Date: Sat, 9 May 1998 23:57:03 -0400
From: (Ian Kelley)

Star Ocean Skills FAQ v 1.0

One of the coolest things about Star Ocean is its great skill system. 
It's kind of complicated though, so I hope this FAQ can kind of clear 
that up.

How the Skills system works:

There are 4 types of Skills: Chishiki Kanren
, (Knowlege-related) 
Kankaku Kanren, (Feeling/Sensation-related) Gijutsu Kanren, 
(Technical-related) and Sentou Kanren (Battle-related.)  Each type of 
skills have 3 levels.  Whenever you buy a level of a skill type, you 
get access to all the skills in
 that level.  Each character can spend his 
or her skill points on any skill available.  You gain Skill points every 
time you gain an experience level, and you also gain bonus points for 
acquiring a new Talent. (More on this later)  You can gain up to l
10 in any given skill, then you have mastered that skill.

Talents are innate skills that each character has, and what character 
has which talents is determined randomly at the beginning of the 
game.  It is possible to gain new Talents th
roughout the game, but 
this is rather difficult.  By trying to use Tokugi (abilities) that require 
Talents you don't have, you can often gain the talent needed to make 
that Tokugi work effectively.

Example: If your character doesn't have the skill of 
"Design Sense," 
yet continually practices the Tokugi "Art," he or she may develop 
Design Sense.

Every time you gain a new talent, you get a bonus award of 50 Skill 

By learning different combinations of skills, you can learn Tokugi, a
bilities.  Tokugis can be anything from creating new items to 
playing music that has effects on your party.  In order to use a 
Tokugi, you must learn all the component Skills.  For example, if you 
want to learn the skill to temper your weapons, you nee
d to learn 
metal-casting ability and mineral/ore knowledge before you can use 
it.  Most Tokugis require at least one Talent to be work effectively, 
for example you need Design Sense to be an effective artist.  The 
more skilled you are at a Tokugi, the
 more likely it is to work.  The 
proficiency level of your Tokugi will be the average of the 
proficiency levels of the Skills required to use that Tokugi.

The Skills:


Yakusougaku: (Study of Medicinal Herbs)
Knowledge of medi
cinal herbs and other plants.  When a character 
skilled in Yakusougaku uses items that regenerate HP or MP, their 
effectiveness is increased by 2% times the Yakusougaku Skill level.

Koubutsugaku: (Study of Minerals)
Knowledge of minerals, metals, gems,
 and other such items.

Knowledge of various recipes for different kinds of foods.


Dougu Chishiki: (Knowledge of Items)
Knowledge of Items, weapons, armor, and the like.

Otamajakushi: (What language IS this?)
Various m
usical knowledge.

Seibutsugaku: (Study of living beings)
Knowledge of the structure and functioning of living beings.  A 
character skilled in Seibutsugaku will have their maximum HP 
increased in increments of (Skill level x 20) -10 per Skill level rais
I.e 10 point HP increment from level 0 to 1, 30 point increment from 
level 1 to 2, etc.


Youseiron (Theory on Sprites, Fairies, etc...)
Knowledge of Sprites and Homunculuses; on beings connected with 
the origins of life.

Seishingaku (Spiritual Knowledge)
Knowledge of spiritual and mystical powers.   A character skilled in 
Seibutsugaku will have their maximum MP increased by (Skill level x 
2) -1. I.e 1 point MP increment from level 0 to 1, 3 point increment 
from level 1
 to 2, etc.

A deep devotion, and a knowledge of how to connect with higher 
powers.  A character skilled in Piety will receive a Skill level + 2 
intelligence bonus.


Mekiki ("Effective Eyes," literally)
The ability to sel
ect good ingredients when cooking.

Bitekikankaku (Aesthetic sense)
A love of beautiful things, and a good eye for aesthetic beauty.

Nintai (Endurance)
A strong willpower to endure pain and sadness. A character skilled 
in Nintai will get a Skill level x
 2 Constitution bonus.


