Combat

Combat
Screenshot of combat against a Rochèvre.

Combat is a core gameplay mechanic in Sea of Stars. It is composed of turn-based battles where characters use their attacks, skills, and combos to defeat all enemies on the battlefield. After unlocking the third party member, the player controls 3 playable characters during combat. Later when additional party members join the party, the player is given the option to freely swap the 3 active party members with benched party members with no penalty.

Battles are either initiated via physical contact with an enemy or after experiencing a story cutscene, and they always occur on the same screen, rather than teleporting the party to a separate screen. Battles, which cannot be fled from, must be completed in order to progress through various locations and in order to progress the story. Battles notably have timed inputs, allowing the player to deal bonus damage or mitigate incoming damage.

Stats

Stat		Abbreviation
	Hit Points	HP
	Mana Points	MP
	Physical Attack	ATK
	Physical Defense	DEF
	Magic Attack	M. ATK
	Magic Defense	M. DEF

There are six different stats that impact the party: Hit Points (HP), Mana Points (MP), Physical Attack (ATK), Physical Defense (DEF), Magic Attack (M. ATK), and Magic Defense (M. DEF). Each one of these may increase when leveling up. Additionally, when a party member levels up, four stats are shown, and the player picks one to increase further.

Hit Points (HP)

Hit Points, or HP, track how close a party member is to being knocked unconscious, or how close an enemy is to dying. The party's HP is restored through skills, such as Zale's Healing Light, Valere's Lunar Shield, Garl's Nourish, Resh'an's Petrichor, Resh'an's The Great Eagle, and B'st's Warble, or the combos Mending Light and Item Roulette. Snacks can be used in or out of combat in order to restore HP, and resting outside of combat fully restores HP.

When a party member reaches 0 HP, they are knocked out and cannot act again for a certain number of rounds, represented by stars circling above their head. Each star disappears after a round of combat, and when a party member is initially knocked out, they start with 2 stars circling their head. The number of stars increases each time the same party member is knocked out, maxing out at 5 stars. While knocked out, they cannot be targeted by any attack or skill, even multi-target ones. After enough rounds have passed, they are revived with 50% of their maximum HP (rounded up). If a battle ends while they are knocked out, or while their health is below 20%, they will be restored to 20% of their maximum HP.

When an enemy reaches 0 HP, it is defeated and gives the party XP, potentially earning them a level up after the battle. The Abacus and Eye of Yomara party trinkets reveal how much HP non-boss enemies have.

Mana Points (MP)

Mana Points, or MP, are required to use skills. A party member cannot use a skill if they do not have the required amount of MP. 3 MP is restored when a party member performs a regular attack. Similarly, a combo regenerates MP to each participant equivalent to the number of Combo Points (CP) spent to use it, although this mechanic did not exist prior to the "Dawn of Equinox" game update.

A party member's MP does not change when they are knocked out, nor when they recover from being knocked out. Like HP, snacks can be used in or out of combat in order to restore MP, and resting outside of combat fully restores MP.

Physical Attack (ATK)

Physical Attack, or ATK, increases the amount of damage dealt with physical attacks. The Sword and Blunt damage types typically pull from the ATK stat.

Physical Defense (DEF)

Physical Defense, or DEF, decreases the amount of damage taken from physical attacks.

Magic Attack (M. ATK)

Magic Attack, or M. ATK, increases the amount of damage dealt with various magic attacks. It also increases the amount of HP restored by healing moves.

The Sun, Moon, Venom, and Arcane damage types typically pull from the M. ATK stat, though Seraï's Disorient skill, which applies the Venom and Blunt damage types, and Resh'an's non-boosted regular attack, which applies the Venom damage type, break this rule. Boosting with Live Mana incorporates a portion of the M. ATK stat into the next battle action.

Magic Defense (M. DEF)

Magic Defense, or M. DEF, decreases the amount of damage taken from magic attacks.

Damage Types

Damage Type		Associated Party Members	Associated Stat
	Sword	Zale, Seraï	ATK
	Blunt	Valere, Garl, Seraï, B'st	ATK
	Sun	Zale	M. ATK
	Moon	Valere	M. ATK
	Venom	Seraï, Resh'an	M. ATK
	Arcane	Resh'an, B'st	M. ATK

The six damage types are Sword, Blunt, Sun, Moon, Venom, and Arcane. Each regular attack, skill, and combo is associated with at least one of these six damage types. Healing abilities are excluded, as well as the typeless damage produced by Resh'an's Ebb and by Item Roulette. Enemies are either vulnerable, neutral, resistant, or immune to each of the six damage types. This data is revealed by the Eye of Yomara party trinket.

Each party member is associated with certain damage types when performing regular attacks and (non-ultimate) skills, though they may have access to other damage types when performing combos. Each damage type is associated with pulling from either the ATK or M. ATK stat. Sword and Blunt damage types are typically physical attacks, while Sun, Moon, Venom, and Arcane are typically magic attacks, though there are several exceptions to this general rule, including Seraï's Disorient being physical despite being a Venom-Blunt attack, Resh'an's non-boosted regular attack being physical despite being a Venom attack, and Garl's boosted regular attack incorporating the magic stat despite being a Blunt attack.

