When one Class of enemy attacks a body part, armor on that body part may gain a bonus to that Class, or a bonus to another Class may decrease. When Ashley attacks one Class of enemy with a weapon, that weapon may gain a bonus to that Class, or a bonus to another Class may decrease.
Class bonuses are affected according to their position in the continuum:
Evil > Human > Beast > Undead > Phantom > Dragon > Evil > Human
and so on. For example, in a battle with an Ogre, which is a Beast, Ashley's armor may increase in Beast Class protection, but Undead or Phantom Class, or even both, may decrease. In this example, Dragon and Evil and Human would never be affected.
Decreases are less likely; the tendency is for bonuses to increase, but the chance for an increase is not much more than double the chance for a decrease. Gain two, lose one, amounting to an increase of one overall, is pretty near the formula, based on anecdotal evidence. There is no way to increase Class outside of combat, as there is with Affinity.
Weapon combinations are counterindicated until the player has a really good idea what they are doing with Affinities. See Combinations
One of two things is highly advisable to do with weapons at the start, and it should be done as soon as possible.
- Either:
- Designate (renaming helps) each of three weapons a separate task. One is for killing Human and Phantom Class enemies. One is for killing Beasts and Dragons. The third is for killing Undead and Evil. As long as this format is adhered to, Ashley's weapons will never ever lose Class points. Elemental affinities will come and go, perhaps making Physical dwindle away to a minus, or Physical may grow and push out hard-won Elemental affinities, but the most precious resource of all, Class, will only get stronger and stronger.
- Alternatively, Entities' resistance to damage Type varies between Blunt, Piercing, and Edged so much that it is arguably quite effective, and certainly much easier, to keep only three weapons on hand, one of each Type of damage, and target the enemies' weaknesses in this regard instead of using Class or Affinity. There are a few exceptions, notably Rosencrantz, Deaths, and the final boss, where there is no advantage to using one Type over another, and where there is some elemental weakness or the obvious Class weakness.
Class bonuses of an item in the beginning, when it is first dropped, are fairly predictable, based on its material. Note that this is not true of all drops, and items from Chests, which can vary in their bonuses.
Affinity and Class can all be altered by Crafting.
Class when Combining[]
See Raising armor, Raising weapons, Combinations and All High
Two Class and Affinity values are always retained when Combining Items; the highest of any of the values on any piece, and the lowest of the values, with one exception. If the lowest number on one piece is the same exact Class or Affinity as the highest number on the other piece, the highest number prevails.
For example, two Firangis are combined; the first has 100 Human, and 0 Beast, with the rest values between 100 and 0, and the second has values between that, including 99 Beast. The resulting Firangi will have 100 Human and 0 Beast, with the other values being a little higher than on either of the two originals. The 0 Beast is the lowest value, so it is retained, taking away the high bonus of 99 Beast altogether. But if the second Firangi had 100 Beast instead of 99, then because the values at 100 are tied for top place, and the highest value prevails over the lowest, then the the resulting blade would have 100 Human and 100 Beast.
So the trick is to gain bonuses of 100, and ignore losses completely, as they will be 'covered over' with the 100 bonuses. In the Three Weapon strategy, one blade or equipment specializes in Human and Phantom Class, another Beast and Dragon, and a third Undead and Evil. In the same way, a blade or equipment specializes in either of the opposing affinities, but not the other: Air or Earth, Fire or Water, and Light or Dark. Ideally, another specializes in the opposing affinities, and a third specializes in Physical, but this must be balanced with the Class.
Class will be impacted if two or fewer items must be combined, and any time Physical must be on the same item as other affinities, they will be. Class can be simpler if the classes are raised in order. Raising Human, for example, will impact some Undead points, and Undead, many Phantom points. This sounds bad, but it is nothing in comparison to raising Light, losing Dark, and then losing Light again when the Dark is raised, back and forth.
See Also[]
- Affinity, Class and Type in Vagrant Story
- Combine
- Material
- Raising armor affinities and class in Vagrant Story
- Raising weapon affinities and class in Vagrant Story
- Workshop