Kikenkanchi (Sense of feeling danger)
The ability to sense danger in the surroundings, and a heightened 
awareness.  A character with Kikenkanchi gets a Skill level x 4% 
lower chance of getting a surprise

Asobikokoro (Playing spirit, literally)
A good imagination, basically; the ability to imagine supernatural-
type things and the like.

Konjou (Willpower)
A strong willpower giving one the ability to stand up to anything.  A 
character skilled i
n Konjou gets a Skill Level x 3 Guts bonus.


Kinoubi ("Functional Beauty")
There's no way I can translate the name of this skill well, but it's 
basically the ability to sense a balance between beauty and 

Denpa (
The ability to sense and call forth the unknown.

Doryouku (Effort)
The ability to stick to a task and get it done no matter what the cost.  
The character skilled in Doryouku gets a reduction in the Skill point 
cost to increase your skill
s, equal to the Doryouku skill level.  In 
other words, if you have a Doryouku skill level of 3, all other skills 
will take 3 fewer skill points to advance to the next level.


The ability to run really fast without getting t
ired.  A character 
skilled in Dash gets a Skill level x 4 bonus to their Stamina

Houchou (Kitchen Knife)
Why they picked such a weird name for this skill is beyond me, but 
basically it is skill with kitchen knives like a true cook.  A character 
d in Houchou gets a Skill level x 2 bonus to their Strength.  
(BTW I am not making this up, this is the exact description in the 
game when you put your pointer on Houchou, and the Kanji is for 
Kitchen Knife so I am not mistranslating. ^_^)

Dessin (Fre
nch for "Draw")
The ability to draw and make accurate reproductions of things on 

Kuchibue (Whistle)
The ability to stick your fingers in your mouth and blow a really loud 


Craftsmanship, the ability to wo
rk items with your hands and create 
something with it.  A character with Craft ability gets a Skill level x 2 
Bonus to their Agility.

Bunpitsu (Writing)
The ability to write literature and to do research.  A character skilled 
in Bunpitsu gets a Skill 
level x 4 bonus to their agility.

Choukyou (Train--as in animal training)
The ability to train animals and make them do things for you.


Kagaku gijutsu (Scientific Ability)
The ability to work with chemicals and do various types

Ensou (Musical Performance)
The ability to play musical instruments.

The metallurgical ability to cast metals.


Shougekiha (Attack wave)
A character with Shougekiha has a percentage chance of attacking an 

enemy and making a critical attack; in that attack, the damage taken 
is as if the enemy's defense power was much lower than it is.

Shinkuha (Vacuum Wave)
The ability to attack an enemy and knock him far away with the 
force of the blow.

Mekuri (Turnov
er attack)
A character with Mekuri will often dash behind an enemy and attack 
him from behind, making it impossible for him to block the blow 
with a shield or similar object.


Hangeki (Counterattack)
A character with Hangeki wil
l often immediately counterattack an 
enemy after being hit.

A character with Feint has a chance proportional to their skill level to 
make attacks that have 100% of making their mark.

Renki (Continuous Spirit, literally)
A character with Renki ha
s a chance proportional to their skill level 
of making attacks with increased attack power.


Original Link Combo (Link Combo)
A character skilled in Link Combo can perform from 2-4 consecutive 
Hissatsuwaza in one attack. (Specia
l attack)  You can choose from 
among each character's techniques which techniques to use and what 
order you'd like them to attack in.

Hayakuchi (Fast Talking)
A spellcaster skilled in Hayakuchi can reduce the time needed to 
prepare and cast a spell.  
The higher the skill level, the less time it 
takes to cast a spell.  At skill level 10, there is no lag time at all 
between starting to cast a spell, and casting it.


Originality is originality; the ability to think up and make new

Mikaku: (Gourmet sense)
A special appreciation for food; the ability to judge and evaluate 
various tastes.

Kiyou na Yubisaki: (Skilled fingertips)
Good manual dexterity; the ability to work with your hands and 
perform difficult tasks that req
uire precise movement.

Design Sense:
An artistic ability to draw, design, and create things.

Bunsai:  (Literary ability)
The ability to put one's thoughts in words and put it on paper.

