Blessing that wards against magickal attacks, granting Shell to distant units. Vertical range is improved compared to the Shell spell.
The Ivalice Chronicles' description
Shellja, also known as Shell 2, is a White Magicks ability in Final Fantasy Tactics, learned by the white mage job. It charges a spell that grants the Shell status to units within the effect radius, reducing the damage taken from magickal attacks. The action ability must be learned by expending JP earned for the white mage job.
Other abilities that grant Shell include the bard's Nameless Song, the samurai's Kiyomori Iaido, as well Aegis, from Alma Beoulve's cleric and Ovelia Atkascha's princess jobs.
The ragnarok and durandal knight's swords impart the Auto-Shell ability when equipped. The effect can also be gained by equipping the accessories sortilége and tynar rouge.
The white magick Wall grants both Shell and Protect to a single unit.
Obtained[]
Shellja costs 500 JP in the North American version of Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation, and 600 JP in the original Japanese version, as well in all versions of The War of the Lions and The Ivalice Chronicles, to be spent on the white mage job. Once the unit has learned it, it is available for other jobs as long as they have the White Magicks skillset equipped.
Shellja has a 10% chance of being randomly learned mid-battle if cast on a white mage who has not learned the spell yet. The spell cannot be passed on when the unit becomes a crystal.
Mechanics[]
Enduring light, shield from roaring magic! Shell 2!
Upon casting
A white mage using Shellja to apply shell on their ally.
Shellja costs 24 MP with a charge time of 15 speed, with a cross-shaped effect range that can affect up to five units. The status lasts for 32 clock ticks. Magick has a chance to hit (including healing and supportive magicks) based on the caster's faith and the target's faith. Shellja's chance of success is based on the following formula:
This means that the higher both the caster and the target's faith stats, the higher the chances of the Shellja spell to take effect.
The Shell status reduces the caster's magickal power by ⅓ in the damage formula, so it not only reduces the power or hit-rate of spells, but also reduces the weapon damage done by a staff or rod because they apply the wearer's magickal power rather than physical power to calculate the damage. Shell does not affect damage from spells that subtract a certain percentage of the target's HP, though it does affect the success rate of these spells.
Shell can be removed with other abilities, such as the mystic's Harmony or the templar's Dispel.
The unit can still attempt to cast magick even without the required MP, however, it will fail upon activating.
Shellja cannot be reflected, and will be nullified against a unit with zero faith or under the Atheist status; however the status effect will still provide damage-reduction to the unit if they were granted Shell before becoming affected by Atheist, having their faith reduced to zero, or wearing an equipment that grants the Auto-Shell effect. Protectja cannot be cast by the arithmetician job command, Arithmeticks.
When casting magick, the player can choose whether to target the unit or the tile. Targeting the unit will result in the magick being cast directly at the character, meaning that if they move, the spell will still affect them. Targeting the tile will result in the spell only affecting the selected map tile; if there are no units within the spell radius, the cast will fail.
Use[]
The damage reduction effect of the Shell status keeps the buff relevant through the entire game.
The major difference between Shell and Shellja spells is that the latter has an increased height of effect at the expense of increased MP cost, slower cast speed, and lower success chance. Both Shell and Shellja grant the exact same status effect. Therefore, in most situations, casting Shell is more effective unless units are positioned on tiles with significant height differences.
Since Shellja cannot be reflected, it can be cast on units under the status, or wearing equipment such as the mirror mail.
The samurai's Kiyomori Iaido can outshine the Shellja spell, as it is an instant ability that also grants Protect. However, katanas have a chance to break when executing the Iaido, resulting in it being permanently lost, and the user unable to cast it again unless they have more than one Kiyomori in their inventory.
Behind the scenes[]
In the PlayStation version, a white mage casting Shellja may chant: "Enduring light, shield from roaring magic! Shell 2!" Spellcasting chants are not used in The War of the Lions version, but return in The Ivalice Chronicles with new localization.