CORE RULEBOOK α System

CONTENTS

Foreword: Why am I doing this? Authors Note...……………………Page 3

Chapter 1: Of Worlds, Gods and Men. Lore…………………………Page 6
Chapter 2: By Order of the Sanctum. The System ......……………...Page 49
Chapter 3: Branding a l’Cie. Character Creation… ………………..Page 88
Chapter 4………………………………………………………...Page XX

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 FOREWORD: WHY AM I DOING THIS? AUTHORS
NOTE.
I have been a fan of Final Fantasy since I first played FFVII on the PS1 in
1997, a fact my mother still regrets to this day. Since then I have played
all the main Numbered games in the series [FFI to FFXV], some to
completion and others not so much.
Despite all the bad press that FFXIII received {it being extremely
linear, annoying Characters among other things} I personally found it to
be an extremely good game. I enjoyed almost everything about it. I found
the world to be interesting, and liked all the characters {Yes, even
Vanille and Hope}, even the linearity of the game I was ok with.
Around June 2016, myself and a few of my friends got together and
discussed how we all enjoyed FFXIII and how we were all Tabletop
Roleplayers and it was decided then and there that FFXIII would make
for an interesting setting for a Tabletop game but that, unfortunately,
there wasn’t an rp system capable of recreating the essence of
everything in the game from its style to its combat system.
I, stupidly some might say, suggested “How about writing a system
specifically for a FFXIII roleplay?” to which the answer was “Sure, go
for it. You’ve written a Roleplay system before after all.” {true}
Well, the following Book/Document/Whatever is my attempt to try to
write something that can be used to play a tabletop roleplay game that is
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based in the astonishing {my opinion} dual worlds of Cocoon and Gran
Pulse that come together to make the awesome {also my opinion}
‘World’ of FINAL FANTASY XIII.
(This Book/Document/Whatever has been a royal pain in the butt to
create and write but I hope that you enjoy playing it, because then the
pain was worth it…Kinda!!)

--- CHRIS ---

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5
CHAPTER 1: OF WORLDS, GODS AND MEN. LORE.
There are two distinct places that make up the ‘World’ of FFXIII, one is called Cocoon
and the other is Gran Pulse. Both these worlds are striking in their own ways.
COCOON
Cocoon is a floating continent
and is the first of two worlds
that make up the ‘World’ of
FFXIII. It floats in the sky
above the land of Gran Pulse,
known simply as Pulse to the
people of Cocoon, like a low-hanging moon. Cocoon's altitude from Gran Pulse is
about the arm's length of the fal’Cie Titan, and it is about the size of the real world
North America.
Although Cocoon has the appearance of a small planetoid, it is hollow and its
inhabitants live inside of the shell. Cocoon is a futuristic paradise filled with highly
advanced technology which protects it against the supposed intruders from Gran
Pulse, the planet below. It is ruled by the Sanctum and their leader Primarch Galenth
Dysley.
Cocoon is home to many futuristic cities, such as the floating Capital of Eden, the
seat of the Sanctum’s power, the port city of Palumpolum, the beach town of Bodhum,
and the carnival city of Nautilus and its large Theme Park. There are expansive
highroads located in the Hanging Edge, the exotic nature reserve of the Sunleth
Waterscape, and ruined city of Bresha located on the outer-rim of Cocoon.
Six centuries previously, a great war between Cocoon and Gran Pulse was waged
called the War of Transgression, which is responsible for the large crack in Cocoon's
outer shell which exposes its interior.
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 Cocoon is an artificial world built and powered by the fal'Cie, who are responsible
for running everything from the artificial sun, Phoenix, in the centre that provides the
world with light and warmth and controls the weather, to cultivating the land and
providing food and water, to keeping the world of Cocoon floating within Gran Pulse's
atmosphere. Eden is a floating city from where the rest of Cocoon is governed.
Distant landmasses are visible on the skies of Cocoon beyond the cloud coverage,
and the nocturnal ‘starry skies’ are, in fact, the lights of far off cities.
COCOON DATALOG ENTRIES
It is mentioned in the Datalog held by the Cocoon-born Pulse l’Cie Lightning, that
Cocoon has over eight million fal'Cie.
The fal'Cie Eden maintains Cocoon's complex operational systems, and is itself
powered by fal'Cie Orphan that resides in a deep sleep in Orphan's Cradle, an
alternate dimension created by Eden.
Datalog/Locales: Cocoon
From her lofty seat, the world of Cocoon has long enjoyed tranquillity. The
interior of her spherical shell supports several sprawling cities and a population
numbering in the tens of millions. Although a variety of dangerous beasts prowl the
wilds, advanced technology and the protection of the world's fal'Cie keepers ensure
residents a peaceful and prosperous existence.
Travel to the lowerworld of Pulse is forbidden, but given their deep-seated
cultural fears of the place, Cocoon citizens would not even think to venture beyond
the paradise they know.
Datalog/Locales: Cocoon and Pulse
Cocoon is a massive sphere, constructed and set in the sky by the powerful and
enigmatic beings known as the fal'Cie. It was built by the fal'Cie many centuries ago
under the premise of protecting humanity from the savage world of Pulse. Its current

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population numbers in the tens of millions. Cocoon is a colossal sphere on whose
inside shell people live.
The people of Gran Pulse believe Cocoon to be a false paradise built by the devil
Lindzei, who lured people to live there with sweet promises only to enslave them and
steal their souls. Gran Pulse inhabitants see the people of Cocoon as impending
intruders and the source of evil in the world; as the Pulse l’Cie Oerba Yun Fang puts
it, “Cocoon's a floating nest of vipers ready to strike”. Similarly, the people of Cocoon
are made to believe Pulse is an aspect of hell, and its forces are poised to invade their
beautiful world.
Datalog/Analects: Lindzei's Nest
“And lo, the viper Lindzei bore fangs into the pristine soil of our Gran Pulse;
despoiled the land and from it crafted a cocoon both ghastly and unclean. Lies spilled
forth from the serpent's tongue: 'Within this shell lies paradise.' Men heard these lies
and were seduced and led away. O cursed are the fools who trust a snake and turn
their backs upon the bounty of Pulse's hallowed land! For those who dwell in that
cocoon are not Men, but slaves of the demon Lindzei. Ye who honour Pulse: rise unto
the heavens, and cast down the viper's nest!”
-- Author unknown

COCOON AS SEEN FRON THE LOWERWORLD OF GRAN PULSE

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GRAN PULSE
Gran Pulse, also known simply as
Pulse to the citizens of Cocoon, is
the second of two worlds that make
up the overall ‘World’ of FFXIII. The
artificial world of Cocoon floats in
its atmosphere. Gran Pulse can be
considered the parallel of Cocoon as a world of natural evolution where animals and
plants can grow to tremendous sizes. Gran Pulse can be compared in size to the real-
world Planet Earth.
The people of Cocoon are made to believe Gran Pulse is a living hell for humans.
In order to remain in control, Cocoon's governing body, the Sanctum, keeps the
populace in fear of a Pulsian invasion. This fear was strengthened by the War of
Transgression, a war between Cocoon and Pulse some Six Centuries ago where a
Pulsian army attacked Cocoon. Cocoon's shell was cracked, and many Pulsian
artifacts and warships are now found in areas near Cocoon's outer-rim, like the Vile
Peaks and the Hanging Edge.
In truth, the citizens of Gran Pulse were no different than the people of Cocoon, as
they saw the floating world as the source of evil and eventual invasion. The fal'Cie of
Cocoon would steal resources from Gran Pulse, and lure Pulsians to Cocoon with
promises of a paradise, fuelling the hatred between the two worlds.
At the time of the events depicted in FFXIII, the civilization of Gran Pulse has
nearly been wiped out with lingering, yet ruined, architecture its only living
testament. The buildings of Yaschas Massif and Oerba suggest an advanced culture,
though primitive in comparison to the highly-advanced Cocoon.
It is unknown how the Pulsians died out, but it is suggested many were
transformed into l'Cie during the war, and because of this, Pulse is populated by
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monsters and Cie'th. It is widely stated the fal'Cie deity Lindzei played a part in
wiping out humanity.

GRAN PULSE DATALOG ENTRIES

According to Datalog entries in the device held by the Cocoon-born Pulse l’Cie
Lightning, Gran Pulse is named for its creator, the "Hallowed Pulse", who forged the
world and its original inhabitants. After departing centuries ago, he entrusted the
world's perfection to the fal'Cie, who continue about their tasks to the present day.
Datalog/Locales: Gran Pulse
The savage world derives its name from that of the god Hallowed Pulse. Its vast
wilderness is populated by creatures ranging from the monstrous to the deadly, and
its fal'Cie seem to have taken a decidedly less friendly approach toward human
dealings than those of Cocoon, cultivating the land for settlement, but demonstrating
little concern beyond that. At one time in its history, Gran Pulse was home to a
thriving civilization and many great cities. Now it is home to many great ruins, and
people are nowhere to be seen.
Datalog/Locales: Gran Pulse
The lowerworld, known as either 'Pulse' or 'Gran Pulse,' is an unforgiving
wilderness infested with both colossal and predatory monsters. This world once
boasted a civilization that stood in conflict with Cocoon, but traces of its culture exist
only in ruins. The fal'Cie of Pulse form a stark contrast to those of Cocoon in holding
no particular relationship with humans. However, their workings indirectly gave rise
to human civilization, making them as revered as they were feared. Some were wont
to impose onerous missions upon the people they branded as l'Cie, a fate that was
almost always a death sentence. These fal'Cie constructed the Arks, armouries filled
with Pulsian weapons said to be hidden all around the world, whose exact purpose
remains ambiguous.
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Datalog/Analects: Gran Pulse
“A world wild and fragile, vibrant and untamed. Gran Pulse. It's a placed ruled by
the brutal struggle for survival, and the callous and uncaring whim of the fal'Cie.
There is no such thing as mercy...only a never-ending string of trials that weed out
the weak, and leave only the strong.”
--Oerba Dia Vanille.

THE FAL’CIE {written fal’Cie}

The fal'Cie are supernatural beings in FFXIII. They are ageless immortals often
responsible for the creation and maintenance of the land where humans dwell, and
indirectly govern their lives.
In this sense fal'Cie pay homage to the Crystals of the early Final Fantasy series.
Whereas in the early series the Crystals are always benevolent, in FFXIII the fal'Cie
have their own various agendas.
There are fal’Cie both in the floating continent of Cocoon and on the lowerworld of
Gran Pulse.
In the written mythology of the FFXIII world, the beings created by the god
Bhunivelze in his quest to reach the unseen realm are referred to as fal'Cie, even
though they are generally referred to as deities by humans and future fal'Cie.
The original ‘fal'Cie’ created were Pulse, Lindzei, and Etro. Pulse and Lindzei were
given powers to create and, per the mythology, created many fal'Cie of their own,
while Etro was discarded and killed herself. Pulse and Lindzei retreated to an
unknown realm, leaving their respective fal'Cie to carry out their tasks.
The appearance of fal'Cie varies greatly. In FFXIII, fal'Cie are crystal-powered
mechanical beings, taking all manner of shapes depending on their creators. Pulse
fal'Cie often take on bestial forms, while Lindzei fal'Cie adopt humanoid traits, and

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many resemble the shape of Lindzei's Crest, a symbol also adopted by the Sanctum as
it is shown upon the form of Eden.

