BREATH OF FIRE
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BREATH OF FIRE
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    Dragon
   Handbook

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That's all the ANSI graphics you get.  Sorry.

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Version 0.1: 8/17/0.  Nothing but a framework, using movelists from one of
	the many BoF4 FAQs on gamefaqs.com, making sure to avoid looking at
	storyline and non-dragon-related gameplay spoilers. :)  Nothing worth
	releasing, as none of it is my own writing.

Version 0.7: 12/4/0.  I'm most of the way through the game, and I've
	finally seen most of the dragon forms with my own eyes.  Still to be
	added: Evolved forms of Behemoth, Myrmidion, and Mutant (Bandersnatch,
	Knight, and Punk in the Japanese game, but I've little reason to
	believe they'll use those names, since Jubjub and Jabberwock weren't
	used for the evolved Wyvern and Serpent).  Need the names, descriptions,
	and approximate effects of the Sea and Sand dragon summons.  Need to
	replay the game to get the Wyvern's stats.  Need to find out why the
	heck Kaiser is still unconrollable. Redone: All spell names and
	descriptions.

Version 0.75: 12/7/0. Just finished the game tonight, with a Clear Game
	Save time of 51:05.  I still have far to go on this guide, however,
	since I only have 15,000 Game Points and three un-upgraded dragon
	forms (the same three listed above).  Added in stats for the Infini
	Dragon.

Version 0.751: 12/7/0.  While re-testing a few things I wrote about in the
	above update, I found the last two Evocations.  I also found that
	Kaiser was now controllable (it apparently *was* the missing
	Evocations that was keeping him berserk), so I included his stat
	bonuses.

Version 1.0: 12/8/0. Played with the Sandflyer mini-game to see how the
	scoring works, and got up to 36,368 Game Points in the process.
	Got stats for the Knight, Mammoth, and Punk dragons (as well as
	confirmed the names and move lists).  Figured out exactly how the
	Dragon Upgrade system works.  Found another mini-game, copied the
	in-game descriptions of the dragons, added information on Catastrophe
	and Earthshaker combos.  Oh, did I mention that this is the *first*
	public release?  All the above updates were just warm-ups. :)

Version 1.2: 12/11/0.  Figured out why I was getting such odd percentage
	numbers for the dragon power-ups:  Because the armor and weapons are
	counted *after* the base stats power up.  With that taken into
	account, the numbers all came out evenly.  The only problem is, that
	means I have to play through the game again to get the un-upgraded
	stat boosts for all the dragons. :)  Currently still approximate:
	Behemoth, Myrmidon, Punk (though I believe Punk is correct).  Still
	unknown: Wyvern.  All others are now correct.

Version 1.3: 12/13/0.  Finally got far enough in my second game to get correct
	stats for Behemoth, Myrmidon, and Punk, and finally got Wyvern's stats.
	Updated the Sheep mini-game a bit.  My second time through the game I
	Currently have about 24,000 Game Points (with the Wyvern and Mutant
	upgraded), with the Sandflier courses left completely undone.... at
	the moment :)  Updated Evocation section to include how to get *all*
	the dragons (making this guide just a bit less spoiler-free).

Version 1.35: 12/18/0.  Upgraded all the dragons in my second game.  I have
	50,000 game points (more or less exactly).  Some oddities:  Stardrop
	is at Level 4, not Level 3 as expected.  Perhaps the Punk gains
	breath levels more quickly than the Mutant.  Also received new
	information suggesting that having all the dragon crystals *isn't*
	required to control Kaiser, just all the Dragon summons.
	Unfortunately, I'll have to play through the game again to test this
	(actually, that's not entirely true; I have a game saved somewhat
	close to the final dragon summon).

--------------

This information guide is copyright 2000 DarkStorm, currently raiu (at)
geocities (dot) com.  Do not publish this commercially without my
permission (and I *will* want to be paid for it :). Do not put this FAQ on
your website without contacting me first. Basically, read it all you want,
save it to your hard drive, and enjoy it forever, but don't publish it or
post it to another web page without e-mailing me and asking my permission
(and I can't think of a reason I wouldn't give my permission).  Simple,
neh?

Do make sure, however, that you are looking at the most recent version of this
guide, which should always be on my web stie and www.gamefaqs.com.

Breath of Fire and all related names are, of course,  Capcom.  The Pokemon
names that I've worked into the latest release are  Nintendo / Game Freak /
Creatures.  This is an informational work only.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
i. Dragon Forms
        A. Overview
        B. Ryuu's Dragon Forms
                1. Aura
                2. Wyvern
                3. Behemoth
                4. Myrmidion
                5. Mutant
                6. Kaiser
        C. Fou-Lu's Dragon Forms
                1. Astral
                2. Serpent
                3. Behemoth
                4. Tyrant
        D. Infini
ii. Dragon Evocation
iii. Miscelleny
        A. Dragon Abilities Quick Reference List
        B. Breath of Fire 1 Comparison
        C. Mini-Game Madness

-------------

i. Dragon Forms

A. Overview of the Breath of Fire IV Dragon System

        For simplicity's sake, I'll just use Ryuu's name here.  All of the
following information applies to Fou-Lu's dragon transformations as well
(unless specified otherwise).  This text may contain minor spoilers (as
does any guide), but as few as possible, hopefully.  I've avoided storyline
spoilers wherever possible (with the sole exception of 'when or how you get
this dragon-form' spoilers).  If you want to find all the dragons and what
they do for yourself, don't read this guide :)

        The Dragons are handled somewhat differently this time around,
though it still most closely resembles BoF3's system. Unlike BoF3, however,
this isn't a complete transformation; Ryuu turns into a dragon-man
(resembling the Warrior Dragon from BoF3), who can then use 'Dragon Magic'.
This dragon-man looks the same for every dragon form, and Fou-Lu and Ryuu
look almost exactly the same in this form, except that Ryuu's claws, tail,
and wings are red, while Fou-Lu's are blue. Their dragon-form portraits
have similar subtle differences, but are otherwise identical.

        However, when using a Breath attack (DragonBreath, Eraser, etc),
they transform into full dragon form for the attack, which is presented as
a polygonal cinema scene.  Think of it as a variation on the way Kaiser
worked on BoF3, combined with the overblown - but fun to watch - summon
spells from Final Fantasy. (After viewing the full-blown breath sequence
once, it gives you the option to skip the whole thing on future runs by
pressing the X button).

        Also, like BoF3 Kaiser, Ryuu has full access to his Spell and Skill
lists in dragon-form.  However, Ryuu has no spells this time around other
than Transformation and Evocation magic (and, of course, any Skills you
choose to give him).  You don't have to worry that he'll be out of AP
becuase he used them all casting healing spells in human form. Fou-Lu does
not have Dragon Evocation spells, but he does share Ryuu's Skill list.

        All dragon forms have separate HP, based on Ryuu's current maximum.
If a dragon "dies" in battle, it simply causes Ryuu to revert... but that
dragon form can't be used again until he rests at an inn or in camp, or
uses the item Ambrosia to restore all dragons to full HP. However, dragons
who have been injured in battle slowly regain HP out of battle as you walk
around.  Note, however, that normal healing spells and items won't work on
dragons.  Ambrosia is the *only* item that can heal the dragons, and it's
extremely rare.

