Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Princess Anri

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image
Image

"Dark Dragon... The greatest calamity ever to befall this world...
I, Anri, descendant of the line of Guardiana, will not allow you to be reborn!"


PRINCESS ANRI
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Mage/Wizard
Role: Blaster, Fragile Elementalist, The Princess
Weapons: Staves
PL 11 (113)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 9 (+12)
Expertise (Soldier) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Royalty) 4 (+7)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Spells) 6 (+11)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Crown Princess of Guardiana), Equipment 1 (Staves +1), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ice) 2, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Freeze 3" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (18) -- [24]
  • AE: "Freeze 1/Blaze 1" Blast 3 (Feats: Variable- Ice or Fire) (7)
  • AE: "Freeze 2/Blaze 2" Blast 6 (Feats: Variable- Ice or Fire) (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (16)
  • AE: "Freeze 4" Blast 11 (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (Ranks 10-11 Limited to Toughness 8+ Troops) (16)
  • AE: "Bolt 1" Blast 4 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (8)
  • AE: "Bolt 2" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (14)
  • AE: "Muddle" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
Equipment:
"Staves" Strength-Damage +3

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Staff +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Freeze/Blaze 1 +11 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
FreezeBlaze 2 +6 Area (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Freeze 3 +9 Area (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Freeze 4 +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Bolt 1 +11 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Bolt 2 +7 Area (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Muddle +11 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Relationship (The King)- Anri is the daughter of the King of Guardiana, and his death moves her to revenge.
Responsibility (Naive)- Anri allows Woldol to bully his way into an audience with her, and she is badly hurt by the "gift" she accepts.
Power Loss (Magic- MP)- All Magic requires a base level of "Magic Points" to cast- Unreliable spells thus stack, so casting them multiple times can also prevent other spells from working.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 14 (113)

-Princess Anri appears early on in Shining Force I, and rather quickly joins your team- she is the Crown Princess of Guardiana, and her father is one of the first victims of the Runefaust invasion. Max is the one to tell her the bad news, as she's away at the Arcane College- the mourning Princess thus joins the Force for revenge against their general Kane, using Ice Magic. Here, she becomes your second mage, and wise players use both her & Tao frequently, carefully leveling-up both of them from their early starting points. Which takes some doing, as both are slow and have piss-poor spells to begin with.

-Queen Anri reappears in the two Gaiden games, having taken the throne of Guardiana, and she's the one to send the heroes on their quest.

-Anri joins you somewhat early on, and is somewhat similar to Tao, but much more offensively-keyed- she has all four Freeze spells, but also learns Blaze 1-2 & Bolt 1-2, making her able to strike the weakness of every foe that has one. The only non-damage spell she learns is "Muddle". Like all Wizards, she is extremely vulnerable, but she is said to be able to cast the most spells before running out of MP. This versatility (the Buff Spells aren't nearly as useful in late-game) makes her probably the most popular of the Mages to use, and as she has by far the most plot importance, that kind of makes sense. Overall, she is a PL 11 Blaster like Tao is, but has fewer Afflictions- Anri is designed to kill.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Domingo

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

DOMINGO
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Mage/Wizard
Role: Floating Jellyfish Alien, Blaster, Pokemon, The Tank Wizard
Weapons: Unarmed
PL 11 (110)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+5)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Spells) 6 (+11)

Advantages:
Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Ice) 2, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Desoul" Blast 11 (Feats: Improved Critical 3) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) Linked to Weaken Stamina 10 (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -2) (22) -- [28]
  • AE: "Freeze 1" Blast 3 (6)
  • AE: "Freeze 2" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (15)
  • AE: "Freeze 3" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (18)
  • AE: "Freeze 4" Blast 11 (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (Ranks 10-11 Limited to Toughness 8+ Troops) (16)
  • AE: "Boost" Enhanced Strength 2 & Ranged Damage 2 (Extras: Affects Others, Ranged) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (10)
  • AE: "Muddle" Affliction 9 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged) (18)
Flight 2 (8 mph) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Freeze 1 +11 (+3 Ranged Damage, DC 18)
Freeze +6 Area (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Freeze 3 +9 Area (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Freeze 4 +11 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Desoul +11 (+11 Ranged Damage & +10 Ranged Weaken, DC 26 & 20)
Muddle +11 (+9 Ranged Affliction, DC 19)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +7

Complications:
Prejudice (Oddball)- Domingo is the only creature of his kind in the world, and some refer to him as a "thing".
Disabled (Mute)- In the GBA remake, Domingo can only shout its own name.
Responsibility (Flying Mage)- As a flying spellcaster, Domingo will draw the most enemy attacks after Max.
Power Loss (Magic- MP)- All Magic requires a base level of "Magic Points" to cast- Unreliable spells thus stack, so casting them multiple times can also prevent other spells from working.