LINDZEI’S CREST

While not as powerful as their creators, the fal'Cie

nevertheless wield god-like powers, and are
instrumental in the creation of l'Cie, usually human
‘avatars’ the fal'Cie choose to exert their will in the
world in the form of a mission the l'Cie must
complete, called a Focus. Upon the fal'Cie choosing a
l'Cie, the chosen human is transported to their fal’Cie
creator's abode to receive their brand.
THE ORIGINAL FAL’CIE [CONTAINS FFXIII SPOILERS]
LINDZEI
Lindzei, known as Fell Lindzei in the Analects, is a deity said
to have created the fal'Cie of Cocoon in FFXIII.
The aspects and traits Lindzei represents are seen
throughout the world of Cocoon. Lindzei's aspects hold an
affinity to the heavens, possibly the reason that it chose to
create Cocoon in the skies of Gran Pulse, and the
ethereal/celestial world, though while being tasked to
protect Bhunivelze and the universe, Lindzei has its own
measures to find Etro's gate.
While not a creator deity like Pulse, Lindzei appears to invoke and encourage
creativity and innovation through the minds of humans, shown through the
technologically advanced civilization ruled over by the deity, the floating continent of
Cocoon, although Lindzei is rarely acknowledged for it.
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 Lindzei can also be seen closer to the unseen realm (the realm of the dead), as the
means used to find Etro's Gate involve human sacrifice, using both humans and the
deity's own fal'Cie as tools. Thus, Lindzei is viewed as an elusive devil and trickster
steeped in hypocrisy and inhumane measures in the eyes of non-followers.
Although Lindzei is depicted as Female, this may only be based on the fal'Cie's
image of a mother figure, and thus may not depict Lindzei's appearance accurately.
Datalog/Analects: Fell Lindzei
As our fal'Cie are the children of Hallowed Pulse, so are the fal'Cie who lurk
within Cocoon the brood of Lindzei. But all gods are not alike.
Lindzei is cunning and false; sovereign to snakes and fiends; an anathema to be
abhorred. Cocoon fal'Cie are of Fell Lindzei's line, yet that did not spare them. They
were betrayed all the same; left orphans when their Succubus fled this earthly realm.
--A Call to Arms
PULSE
Pulse, known as Hallowed Pulse in the
Analects and sometimes referred to as the
Maker, is a deity said to have created the
fal’Cie of Gran Pulse, and it used to be
worshiped by many of the tribes inhabiting
the lands there. Cocoon inhabitants refer
to the world of Gran Pulse simply as Pulse.
The aspects and traits Pulse represents are seen throughout the world of Gran
Pulse. Pulse's aspects hold an affinity to the earth and the material world, being
tasked to delve and search through the universe by corporeal means to find Etro's
gate.
Pulse abides by the principles of real-world Darwinism and the more primal
aspects of nature, where only the strongest survive. Pulse's ways are often
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standalone, culminating into tests of might and will among individuals, and when he
has given his blessing to the survivors, he will leave and let them fend for themselves.
As the result people's perception of Pulse ranges; being seen from a provider and
hallowed god of the earth, to a tyrannical and dark deity representing savagery and
barbarism.
Pulse is an imposing figure with a half-covered face of a man but with dark green
coloured skin and silver latticework over his forehead, cheek and chin.
Datalog/Analects: VII Hallowed Pulse
It was the Great and Hallowed Pulse who, seeking to expand divine domain,
parted the chaos and fashioned realm within; made fal'Cie, and charged them with
this world's completion. The fal'Cie, anxious to please the hand that shaped them,
laboured devotedly at the task they had been given. They made l'Cie of men so that
they, too, might be able to aid the greater cause. Men, in turn, offered praise and
prayer to Hallowed Pulse, naming their great land in honour of its architect.
Yet still the architect departed.
--On the Nature of Fal'Cie
ETRO
Etro, also referred to as ‘The Goddess’ is one of the three
Original fal’Cie. She is a key character in Pulsian
Mythology, being the one who provided the material from
which humans were made, and the one who protects the
balance between the mortal world and the afterlife,
essentially making Her the Goddess of Death.
Etro was a fal'Cie created by the god Bhunivelze, who
became the sole ruler of the living world by defeating his mother, Mwynn, and
banishing her into the world of the dead. This did not satisfy him, as Bhunivelze
believed all things were destined to die due to a curse laid on the world by his mother,
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this included Himself. To reach the realm of the dead and destroy her, Bhunivelze
created the three fal'Cie deities: Pulse, Lindzei and Etro.
Etro was the second deity created after Pulse; given the task to restore the world
balance. Mythology at this point calls Etro and the others fal'Cie, even if all other
sources know them as gods and goddesses. Bhunivelze regretted having created Etro,
because he had unknowingly created her as the image of Mwynn. Bhunivelze feared
Etro and gave her no powers to create anything of her own.
Bhunivelze crystallized himself in order to sleep until his creations could find the
door to reach the realm of the dead. While Pulse and Lindzei were busy making the
world, and creating many more fal'Cie, Etro was lonely, out of a desire for
Bhunivelze's attention, Etro tore up her body and disappeared from the world,
effectively killing Herself. Lindzei used her spilled blood to create the first human: a
girl named Yeul, who was made in Etro's likeness, and by extension, Mwynn.
Entering Valhalla, the middle realm between the unseen realm and the visible
world, Etro found Mwynn who was almost overtaken by the Chaos that festered
because of Bhunivelze's attempt to reach the unseen realm. Before disappearing into
the chaos, Mwynn tasked Etro with protecting the world balance.
Etro grew fond of the beings created from her blood and bestowed each of them
with a piece of the Chaos, which became their heart, She also acted as their guide:
when a person died, their heart and soul would retreat to Valhalla, melt into the
Chaos, and Etro would retrieve the soul from inside it and guide it back to the mortal
realm to be reborn.
Etro is the only one of the three original fal’Cie to be specifically stated as Female,
giving the impression she is the only female deity out of the three. However, this
classification comes from those who worship her as a patron deity.
Etro, due to her death, has never truly been seen, but depictions of her in artwork
exist. Some paintings of her depict her as having golden wings, wearing a winged
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helmet that covers her eyes, and shoulder pauldrons; while in others she is depicted
as a pale woman wearing blue-grey garments which hide her arms, wearing a great
crown and adornments similar to staves.
Datalog/Analects: Fabula Nova Crystallis
Children of Hallowed Pulse scour earth, searching substance for the Door. Those
of Fell Lindzei harvest souls, combing ether for the same. So have I seen. The Door,
once shut, was locked away, with despair its secret key; sacrifice, the one hope of
seeing it unsealed. When the twilight of the gods at last descends upon this world,
what emerges from the unseeable expanse beyond that Door will be but music, and
that devoid of words: the lamentations of the Goddess Etro, as She sobs Her song of
grief.
--Author unknown
COCOON FAL’CIE
The Cocoon fal'Cie are the unfathomable entities that constructed the floating shell of
Cocoon in ages past, and even now watch over the world's human inhabitants. Each is
assigned a specific task that supports the existence of Cocoon's grateful populace,
such as generating energy or manufacturing food. The fal'Cie rarely intervene directly
in the governing of society, leaving that responsibility to appointed human
representatives such as Primarch Galenth Dysley, leader of the Sanctum governing
body.

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Notable Cocoon fal’Cie [CONTAINS FFXIII SPOILERS]
ORPHAN
Representing sunlight and in an unborn state, Orphan
resides in a pocket dimension from where it powers the
other Cocoon fal'Cie via the fal'Cie Eden that acts as an
intermediary. Orphan is a wheel-like fal'Cie and the
source of Cocoon's power, who rests within Orphan's
Cradle in an area known as the Narthex Throne.
Residing within a pool in a deep sleep in a state of
unbirth, Orphan is the main power source to the fal'Cie Eden, enabling it to siphon
power from other fal'Cie to keep Cocoon afloat.
EDEN
The fal'Cie responsible for monitoring all
functions of Cocoon. Siphoning its power from
Orphan, Eden communicates with a Sanctum
representative, Primarch Galenth Dysley, and is
believed to be the authority in Cocoon by its
citizens. Eden is responsible for the administration and security of Cocoon, running
the complex operations that keep the floating continent running. It works as the nexus
that connects the other fal'Cie and directs their power in sustaining Cocoon. As this
requires untold amounts of energy, Eden siphons power from the sleeping fal'Cie
Orphan located in a dimension Eden has created inside itself, called Orphan's Cradle.
Eden presides within Cocoon's capital, also called Eden, named after the fal'Cie. Eden
is known as the only fal'Cie to speak directly to humans, and its opinions and
decisions are counted upon by the Sanctum officials.
Eden uses fal'Cie servants to control the access to the gates leading to the
Orphan's Cradle area. The three feminine fal'Cie that appear in Orphan's Cradle aren't
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fal'Cie Eden itself, but rather Eden is the entire building, including the separate
dimension within it.
PHOENIX
The fal'Cie in charge of Cocoon's weather, it
shines like a sun in the middle of Cocoon while
overseeing numerous fal'Cie who manage the
wind and rain. Like many fal'Cie, Phoenix is
named after a recurring summoned monster
from the Final Fantasy series, a bird associated
with the fire element and rebirth, befitting Phoenix's role in FFXIII as a floating fal'Cie
that shines blazing hot during the day. It has a somewhat insectoid appearance with a
colossal dome in the middle that resembles an electric light bulb and is the part that
lights up.
CARBUNCLE
The fal’Cie responsible for producing all the food in
Cocoon. Carbuncle is a Cocoon fal'Cie in FFXIII.
Located in the Nutriculture Complex underneath
Palumpolum, it is responsible for the city's food
supply. Carbuncle is a large floating crystal with
butterfly-like wings adorned with two faces similar
to the ones adorning Barthandelus. Its shape takes
elements from Lindzei's crest. The fal'Cie Carbuncle oversees a process of ultra-
efficient hydroponic farming employing mobile paddies and careful regulation of light
and water. A parallel process within the facility generates raw protein to supplement
the vegetable foodstuff produced.

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KUJATA
Kujata is a Sanctum fal'Cie tasked with providing
Cocoon with the power its urban population
demands. From the power plant at Euride Gorge, it
sates the voracious energy appetites of the
surrounding cities. Kujata is the fal’Cie that turned
Dajh Katzroy into a l’Cie after sensing a Pulsian presence at the Euride Gorge power
plant.
BARTHANDELUS
The Cocoon fal'Cie's leader who
masterminds the events of FFXIII in the
guise of Primarch Galenth Dysley to ensure
his kind's reunion with their Maker through
Cocoon's destruction. Barthandelus is the
fal'Cie who turned Cid Raines into a l'Cie. This fal'Cie has long lived under the guise
of Galenth Dysley, the Sanctum's supposedly human Primarch. Unbeknownst even
to his closest aides, he has kept careful watch on fugitive l'Cie through the eyes of his
rukh, Menrva, forcing them to grow stronger while at times aiding secretly in their
flight. Barthandelus desires only that the l'Cie complete their Focus, which he
explained to be transforming into the beast Ragnarok to destroy Orphan and all of
Cocoon.
MENRVA
Barthandelus' familiar and a living construct
holding his power while he is in human form.
Menrva has the appearance of a light grey, owl-
like bird with the Cocoon fal'Cie brand on its
wing and the face of Orphan on its chest.
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Menrva can turn into an airship and acts as an extension to Dysley's hidden powers,
which allows him to turn into his fal'Cie form, Barthandelus.
PULSE FAL’CIE
The fal'Cie are an existence beyond human comprehension, possessed of incredible
magic power. The ones responsible for Cocoon's construction are protectors of
humanity, but there are others of their kind as well: the fal'Cie who dwell on Pulse
and name themselves enemies of Cocoon.
Humans who encounter Pulse fal'Cie are cursed by being turned to l'Cie and ordered
to destroy Cocoon. It is for this reason that most ordinary citizens support the Purge
as anyone who may have encountered one of these fal'Cie represents a dire threat.

Notable Pulse fal’Cie [CONTAINS FFXIII SPOILERS]

ANIMA
Originally located in Oerba, it turned Vanille and
Fang into l'Cie prior to being transferred to
Cocoon where it entered hibernation. Anima is
also referred to as “the Pulse fal'Cie”. Anima
resides at the top of a large structure that is laid
out like a maze on the inside, known as the Pulse
Vestige to the people of Cocoon. It is a mechanical
being with a glowing crystal core. By the events of FFXIII, Anima is reawakened and
it turns Serah, Lightning, Snow, Hope, and Sazh into l'Cie with a Focus to become
Ragnarok and lay waste to Cocoon.

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ATOMOS
Atomos is a Pulse fal'Cie that digs underground tunnels
along the Mah'habara Subterra. Its appearance is akin
to a spherical boulder with a spinning circumference of
glowing spikes. The fal'Cie also serves as a transport
for whomever can stop it, possessing a partially hollow
interior allowing people to ride inside it. Atomos toils
endlessly beneath the surface of Gran Pulse, ever
extending the world's network of snaking, subterranean
passages. Common speculation purports that the
fal'Cie's goal is excavation of habitable underground environments, but the truth of
the matter is shrouded in mystery. What is known is that Atomos' digging often
exposes deposits of valuable mineral resources. For this reason, the human
inhabitants of Gran Pulse long ago established mining operations in Mah'habara.
BISMARCK
The fal’Cie Bismarck protects the Sulyya
Springs; any trespassers into the waters of the
Springs are eliminated. An aquatic fal'Cie,
Bismarck dwells within the watery refuge of
Gran Pulse's Sulyya Springs. Wary and
cunning, the whale-like creature vehemently
defends its territory, employing various indirect means to eliminate trespassers.
Bismarck's duty appears to be the slow and painstaking reshaping of the land through
water erosion. This is likely the reason for its aggressive defence of the waters it
inhabits.

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TITAN
Titan is a massive, humanoid fal'Cie with a black,
biomechanical body covered in glowing, orange
lines. Vegetation grows from his shoulders and legs.
Titan is Dwarfed only by the fal’Cie Fenrir. The
fal’Cie forces an artificial selection process to
produce more powerful species on Gran Pulse. This
colossal fal'Cie is said to be the guardian of Gran
Pulse's entire ecosystem. A biogenitor, Titan
consumes weaker species and gives birth to new
ones, thereby providing the stimulation needed to prevent ecological stagnation.
Unlike many other Gran Pulse fal'Cie, Titan does not involve himself directly with
tasks of terrestrial manipulation. However, it is possible that he performs more subtle
alterations of the landscape through the adjustment of biological cycles and the
introduction of new, possibly environmentally impacting species.
DAHAKA
The Pulse fal’Cie Dahaka roams about Gran
Pulse's skies in search for Etro's gate.
Dahaka is territorial in nature and it will
attack anything that invades its abode in
Taejin's Tower.
Residing within the Tower, the fal'Cie soars
through the sky with an ease that seems
almost uncanny given the bulk of its form. Although many fal'Cie on Gran Pulse
dedicate themselves to terraforming or other tasks of environmental modification,
Dahaka does nothing of the sort.

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FENRIR
The largest of the Pulse fal'Cie, Fenrir is
immense. The fal'Cie is the size of a small
moon and it causes century long eclipses
whenever active in search for Etro's gate.
Fenrir is the fal'Cie of the skies above. By the
will of the mighty god Pulse, Fenrir
ceaselessly wanders the heavenly vault, searching for the great door lost at the
equinox of existence. When this being appears, it begins to follow the sun's movement
across the sky, resulting in an extended solar eclipse.

THE L’CIE {Written l’Cie}

The l'Cie are beings, almost always humans, that have been “branded” by divine
entities known as fal’Cie and given great physical and magical power, in addition to
this they are also given a Focus to fulfil. The tasks of this Focus can range from being
protectors of their fal’Cie Master, fulfilling a task to realize the gods' agenda, or some
other purpose.
It is known that the gods Pulse and Lindzei created l'Cie and fal'Cie to help
perform the tasks given them by their creator Bhunivelze. All l'Cie are generally
bound to fulfil their given tasks, but under certain circumstances (such as human
willpower or divine intervention), they can, and have, act independently, even going
against the will of their fal’Cie Masters. The l'Cie draw their powers from crystals
called Eidoliths, which in turn are linked to the deities they serve, either Pulse or
Lindzei, via their fal'Cie contractors.
The mental and emotional state of the l'Cie is important, as l'Cie who are mentally
unstable or conflicted suffer side-effects and can become Cie'th; transforming into
crystalline monsters forever raging against their fate until the end of their Existence.
23
It is not unheard of that the being chosen as a l’Cie is enough of a shock that the l’Cie
becomes a Cie’th upon branding. Becoming Cie'th is associated with negative
emotions, such as anger, hatred, or despair. A l’Cie can also become a Cie’th if they
fail to fulfil their Focus before their Brand advances to its Final Stage.
The other fate that awaits a l’Cie is, some might say, not much better. Fulfilling
one's Focus has the l'Cie enter crystal stasis, whereupon the l'Cie's soul is trapped in
the mortal realm as a crystal epitaph. This is, by some, considered to be a way to
achieve immortality. A l'Cie that is in this Crystal Stasis are thus not truly dead, they
are said to dream, and it is rumoured that they can still be restored to normal under
certain conditions.
Fulfilling one's given Focus is not the only way for a l'Cie to enter crystal stasis; it
can also be done via the l'Cie's own strength of will, although this is extremely rare
and has only happened a handful of times in the entirety of existence. There is also
apparently another way that is rarer still, but this is only an unsubstantiated rumour;
Divine Intervention by the Gods themselves.
L’CIE BRANDS
The brands that mark a l'Cie as one of the fal'Cie's chosen change gradually, passing
through several different stages. When the “eye” at the centre opens, the brand's final
stage, the l'Cie becomes a Cie'th.
A brand's rate of progression
depends partly on the difficulty of
the l'Cie's Focus.