        The elemental dragons (including Mutant) upgrade (or 'evolve', as
the game refers to it) into a more powerful form at 10,000, 20,000, 35,000,
and 50,000 Game Points.  The order they change is completely up to the player:
When you pass 10,000 Points, the next elemental dragon you pick will
automatically and permanently upgrade into its superior form.  Same at each
plateau after that.  Wyvern and Serpent are linked - if one evolves, so will
the other (so you can't "waste" an upgrade by using it on Serpent).  The only
real differences between basic and upgraded forms are higher stats, a few
extra moves on their ability list, and the dragon in the Breath attack is a
slightly different color.  Aura, Kaiser, Astral, and Tyrant cannot be upgraded
- Kaiser and Tyrant *are*, in a sense, the upgraded forms of Aura and Astral
(the game even describes them as such).

        Note that the cost of transformation is related to Ryuu's level.
At level 50, for example, it'll cost him 50 (Aura), 75 (Wyvern, Weyr,
Behemoth, Mammoth, Myrmidon, Knight), 60 (Mutant, Punk), or 100 (Kaiser) AP
to transform.  Like BoF3, Ryuu must expend AP each round to maintain dragon
form; unlike BoF3, this cost is 1/4 the transformation AP (rounded down),
not 1/2.  Note that the AP cost of the upgraded dragons is the same as
their basic forms.  Note also that Fou-Lu *starts* at level 64, so needs to
use a lot of AP right from the beginning to transform.  One major
difference from BoF3, however, is that the Shaman's Ring *does* reduce the
AP cost of transformation and maintainance (to 3/4 of normal, round all
fractions down; there is no 1/2 AP reducer in this game that I'm aware of,
unfortunately), as well as the cost of the abilities.  Shaman's Rings can
be purchased in the Faerie town's weapon shop (Diligent, I believe - I'll have
to check this) for a whopping 40,000 Zenny each, plus there's one hidden in
the final dungeon.

        One other major change from BoF3: Becuase Skills are learned by
defending, rather than by Examining an opponent (in fact, selecting Guard
acts as if you were Examining all opponents *and* allies), Ryuu can teach
the other party members learnable Dragon Skills (the Strikes - including
Searing Sand and Chlorine - for example) simply by attacking the opponents
with them.  Skills that can be learned from Ryuu's dragon forms will be
marked with a *.  Note you can't directly learn any Skills from Fou-Lu's
dragon forms, since he has no companions to defend while he's attacking.
In this case, I've marked the ones that could have been learned, in case
you want to keep an eye out for them from other enemies.

        For Dragon-magic (spells like Hwa and Bing, for example), I'll just
use the main name, not the (fire) annotation that the game uses.
Dragon-magic spells are generally similar to the normal versions of the
spells usable by all characters, with two exceptions:  They cost
significantly fewer AP to cast (not including the cost to transform and
maintain the form, of course), and they each hit twice.

        Finally, for the most part, the most useful thing to do with all
the dragon forms in most situations is just unleash their breath attack
every round. (This especially goes for Fou-Lu's scenarios). This is best
done at the end of a combo, which increases the number of hits you get out
of the breath attacks (most hit six times normally for roughly 75% of
Ryuu's current HP total)  They hit three extra times if they're the second
attack in a combo, and six extra times if they're tacked onto the end of a
combo.  For the upgraded dragons, their Level 3 elemental magic is often
useful, and the Ultimate Dragons (Kaiser and Tyrant) have the extremely
powerful Aura Smash, but all those attacks cost AP to use.

	Note: Ability upgrades are for *base* stats, and don't include
equipped weapons and armor.  (So to calculate, say, a 150% boost to
Attack, take the current Attack score, subtract the weapon power, multiply
by 150%, and add the weapon power back in).


B. Ryuu's Dragon Forms

        I can't stress this enough: In the very first random-encounter
area, have Ryuu learn Rest from the Eye Goos.  Unlike BoF3, BoF4's Rest is
extremely useful, restoring quite a few hit and magic points (when I first
learned it, it was restoring 20 HP and 5 AP, at level 42 it's restoring
about 100 hp and 15 AP).  Combo it after Snooze (which I have on Ershin),
and you'll never be hurting for AP for your dragon forms, no matter how
high their cost goes. (As a side note, Snooze + Rest + Vitalize is a 37-hit
combo, if you're trying to rack up the hits for one master or another)

1. Aura

        This is Ryuu's first dragon form. It's also his cheapest (but by no
means 'cheap') in terms of AP usage.  The good news is that you get it very
early in the game, far earlier than the first dragons in the other games.
You get it very shortly after Fou-Lu gets his Astral Dragon transformation,
while still in Chapter I, subsection 1: Signs and Portents. The downside is
that you won't find any new dragon forms (except for the Berserk Kaiser)
until much later in the game, so get used to this one.  You'll be using it
a lot.  Plus, while you get the *form* at the start of Chapter I, you don't
get the DragonBreath attack until you get the Kaiser, either.
        On the other hand, DragonBreath never ceases to be useful (once you
actually acquire it), and this form's relatively low cost means you can use
it in almost any situation where you're want to take out a group of
powerful opponents quickly.  It's not really great at anything, but it's an
improvement over Ryuu's normal form. This is my favorite form.  I use this a
lot even at level 40, when it costs 40 AP.

Transformation Cost: 1 AP/Level
Game description (before getting Kaiser): ??????
Game description (after getting Kaiser):  Basic dragon form.  Normal property.


Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 150%
Attack: 120%
Defense: 110%
Wisdom: 120%

DragonBreath (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Six non-elemental hits for a grand
	total of 75% of Ryuu's HP.  Will be divided among multiple opponents.
	The number of hits can be increased by using it at the end of a
	combo)
*Flame Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Fire.  Physical Fire Attack)
Hwa (1 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 1 Fire Magic on one target)
Rejuvenate (9 AP; Category: Holy.  Medium healing of one target)
Barrier (4 AP; Category: LV Up.  Magical damage halved for 3 turns)

Upgrade: none


2. Wyvern

        The Fire Gem, that gives Ryuu this form, is found in the Mount Giga
area.  It grants Ryuu fire-based powers, leaving him vulnerable to
water/ice powers, moreso than usual.  It also provides a few
ability-boosting spells, but nothing other members of your party don't also
have.  Let him go offensive, and let Cray boost people's stats if they need
it.

        The second time through the game, I got this form just long enough to
check its stat bonuses, then upgraded it immediately.

Transformation Cost: 1.5 AP/Level
Game Description: Basic flame dragon form.  Flame and assist magic.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 150%
Attack: 120%
Defense: 120%
Wisdom: 130%

Gigaflame (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Fire damage, multiple hits.  Depends on
	current HP and defense.)
*Flame Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Fire.  Physical Fire Attack)
Hwa (1 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 1 Fire Magic on one target)
Jeh (2 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 2 Fire Magic on all targets)
Might (3 AP; Category: ST Up.  Increases attack power of target by 20%)


Upgrade: Weyr

        This is the one I actually got to use.  It's fast and powerful, and
is currently my second choice for boss battles, after, of course, Kaiser.
Plus, Behemoth and Myrmidon are just ugly. :) Again, it's vulnerable to
water, but Ryuu can usually get an attack off with his enhanced agility
before the opponents can hit him.
        The best uses for this form, other than breath attacks, are either
the Triple Inferno (Ershin's Inferno + Ursula's Inferno + Ryuu's Hwajeh, in
that order), or the Super Nova combo (Any earth + Ursula or Ershin's Inferno
+ Ryuu's Hwajeh - the Inferno turns into Ragnarok, and Ryuu's Hwajeh turns
into Super Nova, which hits four times per enemy plus causes confusion).
(Note either of these combos will work with Kaiser, as well, since it also
has the Hwajeh spell).

