Halt the actions of one foe.
Description
Stop is a Time Magick spell both in the Zodiac versions of Final Fantasy XII as well as in the original PlayStation 2 version. It is a single-target status ailment spell that temporarily stops the afflicted from acting or moving, similar to Sleep but without the ability of being awoken by being attacked.
Stop can be cast by Dark Lord [a], Etém, Nightwalker, Gargoyle Baron, Dragon Lich, Mistmare, Mallicant, Oversoul, Zalera, Zeromus, Pallicant, Spinner-Rook, and Judge Ghis (Trial Mode Stage 100).
Obtained[]
Stop's license costs 20 License Points in the Zodiac versions, where the spell is available from shops for 900 gil after Vossler joins as a guest in Ogir-Yensa Sandsea; the player can backtrack to Rabanastre then to buy it, or wait until they meet the traveling merchant Dyce on Nam-Yensa Sandsea. Stop is also a treasure in Stage 51 of Trial Mode with the Diamond Armlet equipped.
Stop's license costs 45 LP in the original version where the spell is bought for 3700 gil from Mt Bur-Omisace onward.
In the Zodiac versions, Stop is used by the Time Battlemage.
Mechanics[]
Stop temporarily inflicts the status of the same name that freezes the afflicted and their ATB gauge, making them unable to take action or move. Expirable and ticking status effects also halt their progress. For example, Sap will stop draining HP for the duration of Stop, and its duration will be paused until Stop has run its course. Stopped units are immune to Lure. Stop is removed with Dispel, Remedy (with Remedy Lore 3), and Chronos Tear.
The formula for the duration is:
The duration depends on the receiver's Vitality stat, not the caster's. Slow and Haste do not affect the length other status effects will last, but Stop will halt them.
The base success rate of the spell against an enemy that is not immune is 40% in the original version, updated to 50% in the Zodiac versions.
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, Stop 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.
Stop costs 20 MP to cast without Channeling licenses. The spell will bounce from Reflect unless the caster wears the Opal Ring.
Use[]
Stop is a status ailment spell the player can easily set up via the gambit system (such as with Foe:Any→Stop). However, it is best used situationally and with the Indigo Pendant equipped whenever possible. Instead of using the spell, the player can also use Stun Bombs (25%), or equip a Nihopalaoa and use a Remedy (with Remedy Lore 3) or a Chronos Tear onto an enemy.
Stop prevents any action from the afflicted, making it generally useful for any enemy that is vulnerable. It is one of the best ailments along with Sleep and Disable, as they neutralize all threat from the enemy. However, most tough foes are unaffected by detrimental effects. Sleep works more often than Stop and also makes the sleeping targets weak to damage, and the player can still attack sleepers safely via magicks, meaning Sleep is generally more useful for a similar effect. Another boon of Sleep over Stop is that it can be reapplied before it wears off, and has an upgrade, Sleepga, whereas there is no "Stopga" spell in Final Fantasy XII. Sleep also has a better base chance of working, but with the Indigo Pendant accessory, the base chance does not matter.
As Stop halts other status effects, it can be abused by casting Reverse followed by Stop on a character, allowing them to absorb all forms of damage until Stop wears off. This is especially useful for bosses that always target the nearest character (like Omega Mark XII), as equipping the other party members with ranged weapons will keep them alive while the Reversed character is taking all the hits. A similar trick is with Break; when a petrifying unit is just about to turn to Stone, they are nigh impervious to damage. If the player uses Stop on them at this point, the character is effectively invulnerable for the duration of Stop.
A stopped character can be used to trigger the Immobilize glitch.