Total: Abilities: 54 / Skills: 24--7 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 32 / Defenses: 14 (110)

-Hatched from an egg you find on your journey (you have to find both the egg in a suit of armor at Marinara Castle, and a heating device in Pao with which to hatch it), Domingo joins your party and swiftly becomes memorable as a weird alien jellyfish with a white body, black innards, and LUDICROUS power! Domingo actually becomes the most versatile killer on your squad, flying around, blasting enemies with "Freeze" spells, and even tanking all of their hits! Domingo is thus the only Mage not to suffer from poor toughness, making him an auto-take for many players, despite lacking much character. Domingo's personality was in stark contrast to his appearance, as he acted a bit intellectual and even stand-offish, getting offended by things and being impeccably well-spoken. The character reappears as a playable Secret Character in Shining Force Gaiden for the Game Gear & Sega CD, found in the bushes in the twelfth battle, but his spells were changed.

-Domingo is inexplicably altered in the Game Boy Advance remake- like Pokemon, he can only shout his name. In this form, he lacks any other kind of character, and appears to just follow you along.

-Domingo is the toughest, hardiest Spellcaster in the game- the tough little bastard can also fire out Freeze 1-4, Muddle, Boost & Desoul! This makes him hell on wheels, and one of your best overall troops, as he can actually FLY up to the enemies, tank all their hits, then kill them with his variety of spells and wait for the rest of your party to arrive. The only reason you wouldn't auto-take him is because he's not really a "character", just a Pokemon that shouts its own name. "Freeze 4" tends to come so late in his experience that unless you grind him out, he won't ever get there. Curiously, he draws by far the most enemy aggro of anyone but Max- this is apparently because the game classifies him as both a "Mage" and a "Flier", both unit types which tend to draw more enemy fire.

-In the Gaiden games, Domingo's spells become Freeze 1-4, Blaze 1-3 and Bolt 1-3, making him a LOT more versatile a damaging fighter, and only one point more expensive. There, he is the only character who can learn "Freeze 4".

Domingo's Shining Force Gaiden Spell List:
"Bolt 3" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (20) -- [29]
  • AE: "Blaze 1" Blast 3 (6)
  • AE: "Blaze 2" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (15)
  • AE: "Blaze 3" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (18)
  • AE: "Freeze 1" Blast 3 (6)
  • AE: "Freeze 2" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (15)
  • AE: "Freeze 3" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (18)
  • AE: "Freeze 4" Blast 11 (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (Ranks 10-11 Limited to Toughness 8+ Troops) (16)
  • AE: "Bolt 1" Blast 4 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (8)
  • AE: "Bolt 2" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (14)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Jogurt

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

JOGURT (aka Yogurt)
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Jogurt
Role: Mascot, Joke Character
Weapons: Unarmed
PL 3 (18)
STRENGTH
-3 STAMINA -1 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 11 (+8)
Perception 5 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+7 Size)

Advantages:
Equipment (Jogurt Ring- Transforms Wearer to a Jogurt)

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision) [3]
Speed 1 (4 mph) [1]

"Natural Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength, +2 Dodge/Parry, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (-3 Damage, DC 12)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness -1, Fortitude +1, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Jogurt cannot use his paws to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 19--9 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 5 (18)

-Jogurt is a silly Joke Character mascot in Shining Force I, and reappears in many later games, typically as a doll or something. In battle, he's so comically useless that his one technique is to transform your party members into ANOTHER JOGURT- he has no real attacks or anything. You meet the character in a few random scenes (Gong's hut, Alterone Castle, Bustoke, Pao Church), typically squeaking or wording something as "mumble...", until randomly joining you at the final place.

