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Biorhythm

From Fire Emblem Wiki, your source on Fire Emblem information. By fans, for fans.
Nolan's biorhythm (bottom right) moves as turns pass. As his biorhythm changes from good to bad, it has effects on his hit rate and avoid (top right). Additionally, green and red arrows (top left) indicate his current biorhythm state.

Biorhythm (Japanese: バイオリズム biorhythm) is a mechanic applied to units which simulates how an individual's ability to fight to their fullest potential fluctuates as time goes on, making them perform better at some times and perform worse at others. A unit's biorhythm follows a pattern shaped like a sine wave, advancing along the wave a little bit periodically, and as it follows the ups and downs of this wave, the biorhythm give bonuses or penalties to the unit's accuracy and evasive ability during the course of a battle.

At any given time, a unit's biorhythm puts them in one of five states: Best, Good, Normal, Bad, and Worst. A Good state or higher gives the unit small hit and avoid boosts, while a Bad state or lower gives small penalties to the same. The biorhythm chart can be viewed in each unit's stat screen to see their current state and where the biorhythm will put them in later turns, and their current biorhythm state is shown on the map when hovering the cursor over them, indicated by red and green arrows.

Biorhythm is only present in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Biorhythm pattern

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

In Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, all units share the same biorhythm wave. Biorhythm moves in a 30-point cycle, after which it restarts from the beginning of the wave.

Biorhythm moves under two conditions:

  • For every 10 rounds of attack the unit participates in (regardless of whether they initiate it or are capable of counterattacking), their biorhythm moves forward by one point.
  • For every chapter they participate in that gets cleared, their biorhythm moves forward by seven points. The four parts of Chapter 17 are not treated as individual chapters for the purposes of biorhythm advancement, but the second part of Chapter 27 is treated as a separate chapter.

Almost all units, both playable and enemy, will start a map with their biorhythm at a completely random point, with the point being reset every time the player resets the game. However, several early-game units (10 playable, 2 bosses) will have their biorhythm start at a pre-set point when they first appear in their debut chapter.

  • Ike starts the Prologue at biorhythm point 8 (Best)
  • Oscar starts Chapter 1 at biorhythm point 23 (Worst)
  • Titania starts Chapter 1 at biorhythm point 30 (Normal)
  • Shinon starts Chapter 3 at biorhythm point 29 (Bad)
  • Gatrie starts Chapter 3 at biorhythm point 29 (Bad)
  • Soren starts Chapter 4 at biorhythm point 22 (Worst)
  • Mia starts Chapter 7 at biorhythm point 8 (Best)
  • Mist starts Chapter 9 at biorhythm point 11 (Best)
  • Rolf starts Chapter 9 at biorhythm point 11 (Best)
  • Boyd, as an enemy in the Prologue, starts at biorhythm point 8 (Best)
  • Greil, the boss of the Prologue, starts at biorhythm point 8 (Best)
  • Zawana, the boss of Chapter 1, starts at biorhythm point 28 (Bad)

In terms of how this is handled internally, these starting biorhythms are actually counted up from how many chapters have elapsed since the "first chapter" in terms of the game's internal storage, which is actually the debug map, with the Prologue being counted as #2 and the rest of the game's chapters proceeding from there. For instance, Mia's starting biorhythm is actually stored as 12 (Good), but since the player has progressed through eight chapters (counted as including the debug menu) by the time she first appears, the seven points awarded by clearing a chapter are applied eight times, bringing her to start with her biorhythm at 8 (Best).[1]

Calculations

The five biorhythm states award the following bonuses

Skills affecting biorhythm

Skills affecting biorhythm
Item Effect Games
Is gcn tempest.png Tempest Doubles biorhythm effects. Path of Radiance
Is gcn serenity.png Serenity Halves biorhythm effects. Path of Radiance

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Biorhythm patterns

There are ten different biorhythm waves in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, two of which are exclusive to enemy bosses. Playable units and major enemies are all assigned one specific biorhythm pattern, while generic enemies are assigned biorhythms at random (excluding types 8 and 9). All ten waves move through a 25-point cycle, after which it restarts from the beginning of the wave. Every unit joins with their biorhythm starting at 1 regardless of their starting affiliation, and it advances at the end of their army's phase—for example, an enemy unit will change biorhythm at the end of enemy phase. A unit's biorhythm state is kept from map to map; for example, Zihark will join Part 1, Chapter 6 with his biorhythm set at 6, since he spent 5 turns as a green unit in Part 1, Chapter 5, and that chapter's ending trigger occurs before the biorhythm trigger. Meanwhile, Volug in the same chapter will be at 7 since he had 6 player phase end turns. Elincia will always start Part 2 ,Endgame at bad biorhythm, which will then become worst on the first turn of enemy phase.