THE PROCESS OF BRANDING

24
 When a fal'Cie chooses a l'Cie, the chosen is metaphysically sent to a rift between
worlds where the branding is performed by the fal'Cie's creator, either Pulse or
Lindzei, and the l’Cie is then infested with a crystal shard known as an Eidolith
somewhere in their body, generally this is the same place that their l’Cie Brand
appears. Afterwards, the person wakes up back in the real world as a l'Cie. Whether
it is the fal'Cie or their creator that attributes the Focus to the chosen l'Cie is never
elaborated upon.
The l'Cie are not outright told what their Focus is; instead, they must figure it out
with the aid of an ambiguous vision revealed to them at the moment of their branding.
If a l'Cie fails to complete the Focus they will transform into a crystallized monster
known as a Cie'th. The “reward”, as explained earlier, for completing a Focus is not
much better, for the l'Cie will be granted “eternal life” and turned into crystal
wherein they sleep until awakened to complete another Focus. For this reason, many
think the fate of a l'Cie equates to a death sentence.
A l'Cie is granted more than just a Focus; upon transformation, they gain Magical
and Physical capabilities way beyond those of regular humans, and can grow further
in strength through the development of their personal Eidolith using the Crystarium, a
personal place of power entered by communing with their Eidolith and passing
through a metaphysical ‘Gateway’ in their mind. All l'Cie can perform feats known as
Paradigm Shifts to alter their Physical and Magical capabilities during combat,
granting them one of six ‘roles’, and gain the power needed to complete their Focus,
which may involve slaying a large beast or other creature that no unaugmented
human would stand a chance against.

THE EIDOLITH OF THE PULSE L’CIE LIGHTNING

25
 There are two types of l'Cie, those of Cocoon and those of Gran Pulse. The type of
l'Cie one becomes is determined by the origin of the fal'Cie who chooses them, not the
place where the transformation takes place. For this reason, it is possible to become
Pulse l'Cie even though you are transformed on Cocoon by a Pulse fal’Cie such as
Anima or Dahaka. In Cocoon society, the public fears the threat of l'Cie from Pulse
and they are relentlessly hunted and killed by PSICOM. The l'Cie of Cocoon, however,
are hailed as heroes and may simply fall under PSICOM custody.

The Brand of the l'Cie is visible somewhere on the person's body.

The appearance of the brand depends on the fal'Cie's alignment that chose the l'Cie,
and Cocoon and Pulse fal'Cie have a different brand.
The brand of Pulse is an overlapping sequence of black arrows. Over time, the arrows
multiply and a closed eye is revealed.

THE STAGES OF A PULSE L’CIE BRAND

26
The brand of the Cocoon fal'Cie is Lindzei’s Crest, it starts as a small emblem, but
grows into the full form.

THE STAGES OF A COCOON L’CIE BRAND

In both cases, if the brand ever reaches its final stage the l’Cie will have run out of
time and will become a Cie’th.
White l’Cie Brand
The brand can be “burned
out” under certain
circumstances, turning
white and static. A l'Cie
whose brand has burned
out keeps their power yet
no longer needs to
complete a Focus. The
Cocoon fal’Cie Barthandelus suggests this is because the true power of l'Cie comes
from humans, merely roused and harnessed by the deities rather than granted. A
white brand indicates the l'Cie brand has stopped advancing and he or she is no
longer in danger of becoming a Cie'th, but why a l'Cie stops advancing is unknown.

27
L’CIE MAGIC
All l’Cie are able to use Magic, given to them by their fal’Cie Masters. This Magic
manifests itself as a variety of abilities that they can use to attack or defend
themselves in combat.
All l'Cie draw their powers from crystals
called Eidoliths, which in turn are linked to
the deities they serve, Lindzei or Pulse, via
their fal'Cie Masters. Whenever a l'Cie uses
magic they draw the spells from their Eidolith
via their brand; meaning if the brand is on their hand, then they would use the
branded hand to cast spells and likewise if the brand was on their upper leg then they
would always stem the magic from their thigh.
The l’Cie, using their ability to Paradigm
Shift, will give themselves special abilities
based upon one of the six roles that they are
granted by the fal’Cie using the Eidolith
Crystals that infest their bodies. These roles
are Commando (COM), Ravager (RAV), Sentinel (SEN), Synergist (SYN), Saboteur
(SAB) and Medic (MED).
The abilities granted are different depending
on the Role. They can be Physical or Magical,
Defensive or Restorative. They can also
Enhance allies or Debilitate enemies, and
these abilities can be cast in extremely quick
succession allowing for a l’Cie to unleash devastation upon their foes, or to heal
themselves and their allies’ wounds in the blink of an eye.

28
 In most cases, it is these abilities that cause
the populace of Cocoon to despise the l’Cie
from Pulse even though their Heroes, the
Cocoon l’Cie, have access to the very same
magical abilities granted to them by the Cocoon
fal’Cie. Though they are led to believe that Pulse l’Cie mean them harm and that the
Cocoon l’Cie are there to protect them, and this probably goes some way towards
explaining this attitude of the populace towards the Pulse l’Cie.
A lot of the Magic used by l’Cie lends itself to one
of five Elements, whether it is cast in its rawest
form or used to enchant a weapon to strike at
their enemies. These Elements are Fire, Ice,
Lightning, Water and Wind. There are some l’Cie
that find themselves with the ability to use all five elements, but most tend to
specialise more in one or two of the five; leading to a need for several l’Cie to band
together for survival.
EIDOLONS
Eidolons are creatures said to have been created by the
goddess Etro to serve as her emissaries in the visible
world and their spirits are locked within crystals known
as Eidoliths.
These mystical entities reveal themselves only to a
select few l'Cie. It is said that they are saviours, come
to rescue hopeless l'Cie who find themselves bound to a
Focus against their will. If this is indeed true, they offer
a brand of salvation few l’Cie would seek willingly;
without exception, Eidolons attack the l'Cie whose presences they grace.
29
 There have been no l'Cie in Cocoon for centuries, and thus, no way of determining
the truth behind the tales of these beings. To the citizens of Cocoon, Eidolons remain
the stuff of bedtime stories.
Usually appearing when a l'Cie is in deep despair, an Eidolon arises to battle its
l'Cie, casting a debilitating Magical status known as Doom on its Summoner should
the l’Cie show any resistance to the Eidolon’s goal of sending them to join Etro. This
status is known to kill once it has run its course, thus imposing, in essence, a ‘Time
Limit’ on the fight between the Eidolon and the l’Cie.
The goal of these encounters is not for the Eidolon to kill the l’Cie or vice versa,
but for the l’Cie to realise that they can
continue along their chosen path, and then
for them to convince the Eidolon of this fact.
Should the l’Cie be successful in convincing
the Eidolon, then the Eidolon will take on
another form and enter a formidable
alliance with them known as the ‘Gestalt
Pact’ after which the Eidolon returns to the
Eidolith and from then on, the l’Cie may call
upon its power when they have need of it.
When the l’Cie calls upon the Eidolon in battle, the Eidolon joins their Summoner
for a brief period. This time is, more often than not, enough for the l’Cie to turn the
tide of a battle in their own favour.
The l’Cie knows, through the Eidolith Crystal that connects them, when an Eidolon
is at the peak of its power and that they can invoke the Gestalt Pact to order the
Eidolon into its alternate, most powerful form. In this form the l’Cie directly
influences the attacks and abilities of the Eidolon, even being able to call on the
Eidolon’s most powerful and destructive Ability; Gestalt Fury. Each Eidolon’s Gestalt
30
Fury is individual to them, and has its own Unique Name, something the l’Cie also
knows thanks to their Eidolith Crystal.
‘DIAMOND DUST’, THE GESTALT FURY OF THE EIDOLON SHIVA.

Using an Eidolon’s Gestalt Fury drains it of

most of its remaining energy causing it to
return to the Eidolith.
When an Eidolon leaves to return to the
Eidolith, whether the Gestalt Pact is invoked or not, it casts the extremely powerful
Arise spell, healing the l’Cie and their allies; restoring their injuries, even if they are
grievous or mortal.
Datalog/Analects: Her Providence
Her Providence sought nothing. Her Providence made nothing.
She but looked on, silent in Her sorrow. The Goddess pitied mortals, destined as they
were to die, and so She deigned to intervene in the hour of their greatest peril. She
averted cataclysm that was to be, and put to rest the ones who would have robbed so
many of what time fate had ordained. Her compassion did not end at this. The
Goddess pitied also those subjected to that fate of Focus, crueller still than death. To
them She sent Her messengers, to deliver hope when all was lost.
--Sermons of the seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul

Notable Sanctum l’Cie [CONTAINS FFXIII SPOILERS]

DAJH KATZROY
Dajh Katzroy was chosen as a l'Cie by Kujata.
His brand is on the back of his right hand.
Dajh’s Eidolith’s appearance and his Eidolon
are still unknown. Dajh is the son of Sazh
Katzroy and is the main motivation for his
31
actions. Dajh lost his mother when he was only three years old and since then, Sazh
has taken care of him as a single parent.
Dajh wears a set of dusky pink dungarees over some light blue and green zipped
jacket and trousers, with a white polo-neck underneath. Dajh's right hand, bearing his
Cocoon l'Cie brand, is bandaged, and he wears a pair of tan leather shoes on his feet.
CID RAINES
Brigadier General Cid Raines was chosen as a l'Cie by
Barthandelus. His brand is on his right hand. His
Eidolith’s appearance and Eidolon are both unknown. Cid
works for the Guardian Corps and is the commander of
the Wide-Area Response Brigade, a military unit
otherwise known as the “Cavalry”. Raines is a young man
with black hair and grey eyes. All male Sanctum officials
have the sides of their heads shaved, but Cid wears his
hair in a style that covers this feature. His clothing is similar to the PSICOM uniform
but with a lighter colour scheme, and he wears a large cape and blue-to-silver
pauldrons with the left more ornate than the right. Raines' l'Cie mark on his right
hand is hidden by his gloves.
Datalog/History and Myth: Sanctum l'Cie
During the War of Transgression, a number of warriors were made into l'Cie to
engage the forces of Pulse alongside the Sanctum fal'Cie. Since that time, there is no
record of a Cocoon fal'Cie taking a human as a l'Cie. It is possible that there have
been unrecorded cases, but even if that is so, any and all accurate information about
the nature of Sanctum l'Cie has been lost in the intervening years. Even Sanctum
researchers have been able to achieve no more than speculation.

32
Notable Pulse l’Cie [CONTAINS FFXIII SPOILERS]
SERAH FARRON
Serah Farron was chosen as a l’Cie by the
fal’Cie Anima. Her brand is located on her
upper left arm and her Eidolith is in the
shape of a teardrop. Serah is Lightning's
younger sister by three years, and Snow
Villiers' fiancée. Lightning accuses Snow of failing to protect Serah and does not
initially approve of their relationship. Serah is an Eighteen-year-old girl with the same
pink tint of hair Lightning has. She ties her hair into a ponytail on the left side of her
head, much like how Lightning's hair is draped over her left shoulder. Serah has blue
eyes like her sister, although Serah's are a darker shade. She wears cat-shaped
earrings, a black armband on her right bicep like Lightning, a red plaid-pleated skirt
lined with black lace, a white sleeveless dress shirt, a semi-transparent pink sweeper,
an extra matching hair tie on her left wrist, black thigh-high stockings with a white
diamond shape attached to the top of her left stocking, ivory ankle boots, and a
bandage on her left bicep to cover her l'Cie brand.
LIGHTNING FARRON
Lightning was chosen to be a l’Cie by the
fal’Cie Anima. Her brand is located on her
chest, above her left breast. Her Eidolith is
shaped like a rose bloom, and contains her
Eidolon, Odin. The name Lightning is a
‘Codename’ her original name being Claire Farron, but she stopped using this name
after the death of her father and after starting to take care of her younger sister
Serah. Lightning seeks to save her younger sister Serah, but becomes entangled in a
plot that endangers her home of Cocoon.
33
 Lightning is a young woman with wavy rose-coloured hair, and pale aqua eyes,
though they often appear green due to green aspects around the pupil. Serah says
Lightning resembles their mother. Lightning wears a variation of the standard
Guardian Corps uniform. The green metallic pauldron over her left shoulder bearing
yellow stripes denotes her previous rank as a Sergeant. She carries her gunblade in a
black case which hangs off her belt, and wears a necklace with a lightning bolt
pendant. She also has a navel piercing, although it can be difficult to see due to the
cut of her uniform.
SNOW VILLIERS
Snow Villiers was made into a l’Cie by the
fal’Cie Anima. His brand is on his left forearm
close to his elbow and his Eidolith is the shape
of a heart and contains his Eidolon, the Shiva
Sisters, currently the only known Dual
Eidolon. Snow leads the neighbourhood watch group NORA in the town of Bodhum.
He is determined to save his fiancée, Serah Farron, from her fate as a l'Cie despite
Serah's sister Lightning's disapproval of their relationship. Snow is a relentless
optimist and a self-proclaimed “hero” who wishes to protect and help anyone in need.
Although his heart may be in the right place, his naivety and optimism tend to rub
people the wrong way. He talks and acts before thinking, unintentionally causing
trouble and putting others in danger. Lightning describes Snow as “arrogant and
chummy from the get-go, thinks he's everyone's pal,” and says that his best quality is
being “too stubborn to die”.
Snow has light blond hair, blue eyes, and a stubble beard. He wears a black
bandanna, black gloves, large grey boots, a light blue vest over a black shirt, and a
striped blue scarf hanging from a belt. He wears a beige trench coat with frayed hems

