Magic

Magic is a combat skill in the Valkyrie Profile series. It is the primary means of attack of the Sorcerer class, although not restricted to it, but also serves to heal or reinforce the party, as well as enfeebling enemies. Some enemies are also able to cast magic.

Mechanics[]

Prior to combat, a default attack spell must be selected for each Sorcerer, which will activate whenever their face button is pressed. Spells can also be cast from the battle menu, but if this concerns an attack spell, it will not register on the energy gauge. However, some spells can only be cast from the menu.

Valkyrie Profile[]

Only Sorcerers are able to use magic. Each Sorcerer is able to have an arsenal of up to ten spells, which they can learn and re-learn at will, as long as an appropriate spellbook is available in the player's inventory (eg. if a Sorcerer already has ten spells learned, they can overwrite one of those spells with another spell at any time).

Spells are considered as ranged attacks, meaning that they can reach enemies in the back of a formation. Each spell has a different CT cost, meaning that a Sorcerer will usually be unable to attack with a spell on every turn. Casting certain attack spells from the menu will allow them to be multi-targeted.

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]

Magic is no longer restricted to Sorcerers, as Light Warriors and Archers are also able to learn some spells, even though Sorcerers will still tend to perform better. The only class unable to use any magic are Heavy Warriors. However, Light Warriors and Archers are restricted to spells which can only be cast from the menu.

Spells are no longer learned through spellbooks. Instead, characters will learn spells at specific levels as they gain EXP. Each Sorcerer, Light Warrior and Archer has their own selection of spells.

In combat, a Sorcerer's default attack spell will use AP like any other attack and, once the Divine Time Giver is acquired, the Sorcerer will be able to cast it repeatedly, as long as there is AP left.

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume[]

As in Valkyrie Profile, magic is, once again, restricted to Sorcerers, and spells are learned through spellbooks. However, there are no longer any menu restrictions, meaning that a Sorcerer may know all available spells. Each Sorcerer will join with a minimum of two spells already learned.

A Sorcerer's default attack spell also determines their counterattack. Default attack spells will not use AP, but spells cast from the menu will.

Spell Categories[]

There are five main categories of spells: attack magic, Great Magic, restorative magic, defensive magic and debilitating magic.

Attack Magic[]

This category consists of spells related to the six elements featured in the series (fire, ice, lightning, earth/poison, holy and darkness). Their power depends on the character's INT stat, and they can be set as default attacks for Sorcerers in combat.

Valkyrie Profile[]

Some attack spells may be multi-targeted when cast through the menu (Fire Storm, Icicle Edge, Lightning Bolt, Poison Blow, Mystic Cross, Shadow Servant). Essentially, this means that, for each element, there is one single-target and one multi-target spell. Stone Torch and Poison Blow are both considered poison-elemental. Prismatic Missile is considered lightning-elemental.

**Table of Contents - Attack Magic in Valkyrie Profile**
Spell	Hits	Charge Time (CT)	Gauge (hit)	Total Gauge (hits × gauge)	Added Effect	Multi-target (menu)	Element	Great Magic	Initial Spell
Fire Lance¹	2	3	20	40	-	No	Fire	Calamity Blast	Lorenta, Gandar, Lezard
Fire Storm	1	2	50	50	-	Yes	Fire	Ifrit Caress	Jelanda, Nanami
Frigid Damsel	3	5	15	45	Freeze (12.5% chance per hit)	No	Ice	Absolute Zero	Yumei
Icicle Edge¹	3	5	15	45	Freeze (12.5% chance per hit)	Yes	Ice	Crystal Strike	Yumei
Prismatic Missile	5	10	10	50	May inflict random status ailment(s) on the target	No	Lightning	Gravity Blessing	Gandar, Lezard Valeth
Lightning Bolt	3	9	8	24	Paralysis (12.5% chance per hit)	Yes	Lightning	Dragon Bolt	Nanami
Stone Torch¹	1	3	5	5	Petrify (12.5% chance)	No	Poison	Carnage Anthem	Yumei, Lezard
Poison Blow	1	3	5	5	Poison (12.5% chance)	Yes	Poison	Petro Disruption	Gandar, Lezard
Sacred Javelin	5	3	10	50	-	No	Holy	Seraphic Law	Mystina, Lyseria
Mystic Cross¹	4	6	10	40	-	Yes	Holy	Celestial Star	Lorenta, Mystina, Lyseria, Lezard
Dark Savior	3	3	5	15	-	No	Darkness	Cosmic Spear	Mystina, Lezard
Shadow Servant¹	3	5	15	45	-	Yes	Darkness	Meteor Swarm	Gandar

¹ Exclusive to Valkyrie Profile.

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]

Most attack spells return from Valkyrie Profile, with the major difference that they cannot be cast from the menu. Instead, each spell has an elemental, multi-targetable counterpart which can only be cast from the menu. These menu-only spells are the only attack spells that Archers and Light Warriors can use. The only exceptions are Prismatic Missile and Dark Savior. They can be set both as default attack spells and cast from the menu. However, Archers and Light Warriors cannot learn them. The poison element has been replaced by earth, so Poison Blow is considered as an earth-elemental spell. Prismatic Missile has also been recategorized as a holy-elemental spell.

