Description[]
A Song is a harmful or beneficial status effect that can have many different effects until it wears off or is removed. Affected characters could have many different effects placed on them by songs. The effect given depends on the type of song used.
Refer to the list of Songs to see the individual effects.
Notes[]
- Offensive song effects, or Enfeebling Songs, use the CHR stat as an accuracy modifier. In addition, at level 51 or higher, using a matching elemental staff such as Light Staff and Earth Staff will greatly increase the chances of successfully landing the song on the enemy.
- Beneficial song effects, or Enhancing Songs, cannot be "resisted" and do not make use of accuracy; therefore they are not enhanced by CHR or a matching elemental staff.
- Most Enhancing Songs have radius Area of Effect centering around the caster, meaning their effects can be granted to multiple party members at once by casting them near other party members. Similar to -ra magic, these spells can only target the caster, meaning the radius AoE cannot be centered around another player instead. As a result, players utilizing songs typically need to be mobile in a party and need cooperation and proper placement from fellow party members in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.
- Two types of Enhancing Songs, Etude and Prelude, are single target and can be cast upon other party members directly.
- Enfeebling Songs are typically single target. Horde Lullaby is the sole exception and has a small AoE.
- Almost all song effects mimic and combine with other pre-existing types of status effects. For example: March gives an effect that reduces attack delay similar to Haste, and can be combined with the Haste spell; while Minne gives a bonus to defense similar to Protect and can be combined with the Protect spell.
- Even with two different players casting Enhancing Songs, it is not possible to combine two of the exact same effect of the exact same tier on any player. For instance, if two Bards attempt to cast Mage's Ballad on a player at the same time, only one will take effect; the effect will not be doubled or duplicated in any way. It is possible for one Bard to cast it while the other casts Mage's Ballad II, though.
- Unlike some "buff" spells of other magic types whose duration and potency levels never change, it is possible to improve the duration and potency of most Enhancing Songs.
- Song duration is typically enhanced by various Instruments (most Enhancing Songs last for 2 minutes, or 40 ticks). Also, unlike buffs of other magic types, Enhancing Songs continue to have the same duration they would normally have even when cast on a player of lower level than the level of the song (in which case, for buffs of other magic types, the buff duration is usually lowered proportionally).
- Song duration can be temporarily doubled by the Bard meritable Job Ability, Troubadour.
With Carnwenhan99+Gjallarhorn99+Troubadour+AF3 body+AF3 neck+AF3 hands = March duration is 8min:48sec.
- Song potency is enhanced by various Instruments, as well as the player's Singing, Wind Instrument and String Instrument skill levels.
- Song potency can be temporarily doubled by the Bard Two Hour Ability, Soul Voice.
How to remove the effect[]
- The White Magic spell Erase will remove Enfeebling Song effects placed on you by enemies.
- Enhancing Song effects on the opposition can be dispelled.
- A character may only have one Enhancing Song effect on him/her per player singing. If a player casting songs has an instrument equipped (which only Bards can use), the player may have two of his own Enhancing Songs in effect on himself and his party members at the same time, instead of one. If a new Enhancing Song is cast by a player on someone who already has reached the limit of active Enhancing Song effects, a song effect will be removed from that person and replaced with the new one. If there are two such effects in place, the one with the least duration remaining will be removed and replaced.
- Note that the song effect with the least duration remaining is not necessarily the song that was cast earliest. Due to differing available Instruments, song durations may differ as well.
- Enhancing Song effects on the player cannot be removed manually, but will be removed upon changing areas or logging out.