                            PSO Weapons FAQ
                             by: Sephiroth
                     Email: Sephiroth_199@hotmail.com
                          Last Updated 6/18/01
                       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.

NOTE: As of 6/19/01, I have changed the Weapons Tables into Weapons
Lists to cut down the size of this FAQ and to get rid of the information
that does not pertain to anything discussed in this FAQ.
________________________________________________________________________
                           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
6. Percentages
7. Grinding
8. Credits

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             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). I did, however, create the tables from scratch. 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.

              _____________________________________________
                                SYMBOLS KEY
                     x* = Stars (x is number of stars)
                 capitalized WEAPON name = SPECIAL WEAPON
                   (EW) after weapon name = Enemy weapon
              _____________________________________________


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       NORMAL WEAPON FAMILIES LISTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     First, I'll begin with the basics. All normal weapon families have
5 basic weapons (except for the Force weapon families which each have 4
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 attacks (how a person moves when attacking and how
    fast the person attacks with that 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.

Sword Family                        Throwing Blade Family
------------------------------      ------------------------------
 0* Saber                            1* Slicer
 1* Brand                            2* Spinner
 2* Buster                           3* Cutter
 3* Pallasch                         4* Sawcer
 4* Gladius                          5* Diska
 9* DB'S SABER                       9* SLICER OF ASSASSIN
 9* KALADGOLG                        9* DISKA OF LIBERATOR
 9* DURANDAL                         9* DISKA OF BRAVEMAN
 9* VICTOR AXE
 9* AGITO
12* OROTIAGITO
10* AKIKO'S FRYING PAN
12* LAVIS CANNON
11* DELSABER'S BUSTER (EW)

Short Sword Family                  Long Sword Family
------------------------------      ------------------------------
 1* Dagger                           1* Partisan
 2* Knife                            2* Halbert
 3* Blade                            3* Glaive
 4* Edge                             4* Berdys
 5* Ripper                           5* Gungir
 9* BLADE DANCE                      9* BRIONAC
 9* BLOODY ART                       9* VJAYA
 9* CROSS SCAR                       9* GAE BOLG
11* PAN ARMS' BLADES (EW)           10* SOUL EATER
11* S-BEAT BLADES (EW)              11* SOUL BANISH

Large Sword Family                  Gun Family
------------------------------      ------------------------------
 1* Sword                            0* Handgun
 2* Gigush                           1* Autogun
 3* Breaker                          2* Lockgun
 4* Claymore                         3* Railgun
 5* Calibur                          4* Raygun
 9* FLOWEN'S SWORD                   9* VARISTA
 9* LAST SURVIVOR                    9* CUSTOM RAY v.00
 9* DRAGON SLAYER                    9* BRAVACE
11* CHAIN SAWD                      10* SUPPRESSED GUN
                                    11* HOLY RAY
                                    12* HEAVEN PUNISHER

Machine Gun Family	            Rifle Family
------------------------------      ------------------------------
 1* Mechgun                          1* Rifle
 2* Assault                          2* Sniper
 3* Repeater                         3* Blaster
 4* Gatling                          4* Beam
 5* Vulcan                           5* Laser
 9* M&A60 VISE                       9* VISK*235W
 9* H&S25 JUSTICE                    9* WALS-MK2
 9* L&K14 COMBAT                     9* JUSTY-23ST
                                    11* FLAME VISIT
                                    11* INFERNO BAZOOKA
                                    11* C-BRINGER RIFLE

Shotgun Family                      Cane Family
------------------------------      ------------------------------
 1* Shot                             0* Cane
 2* Spread                           1* Stick
 3* Cannon                           2* Mace
 4* Launcher                         3* Club
 5* Arms                             9* CLUB OF LACONIUM
 9* CRUSH BULLET                     9* MACE OF ADAMAN
 9* METEOR SMASH                     9* CLUB OF ZUMIURAN
 9* FINAL IMPACT                    11* STING TIP
11* SPREAD NEEDLE

Wand Family                         Rod Family
------------------------------      ------------------------------
 1* Wand                             1* Rod
 2* Staff                            2* Pole
 3* Baton                            3* Pillar
 4* Scepter                          4* Striker
 9* ICE STAFF: DAGON                 9* BATTLE VERGE
 9* FIRE SCEPTER: AGNI               9* BRAVE HAMMER
 9* STORM WAND: INDRA                9* ALIVE AGHU
10* TECHNICAL CROZIER               11* CADUCEUS
11* MAGICAL PIECE                   12* PSYCHO WAND
                                    11* C-SORCERER'S CANE (EW)

             -----------------------------------------
                      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                      Claw Family
------------------------------      ------------------------------
 9* BRAVE KNUCKLE                    9* PHOTON CLAW
10* ANGRY FIST                      11* SILENCE CLAW
11* GOD HAND

Double Saber Family
------------------------------
 9* DOUBLE SABER
10* STAG CUTLERY
11* TWIN BRAND

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

HP Draining Family (steals HP)      TP Draining Family (steals TP)
------------------------------      ------------------------------
Draw                                Heart
Drain                               Mind
Fill                                Soul
Gush                                Geist

Fire Damage Family                  Ice Damage Family (can also freeze)
------------------------------      ------------------------------
Heat                                Ice
Fire                                Frost
Flame                               Freeze
Burning                             Blizzard

Electric Damage Family              Paralysis Family (can paralyze)
------------------------------      ------------------------------
Shock                               Hold
Thunder                             Bind
Storm                               Seize
Tempest                             Arrest

Confusion Family (can confuse)      EXP Draining Family (steals EXP)
------------------------------      ------------------------------
Panic                               Master
Riot                                Lord
Havoc                               King
Chaos

Instant Death Class                 HP Reduction Class
------------------------------      ------------------------------
Dim                                 Devil
Shadow                              Demon
Dark
Hell

Charge Class (all add 2*)
------------------------------
Charge (uses Meseta)
Spirit (uses TP)
Berserk (uses HP)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               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.

THANKS TO:
Khaotika, for weapon names.
www.planetdreamcast.com/psoworld, for all the star requirements.
TiggerCoe723@aol.com, for the entire Prefix list
dcawte@phtel.demon.co.uk, for various Prefix definitions (which I will hopefully put into
my FAQ)
mhancock@coventry.ac.uk, for some stat requirement corrections


