Part 17: Are you party to their plot?

This is one of two quests that requires the black thread.


This quest is about distracting kids. Needless to say it'll take for-fucking-ever to get to. Most quests anymore do.


Oh hey, a quest I can do!


I won't ask how you entertain people. I just hope the Marquis doesn't kill me for it.


Now begins the funnest part of the game:

Juggling this one Black Robe between 3 people who gain immense benefit from it until the game is courteous enough to shit out another one.


"Well, the ox may be mutilated but at least she has some perfume."


Carson wants it for his breaths.
Eldena wants it for her summons.
Seth wants it for his phantasms.


Reserve missions are a confusing lot. I think I'll dedicate this chapter's Mechanics Chat to them.


Oh boo hoo hoo fire is against the law oh no.


I'm using Ifrit anyway.


I'm still trying to figure out which laws Doublecast can get around. I know elemental laws and Dmg2: laws are violated without issue. Yet, it doesn't bypass healing and status laws. A doublecasted Unicorn would get by Holy and Summon Magic, but not Healing.


More missions I don't have items for. I can't have Lini put on his coxcomb and help the guy become a good performer, no, I have to fuel his superstition by giving him a rabbit's foot. Luck isn't a stat in this game, moron!


Oh well, since I can't do shit for side missions, I'm stuck with the story missions.


Ramza can't hear anything involving any sort of lattice without thinking it's a magic crystal.

"Look at that diamond ring! I'm gonna buy it for my girl one day..."
"A diamond? I wonder if it's related to the crystals?"


Oh hey an off-screen voice.


Hi! I'm Ramza Raduiji, master of larceny and laceration.


"...Aaaaaaaand you could be our lucky winner! Welcome to Royal Romance!"

Except not really.


Oh gee I wonder who.


Good, just lie out of this situation and he won't explode you...


...Dammit!


Welp, now he wants to kill us. Time to take his stuff.


Babus has very rare and very valuable equipment. The Lotus Mace teaches Flare and Gigaflare to a lucky Nu Mou and the Mirage Vest teaches Reflex to Fencers, Sages, and White Monks. The Aegis Shield is less valuable but I want it anyway.


Babus has two unique spells. Stillness is basically Stop with a fancy name, but Explode is a big fuck-off fire spell that's only further enhanced by his Lotus Mace. Thankfully, his AI is dumb so he usually casts Quarter unless you bunch guys together.


The gunner has Stopshot for those looking to use their own gunner. Stopshot is exactly as absurd as it sounds and should be a gunner's primary attack on turns not dedicated to Ultima Charge.


And last, and certainly least, the right (as in, not left) Templar has Diamond Armor. It's unbuyable and teaches Weapon Def+.

I forgot to take a picture of it but the Alchemist has a Mandragora. It's a mace that teaches Bio and Frog. Very nice.


Yoink.


Let's abuse our law cards! Missile stops the gunner from using that dreaded stopshot, and slapping this Fight law in place stops the Templars from being threats.


Babus calls Ramza out on his insane, probably drug-induced ramblings. Dude, the guy just stole your mace. I think you have higher priorities.


You know, somewhere in the giant wall of I saw someone accuse our protagonist here of being autistic. I can't see him any other way now.


Of course, Babus will have none of his shit.


I mean, Ramza knows he's talking to a loyal retainer of the prince. Does he not see that this is not a good thing to say?


All it gets is people angry.


Ramza, despite what most autistics claim, actually is a ninja. Poor Babus can't reason with him and he certainly can't hurt him.


Ultima, the High Seraph, usually isn't that good of a choice because MP damage is a lot less valuable than HP damage. However, now she works perfectly with the laws I've set up to render the enemy entirely harmless.


Whoops it's a magnetic field!


Oops, now Technicks are banned!


Now she's settled on MP draining! I think I should stop with the FFXII references. Anyway, Ultima shoots a giant laser beam like Famfrit does.


What little MP they recover each turn is endlessly sapped by Carson's Soul Spheres. These four have been rendered useless. The gunner can't do anything without breaking the law. All Babus can do is abuse his anti-arrest ribbon and punch guys with his miserable fists until he blows all his MP on a Quarter that Seth and Eldena can undo with a single Cure.


These palace guys come loaded with nice stuff to steal. Either way, without any source of real damage they fall really quick and really naked.


Please do. With some new stuff preferably.


Nagri cave is placed where I have to look at how ugly it is less.


With this, Seth now has a significant spell for single targets. Better yet, the Lotus Mace boosts Fire so he can still have a boosted Prominence without the one Black Robe.

NEXT TIME:


For having three hundred of the damn things I sure take my time doing missions. Oh well, at least missions now involve explosions.

MECHANICS CHAT Vol. 7: Reserve Missions

Reserve missions are one of the more... pointless aspects of linking with another FFTA cart. The missions aren't needed to complete all 300, so if that's all you care about that's all there is to read.

There are three items from them. The Shining Lake gives the Gold Vessel, for example. Another reserve mission requiring two of the items shows up, but it's not possible to have the second item... unless you give Nintendo more money and link up with another FFTA cart. Then, you trade mission items with somebody and get the Vermillion or Eldagusto or Gold Vessel you need. It's all really pointless because that mission isn't very high-ranking so the rewards are buyable.