Ravager (Final Fantasy XIII)

Ravager is a paradigm role in Final Fantasy XIII whose main function is to increase the foe's chain gauge so that inflicted damage is increased. The role is symbolized by the initials RAV and the color blue.

Profile
Computer-controlled Ravagers attack the same target as the player. If the player controls a Ravager and there are computer-controlled Commando(s), usually one Commando will attack the player's target. Merely being in the Ravager role boosts the person's chain gauge bonus and the benefits extend to other party members to a lesser degree. The amount of bonus depends on the Ravager's role level. This bonus applies to all skills that can increase the chain gauge and is cumulative with the bonus from other Ravagers. However, without support attack from the other roles, the target's chain gauge will restore too quickly to effectively fill it.

The Ravager's command abilities mainly consist of offensive elemental spells, making them similar to Black Mages. Some Ravagers learn elemental physical attacks ("strikes"), similar to a weaker version of Mystic Knight. While elemental spells of fire, ice, lightning, water and air are all present in their traditional three-tiers (normal, -"ra", -"ga"), the Ravager is unable to deal earth-elemental damage and Quake is a Technique. Ravager is a primary role for Lightning, Snow, Vanille, Sazh and Hope, and a secondary role for Fang.

The player will earn the achievement Ravager's Seal by learning all the abilities and reaching level 5 for the Ravager role of a single character. This can only be achieved after defeating the final boss to unlock Stage 10 of the Crystarium.

Role Levels
The Crystarium Levels when each character can advance in role level.

The Ravager's role bonus adds a fixed value to the base amount each skill increases the chain gauge, and the bonus extends to other party members. If the party has more than one Ravager the Ravagers get both their personal bonus for being a Ravager, plus the party Ravager bonuses from the other Ravager(s). The role bonus is not contributed if the party member is incapacitated, and during summoning an Eidolon, only the party leader's role bonuses count.

AI Mechanics

 * The computer-controlled Ravager chooses commands best suited for raising chain gauge, rather than which commands deal the most damage.
 * Unless the Ravager is the only offensive role in the currently chosen paradigm, the computer-controlled Ravager will always choose the same target as the other characters, and will continue to attack that target until it is defeated, or until the other characters change target.
 * The computer-controlled Ravager always attacks the Commando's target. If there is no Commando in the current paradigm, the Ravager will attack the leader's target. If the leader is not targeting an enemy, the computer-controlled Ravager will aim for the same target as another Ravager. If there is no other Ravager the computer-controlled Ravager will auto-target.
 * The computer-controlled Ravager only attacks when their ATB gauge is completely filled.
 * The computer-controlled Ravager assesses the known strengths and weaknesses of the target's elemental, physical and magic affinities, what status effects they are under, and how many other enemies there are nearby, when choosing their commands.
 * Unlike the Commando, Ravagers have no preferences when choosing between physical and magic abilities. If the target is under Deprotect, Shell, weak against physical attacks, or strong against magic attacks, Ravagers will only choose strike abilities, such as Flamestrike. If the target is under Deshell, Protect, weak against magic attacks or strong against physical attacks, Ravagers will only choose magic spells such as Fire.
 * If the target's notes section flag up any elemental weaknesses, the Ravager always chooses abilities geared towards that element, even if they have other elemental weaknesses. If the target's Notes section does not flag up any weaknesses, the Ravager will choose elements the target is weakest against, based on the target's vulnerabilities section. Elements under "Weakness" are given the highest priority, followed by "Normal", "Halved", "Resistant" and "Immune". If the target absorbs all elements the Ravager can utilize, the Ravager will not attack that target.
 * If the target's elemental, physical or magic affinities are not currently known, the Ravager will choose abilities at random until more information is obtained.
 * If a few enemies are grouped together, the Ravager will use second-tier "-ra" spells. When battling against several enemies, the Ravager will use third-tier "-ga" spells.
 * When a target is staggered, the Ravager will use second-tier "-ra" spells, as well as Wind-elemental spells, such as Aero, to attempt to launch the target in the air, even if the target isn't weak against Wind.
 * Computer-controlled Ravagers will never choose Full ATB Skills.

Names in Other Languages

 * Spanish: Fulminador - Blaster / Striker
 * Italian: Occultista - Occultist
 * French: Ravageur - Ravager
 * German: Verheerer - Devastator
 * Chinese: 破壞者, Pohuaizhe - Destroyer

Trivia

 * Wind-elemental spells (except Aeroga) are the only spells that all playable characters can learn.
 * Aerora and Aeroga are the only abilities that have an increased cost on their respective levels: Aerora costs 3 ATB bars where normal -ra spells only cost 2; Aeroga costs 5 ATB bars where normal -ga spells only cost 3.
 * Aeroga is the only ability in the entire game to cost 5 ATB bars, excluding Full ATB Skills.

Verheerer