Do the thing, get better at the thing
After a battle, each stat has a chance to rise based on the actions you took with it. Use it, and it grows.
| Stat | How it grows |
|---|---|
| HP | Take damage during the fight. (In the PR, total HP lost over the battle counts — you can heal back to full and still gain.) |
| MP | Spend MP during the fight (same "total spent" rule in the PR). |
| Strength | Attack with physical weapons. Drives physical damage. |
| Intelligence | Cast Black magic. Powers offensive spells. |
| Spirit | Cast White magic. Powers healing/support spells. |
| Stamina | Endure hits; raises HP gains and resilience. |
| Agility | Stay light (low equipment weight) and evade; drives evasion and turn speed. |
Weapon & spell levels
- Weapons have skill levels per type (sword, axe, bow, knife, staff, etc.). The more you attack with a type, the higher its level — more accuracy and damage. Pick one weapon type per character and stick with it so it levels fast.
- Spells have their own levels. Each spell (Fire, Cure, Berserk…) climbs with use, hitting harder/lasting longer and eventually costing less. Leveling spells is the slow part — commit to a small, focused spell set rather than dabbling.
- Shields & Evasion level too — carrying a shield and getting attacked raises your evasion skill, so dedicated defenders earn their dodge.
Pixel Remaster noteThe PR removed the original's infamous friction: growth is consistent through normal play (no self-attacking to farm HP), HP/MP gains track total lost/spent in a battle, and the per-battle proficiency cap is gone — so skills and spells level much faster. You can just play and your party grows sensibly.
Specialize, don't spread
Because growth follows actions, the winning approach is focus. A character who attacks with one weapon type and casts two or three chosen spells becomes a powerhouse; one who dabbles in everything stays mediocre at all of it. Decide each character's lane early (see Characters & Builds) and feed it every battle.
A simple, reliable spread: one or two pure physical attackers (single weapon type), one Black caster (a few offensive spells), and a White caster (Cure + buffs) — with everyone learning Cure as a safety net since MP is freeform.