34
that functions as his weapon as it is fused with Antimatter Manipulation Principle
(AMP) technology. Snow also wears a cat pendant, the logo of NORA.
SAZH KATZROY
Sazh Katzroy became a l’Cie after an
encounter with Anima. His brand is in the
middle of his upper chest. His Eidolith is
shaped like a chocobo feather, and contains
his Eidolon, Brynhildr. Sazh is a friendly,
cheerful man who is never without his curious companions, a chocobo chick and a
pair of pistols. He is a middle-aged man with an afro who works as an airship pilot.
His wife died three years ago, and since then Sazh has been looking after their son,
Dajh. Protecting his son is Sazh's main motivation. A pet chocobo lives in Sazh's afro,
known simply as Chocobo Chick. He is quick to banter, but also keeps a mature
perspective on matters. Uncontrollable events have set him on his current path, but
another purpose compels him to walk it.
Sazh is a middle-aged man with an afro in which he keeps an unnamed chocobo
chick. He wears a long, olive coat over khaki trousers, a white button-down shirt, and
black buckled engineer boots. He keeps his two pistols in holsters strapped to his
thighs.
HOPE ESTHEIM
Hope Estheim was made a l’Cie by the fal’Cie
Anima. His brand is on the back of his left
wrist. His Eidolith is shaped like a star, and
contains his Eidolon, Alexander. Hope is a
normal boy from a normal family whose
childhood on Cocoon can best be described as uneventful. He is the son of Nora and
Bartholomew Estheim. Hope is close to his mother, but has had a distant relationship
35
with his father ever since he became a teenager. Inexperienced in the ways of the
world, he is completely unprepared for the turmoil into which his life is thrown when
he is unexpectedly caught up in the Sanctum's brutal Purge.
Hope has short silver hair and light blue-green eyes. He wears a short-sleeved
orange and yellow jacket with a green neckerchief over a black shirt, and black
gloves with white palms. He wears green cargo trousers with a black storage pack
hanging from a black belt over his left leg, and green boots. His l'Cie brand is covered
by a yellow wristband.
OERBA DIA VANILLE
Vanille is a Pulse l’Cie branded by Anima.
Her brand is on her upper left thigh. Her
Eidolith is the shape of an apple, and contains
her Eidolon, Hecatoncheir. Like Fang, Vanille
hails from the village of Oerba on the
lowerworld of Gran Pulse. Vanille has a
childlike innocence. She is considerate, understanding, and at times, headstrong and
stubborn. Vanille is empathetic, easily driven to tears, and cares deeply for others,
particularly Fang. Despite facing many hardships. She tries to cheer up her friends
when they're down and see the bright side of things, but her happy-go-lucky persona
is really a facade to hide her fear and guilt.
Vanille has the physical appearance of a nineteen-year-old, despite being much
older due to crystal stasis, she has bright red hair tied in curled pigtails, green eyes,
and pierced ears with silver hoop earrings. She wears a pink halter top, an ombré
orange and yellow skirt, beige boots, and a fur pelt around her waist, which she uses
to carry her weapon. She wears numerous bracelets, three beaded necklaces, and an
assortment of beads attached to various parts of her clothing.

36
OERBA YUN FANG
Fang is a Pulse l’Cie branded by Anima. Her
brand is on her right shoulder, but it is White
and no longer advances. Her petal-shaped
Eidolith contains her Eidolon, Bahamut. Like her
friend Vanille, Fang hails from Oerba on Gran
Pulse. Fang began working with a division of the
Sanctum's military known as the Cavalry, though
her reasons were her own. A strong woman surrounded by mysteries and driven by a
personal agenda, Fang aims to complete her Focus to save her friend Vanille from a
fate worse than death. Fang is cocky, confident, and stubborn, aswell as being
sarcastic, determined, and independent, but insecure whenever talking about her
past. She has a quick wit and a dry sense of humour and can be strict. Though she
comes across as cocky and confident, Fang has a caring and compassionate side,
especially towards Vanille, whom she would protect by any means.
Fang is a tall woman at 5'9" and has the physical appearance of a twenty-one-
year-old, despite being much older due to time spent in crystal stasis. She has olive
skin and wavy dark hair with a braid behind her left ear. Fang has green eyes, a
beauty mark beneath her right eye, and wears purple claw-shaped earrings. She has
scars on her right arm and shoulder, and wears a blue sari-style garb adorned with
tribal accessories. Fang wears a black bra top, black sleeves over her forearms, tan
leather open-toed knee high boots, and two fur pelts hanging from a cord beneath the
belt that holds her spear. Fang has a large tattoo with a similarity to a dragon head on
her left arm.
Datalog/History and Myth: Pulse l'Cie
The beings known as fal'Cie possess the power to enthrall unwilling human
instruments, compelling the victims to serve their will. These individuals, known as
37
l'Cie, are marked with indelible brands. They gain the gift of magic, but also bear the
burden of completing a task known as a Focus for their fal'Cie master. Pulse l'Cie,
tools of fal'Cie from the world below, are considered dangerous enemies of Cocoon's
society. As there exists no means of removing the l'Cie brand and the curse thereby
imposed, Pulse l'Cie are hunted relentlessly.

THE CIE’TH {written Cie’th}

The Cie'th are the non-sentient remains of a former l'Cie. They move on instinct and
are hostile toward living beings, including their former friends, which makes them
widely feared as they can wield magic. This is especially true to The Undying, a group
of Cie'th whose hatred towards their former fal'Cie masters has made them all the
more dangerous. Only when they turn into Cie'th Stones do the Cie'th show some of
their former humanity, mostly their regret of failing their Focus and asking somebody
to complete it in their stead so they can rest in peace.
When chosen by the fal'Cie, a l'Cie is marked with an incomplete brand, a tattoo-
like inscription. The brand completes over time, working as a timer for the l'Cie to
complete their Focus. Should the l'Cie fail, or the time runs out, the l'Cie loses their
humanity and crystals cover and twist their body. Their heart is sealed in endless
despair, a fate more torturous than death.
It is believed that some l'Cie can choose to partially transform into Cie'th willingly,
taking on Cie'th-like qualities and sometimes keeping their minds, however if this is
the case it scarcely happens. A fal'Cie can transform humans instantaneously into
Cie'th by branding them without assigning them a Focus.
The Cie'th are best recognized by their crystallized and deformed appearance.
While most are humanoid, some are more monstrous. They have a hand/arm motif
associated to them, as most of their most notable protrusions are or resemble

38
deformed arms, with some having a pair of hands covering where their ‘eyes’ should
be.

GHAST, A SHAMBLING TYPE CIE’TH

Cie'th have no emotions, intelligence, or goals, and live

trapped within their crystallized bodies. They have
long claws instead of hands, but generally retain the
facial features of their past selves. A pulsating red light
in their chest keeps them alive. If one looks closely at a
Cie'th, the face of the human it was before is visible.

RAKTAVIJA, A SPECIAL TYPE CIE’TH

Special Cie'th, like Raktavija, have two faces

and also two brands, hinting that some Cie'th can
be formed from more than one person. Few to no
Cie'th have their brands on other places than the
torso or back, and some Cie'th, like the Seeker or
the Chonchon, have no visible brand.

The fal'Cie who created them also seem to influence

the appearance the Cie'th become. The Cie'th of
Gran Pulse fal'Cie have black, rough crystals formed
all over their body, while the Cie'th of Cocoon
fal'Cie, have a body of smooth, white crystals.

A COCOON CIE’TH OF THE SHAMBLING TYPE

39
CIE’TH STONES
It is still possible for Cie'th to complete their Focus. Over the course of years, the
energy of a Cie'th may dry out, and they turn into a crystalline tombstone, unable to
move about but gaining the ability to communicate and ask others to complete their
Focus for them. These Cie'th Stones are found in abundance throughout Gran Pulse.
THE UNDYING
There is a powerful group of Cie'th known as The Undying, who have a unique
appearance compared to the other Cie'th. These Cie'th defied the will of the fal'Cie
that made them into l'Cie and are filled with hatred toward everything that lives. Each
member of The Undying is extremely powerful and many other l’Cie died trying to
defeat them and fulfil their Focus.

THE UNDYING, CIE’TH THAT BETRAYED THEIR FAL’CIE MASTERS

THE SANCTUM
The Sanctum is the theocracy controlling the continent of Cocoon under the
leadership of Galenth Dysley and the guidance of the fal'Cie Eden. The Sanctum's
insignia is the crest of Lindzei, the god said to have created Cocoon and its fal'Cie.
The Sanctum quarantines and exiles anyone from Cocoon whom it believes has been
influenced by the outside world, an order known as the Purge. The Sanctum has two
40
main military forces: PSICOM and the Guardian Corps, which consist of ordinary
soldiers, militarised monsters, automated machines, and military airships.
The Guardian Corps oversee smaller city and town based domestic issues, while
PSICOM is tasked with defending Cocoon from a Gran Pulse invasion. PSICOM is
considered superior to the Guardian Corps, but they are deployed less often, leaving
them in many regards inexperienced in comparison.
PSICOM
PSICOM, short for Public Security and Intelligence Command or Public Safety and
Intelligence Command, is Cocoon’s elite military branch, Commanded by Colonel Jihl
Nabaat and directed by Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch, they are heavily armed
soldiers clad in full-armour that employ machine guns in
battle.
Although their appearance can vary, they are best recognized
by the glowing eye sockets on their helmets. Despite being
tasked with defending Cocoon from Gran Pulse invasions, the
likes of which has not occurred since the War of
Transgression centuries past, PSICOM is considered the
superior military branch of the Sanctum. PSICOM have the most technologically
advanced equipment and artillery in Cocoon at their
disposal, including giant robots, airships, and
transgates for summoning special genetically-modified
monsters. Even with these advantages, however, the
lack of actual deployment for any PSICOM divisions
but the elite Eden force has left them highly
inexperienced.

41
Notable PSICOM Officers [CONTAINS FFXIII SPOILERS]
YAAG ROSCH
Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch is a PSICOM officer.
Though he had a hard time in the military academy, he
graduated second in his class, just behind Jihl Nabaat,
later becoming her right-hand man and the Director of
PSICOM's elite division.
Rosch devotes the entirety of his life and career to the
betterment of Cocoon and the protection of its citizens. He is a focused individual set
on keeping Cocoon stable and protecting it from any threats or unclear influences
except for the Sanctum. He dislikes the fal'Cie and would be happy to see them gone,
but sees no good alternative to fal'Cie rule or practical way of removing them. He
hides his true feelings on the fal'Cie, and rationalizes the situation to himself. All this
makes him seem cold.
Rosch has silver hair, styled in thick, collar-length bangs spiked at the front and
slicked down at the back, and a short ponytail tied with a black ribbon. He has sharp
facial features, a thin scar above his left eye running the length of his forehead, and
violet-grey eyes. He wears the standard uniform of a male PSICOM lieutenant colonel
and wears a military sabre on his belt.
JIHL NABAAT
Colonel Jihl Nabaat is an officer in the
Cocoon army as the Commander of PSICOM,
the division that deals with the threat of Gran
Pulse. Yaag Rosch is her right-hand man.
Nabaat has both political and personal
motivations for opposing the Pulse l’Cie. She graduated top of her class and advanced

42
in the military ranks to the position she holds as Colonel. She oversees daily policy
and takes strategic command of the PSICOM soldiers.
Nabaat is often described as cruel and heartless, and she sees all l'Cie, regardless
of whether they are from Pulse or Cocoon, as subhuman. She is a cold and calculating
sadist who sees herself superior to ordinary humans, whom she views as flawed
objects she can use in her agenda despite any loyalty they may possess towards her.
Thus, Nabaat easily loses patience when things go wrong, projecting blame on her
subordinates and giving desperate orders to regain control. Despite this, Nabaat is
loyal to Primarch Galenth Dysley.
Jihl has blonde hair that reaches to her mid-thigh and olive green eyes. She wields
a baton primarily used for fencing. Nabaat's glasses, which she normally wears unless
in a fight, are thin-framed and have her initials in Cocoon script engraved on the arm,
Jihl only wears the glasses to appear kind and trustworthy. She wears the Traditional
PSICOM Female officer’s uniform, consisting of a white dress shirt and skirt, the shirt
cut to reveal her cleavage, over which is a dark green overcoat with gold and silver
trim and a gold belt at her waist, on which hangs the holster for her baton. Around
her neck is a high ruffle collar with a short yellow necktie. She wears brown leather
gloves and smart, heeled, slip on shoes.

GUARDIAN CORPS
The Guardian Corps is a military department of the Sanctum, tasked with more
domestic issues when compared to PSICOM.
The Guardian Corps is the branch of the
Sanctum military responsible for maintaining
peace and stability within Cocoon. Within their
assigned jurisdictions, the soldiers of the
Guardian Corps fulfil the role of police officers and protectors, working to eliminate
43
all manner of criminal activity as well as any rampaging wildlife. As a unit that works
alongside the general population, it rarely employs heavy weaponry or cruiser-class
airships. However, the Corps does retain squads of highly mobile shock troops.
The Guardian Corps maintain several different divisions within their ranks. Each
division is responsible for their own duties within Cocoon. Their uniforms, although
similar to the ones worn by PSICOM, have a much brighter colour scheme.
GUARDIAN CORPS DIVISIONS
Wide-Area Response Brigade (GC-WARB)
Known as “The Cavalry”, the GC-WARB covers a large area of Cocoon and with
the main command airship Lindblum acting as their base. They are commanded by Cid
Raines.

THE LINDBLUM, FLAGSHIP OF THE GC-WARB

Bodhum Security Regiment (GC-BSR)

Guardians of the small Port town of Bodhum, responsible for its safety. The
commander is Lieutenant Amodar.
Woodlands Observation Battalion (GC-WOB)
Patrol the forests of Gapra Whitewood. The Commander is unknown.
Palumpolum Security Division (GC-PSD)
Patrol the town of Palumpolum. The Commander is unknown.
Nautilus Security Regiment (GC-NSR)
Guards the massive theme park Nautilus. The Commander is unknown.

44
The Homeguard
Guards the capital city of Cocoon, Eden. They are also known as Capital Guard
Division (GC-CGD). The Commander is unknown.