Type 0

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 0 biorhythm is a standard pattern, comparable to the Path of Radiance pattern. It is found on nine playable units, five bosses, and one NPC.

Player Small portrait nolan fe10.png
Nolan
Small portrait vika fe10.png
Vika
Small portrait elincia 01 fe10.png
Elincia
Small portrait oscar fe10.png
Oscar
Small portrait ranulf fe10.png
Ranulf
Small portrait sigrun fe10.png
Sigrun
Small portrait stefan fe10.png
Stefan
Small portrait caineghis fe10.png
Caineghis
Small portrait kurthnaga fe10.png
Kurthnaga
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait isaiya fe10.png
Isaiya
Small portrait kurth fe10.png
Kurth
Small portrait burton fe10.png
Burton
Small portrait callum fe10.png
Callum
Small portrait yuma fe10.png
Yuma

Type 1

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 1 biorhythm has very long Best and Worst points. It is found on nine playable units, five bosses, and one NPC.

Player Small portrait micaiah light mage fe10.png
Micaiah
Small portrait aran fe10.png
Aran
Small portrait volug fe10.png
Volug
Small portrait zihark fe10.png
Zihark
Small portrait brom fe10.png
Brom
Small portrait makalov fe10.png
Makalov
Small portrait astrid fe10.png
Astrid
Small portrait rhys fe10.png
Rhys
Small portrait tanith fe10.png
Tanith
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait zaitan fe10.png
Zaitan
Small portrait djur fe10.png
Djur
Small portrait istvan fe10.png
Istvan
Small portrait zelgius 01 fe10.png
Zelgius
Small portrait roark fe10.png
Roark
Small portrait black knight fe10.png
Black Knight

Type 2

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 2 biorhythm has relatively stable and minor effects on units' stats, having neither Best nor Worst points. It is found on nine playable units and three bosses.

Player Small portrait leonardo fe10.png
Leonardo
Small portrait tauroneo fe10.png
Tauroneo
Small portrait muarim fe10.png
Muarim
Small portrait marcia fe10.png
Marcia
Small portrait nephenee fe10.png
Nephenee
Small portrait ulki fe10.png
Ulki
Small portrait naesala fe10.png
Naesala
Small portrait pelleas fe10.png
Pelleas
Small portrait nasir fe10.png
Nasir
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait agony fe10.png
Agony
Small portrait tashoria fe10.png
Tashoria
Small portrait levail fe10.png
Levail

Type 3

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 3 biorhythm is somewhat erratic, spending relatively little time at Normal, Good, or Bad points. It is found on six playable units, five bosses, and one NPC.

Player Small portrait heather fe10.png
Heather
Small portrait kieran fe10.png
Kieran
Small portrait boyd fe10.png
Boyd
Small portrait lyre fe10.png
Lyre
Small portrait skrimir fe10.png
Skrimir
Small portrait oliver fe10.png
Oliver
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait aimee 02 fe10.png
Aimee
Small portrait pain fe10.png
Pain
Small portrait rommit fe10.png
Rommit
Small portrait sergei fe10.png
Sergei
Small portrait valtome fe10.png
Valtome
Small portrait lekain fe10.png
Lekain

Type 4

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 4 biorhythm is very erratic and rapidly plunges between Best and Worst points. It is found on five playable units and seven bosses.

Player Small portrait jill fe10.png
Jill
Small portrait calill fe10.png
Calill
Small portrait soren fe10.png
Soren
Small portrait shinon fe10.png
Shinon
Small portrait kyza fe10.png
Kyza
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait pugo fe10.png
Pugo
Small portrait wystan fe10.png
Wystan
Small portrait yeardley fe10.png
Yeardley
Small portrait septimus fe10.png
Septimus
Small portrait numida fe10.png
Numida
Small portrait izuka fe10.png
Izuka
Small portrait hetzel fe10.png
Hetzel

Type 5

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 5 biorhythm is somewhat erratic, spending relatively little time at Normal, Good, or Bad points. It is found on thirteen playable units and three bosses.