Game Description: Evolved flame dragon form.  Flame and assist magic.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 200%
Attack: 180%
Defense: 170%
Agility: 150%
Wisdom: 200%

Gigaflame (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Fire damage, multiple hits.  Depends on
	current HP and defense.)
*Flame Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Fire.  Physical Fire Attack)
Hwa (1 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 1 Fire Magic on one target)
Jeh (2 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 2 Fire Magic on all targets)
Hwajeh (3 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 3 Fire Magic on one target)
Might (3 AP; Category: ST Up.  Increases attack power of target by 20%)
Protect (2 AP; Category: ST Up.  Increases defense power of target by 20%)


3. Behemoth

        It still seems strange to equate the little dragon-man form with
what was the giant Behemoth in BoF3.  Then again, the dragon in the
MeteorStrike sequence - showing what looks like the BoF3 Behemoth after its
been through hard times (some of its horns are broken off) - is definitely
familiar.  And once again, this form is slow, losing half of Ryuu's Agility
and Wisdom scores, and it's vulnerable to wind attacks.  The Earth Gem for
this form is located in the ? area between Pabpab and Saldine, second
"room" (coming from Pabpab), near the center of the large tree-covered
island in the middle. It's a blob of green in the middle of green grass in
the middle of a green island, so it's a bit difficult to see. (I literally
walked past it the first time).
	This form has the *second* funniest breath attack, for the record.
Its main weaknesses are its lack of speed, and it's vulnerability to wind
attacks.  Also, Counter is almost useless because of this lack of speed.
(That's two BoF games in a row that gives Counter to one of Ryuu's *slowest*
forms.  Why?)  On the other hand, it's worth using this form at least once
for teaching Searing Sand, Counter, and possibly Blitz to your other party
members.

Transformation Cost: 1.5 AP/Level
Game Description: Basic earth dragon form.  High defense.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 220%
Attack: 140%
Defense: 140%
Agility: 50%
Wisdom: 50%

MeteorStrike (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Earth damage, nine hits.  Damage
	depends on current HP and defense.)
*Searing Sand (2 AP; Category: Melee/Earth.  Physical Earth Attack)
Patoh (1 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 1 Earth Magic on all targets)
Chi Patoh (2 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 2 Earth Magic on one target)
*Counter (1 AP; Category: Lv Up.  Auto-counters physical attacks for the
	rest of the round.  Note that since the Behemoth is very slow, this
	is useless unless your opponents are even slower)


Upgrade: Mammoth

        I don't really use this one much.  The combo Water (any level) +
Quake + Patoh Pah is rather useful - Quate becomes Disaster as usual, and
Patoh Pah becomes Catastrophe, which is similar to Super Nova except for
element, and the fact that it poisons the target at the end.  Ultimately,
though, I simply don't like this form because of the severe speed penalty.

Game Description: Evolved earth dragon form.  High defense.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 350%
Attack: 160%
Defense: 160%
Agility: 50%
Wisdom: 50%

MeteorStrike (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Earth damage, nine hits. Damage
	depends on current HP and defense.)
*Searing Sand (2 AP; Category: Melee/Earth.  Physical Earth Attack)
Patoh (1 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 1 Earth Magic on all targets)
Chi Patoh (2 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 2 Earth Magic on one target)
Patoh Pah (3 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 3 Earth Magic on all targets)
*Counter (1 AP; Category: Lv Up.  Auto-counters physical attacks for the
	rest of the round)
*Blitz (0 AP; Category: Melee.  Damage depends on current HP and a bit of
	luck. Multiple hits.  Reduces user's hp to 3/4 of previous total)

4. Myrmidon

        Maybe it's just me, but the Myrmidon 'Dragon' doesn't look like a
dragon at all, even less so than his BoF3 counterpart (who was pretty
borderline anyway).  When Ryuu uses his MetaStrike 'breath', he turns into
what looks like a really tall human in a suit of armor. (Note also that
Myrmidon is the name of the *basic* dragon form, not the advanced one as in
BoF3). The only dragon-like traits are the sheild-like claw for the left
hand, and the large wings on his legs (?).  That said, it's the best at
physical attacks (so far), especially with the defense-ignoring Spirit
Blast and MetaStrike, making it good for heavily-armored opponents.  The
Wind Gem is found in the ? section to the west of the Emperor's Tomb, in a
secluded niche in the large open area (the burning forest area from
Fou-Lu's very first scenario; the forest is gone now).
        After playing the game further, this is turning into one of my
favorite forms.  It's rather quick, and its "breath" attack hits ten times
instead of six.  The only drawback is Ryuu's relatively low hit points in
this form, making his "breath" attack weaker than it could be.
	Be sure to learn Spirit Blast before upgrading this form; it becomes
Cleave on the evolved Wind dragon.

Transformation Cost: 1.5 AP/Level
Game Description: Basic wind dragon form.  Superior attacks.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 150%
Attack: 120%
Defense: 120%
Agility: 120%

MetaStrike (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Wind damage, multiple hits.  Ignores
	opponent's defenses)
*Wind Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Wind.  Physical Wind Attack)
P'ung (1 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 1 Wind Magic on one target)
Nah P'ung (2 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 2 Wind Magic on all targets)
*SpiritBlast (0 AP; Category: Melee.  Physical attack at half strength that
	ignores defense)


Upgrade: Knight

        Very, very nice. A Fire +  Typhoon + Ahryu P'ung combo will cause the
Typhoon to turn into Gigaflare (as usual), and Ahryu P'ung into Earthshaker,
which is pretty much identical to Super Nova (see the Weyr form), except for
its element. (the Status effect it inflicts is probably different, as well).
It's tied with Weyr and Kaiser for the fastest form.  Be sure to learn
Shadowwalk from this form, if you haven't learned it from somewhere else.
	I still think it doesn't look anything like a dragon.

Game Description: Evolved wind dragon form.  Superior attacks.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 180%
Attack: 140%
Defense: 130%
Agility: 150%
Wisdom: 120%

MetaStrike (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Wind damage, multiple hits.  Ignores
	opponent's defense)
*Wind Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Wind.  Physical Wind Attack)
P'ung (1 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 1 Wind Magic on one target)
Nah P'ung (2 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 2 Wind Magic on all targets)
Ahryu P'ung (3 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 3 Wind Magic on all targets)
*Cleave (3 AP; Category: Melee.  Physical attack against all opponents at
	quarter strength that ignores defense)
*Shadowwalk (12 AP; Category: Melee  A never-miss Critical hit. Pretty much
	identical to Scias's Shining Blade)


