Equips 'Poison' magic
Description
Poison is a Magic Materia in Final Fantasy VII equipped to provide the user Poison-elemental spells, which have a chance of inflicting the Poison status effect that periodically deals Poison-elemental damage. It can be linked with both the Elemental Materia to deal or resist against Poison-elemental damage, or with the Added Effect Materia to provide immunity to or a chance to inflict the Poison status effect with physical attacks.
Obtained[]
The Poison Materia is first found on floor 67 of Shinra Bldg.. Later, it can be purchased in stores in Kalm, Costa del Sol, and Junon during part 1, for 1,500 gil.
Stats[]
Growth[]
| Level | AP required | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | Bio |
| 2 | 5000 | Bio2 |
| 3 | 20000 | Bio3 |
| 4 | 38000 | MASTER |
Abilities[]
| Magic | MP | Formula | Power | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bio | 8 | Magic | 10 | Low poison-elemental damage. 48% chance of inflicting Poison. |
| Bio2 | 36 | Magic | 21 | Moderate poison-elemental damage. 48% chance of inflicting Poison. |
| Bio3 | 80 | Magic | 68 | High poison-elemental damage. 72% chance of inflicting Poison. |
Use[]
The Poison Materia grants three tiers of Poison spells, beginning with the basic Bio spell, and later including the Bio2 spell unlocked at level 2 after receiving 5000 AP, and finally the Bio3 spell unlocked at 20000 AP. These spells both deal Poison-elemental damage, and can inflict the Poison status effect. This status deals physical Poison-elemental damage equivalent to 1/32 of the target's max HP every 2.5 units of time, ignoring the Defense stat and Barrier statuses. Poison-elemental damage can be effective against enemies weak to it and deals considerable damage up-front. If the status is inflicted, it can be a significant factor in long, drawn-out fights due to its long-lasting effect.
Characters who equip Poison receive moderate stat changes, including +2% to MP and +1 Magic, but also -2% HP and -1 Strength. These stat changes are small enough to not be detrimental to physical attackers, meaning it is useful for characters built either toward physical or magical damage.
The Poison Materia can be paired with either the Elemental or the Added Effect Support Materia. When equipped to armor, pairing it with Elemental will significantly reduce, or at later levels absorb, all Poison damage, while pairing it with the Added Effect Materia can nullify the status effect, but not magic damage dealt by Poison spells. Nullifying the status with Added Effect is better in most situations, especially long-lasting fights, as the damage over time is a greater threat. However, the Elemental Materia at later levels absorbing or nullifying all Poison damage is more useful. Additionally, the accessories Star Pendant, Fairy Ring, and Ribbon can nullify the status without taking any Materia slots, meaning that Added Effect and Poison can become redundant. If the character is immune to/absorbs the poison Poison element, they also become immune to the Poison status.
In addition, both the Elemental and the Added Effect Materia can be linked to Poison when equipped on a weapon, granting either a percentage of added Poison-elemental damage to all physical attacks, or a 20% chance to inflict Poison with physical attacks. Poison-elemental damage can boost damage to enemies weak to Poison, while the status effect is more broadly useful against a variety of enemies that have no specific weakness to Poison, but can be hurt more by damage dealt over time. If paired with Elemental or Added Effect, it is best to give it to characters that will primarily be using physical attacks to deal damage, such as Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Cid.
The Poison Materia can also be geared towards spellcasting. Though its spells are relatively more effective than spells offered by Materia, such as Ice, the chance to inflict the Poison status effect and deal damage over time is especially helpful. If the status is not inflicted, the added damage is still beneficial. Many Support Materia can improve the spellcasting power, such as All, which allows it to hit all enemies, and both MP Turbo and Quadra Magic, which increase its damage output against single targets. If used for spellcasting it is best given to characters that already have a high Magic stat and are less reliant on physical attacks, including Aeris, Red XIII, Yuffie, Cait Sith, and Vincent. Cloud can also be used in this role.