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The Terrain (ちけい, Chikei?) is a Geomancer command in Final Fantasy III that gives a random effect depending on where the Geomancer casts it.

2D versions[]

The Geomancer is a job obtained from the Water Crystal in the Cave of Tides; this makes the Terrain effects in dungeons visited before the Cave of Tides redundant in a normal playthrough. The "earth" and "water" elements are just inferred, because there is no enemy weak against these two elements.

Effects are sorted by backfire rate.

Name Terrain Power Hit Rate Effect Backfire rate
Whirlpool Surface: seas, sea bottom
Dungeons: Temple of Time, sunken cave, Saronia catacombs
120 60% Damage to all enemies. Low
Earthquake Surface: plains
Dungeons: all dungeons before Water Crystal, Falgabaard cave, Doga's cave (floor 1/a)
Boss rooms: Dragon Spire (top floor), Saronia catacombs, Bahamut's lair, Syrcus Tower, World of Darkness (x5 bosses)
90 50% Damage to all enemies. Low
Landslide Surface: Mountains
Dungeons: Doga's cave (floor 3)
120 40% Damage to all enemies. Low
Cyclone Surface: sky (airships)
Dungeons: Bahamut's lair, Doga's cave (floor 2)
120 60% Damage to one enemy (air element). Medium
Wind Slash Surface: forests
Dungeons: most dungeons after Water Crystal
120 30% Damage to one enemy (air element). Medium
Rapids Surface: lakes and rivers
Dungeons: Cave of Tides, Lake Dohr
0 40% Instantly defeats one enemy. High
Bottomless Bog Surface: Saronia swamps
Dungeons: Doga's cave (floor 1/b)
0 40% Instantly defeats one enemy. High
Quicksand Surface: deserts
Dungeons: (none)
0 30% Instantly defeats one enemy. High
Backfire Anywhere 0 100% User's HP is cut by 25% of maximum. Does not backfire in the pixel remaster version.

Gallery[]

3D remake versions[]

The damage done by Terrain is equal to the following formula:

Name Effect Terrain
Black Hole Inflicts Instant Death to one enemy. 40%: Southwest Saronia and Eureka
Cave-In Inflicts Earth-elemental damage to one enemy. 38%: Deserts, Altar Cave, Mythril Mine, Sealed Cave, Tozus Tunnel, Cave of the Circle, Ancient Ruins, Ancients' Maze, Doga's Grotto, Cave of Shadows, Bahamut's Lair, and Falgabard
Earthquake Inflicts Earth-elemental damage to all enemies. 40%: Deserts, Altar Cave, Mythril Mine, Sealed Cave, Tozus Tunnel, Cave of the Circle, Ancient Ruins, Ancients' Maze, Doga's Grotto, Cave of Shadows, Bahamut's Lair, and Falgabard
22%: World of Darkness
Flame Burst Inflicts Fire-elemental damage to one enemy. 38%: Molten Cave
22%: World of Darkness
Ice Pillar Inflicts Ice and Water-elemental damage to one enemy. 40%: Sea, Underneath Sea, Nepto Shrine, Tower of Owen (ground floor), Saronia Catacombs, Sunken Shrine, ???, Cave of Tides, Amur Sewers, Lake Dohr, Falgabard Waterfall, Temple of Time, Subterranean Lake
23%: World of Darkness
Ice Storm Inflicts Ice and Water-elemental damage to all enemies. 50%: Ur
48%: Forest and Grassland, Dragon's Peak, Castle Sasune, Bahamut's Boss Fight, Crystal Tower, Dragon Spire, Castle Hein, Goldor Manor, Tower of Owen (except ground floor), and Sky
Magma Inflicts Fire-elemental damage to all enemies. 40%: Molten Cave
Shadowflare Major non-elemental damage to one enemy. 40%: Southwest Saronia and Eureka
10%: World of Darkness
2%: Deserts, Altar Cave, Mythril Mine, Sealed Cave, Tozus Tunnel, Cave of the Circle, Ancient Ruins, Ancients' Maze, Doga's Grotto, Cave of Shadows, Bahamut's Lair, Falgabard, Forest and Grassland, Dragon's Peak, Castle Sasune, Bahamut's Boss Fight, Crystal Tower, Dragon Spire, Castle Hein, Goldor Manor, Tower of Owen (except ground floor), Sky, Molten Cave
Whirlpool Inflicts Ice and Water-elemental damage to all enemies. 38%: Sea, Underneath Sea, Nepto Shrine, Tower of Owen (ground floor), Saronia Catacombs, Sunken Shrine, ???, Cave of Tides, Amur Sewers, Lake Dohr, Falgabard Waterfall, Temple of Time, Subterranean Lake
Wind Slash Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to one enemy. 50%: Forest and Grassland, Dragon's Peak, Castle Sasune, Bahamut's Boss Fight, Crystal Tower, Dragon Spire, Castle Hein, Goldor Manor, Tower of Owen (except ground floor), Sky, and Ur.
23%: World of Darkness
20%: Deserts, Altar Cave, Mythril Mines, Sealed Cave, Tozus Tunnel, Cave of the Circle, Ancient Ruins, Falgabard, Bahamut's Lair, Cave of Shadows, Doga's Grotto, Ancient's Maze, Sea, Underneath Sea, Nepto Shrine, Tower of Owen (ground floor), Saronia Catacombs, Sunken Shrine, ???, Cave of Tides, Amur Sewers, Lake Dohr, Falgabard Waterfall, Temple of Time, Subterranean Lake, Molten Cave, Southwest Saronia and Eureka

