Instills cowardice, reducing a distant unit's bravery for the duration of battle.
The Ivalice Chronicles' description
Trepidation, also known as Foxbird, is a Mystic Arts ability in Final Fantasy Tactics, learned by the mystic job. It charges a spell that reduces the bravery stat of a single distant unit, lowering the chances of their reaction abilities activating, as well the damage of certain jobs. The action ability must be learned by expending JP earned for the mystic job.
Other abilities that can reduce bravery include the orator's Intimidate. The templar has access to abilities equal to the mystic's spells, but as instant casts that only target one unit; Trepidation's equivalent being Chicken.
Certain enemy abilities, namely the Dread Gaze from the ahriman, can decrease a unit's bravery.
Obtained
Trepidation costs 200 JP to be spent on the mystic job. Once the unit has learned it, it is available for other jobs as long as they have the Mystic Arts or Arithmeticks skillset equipped.
If a unit that knows Trepidation becomes a crystal, a human unit picking up the crystal may learn Trepidation without spending JP, as long as said unit has unlocked the mystic job.
Mechanics
Cowards, weak, those rushing to die! Foxbird!
Upon casting
Trepidation costs 20 MP with a charge time of 25 speed and can only affect one unit at a time. Magick has a chance to hit based on the caster's faith and the target's faith. Trepidation's chance of success is based on the following formula:
This means that the higher both the caster and the target's faith stats, the higher the chances of the Trepidation spell to take effect.
Trepidation reduces the targeted unit's bravery by 30. The stat affects the chances of success for most reaction abilities, as well the physical attack power of bare hands, katanas, and knight swords. If a unit has their bravery fall to 9 or lower, they will become afflicted with the Chicken status, become uncontrollable, and will flee from enemies on every turn, as well well take increased damage from physical attacks.
The reduced bravery lasts the duration of the battle, but can also permanently decrease a unit's bravery over time. The formula for calculating the new bravery stat is:
A unit whose permanent bravery score drops too low (5 or below) will leave Ramza's company out of cowardice (except Ramza himself), and between 6 and 15 bravery (both including), the player will be given a desertion warning after battles.
The unit can still attempt to cast magick even without the required MP, but it will fail upon activating.
Trepidation can be reflected, and will be nullified against a unit with zero faith or under the Atheist status; however, the Chicken status effect will persist if the unit was inflicted with it before becoming affected by Atheist, or by having their faith reduced to zero. Trepidation can be cast instantly by the arithmetician job command, Arithmeticks, and works with Magick Counter.
The Chicken status effect cannot be prevented; the affected unit will regain 1 bravery per turn, and will return to normal once reaching 10 bravery. Boss enemies are immune to the ailment but still can have their bravery reduced below 10.
Use
Trepidation has a niche use to reduce the chances of success for enemies' reaction abilities, or to reduce the physical attack power of monks and samurais. In most situations, however, it is more worthy to deal damage to the target, or cast more impactful ailments, such as Disable.
The player can cast Trepidation on their own units to permanently decrease their bravery, which is only useful for the chemist's Treasure Hunter support ability, as the chances of finding hidden treasures increase the lower the unit's bravery is.
Trepidation is particularly useful in the battle against Messam Elmdore at Limberry Castle during chapter 4, "In the Name of Love", if the player wants to steal his Genji equipment as well as the Masamune. Elmdore comes comes equipped with the samurai's Shirahadori, which vastly increases his physical evasion, making almost impossible to snatch his items unless his bravery is decreased. Elmdore's equipment cannot be stolen in the original Japanese version or in the War of the Lions enhanced port.
Behind the scenes
In the PlayStation version, a mystic casting Trepidation may chant: "Cowards, weak, those rushing to die! Foxbird!" Spellcasting chants are not used in The War of the Lions version, but return in The Ivalice Chronicles with new localization.