The following is a list of mutations in Final Fantasy Explorers. Mutations are effects that can be added to abilities making them useful. Abilities can be altered to be more powerful, boost stats, cause status effects, increase casting speed, and do much more compared to the original ability. To mutate an ability, the player must activate a Crystal Surge then use the ability they wish to mutate. Players can buy and rename the mutated ability from the Central Crystal after the mission is completed.

Overview

Each ability is limited to a certain set of mutations. Attack abilities (Moonlight Slash) will have access to specific damaging and debuffing abilities, while defensive abilities (Cure) can mutate to buff and protect the player. Each ability has certain compatible mutations, for example Moonlight Slash can use Ice but not Multi-hit. Each ability can have 16 total mutations with up to 8 of them being unique. Here are two examples:

Cherry Blossom16
Mutation Name	Number of Mutations
Link:Peerless Illusion	2
Light	3
Resonance Boost	1
Front Attack	2
Back Attack	2
Bypass Defense	2
Resonance Factor	1
Absorb HP	3

Cure16
Mutation Name	Number of Mutations
Recover HP	3
Remove Ailments	5
Regen	8

Certain mutations will always be effective such as P-Attack↑, while some rely on chance like Haste. Having multiple mutations increase the effect or chance of the effect, however most effects have diminishing returns past the first mutation point. Because of this, a variety of mutations is generally more effective on an ability (especially with damaging mutations). Abilities will also become more difficult to mutate with each additional point, i.e. each Crystal Surge use is less likely to result in a successful mutation. It should be noted that mutations do not stack with the same equipment skills.

Status ailments

All status ailments mutations have a percent chance of inflicting that effect with each attack. Stacking mutations will increase the chance of the effect occurring. Weak monsters are generally weaker to ailments while tough and late-game monsters will be less likely to be affected. Some monsters (especially Eidolons) are immune to certain statuses, and instant death will not kill an Eidolon. Note: The katana skill Quarte has a 100% chance to inflict all mutated statuses.

Death

Small chance to inflict Death, killing the monster.

• Obtained from Slash Affinity Crystal Surge.

Confuse

Chance to inflict Confuse, stunning the monster.

• Obtained from Strike Affinity Crystal Surge.

Fog

Chance to inflict Fog, preventing physical abilities.

• Obtained from Thrust Affinity Crystal Surge.

Disable

Chance to inflict Disable, preventing all attacks.

• Obtained from Shot Affinity Crystal Surge.

Burn

Chance to inflict Burn, dealing damage and reducing defense.

• Obtained from Fire Affinity Crystal Surge.

Freeze

Chance to inflict Freeze, preventing all actions.

• Obtained from Ice Affinity Crystal Surge.

Paralyze

Chance to inflict Paralyze, preventing attacks and reducing movement speed.

• Obtained from Thunder Affinity Crystal Surge.

Immobilize

Chance to inflict Immobilize, preventing movement.

• Obtained from Earth Affinity Crystal Surge.

Sleep

Chance to inflict Sleep, stunning the monster and increasing damage from the next attack.

• Obtained from Wind Affinity Crystal Surge.

Silence

Chance to inflict Silence, preventing magic abilities.

• Obtained from Water Affinity Crystal Surge.

Slow

Chance to inflict Slow, reducing movement speed.

• Obtained from Light Affinity Crystal Surge.

Blind

Chance to inflict Blind, reducing accuracy.

• Obtained from Dark Affinity Crystal Surge.

Poison

Chance to inflict Poison, dealing damage and reducing attack.

• Obtained from Immunity Shock Crystal Surge.

Stone

Chance to inflict Stone, preventing all actions.

• Obtained from Eye of Medusa Crystal Surge.

Stop

Chance to inflict Stop, preventing all actions.

• Obtained from Moment's Respite Crystal Surge.

Elemental affinities

Elemental affinity mutations add a percent damage to the ability. This damage is separate from all other damage meaning more than 9999 damage can be dealt. Stacking a mutation will increase damage, but stacking heavily falls off after the second point. Multiple types elemental mutations will not increase damage, but instead the highest damage mutation will take priority. Light is commonly mutated because most Eidolons are weak to that element.

Slash

Adds Slash damage.

• Obtained from Slash Affinity Crystal Surge.

Strike

Adds Strike damage.

• Obtained from Strike Affinity Crystal Surge.

Thrust

Adds Thrust damage.

• Obtained from Thrust Affinity Crystal Surge.

Shot

Adds Shot damage.

• Obtained from Shot Affinity Crystal Surge.

Fire

Adds Fire damage.

• Obtained from Fire Affinity Crystal Surge.

Water

Adds Water damage.

• Obtained from Water Affinity Crystal Surge.

Ice

Adds Ice damage.

• Obtained from Ice Affinity Crystal Surge.

Wind

Adds Wind damage.

• Obtained from Wind Affinity Crystal Surge.

Thunder

Adds Thunder damage.

• Obtained from Thunder Affinity Crystal Surge.

Earth

Adds Earth damage.

• Obtained from Earth Affinity Crystal Surge.

Light

Adds Light damage.

• Obtained from Light Affinity Crystal Surge.

Dark

Adds Dark damage.

• Obtained from Dark Affinity Crystal Surge.

Unique damage modifiers

These mutations add damage based on specific criteria. Most of these mutations add a percent damage to the ability and will stack with one another to increase damage in that situation.

Front Attack

Increases damage if you attack an enemy from the front. Commonly combined with Back Attack to ensure damage is added to each attack.

• Obtained from Eye of Medusa Crystal Surge.

Back Attack

Increases damage if you attack an enemy from behind. Commonly combined with Front Attack to ensure damage is added to each attack.

• Obtained from Rear Strike Crystal Surge.

HP Power Factor

Increases damage when at high or full health. Max damage is at max health, and adding to your total health does not increase this effect.

• Obtained from Top Form Crystal Surge.

HP Inverse Factor

Increases damage based on how low your health is. Max damage near death.

• Obtained from Rock Bottom Crystal Surge.

AP inverse Factor

Increases damage based on how low your AP is. Max damage near 0 AP. With an AP absorb effect, this makes restoring AP when low easier.

• Obtained from Rock Bottom Crystal Surge.

Buff Factor

Increases damage based on how many buffs you have. Useful in combination with stat↑ buffs.

• Obtained from Top Form Crystal Surge.

Debuff Factor

Increases damage based on how many debuffs a monster has. Useful in combination with stat↓ debuffs.

• Obtained from Immunity Shock Crystal Surge.

Range Factor

Increases damage based on the distance your attack travels. A longer range will increase damage, but Range↑ does not increase this damage. Maximum damage will always be at the attacks' maximum range.

• Obtained from Supersnipe Crystal Surge.

Resonance Factor

Increases damage/effect based on your resonance gauge. This boosts the default effect the resonance gauge has on abilities.

• Obtained from Burst of Resonance Crystal Surge.

Carnage Factor

Increases damage based on how many monsters you have defeated. Damage is capped around 20 kills.

• Obtained from Tonberry Karma Crystal Surge.

Combo Factor

Increases damage based on how many attacks in quick succession you've made. You cannot regularly see the combo number, but damage will increase with each hit.

• Obtained from Combo Boost Crystal Surge.

Multi-hit

Increases the number of attacks an ability has by one. This does not increase the animation time and has a maximum stack of two.

• Obtained from Fleeting Dream Crystal Surge.

Exploit Weakness

Increases damage done by elements if the enemy is weak to it. Useful in combination with elemental affinities.

• Obtained from Critical Star Crystal Surge.

Bypass Defense

Ignores a portion of Physical and Magic Defense of the monster (applies to the attack, not as a debuff). Very useful against Omega.

• Obtained from Defense Void Crystal Surge.

Critical Power↑

Increases the damage of critical hits. Useful in combination with Critical↑.

• Obtained from 1,000 Needle Mode Crystal Surge.

Miscellaneous effects

Link ability

Link ability is arguably the most valuable mutation. It increases the damage, starts the next ability sooner, and greatly increases the animation speed of the next attack. This allows the player to quickly chain abilities together. Only certain abilities can be linked together and are usually within the same magic/weapon skill set (list here). Stacking mutations increases damage.

• Obtained from Endless Link Crystal Surge.

Absorb HP

Causes abilities to absorb a percentage of damage dealt as HP. Stacking mutations increases this effect.

• Obtained from Megadrain Crystal Surge.

Absorb AP

Causes abilities to absorb a percentage of damage dealt as AP. Stacking mutations increases this effect.

• Obtained from Megadrain Crystal Surge.

Area of Effect↑

Increases the area of effect of the ability. Stacking mutations increases the area.

• Obtained from Giant Crystal Surge.

Trance Boost

Increases the amount (percentage?) of trance gained from the ability. Stacking the mutation increases this effect.

• Obtained from Heightened Trance Crystal Surge.

Resonance Boost

Increases the amount (percentage?) of resonance gained from the ability. Stacking this mutation increases the effect.

• Obtained from Burst of Resonance Crystal Surge.

Malice Accrual↑

Attacks raise malice faster, drawing more enemy aggression. Stacking mutations increases this effect.

• Obtained from Giant Crystal Surge.

Malice Accrual↓

Attacks raise malice slower, drawing less enemy aggression. Stacking mutations increases this effect.

• Obtained from Stealth Crystal Surge.

Stat altering

These mutations temporarily increase stats at a 100% chance, or reduce enemy stats (usually at a high rate). The debuffs are generally less effective (but not bad) late-game. Stacking these mutations increases the magnitude of the effect.

P-Defense↑

Increases Physical Defense for a short time.

• Obtained from Superarmor Crystal Surge.

M-Defense↑

Increases Magic Defense for a short time.

• Obtained from Superarmor Crystal Surge.

P-Attack↑

Increases Physical Attack for a short time.

• Obtained from Physical Breakout Crystal Surge.

M-Attack↑

Increases Magic Attack for a short time.

• Obtained from Magic Breakout Crystal Surge.

P-Attack↓

High change to decrease Physical Attack for a short time.

• Obtained from Damage Screen Crystal Surge.

M-Attack↓

High change to decrease Magic Attack for a short time.

• Obtained from Damage Screen Crystal Surge.

P-Defense↓

High change to decrease Physical Defense for a short time.

• Obtained from Agony Crystal Surge.

M-Defense↓

High change to decrease Magic Defense for a short time.

• Obtained from Agony Crystal Surge.

Elemental Resist↑

Increases Elemental Resistance for a short time, greatly reducing damage from elemental affinities.

• Obtained from Undermine Crystal Surge.

Elemental Resist↓

High chance to decrease Elemental Resistance for a short time, greatly increasing damage from elemental affinities.

• Obtained from Undermine Crystal Surge.

Range↑

Increases range of the ability. This affects the distance travelled of projectiles and cast distance of magic. Does not increase the damage of Range Factor.

• Obtained from Supersnipe Crystal Surge.

Critical Rate↑

Increases Critical Rate for a short time, increasing the chance of a critical hit from all attacks. Useful in combination with Critical Power↑.

• Obtained from Critical Star Crystal Surge.

Chance effects

Chance effects have a percent chance of activating with each ability use. Stacking these mutations increases the chance of this effect.

Haste

Chance to cast Haste on target, increasing Mobility and AP recovery speed.

• Obtained from Hyper Speed Crystal Surge.

Regen

Chance to cast Regen on target, restoring health over time.

• Obtained from Hyper Recovery Crystal Surge.

Create Image

Chance to cast Create Image on target, causing most physical attacks to miss.

• Obtained from Fleeting Dream Crystal Surge.

Reflect

Chance to cast Reflect on target, causing most magic attacks to be returned to the caster.

• Obtained from Twofold Return Crystal Surge.

Float

Chance to cast Float (status) on target, ignoring terrain damage and Quake magics.

• Obtained from Angel's Litany Crystal Surge.

Reraise

Small chance to cast Reraise on target, instantly reviving them after death.

• Obtained from Angel's Litany Crystal Surge.

Invisibility

Chance to cast Invisibility on target, making them untargetable.

• Obtained from Stealth Crystal Surge.

Instant Cooldown

Chance to instantly reset the cooldown of the ability, allowing it to be used again.

• Obtained from Endless Link Crystal Surge.

Guaranteed effects

These effects are guaranteed to activate on each ability use.

Recover HP

Recovers HP. One mutation is less effective than Cure, but similarly scales with Spirit. Stacking this mutation increases the amount of HP recovered.

• Obtained from Hyper Recovery Crystal Surge.

Remove Ailments

Removes a random status ailment. Stacking this mutation increases the number of ailments removed.

• Obtained from Bypass Buffs Crystal Surge.

Remove Buffs

Remove a random enemy buff. Stacking this mutation increases the number of buffs removed.

• Obtained from Bypass Buffs Crystal Surge.

Faster Cooldown

Reduces the cooldown of all abilities for a few seconds. Stacking this mutation increases the effect.

• Obtained from Hyper Speed Crystal Surge.

Duration↑

Increases the duration of an ability's effect and of all mutated effects by a small amount. Stacking this ability increases the duration.

• Obtained from Moment's Respite Crystal Surge.