5. Mutant

        Think BoF3's Pygmy.  The full-dragon morph is small, cute, and not
all that powerful... except it also lowers enemies' stats to minimum, if it
works (and, unlike most other stat-lowering powers, this one works fairly
often).  His other attacks all inflict status ailments.  This is, actually,
a good form for doing indirect damage, while your other party members wail
on the weakened foes.  It causes a severe *drop* in most of Ryuu's stats,
except for Wisdom.  I've found it useful for reducing Cyclops' (and later
versions thereof) attack scores to uselessness while doing some damage in
the process.
	The number of Game Points you have determines the 'Level' of
Stardrop. This level has nothing to do with the game points required to
evolve Mutant into the Punk. (So your Mutant can have up to Level 3 breath
if you evolve him last, or your Punk could have Level 1 if you evolve him
first).  Though I haven't maxed it out yet personally, I have the sneaking
suspicion that Level 5 Stardrop is the most powerful breath attack in the
game.  Basically, the higher the level, the more 'hits' you get out of the
Breath attack (It seems to be 6 hits, plus two more for each additional
Level, since I got 6 hits at Level 1 and 12 hits at Level 4)
        The Flawed Gem can be found in the En Jhou ruins.  When you get this
Crystal, the game will tell you you picked up the Earth Gem (again?), but
the Flawed Gem is what's added to your Key item list.  Do not, repeat, DO
NOT give this to the man in Chiqua who wants it (or one of two other items)
in return for the information he's offering.  If he takes it, you won't get
it back without restarting the game. 
        A warning: this form can also induce convulsive laughter in the
player and anyone watching the screen the first time this breath attack is
viewed. :)


Transformation Cost: 1.2 AP/Level
Game Description: Basic mutant dragon form.  UNKNOWN

Dragon ability bonuses (and penalties)
Hit Points: 50%
Attack: 50%
Agility: 80%
Wisdom: 180%

Stardrop (0 AP; Category: Breath. Multiple hits.  Damage depends on current
	HP and defense. May lower attack, defense, agility, and wisdom of
	targets to half their normal values.  Damage increases as Game Points
	go up, reaching new levels at 30000, 38000, 48000, 54000, and 62000
	Game Points)
*Snap (2 AP; Category: Melee/ST Down.  Physical attack that may reduce
	defense by 20%)
*Chlorine (2 AP; Category: Melee/ST Change.  Physical attack that may
	poison target)
Sleep (3 AP;Category: ST Change.  May put all opponents to sleep)
Silence (3 AP; Category: ST Change.  Prevents spell-casting, but not
	physical skills, for all opponents)


Upgrade: Punk

        It's still too damn cute, and rather wimpy, but at least its stats
are a *little* better. (Agility doesn't drop, for example)  Hit points are
still very low, but Wisdom is extremely high.  If you have any magic-based
Skills on Ryuu (*including* Heal), this would be the form to use them in.
	Note also this form has the most abilities you can learn, as well. If
you haven't learned Curse before now, be sure to add it to your Skill lists.
It's actually, despite its drawbacks and humor value, a very useful form
against some enemies (again, the Cyclops and their clones come to mind, as
well as the T-Rex-like monsters you meet at the Emperor's Tomb onward)
	The more I use this form, the more I like it.  Don't underestimate
the little guy.  It also uses the second-least AP of all of Ryuu's dragon
forms.

	Minor update (And things to be updated):  I currently have 50,000 Game
Points, but Star Drop is at Level 4, not Level 3 as expected.  I'll have to
investigate this one further... perhaps the Levels are different for Mutant
and Punk?

Game Description: Evolved mutant dragon form.  UNKNOWN

Dragon ability bonuses (and penalties)
Hit Points: 50%
Attack: 50%
Wisdom: 250%

Stardrop (0 AP; Category: Breath. Multiple hits.  Damage depends on current
	HP and defense. May lower attack, defense, agility, and wisdom of
	targets to half their normal values.  Damage increases as Game Points
	go up, reaching new levels at 30000, 38000, 48000, 54000, and 62000
	Game Points)
*Snap (2 AP; Category: Melee/ST Down.  Physical attack that may reduce
	defense by 20%)
*Chlorine (2 AP; Category: Melee/ST Change.  Physical attack that may
	poison target)
Sleep (3 AP; Category: ST Change.  May put all opponents to sleep)
Silence (3 AP; Category: ST Change.  Prevents spell-casting, but not
	physical skills, for all opponents)
Howling (0 AP; Category: ST Change. Confuses all opponents)
*Curse (13 AP; Category: Death  Halves all opponents' hit points)


6. Kaiser

        This is the second dragon-form you get in the game... but it's
berserk and uncontrollable until you find all the other Elemental Crystals
and all the Dragon Summons, which you don't get until later.  Beware: It
*is* possible to give away your Flawed Gem (to the man in Chiqua who wants
a treasure in exchange for information). If you do this, Kaiser will remain
uncontrollable, because you cannot get the Gem back.  On the bright side,
even uncontrolled, Ryuu *usually* uses KaiserBreath on the opponents each
round, though he will occassionally attack a random target, sometimes your
own allies.
        You receive this form as part of the storyline - you have to *lose*
a certain fight at the end of Chapter II.  When Ryuu is reduced to 0 hp,
instead of dying, he transforms into this form automatically (try to keep
everyone else alive for that fight, difficult as it may be; you do get
normal experience from it). When you can next control Ryuu, you also receive
the DragonBreath attack for his Aura dragon.
        KaiserBreath, it should be noted, bears a striking resemblance to
the Bahamut ZERO summon from Final Fantasy VII.  KaiserBreath gets a full
sixteen hits normally, twenty-four hits as the second attack in a combo,
and a whopping thirty-two hits as the third attack in a combo (assuming
the opponents are still alive at this point)

	Update:  I've read in a few places that you only need all the
Evocations to control Kaiser, and having the dragon crystals is irrelevant.
I'll have to test this.  Possibly in a third trip through the game.  Still,
why would you want to give away your cute little Mutant/Punk dragon to that
sleazy trader? :)

Transformation Cost: 2 AP/Level
Game Description: Evolved dragon form.  Superior abilities.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 300%
Attack: 200%
Defense: 150%
Agility: 150%
Wisdom: 200%

KaiserBreath (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Non-elemental damage, sixteen hits.
	Depends on current HP and defense.)
Aura Smash (3 AP; Category: Melee.  A critical hit that ignores defense.
	This can be more devastating than KaiserBreath against single enemies,
	especially if Kaiser's low on hit points, moreso in a combo)
Hwajeh (3 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 3 Fire Magic on one target)
Ahryu P'ung (3 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 3 Wind Magic on all targets)
Patoh Pah (3 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 3 Earth Magic on all targets)
Resurrect (30 AP; Category: Holy.  Revives an ally with full HP)
*Sanctuary (13 AP; Category: Holy.  Removes ability boosting spells on all
	foes *and* allies)

Upgrade: You want to upgrade Kaiser? Forget it. :)


B. Fou-Lu Dragon Forms

        As a general note, I'm disappointed in how short a time you get to
play as Fou-Lu.  All of Fou-Lu's dragon forms are more powerful than
Ryuu's, if only because he himself is at such an insanely high level when
you start with him.  But because you don't get to play as him too much, and
his selection of forms is so limited, *and* you can pretty much blow
through his scenarios no matter what form you pick (or, in many cases, even
his normal form will be fine), I'm not going into much detail on the uses
of these forms.  Just have fun blasting every enemy you meet with them, and
look forward to late in the game when Ryuu has this level of butt-kicking
power. :)
        Note also that the Astral, Serpent, and Tyrant dragons are simply
recolored and retextured versions of Ryuu's Aura, Wyvern, and Kaiser
dragons, respectively, though their breath attacks have entirely different
(and somewhat shorter) animations than their counterparts.
	Interestingly enough, none of Fou-Lu's forms except Tyrant provide
a boost to Wisdom, and even Tyrant's boost is relatively minor.  In fact, all
of Fou-Lu's dragon forms provide smaller boosts than Ryuu's counterparts (with
the exception of Behemoth - despite being the *same* as Ryuu's form, it has
slightly higher bonuses).  On the other hand, even considering his level,
Fou-Lu seems to have higher overall stats than Ryuu has.