Sword

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Blunt

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Sun

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Moon

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Venom

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Arcane

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Mechanics

Turn Order

The order the active party members take their turns in is not predetermined. Instead, the player chooses the order they act, though a character cannot act again until the other party members do. For example, the player can have Zale act before Valere one round, and then, in the next round, have Valere act first. Enemies attack completely independently, with timers appearing to denote the time until their next attack. These timers go down each time a party member takes a turn.

Timed Hits

Zale doing a regular attack.

Zale doing a timed hit during a regular attack.

All attacks, skills, and combos, excluding ultimate attacks, can be timed with the "confirm" button input, enhancing the power of the move. Timed hits can cause the party member to strike the enemy multiple times. The correct timing varies for each ability. The Artful Gambit relic modifies this mechanic, doubling the bonus damage dealt with timed hits.

Timed Blocks

Almost all enemy attacks can be blocked with the "confirm" button input, reducing the amount of damage the party receives. The timing varies for each attack, though the proper timing is typically the moment before the enemy strikes the party member. Certain items modify this mechanic; the Solstice Mage Ring party trinket causes successful blocks to restore 1 MP, while the Artful Gambit relic causes successful blocks to reduce damage received to 1 HP.

Boosting with Live Mana

After reaching the Elder Mist Trials, the party unlocks the ability to generate Live Mana by performing a non-boosted regular attack. One bonus Live Mana can be generated at the start of the battle if the party leader performs a sneak attack on an enemy by either approaching the enemy from behind or using the Graplou on it. Up to three Live Mana charges appear on the battlefield, and all Live Mana disappears when combat ends.

A single party member can absorb up to three Live Mana charges, imbuing the next battle action with a portion of their magic attack stat. Absorbing and removing the boost charges can be done freely during the player's turn and does not consume an action. After performing a battle action, the boost charges are consumed. Excluding Garl, an additional magic damage type is incorporated into each party member's boosted regular attack: Zale receives Sun, Valere receives Moon, Seraï receives Venom, Resh'an receives Arcane, and B'st receives Arcane.

Breaking Locks

Various enemies can begin casting spells, which will display both a number of locks and a timer. Each of an enemy's spells has a specific number of locks associated with it; for example, the Wanderer's Thunder spell always has three locks. Locks have icons on them representing the type of damage that must be used to break them; for example, a sword lock requires Sword damage to be broken and a hammer lock requires Blunt damage.

Breaking locks lowers the power of a spell, and breaking all the locks will cancel the spell completely. Breaking locks will grant a significant amount of Combo Points (CP) as well. Multiple locks can be broken in a single attack; for example, a boosted regular attack from Zale deals both Sword and Sun damage and thus can break two locks. Similarly, Valere's Moonerang can hit an enemy multiple times, breaking a Moon lock with each hit.

The timer represents how many of the party members' turns must pass before an enemy casts their spell. Because this measures party member turns, enemies can act in between the party members. If all the locks on an enemy's spell are broken, the next time the enemy casts that same spell, the number of turns will be reduced by at least 1 (with 1 being the lower limit).

Mystery Locks

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Combo Points (CP)

Combo Points, or CP, are used to perform combos, powerful moves performed by two different party members. For example, Valere is typically the only party member with access to the Moon damage type, and Zale is typically the only party member with access to the Sun damage type, but together, they can perform the Soonrang combo, which deals both Moon and Sun damage against the enemy.

Each combo costs between 1-3 CP. The combo meter starts empty, but it increases whenever party members or enemies take turns. A significant amount is gained when breaking locks. A maximum of 3 CP can be available at any given time, and whole Combo Points are carried between battles, although prior to the "Dawn of Equinox" game update, CP was not retained. Additionally, a combo regenerates MP to each participant, equivalent to the number of CP spent to use it, although this mechanic did not exist prior to the "Dawn of Equinox" game update. When performing an action that requires CP, the assisting party member does not lose their turn.

Ultimate Bar

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Delay

The player has access to certain attacks that can delay an enemy's timer, giving the player more turns before the enemy's next action. Moves that can delay enemy timers are Seraï's Disorient skill, the clock that can be selected from the combo Item Roulette, Resh'an's ultimate skill The Great Eagle, and the combo Arcane Barrage. Disorient delays a single enemy by 1 turn, Item Roulette's clock delays all enemies by 1 turn, The Great Eagle delays all enemies by 1 turn, and Arcane Barrage delays a single enemy anywhere from 0 to 2 turns.

If an enemy has no timer, then delay mechanics have no effect. Delaying by a single turn is also referred to as "stalling," since enemy timers automatically subtract by 1 every turn, and a delay with a value of a single turn adds 1 to the timer, which results in a net change of 0 at the end of a character's turn.