-All of Jogurt's stats but Movement are "1"s, meaning he can't do anything. All he is is a decoy or filler. Killing an enemy nets him the Jogurt Ring, which, if equipped on another character... transforms them into another Jogurt. His only real "use" in battle is to use his surprisingly-fast movement to cart a Healing Potion or something to another character and use it. In all, he's a PL 3 character.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Mae! Pelle! Earnest! Guntz! Zylo! Tao!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Woodclaw wrote: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:17 am My only experience with the Shining series was one of the games on the Saturn (I think it was The Shining Holy Ark), which was completely bonkers in terms of character. I'm glad to see it was a theme of the series.
Interesting- I've never played any other types of games in the Shining world- many of the later games just looked like traditional anime stuff. What were the characters like in that?
User avatar
Woodclaw
Posts: 1462
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:05 pm
Location: Como, Italy

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Mae! Pelle! Earnest! Guntz! Zylo! Tao!)

Post by Woodclaw »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:30 am
Woodclaw wrote: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:17 am My only experience with the Shining series was one of the games on the Saturn (I think it was Shining the Holy Ark), which was completely bonkers in terms of character. I'm glad to see it was a theme of the series.
Interesting- I've never played any other types of games in the Shining world- many of the later games just looked like traditional anime stuff. What were the characters like in that?
I've not played the game in years, but from what I remember you got:
  • The main character, a warrior with an insanely big two-handed sword.
  • A sweet starry-eyed white-magic sorceress, who went from being able to shot lighting to summoning Thor as a regular spell.
  • A hard-assed black-mage, who acted as a sort of mentor/love interest for the sorceress and was possessed by the big bad for the first half of the game.
  • A super-stoic and serious ninja, who started as the gam first quest boss, but became an ally after being resurrected.
  • His non-girlfriend kunoichi, who also doubled as the team big eater and firework personality girl.
  • Their best friend a werewolf ninja (officially called a berserker) armed with Wolverine style claws.
  • A dragonman mercenary, who fought like a rugby linebacker.
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

WareHouse W (main build thread for M&M)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Amon

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Leave the air combat to me! No one can take me as long as I have my wings!"

AMON
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Bird Man/Sky Warrior
Role: Your Earliest Flier
Weapons: Swords
PL 8 (87)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Sword +4, Armor +1), Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Sword +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +4 (+5 Armor), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Balbaroy)- The two siblings are very close.
Vulnerable (Archers)- Flying units always take extra damage from archers for some reason.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 10 (87)

-Amon & Balbaroy are a pair of siblings (they're married in the GBA remake for some reason) who are recruited at Shade Abbey- Amon implores you to help out Balbaroy from the enemies, and when you do, they will both join you. They request to be paired up in battles, and their flight becomes an immediate advantage- both are the speediest units you can muster by far, going way beyond the rest of your troops, as they can sit on any square on the battlefield not occupied by an enemy. The main issue they have is that because they're such early fliers, the game "balances" them by making them soft targets with terrible damage- they pretty much suck worse in combat than any other "serious" unit- Bird Men are often replaced by other flying units as the game goes on.

-Amon, like Balbaroy, is a useful flying fighter, but loses versatility points as time goes on. She's a bit faster and harder to hit than Balbaroy is, but not as strong. A key advantage of the "Birdmen" classes is that they can also wield swords like Max, and can apparently even have Max's elite death swords swapped onto them! With their weaknesses, both are only PL 8, with Flight being their one advantage, but those Swords can push them higher.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Balbaroy

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"I will fight until Darksol is defeated or I'm finished on the battlefield."

BALBAROY
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Bird Man/Sky Warrior
Role: Your Earliest Flier
Weapons: Swords
PL 9 (89)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 7 (+9)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Sword +4, Armor +1), Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +10

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +5 (+6 Armor), Fortitude +6, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Amon)- The two siblings are very close.
Vulnerable (Archers)- Flying units always take extra damage from archers for some reason.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 10 (89)

-Balbaroy is found as a statue during a church battle- having been transformed by the enemy. After killing a room full of zombies, Balbaroy transforms back, saying that Darksol was the one who trapped him. In gratitude, he joins the Shining Force alongside Amon.

-Amon & Balbaroy are quite similar- both lightly-armored flying troops with fairly weak attacks. That said, they are absolutely perfect for the stage of the game you find them; as the game is all about mobility, being able to FLY is the greatest power you can have. Simply send Amon & Balbaroy up to the most annoying ranged enemies and kill them, then fly back. It's also handy for surrounding foes who are up against ledges (ground troops can't get behind them), and things like that. The only issue is they're easily overcome by your later guys. Balbaroy is tougher & stronger than Amon by a little bit, but less accurate and hard to hit.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Kokichi

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Kokichi the master airman will protect the skies! Dark Dragon, your head is MIIINE!!"