1. Astral Dragon

        This is the first dragon you'll get in the game, even before
getting Aura.  You'll get this during Fou-Lu's first scenario, which is
very early in the game; in fact, it's so early, it's really still part of
the prologue before the game really gets underway. (As a guideline, I got
this after about a half-hour of play my first time through, and I've
managed to get it in less than fifteen minutes of play on subsequent runs
through the starting scenes). It's Fou-Lu's only dragon for a long time,
too.  Again, though, Eraser is powerful enough to get you through any of
his scenarios (even the last few), and, unlike Ryuu's Aura Dragon, the
Astral Dragon gets his breath attack the first time you use him.
        Like Ryuu's Aura, this is my favorite form, even when he has Tyrant
and Serpent available.  I just like the way it looks.

Transformation Cost: 1 AP/Level
Game description:  Basic dragon form.  Normal property.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 150%
Attack: 130%
Defense: 110%
Agility: 120%

Eraser (0 AP; Six non-elemental hits for a grand total of approximately 75%
	of Fou-Lu's HP.  Will be divided among multiple opponents)
*Frost Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Fire.  Physical Water Attack)
*Wild Swing (0 AP; Category: Melee.  Normal attack at 50% to 200% damage,
	selected randomly)
Bing (1 AP; Category: Water. Lv 1 Water Magic on one target)
Death (13 AP; Category: Death.  Instant death attack)

Upgrade: None


2. Serpent

        This is, in effect, Fou-Lu's version of the Wyvern.  It has ice
attacks instead of fire attacks, and it has attacks to reduce the
opponent's abilities, rather than attacks to increase the party's
abilities. (Ability reducers and status changers, however, don't work very
often in this game). The American version features the odd name
'Waterspout' for its breath weapon, which is clearly a giant spiked ball of
ice, as opposed to the Japanese name HellBlizzard (I thought it was typical
Nintendo censorship until I remembered that this is a Playstation game. Given
what I now know about the rest of the cuts in the game, it's apparently
Typical Capcom USA Censorship).  It is, of course, vulnerable to fire attacks.
        The Water Gem that grants this form is located in the Sanctum,
but you can't miss it anyway: it's blocking the Sanctum' exit. You'll have
to get it to continue. This is my second-favorite of Fou-Lu's forms.


Transformation Cost: 1.5 AP/Level
Game Description: Basic water dragon form.  Water and assist magic.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 150%
Attack: 160%
Agility: 150%

Waterspout (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Water damage, multiple hits.  Depends
	on current HP and defense)
*Frost Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Water.  Physical Water Attack)
Bing (1 AP; Category: Water. Lv 1 Water Magic on one target)
Bing'ah (2 AP; Category: Water. Lv 2 Water Magic on one target)
*Snap (2 AP; Category: Melee/ST Down.  Physical attack that reduces defense
	by 20%)


Upgrade: Peist

        I didn't get to use this one much (again, Fou-Lu's scenarios are so
short, and I didn't really have much time to use this form), but the one
boss I did use it on went down quickly under a barrage of Waterspouts.  He
gains the ability to reduce the opponent's offense (again, though, such attacks
don't work too well), as well as the level 3 Water Dragon-magic spell.

Game Description: Evolved water dragon form.  Water and assist magic.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 200%
Attack: 210%
Defense: 110%
Agility: 180%

Waterspout (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Water damage, multiple hits.  Depends
	on current HP and defense)
*Frost Strike (2 AP; Category: Melee/Water.  Physical Water Attack)
Bing (1 AP; Category: Water. Lv 1 Water Magic on one target)
Bing'ah (2 AP; Category: Water. Lv 2 Water Magic on one target)
Pa Bing'ah (3 AP; Category: Water. Lv 3 Water Magic on all targets)
*Snap (2 AP; Category: Melee/ST Down.  Physical attack that reduces defense
	by 20%)
*SwordBreaker (2 AP; Category: Melee/ST Down.  Physical attack that reduces
	attack by 20%)



3. Behemoth

	This form is nearly identical to Ryuu's, and he gets it when Ryuu
does. I'll repeat the ability list here for completeness' sake. (I'm guessing
that Fou-Lu could also use the Myrmidon and Mutant forms, given how the game
handles Behemoth, but Ryuu can't get those Crystals before Fou-Lu's final
scenario).
	Note that Fou-Lu's Behemoth form has slightly different stat bonuses
than Ryuu's, namely having slightly higher attack power.

Transformation Cost: 1.5 AP/Level
Game Description: Basic earth dragon form.  High defense.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 220%
Attack: 150%
Defense: 140%
Agility: 50%
Wisdom: 50%

MeteorStrike (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Earth damage, nine hits.  Damage
	depends on current HP and defense.)
*Searing Sand (2 AP; Category: Melee/Earth.  Physical Earth Attack)
Patoh (1 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 1 Earth Magic on all targets)
Chi Patoh (2 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 2 Earth Magic on one target)
*Counter (1 AP; Category: Lv Up.  Auto-counters physical attacks for the
	rest of the round.  Note that since the Behemoth is very slow, this
	is useless unless your opponents are even slower)


Upgrade: Mammoth

        I never got a chance to use this one at all for Fou-Lu.  Maybe on my
third trip through the game (whenever that turns out to be).  Not like it
matters much for him :)  (The stats below may be wrong, as they're just taken
from Ryuu's Mammoth form, and as shown above, Fou-Lu and Ryuu have slightly
different Behemoth stats.  But, again, it doesn't really matter).
	I don't like Behemoth/Mammoth enough to use it for Ryuu.  When I'm
using Fou-Lu, I like to use those dragon forms unique to him. :)

Game Description: Evolved earth dragon form.  High defense.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 350%
Attack: 160%
Defense: 160%
Agility: 50%
Wisdom: 50%

MeteorStrike (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Earth damage, multiple hits.
	Depends on current HP and defense.)
*Searing Sand (2 AP; Category: Melee/Earth.  Physical Earth Attack)
Patoh (1 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 1 Earth Magic on all targets)
Chi Patoh (2 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 2 Earth Magic on one target)
Patoh Pah (3 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 3 Earth Magic on all targets)
*Counter (1 AP; Category: Lv Up.  Auto-counters physical attacks for the
	rest of the round)
*Blitz (0 AP; Category: Melee.  Damage depends on current HP and a bit of
	luck. Multiple hits.  Reduces user's hp to 3/4 of previous total)


4. Tyrant

        Fou-Lu's version of the Kaiser.  It's nearly identical, except for
its 9999 hit points, its breath attack, its element (it has a Level 3 Water
attack instead of Level 3 Fire), and, as befits the Dark Dragons, Death
instead of Resurrect.  Note that the ability increases aren't as dramatic as
one might expect for his Ultimate Dragon Form (especially compared to Ryuu's
Kaiser), but the HP boost to a constant 9999 makes his breath attack
particularly powerful.
        Fou-Lu has Tyrant automatically the first time you control him
after Ryuu gets Kaiser (similar to Ryuu getting Aura when Fou-Lu acquires
Astral).