Notable Guardian Corps Officers [CONTAINS FFXIII SPOILERS]

RYGDEA
Rygdea is a Captain in the Guardian Corps’
Wide-Area Response Brigade, often called
“The Cavalry”, working under the command of
Cid Raines as his right-hand man, as they both
share the same view of the Sanctum. Hidden
behind his cowboy antics is a man of unwavering courage and integrity. Disgusted by
the deception of the Sanctum, he once thought to retire from the military, but was
instead convinced by Raines to join the Cavalry. Finding that the brigadier general
shared his ideals, Rygdea now works as his right-hand man in various operations
designed to undermine the government's power.
Rygdea has shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. His outfit is a variation on
the standard male Guardian Corps uniform: blues and silvers dominate in his case,
and as opposed to most division uniforms he has a white shape similar to a Christian
cross on his stomach.
AMODAR
Lieutenant Amodar is a member of the Guardian
Corps’ Bodhum Security Regiment. He is the
known Pulse l’Cie Lightning's direct superior.
Climbing his way through the ranks with
persistence and hard work, he is respected by his
subordinates for his fair treatment on and off the field of battle. Amodar is known to
45
be quite a humorous person, but able to give good advice when it is needed. NORA's
unregulated monster-hunting falls under his jurisdiction, but aside from a few
warnings for the sake of formality, he generally turns a blind eye to the group's
earnest efforts.
Amodar is a fat, muscular but tall man with an oval face and dark skin. He has
short, spiky, brown hair and brown moustache. He wears a white shirt with silver
stripes around the neck and on his chest. His Guardian Corps jacket consists of white-
and-blue material stapled with belts and on the right arm he has a bracer with two
orange fluorescent stripes indicating his Lieutenant position within the Corps. His
trousers consist of black-and-white material with orange stripes at the sides. Amodar
also wears metal boots.

NON-MILITARY ORGANISATIONS
In Cocoon, there are many ‘Resistance’ groups that oppose the Sanctum’s rule. Most
of these groups go largely unnoticed, both by the Sanctum themselves and the general
populous of Cocoon, but there is one that has attracted their attention in recent times.

NORA

NORA is a resistance group opposed to the Sanctum’s rule, they were originally a
neighbourhood watch group in Bodhum. The group's symbol is a cat. The name NORA
46
is an acronym, standing for 'No Obligations, Rules, or Authority'. NORA is a vigilante
group created by known Pulse l’Cie Snow Villiers, and the group is self-funded by the
operation of a seaside café in Bodhum. They strive to live a life of freedom and
independence.
While they functioned as a neighbourhood watch of sorts, NORA members
patrolled the vicinity of Bodhum for trouble. Most often, “trouble” consisted of
encroachment by dangerous forms of wildlife. NORA had never openly acted out
against the Sanctum prior to the instigation of the Purge, and because of this, the
military had been content to turn a blind eye to the group's activities.
NORA consists of four core members; the intimidating Gadot, Snow's right-hand man;
the amiable mood maker, Yuj; the mechanical genius, Maqui; and the NORA House
resident chef, Lebreau.
Snow Villiers, NORA's founding member, is presently away from the group.

47
48
 CHAPTER 2: BY ORDER OF THE SANCTUM. THE
SYSTEM.
The FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game is a Percentile Roll-Low System. In order to
play this system, you will need Pencils, Character Sheets, Dice of Several Types
[Four-Sided D4, Six-Sided D6, Eight-Sided D8, Ten-Sided D10, Twelve-Sided D12
and a Hundred-Sided D100 (Two D10; one showing ‘0-9’ the other showing ’00-90)]
and a group of friends with imaginations; One to act as the Games-Master or GM and
the rest to take on the roles of the Characters in the game. It is the job of the GM to
set the scene, take control of all the Non-Player Characters (NPC’s) and Enemies the
Players will fight during the course of the game. The GM; in essence; acts like the
Computer in a video game.
This chapter of the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game will go into details on
Each of the main Stats in the game, the l’Cie Roles and their Abilities, Technical
Points and the Abilities linked to them, The Chain and Stagger Gauges and how they
build and empty. It will also give an Outline on the Crystarium and how to use it.
Combat, Status Effects, Initiative and the in-system ATB Gauge will also be covered.

{This System is still in the Alpha Stage of development and as such the rules
presented here are subject to drastic reshaping for balancing issues. Of which I’m
sure there will be many.}

49
BASICS OF THE SYSTEM
Statistics.
Statistics, also often abbreviated to Stats, are the core of a character in the FINAL
FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game. They are the basis for the character’s ability to deal
and heal damage in combat and their resistance to overall damage received and how
much of it gets negated before it is removed from Hitpoints. Stats also show how
many Hitpoints a character has before they become unconscious; removing them from
a combat until they are revived.
A Character’s Stats are divided into Primary and Secondary types. Primary Stats
are used to determine how powerful a character is. Their Secondary Stats are used to
show their ability to power their abilities and techniques outside of their Role abilities
and the amount of Health that a character has.
A Character in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game has Two Primary
Statistics: Strength (abbreviated to STR) and Magic (abbreviated to MAG). They also
have Four Secondary Statistics: Hit Points (abbreviated to HP), Technical Points
(abbreviated to TP), Crystogen Points (abbreviated to CP) and Active Time Battle
(abbreviated to ATB) segments.

PRIMARY STATISTIC DESCRIPTIONS

Strength (STR)
Strength is the Stat used to determine how physically capable the character is. It
is both a measure of their ability to inflict damage to their enemies and their ability to
resist damage that is being dealt to them. It is a factor when calculating the damage of
physical-type abilities in all Six l’Cie Roles; and a percentage of this value is removed
from physical damage received in combat. A character’s Strength Stat is the sum
value of their starting Stat value from their Primary Role + Weapon Bonus value +
Accessory Bonus value + Crystarium node Bonus values. Sample STR based Abilities
50
are the Commando’s Attack; the Ravager’s [Element]-Strike and the Sentinel’s
Vendetta.
Magic (MAG)
Magic is the Stat used to determine how magically capable the character is. Magic
is used both to determine how much arcane damage a character can deal in a combat
situation as well as the potency of their healing abilities. It is a factor when calculating
the damage or healing potency of arcane-type Abilities in all Six l’Cie Roles; and a
percentage of this value is removed from arcane damage received in combat. A
character’s Magic Stat is the sum value of their starting Stat value from their Primary
Role + Weapon Bonus value + Accessory Bonus value + Crystarium node Bonus
values. Sample MAG based abilities are the Commando’s Ruin; the Medic’s Cure and
the Saboteur’s Poison.

SECONDARY STATISTCS DESCRIPTIONS

Health Points (HP)
Health Points is the Stat that shows just how long a character can survive in any
given combat situation. It is generally a numerical value for ease of viewing. Every
successful hit that deals damage to a
character or enemy in the FINAL
FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game reduces this numerical value from its maximum until it
reaches zero; and if this should happen the character is rendered unconscious and
takes no further part in the combat until either they are revived or the combat ends.
In the FFXIII video game, HP is shown as a single number representing the
character’s current HP, however for ease of use in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game HP will be represented in the more traditional Final Fantasy staple appearance
of “Current HP/Maximum HP” i.e. 6428/9999 with the Maximum HP only changing

51
when the character activates HP nodes in their Crystarium or they equip and upgrade
HP boosting Accessories.
Technical Points (TP)
Technical Points is the Stat used to show how capable a character is of triggering
their non-Role-Specific Abilities. TP is a limited resource in the FFXIII video game
and in keeping with this it is the same in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game.
Just like in FFXIII, TP is used in
units of one, two or three at a
time to power the relevant Abilities. This is the same in the FINAL FANTASY XIII
Roleplay Game. TP Abilities are varied in their uses, but are generally quite powerful
to make up for the fact that they need to be ‘Recharged’ over time once the TP gauge
is exhausted. TP charges regenerate slowly after combat, taking several combats to
fully recharge to the maximum value, however Abilities can be used if there are
enough charges to power them.
Crystogen Points (CP)
Crystogen Points are the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game’s version of other
RPG’s more traditional Experience Points. They are used to increase the character’s
power in the Crystarium.
They are gained in
several different ways. The primary way they can be gained is after combat by
defeating all the enemies that appear, they can also be gained from completing quests
such as Cie’th Missions. The GM of the game may choose to award CP for other
reasons at their own discretion. In order to progress in the Crystarium, CP gained in
combat is ‘Spent’ to progress through each level.
Active Time Battle Segments (ATB)
Active Time Battle or ATB segments are used in the FINAL FANTASY XIII
Roleplay System to show how many actions a character can make on their initiative
52
turn during combat. Every Ability that a character gains access to through their
Crystarium has an ATB Cost assigned to it. These range in cost from one segment for
a relatively weak ability, to three for a significantly more powerful one. TP Abilities
also have an ATB Cost built into them, also ranging from one to three segments. A
character begins play with only three ATB Segments. They can gain access to more
ATB Segments in three different ways; One is gained through the character’s Primary
Role Crystarium; One is gained upon the character gaining their Eidolon and finally
One is gained by upgrading their Weapon to its last, Ultimate, form. Giving them a
total of Six ATB Segments.

Every character in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game gains the ability to use a
unique-to-them Ability known as a Full ATB Ability. This Ability is only acquired
through the character’s Primary Role in the middle to late stages of their Crystarium.
The character’s Full ATB Ability is an extremely powerful ability, and could be
compared to the ‘Limit Breaks’ of other games in the Final Fantasy series of games.
The damage that a Full ATB Ability deals is conditional upon how many Segments
are expended to use it, the more segments the character has, the more damage the
Ability deals. Some Full ATB Abilities have a chance to inflict a Powerful Status on
the Target in exchange for reduced damage should the Status Fail.

53
L’CIE COMBAT ROLES
As l’Cie, characters in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game are more powerful
than your average everyday human being. They have been gifted with Abilities beyond
human understanding, but the cost is High, they also receive a Focus that can
occasionally end up ‘killing’ them. These
Abilities come in the form of Roles that
the l’Cie are able to switch between in a
combat situation; each Role granting
Abilities in a different type. There are Six
Different Roles available to the l’Cie, each able to help, hinder, damage or heal in their
own way. The l’Cie are able to switch between these Roles by way of an Ability known
as a Paradigm Shift. The Paradigm Shift instantly changes the character into the chosen
Role, giving them access to the Abilities granted by that Role.

54
l’Cie Job Role Descriptions
COMMANDO: The Commando is a Damage Dealer, Pure and Simple. They
Specialise in inflicting heavy Damage to their Foes. Their Main Focus is on Physical
Damage; though they can add Magical Damage into their Repertoire should the need
arise.
RAVAGER: Like the Commando, the Ravager is a Damage Dealer, though their
talent lies in Magical Damage rather than Physical, but they often do use Physical
Strikes should the need Arise.
SENTINEL: The Sentinel is a Damage Reduction Specialist, they draw the Ire of
their enemies and have the uncanny ability to Soak unparalleled amounts of damage
before being rendered unconscious.
SYNERGIST: The Synergist thrives by Supporting their Allies, whether by
reducing incoming damage or enchanting an ally’s weapon; they are a Boon to those
around them.
SABOTEUR: The Saboteur is the Antithesis of the Synergist; their power lies in
the Debilitation of their enemies. Whether inflicting a Negative Status or lowering
their enemy’s natural defences, a Saboteur becomes the Bane of their Enemies’
existence.
MEDIC: The Medic is the true Healer among the l’Cie, whether by removing a bane
or healing a wound, the Medic is a Trusted Ally to any that have need of their power.

STATUS EFFECTS
There are many different Status Effects in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game; both Positive and Negative types. Status Effects are mostly the purview of the
Synergist and Saboteur Roles, with the Synergist Bestowing Positive Status Effects to
their Allies, and the Saboteur Inflicting Negative Status Effects on their Enemies.
Positive Status Effects will always be successful in their casting; it is assumed that the
55
character is not going to avoid them; however Negative Status Effects only have a
Chance to be successfully applied to their target. This is known as a Status Effect’s
Chance of Success, abbreviated as CoS.
i.e. The Saboteur Casts Deshell on their target, they then roll to see whether they
successfully Inflict the Status Effect. It has a CoS of 50% so they roll 1D100 and the
result comes up 64, the Status fails to take effect as they needed to roll 50 or lower.
Saboteurs have a lower CoS as they also deal Magical damage alongside the Status
Effect itself.
Positive Status Effects
Positive Status Effects, also known as
Buffs, are the Synergist’s stock in trade.
They bestow them on their allies to increase their effectiveness in combat, either by
improving their survivability or making their attacks become an element that the
enemy is weaker to than normal, thereby increasing the damage dealt by the attack.
Positive Status Effects have a Duration of 4 Turns if they are cast on a single Ally, or
3 Turns if they were cast on all Allies at the same time. Enemies also have the
capability to Bestow Positive Status Effects.
List of Positive Status Effects
NAME EFFECT
Bravery Increases the Target’s STR Stat by +10% until the duration ends.
Faith Increase the Target’s MAG Stat by +10% until the duration ends.
On the targets turn they draw 2 initiative cards from the initiative deck;
Haste discarding anything below 7, acting on the highest of the two cards, until the
duration ends.
The CoS of enemies interrupting your attacks is reduced by -20% until the
Vigilance duration ends.
Bestow the Chosen Element on the Character’s weapon, they deal damage of that
En[Element] Element until the duration ends. Multiple instances of the same element DO NOT
stack, however Casting Multiple En[Element] Spells will bestow multiple
Elements in conjunction.
56
 Physical Damage dealt to the Character is reduced by -25% until the duration
Protect ends.
Magical Damage dealt to the Character is reduced by -25% until the duration
Shell ends.
Reduce the Character’s Vulnerability to the Chosen Element by one step until the
Bar[Element] duration ends. Multiple instances of the same element DO NOT stack, however
casting Multiple Bar[Element] spells work in conjunction with each other to
reduce Vulnerability to multiple Elements by one step.
Any Negative Status Effect that is Cast on the Character has -20 CoS.
Veil Additionally, the next Negative Status Effect that succeeds is cancelled and Veil
fades. This lasts until the duration ends.
Target regains 10% of Current HP (rnd up) at the end of their Turn until the
Regen duration ends.
Negative Status Effects
Negative Status Effects, also known
as Debuffs, are the forte of the
Saboteur. They Inflict them on their enemies in order to decrease their effectiveness
in any given combat situation, either by reducing their defences or causing constant
damage over a period of time. Saboteurs are also able to impose an increased
weakness onto enemies, allowing for increased damage. Most Negative Status Effects
have a Chance to Fail, therefore they have a CoS of being successfully Inflicted.
Negative Status Effects have a Single Target Duration of 4 Turns, and a Group
Duration of 3 turns. Enemies also have the capability to Inflict Negative Status Effects.

List of Negative Status Effects

NAME EFFECT
Debrave Decreases the Targets STR Stat by -10% until the duration ends.
Defaith Decreases the Target’s MAG Stat by -10% until the duration ends.
Physical Damage dealt to the Target is increased by +25% until the duration
Deprotect ends.