KOKICHI
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Wing Knight/Sky Lord
Role: Flying Knight
Weapons: Spears & Lances
PL 9 (88)
STRENGTH
1/3 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 8/9 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Insight 2 (+4)
Perception 3 (+5)
Technology 5 (+10)

Advantages:
Equipment 3 (Lance +4, Armor +2, Spear- Blast 5), Improved Critical (Polearms), Improved Initiative, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Teamwork

Powers:
"Flying Machine" (Flaws: Removable) [10]
"Levers & Pulleys" Enhanced Strength 2 (4)
Protection 5 (5)
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Winged) (3)
Enhanced Fighting 1 (2)
Enhanced Parry 1 (3)
-- (12 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Flying Machine +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Lance +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Spear +8 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (+10 Machine, DC 18-20), Toughness +2 (+3 Armor, +8 Flying Machine), Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Flight)- Kokichi has dreamed for years of flying through the skies.
Reputation (Quirky)- Kokichi is often made fun of for being overly-obsessed with his inventions.
Vulnerable (Archers)- Flying units always take extra damage from archers for some reason.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 10--5 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 14 (86)

-Kokichi was another thing entirely- a weird, mustached old man in a FLYING MACHINE? In a fantasy-themed game? Fast-moving and powerful, he joins Amon & Balbaroy as another flying unit, and plays up the "Quirky Inventor" stuff, with notes about things like how one attempt at a flying machine sent him so badly off course that it took him an entire year to get back.

-Kokichi is a "Winged Knight", and effectively replaces both Amon & Balbaroy, being more durable than either, and probably hitting harder. Excellent stats follow him, as he gains all the Spears & Lances that Knights get, and is tougher than the Birdmen, too. This makes him a very versatile, mobile fighter- not as strong as a Knight, but MUCH faster and able to ignore all terrain. Most players who vaule fliers dump the Birds for him.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Hanzou

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"... Hmph! Impertinent fiend! Before my ninja arts, you are no more than a sitting duck! Begone, foul beast!"
-Hanzou, during the final battle against Dark Dragon


HANZOU
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Ninja/Super Ninja
Role: Bad-Ass Ninja, Melee Fighter/Spellcaster
Weapons: Sword & Magic
PL 11 (156)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 10 (+13)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (Ninja) 10 (+12)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Steath 8 (+13)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Roll, Equipment 1 (Doom Blade +5), Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Initiative 2, Ranged Attack 6

Powers:
"Shield" Immunity 10 (Magical Effects) (Extras: Affects Others, Ranged) (30) -- [33]
  • AE: "Sleep" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
  • AE: "Dispel" Nullify 10 (Extras: Broad & Simultaneous- Magical Powers) (30)
  • AE: "Desoul" Blast 11 (Feats: Improved Critical 3) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) Linked to Weaken Stamina 10 (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -2) (22)
Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Doom Blade +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Sleep +11 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Dispel +10 (+11 Ranged Nullify, DC 21)
Desoul +11 (+11 Ranged Damage & Weaken, DC 26 & 20)
Initiative +13

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Motivation (Refining Skills)- Hanzou fights to keep his skills sharp. He will join any party with the odds stacked against them- all the better to improve his ninja talents.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 12 (156)

-And because Shining Force is awesome, they have a NINJA. Hanzou is a Secret Character found by searching the bushes in Runefaust- he pops out and joins the Shining Force because he likes to team up with underdogs- all the better to refine his skills. And Hanzou looks so bad-ass (I mean, it's the classic "Masked Ninja" look, but it's a classic for a reason) and is so effective in battle that nearly all serious players will keep him permanently-added from this point on- he's fast, accurate and very deadly.

-Hanzou shows up again in Shining Force Gaiden, but you have to find him twice before he joins you. In the Game Boy Advance remake of the first game, he's found via more arcane means- a series of signs that have to be read in order- "Floating on the Sea" is written on one. Then, next to a floating library, you find "Not the Bookshelf", and later, "A Cross Atop the Spire"- at a church, you find a basket that says to "Search the Fish"- in the subsequent palace, you find an area with several fish, step on one in a grey square, and Hanzou will appear.

