Altered Artes

Altered Artes are artes that are used after modifying another arte in some manner or form, such as equipment or gameplay mechanics. The first usage of this term came in Tales of Vesperia, though previous games have had very similar systems.

Tales of Destiny
Though the original PlayStation version had nothing which could be called Altered Artes, in the PlayStation 2 Remake, Stahn Aileron can alter artes through equipping various gauntlets and performing specific artes in some way.

For example, when he has the accessory "Bronze Gauntlet" equipped, if, while performing a "Dash," Stahn uses Majinken, iot will instead alter into Souhajin.

Most of his altered artes can be learned normally through level up, save for Goushourai. A complete list can be found on his arte page.

Tales of Eternia
In what may be the first instances of altered artes before such a system was in place, there are two secret artes available to the Craymel Mages Keele Zeibel and Meredy: the secret Arche transformation and the special Indignation mystic arte.

By casting Shooting Star when Maxwell is at Max Vitality after defeating Cress Albane and Arche Klein in the Inferia Arena, the caster will turn into Arche for a short while.

By casting Indignation when the Greater Craymel Sekundes is below a certain HP threshold, the caster, instead of the normal spell, will activate a special mystic arte that will end the battle.

The "altered artes" in this game are merely secret artes, which, rather than extend from an arte like many other secrets, simply replace the original.

Tales of Symphonia
Symphonia's system for altered artes has no official name, but it involves dealing elemental damage. When a character deals a certain element, through item or arte use, one of his artes may change into another, similar move.

For example, if Lloyd Irving deals fire-elemental damage and then uses Rising Falcon after peforming the arte 200+ times, it will instead become the classic Rising Phoenix.

Other characters may have their own artes. For a complete list, see their individual arte pages.

Tales of Rebirth
Similar to what Stahn will eventually have, Veigue Lungberg can change his base artes into altered versions by equipping certain "no Tamashi" (の魂) accessories. When the appropriate accessory is equipped, the original arte, when used when the Force Gauge is full, will be replaced by the new.

By equipping the "Majin no Tamashii" (魔神の魂) accessory, for example, his Zehhyoujin will become the traditional Majinken.

A complete list can be found on his arte page.

Tales of the Abyss
Tales of the Abyss has a rather complicated version of Altered Artes, expanded into an entire system. Through the use of Fields of Fonon, artes can be changed, in battle, to another, usually better, version. For a detailed explanation of the system, please see this page.

Tales of Vesperia
Vesperia is the first localized game to use the term Altered Arte. Through equipping various passive skills, specifically: certain artes will become other artes and will replace the original arte in battle as long as those skills are equipped. At least, they will be, until they are learned separately (100 uses for physical artes, 50 for spells), at which point the skills will not trigger that specific altered arte again.
 * Chain (連撃)
 * Hell Fire (紅蓮)
 * Crucible (剛烈)
 * Athenor (烈震)
 * Alembic (俊敏)
 * Gale (疾風)
 * Dispersion (拡散)
 * Great Deluge (水塵)
 * Bastion (守護)

This only holds true for the traditional artes; Altered Burst Artes cannot be learned separately and will always require the Skills.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
While not really Altered Artes, Emil Castagnier can, through passive skills, change his base artes into elemental variations which, while also changing the element of the arte, may also change its function.

For example, equipping the "Tenebrae" skill will turn his ranged Demon Fang into a close-range slash.