PSO Weapons FAQ
by: Sephiroth
Email: Sephiroth_199@hotmail.com
Last Updated 6/6/01
Copyright 2001 Joshua Saupp
All Rights Reserved
---------------------------------------
     This FAQ is not to be posted on any site except GameFAQ's unless I 
give written permission to do so. To ask for my permission to put this 
FAQ on a page, email me at the address listed above. This FAQ is not to 
be sold or used for personal profit or gain. The plagiarizing of this FAQ 
is illegal.
________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
________________________________________________________________________

1. Introduction
2. Normal Weapon Families Lists
     A. Sword Family List
     B. Throwing Blade Family List
     C. Short Sword Family List
     D. Long Sword Family List
     E. Large Sword Family List
     F. Handgun Family List
     G. Machine Gun Family List
     H. Rifle Family List
     I. Shot Family List
     J. Cane Family List
     K. Wand Family List
     L. Rod Family List
3. Unique Weapons Families Lists
     A. Knuckle Family List
     B. Claw Family List
     C. Double Saber Family List
4. Stars
5. Prefixes
     A. Prefix List (not yet up)
6. Percentages
7. Grinding
8. Credits

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INTRODUCTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     This FAQ was designed in an effort to organize all the weapons in 
Phantasy Star Online into different families so players could better 
understand how the weapons are categorized. In this FAQ I have not 
included where you would be able to find rare weapons. For that 
information, I suggest you check out Khaotika's Rare Items FAQ (also on 
GameFAQs). All the weapon descriptions and stat requirements were taken 
from Khaotika's Rare Items FAQ. Most of the star amounts I verified at 
www.planetdreamcast.com/psoworld. This FAQ is based on my interpretations 
of how the weapons system in PSO works and is by no means absolutely 
correct. 
     Also, I would appreciate any emails with information on additional 
weapons in PSO. If you notice an error anywhere in my FAQ, please email 
me. My email address is listed above. Please use the subject PSO, PSO 
Weapons, or some other variation.
   
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NORMAL WEAPON FAMILIES LISTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     First, I'll begin with the basics. All normal weapon families have 5 
basic weapons, each progressively stronger than the previous one. The 
colors of these weapons, from weakest to strongest, are Green, Blue, 
Purple, Red, and Gold. These first five weapons can have prefixes which 
give them additional powers as well as percentage bonuses against a 
certain type of monster. 
     Each normal weapon family also has three more powerful weapon types, 
all of which are nine star weapons and are always found as an 
unidentified "SPECIAL WEAPON". These weapons cannot have prefixes as they 
already have a set special attack. They can, however, have percentage 
bonuses. The colors of these weapons, from weakest to strongest, are 
Green/Blue, Purple/Red, and Gold/Green. 
     Some normal weapon families also have more unique 10 (or more) star 
weapons. These weapons are very hard to find and look very different from 
other weapons of that family. They do not get prefixes as they already 
have set special attacks. These can be found as an unidentified "SPECIAL 
WEAPON" or they can be found on special quests. Those gotten as a reward 
from a quest can not have percentage bonuses but those found as a 
"SPECIAL WEAPON" can.
     Additionally, certain normal weapon families have truly unique Enemy 
Weapons. Each Enemy Weapon functions like a weapon from that normal 
weapon family but looks like an enemy's weapon. They are dropped by 
enemies and appear as "enemy name's ARM". They have to be taken to Dr. 
Montague to be forged into the actual weapon. Each has a set special 
attack and they can have no prefixes or percentage bonuses.

     Please note, the family a weapon belongs to is determined by two 
main factors. These two factors are:
   -how many enemies are hit by a normal attack
   -how the weapon's combo attack functions (both speed and visually how        
    a person attacks with the weapon)
What a weapon looks like does not determine which family it will be 
placed in. There are two weapons that I am aware of that do not meet both 
these criteria. Both the FLAME VISIT and the INFERNO BAZOOKA hit one 
enemy like a Rifle, but perform combo attacks like a Shotgun. I finally 
decided that because they hit only one enemy, they would be classified as 
Rifles.

