Chords of Destiny: Exploring the Lore behind the Minstre Song Magic in Romancing Saga

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. It is a remake of the 1992 Super Famicom role-playing game, Romancing SaGa. The game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 in Japan and North America, and later in 2006 for Europe. One of the key features of Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is the unique magic system known as Song Magic. In the game, characters known as Minstrels have the ability to use Song Magic to cast powerful spells. These spells are performed by playing a melody on a musical instrument.

Hydrology spells are incompatible with pyrology, meaning a character can't have both types of magic at the same time.

The game s structure and multiple protagonists encourage numerous playthroughs, with players able to see how different outcomes and events play out from all the perspectives on offer. Due to the Event Rank system, it s virtually impossible to do everything in one playthrough, so keeping quest progress into a new one is an appreciable touch, though some adventures are exclusive to specific protagonists.

These spells are performed by playing a melody on a musical instrument. Each Minstrel has a set of songs they can learn throughout the game, and as they level up, they gain access to more powerful spells. Song Magic in Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is not limited to just offensive or defensive spells.

Romancing saga minstre song magic

PRESENTATION

Magic is the other way at your disposal to affect your enemies or the members of your party, at the cost of Magic Points (MP or JP Jutsu Points).
Like techs, magic spells must be learnt; but unlike techs, they can only be bought from Magic Teachers.

Characters may only learn 2 types of magic at most:
- one of the 4 Earthly/Terrestrial Magics (地術): Wind (蒼龍 Seiryu / Soryu), Fire (朱鳥 Suzaku / Shucho), Earth (白虎 Byakko), Water (玄武 Genbu)
- one of the 2 Heavenly/Celestial Magics (天術): Sun (太陽 Taiyo / Solar), Moon (月 Tsuki / Lunar)

It is possible to reset (replace your current type by a different type, all levels previously gained being lost in the process). This is partly impossible for 4 characters (permanent Earthly magic, see below).

Also, each character can have 10 spells at most at any given time (there are 10 slots in the Equip Magic Menu in the Select Menu).
Each type of magic gives one non-removable default basic spell (so if a character has one type of magic, there are 9 slots left; two types, 8 slots).

Notes:
- There is one extra magic type, Abyss, specific to Leonid, that belongs to the Heavenly Magic category.
- There is no equivalent of 'Weapon Power' for Magic, and INT/MAG is all-important attack mages (Magic LVLs become negligible): pick someone with high INT/MAG (21+) and to equip him/her with INT/MAG-boosting items (see the Items section and Command-F for 'INT/MAG +', or see the ready-made list in the Mage Party section). See also the Spell Damage section below.
- For Spell Fusion, Combined Spells & Secret Multi-Magics, see the Commander Mode section in the Gameplay section.
- There are bugs to have up to 4 Earthly magics & 3 of the strongest spells on one character.
- For Mage characters and parties, as well as further insights on Magic in RS3, see the Gameplay > Special Playthroughs > Mage Party section.

LEARN MAGIC

Some characters start with some magic:

- Bai Meiling/Bai Meiniang: Wind/Soryu (permanent)
- Black: Wind/Soryu
- Boston: Water/Genbu (permanent)
- Fullbright: Earth/Byakko, Sun/Solar
- Mikhail: Sun/Solar
- Robin: Wind/Soryu
- Sharl/Sharl: Fire/Shucho (permanent)
- Snowman/Flurry: Water/Genbu (permanent)
- Thomas: Water/Genbu
- Tiberius: Water/Genbu, Sun/Solar
- Undine: Water/Genbu
- Yan Fan/Yang Fan: Moon/Lunar

You can buy magic spells by talking to various characters.
This is the list of the locations of the Magic Sellers, sorted by type of magic:

You can buy the top Sun & Moon spells in Xuan City.
Anna (in Lance) gives you the strongest spells for all 4 Earthly Magics for free (after sealing the corresponding Abyss Gate): Dragon God/Dragon Descent, Reviver/Revive, Super Gravity/Hypergravity, Quick Time/Hasten Time. Which means that she can teach magic in general to a character with no magic, for free (you also get the basic spell).

MAGIC SPELLS

Each Magic has a set of 7 spells.
Since you can only equip 10 spells at most at any given time, you'll have to choose (preferably wisely)(or not, haha).