57
 Magical Damage dealt to the Target is increased by +25% until the duration
Deshell ends.
The CoS of enemies interrupting your attacks is increased by +20% until the
Curse duration ends.
Daze The target cannot act until they receive damage or the duration ends.
Fog Magical Abilities cannot be used until the duration ends.
Increase the Character’s Vulnerability to Elemental Damage by one step. Multiple
Imperil instances of Imperil DO NOT stack. Additionally, any Negative Status Effect that
is Cast on the Character has +20 CoS until the duration ends.
Pain Physical Abilities cannot be used until the duration ends.
Target loses 10% of Current HP (rnd up) at the end of their Turn until the
Poison duration ends.
On the targets turn they draw 2 initiative cards from the initiative deck;
Slow discarding anything above 7, acting on the lowest of the two cards, until the
duration ends.
Doom is a Negative Status Effect exclusive to Eidolon and a few Boss Level fights.
Doom is cast on the party at the beginning of the fight. Some bosses will also
inflict it on the party. There is no way to prevent Doom or remove it after it has
Doom been inflicted. Doom has a Unique Duration time in that it is set at 15 Turns
when used by Eidolons and 20 Turns when used by Bosses. When the Duration
Ends, the Party is Reduced to 0HP even if they are immune to Death. Doom
Automatically succeeds when cast and as such no roll is necessary to do so.

Status Effect Interactions

Positive and Negative Status Effects
interact with each other in an
interesting way. Most Statuses will
cancel out their counterpart from the
other type. If a character has a
Positive Status Effect applied to them from a Synergist, it is possible for an enemy to
then counter it by casting the relevant Negative Status Effect on them. Doing so will
negate the Positive Status, however it will not Apply the Negative Status Immediately,
58
for this to happen there must be another successful casting of the Status that they
wish to apply. The reverse of this is also true, a Synergist can cast a Positive Status
on an Ally in order to remove any Negative Statuses that have been Inflicted on them.
Some Statuses, however, cannot be cancelled in this way, and Doom cannot be
cancelled at all once it has been inflicted.
Positive and Negative Status Interactions
POSITIVE STATUS Y/N NEGATIVE STATUS
Brave Y Debrave
Faith Y Defaith
Protect Y Deprotect
Shell Y Deshell
Haste Y Slow
Regen Y Poison
Vigilance Y Curse
Veil N Imperil
Positive and Negative Statuses that do not interact
POSITIVE STATUS NEGATIVE STATUS
En[Element] Daze
Bar[Element] Fog
N/A Pain
N/A Doom
As you can see, there are more Negative Status Effects that do not interact than
there are Positive Status Effects. This is because some Negative Status Effects do not
have counterpart Positive Status Effects or are only used in specific circumstances.

TECHNICAL ABILITIES
Technical Abilities are battle commands in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game, the Abilities are used by expending TP. Characters learn these Abilities by
59
advancing their Primary Role Crystarium. Using a Technical Ability does not expend
any ATB gauge segments. Each Technique Ability has its own Cost; paid for in TP.

Technical Abilities Descriptions

NAME TP COST DESCRIPTION
Learned automatically when a character acquires his/her Eidolon. When
used, it summons the l’Cie's Eidolon to the battlefield to fight alongside the
Summon 3 l’Cie. In Gestalt Mode, the l’Cie and the Eidolon join forces and the l’Cie can
use the Eidolon’s attacks. Upon dismissing or using the Eidolon's Gestalt
Fury, the Eidolon Casts Arise; fully healing/reviving the party.
Libra is the first TP ability a character learns, available at Primary
Crystarium Stage 1. Libra reveals the enemy's information at the cost of 1
Libra 1 TP, though it must be cast multiple times if the player wishes to gain every
single piece of information on the enemy.
Renew is learned at Crystarium Stage 6 for everyone. Renew revives all
Renew 2 KO'd party members and restores the party's HP to 50% of their Max.
Quake is learned at varying Crystarium Stages. It deals (MAGx2.5)+1D12
Area of Effect Earth Elemental Damage to all enemies, and misses flying
opponents. It is the only means of inflicting Earth Elemental Damage in the
Quake 1 FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game. Quake is learned by COM at Stage 3,
SEN at Stage 5, SYN at Stage 4, SAB at Stage 5, RAV at Stage 2, and MED
at Stage 6.
Dispelga removes all buffs and debuffs, except Doom, from both enemies
Dispelga 2 and allies. It is learned at Crystarium Stage 8.
Stopga ends the current initiative round causing all participants to draw
Stopga 3 new Cards from the Initiative Deck. It is learned on Crystarium Stage 9 for
all Roles.

Spending and Regenerating Technical Points

The Table at the top of the following page shows the layout of the TP Bar used in
the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game. The numbered boxes represent the full
amount of TP a character has access to. The white boxes underneath show just how
many available TP the character has; in this case, they have the full 5 TP.
60
 TECHNICAL POINTS (TP)
1 2 3 4 5
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
If the character then Spent 2 TP to cast the Renew ability after suffering a
devastating hit in combat for instance, they would erase the white boxes underneath
the numbers from right to left until they reached the threshold for the 3TP mark as
shown in the next table below.
TECHNICAL POINTS (TP)
1 2 3 4 5
X X X X X X X X X
Once TP has been spent, it slowly regenerates over time. After every combat, one
white box in the TP Bar gets filled in from left to right. As such, this is the table 3
combats after spending 2 TP for Renew.
TECHNICAL POINTS (TP)
1 2 3 4 5
X X X X X X X X X X X X
If a TP box is partially filled when spent, The anount of boxes filled will be
transferred to the previous TP boxes. It should be noted that at the beginning of a
new Campaign in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game TP is empty and will begin
to regenerate after the first combat of the Campaign.
There are items in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay System that can regenerate
TP quicker but as a rule they should only be given occasionally.

CHAIN AND STAGGER

The Chain Gauge
The chain gauge is used as a way of dealing increased damage to an enemy target for
a brief period. Physical and Magical
attacks cause the chain gauge to increase
every time they hit successfully; however,
61
the gauge decreases rapidly unless slowed; up until the target reaches their Stagger
Point and the next attack forces them into a Staggered State.
Not all Roles affect the chain gauge though, and those that do affect it in differing
ways. Commandos slow the rate at which the chain gauge empties prior to Stagger,
Ravagers speed up the rate at which the gauge fills and Saboteurs also slow the gauge
to a lesser degree than Commandos. Sentinels boost the gauge whenever they
Counter. Synergists and Medics do not affect the gauge as their abilities are defensive
rather than offensive.
The Chain Gauge in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game is simply a series of
Checkboxes that get marked off one after another from left to right as successful
attacks are landed on enemies in combat.
ENEMY CHAIN LEVEL

Building and Maintaining the Chain Gauge

Roles and Some Weapons in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game have a Stat
called Chain Bonus; this Stat is used to determine how many Checkboxes are ticked
off with every Successful attack, Enemies in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game
have a Stat called Chain Resistance which is used to reduce the number of
Checkboxes that are ticked off with every successful attack that is inflicted upon
them. Most Damage dealing Roles in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game have a
Base Chain Bonus of 1. Ravagers are the only role that have a different Base Chain
Bonus, they have a Base Chain Bonus of 2. The Minimum number of Checkboxes that

62
can be added is equal to the Role’s Base Chain Bonus; they will never add less than
this amount.
Therefore, the number of Checkboxes that are ticked off with every successful hit
is equal to (Base Chain Bonus+Weapon Chain Bonus+Role Bonuses) - Chain
Resistance.
i.e. The Ravager successfully hits the Enemy with a weapon that has a Chain
Bonus of 4; and they have a Base Chain Bonus of 2 but have no other Bonuses, the
Enemy’s Chain Resistance is 2. Using the Calculation above we get (2+4+0)-2=4;
the Enemy would get 4 Checkboxes ticked off on their Chain Gauge.
ENEMY CHAIN LEVEL
Flanitor A / / / /
Flanitor B / / /
GC Gunner /

Building the Chain Gauge is one thing; keeping it built up, however, is another
matter entirely. Once it begins to build up, the Chain Gauge will decrease at a rapid
rate. This reduction is known as Chain Decay and is set at 5 Checkboxes per Turn,
meaning that at the end of a single combat round 5 Checkboxes will be removed from
each enemy’s Chain Gauge. This Chain Decay is set across all Enemy types,
regardless of whether they are a Minion or a Boss.
Two of the l’Cie Combat roles can reduce this Chain Decay, the Commando and
the Saboteur; this reduction is called Chain Maintenance. Commandos have an innate
Chain Maintenance of 2 and Saboteurs have an innate Chain Maintenance of 1. What
this means is that the Commando reduces the Chain Decay by 2 Checkboxes at the
end of the turn if they successfully attack a target and increase the Chain Gauge; and

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Saboteurs reduce the Chain Decay by 1 Checkbox at the end of the turn if they
successfully attack a Target and increase the Chain Gauge.

ROLE CHAIN BONUS CHAIN MAINTENANCE

Commando 1 2
Ravager 2 N/A
Sentinel 1 NA
Synergist N/A N/A
Saboteur 1 1
Medic N/A N/A
Chain Maintenance Modifiers DO NOT stack, if multiple Commandos, Saboteurs or
combinations of the two all succeed in hitting the target; the Highest Chain
Maintenance modifier will be the one that is used to reduce the Chain Decay at the
end of the turn.
The Stagger Gauge
When an Enemy’s Chain Gauge reaches full, the next successful attack from any
source will cause them to become Staggered. During this period, the chain gauge
slowly begins to deplete until it reaches
Zero, at which point the target recovers
from Stagger and the gauge begins to
fill again. While an Enemy is Staggered, their Defences are all reduced by -50% and
all damage that is dealt to them is doubled. In this way, it is possible to unleash havoc
on the enemy and deal a significant amount of damage in a relatively short time.
Enemies in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game have a Stat known as Stagger
Decay, this represents the Enemy’s ability to deplete the Stagger Gauge on a turn by
turn basis. As a rule; the more powerful the Enemy, the more of the Stagger Gauge
will be depleted at a time.

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ENEMY STAGGER LEVEL

Like the Chain Gauge, the Stagger Gauge is a series of Checkboxes that are
removed or checked off at the end of the Turn according to the Enemy’s Stagger
Decay. Once this Gauge is filled or Emptied, depending on how it is Checked Off, the
Stagger Gauge reverts to the Chain Gauge and begins to fill again.
ENEMY STAGGER LEVEL
Flanitor A / / / / / / / / / /
Flanitor B / / / / / / / /
GC Gunner / / / /

Maintaining the Stagger Gauge

It is possible for the characters to slightly reduce the Stagger Decay of an Enemy.
The Augment-Type weapons for the Commando Role have a Bonus called Stagger
Maintenance, which decreases the value of the Enemy’s Stagger Decay by a small
amount. {This will be detailed later in this Chapter} The Weapons increase the Rate
of maintenance as they Rank Up.
The level of Stagger Maintenance is subtracted from the Enemy’s Stagger Decay
and the result is then removed from their Stagger Gauge.

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THE CRYSTARIUM AND GAINING POWER
The Crystarium in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game is the way in which
characters gain HP, Stat Boosts to MAG/STR and gain new Abilities for each of the
Six l’Cie Combat Roles.
As l’Cie take part in; and defeat
their Enemies in; combat, they are
awarded Crystogen Points. These
Crystogen Points are spent in the
Characters Crystarium in order to
purchase Nodes that contain Stat Boosts, HP Boosts, New Abilities and Various other
things.
In FFXIII, the Crystarium is a series of nodes connected by linking lines that are
moved along by spending CP; acquiring the node once it is reached. This is a design
that would be very difficult system to replicate in a Tabletop Roleplay Game, and as
such the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game uses a series of tables to represent the
Crystarium.
COMMANDO 1 (PRIMARY)
NODE BONUS CP LEARNED
Attack ABILITY N/A Y
Ruin ABILITY N/A Y
STR +1 /20
STR +1 /20
MAG +1 /20
Libra TECH /20
--HP +10 /20
--HP +10 /20
MAG +1 /20
HP +10 /20
Launch ABILITY /20
STR +1 /20
--STR +1 /20
--MAG +1 /20
--Powerchain ABILITY /20
Blitz ABILITY /20
HP +10 /20
MAG +1 /20
--STR +1 /20
STR +1 /20
COMMANDO 2 (PRIMARY)
ROLE LINK /10
NODE BONUS CP LEARNED
/30
/30
/30
COMMANDO 3 (PRIMARY)
ROLE LINK /15
NODE BONUS CP LEARNED
/40

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 As you can see, the Table differs greatly to the in game Crystarium of FFXIII.
However, the premise of the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game’s Crystarium is the
same; Spend CP in order to progress through the Nodes one after another from top to
bottom. Like the Crystarium in FFXIII there are branching paths, represented in the
Tables by a double dashed line before the entry. These branching paths offer a choice
of nodes to Activate. Each branching path must be followed to its end point the same
way as the main line. Each Role starts with some Nodes already Activated when it is
learned. These nodes are the same across the Primary and Secondary versions of
each Role’s Crystarium, Tertiary Roles do not start with any Learned Abilities. It is at
this stage that characters choose their Primary and Secondary Roles, and also their
Primary and Secondary Element; as this matters for the purposes of Abilities such as
the Ravagers Main Spell and the Synergists En[Element] Spells.
Crystarium Types
Primary
The Primary Crystarium is considered to be the Characters main l’Cie Job Role
and it is the Role that gives them the most in the way of Abilities. It is also the only
way for Characters to learn Techs as they will only appear in the Primary Crystarium.
The Primary Crystarium is also the only place for a character to learn their Full ATB
Ability. Each Character chooses One Role as their Primary Role and get the Abilities
in that Roles Level One Primary Crystarium.
Secondary
The Secondary Crystarium is the Characters ‘not-quite-as-good’ Ability set. Like
the Primary Crystarium, they gain the Abilities of their Secondary Crystarium.
Characters in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game choose Two of the l’Cie Job
Roles as Secondary Roles. They will gain fewer Abilities from their Secondary
Crystarium, however they will gain more nodes in STR/MAG/HP as they have two
Secondary Roles.
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Tertiary
A Character’s Tertiary Crystarium is considered to be their least capable Ability
set. Unlike both the Primary and Secondary Crystariums, the character doesn’t gain
the Starting Abilities from the Tertiary Crystarium and they must purchase everything
in the Three Roles that will comprise their Tertiary Crystarium Set. Since there are
Three Roles in the Tertiary Crystarium, a Character will gain the most overall Nodes
for STR/MAG/HP than in the Primary or Secondary Crystariums. Tertiary
Crystariums are not gained at the start of a New Game Campaign, and instead they
are given by the GM as a reward for reaching a set point in their Campaign.
Crystarium Stage Costs
Each Crystarium; whether it is Primary, Secondary or Tertiary; has a total of Ten
Levels associated with it. Each Level has a cost for each Node that the Character Must
Purchase before the Character gains the Node onto their Stats or gains the Associated
Ability. The following Table details these costs for Every Role in each Type of
Crystarium, as well as the Role Link Cost to reach the next Role Level.
CRYSTARIUM PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY ROLE LINK
LEVEL COST COST COST COST
1 20 40 80 N/A
2 30 60 120 10/20/40
3 40 80 160 15/30/60
4 50 100 200 20/40/80
5 60 120 240 25/50/100
6 70 140 280 30/60/120
7 80 160 320 35/70/140
8 90 180 360 40/80/160
9 100 200 400 45/90/180
10 150 300 600 50/100/200

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 The Role Link Cost is listed in the Primary/Secondary/Tertiary costs. Role Link
Costs must be paid before progressing onto the next Crystarium Level, this is why the
Level 1 Crystarium has no Role Link Cost.