-Hanzou is a powerful attacker, and one of the most versatile troops you'll ever get, owing to being a Hidden Character! In addition to great fighting ability, he learns the Dispel, Sleep, Shield and even Desoul spells- I always associate the latter just with him. It's an All-Or-Nothing "they die or you miss" spell, and perfect for taking out enemy Mooks instantly with a bitching "Grim Reaper" effect that slaughters enemy Mooks. The only downsides to him are low peak damage (he stops growing after a point, and gets sub-par weapons) and low MP, so he can't cast as often as your main Mages. The GBA remake somewhat neutralizes this by inventing the "Super Ninja" upgraded class.

-Hanzou overall ends up a PL 10 attacker with a good sword like the "Doom Blade" or Katana, but is PL 8.5 with his Parry, and one lower than that to Dodge. But then he has MAGIC- Desoul & Dispel make him PL 11!
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Musashi

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image
Image

"We meet at last, o purveyor of evil! Have at thee! You'll make a fine notch on my blade!"
-Musashi, during the final battle against Dark Dragon


MUSASHI
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Samurai/Swordmaster
Role: Bad-Ass Samurai, Front-Line Fighter
Weapons: Sword
PL 10 (105)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+10)
Expertise (Samurai) 10 (+11)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Equipment 2 (Katana +5, Armor +3), Improved Critical (Sword) 2, Improved Initiative, Power Attack

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Katana +11 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +5 (+9 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Bushi-Do)- Musashi follows the code of the samurai.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 11 (105)

-There's a ninja in Shining Force- why not a Samurai? Musashi joins you following Hanzou, and is even more devastating in battle- I pretty much immediately place him into the front lines, acting alongside the Knights as an assault force. Along with Hanzou, he is a Secret Character- you discover him in Prompt, by finding a note revealing his intentions to join the Shining Force. After finding this hard-to-locate note (good luck if you weren't using GameFAQs), he will simply appear in your Headquarters. Apparently his Japanese-style town was razed by the forces of Runefaust, and so he joins you for revenge. He reappears in Shining Force Gaiden hiding in the pillars of Battle 21.

-Musashi ends up a top-tier character almost right away, and becomes a huge part of your offensive strategy. With high attack & defense (he's tougher than even your Knights), he will slaughter just about anything, and can take a hit back, becoming one of your best fighters with even a little bit of effort in building him up. The only real "flaw" is that he's only a foot-troop, so lacks a ton of speed. He's PL 10 with his Katana (the only one you'll find in the game) and to Parry- highly unusual among the Shining Force.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Alef

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Powers of thunder! Hear my command! Destroy this vile apparition of evil!"
-Alef, during the final battle against Dark Dragon


ALEF
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Mage/Wizard
Role: Blaster, Fragile Elementalist
Weapons: Staves
PL 12 (104)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 8 (+10)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Spells) 6 (+11)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Staves +1), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Lightning) 2, Improved Initiative, Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Desoul" Blast 11 (Feats: Improved Critical 3) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) Linked to Weaken Stamina 10 (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -2) (22) -- [26]
  • AE: "Bolt 1" Blast 4 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (8)
  • AE: "Bolt 2" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (14)
  • AE: "Bolt 3" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (20)
  • AE: "Bolt 4" Blast 12 (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (Ranks 11-12 Limited to Toughness 8+ troops) (11)
Equipment:
"Staves" Strength-Damage +3

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Staff +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Bolt 1 +4 Area (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Bolt 2 +7 Area (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Bolt 3 +10 Area (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Bolt 4 +11 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Desoul +11 (+11 Ranged Damage & +10 Weaken, DC 26 & 21)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (Runefaust)- Alef & Torasu were imprisoned by Runefaust when the Shining Force finds them.
Power Loss (Magic- MP)- All Magic requires a base level of "Magic Points" to cast- Unreliable spells thus stack, so casting them multiple times can also prevent other spells from working.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 9 / Powers: 26 / Defenses: 14 (104)

-Characters like Alef & Torasu seem to appear frequently in Tactical RPGs- you fight the whole game through, and then right before the end, some rand-os show up who are like "Hey! I'm a super high-level character with tons of ass-kickery and useful powers! I would love to join your quest!". Fire Emblem for the Game Boy Advance had a super-powerful Wise Old Wizard join you immediately before the last battle against all the previous Generals and the Evil Dragon Final Boss, there was a married couple at high levels, and Shining Force I had Alef & Torasu. I feel that characters like this are a sort of "mulligan" for players who didn't wisely build up their Spellcasters well enough, so the game balances this potential by giving you great guys right at the end (so you're almost finished, so it's not like they're unbalancing things by giving you great characters, but JUST IN CASE...).

