FOF Changes

FOF Changes are alterations made to a Strike or Fonic Arte, exclusively for Tales of the Abyss. To trigger these changes, a character must target their desired arte within what are called FOFs, or Fields of Fonons, which take on the forms of ring-shaped auras on the ground. These FOFs are useful in the sense that they power up artes. There are six possible FOFs, one for each element: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Light and Dark. Also, it should be said that FOFs last for only about five seconds, so for spells that require longer than that to cast, the FOFs will have to be carefully created.

FOFs have 3 levels of strength to them: 25%, 50%, and 100%. FOF Changes are only possible with 100%-complete Fields of Fonons. Artes that leave behind 25% FOFs must be performed four times to make a complete FOF; likewise, artes that provide 50% FOF areas must be performed twice. Artes that create 100% FOF areas require no further performances. Incomplete FOFs have thin, white auras, whereas complete FOFs are the color of their element: Dark~Purple, Earth~Brown, Wind~Green, Water~Blue, Fire~Red, Light~Gold. It should be noted that Dark FOFs bear the properties of both Earth and Water FOFs; while Light FOFs bear the properties of both Wind FOFs and Fire FOFs.

Artes can only be powered up by specific FOFs, and exactly which ones are necessary for which Artes isn't stated in the game, so experimentation is key. When the FOF-changed arte is performed properly, the FOF is absorbed by the performing character, but it is possible for more than one character to alter their artes in the same FOF, as long as they are performed at relatively the same time.

Furthermore, Tear Grants is the only character who has spells specifically for creating FOFs. While other characters can create their own, melee characters like Luke fon Fabre or Guy Cecil can leave behind only 25% complete FOFs using certain Strike Artes. Jade Curtiss and Anise Tatlin can also leave FOF, with higher percentile charges with higher spells, with all of Jade's advanced spells creating 100% complete FOFs. None of the artes used by Natalia L.K. Lanvaldear are capable of leaving FOFs behind.

Tear, in contrast, can create FOFs of the 2nd through 5th Fonons (Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire correspondingly) at 50% completion with approximately five seconds of casting time. The artes that she uses to do this are: Invoke Ground, Invoke Aqua, Invoke Flame, and Invoke Gale. Tear can cast one of the above twice in order to complete the FOF; however, casting a different Fonic Arte or "Invoke" arte will end the chain. This means that she cannot use one "Invoke" arte, cast something else, and then cast the "Invoke" Arte again and expect a complete FOF. The "Invoke" arte must be cast back-to-back. Also, she cannot stack her "Invoke" arte onto a different character's leftover FOF, only her own.

To clarify all of the above, here's an example using the party of Luke, Tear, Anise, and Natalia in a demonstration of Strike Arte FOF changes. Say Luke wishes to try and enhance his Attack-boosting Arte, Steel, while Natalia tries to enhance her straight-shot attack Arte, Piercing Line. There are 2 FOFs on the battlefield: one of 50% Water made by Tear and one 100% Light made by two castings of Limited by Anise. Luke enters the 50% Water FOF and performs Steel. He pulls off Steel; no change. Natalia enters the 100% Light FOF and performs Piercing Line, and it becomes Voltaic Line. This is because Piercing Line is only compatible with the Wind FOF, which Light can substitute. Tear casts Invoke Aqua again. The white 50% Water FOF turns blue. It's now complete. Luke performs Steel again; still, nothing happens. Steel is incompatible with the Water FOF. Tear casts Invoke Flame, but then slays an enemy near Anise with her Fonic Hymn Grand Cross. While it leaves behind a complete Light FOF, her Invoke Flame chain was disrupted. She would have to cast Invoke Flame twice more to make it complete, but Luke attempts Steel within the Light FOF. Steel becomes Coil. This is because Steel is compatible with the Fire FOF, which Light also substitutes.

Moving on to Fonic Arte FOF Changes, assume the party of Luke, Tear, Anise, and Jade. Using Slag Assault twice, Luke has already left behind a 50% Earth FOF. Tear invokes two 50% Water FOFs, making it complete. Jade targets an enemy inside the Water FOF and attempts to alter his Thunder Blade. Anise does the same to attempt altering her Bloody Howling. Anise absorbs the FOF, but because Thunder Blade is incompatible with Water FOFs, Jade doesn't. Anise casts Maelstrom. Luke performs Slag Assault twice more, completing the Earth FOF. Anise hurries to it, and Jade cancels Thunder Blade and recasts once he's inside of the Earth FOF. At the same time, Anise casts Miracle Hammer. Both of them absorb the FOF. Anise's Miracle Hammer becomes Rock Mountain, and Jade's Thunder Blade becomes Gravity Well. Their originally cast Fonic Artes, in this example, are only compatible with Earth FOFs.

As stated before, it's best to experiment with Fields of Fonons. By the way, whenever a character activates an FOF, that change and the FOF element required will be noted on that character's arte page for that arte.