The complete magic spell list is:

Wind Dart
Nap/Snooze
Dancing Leaves
Sewn Bind/Binding Thorns
Suction
Tornado
Dragon God/Dragon Descent

Note on Magic Shields

Magic Shields: Ice Sword/Everfrost Blade Counter (Freeze Wall/Frigid Veil), Water Ball/Water Column, Dancing Leaves, Feather Seal, Self Burning/Self-immolation, Reviver/Revive, Illusion Sun/Parhelion, Shadow Servant, Dragon God/Dragon Descent.
Aside from the Devil King/Archfiend Shield exception mentioned above, there is also an incompatibility between Dancing Leaves, Water Ball/Column, Self Burning/Self-immolation & Illusion Sun/Parhelion: each character can only have one individual magic shield, and only the last spell cast, if the battle environment allows it, will be active – i.e. if you cast Water Ball/Column then Illusion Sun/Parhelion, then only Illusion Sun/Parhelion activates; but if you cast Illusion Sun/Parhelion then Water Ball/Column, then only Water Ball/Column can activate (in a Water battle environment).

There is also an activation order. When a character is hit, activate, when available and possible: first Evade Techs, then Waterball / Dancing Leaves / Self Burning / Illusion Sun, then Shadow Servant, then Items (Shields) & Items Counters (Ice Sword's Freeze Wall, Fire Mantle's Self Burning), then Counter Techs, then Reviver. This can be important if you want to take advantage of the 9999 dmg bug vs Female, Undead & Dragon enemies, for example.

There is a Perfect Magic Shields Bug involving several magic shields cast in a specific order.
Dancing Leaves can also be used in order to deal damage to the Destroyer.

Note on MP Cost and Expenditure

All spells cost 1 MP less when a character has a MP / Magic Mastery Crown, acquired when Max MP ≥ 45 + (MaxTP x10).

Effective MP cost is calculated as such by order of priority:
1) If Quick/Hasten Time is used, all MP is consumed
2) If Dragon God Descent is active, further MP cost=0
3) If applicable, -1 MP discount (Undine & Boston for Earth Magic, or Magic Mastery Crown, non-cumulative: max MP discount= -1)
4) If any Devil King/Archfiend item is equipped, MP cost is doubled
E.g. Water mage Undine (innate Earth discount, doesn't apply) with a MP Crown (discount= -1MP) and equipped with the Devil King/Archfiend Shield (MP cost x2) uses Water Ball/Column (5 MP Water spell): MP consumed = (5-1) x2 = 8MP.

Note: In the Remaster Edition, the Mage Ring halves the raw MP cost of spells, rounded down. E.g. Undine with a MP Crown and equipped with the Archfiend's Shield casts Thunderclap: ([7/2 = 3]-1) x2 = 4MP.

Note on the Effect of Magic on Battle Environment

When using magic, there is a 25% chance to change the battle environment.

There are in fact 2 environments: Earthly (Wind, Fire, Earth, Water) and Heavenly (Sun, Moon, Abyss, Super Abyss).
Earthly and Heavenly environments are independent and do not interfer with one another.

Environments can boost your spell damages (see the Spell Enhancement section below), activate magic shields (Water Ball, Dancing Leaves) and trigger the auto-regenerative abilities of some cast magics (Water Ball, Dancing Leaves, Reviver, Dragon God) & equipped items (see the Armor Item section).

The Wind, Fire, Earth & Water environments are visually obvious.
Sun & Moon environments are not visible and their damage-enhancement ability is unfortunately bugged.
Abyss environment is invisible also, whereas the Super Abyss environment is visible (last boss).

When casting a spell (and successfully changing the environment), if there was a different environment, it gets cancelled and the environment becomes neutral. If the environment was neutral, it turns into an environment of the type of the spell.

Varia:
- Leonid's Vampire Magic is of the Abyss type.
- A few items and spells have a success rate of 100%: Sands of Mars (Fire), Eternal Ice (Water), Squall (Water), Quicktime (Water, forcibly).
- A few techs also have a magic attribute and can change the battle environment: see the Tech section.
- Some battlegrounds have default environments: Wind (Shinon Forest, West Forest, Highways, Great Prairie, Dragon Car Battle, Real Byunei, and at every turn: Ake Jungle) - Fire (Real Aunas, and at every turn: Fire Palace & its replica in the Abyss) - Earth (all Caves, Real Arakes/Alloces) - Water (Ice Lake, Ice Galaxy, Undersea Palace & its replica in the Abyss, Ship Deck, Waterfall Cave, Real Forneus) - Sun (Air-borne Byunei/Buné Battle, Naj Desert & at every turn: Divine Tower Top) - Abyss (Leonid's Castle, Devil King Palace, Dead Man's Well, Death Desert, Rotten Ruins, Abyss Gate, and at every turn: Ancient Temple Ruins).