Rythm Kan: (Rythm Sense)
A comprehension and grasp of musical rythm

Onkan: (Musical Sense)
The ability to understand and work with music, a musical sense and 

Doubutsusuki (Love of animals)
A love and appreciation of animals.

Yasei no Kan: (Wild Instinct)
A primitive instinct; a sixth sense.

Mana no Shukufuk
u (Mana Benediction)
A supernatural power, a special magical ability.


Saiku: (Craftsmanship)
This item creation is the skill to work with gems, minerals, and other 
similar items, and create special items.  For the most part, the items 
 are equippable special items, but you can also create statues 
that you can sell, and other similar items.  Saiku is a difficult skill to 
perform successfully, even with level 10 proficiency and the 
required talent.
Skills needed to know to learn: Koub
utsugaku, Craft, Bitekikankaku.
Talents needed to use effectively: Kiyou na Yubisaki

Chouri (Cooking)
This item creation skill is used to work with various ingredients to 
make healing items.  Depending on the type of ingredients used, you 
can make diff
erent types of food.  If a character is fed his or her 
favorite food, the healing effects improve drastically, and improve 
MP as well.
Skills needed to know to learn: Houchou, Recipe, Mekiki
Talents needed to use effectively: Mikaku

Chougou (Mix)
skill is used to mix two herbs in your possession together to 
make a new item that you can use.  The types of items created range 
from healing items to bombs you can use in battle.
Skills needed to know to learn: Seibutsugaku, Yakusougaku, 
alents needed to use effectively: Kiyou na Yubisaki

Kantei (Appraise)
A character skilled in Kantei can identify an unknown item using a 
spectacle.  Unknown items look like bags with question marks on 
them, and have names like ?HERB and ?GUARD
Skills n
eeded to know to learn: Douguchishiki, Koubutsugaku, 
Talents needed to use effectively: ??? (Not sure there is one)

Customize is the ability to take one's weapon (or another item) and, 
customize it to work most effectively with th
e weilder's fighting 
techniques.  This is probably the toughest skill to get off successfully.
Skills needed to know to learn: Craft, Bitekikankaku, Kinoubi
Talents needed to use effectively: Originality

Art is the ability to "draw up" items.  By dr
awing on magic surfaces, 
the character skilled in Art can create items to be used in battle, or 
duplicate items already owned by the party.  Magic Cards are used to 
create battle items, and Magic Colors are used to reproduce items.
Skills needed to kno
w to learn: Dessin
Talents needed to use effectively: Design sense

Shippitsu (writing)
A character with Shippitsu can research and write books on various 
skills.  Doing so requires a Research Pen.  If successful, the character 
will write a book or manu
al on whatever skill he or she chose to 
study.  These books can be used to raise a character's skill level in 
the book's topic by one point without having to spend the necessary 
Skill Points to raise that level.  Skills cannot be raised to a level 
her than 7 via books.
Skills needed to know to learn: Bunpitsu
Talents needed to use effectively: Bunsai

Ongaku (Music)
The character skilled in Ongaku can compose (Sakkyoku) and play 
(Ensou) pieces for various instruments.  To compose a piece, you 
e to have a Creator Pen and the instrument handy.  To play a 
piece, you don't even have to have the instrument. (I think)  
Instruments are really expensive, but once a piece is composed it can 
be played whenever you want, as many times as you want.  Yo
u can 
compose two pieces for each instrument.  If you fail to play a piece 
correctly, everyone's HP and MP will slowly decrease.  Here are the 
pieces you can compose and their various effects:

Increases the chance of enemies attacking you. 
 Harmonica 2 makes 
enemies attack more frequently than Harmonica 1.

Summons a predetermined monster.  Clarinet 1 usually summons 4 
Black Slimes, and Clarinet 2 summons 3 Hound Shapes and 1 Gabriel.  
Clarinet 2's monsters are harder to defeat 
(much harder) than 
Clarinet 1's monsters, but they give lots more experience and drop 
powerful weapons and armor.

Decreses the chance of enemies attacking you.  Trumpet 2 makes you 
avoid enemies better than Trumpet 1 does.