     The weapons listed here are only those that are legitimately found 
in the American version of Phantasy Star Online. This means that the 
weapons currently banned by SEGA from online play (NEI'S CLAW, 
EGGBLASTER, etc.) are not listed in this FAQ.
_____________________________________________
SYMBOLS KEY
x*= Stars (x is number of stars)
capitalized WEAPON name = SPECIAL WEAPON
______________________________________________

Sword Family
Name       Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 0* Saber        30         All Classes
 1* Brand        90         All Classes
 2* Buster      155         All Classes
 3* Pallasch    233         All Classes
 4* Gladius     266         All Classes

 9* DB'S SABER  265         All Classes    A sword with the initials
                                           "DB" carved into the hilt.
                                           Uses TP to create a powerful
                                           attack.

 9* KALADGOLG   295         All Classes    A legendary sword long sought
                                           after by warriors. Its
                                           special attack freezes
                                           enemies.    

 9* DURANDAL    310         All Classes    A legendary sword known as 
                                           "The Knight's Blade." Its 
                                           special attack steals 
                                           experience points.

 9* VICTOR AXE  250         All Classes     A one-handed axe with a 
                                            Photon blade. Its special 
                                            attack steals HP.

 9* AGITO       195         All Classes    AUW19?? model. Made by 
                                           ????????.

12* OROTIAGITO  470         Hunter Only    AUW1975 model. Made by
                                           Dousetsu. Its special attack
                                           halves enemy HP.

10* AKIKO'S      52         All Classes    The ultimate weapon --hard,
FRYING PAN                                 yet supple and smooth!

12* LAVIS       500         Hunter Only     Few facts or even rumors are 
CANNON                                      known about this ultimate 
                                            sword. Its abilities are a 
                                            mystery.

11* DELSABER'S  295         All Classes     Delsaber's hand, now an 
BUSTER                                      enemy weapon. Powers up 100% 
                                            if used with a Delsaber 
                                            shield. Lightning damage.


Throwing Blade Family
Name      Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Slicer      135         All Classes
 2* Spinner     204         All Classes
 3* Cutter      302         All Classes
 4* Sawcer      395         All Classes
 5* Diska       476         All Classes

 9* SLICER OF   475         All Classes     A legendary throwing blade
ASSASSIN                                    used by elite assassins. Its
                                            special attack can kill 
                                            instantly.

 9* DISKA OF    480         All Classes     Diska with Havoc ability.
LIBERATOR

 9* DISKA OF    495         Hunter Only     A legendary throwing blade 
BRAVEMAN                                    for the brave. Sacrifices HP
                                            for a powerful special
                                            attack.

Short Sword Family
Name      Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Dagger       65         Hunter Only
 2* Knife       117         Hunter Only
 3* Blade       182         Hunter Only
 4* Edge        281         Hunter Only
 5* Ripper      340         Hunter Only

 9* BLADE DANCE 385         Hunter Only     A short sword named for its
                                            dance-like attack. Its 
                                            special attack paralyzes 
                                            enemies.

 9* BLOODY ART  412         Hunter Only     A legendary short sword 
                                            named after all the blood 
                                            that it spilled. Its special
                                            attack halves enemy HP.


 9* CROSS SCAR  463         Hunter Only     A legendary short sword that
                                            leaves cross shaped scars on
                                            its victims. Adds lightning
                                            damage.

11* PAN ARMS'   300         All Classes     An enemy weapon made from 
BLADES                                      the hands of a Pan Arms. Its 
                                            special attack paralyzes 
                                            enemies.

11* S-BEAT      485         Hunter/Ranger   An enemy weapon made from 
BLADES                                      the hands of a Sinow Beat. 
                                            Its special attack can kill 
                                            in a single strike.