Transformation Cost: 2 AP/Level
Game Description: Evolved dragon form.  Superior abilities.

Dragon ability bonuses
Hit Points: 9999
Attack: 150%
Defense: 120%
Agility: 150%
Wisdom: 120%

Dark Wave (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Non-elemental damage, sixteen hits.
	Depends on current HP and defense.)
Aura Smash (3 AP; Category: Melee.  A critical hit that ignores defense.
	This can be more devastating than Dark Wave against single enemies,
	especially if Tyrant is getting low on HP)
Pa Bing'ah (3 AP; Category: Water. Lv 3 Water Magic on all targets)
Ahryu P'ung (3 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 3 Wind Magic on all targets)
Patoh Pah (3 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 3 Earth Magic on all targets)
Death (13 AP; Category: Death.  Kills target instantly.  Maybe)
*Sanctuary (8 AP; Category: Holy.  Dispels all Assist magic effects on
	allies and opponents)

Upgrade: It's not happening.  Sorry :)


C. Infini

        *The* most powerful dragon in the game, bar none.  For the sake of
avoiding spoilers, I'll leave out how to get it entirely, as well as who
gets it.  It has Tyrant's breath attack, all three levels of all four
elemental dragon spells, and a unique ability, Soul Rend, that never
misses.
        In appearance, Infini is clearly the Kaiser/Tyrant polygonal model,
with different texturing.  Its Dark Wave attack is identical to Tyrant's in
terms of animation, only it shows Infini unleashing the attack.

Transformation cost: Spoiler!
Game description: Spoiler!

Dragon abilities:
Hit points: 9999
Ability points: 999
Attack: 646
Defense: 402
Agility: 286
Wisdom: 500

Dark Wave (0 AP; Category: Breath.  Non-elemental damage, multiple hits.
	Depends on current HP and defense.)
Soul Rend (13 AP; No category.  Reduces all opponents to 1 hp.  Never
	misses.  No fair) :)
Hwa (1 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 1 Fire Magic on one target)
Jeh (2 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 2 Fire Magic on all targets)
Hwajeh (3 AP; Category: Fire. Lv 3 Fire Magic on one target)
P'ung (1 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 1 Wind Magic on one target)
Nah P'ung (2 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 2 Wind Magic on all targets)
Ahryu P'ung (3 AP; Category: Wind. Lv 3 Wind Magic on all targets)
Bing (1 AP; Category: Water. Lv 1 Water Magic on one target)
Bing'ah (2 AP; Category: Water. Lv 2 Water Magic on one target)
Pa Bing'ah (3 AP; Category: Water. Lv 3 Water Magic on all targets)
Patoh (1 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 1 Earth Magic on all targets)
Chi Patoh (2 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 2 Earth Magic on one target)
Patoh Pah (3 AP; Category: Earth. Lv 3 Earth Magic on all targets)


ii. Dragon Evocation

        The game's name for Summon spells.  All of these cost 0 AP to cast,
but they can only be used once per rest at an inn.  Resting in camp will not
recharge these spells.  These are all Category: Breath, and the attack
summons hit multiple times like Ryuu's breath attacks.  Like the breath
attacks for the dragon transformations, these will get more hits as part of a
combo.  To acquire a dragon summon, you simply have to speak to the dragon's
human avatar.
	You will automatically receive P'ung Ryong's summon, Rainstorm, as
part of the normal course of play.  The rest you must find, but most of them
aren't difficult.  These are listed in the approximate order you receive them
(though the Mud Dragon and the Grass Dragon are available more or less
simultaneously. It's up to you which one you want to get first).

        I also have to say that the character designers have an odd idea
what constitutes a 'dragon' this time around.  Sheesh.


Rainstorm:  From P'ung Ryong, the Wind Dragon.

	Where: Automatic.  You get P'ung Ryong to help you at The Place Of
Summoning near the end of Chapter II.

	Description: The sky dragon (looks like an eel with fins and tusks
to me) swoops between the clouds, where lightning flashes, then rises above
them to where the opponents are waiting on a small piece of grassy land (FF7
Neo Bahamut, anyone?)  A tear falls from the dragon's eye, which soon turns
into a rainstorm.  Holy damage to all opponents, eight hits, based on *their*
HP, not yours.  Even after multiple viewings, this is one of my favorites.


Mud Flow: From Ni Ryong, the Mud Dragon.

	Where:  Really easy to find.  Go into the ? area just north of the Dam,
where the Frog Lady sang you a song about dragons much earlier in the game. You
may need to rotate the camera a bit to see Ni Ryong (because he's really,
really small), but he's right there in front of you.

	Description: The ground turns to mud, while a magic circle locks the
opponents in place.  Ni Ryong, a semi-transparent earthworm-like creature with
huge anime eyes, bursts out of the muck (actually, the "mud" ground is nearly
indistinguishible from the "desert" ground for Sa Ryong's summon), and roars
once, while the ground begins to shift and move until a huge tidal wave (FF7
Leviathan, anyone?) of mud covers the opponents.  Does water and earth-based
damage, twelve hits. (A movie file of this Evocation is at psx.ign.com).


Healing Wind: From Cho Ryong, the Grass Dragon.

	Where: The Golden Plains.  Talk to Tahrn, who'll tell you how to find
her (it *is* female, isn't it?  Its human avatar definitely looks female,
though Tahrn refers to it as "he" and "him"), then head into the Plain itself.
Head east to the big rock, then follow the glowing bird.  You'll know the
bird I mean once you see it: it has a circular aura of light around it that
can be seen from quite a distance, and it's impossible to mistake for any of
the ordinary birds flying around.  If you're not sure whether it's the right
bird, then it's not the right bird.  It'll stop at Cho Ryong's location (you
should be able to see a transparent image of the dragon when you get close).

	Description: I like the dragon design, but the summon itself has
questionable usefulness.  A magic circle appears, in the middle of which Cho
Ryong appears and unfurls her wings.  A small woodland glade springs up around
the party, and sparkles of light restore all living memebers of the party to
full HP and normal status. (This would be more useful if it wasn't limited to
one use).  It's a good 'emergency' healing spell, though, but it doesn't bring
dead party members back to life.  It's basically the spell version of the Moon
Tears item.


Onslaught: From Sa Ryong, the Sand Dragon.

	Where: On the Sandflyer route from Shikk to Shyde (or vice-versa),
there'll be an area in the bottom center that's cut off from the rest of the
map.  Jump a sand dune into that area, and drive into the oasis in the center.
Sa Ryong is right there. (He's actually really easy to find, you just have to
know where to look).

	Description: I love this one.  The ground turns to desert, a magic
circle immobilizes the enemies, and Sa Ryong can be seen burrowing just under
the sand from a distance.  When it gets close, it disappears entirely, before
bursting out directly under the enemies, sending them flying.  It then
proceeds to slam into them, one by one, while in the air, sending them off
into the distance. (If there are fewer than six opponents, it'll slam into
them more than once, batting them around until it finally knocks them away).
Finally, the background shifts back to the regular battle scene, and the
enemies come crashing down.  Causes six hits worth of Wind damage and may
cause confusion.


Holy Circle: From Su Ryong, the Tree Dragon.

	Where: South of the town of Shikk is a random-? area (the ? that
normally signifies fights) with three exits. Leave by the exit that branches
off to the side, and a new path will open up to a ? area, where Su Ryong will
give you his power.

