Rod (weapon type)

Rods (ロッド, Roddo?) are a recurring group of weapons from the Final Fantasy series. Black Mages tend to use rods, while White Mages will in most cases use staves instead. The most recurring rods are the ones with elemental affinity (Ice Rod, Flame Rod or Thunder Rod), the Stardust Rod, and the Magus Rod, which tend to be identified as the ultimate of this weapon type. Rods usually increase the users Magic and MP when equipped.

Depending on the game, one may attack with the rod either by striking the enemy directly, or by magically unleashing a burst of energy. They are generally depicted with a jewel, gem, or stone at the top, although this is not always the case.

Profile

Akin to their sibling counterpart, the staff, rods also function as magic amplifying weapons designed for magic users. Usually featuring a thinner shaft and tipped with large elaborate ornaments, they also vary in size in contrast with staves throughout many games in the series, those variations bearing more similarity to traditional wands in RPG fare.

Likewise, they are aligned a majority of the time with offensive and destructive magic classes like the Black Mage.

Appearances

Final Fantasy

The Earth Rod appears not an equippable weapon, but rather a key item.

Final Fantasy III

Rods can be equipped by every Magic-based job, but the White Mage can only equip some. Lilith Rod can only be equipped by Black Mages, while Millennium Rod can only be equipped by Magus.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy IV

Rods can be equipped by Palom, Tellah, Rydia, and Fusoya. Rydia is equipped with a rod when she first joins the party. In the 3D versions, if Golbez is hacked into the party, can equip these weapons.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-

Rods can be equipped by Palom and Rydia.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years

List of rods:

Final Fantasy V

Rods can be equipped by Freelancers, Black Mages, Summoners, Time Mages, Blue Mages, Red Mages, Necromancers, and Mimes. Any job can use rods with the Time Mage's Equip Rods ability. Several rods boost the power of certain elements. Rods deal damage based on the attacker's Magic stat and the defender's Resistance/Magic Defense stat. All rods deal full damage from the back row.

Rods cannot be used as an item to break them unless the job is able to equip rods.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy VI

Rods can be equipped by Relm, Strago, and Gogo. Only Strago can equip the Stardust Rod.

As so few characters can equip rods, their primary use is being used as an item to cast spells, which any character is able to do (except Umaro, who cannot be controlled).

List of rods:

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-

List of rods:

Final Fantasy IX

Dagger can wield rods. Notably, rods are associated with white magic and staves are instead associated with black magic.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy X

FFX Weapon - Staff 2 — The Enchanted Rod.

Yuna uses a mixture of staves and rods. The guest character Seymour Guado also wields a staff, but his equipment is fixed.

Final Fantasy X-2

Some of the rods previously used by Yuna are used by the White Mage and Black Mage dresspheres. While in the White Mage dressphere, Yuna uses her default Staff, Rikku uses the Spiked Rod, and Paine uses the Malleable Staff. While in the Black Mage dressphere, Yuna uses Nirvana, Rikku uses the El Dorado and Paine uses the Enchanted Rod.

Final Fantasy XI

Rods and wands are a type of club weapon, usable by mages. Wands appear to be small paddles made out of wood, and provide bonuses to Magic stats. Rods appeared to be shaped like an ankh and were made out of metal or bones, and provided HP bonuses. Neither deal much melee damage.

Final Fantasy XII

Rods can be equipped by every party member, as long as they have acquired the right license. Rods are well-suited to magick-geared characters since they increase the magick power and MP of the character they're equipped to. A few rods grant beneficial status effects on hit.

In case the player does decide to physically attack an enemy with a rod, damage is calculated based on the character's strength, the weapon's attack, and the enemy's defense. All rods add 6 to evasion and can knockback enemies. Rods never deal hit combos or critical hits and are among the slower weapons to use.

The damage formula for rods is:

DMG = [ATK \times RANDOM(1..1.125) - DEF] \times [1 + STR \times (Lv+STR)/256]

In the Zodiac versions, only the White Mage can equip rods. They no longer increase MP, but can hit flying targets.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

Kytes can equip rods. His basic attack is based on the weapon's element.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy XIII

FFXIII Rod of Thorns — The Rod of Thorns.

Vanille uses rods as her weapons of choice. They function differently to previous rods in the series, in that they have extending wires that latch on and pull at the enemy.

List of rods:

Final Fantasy XIV

Main articles: Final Fantasy XIV weapons/Thaumaturge's Arm, Final Fantasy XIV weapons/Conjurer's Arm, or Final Fantasy XIV weapons/Blue Mage's Arm

Thaumaturge Weapons FFXIV Art — A variety of thaumaturge's arms.

As Final Fantasy XIV divides weapons into categories based the disciplines that use them rather than what they are, there is no clearly defined split between rods and staves, with a variety of rods, staves, canes, wands, and other similar weapons appearing spread throughout the arms used by Black Mages, White Mages, and Blue Mages.

Rod (weapon type)

Contents

Profile

Appearances

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy III

Final Fantasy IV

Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years

Final Fantasy V

Final Fantasy VI

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-

Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy X-2

Final Fantasy XI

Final Fantasy XII

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy Tactics

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord

Final Fantasy Dimensions

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade

Final Fantasy All the Bravest

Final Fantasy Record Keeper

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