Long Sword Family
Name      Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Partisan    124         Hunter Only
 2* Halbert     192         Hunter Only
 3* Glaive      286         Hunter Only
 4* Berdys      335         Hunter Only
 5* Gungir      450         Hunter Only

 9* BRIONAC     475         Hunter Only     A legendary long sword made
                                            of precious Photons. Its
                                            special attack steals enemy 
                                            TP.

 9* VJAYA       495         Hunter Only     Partisan with Charge 
                                            ability.

 9* GAE BOLG    ???         Hunter Only     A legendary long sword that
                                            is said to become sharper 
                                            with every blow. Its special 
                                            attack freezes enemies.

10* SOUL EATER  165         All Classes     A cursed sickle that drains 
                                            HP from the user. Its 
                                            special attack drains HP for 
                                            a powerful strike.

11* SOUL BANISH 295         Hunter Only     A cursed, but powerful, 
                                            sickle that drains HP from 
                                            the user. Its attack drains 
                                            HP for a powerful strike.

Large Sword Family
Name      Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Sword        82         Hunter Only
 2* Gigush      168         Hunter Only
 3* Breaker     258         Hunter Only
 4* Claymore    316         Hunter Only
 5* Calibur     474         Hunter Only

 9* FLOWEN'S    385         Hunter Only     Bears the serial number 
SWORD                                       52-0003. Refills user's TP 
                                            by a small fraction with a 
                                            special attack.

 9* LAST        480         Hunter Only     A sword said to protect its 
SURVIVOR                                    bearer in battle. Its 
                                            special attack steals HP.

 9* DRAGON      495         Hunter Only     A legendary sword borne by 
SLAYER                                      one who defeated a dragon. 
                                            Adds an explosive fire 
                                            attack.

11* CHAIN SAWD  470         Hunter/Ranger   A large sword with small,  
                                            spinning Photon blades. Its 
                                            special attack steals HP.

Gun Family
Name      Required ATA   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 0* Handgun      68         All Classes
 1* Autogun      78         All Classes
 2* Lockgun      88         All Classes
 3* Railgun      98         All Classes
 4* Raygun      108         All Classes

 9* VARISTA     110         All Classes     A legendary high performance 
                                            pistol. Its special attack 
                                            causes paralysis.

 9* CUSTOM RAY  ???         All Classes     A pistol used by mechanic 
v.00                                        group "team00". Proves the
                                            bearer to be a member of the 
                                            team. Adds fire damage.

 9* BRAVACE     118         Ranger Only     A legendary pistol reserved 
                                            for high-ranking officers 
                                            aboard Pioneer 1. Adds 
                                            lightning damage.

10* SUPPRESSED  110         Ranger Only     A small gun that fires 
GUN                                         Photon bullets.

11* HOLY RAY    120         All Classes     A special gun that impales 
                                            enemies with a giant spear. 
                                            Its special attack paralyzes 
                                            enemies.

13* HEAVEN      135         Ranger Only     The ultimate gun, a weapon 
PUNISHER                                    veiled in mystery. "Divine      
                                            Punishment," its special 
                                            attack, is based on time...

Machine Gun Family
Name      Required ATA   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Mechgun      79         All Classes
 2* Assault      87         All Classes
 3* Repeater     97         All Classes
 4* Gatling     109         All Classes
 5* Vulcan      117         All Classes

 9* M&A60 VISE  120         All Classes     A legendary machine gun from
                                            the Vise Corp. Sacrifices HP
                                            for a powerful special 
                                            attack.

 9* H&S25       122         All Classes     A legendary machine gun from 
JUSTICE                                     the Justice Corp. Its 
                                            special attack freezes 
                                            enemies.

 9* L&K14       124         Ranger Only     A legendary machine gun from 
COMBAT                                      the Combat Corp. Its special 
                                            attack paralyzes enemies.