	Description: Hands down the most useless dragon summon in the game. It
is, in fact, in the running for the most useless spell ever (other than the
ones that are obviously *meant* to be useless, like Feign Swing or Egghead.
Heck, Egghead is less useless than this). The surrounding area turns into a
forest (more heavily wooded than Cho Ryong's summon), and Su Ryong - a tree
with a face, six little insect-like legs, and dragonfly-like wings (Wings?
It's rooted to the ground.  Why does it need wings?) - casts an octgonal solid
around your party, with mystic symbols on each side.  This makes your party
invincible for the rest of the round.  Hopefully you didn't attack last in the
round. (This may have been useful if you had EX turns like in BoF3, but sadly,
such is not the case).


Flood Tide: From Hae Ryong, the Sea Dragon.

	Where: Tough sucker to find (look for the four rocks to the left of
Shikk in an upside-down L formation. Maneuver the ship in there, hit the
triangle button, and listen for the 'Dragon' music - if you've gotten the
other summons, you know the music I mean).  The second time through the game
I found it just below that rock formation, rather than inside it, so I gather
the exact spot is somewhat random.

	Description: Hae Ryong, who looks like nothing so much as the Loch
Ness Monster with a clam shell and octopus tentacles for forelimbs (imagine
the unholy union of Lapras, Shellder, Octillary, and Blastoise, and you'll
get the idea) rises from the depths.  Two tubes on his shoulders twitch and
aim, and he blasts the opponents (immobilized on a magic circle again) with
water.  Causes Wind/Water damage and may stun the enemies.  (I haven't used
it on anything powerful enough to survive the full damage, so I'm not sure of
the number of hits)


Fulguration: From the Nameless One, the Rock Dragon.

	Where: In the River area south of Chiqua, there's a man sitting near
the exit.  Chat with him for a bit.  Talk about dragons, tell him you've seen
them, that they can look like anything, and that they look like grass and
rocks, and he'll tell you about something weird in the Quarry nearby that may
have been a dragon. (You can also get this line of conversation by talking
about traveling, saying you come from over the sea, and saying you saw
dragons). You can also get a few items out of this - play with the responses
for them. (The only one I remember offhand is talk about traveling, tell him
you're from overseas, and tell him you're on the run from the Empire, and
you'll get a Power Food out of it) There aren't any 'wrong' answers; you can
always start the conversation over.  When you get back to the world map, a
path to a ? area will have opened up, where the Nameless One awaits. This
will be the last summon you get in the game (assuming you got them all when
they were first available).

	Description: It's a jellyfish, I tell you, a giant jellyfish.  It
extends its - limbs?  stone tentacles? whatever - and electricity arcs between
them, forming a huge gravity well which it shoots downwards at the targets,
who are immobilized on a magic circle. The ball then explodes as it hits the
ground. Does eight hits of gravity-elemental (what does that mean, exactly?)
damage based on the opponents' HP.  Use this first, to soften up powerful
enemies.  It will never deal the final blow, as it takes a small percentage
of the opponent's HP in damage. (I couldn't kill NutTroops with it towards the
end of the game, even)


iii. Miscelleny

A. Dragon Abilities Quick Reference List

        Percentages are proportional to Ryuu/Fou-Lu's abilities in human
form (i.e., if Ryuu has 200 HP in human form, he'll have 200 x 1.5 = 300 as
Aura, 200 x 0.5 = 100 as Henner, etc.  If Ryuu has a 200 Attack while wielding
a weapon with 50 power, then he'll have an attack score of 230 as Aura).  Note
that the Infini and Tyrant dragons have a set number of HP, and the Infini
dragon has set values for his stats.

Astral (Fou-Lu): 150% HP, 130% Atk, 110% Def, 120% Agi
Aura (Ryuu): 150% HP, 120% Atk, 110% Def, 120% Wis
Behemoth (Ryuu): 220% HP, 140% Atk, 140% Def, 50% Agi, 50% Wis
Behemoth (Fou-Lu): 220% HP, 150% Atk, 140% Def, 50% Agi, 50% Wis
Infini: 9999 HP, 999 AP, 646 Atk, 402 Def, 286 Agi, 500 Wis
Kaiser (Ryuu): 300% HP, 200% Atk, 150% Def, 150% Agi, 200% Wis
Knight (Ryuu): 180% HP, 140% Atk, 130% Def, 150% Agi, 120% Wis
Mammoth (Both): 350% HP, 160% Atk, 160% Def, 50% Agi, 50% Wis
Mutant (Ryuu): 50% HP, 50% Atk, 80% Agi, 180% Wis
Myrmidon (Ryuu): 150% HP, 120% Atk, 120% Def, 120% Agl
Peist (Fou-Lu): 200% HP, 210% Atk, 110% Def, 180% Agi
Punk (Ryuu): 50% HP, 50% Atk, 250% Wis
Serpent (Fou-Lu): 150% HP, 160% Atk, 150% Agi
Tyrant (Fou-Lu): 9999 HP, 150% Atk, 120% Def, 150% Agi, 120% Wis
Weyr (Ryuu): 200% HP, 180% Atk, 170% Def, 150% Agi, 200% Wis
Wyvern (Ryuu): 150% HP, 120% Atk, 120% Def, 130% Wis



B. Breath of Fire 1 Comparison

        Well, I finished the game, and I think I see *exactly* how this one
fits in with the others. (Of course, that presumes all my guesses,
assumptions, and deductions are on-target.  If you've finished the game and
want to hear my theory and reasoning, or if you *haven't* finished the game
and want to hear my reasoning and don't mind a ton of spoilers, e-mail me).
But here are a few ways the game harkens back to BoF1 in terms of Game
Play, and occassionally in Storyline.

(1) Nina.  She's got large wings and she can fly.  More notable, she's the
group's healer, a position she hasn't had since the original game.
Granted, she doesn't have all the defensive spells she had in BoF1 (Cray
got most of them here), and Scias has a few healing spells as well (though
he gets them at later levels than Nina does), but Nina will be the main
healer. (As a side note, The Grassrunner clan are usually good healers -
Bow, Momo, and Scias are all part of this clan).

(2) The plot of Breath of Fire 1 is really rather linear:  Ryuu leaves home
to find his missing sister, who he believes is being held by the Empire.
Replace 'Ryuu' with 'Nina', and you have the opening plot of BoF4.  The
BoF4 plot isn't quite as linear, as you get distracted at least a
half-dozen times with more important matters, but finding a main
character's sister is integral to the premise of the game. (In both cases,
as well, it turns out to have nothing to do with the final showdown at the
end of the game)

(3) A minor feature:  The behind-the-back-perspective separate-screen
battle sequences from BoF1 and 2 are back, and he fact your characters
actually run up and hit the enemies rather than stand in place and swing is
back from the original game.

(4) The conflict between the Light and Dark Dragons definitely takes center
stage, as it did in BoF1.  I still don't know if Fou-Lu and Emperor Zog are
related; I'd love to get my hands on a Japanese copy of BoF1 and play it
through.

(5) Ryuu's spell list.  In BoF1, he had nothing but Dragon transformation
spells. In BoF2 he got a few minor healing spells, and in BoF3 he became
the best healer in the game (which was highly annoying, since I was saving
his AP for dragon transformations.  And people wonder why I like Momo so
much).  In BoF4, once again, his only spells are Meditation (i.e., Dragon
Transformation), and the Dragon Summons.