WEAPONS AND ACCESSORIES

Weapons
In FFXIII each of the main Characters had their
own Signature weapon that they wielded.
Characters in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game are no different. Each Character starts the
campaign with a Level 1 Weapon of one of 4
different Weapon Types.
The 4 Weapon Types are:
1. Strength Type
2. Magic Type
3. Balanced Type
4. Augment Type
Strength Type weapons deal Physical Damage as a Primary source and therefore add
to the Character’s STR Stat more than their MAG Stat.
Magic Type weapons deal Magical Damage as a Primary source and therefore add to
the Character’s MAG Stat more than their STR Stat.
Balanced Type weapons deal either Physical or Magical Damage as a Primary source
and add to the Character’s STR and MAG Stats equally.
Augment Type weapons deal either Physical or Magical Damage as a Primary source
and add to the Character’s STR and MAG Stats equally; though less so than Balanced
Type weapons, as they also confer a weapon ability onto the Character that is used
during combat.
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Once a Character chooses one of the weapon types, they must pay to acquire any of
the other types.
Weapons in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game can gain more Power, and
thus grant the Character more power in return. This is done both through combat and
using items known as Components. Components
come in two types, Biological and Mechanical.
Components Increase the Weapon’s Level using
Experience or EXP, and also by granting an
Experience Bonus or EXPB. Biological
Components grant very little EXP but when used in multiple numbers of the same
item will grant a large EXPB. Mechanical Components grant medium to large sums of
EXP but no EXPB. Combat grants EXP to a character’s weapon at a rate of 1
EXP per Regular Combat or 2 EXP for a Boss Level Combat. This EXP is
UNAFFECTED by the EXPB on the Weapon.
Weapon Levels and Bonuses by Type
All Weapons in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game have a total of
100 levels, split across 4 Ranks of weapon. A Weapon Will Rank Up when a
specific ‘Enhancement Catalyst’ is used on it. These Catalysts are Components
that grant Neither EXP or EXPB and can only be used when a Weapon is at the
maximum Level for that Rank. Catalysts can be Bought in shops or received as
Drops, either from Enemies after Combat or rewards from Treasure Chests
and Quests.
Increasing a Weapon’s Rank will, temporarily at least, Reduce that
weapon’s Level and STR/MAG bonus. However, they will eventually be able to
go beyond the Level Cap of the Previous Weapon Rank. The Exception to this
is Rank 4, which increases the Level of the weapon from 99 to 100. Rank 4
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Weapons are considered to be at their Ultimate Level and will not need any
more Levelling.
WEAPON RANK LEVEL RANGE ENHANCEMENT CATALYST
1 1-20 None
Millerite, Rhodochrosite, Cobaltite or
2 16-60
Perovskite
Uraninite, Mnar Stone, Scarletite or
3 55-99
Adamantite
4 100 Trapezohedron
Weapons that are wielded by the Characters in the FINAL FANTASY XIII
Roleplay Game can take on the appearance of whatever the player wishes, if
they want to be a Medic that wields a Sword, that’s fine. Appearance is purely
Cosmetic in this Game as the damage type is determined by the Ability that is
used.
Accessories
Characters in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game start the campaign
with a single Accessory slot open, however they do not start the game with an
Accessory equipped. Accessories can be found in Treasure Spheres, dropped
by Enemies after combat or Purchased in Stores.
There are several types of Accessories in the FINAL FANTASY XIII
Roleplay Game.
1. HP Boosting Accessories
2. Stat Boosting Accessories
3. Protection Accessories
4. Multi-Type Accessories
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HP Boosting Accessories increase a Character’s Maximum HP by a certain
amount while they are equipped.
Stat Boosting Accessories add an amount to a Character’s STR or MAG while
they are equipped.
Protection Accessories confer various bonuses onto the Character while they
are equipped. These bonuses range from conditional status effects to varying
strengths of Elemental Resistances.
Multi-Type Accessories are combinations of the other three types, they can
confer a Resistance to an Element while also adding to a Character’s HP. The
bonuses offered by Multi-Type Accessories will be less than the bonuses
offered by the ‘Pure’ Accessories but they can be used to significant effect in
combination with them.
Characters in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game gain access to an
additional 2 Accessory Slots through their Primary Job Role’s Crystarium,
giving them a total of 3 Available Accessory Slots in the latter stages of the
Campaign. {A full list of Accessories will be listed in a following Chapter}

THE INVENTORY SECTION

In FFXIII, only the Main Character that you are controlling has access to
the Inventory, a section that contains all of the Recovery Items, Spare
Accessories/Weapons and all Attained Components and Catalysts; aswell as
some powerful yet Specialised Items.
In the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game, each Character needs to have
access to the Inventory since there is no ‘Main Character’ and each player
should be given equal billing in the so-called Main-Character-Slot. Because of
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this, the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game uses a Group Inventory System.
Any items that the Group gains are placed into this Group Inventory and all the
Characters can use any of the Items that are in it.
Using items in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game is considered an
Action. Using Items in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game takes up the
Character’s entire Initiative Turn, but they are considered ‘Instant Actions’
allowing the Character to re-draw an initiative Card; discarding and redrawing
any cards that are higher than the one they used. Unlike ATB actions, Item
Actions can be used as an Interrupt Action.
Item Types
There are several different types of Items in the FINAL FANTASY XIII
Roleplay System.
1. Healing Items
2. Status Recovery Items
3. Battle Items
4. Sols
5. Components
6. General Use Items
{There will be a Full List of all the Items in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game in a following Chapter}
Healing Items are used to recover HP, in FFXIII when used; a Healing Item
recovers the HP of Each member of the Player’s Party. In the FINAL
FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game, Healing Items only recover the HP of the player
using the Item. Unlike in FFXIII; where there is only one Healing Item, the

73
Potion; in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game there are many levels of
Potion, each granting an increasing amount of HP to the user.
Status Recovery Items are used to cure any Negative Status Effects or Debuffs
that have been placed on the Character. There is a Status Recovery Item for each
of the Negative Status Effects except for the Doom Status, a Debuff that Cannot be
cancelled by any means.
Battle Items are Items that can only be used during Combat. They can most often
be found in Item Chests throughout the world, though they can be dropped by
Enemies after their defeat. They offer a variety of potent Effects and as such, it is
advised that they are given as rewards only rarely.
Sols are single use but Powerful items that either grant several Status Effects in a
single use, refresh the party’s TP or make it difficult to track the party. Sols are
extremely potent and should only be given as a reward in exceptional
circumstances.
Components are the Items used to level up the Character’s Weapons in the FINAL
FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game. They fall into 2 Categories; Biological and
Mechanical. Components can be found in Item Chests throughout the world or
dropped by Enemies after Combat.
General Use Items is a catchall category for the rest of the items in the FINAL
FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game that do not fall into one of the above categories.
This includes things like items that only have the use of being sold for Gil, or they
could be anything that the GM sees fit to put into their game.
Item Chests
In the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game, items can be dropped by Enemies
or they can be found in Item Chests. These chests are not common and they
usually will only be found if the players deviate from the obvious path that they
74
are given. In FFXIII, Item Chests take the form of floating metallic spheres that
give away their presence with a low-pitched humming. In
the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game this is the
same, A GM has a couple of options available to them
when deciding what they should place in the Item Chests
that they give to the players. They can either decide on a
fixed reward or they can put multiple options into the
Chest and randomly determine which item drops when the Chest is opened. It is
recommended that the GM gives the players access to between 1 and 3 Item
Chests per new area they go to.

COMBAT {This section may be subject to major Balancing issues}

Like FFXIII, and all the other FINAL FANTASY games, Combat is going to be a
Major part of the FINAL FANTAY XIII Roleplay Game; as it is the primary way for
the Player Characters to gain Crystogen Points in order to increase their Abilities
through the Crystarium.

Combat in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game should be as frequent as

the GM needs it to be but it should never take over from the Story of the
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Campaign; as this can take away from the fun for many players. It is
recommended that the GM tell new players to any FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game what they can expect, given the nature of the system as a whole.
Once the GM decides that a combat is about to happen, they need to take
several steps in order to implement the combat into their session.
1. Choose the enemies that will participate
2. Determine Pre-Emptive or Struck First Combat
3. Draw from the Initiative Deck
4. Play out the Combat to victory or defeat
5. Grant Rewards
When all of these steps have been resolved, the Combat has ended and the
campaign moves on in the direction that the GM determines. As a general rule,
Combat should make up around 25% – 35% of a Campaign. Any more or any less
and the group risk being either over or
under powered. A result of which can be
that the players either get overconfident
and think they are unbeatable; or they
get disheartened and want to give up as
they are repeatedly beaten by the GM’s
supposedly regular encounters. Both of these outcomes can lead to a loss of interest
in the game, bringing it to a grinding halt. {And no good Roleplay Group wants that,
right?}
In order to keep a good balance and pace in the Game, I recommend putting
between 1 and 3 combats into an average gaming session of 5 hours, adjusted for
game time and player interest. If the players want More Combat, give them More; if
the players want Less, give them Less. In both cases it pays for the GM to match their

76
Campaign to the wants of their Players as well as the needs of their own story in the
Campaign that they are running.
Choosing the Enemies
Before choosing any enemies to put into a combat, first the
GM needs to create them. This process takes some time and
will be completely outlined in Chapter 5. Once created;
however; the GM then needs to decide which of their
creations is going to take part in the combat.
It is recommended that the GM choose enemies of the
same power as the Player Group or lower if they intend for
the combat to be relatively easy, for a challenge the enemies should have slightly
more power than the Player Group; and for an extreme challenge, they should have
significantly more power than the Player Group. Determining the power of an Enemy
will also be outlined in Chapter 5. Once both the Enemies and the Players are ready,
it is time to move on to the next step and begin the combat proper.
Determine Pre-emptive or Struck First Combat
Each Regular Combat in the FINAL FANTASY
XIII Roleplay Game has a chance for the Players to
either be Granted a Pre-emptive Combat phase or
Suffer a Struck First Combat Phase.
At the Start of each combat; before Initiative Cards are Drawn; the GM rolls a
D100. On a roll of 01-05 the players have initiated a Successful Pre-emptive Combat;
however, on a roll of 90-100 The Enemies have managed to get the jump on the
Player and have initiated a Struck First Combat Phase.
In a successful First Strike Combat Phase, all Enemies are ‘Struck’ and their Chain
Gauges are instantly Filled to max; staggering them on the next hit they receive prior
to Chain Decay taking effect. The Deceptisol Item guarantees a Pre-emptive Combat
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Phase. If there is a Struck First Combat, each Enemy Hits One Randomly Determined
Player Character with the ‘Attack’ Action. Then Initiative is drawn as normal.
Drawing Initiative
In FFXIII, initiative is determined by a rapid progression of a blue line from left to
right across the top of the ATB Gauge, this; however; would not work in a Tabletop
RPG and so I decided to ‘borrow’ the initiative system in the well-known Savage
Worlds Roleplay Game and use a deck of Playing Cards to determine the placement of
an Enemy or Character’s turn in the Combat round. As such it is possible to use a
normal deck of cards to represent the four suits and two jokers. I however wanted
something a little different for the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game and as such, I
designed my own deck of cards for use with the System using a custom card creation
programme called Magic Set Editor. I also came up with my own Suits for the Cards in
the Initiative Deck in a similar way to the Through the Breach and Malifaux Roleplay
Games that use a deck with their own suits.
In the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game there are 54 cards in the Initiative
Deck, the equivalent of a regular Deck of playing cards. The main difference is that
instead of Spades; Hearts; Diamonds and Clubs, the four suits in the FINAL FANTASY
XIII Roleplay Game’s Initiative Deck are Swords; Rods; Emblems and Lances. The
Face cards in the Deck (Jack; Queen and King) have been changed to Eidolon; Gestalt
and Champion of their respective Suits. The Red Joker and Black Joker in the Deck
are replaced by the Brand of Lindzei and the Brand of Pulse respectively.

