Ability Points

Template:Sideicon Ability Points, often shortened to AP or ABP, but also called Magic AP, Magic Points, License Points, Crystogen Points and Job Points, are a system created by Hiroyuki Ito and used to learn abilities. They are usually gained from battles. Generally, the player will not get very many Ability Points from battle unless they are in the final dungeon or in a special area where Ability Points are plentiful.

Appearances

Final Fantasy III

Every character has a hidden stat (Job Points) that dictates their job's level growth. When JP is accumulated to 99, the current job level goes up by 1. Every action (turn) the character(s) take in a battle, except for Front, Rear, Run, and Flee, will contribute a fixed amount of job points to the character(s).

The character(s) must perform an action during battle to be rewarded with JP; simply selecting an action and not performing it before the end of battle will not reward those character(s) with JP for those actions. However, the action does not need to be successful for it to award JP (i.e. using status inflicting spell on an enemy regardless of whether the status has been inflicted or not, stealing unsuccessfully or, doing 0 damage will still award JP). Only one level up can occur per battle even though the JP cap per battle is 199.

The left side is how much that job earns for character's current job when under level 14 when performing an action. The right side is how much they earn for jobs currently after level 15 when performing an action.

The amount of JP gain per job are as follow:

Job	Job Level 1-14	Job Level 14+
Freelancer	20	20
Warrior	20	14
Monk	20	14
White Mage	20	10
Black Mage	20	10
Red Mage	20	12
Thief	20	18
Ranger	20	14
Knight	20	12
Scholar	24	24
Geomancer	20	14
Viking	20	14
Dragoon	20	16
Dark Knight	20	14
Evoker	20	10
Bard	20	18
Black Belt	20	14
Magus	20	10
Devout	20	10
Sage	20	10
Summoner	20	12
Ninja	20	12
Onion Knight	20	8

Final Fantasy V

ABP is used to level up the current job class. The character learns either a command or a support ability, which they can then use while using other jobs. Enemies in the Interdimensional Rift yield phenomenal ABP, making it easy to master jobs at the end of the game.

Final Fantasy VI

Magic AP (originally Magic Points) is used to learn spells from espers. Each Magic AP gives a certain percentage of spell to character that has an esper equipped. After reaching 100%, they learn the spell permanently. Every spell has a different growth rate.

Magic AP is also used in Terra's Trance: the more Magic AP she has, the longer her Trance gauge lasts. Gogo cannot equip espers, but can mimic the magic on the current party.

Characters who can earn Magic AP in battle can dispel the curse on the Cursed Shield. Since Gogo cannot learn magic nor equip espers, s/he cannot earn Magic AP. Theoretically, the same would happen to Umaro if he could equip shields. Guest characters cannot earn Magic AP.

AP earned from battles is coded into the encounter, not the enemy.

Intangir is known for its high Magic AP yield, but is a tough enemy to defeat in the World of Balance.

Final Fantasy VII

AP is used to level up Materia to learn spells or abilities. When the Materia is mastered, a replica Materia at level 1 is born. Barret's ultimate weapon, the Missing Score's power is increased by the amount of AP on the Materia it is holding. Magic Pots and Movers in the Northern Cave yield the most AP as random encounters.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-

AP is a stat that allows Zack to perform basic blocking and dodging, and is also consumed by using special physical attacks and abilities with the appropriate Command Materia. The item Soma recovers lost AP, and is instantly recovered with an Elixir.

Zack's Materia level up in the Digital Mind Wave.

Final Fantasy VIII

Guardian Forces gain AP from battle and learn abilities. The GF needs to be equipped to a party member to gain AP, and every equipped GF gets the same amount of AP. Cactuars yield plentiful AP when encountered on the Kashkabald Desert in Centra continent.

Final Fantasy IX

An unlearned ability that requires AP to master.

AP is used to learn abilities embedded in equipped equipment. If a character equips several items which teach the same ability, AP growth is increased for that particular ability.

Equipping the Ability Up support ability doubles the AP earned.

At the end of the battle, characters that are KO'd or afflicted with the Virus status will not receive AP.

Final Fantasy X

Main article: Sphere Grid

AP replaces the usual role of EXP. The Ability Points (AP) gained allow the player to gain Sphere Levels, which are used to move around the Sphere Grid. Sphere levels equal the amount of steps each character can take on the grid, similar to classic board games. The amount of AP needed to generate a S.LV progressively increases until the character has got 101 S.LV, and thereafter always will require 22,000 AP to generate a new S.LV.

When starting a file two Sphere Grid modes are available and only one can be selected: 'Standard' mode has strict, rarely-diverging routes for each character, but bears more clear nodes (which can be filled with attribute slots later through use of special spheres). 'Expert' mode has fewer clear spaces, but its layout is less strict, allowing characters to diverge from their traditional routes from the beginning.

Each step taken on the Sphere Grid to a new node deducts a single Sphere Level from their total levels, and one level can be expended to move backwards by up to four nodes which have already been crossed. Spheres can be used to activate nodes on the characters' current position or adjacent nodes, most of which raise a certain attribute or teach an ability, but some of which are blank.

