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FF4PSP Ability Taunt

The effects of the Moon Phase during Waning Moon. Kain's Attack power is increased (green), while Jump power is decreased (red).

The light from the moon casts its effects upon all creatures of our blue planet. No monsters can escape from its influence, and neither can you, Prince Ceodore.

Moon Phase (月齢, Getsurei?) is a gameplay mechanic in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. It involves the cycles of the moon, which have a direct effect on the power of certain battle commands during combat. Depending on the moon phase present at any given time, it has the potential to raise or lower the power of White Magic, Black Magic, special abilities, and physical attacks.

Overview[]

The Moon Phase system is first explained by Biggs and Wedge at the beginning of Ceodore's tale as a mysterious side effect of the phases of the moon. During each phase, one particular type of battle command will have its effectiveness lowered, indicated by red lettering, while another will have its effectiveness improved, indicated by green lettering. This condition not only applies to playable characters, but to enemies as well, and can be used to directly affect the difficulty of some battles with proper planning.

There are four different phases that follow a cycle—New, Waxing, Full, and Waning. Phases are cycled every time the player uses a tent or cottage, stays at an inn, or happen automatically after thirty minutes of playtime. In addition to affecting battle parameters, certain enemies will only appear during a specific Moon Phase in certain areas. The effects of Moon Phases still occur even when the player is on the Red Moon or True Moon.

The Moon Phase also affects the power of Band abilities—if a Band ability uses commands to calculate damage that are weaker under the current phase, the Band will be weaker as well. The Divine Heal Band specifically has a different effect depending on the Moon Phase.

Types of phases[]

New Moon[]

TAY New Moon

The New Moon phase will raise the power of Skill abilities and lower White Magic.

During this phase, the following monsters will appear:

Waxing Moon[]

TAY Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon phase will improve White Magic and lower Black Magic.

During this phase, the following monsters will appear:

Full Moon[]

TAY Full Moon

The Full Moon phase will raise Black Magic, but Attack abilities will be weaker. Also, the Sand Pearl can only be obtained during this phase.

During this phase, the following monsters will appear:

Waning Moon[]

TAY Waning Moon

The Waning Moon phase will improve Attack abilities, but Skill abilities will be weaker.

During this phase, the following monsters will appear:

Notes[]

  • The following are classified as Skill attacks and will be affected by the Moon Phase—Jump, Risk Strike, Aim, Big Throw, Tenketsu, Chakra, Ninjutsu, Bardsong, Piercing Sight, Gil Toss, Jive, Dance, Illusions, Human Kite
  • The following are not affected by any Moon Phase—Awaken, Analyze, Blessing, Summon, Focus, Cover Counter, Bluff, Throw, Mug, Pray, Salve, Escape, Pressure, Taunt, Cover, Shuriken, Steal.
  • Kick is classified as an Attack command instead of a Skill ability, and as such will be weaker during a Full Moon and stronger during a Waning Moon.

Etymology[]

The term lunar effect refers to the belief that there is a correlation between specific stages of the Earth's lunar cycle and behavior in animals, including humans, which cannot simply be explained by variation in light levels. Claims of a lunar connection have appeared in many contexts. According to one such claim, people with mental disorders exhibit episodes of increased violence or aggressiveness during a full moon.

The lunar phase or phase of the moon is the shape of the illuminated (sunlit) portion of the Moon as seen by an observer on Earth. The lunar phases change cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing positions of the Moon and Sun relative to the Earth.

A natural satellite or moon is an astronomical body that orbits a planet or minor planet.

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