Table for gameplay[]

The player is unlikely to visit a specific location just for a specific Terrain ability; it is useful to know which techniques can happen in a specific terrain.

All terrain types (except for the World of Darkness) follow the same structure:

  1. 38–40% chance of an elemental attack against all enemies;
  2. 38–40% chance of an elemental attack against a single enemy;
  3. 20% chance of Wind Slash (except for Wind terrains, where it accumulates with #2);
  4. 2% chance of Shadowflare (except for non-elemental terrains, where it accumulates with #2);
Terrain Locations Name Effect
Earth Deserts, Altar Cave, Mythril Mine, Sealed Cave, Tozus Tunnel, Cave of the Circle, Ancient Ruins, Ancients' Maze, Doga's Grotto, Cave of Shadows, Bahamut's Lair, and Falgabard 40%: Earthquake Inflicts Earth-elemental damage to all enemies.
38%: Close-In Inflicts Earth-elemental damage to one enemy.
20%: Wind Slash Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to one enemy.
2%: Shadowflare Major non-elemental damage to one enemy.
Fire Molten Cave 40%: Magma Inflicts Fire-elemental damage to all enemies.
38%: Flame Burst Inflicts Fire-elemental damage to one enemy.
20%: Wind Slash Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to one enemy.
2%: Shadowflare Major non-elemental damage to one enemy.
Water Sea, Underneath Sea, Nepto Shrine, Tower of Owen 1F, Saronia Catacombs, Sunken Shrine, ???, Cave of Tides, Amur Sewers, Lake Dohr, Falgabard Waterfall, Temple of Time, Subterranean Lake 38%: Whirlpool Attempts to inflict Instant Death on all enemies.
40%: Ice Pillar Inflicts Ice and Water-elemental damage to one enemy.
20%:Wind Slash Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to one enemy.
2%: Shadowflare Major non-elemental damage to one enemy.
Wind Forest and Land (overworld), Dragon's Peak, Castle Sasune, Bahamut's Boss Fight, Crystal Tower, Dragon Spire, Castle Hein, Goldor Manor, Tower of Owen (except Floor 1), Sky, and Ur.[1] 48%: Ice Storm Inflicts Ice and Water-elemental damage to all enemies.
50%: Wind Slash Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to one enemy.
2%: Shadowflare Major non-elemental damage to one enemy.
Non-Elemental Southwest Saronia, Eureka 40%: Black Hole Inflicts Instant Death to one enemy.
40%: Shadowflare Major non-elemental damage to one enemy.
20%: Wind Slash Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to one enemy.
Darkness World of Darkness 22%: Earthquake Inflicts Earth-elemental damage to all enemies.
22%: Flame Burst Inflicts Fire-elemental damage to one enemy.
23%: Ice Pillar Inflicts Ice and Water-elemental damage to one enemy.
23%:Wind Slash Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to one enemy.
10%: Shadowflare Major non-elemental damage to one enemy.

Gallery[]

Other appearances[]

Pictlogica Final Fantasy[]

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Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]

Ability Cards
Legend Cards
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References[]

  1. In Ur, Terrain results in 50% Ice Storm, 50% Wind Slash, and no other effect.
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