-Alef is a "Foxling" (another of the playable Animal People races in Shining Force), and has the most hitting power of the Mages you get, but like Torasu, I always feel weird about using latecomers.

-Alef joins the party so late in the game that I avoid using her, but she's similar to Anri in that she has all four of one offensive spell (in this case, Bolt- completing the trifecta of Wizards), and two of each of theh others. She also learns the powerful "Desoul" spell. "Bolt" is the most damaging of the spells you find in the game, however, but the high-MP costs means she'll run out of spells before Anri & Tao do, despite having the most MP. With "Bolt 4", she is the only member of the Shining Force to match Max in terms of Power Level- the thing makes her PL 11.5 at range.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Torasu

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Sigh... Here I am, a brand new member of the Shining Force...
And we're already fighting Dark Dragon. Why me?"


TORASU
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Priest/Vicar
Role: Healer
Weapons: Staves
PL 10 (148)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Expertise (Priest) 9 (+11)
Insight 4 (+7)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Equipment 1 (Staves +1), Ranged Attack 4

Powers:
"Aura 4" Healing 12 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4, Selective) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (72) -- [81]
  • AE: "Heal 1" Healing 4 (8)
  • AE: "Heal 2" Healing 6 (12)
  • AE: "Heal 3" Healing 8 (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (12)
  • AE: "Heal 4" Healing 12 (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (12)
  • AE: "Aura 1" Healing 4 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2, Selective) (14)
  • AE: "Aura 2" Healing 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (14)
  • AE: "Aura 3" Healing 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (24)
  • AE: "Detox" Healing 10 (Extras: Restorative Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Poisons) (10)
  • AE: "Shield" Immunity 10 (Magical Effects) (Extras: Affects Others, Ranged) (30)
Equipment:
"Staves" Strength-Damage +3

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Staff +6 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (Darksol)- Alef & Torasu were captured by Darksol's minions.
Power Loss (Magic- MP)- All Magic requires a base level of "Magic Points" to cast- Unreliable spells thus stack, so casting them multiple times can also prevent other spells from working.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 81 / Defenses: 9 (148)

-Torasu is a "Wise Old Spellcaster" type, in this case a Vicar. Easygoing and calm, he's all "Why me?" when he has to immediately fight terrifying enemies like Darksol and Dark Dragon. You win him & Alef when you defeat Chaos- they were his prisoners, and join you out of gratitude. I personally never use characters like this, though- they kind of take the limelight from people who you've got to know all game long, and specialized in building up, you know?

-Torasu is easily your most powerful Healer- if you sucked at building up Khris, here's your "Mulligan". He has all four "Heal" and "Aura" spells, letting him do just about everything (including heal the ENTIRE PARTY AT ONCE, the only character in the game with that ability), as well as Detox & Shield. He has zero offensive power at all, but he's so great at healing that nobody cares.
User avatar
KorokoMystia
Posts: 1402
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:42 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Zylo! Tao! Anri! Bird Men! Hanzou! Musashi!)

Post by KorokoMystia »

Yeah, last-minute joining characters like this are usually more effective in Fire Emblem, where character deaths are (usually) permanent, so it still gives you a chance to beat the game even if your party is dwindled and weak.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Bleu

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

Bleu: "That's right! He attacked us without warning. My grandparents... everyone... They were all slaughtered! I was terrified... and I've been hiding in here."
Karin: "Bleu! Is this true? While everyone was getting killed, you were just hiding? You worthless coward!"
Bleu: "K... Karin... Don't say that..."
Karin: "I Was so worried that I came after you... and all this time you were... I HATE you, Bleu!" *Karin leaves*

Karin: "Eeeeeek!"
Bleu: "That's Karin's voice!"
Rune Knight: "Hmph! Look what I Found - a poor, shivering little dragon kid! If you want the girl to live, you better open that door!"
Karin: "Don't do it! Don't listen to what he says! Don't worry about me! Defend the honour of the Dragon Gods!"
Bleu: "Karin!"
Rune Knight: "What's a puny little dragon like you gonna do about it?"
*Bleu breathes fire, immolating the Rune Knight and saving his last friend*

---

"Please watch over Grandma and Grandpa and all the others who died. I'm... I'm going to fight so that people will be proud to call me a dragon god!"
-During the final battle against Dark Dragon