Prior to the "Dawn of Equinox" game update, Disorient delayed a single enemy by 2 turns, Item Roulette's clock delayed all enemies by 3 turns, The Great Eagle delayed all enemies by 3 turns, and Arcane Barrage delayed a single enemy anywhere from 0 to 3 turns.

Haste

Haste is an effect applied to some enemies' timers, represented by a fast-forward symbol. It allows an enemy to potentially perform more actions per round. Most enemies enter an idle state after performing an action and stay in this state until the start of the next round, where they queue their next action. Enemies with Haste do not enter the idle state after performing an action, instead queuing their next action immediately. However, if all of their locks are broken, enemies with Haste will enter the idle state like any other enemy.

Experience Points (XP)

Experience Points, or XP, can be earned when an enemy is defeated. The amount of XP an enemy grants is based on the specific enemy and the party's level. XP is shared between the party; in other words, the entire party has one pool of XP, and they all level up simultaneously. Leveling up occurs after battle if the party's XP has reached enough for the next level. The Tome of Knowledge relic enhances XP gain.

The amount of XP that the game displays is inflated and not the true value. If the party did not level up, the internal value can be obtained by dividing the displayed value by 2 and then by the party level. For example, at LV. 3, the displayed XP can be divided by 6, as 6 is twice the value of the party level. At LV. 4, the displayed XP can be divided by 8, and so on. So if the party gained 84 displayed XP after killing 2 Ant Bruisers at LV. 7, 84 XP can be divided by 14, to calculate that the party internally earned 6 internal XP, and each Ant Bruiser provided 3 internal XP. If the party levels up, spillover XP must be accounted for to properly obtain the internal value from the displayed value.

Sneak Attacks

If the party leader approaches an enemy from behind, or if the party leader uses the Graplou on an enemy, they perform a sneak attack, dealing a small amount of damage and generating one Live Mana that can be used during the battle. Equipping the Lucent Crystal party trinket will make a sneak attack generate two Live Mana instead of one.

Actions

The five types of combat actions are "Attack," "Skills," "Combos," "Items," and "Swap."

Attack

The first type of combat action is "Attack," also known as a regular attack. It is the simplest way of damaging enemies, and does not cost MP or CP. Zale's and Seraï's regular attacks deal Sword damage, while Valere, Garl, and B'st's regular attacks deal Blunt damage. Resh'an's regular attack uniquely deals Venom damage. The amount dealt is based on the attacking party member's ATK stat. Regular attacks restore 3 MP and generate one Live Mana (if not boosted).

When a party member is boosted, they deal additional damage from a portion of that attacking party member's M. ATK stat for each boost charge used. Excluding Garl, an additional magic damage type is incorporated into each party member's boosted regular attack: Zale receives Sun, Valere receives Moon, Seraï receives Venom, Resh'an receives Arcane, and B'st receives Arcane.

Skills

See also: Skills

Skills are the second type of combat action available to the party members. They allow for a variety of effects, such as dealing damage of a particular type, dealing splash damage, healing, or creating shields that negate damage entirely. Each party member has three skills as well as an ultimate skill. Every (non-ultimate) skill requires a certain amount of MP.

Combos

See also: Combos

Combos are the third type of combat action available to the party members. They are powerful dual attacks that allow for a variety of effects and are often a combination of two skills. Every combo requires its two party members to be in the combat and not knocked out, though only one turn is used. Every combo requires a certain number of Combo Points. With the "Dawn of Equinox" game update, a combo will regenerate MP to each participant, equivalent to the number of CP spent to use it.

Items

See also: Items#Snacks

Items are the fourth type of combat action available to the party members. These involve using snacks to restore HP and/or MP to a single party member or the entire party. The effect depends upon which snack is used. 255 of each snack type can be held in the inventory, though prior to the "Dawn of Equinox" game update, the snack limit was 10 individual snacks.

Swap

Swap is the fifth type of combat action available to the party members. It is unlocked when there are four or more available party members, which occurs for the first time while the player is progressing through the Haunted Mansion. Swapping allows the player to switch an active party member with a benched party member, altering the composition of the available 3 party members on the battlefield. It can be done freely during the player's turn and does not consume an action. Swapping can also be performed outside of battle.

Combos can function similarly to Swap, since if a combo is selected and the other participant required for the combo to function is not present on the battlefield, the player is prompted to replace one of the other party members on the battlefield with the participant. This overrides the active party member requirement, since even party members on cooldown can be swapped out by initiating a combo. The participant that is swapped in inherits the cooldown property of the replaced party member.

Nomenclature

Language		Name	Meaning
	English	Combat	-
	Québécois	Combat	-
	French	Combat	-
	German	Kampf	Battle
	Russian	Бой Boy	Combat
	Spanish	Combate	Combat
	Brazilian-Portuguese	Combate	Combat
	Korean	전투 Jeontu	Combat
	Japanese	バトル Batoru	Battle
	Simplified Chinese	战斗 Zhàndòu	Combat
	Traditional Chinese	戰鬥 Zhàndòu	Combat