When a Guita
r piece is played, all of the party's HP will slowly 
increase.  Guitar 2 makes their HP increase faster than Guitar 1.

When a Sax piece is played, all of the party's MP slowly increase.  Sax 
2 makes the party's MP increase faster than Sax 1 does.

Trombone pieces, when played, regenerate the party's HP and MP. 
Trombone 2 makes their HP and MP regenerate faster than 
Trombone 1.

When you're playing the violin, the chance of characters gaining new 
Talents is increased substantially
. New Talents will come more often 
with Violin 1 than Violin 2.

There is a bug in Star Ocean when using Violin to gain new talents. 
As soon as you gain a new talent, the game will often freeze, making 
it so you have to reset.  If you
 gain a new talent, this is a way you 
can avoid the bug.  As soon as the game says "[Character]'s Hidden 
Talent [Talent Name] showed itself!"  DO NOT TOUCH THE 
CONTROLLER.  Wait until the "You gained a talent" music to end, then 
hit A to get the messa
ge about you getting the extra 50 Skill points.

There's also a slot for another instrument, but I've never found it.  
Has anyone?  Does it even exist? I think it might be the Ocarina, but 
I'm not sure...

Skills needed to know to learn: Otamajakushi, E
Talents needed to use effectively: Rythm Kan, Onkan

Shugyou (Train)
A character skilled in Shugyou, and training at the time, will receive 
extra experience points for each fight he or she participates in.  The 
higher the Skill level, the more bone
s experience points gained.
Skills needed to know to learn: Doryoku, Konjou, Nintai
Talents needed to use effectively: None

Renkin (Alchemy)
Renkin is the ability to turn Iron into other types of gems or metal 
ores.  In order to attempt to make a gem, y
ou need the item Iron.  
The higher your Skill level, the more different types of gems you can 
make.  The more advanced types of gems to produce are extremely 
difficult to make, even with a skill level of 10
Skills needed to know to learn: Kagaku gijuts
u, Youseiron, 
Talents needed to use effectively: Mana no Shukufuku

According to the game's description, this skill can be used to get 
messages from the game's makers to help you in your quest, but 
you'll notice you'll never learn 
anything no matter how skilled you 
are and no matter how many times you use it.  Actually, this skill 
won't work until after you've cleared the game.  Then it will come in 
very useful. ;)
Skills needed to know to learn: Denpa, Piety, Asobikokoro
s needed to use effectively: None

Katanakaji (Weaponsmithing)
Someone skilled in Katanakaji can temper weapons with the various 
metal ores you can gather throughout the game, creating a new 
weapon.  For the most part, the weapons created are stronger t
what they started out as, but if you use a weak ore with a strong 
weapon, you might end up with a weaker weapon.  Therefore, before 
you test it out, save your game.
Skills needed to know to learn: Cast, Koubutsugaku
Talents needed to use effectivel
y: Originality

When a character with Dash is in your party, you can run by holding 
the B button while moving.  As long as you have a skill level of 1, 
you can dash whenever you want.  Increasing Dash doesn't make you 
run any faster or longer, it 
only gives you the constitution bonus.
Skills needed to know to learn: Dash
Talents needed to use effectively: None

Someone skilled with Familiars can send out carrier pigeons in the 
middle of a dungeon to go back to town and buy things for the
Sending out a carrier pigeon requires a "Hart no esa." (Bird food) The 
higher your skill level, the more items you can have the pigeon buy.  
Also, with a low skill level or without the necessary talents, there is a 
very good chance the bird wi
ll never come back after you let it go.
Skills needed to know to learn: Choukyou, Kuchibue
Talents needed to use effectively: Doubutsusuki

Someone with the ability "Scout" can change the frequency of enemy 
encounters.  You can either choose not to
 do anything, to search for 
monsters, or to avoid monsters.  The higher your skill level, the more 
effectively you will find or escape monsters.
Skills needed to know to learn: Kikenkanchi
Talents needed to use effectively: Yasei no Kan.

Do not remove the following from this FAQ!
For any additions, corrections, or questions, please email me at Thanks. If you want to put any or all
you if you do and I find out!
This FAQ originated at