Each character has a general path which they are expected to follow but these routes have many branching point, allowing the player to customize characters to their liking. Development is limited by the presence of locked nodes, which require a rare 'Key Sphere' of a certain level to open: these range from levels 1 to 4 and generally, higher numbers equal rarer spheres which become available at a later point in the story.

Characters that do nothing in battle gain no AP. Similarly, if one swaps characters out during a battle, all characters that took action, even skipped their turn by the press of the , will gain AP. AP is not split between party members, so no matter how many participants perform actions in any single battle, all will obtain the same value of AP upon victory.

Certain equipment modifications can change the behavior of AP gain, such as Overdrive → AP, which speeds up AP gain based on that character's Overdrive setting while reducing Overdrive gain to 0. This can be used in conjunction with the abilities Double AP / Triple AP and Double Overdrive / Triple Overdrive to farm massive amounts of AP from specific enemies such as Don Tonberry and the Cactuar King in a short amount of time.

Final Fantasy X-2

There are four ways to gain AP used to learn the abilities of the equipped dressphere: perform a special action unique to a dressphere, use an ability equipped on a Garment Grid or an accessory, defeat an enemy, and use an item. For each of the mentioned actions taken, 1 AP is awarded. The action must have an effect (i.e. Cure must restore HP, Poison must poison the enemy, etc).

AP is capped at 99 per battle. Defeated enemies award 1 AP for all party members, not just the one who defeated it. Oversouled enemies award 2 AP each.

Final Fantasy XI

Characters who have reached level 99 in their job may continue to advance by earning Job Points. Job Points are acquired by earning Capacity Points (a deliberate reference to the original version of Final Fantasy III), which are acquired by defeating high level monsters while in that particular job (each job has its own Capacity Point and Job Point totals). 30000 Capacity Points earns one Job Point. Like Merit Points, Job Points are spent on permanent enhancements for the character's job. Unlike Merit Points, there is no cap on how many such enhancements may be purchased. In fact, at specific totals of Job Points spent, the job gains additional permanent enhancements known as Gifts. Once a total of 2100 Job Points have been spent, the character masters the job.

Final Fantasy XII

License Points, abbreviated LP, are points gained by defeating enemies and are used to buy licenses on the License Board. To wield, wear or master anything, a license must first be bought. After buying the license, one will become able to wield the weapon, wear the armor piece or master the magick or technick that the license was for, granted that the specific item has been bought as well.

One must likewise buy the license of Esper, to be able to summon it. When one character has bought the summon license, it disappears from the License Board(s) of the other characters. The same goes for Quickenings.

Final Fantasy XIII

EXP and AP are rolled into one as Crystogen Points (known as Crystal Points in the Japanese version). CP is gained by winning battles and used to increase character attributes and to learn new abilities in Crystarium system. The maximum amount of CP a character can hold is 999,999. Crystogen Points are gained from all battles, boss and regular battles alike, but the party will not gain any CP before the third chapter; battles won in chapters one and two just gain item drops. Even after mastering the Crystarium system party members keep gaining CP from battles.

Equipping the Growth Egg obtained in Mission 55 will double CP gained from enemies.

Final Fantasy XIII-2

Serah and Noel gain CP from battles since the beginning and can use them to gain new abilities and stat boosts in the Crystarium system. Paradigm Pack monsters do not gain CP, but must be given items to advance them through their Crystaria. Lightning, who is playable in the prologue, will not gain CP from her battles, but if she is obtained as a Paradigm Pack monster, she can be advanced in the Crystarium system similar to other Paradigm Pack monsters.

Final Fantasy XV

The party earns AP for the Ascension trees based on the cumulative number of battles fought, some enemies being worth more AP than others. Certain quests may also award additional AP based on their difficulty. Completing the strategy prompts the player's party members assign to Noctis awards 20 AP after patch 1.21 (as opposed to the 1 or 2 AP doing them used to yield before).

The free Holiday Pass gives players access to the Warrior's Fanfare accessory, which yields 1 AP for finishing a battle with an A+ ranking in offense. Season pass holders have access to the Tactician's Fanfare, which yields 4 AP for obtaining an A+ ranking in Finesse and the Blitzer's Fanfare, which yields 2 AP for an A+ ranking in timing. 1 AP is also yielded for finishing off an enemy with either a parry or a link-strike.

Finishing an enemy with a warp-strike also yields 1 AP. Season pass holders have access to Ragnarok, a weapon that explosively increases damage dealt via warp-strikes, which almost guarantees an enemy will be killed. If the player has the Royal Raiment, it is recommended they use this outfit as it increases Noctis's max MP as well as MP regeneration.

