Mind Blade is better in original BT2, where it does 25-100 points of damage. The remaster uses the BT1 version for all 3 games, making it useless later in the series.
Then again, even in original BT2, enemy HP rises drastically as the game progresses; I've seen monsters have over 4,000 HP when recruited into the party! In BT3, enemy HP inflation eventually gets even bigger (though it varies heavily by enemy); the Magic Eaters in one specific area have over 10,000 HP, as do many of the enemies in the final world. (In the original 8-bit versions of 3, HP display is capped at 9999; in the 16-bit versions, HP above 999 (realistically obtainable for standard party members) is displayed as ***.)
In the remastered trilogy, with a combination of bard songs and Divine Intervention, I've seen BT3 monks hit for over 10,000 damage *without* killing the enemy. (Whereas, in BT1 remastered, you can hit for over 1,000 damage, in a game where I believe no enemy has more than 270 or so HP.)
ShintaroAkikusa: Greetings all,
Apologies if this has been already answered here, but I would like to know if leveling up has positive effects, particularly for the mages, that is, do the Spells increase in strength or power with the casters getting stronger.
For example, the MIBL spell in BT1 was awesome, but in BT2 its pathetic and not even worth using.
TIA
Hawk
01kipper: As a mage increases in level their spells are resisted less often by enemies. But the power of the spells themselves do not change.
Exceptions:
* Arc Fire, Mind Stab, and Mind Fist do more damage at higher levels.
* Vitality (Chronomancer spell) heals more at higher levels.
ShintaroAkikusa: Greetings all,
Apologies if this has been already answered here, but I would like to know if leveling up has positive effects, particularly for the mages, that is, do the Spells increase in strength or power with the casters getting stronger.
For example, the MIBL spell in BT1 was awesome, but in BT2 its pathetic and not even worth using.
TIA
Hawk
Some other positive effects of leveling:
* Saving throws improve. This has both defensive and offensive benefits, with the offensive benefits being particularly beneficial for casters (spells are less likely to be repelled or to do only half damage).
* Initiative improves. High level characters will consistently act before enemies. If you've played BT1's endgame, you'll know just how useful this is. Having fast casters annihilate the enemies can allow you to survive the hoards of enemies the game likes to throw at you; without them, you can expect to have a dead front line by the time you finally get your spells off.
* Some bard songs get stronger, particularly in BT3.
* Monks get better AC and damage output; in the remaster (and original BT3), you'll eventually be hitting for over 2,000. The high damage might feel excessive in BT1, but in BT2 it actually matters, as endgame enemies actually have enough HP to survive that kind of damage.
* Thief and Hunter abilities improve.
* Of course, there's the obvious HP, SP, and stat gains.
With that said, it's still a good idea to class change casters as soon as they learn 7th level spells; while some benefits from leveling are lost (most notably saving throws and initiative), it's the only way to get better spells, and your low level means you level up quickly, getting more HP, SP, and stat gains.