Manipulates the faculties to temporarily restrict actions, inflicting Disable on distant units.The Ivalice Chronicles' description
Hesitation, also known as Paralyze, is a Mystic Arts ability in Final Fantasy Tactics, learned by the mystic job. It charges a spell that attempts to inflict the Disable status to units within the effect radius, preventing them from acting. The action ability must be learned by expending JP earned for the mystic job.
Other abilities that apply Disable include the geomancer's Wind Slash and the machinist's Arm Shot. The templar has access to abilities equal to the mystic's spells, but as instant casts that only target one unit; Hesitation's equivalent being Disable.
Certain monster abilities can inflict Disable, namely the ahriman's Bewitching Gaze, as well Fowlheart used by some of the Lucavi bosses. The spellbinder has a chance of inflicting the ailment whenever dealing damage with the Attack command.
The Immobilize status effect, which prevents the unit from moving, can be considered Disable's counterpart, whereas Stop halts both.
Obtained
Hesitation costs 100 JP to be spent on the mystic job. Once the unit has learned it, it is available for other jobs as long as they have the Mystic Arts or Arithmeticks skillset equipped.
If a unit that knows Hesitation becomes a crystal, a human unit picking up the crystal may learn Hesitation without spending JP, as long as said unit has unlocked the mystic job.
Mechanics
Mindless, spiritless, hear the immutable beat... Paralyze!Upon casting
Hesitation costs 10 MP with a charge time of 20 speed, with a cross-shaped effect range that can affect up to five units. Magick has a chance to hit based on the caster's faith and the target's faith. Hesitation's chance of success is based on the following formula:
This means that the higher both the caster and the target's faith stats, the higher the chances of the Hesitation spell to take effect.
The Disable status prevents the unit from acting, evading, or using Beastmaster or reaction abilities, including Shirahadori and Reflexes. At the end of an AT, the victim will have its CT decremented as if they had acted. Disable lasts for 24 clock ticks.
The unit can still attempt to cast magick even without the required MP, but it will fail upon activating.
Hesitation can be reflected, and will be nullified against a unit with zero faith or under the Atheist status; however, the status effect will still persist if the unit was inflicted with Disable before becoming affected by Atheist, or having their faith reduced to zero. Hesitation can be cast instantly by the arithmetician job command, Arithmeticks, and works with Magick Counter (unless the unit with Magick Counter contracted Disable).
The effect can be removed by a variety of abilities, namely the white mage's Esuna, the monk's Purification, Dispelna (exclusive to the guest units Alma Beoulve and Ovelia Atkascha in their respective jobs), the dragonkin's Dragon's Gift (which only affects monsters from the dragon and hydra families) and the chocobo's Choco Esuna. It can also be removed by attacking the unit with the eight-fluted pole, or prevented by wearing certain equipment like the guardian bracelet or the ribbon.
Use
Hesitation's low MP cost and moderate cast time makes it reliable, being able to prevent multiple enemies unable from acting, rendering them completely harmless. Disable is one of the most impactful status ailments alongside Stop and Stone, as it can easily turn the tide of battles. The player can combine Disable with Immobilize to prevent the unit from fleeing; however, the mystic lacks spells that inflict Immobilize; they have instead to rely on a time mage's Immobilize spell, or the machinist's Leg Shot.
Most boss enemies, such as the Lucavi, are immune to Disable and a variety of other status ailments.
Behind the scenes
In the PlayStation version, a mystic casting Hesitation may chant: "Mindless, spiritless, hear the immutable beat... Paralyze!" Spellcasting chants are not used in The War of the Lions version, but return in The Ivalice Chronicles with new localization.