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 In order for the Players and Enemies to determine their Initiative; each player
draws One Card from the Initiative Deck at the Start of Each Combat Round and the
GM does the same for Each enemy. The FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game is
designed for relatively small Combat Encounters; never having more than 4 or 5
Enemies going against the Player Characters at once. Since this is the case; it is
recommended that the average number of enemies encountered is between 1 and 3 at
a time, except is specialised circumstances.
Once this is done, the GM begins to count the Faces of the cards from highest to
lowest. This means that the first Card that gets Called will be the Champion; then the
Gestalt then the Eidolon all the way through to the One.
FINAL FANTASY XIII INITIATIVE DECK SUIT COUNTERPARTS
Swords Rods Emblems Lances
Spades Hearts Diamonds Clubs
Brand of Lindzei Brand of Pulse
Red Joker Black Joker

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 If two or more Players and/or Enemies share the same number on an Initiative
Card, then the cards are resolved in suit order; highest to lowest, Swords > Rods >
Emblems > Lances. This means that the Champion of Rods goes Before the Champion
of Lances, but After the Champion of Swords. There are ways of Altering your place
in the Initiative, either through Status Effects or by Interrupting an Action.
Interrupting Actions
In the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game after Initiative is drawn, Players
and/or Enemies can choose not to act on their own Initiative Card in 3 ways;
1. Hold their Action and Attempt to Interrupt or act later in the turn
2. Sacrifice their Action to Attempt to Interrupt
3. Play a Brand Card and Interrupt
Interrupting Actions in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game is not a guaranteed
thing, unless a Brand Card is played. Normally there is only a %CoS to Interrupt an
Action. If a Player or Enemy holds their action, there is a 30% CoS of a successful
Interrupt. If they Sacrifice their Action, there is a 60% CoS of a successful Interrupt.
The Brand of Lindzei and the Brand of Pulse Cards guarantee a 100% CoS of an
Interrupt.
An Interrupted action means that the Interrupting Player/Enemy can take a full
action on the target’s Initiative Turn, causing the Interrupted Player/Enemy to lose
some or all of their own turn. Every successful attack landed on the Interrupted
Player/Enemy removes 1 ATB slot from their following Action.
i.e. Flan A Successfully Interrupts the Saboteur’s Action and uses its Action to use
the Attack ability on each of its ATB segments. Flan A has 2 ATB segments and
succeeds in hitting the Saboteur with both Attacks, this causes the Saboteur to lose 2
of their ATB segments on their Action, they have 3 and so would only get 1 ATB
segment on their Action.

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 Only if all of the Interrupted Player’s/Enemy’s ATB Slots are removed does the
Player/Enemy lose their Action completely. If not then they still get to act with their
reduced number of ATB slots.
Playing out the Combat
After Initiative is drawn, the GM begins the countdown and card by card the turn
plays out with each Player and each Enemy Attacking and dealing damage to each
other, then new Initiative Cards are drawn and the next turn begins. This process
repeats until all combatants on either side are Knocked Out or KO’d.
Item Use
Using an Item in Combat takes up 2 ATB Slots regardless of the Type of Item
Used, HOWEVER only 1 item may be used by a single Player on their Turn; and Item
Actions CANNOT be used as Part of an Interrupt Action.
Paradigm Shifts
In FFXIII, the Player can initiate a Paradigm Shift at any time by pressing the
L1/LB button on the PlayStation/Xbox controller; changing the Roles of All 3
Characters they are controlling at the time. In the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game, however, 1 Player forcing a Paradigm Shift on the entire Group is not entirely
fair on the rest of the Players, and as such when a Character triggers a Paradigm
Shift it only affects that Character. Triggering a Paradigm Shift is considered a Free
Action and can only be done at the beginning of your Initiative turn, and only once per
turn. {In further rewrites, this may well be changed or expanded upon} Paradigm
Shifts are only available to the Player Character l’Cie, there will be a variation of the
Paradigm Shift Action for Monsters in the Enemy Creation chapter.
Damage Calculation
Most Actions in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game deal damage to the
Target in one form or another; whether it is a straight up use of the Commando’s
‘Attack’ Ability, or an attempt to Inflict a Status Ailment through one of the many
81
individual Saboteur Abilities like ‘Deprotect’ and ‘Deshell’. These Abilities are given a
Damage Code; a numerical value that tells the Player how much Damage that Ability
Deals with every successful use. This Damage Code is shown as:
(Stat x X) + Die Type
The Damage Code is broken down in the following way.
(Stat x X): The Stat used in Damage Calculation is one of the 2 Primary Character
Stats; either Strength or Magic. This value is then Multiplied by a number between
1.25 and 2.5. {The Full ATB Ability circumvents this limit} This gives the Base
Damage of the Ability.
+Die Type: Once the Base Damage has been calculated, you then check to see
which of the several Dice Types (D4-D12) is rolled to give the variation in the
Damage Dealt. The Die rolled has its value added to the Base Damage to give the
Total Damage Dealt to the Target.
This Damage Code is also Applied to any Abilities that Heal Hitpoints; such as the
‘Cure’ Ability of the Medic Role.
Damage Reduction
All Damage in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game is slightly reduced once it
has been received, this reduction is Innate to everything; Player and Enemy alike; and
as such is relatively small.
Physical Damage, such as that from the Commando’s ‘Attack’ Ability, is reduced
by a Percentage of the Target’s Strength Stat. Magical Damage, such as that from the
Ravager’s ‘Fire’ Ability, is reduced by a Percentage of the Target’s Magic Stat. The
innate Damage Reduction of a Player or Enemy in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game is 20% of that Character’s Strength or Magic Stat. The Sentinel Role further
increases this Damage Reduction using the Role’s Abilities, and further still by using
Synergist Abilities like ‘Protect’ and ‘Shell’. However, Healing Abilities like the

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Medic’s ‘Cure’ Ability are not subject to Damage Reduction as they are not considered
to be ‘Damage’ in the same way as the Abilities of other l’Cie Roles.
Summoning Eidolons in Combat
Once a Player Character obtains their personal Eidolon through the Story, they
are able to Access the TP Ability ‘Summon’. This ability costs 3 TP as shown earlier
in the Chapter. When the Player chooses to use their Eidolon, they Spend the TP and
then take Centre Stage in the Combat.
Eidolons are Extremely Powerful entities
and as such need only the help of their l’Cie
while on the Material Plane. Summoning an
Eidolon forces the l‘Cie to Stand Alone
alongside their Eidolon for a short period of
time. During this period of time, should the l’Cie fall in Combat then the Eidolon will
be Dismissed and the l’Cie’s allies will return to the Combat in the same state that
they were in when the Eidolon was summoned. If the l’Cie does not fall then the
Eidolon begins to build up the Gestalt Gauge when they meet the Criteria for the
Gauge to build. {The Gestalt Gauge will be discussed fully in a later chapter} While
building the Gestalt Gauge, the Eidolon uses the ATB System the same way as a
Player Character with 3 ATB slots. They also Draw their Own Initiative Card and act
when it is their turn in the initiative order.
Once the Gestalt Gauge fills the
Eidolon Can Enter Gestalt Mode at
their fullest power, however the
Summoning l’Cie can invoke the Gestalt Pact and force a Gestalt Mode transformation
at any point after the Eidolon has been Summoned. The more the Gestalt Gauge fills,
the longer the Gestalt Mode lasts however. Once a l’Cie invokes the Gestalt Pact they
join with their Eidolon and They act together on the l’Cie’s Initiative Turn.
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 During a Gestalt Mode, neither the l’Cie or their Eidolon use the ATB Gauge,
instead thy begin to spend their
accumulated Gestalt Points to
activate some unique-to-their-
Eidolon Moves. Each of these Moves
cost a certain amount of Gestalt
Points to Activate. At any Point the
l’Cie can spend the entirety of the remaining Gestalt Points to Activate their Eidolon’s
Gestalt Fury; a Move similar to the l’Cie’s own Full ATB Ability. Using an Eidolon’s
Gestalt Fury immediately Dismisses the Eidolon causing them to cast Arise; fully
Reviving and Healing the l’Cie and their Allies.
Victory and Defeat
Should the Player Characters be the ones to be KO’d then the Combat immediately
ends and the GM should come up with a reason why the Characters are still alive and
continue the story. If the Enemies are the ones KO’d then the Combat moves on to the
next step.
Granting Rewards
Should the Combat end in the Player
Character’s victory, then the GM moves to
the next step; Rewarding the Players.
Rewards in the FINAL FANTASY XIII
Roleplay Game come in 3 distinct types:
1. Crystogen Points
2. Weapon Experience
3. Item Rewards

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Crystogen Points
Each Enemy in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game will; upon the Player
Characters’ Victory in combat; reward the Players with a set amount of CP. This
amount is worked out during Monster Creation, and varies from Monster to Monster.
{Discussed in a later Chapter}
Weapon Experience
As stated earlier in this Chapter; combat grants Experience for a character’s
Weapon as a reward, Weapon Experience is not granted by Each Enemy in the
Combat; rather it is granted based on the TYPE of combat. Combat grants EXP to a
character’s weapon at a rate of 1 EXP per Regular Combat; Featuring Minion or Elite
Rank Enemies, or 2 EXP for a Boss Level Combat; even if it features Minion and Elite
Rank Enemies. A Combat will never grant a weapon more than 2 EXP and as
previously stated, Combat Weapon Experience is unaffected by the Weapon’s Current
Experience Bonus (EXPB).
Item Rewards
Every Enemy in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game has a 75% CoS of
dropping an Item after combat. For each Enemy that is involved in the Combat the GM
Rolls a D100 and depending on the result, the enemy will either drop Nothing, a
Common Item, a Rare Item or a Sol-Type Item.
D100 ROLL VALUE ITEM RECIEVED
100-76 Nothing
75-26 Common Item
25-02 Rare Item
01 Sol-Type Item
All Items in the Common and Rare Item Slots can be taken from any of the Item
categories discussed earlier in this Chapter except the Sol-Type Items. Mostly the
Items dropped will be Components but this is not always the case. A monster may
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drop an Accessory or Weapon as either their Common or Rare Item drop, though this
will most often be dropped from the Rare Item slot.
Extremely Rarely, a Monster may drop a Sol-Type Item; though this only has a 1%
CoS as shown in the table above. This can be any of the Sol-Type Items that the GM
decides is appropriate; though they don’t necessarily have to make sense, a Physical
Combatant may drop an Ethersol for example.

{This concludes this Chapter for the time being, any additions will come as part of
playtesting.}

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87
 CHAPTER 3: BRANDING A l’Cie, CHARACTER
CREATION
In this Chapter, there will be a full explanation of how to create a Player Character in
the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game. It will describe how to generate a
Characters Starting Stats; STR, MAG and HP; along with a full description of each of
the 6 l’Cie Job Roles. There will also be an in-depth description of how to create a
‘Full-ATB Ability’ for your character, The FFXIII and FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay
Game’s version of the more traditional ‘Limit Break’.

{Like the previous Chapter it is fair to say that there is likely to be many problems
with this section of the book and will most likely need to have either Major or Minor
re-writes as a result of playtesting.}

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 In order to create a character in
the FINAL FANTASY XIII
Roleplay Game, there are several
steps to work through to get to a
fully completed Character. This
may take some time the first time
that you attempt to do it. The
Steps for Creating your fully Branded l’Cie are as follows:
1. Character Concept
2. Decide Primary and 2 Secondary Job Roles
3. Determine Stats
4. Choose Primary and Secondary Element
5. Gain Abilities per Role
6. Build Full ATB Ability
7. Choose Eidolon
8. Gear and Items
Following these steps will; eventually; lead to a play ready Character. So, let’s go
through them properly.
Character Concept
This can sometimes be the most difficult part of creating a Roleplay Character. In
the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game the decision is made slightly easier by the
fact that the Character will be a member of the Populace of either Cocoon or Pulse.
But what exactly are they?
Are they a Member of the Guardian Corps like Lightning or Cid Raines, or a
member of Psicom like Jihl Nabaat? They could even be a resistance member like
Snow. Perhaps they are just a normal member of the populace that got unlucky and

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were in the wrong place at the wrong time like Sazh, Dajh, Serah and Hope? Or just
maybe; like Fang and Vanille; they are an exile from a Pulsian Vestige.
There are lots of possibilities, but they all have one thing in common:

You… Are… l’Cie…

With all the Powers and curses that come with them. Whether you are Branded By
Pulse or Lindzei is up to the GM, but one thing is certain; Branded you most Definitely
Are.

Lindzei or Pulse, Cocoon or Gran Pulse, which one will you Protect?
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Decide Primary and 2 Secondary Job Roles
Once you have a fully fleshed out concept for your Character, the next step is to
choose a Primary and 2 Secondary Job Roles. If you know what you want your
character to be it helps, as the l’Cie Job Roles fall loosely into the more Traditional
Character Archetypes commonly found in many Massively Multiplayer Online or MMO
Games like FFXI or FFXIV.
These ‘Archetypes’ are:
1. Tank
2. Healer
3. DPS
4. Support
The FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game’s
l’Cie Job Roles fall into these Archetypes in the following way.
ARCHETYPE ROLE 1 ROLE 2 ROLE 3
Tank Sentinel N/A N/A
Healer Medic N/A N/A
DPS Commando Ravager Saboteur
Support Synergist Saboteur N/A
It should be noted that the reason that the Saboteur Role falls into both the DPS
and Support Archetypes is because their Abilities both deal Damage and possibly
Apply Debuffs to the Target.
Once a Player has decided on their Primary and Secondary Job Roles, it is then
time to move on to the next step.
Determine Stats
The 3 Main Stats in the FINAL FANTASY XIII Roleplay Game; STR, MAG and HP
are all determined Based on the Role that you choose as a Primary Role, HP however
is also further Modified by the 2 Secondary Roles that the Player chooses for their
Character.
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Determining Starting Strength and Magic
A starting Character’s STR and MAG Stats have a total of 40 points split between
the two Stats. There is a Base value of 30 points split based on the Primary Job Role
that the Player chooses for their Character; with a further 10 points that the Player is
free to allocate themselves between the 2 Stats. The Table below shows the 30 Point
split based on Primary Job Role. {These values are subject to change for balancing
reasons}
STARTING STATS PER ROLE (30 POINTS SPLIT)
ROLE STAT BIAS STR MAG
COMMANDO STR 20 10
RAVAGER MAG 10 20
SENTINEL EVEN 15 15
SYNERGIST MAG 12 18
SABOTEUR STR 16 14
MEDIC MAG 10 20
The 10 additional points can be spent any way the player wishes, they could use
them to make their Commando have an even base of STR and MAG so they can deal
as much damage with Ruin as they do with Attack, or they can use them to give
themselves a huge boost to physical damage by increasing STR to 30, or they could
just as easily boost both Stats slightly; splitting the points between both Stats.
Determining Starting Hitpoints
Like STR and MAG, starting HP is determined by the Primary Role that the Player
chooses for their Character. However; rather than having any additional points to
spend on increasing the value, HP is modified by the 2 Secondary Job Roles that the
Player chooses for their Character. The following table shows the values per Job Role
{Like the values of the STR and MAG Stats, the Values of HP modifiers are subject to
change for balancing issues}

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STARTING HP PER JOB ROLE (PRIMARY BASE AND SECONDARY MODIFIER)
ROLE BASE MODIFIER
COMMANDO 80 +10
RAVAGER 80 +10
SENTINEL 100 +20
SYNERGIST 65 +12
SABOTEUR 65 +12
MEDIC 60 +15

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