Put one foe to sleep.
Description
Sleep is a Black Magick spell in the Zodiac versions of Final Fantasy XII, and a Green Magick spell in the original PlayStation 2 version. It is a single-target status ailment spell that temporarily makes the affected unable to act or move and makes them vulnerable to damage. Its upgrade is the multi-targeting Sleepga spell. Sleep is one of the most useful ailment spells as even some tough bosses and marks are vulnerable to the status.
It is also an enemy ability used by Storm Elemental, Water Elemental, Ice Elemental, Ice Azer, Fire Elemental, Pumpkin Head, Air Elemental, Earth Elemental, Pit Fiend, Pumpkin Star, Ose, Slime, Foobar, Rafflesia, Demon Wall (Inner), Elder Wyrm, Urutan-Yensa (Bow), and Spinner-Rook.
Obtained[]
In the Zodiac versions, Sleep's license costs 30 License Points. The spell is found in Dreadnought Leviathan's Starboard Section, in the southeast corner.
If not picked up aboard the Leviathan, Sleep is located in Ogir-Yensa Sandsea's Platform 1 - East Tanks. This is the area with access to Dalmasca Westersand, and the treasure is along the walkway of the second oil rig.
In the original version, Sleep is a Green Magick whose license costs 35 LP. It is bought for 700 gil from Rabanastre and Bhujerba after the events following entering Ondore's Estate, and from the traveling merchant Dyce in the sandseas and outside the Tomb of Raithwall.
In the Zodiac versions, Sleep can be used by the Black Mage and the Red Battlemage.
Mechanics[]
Sleep attempts to inflict the status of the same name that makes the afflicted unable to act or move until awoken. Sleeping targets receive x1.5 the normal damage, and will wake up when hit with a physical attack, but keep sleeping when damaged by magick until the status runs out.
The formula for the duration is:
- 50 - (Sleeping Target's Vitality x 0.25)s
Unlike with other status spells, casting Sleep on a target who is already sleeping will extend the status duration rather than simply miss.
- Success Rate = 60% + (User's Magick Power - Target's Vitality) %
The success rate is unaffected by the target's Magick Evade stat, as the spell instead checks against the target's Vitality.
The hit rate is improved by further 50% with the caster having Faith status, or doubled with Serenity license/Magick Gloves when on full health, or Spellbreaker license/Leather Gorget when in critical health. Target's Shell halves the accuracy of the spell. If the caster is wearing the Indigo Pendant, Sleep will succeed unless the enemy is immune to the status.
The accuracy underflow bug is a glitch in some versions of Final Fantasy XII where a low level character with extremely low Magick Power stat attempts to use a status move on a target with very high Vitality, and the accuracy of the spell becomes less than zero. In this case the accuracy will underflow to 100%, allowing certain status spells to always succeed.
Sleep status is removed with being hit with an ability that is classed as a physical ability, Prince's Kiss (Alarm Clock), Esuna, and Remedy.
Sleep costs 10 MP to cast without Channeling licenses. The spell will bounce from Reflect unless the caster wears the Opal Ring.
Use[]
Sleep is a status affliction spell the player can easily set up via the gambit system (such as with Foe:Any→Sleep). However, it is best used situationally and with the Indigo Pendant equipped whenever possible. As an alternative, the player can also use a Prince's Kiss (Alarm Clock) with the Nihopalaoa equipped.
Sleep can be good to disable enemies and then attack them with magick and Espers. It also allows the player to easily set up multi-casting exploits by bouncing multi-targeting spells off the party's Reflect onto the sleeping foe. Sleep can be good against Wyvern Lord, Elder Wyrm, Judge Bergan, Trickster, White Mousse, and Orthros, as well as against Zargabaath in the final Trial Mode stage in the Zodiac versions. Sleepga, meanwhile, will be better against groups, such as the Abysteels on the optional part of Henne Mines.
The player can set up Foe status: Sleep→Magick/Shades of Black gambit above other offensive gambits to ensure the party will not awake sleeping foes. Foe status: Sleep→Steal would also work, though it would not be especially beneficial, only stopping the character from waking targets up. Foe status: Sleep→Sleep would make the character continually use Sleep on the sleeping target, ensuring they will not awaken; this would be especially useful in the latter stages of the Judges battle in Trial Mode Stage 100 against Zargabaath.
Allies deployed by Clan Centurio on certain hunts cannot be easily prevented from waking sleeping foes, and guests' gambits cannot be modified in the original version of Final Fantasy XII. In these instances, it may be better to kill them off deliberately.
Sleep can be used to trigger the immobilize glitch that works by having a party of two characters and immobilizing one with either Immobilize, Sleep, or Stop. By using the other character as party leader, the player can head off and once the immobilized character disappears off the minimap, one can trigger the glitch; when the player comes across an enemy, they can switch leader to the immobilized character, and then immediately switch back to make all enemies in range disappear.