Part 12: Thanks to Hermetic, everything was fine!

"Surely the revolution will finally begin!"
"All the peasants were arrested last Tuesday when they banned farming."
"Shit."


Yeah, Forbidden: Ice shows up way too often now. It's annoying.


I'm talking to an anarchist who looks like a douche. I don't know about this game anymore.




In Ivalice, bringing about anarchy isn't done by causing the people to disregard their government...


...It's done by magically abolishing all the laws.

I don't know anymore.


Oh okay then bye unique sprite guy who may or may not be Ezel.


It turns out it's the second time you step on Caodan that shit happens. Huh.


Oh no, unique sprite guy was Ezel all along! Exactly 0 people didn't see this coming!


We have to save him because Ramza hates the laws too!


The ninja has armor I can't buy.


The hunter has armor and a bow I can't buy.


Fuck off, fighter guy.


Thankfully, Ezel has Block Arrows, so the hunter can't just pick him off before you get a chance to stop him.




Well, gil is mostly useless because shops sell so little...


Oh yeah, Ezel has a unique class. He's a Hermetic. Hermetics have a sexy 11.2 MPow growth but no abilities that use it. Alas.


He does have one ability, though. Azoth inflicts sleep on all enemies. Considering how much stealing I have to do, this is a blessing.


Using the powers of infinite vertical tolerance, Montblanc gives Ramza the stealing turns he needs.


Though this Ninja has Double Sword, both of his swords are mundane rot. I still can't steal support abilities but I totally would. Therefore, the only thing to take is this. It increases Evasion and Speed, however slightly. It teaches Ninjas and Beastmasters the reaction ability Last Haste (Haste upon critical HP) and Figthers the Bonecrusher ability (Counter, with fewer triggers, but with 1.5 the damage).

The enemies start showing up with equipment that I can't buy now. For the continued growth of the team, Ramza has to steal and steal and steal.


This guy's Bow teaches Hunters the Hunting ability, which gives 10JP instead of one upon a KO. It's also the strongest bow thus far. His Wygar is much more important. It protects from instant death while teaching Fighters and Gladiators Strikeback. Strikeback prevents a normal attack while the user delivers one of their own. The AI is absurdly stupid so it tries this all the time.


Phantasm skills, like the enemy's Tempest here, hit all enemies at once. Without Turbo MP and an element boost, they aren't very good for actual damage considering the 32 MP cost.

Yes, bumping up the cost to 64 is a good idea.

Regardless, that guy sucks so he can't stop his group from being massacred.


He's naked and being stabbed to death. Sucks to be him.


Now take off those silly garbs and learn how to cause blizzards.

...Wait, he isn't joining me. Fuck.


Oh hey Cid's here to ruin all of my fun.

All of it.




"I have the strangest urge to call them various obscenities, Judgemaster Fuckstick."


But suddenly!


Cid banned everything!


Oh, what's it do?


It turns out "Antilaw" is Ivalician for "Thermonuclear warhead."


Or maybe it let us escape. I guess.


Ramza can trade antilaws for other antilaws.

How does one get antilaws in the first place?


It turns out, nearly every mission or battle rewards one or two now. The fuckers get around fast.


Aisenfield is placed west of Cyril.

NEXT TIME:

Clan Beoulve keeps getting more and more powerful! I won't stop until I have a gigantic pile of skulls!

GAME MECHANICS Vol. 6: Antilaws

Antilaws grant the player the ability to manipulate the laws of a battle. The clever use of them allows a player to forbid the enemy's dangerous techniques while freeing up their own.


The white cards with pink hearts add a law to a battle. If I were, say, fighting a group of black mages, using that Color Magic card would prevent their powerful spells, forcing them to use their weak physical attacks.

The brown cards with the X's in them remove laws. If Ramza were, for some reason, using a Greatsword and needed to bash some skulls in with it, using that card would allow him to bash with wanton glee and the judge has to deal with it.

Antilaws are always named by the Forbidden part. That Color Magic card adds Forbidden: Color Magic/Recommended: Fight while the the Wind card removes Forbidden: Wind /Recommended: Lightning.

Laws are defined by ranks. The Color Magic law is rank 5 while the Wind one is rank 2. Higher ranking laws carry stiffer penalties and the cards manipulating them are quite rare.

That R2 Antilaw removes all Rank 2 laws at once. The elusive (there's only three in the whole game) R7 Antilaw removes all laws instantly.

Trading antilaw cards is fairly simple. That Aim card is a rank 2 law that requires Ramza to trade law card(s) with a total rank of 4. Most cards require twice their rank to trade. Market conditions are randomized, which make some antilaws cheaper or more expensive.