Suikoden 4 Full Runes List

[Leb]

An interesting tidbit from the guys at CodeBreaker...

Apparently, there are two runes that can't be obtained through any normal means-- the True Holy Rune, and some magic rune called "Evil-Purifying Rune".

The True Holy Rune seems to do what Cedric does after you recruit him, so if you really wanted to skip Cedric but still wanted the speed, you could cheat that into the game. As for Evil-Purifying, it is suspiciously like the Resurrection rune (except that you can't cast anything with it). I haven't hacked it in yet, but I'll get all of the spells for it when I do.

[Vextor]

That is cool. Let us know!

[Adversary]

[Leb]

Alright, I hacked it in last night. I'll use the given format:

Evil-Purifying Rune
Level 1: Rebuke
Level 2: Spirit Yell
Level 3: Purifying Evil
Level 4: Bellow

Description: "Rune that purifies evil."

Unfortunately, it's completely inaccessible. I can't use it in battle, and I can't even look at the description for each spell. However, I've been able to gather that levels 2 and 4 are restorative/support spells, due to that fact that Spirit Yell is highlighted in white outside of battle, while Bellow is in red during battle. My guess is that the latter is for reviving party members, while the former restores healh.

[Vextor]

Yeah, Evil-Puryfing Rune would be moe of a direct translation of the Japanese fo the "Resurrection" Rune. So yep, I guess they planned for it, but ditched it.

[Leb]

Considering that using items is smarter than using level 4 magic, I would understand the removal. However, I don't like that they removed a rune from their already small list.

[Beecham]

I too have issues with the neutered Soul Eater, but if you think about it, I suppose there's a story purpose to it. Spoilers: Even though Hell now does less damage than Black Shadow, which irks me to no end, I think the reason that the Soul Eater -should- be weaker is that Ted is a friendless punk. Who would he have lost? Tir lost the people closest to him. Granted, Ted lost his grandfather, but it seems like no one else; he's shut himself away from the world to avoid just that. I don't think a mere century and a half could have any effect on the strength of a True Rune; it all has to do with the strength of the Bearer, and Ted in failing to provide a nice feast of souls has been a very poor Bearer indeed.

As for the Rune of Punishment, I dispise Dirge [or whatever it's called in English; I forget offhand, but I don't think it was Beckoning Dirge] with a righteous passion. That spell is "very lethal" to enemies? Eff that, it's worked maybe once in ten attempts against REGULAR enemies, and has killed me instead about half the time. The way it's described, I should've been nailed once and the enemies should have been nailed nine or ten times out of ten. Damned useless spell.

And then there's the cutting of the Resurrection Rune! Gwah, I loved that Rune. Granted, there's much less undead to deal with, so I suppose it's effectiveness is cut, but being able to raise a member to full health or to raise all dead members would have been -very- useful.

[poorguy171]

I think the reason they changed Soul Eater is because of the circumstances. You get Ted rather late in the game, and with all the other easy-escape options, the only times you'd really be using Soul Eater would be in boss battles. And since instant death doesn't affect bosses, half of its spells would've been useless.

Also, it makes more sense with the whole life-death thing. Death is when you do massive damage to your enemies, and life is represented when you steal their health to return life to yourself.
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[Leon Silverberg]

hmm nice list.

about the soul eater.. i don't think that it is a baby soul eater 150 years before suikoden 1. ted had been on a 300 year journey 150 years are the half of it.. and think about what can happen in 150 years..most humans don't even live so long.. He probably was well used to the soul eater in the time of suiko 4 but the problem is that konami did not want that the soul eater is much more powerful as hero 4's rune.. or they just were lazy...

[Justice Johnny]

For the evil-purifying rune, they probably planned on having some undeads in the game, like Neclord maybe, but scrapped it, as well as the rune. I don't think there's an undead monster in Suikoden IV AT ALL either.
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"Oranges can't fit into circles because rectangles are made of cheese."

[Eternal Wind]

Incorrect, there are Dead Blades in the Fog Ship and the Obel Ruins MK2 have Skeletons and Zombie Unicorns. Of course, why the **** are we fighting Unicorns in Obel Ruins MK1. Sheesh, they use lightning attacks, even. Sigfried used the same type as the Ressurection rune.

Oh, does anyone know if the Rune of Punishment, Blinking Rune and Soul Eater actually do non-elemental damage, or if they each have their own type like the guide said. I know one of the rays in the boss fight during the trip away from the deserted island took more damage from the RoP's first level spell than the other.

I wouldn't use Voice of Death at all with the drawback unless it had S1 Hell style power, just because I heal with the Hero to free Ted up to blow things up with the Soul Eater. Heh, Black SHadow does Hells job just fine, since a Judgement or two kills anything not named Giant Tree. (lamest name ever)