Final Fantasy
Crystarium System
The Crystarium System is the ability and statistics development system for Final Fantasy XIII. Each character has a unique Crystarium similar to the Sphere Grid of Final Fantasy X, although systems do not intersect. The Crystarium is fueled by Crystogen Points (known as Crystal Points in the Japanese version), or CP, which are won after every battle, and are spent to unlock nodes in the Crystarium.
The system allows players to select which bonuses their character gains, rather than automatic level bonuses. Players fill the experience gauge between bonuses themselves, which is analogous to level gauges in previous games, but manually filled to fit the player's preference. Each character's Crystarium originates from their Eidolith (the crystal containing their Eidolon) and branches out in six directions, with one branch corresponding to each role.
Roles
Paradigms model the Job System of games past while adding some level of customization and restriction. Each character in the field can take on one of six roles in a Paradigm; any combination of three characters' roles constitutes a Paradigm. Paradigms can be changed during battle with a Paradigm Shift; however, what is more important to the Crystarium System are the particular Roles each character can take on.
The six Roles are as follows:
English
Commando (COM)
Ravager (RAV)
Sentinel (SEN)
Saboteur (SAB)
Synergist (SYN)
Medic (MED)
Japanese
Attacker (ATK)
Blaster (BLA)
Defender (DEF)
Jammer (JAM)
Enhancer (ENH)
Healer (HLR)
Description
Build attack chains more easily with enhanced Strength.
Charge enemy chain gauges with concentrated attacks.
Shield allies from enemy attacks with enhanced Defense.
Enfeeble enemies while charging their chain gauges.
Support allies with an array of magical enhancements.
Focus on restoring HP and removing status ailments.
Character
Lightning
Snow
Vanille
Sazh
Hope
Fang
Primary Roles
Commando, Ravager, Medic
Commando, Ravager, Medic
Ravager, Saboteur, Medic
Commando, Ravager, Synergist
Ravager, Synergist, Medic
Commando, Sentinel, Saboteur
Secondary Roles
Sentinel, Saboteur, Synergist
Saboteur, Synergist, Medic
Commando, Sentinel, Synergist
Sentinel, Saboteur, Medic
Commando, Sentinel, Saboteur
Ravager, Synergist, Medic
Each character starts out with three roles in which they are more proficient. A short way into Chapter 10, each character becomes able to access the other three roles, a feature called "Role Development". These secondary roles can be used once the character learns at least one ability from that role.
Expanding the Crystarium
The characters' Crystaria expand to the next level after certain bosses are defeated:
Stage 1 - Initial extent of Crystaria, as of the start of Chapter 3.
Stage 2 - Defeat the Garuda Interceptor at the end of Chapter 3.
The Synergist role is unlocked for Sazh, and the Saboteur role is unlocked for Vanille.
Stage 3 - Defeat the Dreadnought during Chapter 4.
The Medic role is unlocked for Lightning, and the Commando role is unlocked for Sazh.
Stage 4 - Defeat the Aster Protoflorian near the end of Chapter 5.
Stage 5 - Defeat Enki and Enlil near the end of Chapter 6.
Stage 6 - Defeat the Havoc Skytank at the end of Chapter 7.
Stage 7 - Defeat Barthandelus at the end of Chapter 9.
Stage 8 - Defeat Cid Raines during Chapter 10.
Stage 9 - Defeat Barthandelus near the end of Chapter 11.
Stage 10 - Defeat Orphan at the end of Chapter 13.
In each level the three primary roles a character has, there are occasional branches that contain additional skills and stat increases. Their secondary roles have no branches, being more straight-forward and restricted to fewer skills. In addition, CP costs for the secondary roles' nodes are much higher than those for the primary roles, despite having fewer nodes to activate.
Crystarium Stage
Each character's Crystarium growth level corresponds to the progress of the game's story. After fighting certain bosses, the Crystarium levels up, enabling players to advance through the layout and possibly upgrade their stats and learn new abilities, but enhancing stats and learning skills are still dictated by each Role's level. By filling up the experience (CP) gauges between bonuses or abilities, the player is able to choose which abilities to learn or bonuses to receive. The player is limited to the abilities and bonuses within each Crystarium level.
In previous games, characters were given stat bonuses or abilities at set levels, while in the Crystarium, these bonuses or abilities are the player's choice. In addition, the main bonuses players encounter are "Strength", "Magic" and "HP", while stats such as "Defense", "Speed" or "Evade" have been removed as attributes, though remain as special effects that can be augmented with abilities such as "Physical Defense + 5%" or "ATB Speed + 10%".
There are ten stages to the Crystarium and the stage of Crystarium is factored in when calculating the Eidolons' rank. The Eidolons have no Crystaria of their own and neither are their stats tied to the character's (as is with Yuna's Aeons in Final Fantasy X). Instead, the Eidolons' stats are determined by their rank, which is the sum of the summoner's Crystarium stage and the number of roles they have advanced to level 5.
In addition to the characters' Eidoliths being unique, the spatial layout of each Crystarium is also different for each character. For example, Snow's six roles extend along perpendicular directions, while Vanille's six roles all extend in approximately the same direction, but diverge before slightly converging again, creating a spherical structure.
Warrior (Fighter) — A specialist in heavy weapons and armor who can withstand tremendous amounts of punishment. Can become the Knight later in the game, who is able to use the most powerful weapons and some White Magic spells.
Monk (Black Belt) — A martial arts expert who is best left fighting empty-handed, but may also wield nunchaku, and the most basic of staves. Does tremendous amounts of damage in combat, but cannot wear heavy armor. Can become the Master later in the game. In the original Famicom/NES version a high level, barehanded Master who is unencumbered by armor, can do more damage in a single attack than any other character type; a party of four Masters can defeat the final boss monster in less than two full rounds. A rather weak class in the beginning, but you never have to buy much weapons/armor for him.
Thief — A high evasion/accuracy finesse fighter with very limited weapon and armor selection, but greater agility and luck (ability to escape from combat). However, the ability to flee is bugged in versions before the Origins release. Later in the game, the Thief can be upgraded to the Ninja class. Ninja can use almost every weapon and most armor, and can use many Black Magic spells.
White Mage — A specialist in White Magic. Not a good fighter, but can use hammers for physical attacks. Can be upgraded into a White Wizard, which allows the character to use the most powerful White Magic spells in the game.
Black Mage — A specialist in Black Magic and a very weak fighter. Becomes the Black Wizard later on. Black Wizard is the only character who can cast Flare (NUKE in the original North American localization), one of the two damaging spells that retain full effectiveness against Chaos (the White Wizard can cast Holy, the other spell, but it is less powerful than Flare).
Red Mage — A jack-of-all-trades character, able to use most but not all of both White and Black Magic, and possessing fighting abilities similar to but not quite as good as the Fighter. Becomes the Red Wizard later in the game.
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