BLEU
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Dragon/Great Dragon
Role: Slowly-Built Mega-Threat
Weapons: Breath Weapon
PL 11 (117)
STRENGTH
6 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Perception 6 (+7)
Persuasion 5 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Dragon Breath) 8 (+11)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative, Inspire, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Dragon Breath" Blast 10 (20) -- [21]
  • AE: "Tail Whip" Strength-Damage +3 (3)
Flight 3 (16 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [3]
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Tail Whip +11 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Dragon Breath +11 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +10, Fortitude +11, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Dragon God)- Bleu is the last of the Dragon Gods, and is responsible for the protection of the world.
Responsibility (Coward)- Bleu cowered and hid while his grandparents were slaughtered by Darksol's forces. His closest human friend shamed him for his failure, but he finally lashed out to protect her. Bleu is still greatly frightened of the monsters in his midst, and must find his courage once more.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 8 / Powers: 25 / Defenses: 13 (117)

-One of the more "obviously, you need to build up this character properly" characters in Shining Force I is Bleu- a freaking DRAGON. He actually gets a wonderful story, and one with more character development than anyone else in the game. Bleu, you see, is a COWARD. One of the last Dragon Gods in the world, he cowers and hides when Darksol's forces attack, and his beloved guardians, his grandparents, die defending him. Karin, his human protector, screams and rages at his cowardice, saying she hates him, and he only finds his courage when she's threatened as well- immolating a Rune Knight, he is congratulated, and joins the Shining Force to make amends and carry out his responsibility.

-Characters like Bleu appear in later games as well, reflecting his "Wimpy First Appearance; Bad-Ass Final Form" nature- he starts out as a kawaii, large-eyed Baby Dragon, but his "Great Dragon" upgraded class sees him with spikes and a more frightening appearance. This is reflected by Peter & Kiwi in Shining Force II- both start out as silly-looking cartoon characters, but morph into a powerful Phoenix & Gamera, respectively.

-Bleu starts out as a very weak fighter, befitting his trademark cowardice. Naturally, even the weakest of players will recognize that this is one of those guys that you build up over time, taking out weakened foes, as obviously a FRIGGIN' DRAGON is going to do some damage. Bleu cannot be equipped with any weapons to power him up, so you have to level him all the way, at which point he picks up stats like no one else in your party- his HP, attack & defense will skyrocket way past anyone else, and will likely end up the overall strongest character in the entire game! AND he can fly! He's the Tactical RPG player's dream character!
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Adam

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

"Lord Max, the time has finally come. Even if my body is reduced to scrap metal, I will see my mission through to its end."
-Adam, before the battle with Dark Dragon


ADAM
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Robot
Role: Robot Friend in a Fantasy World
Weapons: Unarmed & Laser
PL 9 (125)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA -- AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+10)
Expertise (History) 10 (+11)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 6 (+8)

Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 8

Powers:
"Robot"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 9 [9]
"Laser Cannon" Blast 8 (Flaws: Unreliable) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +9, Fortitude --, Will +7

Complications:
Enemy (Dark Dragon)- The Adam units were created for the purpose of defeating Dark Dragon.
Vulnerable (Magic)- Robots are weak against Magic.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 47 / Defenses: 9 (125)

-So with all the weirdness of Shining Force suddenly having Laser Eyes and high-tech things floating around, created by the "Ancients", it was perhaps inevitable that your team would be joined by a ROBOT. Adam the Robot immediately greets Max, and reveals that he was Max's helper- one of many Adams that were created just in case Dark Dragon ever awoke. However, all the other Adams were destroyed by Darksol, and their leader Chaos is reprogrammed into being a villain. In Shining Force Gaiden, Adam becomes your team's advisor.

-Adam is... a character I TRIED to level up. I really did, especially on my second playthrough. But the son of a bitch just NEVER GOT ANY BETTER. But he's said to get very powerful in later levels by others (with the highest Defense/Toughness possible), so I may have been cursed by the "random stat boosts" that afflicted the GBA remake of the game. But one guy on GameFAQs also suggests he just sucks and takes too long to improve, so who knows? The character's speed is nearly always horrid, so he's another character like Guntz that needs the "Mobility Ring" to get better- as you have only one, you're likely going to use one or the other guy.

-I pitied Adam enough to make him a PL 9 melee fighter/Tank, with good accuracy, decent damage, and the second-highest Toughness after Guntz.
Post Reply