Though it takes over 18,000 AP to max out the Ascension grid, the player can also unlock various abilities that reward the player with AP for doing this other than battling monsters:

Angler Action yields AP for catching fish.
Sportfishing gains extra AP for catching big fish (each species has its own value).
Appetize gains 1 AP from cooking a party member's favorite food.
Chocobump gains 1 AP for every 0.875 miles traveled by chocobo.
Chocojockey gains 1 AP from winning a chocobo race.
Happy Camping increases AP gained from camping to 2.
Happier Camping increases AP gained from camping to 3.
Roadrunning gains 1 AP every 1.25 miles traveled by car.
Snapshot takes up to 5 photos, generating 5 AP each.
Aperture grants additional 1 AP if Noctis is in a Snapshot picture.

AP grinding tricks

After learning the ability to gain AP from driving, the player can gain passive AP by setting the Regalia to drive in circles by pinning down the controller and letting the game run. This method requires the player to have acquired and equipped the Magitek Generator, which is won from Totomostro, or obtain the Regalia Type-F, both of which will allow the Regalia to drive endlessly without the need to refuel. It also helps to have the Turbocharger, which is also won from Totomostro and allows the Regalia to drive up to 70 mph, since an AP is gained for every 1.25 mile driven.

In the Windows and Royal Editions, the new rulers of yore bosses yield 300 AP, and can be killed repeatedly by returning to the final boss gauntlet from a game cleared save. Fighting the kings is past the point of no return however, and the player will have to beat the game again. Skipping all the scenes, doing this can still be a viable way to gain AP for the endgame.

The trick to use the beast whistle to continually summon Sabertusks has been patched out, but the Timed Quest for Sabertusks can be used in a similar manner, by holding the Warp button and killing the beasts quickly with warp-strikes. The player must kill 50 Sabertusks to finish the quest, and it can be repeated.

King's Knight -Wrath of the Dark Dragon-

AP may be awarded with certain enemies shot. AP are primarily used to master the various skills available to each unit when combined with the elemental orbs obtained in each quest. Because the amounts are generally small, it may be wise to boost AP totals when needed with an Arcane or Divine Hourglass prior to starting a quest.

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Final Fantasy Tactics

A unit earns Job Points when performing actions. Other units with access to the same job also earn Job Points (referred to as spillover JP). Earning JP can be enhanced with the Gained JP Up support ability and Move-Get JP movement ability, as well with further level ups and job level ups. JP are also gained from completing propositions. With JP, the player is able to access new skills and spells for the unit, as well unlocking new jobs when meeting the proper job level requirements.

In the original PS version, there is a JP scroll glitch that lets the player get 9,999 JP without effort.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Ability Points are gained from successfully completing missions. Unlike Experience Points, Ability Points are credited towards any unmastered abilities a unit is trying to learn. The amount of Ability Points vary from mission to mission, and can be doubled with the use of an Insignia, or quadrupled with two.

Common Missions' AP Awards

All Clan Engagements - 50 AP
All Turf Liberations (battle while under attack) - 80 AP
All Turf Liberations (dispatch after losing turf) - 50 AP (more for Jagds)
#205 Materite - 30 AP
#207 Metal Hunt - 30 AP

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

Ability Points are gained from successfully completing quests. Unlike Experience Points, Ability Points are credited towards any (if any) unmastered abilities a unit is trying to learn.

Common Quests' AP Awards

All Normal Quests (Non-Battle) - 10 AP
All Normal Quests (Battle) - 30 AP
All Storyline Quests - 80AP

The amount of AP received per quest can be boosted by the Clan Privilege AP↑1/2/3, which boosts AP gained from a quest by 20/40/60 respectively. However, if the law is broken during the battle, the increase will be annulled. The AP from non-battle quests cannot be boosted as clan privileges are not granted.

Final Fantasy Type-0

Agito Points (AP) are earned by characters and Eidolons at level up to learn new abilities. The amount earned per level is fixed, but there is enough AP to ensure all abilities are learned before or at the max level of 99.

Bravely Default

Job Points (JP) are earned from enemies and are needed to level up the characters' job level, similar to Final Fantasy V.

By completing certain conditions in battle, players will receive bonuses:

Unscathed

Win a battle without taking any damage.
- Players will earn a few more job points.

Unscathed Ace

Satisfy the condition for Unscathed five times in a row.
- Players will earn more job points.

Unscathed Hero

Satisfy the condition for Unscathed ten times in a row.
- Players will earn many more job points.

Final Fantasy Dimensions

AP is used to level up a character's job and can be obtained by defeating enemies. The scale of AP needed to level up is different for each job, but is the same for all characters respectively. Each level up will sometimes acquire the character an ability that can be equipped with any other job once it is learned.

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Ability Points are used to master abilities and are gained by winning a battle. Mastering abilities will lower their CP cost allowing the character to equip more abilities. The amount of Ability Points acquired after battle can be manipulated by AP Chances, which when triggered will add an additional 2 Ability Points to the total AP gained, as well as calendar bonuses. Certain equipment such as the Diamond equipment can increase bonuses even further.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

The AP system is virtually the same as Dissidia. The only difference is the AP Chance, which varies from battle to battle. The character can gain from one to three AP from the AP chance; the more AP that must be gained, the higher HP damage must be dealt. To meet the AP chance the player must not take any single hit (BRV/HP) from the opponent before executing the HP damage.