Immune to Flash.
Worth 10,798 XP and $430, with a 1/32 chance to drop a Bottle of water.

AI Routine: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/2) Use Thunder α (one bolt, 120 damage).
(1/2) Use Thunder β (two bolts, 120 damage each).


Thunder and Storm
The fifth Sanctuary Guardian is... a joke, really. Lacking both Freeze resistance and rocket-dodging Speed, Thunder and Storm are hideously vulnerable to your strongest attacks. Throw in a Flash weakness for good measure, and if he lasts long enough to reach his second AI routine, you're doing something wrong.

HP 2,065, PP 70, Offense 111, Defense 178, Speed 21, Luck 55.
Weak vs Flash. Strong vs Brainshock. Immune to Paralyze and Mirror.
Worth 129,026 XP and $4,736.

AI Routine 1: Perform the following actions in order.
1. Use a Crashing Bang Boom attack, launching two thunderbolts for 120 damage each.
2. Take deep breaths for the next assault (no action).
3. Rush in and intertwine with its target, solidifying one person.
4. Switch to AI Routine 2 and choose a new action from there.

AI Routine 2: Do one of the first two actions at random, then one of the last two, then repeat.
1. (1/2) Summon a storm, dealing about (222 - Defense) damage to the entire party.
1. (1/2) Bash for about (222 - Defense) damage.
2. (1/2) Use a Crashing Bang Boom attack, launching two thunderbolts for 120 damage each.
2. (1/2) Switch to AI Routine 1 and choose a new action from there.




Monsters of the Sea

Only one enemy here. Better be ready for it.


Kraken
The Kraken's fire breath is absolutely devastating to everyone but the person wearing the Flame pendant (and Poo if he's got the Bracer of Kings). If he spams it twice in a row you're going to be looking at a near-total party kill. Thankfully Kraken has really low HP, but it's resistant to Kim's attacks and Nass will probably be too busy healing to bother with PSI Bacon. I recommend sticking the Flame pendant on Susan and having him fire off big bottle rockets while everyone else works hard at staying alive.

Oh, and Poo can Mirror the Kraken. It's not tremendously useful, and the green-light effect will cancel it, but there you go.

HP 1,097, PP 176, Offense 105, Defense 166, Speed 21, Luck 32.
Strong vs Fire, Freeze and Hypnosis.
Worth 79,267 XP and $3,049.

AI Routine 1: Each turn do one of the following at random.
(1/4) Breath fire, dealing about 240 fire damage to the entire party.
(1/4) Emit a pale green light, neutralizing all PSI effects on the battlefield.
(1/4) Use a Crashing Bang Boom attack, launching two thunderbolts for 120 damage each.
(1/4) Switch to AI Routine 2 and choose a new action from there.

AI Routine 2: Do one of the first two actions at random, then one of the last two, then repeat.
1. (1/2) Use Flash β.
1. (1/2) Breath fire, dealing about 240 fire damage to the entire party.
2. (1/2) Generate a tornado, dealing about (210 - Defense) damage to the entire party.*
2. (1/2) Switch to AI Routine 1 and choose a new action from there.