(6) The battle system.  Breath of Fire 1 had all eight characters
participating in every battle, and everyone got experience from every
fight, whether they actually attacked or not.  Switching in and out was a
bit more awkward (you could only switch one character per round), and you
couldn't switch out Ryuu in dragon-form (why would you want to?), but BoF4
brings back never having to decide who's coming with you and who's going to
get stuck never gaining a level.  As a completely irrelevant side-note, why
did the 16-bit games have more characters in the party?  BoF had eight,
BoF2 had nine, while BoF 3 and 4 have only six (seven if you count Teepo or
Fou-Lu).  Further, BoF and BoF2 allowed four characters in the active
party, while 3 and 4 allow only three.

(7) The Music.  This is also a throwback to BoF2, but it was lacking in BoF3.
The battle music changes during the course of the game... albeit not the same
way as previous games.  In BoF1 and 2, it changed permanently after certain
story points.  In BoF4, there's one battle and boss theme for the Eastern
continent (including the 'etc' areas on the Shift menu), and another one for
the West (at the start of the game, Ryuu's party will have the Eastern music,
and Fou-Lu the Western).

C. Mini-Game Madness

        I'd like some help in completing this section, because I only know
of a few replayable mini-games. This is, of course, dragon-related becuase
you need a certain number of Game Points to upgrade your dragons. Your Fishing
Points, I have to note, are entirely separate from your Game Points, so you
can't go fishing in an attempt to upgrade those dragons :)  Keep in mind
these points are for completing the mini-games the second and subsequent
times; you get far more points the first time you play them - *ten times*
as much, in fact (so try to get them right the first time.  They're not as
pointless - no pun intended - as they appear).
	Oh, and don't smack people with your sword for 'easy' money.  You
*lose* Game Points for that. (Okay, only one Game Point per smack, but
still...).  For that reason, try not to keep Ershin in front in towns.
When running, he does his headbutt automatically when hitting an obsticle
(such as other people).

1. Sandflyer Jumping:  You get points for beating your high score when
traveling between any two points in your sandspeeder.  More accurately,
your high score for each of the six courses are kept as part of your
Game Points.  When you get a higher score, only the difference is added to
your Game Points.
        The points themselves are gotten by doing trick jumps off the sand
dunes (and, of course, landing safely).  Beating your record score is what's
important; your time is irrelevant for Game Points.  I might be able to get
a few hundred thousand points right here. :)
        Update:  I've found that you can, indeed, get a lot of points here,
but not an unlimited number.  There are six courses (between the three
points Kyoin, Shyde and the Shikk region - going in the opposite direction
counts as a different course for scorekeeping purposes), and you can get a
maximum of 4000 points on each one, for a grand total of 24,000 Game
Points.  This alone will be enough to upgrade two of the four dragons.
	Update #2, sort of: I've heard that it's possible to get 6,000 points
per course, but as yet I haven't managed it.  If anyone knows how it's done,
let me know.

2. Move Them Boxes:  At the Wharf, you can try to get those ten crates on
the ship again in three minutes.  On replays, this scores 10 points per box
placed, or 20 points per box placed in the light blue square.  That's 200
points total, if you place all ten boxes in the blue squares, plus a time
bonus if you complete it with 30 or more seconds on the clock.  I've never
gotten more than 380 points out of this, but it's quick and easy, if rather
tedious.
	Note that you can't replay the barrel-moving game at the Wharf.

3. Catching The Sheep: If they're sheep, why are they going 'oink'?  Oh, no
matter.  Just like capturing Tak the brown chicken. (If you don't know what
I mean, then you haven't gotten far enough to access this mini-game anyway).
Drive the brown mother sheep into the pen to end this game. There are twenty
sheep all told - nineteen white and one red. You get 10 points per white
sheep you drive in first, 200 points for the red sheep, and a bonus depending
on how many sheep you get in before chasing the mother sheep in.  There's a
potential of 690 points here, but I'm not sure it's worth it, in terms of
time spent vs. points gotten.  (I usually wind up spending five minutes
chasing the darn sheep around, before I finally get fed up and chase the
brown one in the pen, for a grand total of 200 points).
	Of course, the first time (when you're trying to capture chickens
instead of sheep), and everything is worth ten times as much, then it's
definitely worth it to get the full 6900 points out of this, since you're
not timed, and you have to complete it *anyway* to move on.

4. White Water Rafting:  In Mount Ryft, ride the raft and pick up the bags
for 20 points each.  There's not much to earn here. The most I've gotten is
220 points (including a time bonus), and you have to run through a small
enemy-infested area just to get to the raft.  Still, this is the easiest and
quickest of the games, and may be the most worthwhile in the long run.


-----

Bonus BoF4 Rant: If Capcom of America *had* to remove a decapitation scene,
why did they do it by ending the scene in the middle before the
decapitation would have taken place?  Would it have been that difficult for
the character to blink and disappear, and have the scene go on as normal?
(I mind less the removal of a scene of Nina and Ursula bathing, because I
didn't even notice it was missing.  The premature end of the decapitation
scene left me scratching my head and wondering what just happened).
        For that matter, they delayed the game an extra month, could
*someone* have translated the end credits?  (Actually, this is all more of
a Capcom of America rant than a general BoF4 one - the game itself is
excellent.  I just feel slightly gypped by this slipshod job of
"Americanizing" it)

Bonus BoF Wish List:  A Breath of Fire Collection disk for the PSX,
featuring BoF 1 and 2, both with new translations (Square did a shoddy job
with BoF1, changing names at will, and BoF2 combined horrible English with
translators who couldn't make up their minds whether to use Square's names
or not.  So Winlan was changed back to Windia and Tyr became Miria - they
didn't add the y's to Wyndia and Myria until BoF3 - but Deis was still
named Bleu, and they used Square's naming convention for the Cure spells).
	Fun fact:  BoF2 and BoF3 have almost exactly the same spells, but
because a completely different team translated them, they have entirely
different names for almost all of them.  For example, Cure1, Cure2, Cure3,
Cure4, and CureX in BoF2 are Heal, Rejuvenate, Vitalize, Restore, and Vigor
in BoF3 (and 4)
        The ultimate feature for this non-existant Collection would be the
ability to mix and match characters between the games once they've both been
finished (imagine fighting Deatheven with the G.Dragon *and* Rudra), but I
doubt that'll happen.  :)

-----


SPECIAL THANKS TO

Capcom of Japan, for this excellent game.  Keep making them, and find
someone less squeamish to translate them to English. :)

Happy Matt (happy_matt@msn.com), who confirmed the dragon system for me
several months before the game was released, and whose FAQ provided the
move lists for dragon forms I hadn't yet gotten, as well as the Levels for
Stardrop and the 50,000 Game Point plateau for upgrades.  (His FAQ is also a
good guide to 'what the heck are they yelling?' as the party casts their
spells, since what they're yelling are the Japanese spell names. It's
currently the most complete BoF4 FAQ available, even though it's for the
Japanese version).

IGN, specifically psx.ign.com, which put up movies of Ryuu's transformation,
the Wyvern's Gigaflame breath, and the Mud Flow evocation months before
the game came out.  (They're still there, as far as I know).

Anyone I forgot. :)


Breath of Fire IV Dragon Handbook  2000 DarkStorm (Laurence A. Isen).