Gameplay Info

Learn Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth gameplay basics, including controls, battle commands, character stats, and status ailments like Stun and Poison.

Basic Controls

The Analog Stick allows you to observe the surrounding field and navigate while drawing the maps. The D-Pad lets you move on the field and navigate while opening the menu. The A Button confirms actions, while the B Button cancels them. Pressing the Y Button opens the main menu, shows buffs/debuffs in battles, and offers various controls in the inventory or shop. The X Button zooms the map in and out, with other controls available in the inventory or shop. The L and R Buttons allow you to move sideways on the field and switch characters when checking equipment or navigating shops. The Start Button creates a temporary save point.

Character Stats

Characters have several stats that influence their performance:

• HP (Hit Points): The character is incapacitated when HP reaches zero.
• TP (Talent Points): Required for performing skills and casting spells.
• STR (Strength): Increases physical-based damage.
• INT (Intelligence): Increases magical-based damage.
• VIT (Vitality): Increases physical-based defense skills.
• WIS (Wisdom): Increases magical-based defense and/or healing skills.
• AGI (Agility): Increases speed, accuracy, and/or evasion rate.
• LUC (Luck): Increases critical hits rate, evasion, status ailments rate, and/or binds rate.
• ATK (Attack): Base physical attack power.
• MAT (Magic Attack): Base magical attack power.
• DEF (Defense): Base physical defense.
• MDF (Magic Defense): Base magical defense.

Battle Screen Commands

During battle, you can choose from several commands:

• ATTACK: Inflicts physical damage based on ATK and STR stats.
• SKILLS: Perform skills whose damage or effect depends on their STR, INT, VIT, WIS, AGI, or LUC stats.
• DEFEND: Reduces all physical and magical damage taken for one turn.
• ITEMS: Use any consumable items from your inventory.
• MOVE: Switch a character's position between the front and back rows.
• UNION: Perform Union Skills, which are cooperative moves requiring multiple characters.
• ESCAPE: Attempt to flee from battle. This may require several attempts to succeed.

Union Skills

Union Skills are unique cooperative moves that require several party members. Some are unlocked by default, while others must be learned. The character activating a Union Skill must have a full Union Skill Gauge (shown on the right side of the screen), but assisting characters do not need a full gauge. After a Union Skill is performed, every character who participated has their Union Skill Gauge reset to 0% and must recharge it by performing commands until it reaches 100% again.

Ailments and Binds

Status ailments and binds can significantly impact battles. There are nine types of ailments and three types of binds:

• Stun: Cancels any action for one turn.
• Instant Death: Instantly kills the target. Incapacitated members do not receive EXP or Adventure Results, cannot activate Gathering skills, and cannot be selected for certain events.
• Petrification: The character is unable to move, attack, or evade, but all received physical damage is decreased by 40%.
• Curse: The character receives damage equal to half of the damage inflicted on the enemy, provided the enemy is not killed.
• Sleep: The character is unable to move, attack, or evade. Any attack will wake them up, but a physical-based attack that wakes them up gains a 1.5x bonus multiplier.
• Panic: The character randomly attacks an enemy, an ally, or themselves. They are unable to evade incoming attacks.
• Paralysis: Has a chance to cancel the inputted action. If cancelled, the character is unable to evade incoming attacks.
• Poison: Receives constant damage at the end of each turn, which cannot be mitigated.
• Blind: Decreases accuracy and makes it harder to evade incoming attacks.
• Head Bind: Decreases INT-based damage and prevents the use of skills that require the head.
• Arm Bind: Decreases STR-based damage and prevents the use of skills that require the arms.
• Leg Bind: Decreases AGI, makes the character unable to evade incoming attacks, prevents escaping from random encounters, and prevents the use of skills that require the legs.