1 menu-only spells, exclusive to Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume[]

All attack spells can be set as default or cast through the menu, once again. However, only Sacred Javelin and Dark Savior can be multi-targeted by that means. Poison Blow is still considered earth-elemental.

Great Magic[]

Great Magic is a Sorcerer's version of a Purify Weird Soul or Soul Crush, a selection of powerful elemental spells. However, they can only be cast under certain conditions. They can also be used by enemies.

Valkyrie Profile[]

Each attack spell has its own associated Great Magic, meaning that a Sorcerer's Great Magic will depend on their chosen attack spell. Great Magic will be used if the Sorcerer's weapon allows it. If it does not, the Sorcerer's default attack spell will instead be cast three times in a row. Great Magic spells are among the most powerful abilities in the game: most enemy encounters outside of the Seraphic Gate can be dispatched with one or two Great Magic spells, especially if their elemental weakness is targeted. All Great Magic spells are multi-target.

Calamity Blast (from Fire Lance)
Ifrit Caress (from Fire Storm)
Absolute Zero (from Frigid Damsel)
Crystal Strike (from Icicle Edge)
Dragon Bolt (from Lightning Bolt)
Gravity Blessing (from Prismatic Missile)
Carnage Anthem (from Stone Torch)
Petro Disruption (from Poison Blow)
Seraphic Law (from Sacred Javelin)
Celestial Star (from Mystic Cross)
Cosmic Spear (from Dark Savior)
Meteor Swarm (from Shadow Servant)

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]

Unlike in Valkyrie Profile, each Sorcerer is associated to an element, which determines his Great Magic, regardless of the default attack spell he picks. As any other Soul Crush, it will only be cast if the Sorcerer's weapon allows it. Pale Flare and Phantom Destruction can be used by any Sorcerer, provided they equip the Wand of Apocalypse or Holy Wand of Telos, respectively.

Animate Earth (fire)
Tidal Wave (ice)
Gravity Blessing (lightning)
Maleficent Harm (earth)
Phantom Destruction (holy)
Pale Flare (darkness)

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume[]

Each attack spell has an associated Great Magic, like in Valkyrie Profile. Thus, each Sorcerer is able to cast any Great Magic, depending on their chosen attack spell.

Ifrit Caress (from Fire Storm)
Tidal Wave (from Frigid Damsel)
Gravity Blessing (from Lightning Bolt)
Maleficent Harm (from Poison Blow)
Phantom Destruction (from Sacred Javelin)
Meteor Swarm (from Dark Savior)

Restorative Magic[]

This category consists of three healing and status-restoring spells. They are identical in all three games and can only be cast through the menu. The only difference is that Heal is multi-target in Valkyrie Profile, but single target in the subsequent games.

**Table of Contents - Restorative Magic in Valkyrie Profile**
Spell	Charge Time (CT)	Multi-target (menu)	Initial Spell
Heal	5	Yes¹	Jelanda, Lorenta, Shiho
Normalize	1	No	Nanami, Mystina, Shiho
Invoke Feather	5	No	Lorenta, Shiho, Lyseria, Lezard

¹ Heal is multi-target in Valkyrie Profile, but single target in the subsequent games.

Defensive Magic[]

This category includes spells that enhance a character's status. They are identical in all three games and can only be cast through the menu. Again, they are all multi-target in Valkyrie Profile, but single-target in the subsequent games.

Valkyrie Profile[]

**Table of Contents - Defensive Magic in Valkyrie Profile**
Spell	Charge Time (CT)	Added Effect	Multi-target (menu)	Initial Spell
Might Reinforce	3	Increases party ATK by 50% for 10 turns	Yes¹	Shiho, Lyseria
Guard Reinforce	3	Increases party RDM by 50% for 10 turns	Yes¹	Shiho, Lyseria, Lezard Valeth
Spell Reinforce	3	Increases the party's MAG by 50% for 10 turns.	Yes¹	-
Reflect Sorcery	8	Causes spells to reflect back to their caster. Lasts 3 turns.	Yes¹	-

¹ These spells are all multi-target in Valkyrie Profile, but single target in the subsequent games.

Debilitating Magic[]

This category includes spells that lower an enemy's status. They can only be cast through the menu.

Valkyrie Profile[]

**Table of Contents - Debilitating Magic in Valkyrie Profile**
Spell	Charge Time (CT)	Added Effect	Multi-target (menu)	Initial Spell
Sap Power	1	Reduces the target's ATK for 5 turns. Amount varies.	No	-
Sap Guard	1	Reduces the target's RDM for 5 turns. Amount varies	No	Lorenta, Mystina, Gandar
Dampen Magic	6	Prevents the foe from using magic. Lasts 3 turns.	Yes	Lezard
Shield Critical¹	6	Prevents the use of special attacks. Lasts 3 turns.	Yes	Gandar, Lezard

¹ Exclusive to Valkyrie Profile.

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[]

Most spells are cast over a wide circular area and can thus be multi-targeted. Only Dampen Magic and Spiritual Thorn are single-target.

1 exclusive to Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume[]

All spells are single-target.

1 equivalent to Dampen Magic from the previous games

2 exclusive to Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume