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Tome

From Fire Emblem Wiki, your source on Fire Emblem information. By fans, for fans.
Revision as of 17:00, 12 July 2019 by PikaSamus (talk | contribs)
File:TCGCipher Yubello 01.jpg
Yubello casting a fire spell from a tome in Fire Emblem Cipher.

The tome (Japanese: 魔道書 magic book) is a magical weapon type in the Fire Emblem series which debuted in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light and appears in six games - Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Mystery of the Emblem, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem, Awakening, and Fates. While other games in the series commonly split magic offensive magic into multiple types based on elemental affiliation, the tome weapon type contains all offensive spells in a variety of elemental affilitations under a single weapon type.

In Fire Emblem Fates, the scroll (Japanese: spell) is the Hoshidan counterpart to the tome. They share the same weapon level as tomes, and can be used just as easily by tome-wielding Nohr units and classes. Compared to their Nohrian counterpart, scrolls are just as powerful yet less accurate, but each scroll gives its own stat boost to the user to compensate. The stat boosts themselves are not uniform among all scrolls unlike the other Hoshidan weapons.

Most of the Hoshido scroll lineup forms a numbered hierarchy featuring animal gods based on the Chinese zodiac. The scroll items themselves are collections of ofuda, talismans in the Shinto tradition, which levitate in a circle when the user is casting a scroll and are held in the shape of fans when inactive.

There are 67 different tomes available in the series.

Overview

Tomes are a magical weapon type, so their damage calculations use their wielder's magic stat and target their oppponent's resistance stat, rather than strength and defense. While physical weapons are usually locked to either 1 or 2 range with uncommon exceptions, attacking at both 1 and 2 range is the standard range for tomes. In every appearance except Fates, they are entirely separate from the weapon triangle, but the Fates rearranging of the weapon triangle added tomes to it and had them behave the same way as swords, giving them an advantage over axes/clubs and bows/yumi and a disadvantage to lances/naginata and daggers/shuriken.

In Awakening and Fates, there are some tomes which - while classified as tomes and maintained under the tome weapon level - are considered dark magic and are locked exclusively to the Dark Mage, Sorcerer and units which possess the Shadowgift skill.

In-universe role

Main article: Magic (element)

In the worlds of the Fire Emblem series, tomes are the standard form taken by the offensive magic used by humans, with the only known exception being the scrolls of Hoshido. In Archanea at least, tomes are vessels which contain the powers of nature itself, and the use of tomes manipulates these energies to the magician's will. The people of Archanea were introduced to tomes by the divine dragon Gotoh, who wished to share the secrets of magic with humans to further their prosperity, but humans started using tomes as tools of war instead.[1]

Tomes in the Fire Emblem series

Note: This table lists all appearances of the weapons in question. They are only classified as tomes in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Mystery of the Emblem, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem, Awakening and Fates; only their special properties relevant to their appearances as tomes are listed, and their classifications in other games are noted.

Basic tomes

Weapon Available in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Arcfire --
Arcthunder --
Arcwind --
Blizzard --
Bolganone --
Dying Blaze --
Elfire --
Elthunder --
Elwind --
Ember --
Fire --
Flux --
Ginnungagap --
Reese's Tome --
Katarina's Bolt --
Mjölnir --
Merric's Tome --
Rexcalibur --
Shaver --
Sleet --
Thoron --
Thunder --
Wilderwind --
A means that the weapon is available in that game, while a indicates the contrary.

Tomes with special effects

Weapon Available in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Bird Spirit --
Calamity Gate --
Celica's Gale --
Disrobing Gale --
Dragon Spirit --
Dulam --
Fimbulvetr --
Glower --
Horse Spirit --
Iago's Tome --
Ink Painting --
Izana's Scroll --
Lightning --
Malevolent Text --
Meteor --
Miasma --
Micaiah's Pyre --
Mire --
Monkey Spirit --
Moonlight --
Nosferatu --
Odin's Grimoire --
Ox Spirit --
Paper --
Rabbit Spirit --
Rat Spirit --
Ragnarok --
Robin's Primer --
Sheep Spirit --
Snake Spirit --
Speed Thunder --
Superior Jolt --
Swarm --
Tiger Spirit --
Waste --
A means that the weapon is available in that game, while a indicates the contrary.

Regalia and personal tomes

Weapon Available in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Aura --
Book of Naga --
Brynhildr --
Excalibur --
Forseti --
Imhullu --
Missiletainn --
Mjölnir --
Starlight --
Thoron --
Valflame --
A means that the weapon is available in that game, while a indicates the contrary.

Classes capable of using tomes

Class Wields tomes in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Mage --
Bishop --
Dark Mage --
Sage --
Sorcerer --
Valkyrie --
Dark Knight --
Dark Falcon --
Tactician --
Grandmaster --
Dread Fighter --
Nohr Noble --
Strategist --
Malig Knight --
Witch --
Oni Chieftain --
Diviner --
Basara --
Onmyoji --
A means that the class wields tomes in that game, while a indicates the contrary.

Trivia

Etymology and other languages

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

Tome

A book, usually with a magical connotation.

Spanish

Magia
Libro mágico

Magic
Magic book

French

Magie

Magic

German

Magie

Magic

Italian

Magia

Magic

Scroll

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

Scroll

--

Spanish

Rollo

Scroll

French

Parchemin

Parchment

German

Schriftrolle

Scroll

Italian

Pergamena

Parchment

Gallery

References

  1. "Magic relies on containing nature's energies in "tomes" and "staves", freely manipulating these energies to harness great power. A few centuries ago, a lone sage founded an academy here, teaching magic's secrets. However, instead of bringing happiness, magic was soon used as a tool of war and a thing to be traded. The sage was disappointed, and vanished from the pages of history. Though there is no confirmation, some say that was the Archsage Gotoh." — Opening narration of Chapter 9, Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem

See also

Weapon types
Physical weapons ArtAxeBow (Ballista)CannonballGauntletsDaggerLanceSword
Magical weapons Anima (FireThunderWind)Black magicDarkLightStaffTome (Blue tomeColorless tomeGreen tomeRed tome)White magic
Other weapons BreathCrest StoneSpecialStoneStrike, beast, and monster weapons
Tomes
Basic tomes ArcfireArcthunderBlizzardBolganoneDying BlazeElfireElthunderEmberFireFimbulvetrGinnungagapKatarina's BoltMjölnirRagnarokReese's TomeSleetSwarmThoronThunder
Long-range tomes MeteorSwarm
Tomes with secondary effects ArcwindCelica's GaleCutting GaleDisrobing GaleDulamElsurgeElwindGlowerIago's TomeLightningMerric's TomeMicaiah's PyreMjölnir (Fates)MoonlightNosferatuNovaOdin's GrimoireRexcaliburRobin's PrimerSpeed ThunderSuperior JoltSurgeWilderwindWind
Regalia and personal tomes AuraBook of NagaBrynhildrExcaliburForsetiImhulluMissiletainnMjölnirObscuritéStarlightValflame
Scrolls
Main hierarchy 1st: Rat Spirit • 2nd: Ox Spirit • 3rd: Tiger Spirit • 4th: Rabbit Spirit • 5th: Dragon Spirit • 6th: Snake Spirit • 7th: Horse Spirit • 8th: Sheep Spirit • 9th: Monkey Spirit • 10th: Bird Spirit
Other spells Calamity GateInk PaintingIzana's ScrollMalevolent TextPaper