Note on Strategy

- Damage-wise, the most powerful spells are: Super/Hyper Gravity, Sun Wind/Corona, Tornado. As stated before, a high INT/MAG (over 21) is necessary to get a high output. See the All-Mage Party Section for a more detailed account on characters and items to use magic more efficiently.
- Characters with low INT/MAG can (and probably should) also use magic effectively, for at least two reasons. Firstly, many spells are not dependent on INT/MAG: such are all Magic Shields (Water Ball/Water Column, Dancing Leaves, Feather Seal, Self Burning/Self-immolation, Reviver/Revive, Illusion Sun/Parhelion, Shadow Servant, Dragon God/Dragon Descent; the possible counter damage excepted; see also this Note on Magic Shields), but also (de)buff spells, that depend on your Magic LV (Berserk, Moon Glow, Stone Skin, Sparkling Mist), QuickTime/Hasten Time (dependent on spent MP), the Charming attack Charm Light/Glamor Glow (dependent on CHA) and the HP%-shaving spell Moon Read/Lunar Mirror (dependent on MoonLV for extra dmg). Secondly, one healing spell on each character can be a life-saver (after an AoE attack, for example), even if the spell is not extremely potent! The combination of one healing spell and one Magic Shield per character (be careful of the Battle Magic Environment for the MShields to activate) can sensibly increase your survival rate.
- If you care, be mindful not to give magic to your TP/SP-Crowned tech-sparking characters until they are done with their job. (But others might perform just as well.)

Note on the following Tables

The mined Data, partly commented, on KaeruLabo [jp]:
Magic / Heal Cure / Status / (De)Buff

MP is the spell cost in MP.
Target can be: 1E (one enemy) CR (close range only), All (all enemies), or 1P (one character) or your Party.

Pwr is a base dmg indicator and Mod is a dmg modifier.
Acc is an accuracy indicator. (For all those, the higher the better.)

Type states the Types & Attributes of the spell:
- SL (Slash), HI (Hit), PI (Pierce), SH (Shot), HE (Heat), CO (Cold), BO (Bolt), STS (Status)
- WTR (Water), TH (Throw), SO (Sonic), STA (Stare), GR (Ground)
Monsters may have defenses & immunities against all these categories.
- Additionally: FL means critical vs. Flying status.

E Def: Any attack may trigger the Enemy's Defenses, if available:
MS (Magic Shield), CT (Counter Techs), EV (Evade Techs), SD (Shield Defense or Evade; SD- means halved activation rate).

The names of the Remaster Edition are found below the Japanese.

You can buy magic spells by talking to various characters.
This is the list of the locations of the Magic Sellers, sorted by type of magic:

It has a wide range of uses, including healing, buffing, debuffing, and even manipulating the environment. This makes Song Magic an essential and versatile tool for players to strategically use in battles. To use Song Magic, players must first equip a musical instrument to their Minstrel character. Each instrument has its own range and set of songs it can play. The player can then choose a song to perform, and a mini-game is initiated. The mini-game requires the player to press buttons or move the analog stick in time with the rhythm of the song. The accuracy of the player's timing determines the effectiveness of the spell. In addition to the main Minstrel characters, other party members can also learn Song Magic. This adds an extra layer of depth to the gameplay as players can customize their team's magic abilities based on their preferred playstyle. Overall, Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song's Song Magic system adds a unique and strategic element to the game. It encourages players to experiment with different songs and musical instruments to create powerful combinations and strategies. The system is not only fun to use, but also adds depth to the overall gameplay experience..

Reviews for "Magic Through Melody: Analyzing the Mechanics of Minstre Song Magic in Romancing Saga"

1. John - 2/5 - I was really looking forward to playing Romancing Saga Minstre Song Magic, but I was ultimately disappointed. The gameplay felt slow and repetitive, and the story was lackluster. The graphics were also underwhelming and felt outdated. Overall, I didn't find much enjoyment in this game and would not recommend it to others.

2. Sarah - 1/5 - Romancing Saga Minstre Song Magic was a huge letdown for me. The controls were clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to play. The character development was weak, and the dialogue felt forced. Additionally, the music was forgettable and didn't add anything to the overall experience. I regret spending my money on this game and wish I had chosen something else.

3. David - 2/5 - As a fan of the Romancing Saga series, I was really disappointed with Minstre Song Magic. The game felt poorly balanced, with the difficulty ramping up significantly without any warning. The progression system also felt confusing and convoluted, making it hard to enjoy the game. The lack of innovation and fresh ideas was also apparent, as it felt like a rehash of previous entries in the series. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone except die-hard fans who want to complete the series.

The Fabled Musician: Examining the Influence of Minstre Song Magic in Romancing Saga