Rifle Family
Name      Required ATA   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Rifle        72         Ranger Only
 2* Sniper       83         Ranger Only
 3* Blaster     100         Ranger Only
 4* Beam        106         Ranger Only
 5* Laser       115         Ranger Only

 9* VISK*235W   118         Ranger Only     A legendary rifle crafted by 
                                            Visk, one of the three 
                                            masters. Its special attack 
                                            paralyzes enemies.

 9* WALS-MK2    120         Ranger Only     A rifle with the Havoc 
                                            ability.

 9* JUSTY-23ST  125         Ranger Only     A legendary rifle crafted by 
                                            Justy, one of the three 
                                            masters. Its special attack 
                                            halves enemy HP.

11* FLAME VISIT 118         Ranger Only     A flamethrower that 
                                            incinerates enemies with 
                                            huge fireballs. Its special 
                                            attack confuses enemies.

11* INFERNO     125         All Classes     A bazooka of sorts. Its 
BAZOOKA                                     special halves HP.

11* C-BRINGER   133         Ranger Only     Made from a Chaos Bringer's 
RIFLE                                       arm.

Shotgun Family
Name      Required ATA   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Shot         85         Ranger Only
 2* Spread       90         Ranger Only
 3* Cannon      102         Ranger Only
 4* Launcher    112         Ranger Only
 5* Arms        120         Ranger Only

 9* CRUSH       122         Ranger Only     A legendary shotgun made 
BULLET                                      with concentrated pure 
                                            photons. Its special attack 
                                            steals enemy HP.

 9* METEOR      125         Ranger Only     A legendary shotgun with 
SMASH                                       power that rivals a meteor 
                                            strike. Its special attack 
                                            steals TP.

 9* FINAL       125         Ranger Only     A legendary shotgun with 
IMPACT                                      tremendous power. Its 
                                            special attack steals 
                                            experience points.

11* SPREAD      130         Hunter/Ranger   A custom shotgun that shoots 
NEEDLE                                      countless needles. Its 
                                            special attack paralyzes 
                                            enemies.

Cane Family
Name      Required MST   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 0* Cane         50         Force Only
 1* Stick       150         Force Only
 2* Mace        300         Force Only
 3* Club        420         Force Only

 9* CLUB OF     430         Force Only      A legendary cane made of 
LACONIUM                                    sturdy Laconium metal. Its 
                                            special attack adds 
                                            explosive fire damage.

 9* MACE OF     440         Force Only      A mace with the Storm 
ADAMAN                                      ability.

 9* CLUB OF     450         Force Only      A legendary cane made of the 
ZUMIURAN                                    magic stone Zumiuran. Its 
                                            special attack can cause 
                                            instant death.

11* STING TIP   260         Force Only      A battle cane with needles 
                                            on its tip. Its special 
                                            attack steals TP.

Wand Family
Name      Required MST   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Wand        114         Force Only
 2* Staff       250         Force Only
 3* Baton       380         Force Only
 4* Scepter     460         Force Only

 9* FIRE        470         Force Only      A legendary magic cane 
SCEPTER: AGNI                               containing the power of
                                            fire. Its special attack 
                                            adds fire damage.

 9* ICE STAFF:  480         Force Only      A wand with the Freeze 
DAGON                                       ability.

 9* STORM WAND: 490         Force Only      A legendary magic cane 
INDRA                                       containing the power of 
                                            lightning. Adds lightning 
                                            damage.

10* TECHNICAL   285         Force Only      A magical cane made for 
CROZIER                                     Forces. Made by an adept in 
                                            science and magic. Casts 
                                            Barta.

11* MAGICAL     390         Force Only      A magical cane with the 
PIECE                                       magic rock Heart Key on its
                                            tip. It can cast Zonde 
                                            without TP cost.
Rod Family
Name      Required MST   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1* Rod          80         Force Only
 2* Pole        200         Force Only
 3* Pillar      340         Force Only
 4* Striker     450         Force Only

 9* BATTLE      460         Force Only      A legendary battle cane made 
VERGE                                       so Forces can hold their own 
                                            in a fight. Halves enemy HP.