Player Small portrait edward fe10.png
Edward
Small portrait tormod fe10.png
Tormod
Small portrait nealuchi fe10.png
Nealuchi
Small portrait lethe fe10.png
Lethe
Small portrait mordecai fe10.png
Mordecai
Small portrait geoffrey fe10.png
Geoffrey
Small portrait titania fe10.png
Titania
Small portrait mist fe10.png
Mist
Small portrait mia fe10.png
Mia
Small portrait gatrie fe10.png
Gatrie
Small portrait reyson fe10.png
Reyson
Small portrait janaff fe10.png
Janaff
Small portrait sanaki fe10.png
Sanaki
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait zeffren fe10.png
Zeffren
Small portrait ludveck fe10.png
Ludveck
Small portrait kezhda fe10.png
Kezhda

Type 6

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 6 biorhythm is very stable, having neither Best nor Worst points and spending long periods of time in Good and Bad states. It is found on nine playable units and three bosses.

Player Small portrait sothe rogue fe10.png
Sothe
Small portrait ilyana fe10.png
Ilyana
Small portrait fiona fe10.png
Fiona
Small portrait rafiel fe10.png
Rafiel
Small portrait haar fe10.png
Haar
Small portrait bastian fe10.png
Bastian
Small portrait volke fe10.png
Volke
Small portrait giffca fe10.png
Giffca
Small portrait ena fe10.png
Ena
Small portrait sephiran fe10.png
Lehran
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait maraj fe10.png
Maraj
Small portrait lombroso fe10.png
Lombroso
Small portrait dheginsea fe10.png
Dheginsea
Small portrait sephiran fe10.png
Sephiran

Type 7

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 7 biorhythm has very long Best and Worst points and sharply shifts between them. It is found on ten playable units and one boss.

Player Small portrait laura fe10.png
Laura
Small portrait meg fe10.png
Meg
Small portrait nailah fe10.png
Nailah
Small portrait lucia 01 fe10.png
Lucia
Small portrait danved fe10.png
Danved
Small portrait ike hero fe10.png
Ike
Small portrait rolf fe10.png
Rolf
Small portrait tibarn fe10.png
Tibarn
Small portrait renning fe10.png
Renning
Small portrait gareth fe10.png
Gareth
Bosses and NPCs Small portrait laverton fe10.png
Laverton

Type 8

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 8 biorhythm is completely neutral and gives no bonuses or penalties whatseover. It is exclusive to enemy bosses.

Bosses and NPCs Small portrait radmin fe10.png
Radmin
Small portrait silvano fe10.png
Silvano
Small portrait catalena fe10.png
Catalena
Small portrait ashera fe10.png
Ashera

Type 9

Biorhythm
Best
Good
Normal
Bad
Worst

The type 9 biorhythm is similar to type 0, except it never enters Worst points. It is exclusive to enemy bosses.

Bosses and NPCs Small portrait jarod fe10.png
Jarod
Small portrait veyona fe10.png
Veyona
Small portrait goran fe10.png
Goran

Calculations

The five biorhythm states award the following bonuses

Items and skills affecting biorhythm

Items and skills affecting biorhythm
Item Effect Games
Is wii matrona.png Matrona A staff that restores all HP to a distant target. It also raises the target's biorhythm to its peak. Radiant Dawn
Is wii galdrar.png Galdrar Bliss: Raise biorhythm to its highest point.
Sorrow: Lower biorhythm to its lowest point.
Radiant Dawn

Trivia

  • Although biorhythm as a mechanic is absent in all games after Radiant Dawn, the Japanese names of the skills Odd Rhythm and Even Rhythm from Awakening refer to it and have similar effects, although their effects work on a much smaller scale.

Etymology and other languages

Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language Name Definition, etymology, and notes
English

Biorhythm

Biorhythm is a pseudoscientific theory that a person's life is affected by steady sinusoidal cycles in their physical, emotional, and intellectual states.

Japanese

バイオリズム

Biorhythm

Spanish

Biorritmo

Biorhythm

French

Rythme biologique

Biological rhythm

German

Biorhythm

Biorhythm

Italian

Biorhythm

Biorhythm

Gallery

References

  1. VincentASM, Biorhythm, Serenes Forest, Retrieved: June 25, 2016
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