 9* BRAVE       470         Force Only      A legendary battle cane made 
HAMMER                                      for brave Forces. Its 
                                            special attack uses TP to 
                                            launch a powerful strike.

 9* ALIVE AGHU  480         Force Only      A legendary battle cane made 
                                            for a Force for intense
                                            fights. Its special attack 
                                            steals enemies' HP.

11* CADUCEUS    320         Force Only      A special cane created based 
                                            on a legendary holy cane. 
                                            Casts Foie as a special 
                                            attack.

12* PSYCHO WAND 450         Force Only      A mysterious cane known only 
                                            as the ultimate cane. Its 
                                            abilities are unknown.

11* C-SORCERER'S 420        Force Only      A magic cane made from the
CANE                                        cane of a Chaos Sorcerer. 
                                            Reduces TP cost by 10% and
                                            steals enemy TP.


-----------------------------------------
UNIQUE WEAPON FAMILIES
-----------------------------------------
     Unique weapon families are very different from normal weapon 
families. All the members of a unique weapon family are "SPECIAL WEAPONS" 
and must be identified. As such, they have no prefixes and always come 
with a set special attack. They can, however, get percentage bonuses. 
Most of the weapons in a unique weapon family have 10 or more stars, but 
occasionally there is one with nine stars.  The colors have no set 
pattern in a unique weapons family. 

Knuckle Family
Name      Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9* BRAVE       250         All Classes     Gear for the fists and feet 
KNUCKLE                                     to boost attack power for 
                                            unarmed combat. Its special 
                                            attack causes paralysis.

10* ANGRY FIST  ???         ???             Freezes enemies as its              
                                            special attack.

11* GOD HAND    470         ???             The ultimate gear for 
                                            unarmed combat. Its special
                                            attack steals experience 
                                            points.

Claw Family
Name      Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9* PHOTON CLAW 215         All Classes     Claws with Photon blades for 
                                            quick attacks with right 
                                            hand. Special attack steals 
                                            enemy's HP.

11* SILENCE     336         Hunter Only??   Legendary Claws that kill 
CLAW                                        silently. Its special attack      
                                            can fell enemies with a 
                                            single blow.

Double Saber Family
Name      Required ATP   Required Class      Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9* DOUBLE      235         All Classes     A double bladed photon 
SABER                                       sword. Its special attack 
                                            steals enemies' TP.

10* STAG        343         Hunter/Ranger   A legendary double-bladed 
CUTLERY                                     sword usable only by male 
                                            Hunters and Rangers, causes 
                                            confusion.

11* TWIN BRAND  470         Hunter Only     The ultimate double-bladed 
                                            sword, only for masters. Its
                                            special attack halves enemy 
                                            HP.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
STARS
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     To begin with, each weapon in PSO has a certain number of stars. The 
number of stars a weapon has can be viewed, along with a description of 
the weapon, on page 3 of the weapon's sub-menu. Stars are used as a kind 
of rating system in PSO. The more stars a weapon has, the better (and 
rarer) it is. Each basic weapon in a normal weapon family has one star 
more than the previous weapon. For example, a regular Saber has zero 
stars, a regular Brand has one star, a Buster has two stars, a Pallasch 
gets three, and a Gladius has four stars. Some stronger normal weapon 
families start out with one star. For example, a Rifle has one star, a 
Sniper has two, and so on. This is just because these weapons are 
stronger than those in other normal weapon families. The number of stars 
a weapon has is not affected by the +, or grinded amount, of a weapon, 
nor is it affected by the percentages against a certain monster type. The 
number of stars a weapon has can change with the prefix of a weapon. The 
more powerful the prefix, the more additional stars a weapon has. If a 
weapon has 9 stars or more, it's name will appear in gold font.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREFIXES
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Prefixes are special abilities a weapon can have when it is 
identified. All weapons with a prefix will be found as a "???? Weapon 
Name" and will appear in blue text even if it is not usable by that 
class. When you take that item to a Tekker, he will identify it and the 
"????" will become a prefix. This prefix enables you to use the "Extra 
Attack" when you have that weapon equipped. When you are identifying a 
weapon, keep in mind that the prefix can change but only to another 
prefix in the same family. For example, if you identify a Raygun as a Dim 
Raygun and say you don't want to believe the Tekker and then identify it 
again, it could only possibly be a Shadow or Dark Raygun as those are in 
the Instant Death Prefix Family. The prefix can only go up or down one 
prefix from the Base Prefix. The Base Prefix is what the weapon's most 
common prefix is.  To determine the Base Prefix you need to have the 
Tekker identify it several times. The Prefix that occurs most often is 
the Base Prefix. What this means is that if you have a Sniper with Shadow 
as the Base Identification Prefix, it can only go down one prefix level 
to Dim, or up one prefix level to Dark. It can never become a Hell 
Sniper. Also, if the Base Prefix is the most powerful it could only go 
down one level. Again, if the Base Prefix is the lowest level it could 
only go up one. Prefix levels also add stars to the weapon. In the most 
common four level Prefix family, the lowest level adds one star, and the 
highest level adds four. In a two level family, the lower adds three and 
the higher adds four. In the one level family, the prefix adds two stars.

Prefix Families
------------------------------------------------------------------------

COMING SOON

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENTAGES
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Certain weapons have advantages, or disadvantages, against certain 
types of monsters. These appear in the form of percentages listed on the 
second page of the weapon's sub-menu. The percentages are Native, A. 
Beast, Machine, and Dark. There is one other known percentage category 
called Hit. It increases your chances of hitting a monster (ATA). If a 
weapon has any percentages, either positive or negative, it's name will 
appear in green text (unless it has more than nine stars, in which case 
the name will be gold). Positive percentages allow you to do more damage 
against that type of monster while negative percentages decrease the 
damage you do. Percentages can change each time you have a Tekker examine 
a weapon, although they don't change by much. The most a percentage can 
change is + or - 10% from the base percentage. The base percentage of a 
weapon can be viewed on the second page of the weapon's sub-menu before 
the weapon is identified. This means that a weapon with a base percentage 
of 30% to Dark can only be identified as having either 20%, 25%, 30%, 
35%, or 40% to Dark. Unless a weapon has a percentage listed before it is 
identified, it will never get percentages (although I suppose that, in 
theory, it is possible to have a weapon with a base percentage of 0% and 
get either + or - 10%). If a weapon has multiple percentages, all 
percentages will increase or decrease by the same amount.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRINDING
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Grinding is a way to increase a weapon's attack power. When a weapon 
is grinded a + is added at the end of the weapon's name followed by a 
number. The number is the grinded amount. For example, a grinded Pallasch 
would look like this: Pallasch +3, assuming of course that it had been 
grinded up three levels. Grinding can be done with the use of items 
called Grinders. There are three types of grinders, Monogrinders, 
Digrinders, and Trigrinders. Monogrinders add one, Digrinders add two, 
and Trigrinders add three. For each grinding level a weapon has, its 
attack power increases by 2 points. This means that the Pallasch +3 
would, when equipped, increase your ATP 6 points more than a regular 
Pallasch would. Each weapon has a grinding limit. This grinding limit is 
the same for the first five weapons in a Normal Weapon Family but the 
grinding limit can differ with the other weapons in that family. Grinding 
a weapon does not add stars to it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CREDITS
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     This section is just here to give a little thanks to all the people 
who send me information. If you want your name posted here, send me some 
good information (or give me some LEGIT rares).

THANKS TO:
Khaotika, for all the weapon descriptions and ATP requirements.
www.planetdreamcast.com/psoworld, for all the star requirements.


