Arcana are character bond cards that provide passive bonuses during Journey mode (the roguelike exploration mode). Each Arcana represents the bond between the Savior (player) and a specific character. You equip them before starting a Journey, and they boost your training, requests, starting stats, and more.
Overview
The Arcana system is a card collection and progression system layered on top of Journey mode. There are 67 total Arcana tied to characters from the game's roster. Each card:
- Is linked to one specific character
- Has a rarity grade (R, SR, or SSR)
- Provides passive bonuses that scale with level
- May grant combat stat buffs (SSR only)
- Can trigger story events during Journeys
Obtaining Arcana (Observation)
Arcana are obtained through Observation -- the game's gacha/summoning system. Available banner types include:
- Tutorial Banner -- Free pulls for new players
- Standard Banner -- Permanent pool of all Arcana
- New Captain Banner -- Rate-up for new Arcana
- Featured Banner -- Specific SSR rate-up
- Special Featured Banner -- Limited-time SSR rate-up
- Social Point Banner -- Uses social points instead of premium currency
- Nova Banner -- Daystar currency banner
Distribution: 30 SSR, 15 SR, 22 R (plus 2 special NPC Arcana -- Lisa and a shop NPC -- that are obtained through story progression rather than gacha).
Grades & Leveling
Three rarity tiers with different level caps:
| Grade | Max Level | Lv1 Cost | Max Level Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 40 | 176 Gold / 80 EXP | 23,760 Gold / 10,800 EXP | Basic promotion bonuses only |
| SR | 45 | 176 Gold / 80 EXP | 43,395 Gold / 19,725 EXP | Voice lines, journey events, promotion bonuses |
| SSR | 50 | 220 Gold / 100 EXP | 82,500 Gold / 37,500 EXP | Full features: special tag, class synergy, unique effect, voices, events, promotion bonuses |
Costs scale linearly per level. Leveling Arcana to Lv30+ earns Arcana Points (Bond Points), which are spent to activate Unique Effects during Journeys.
Limit Break (Memory Unlock)
Limit Break uses Arcana Shards (Memory Shards) to increase an Arcana's level cap:
- Each Arcana has its own dedicated shard type (tied to PieceItemId)
- Duplicate pulls of the same Arcana convert into shards
- A Special Memory Shard item exists for universal use across any Arcana
- Voice lines play when performing Limit Break (SSR/SR only)
SSR Special Tags
Each SSR Arcana grants a special combat stat buff. This is the key gameplay benefit of pulling SSR Arcana over lower grades:
| Special Tag | Effect |
|---|---|
| ATK | ATK boost |
| DEF | DEF boost |
| HP | HP boost |
| Super Effect | Super Effect boost |
| Turn Speed | SPD boost |
| Toughness | Toughness boost |
| Crit Rate | Crit Rate boost |
| Crit Damage | Crit Damage boost |
| Effect Hit | Effect Hit boost |
SR and R Arcana have no Special Tag -- they provide no direct combat stat buff.
Class Synergy
SSR Arcana also have a Class Synergy tag that determines which nurturer classes benefit from the card:
| Class Tag | Affects | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Striker | Striker nurturers | +5% Training Effect |
| Defender | Defender nurturers | +5% Training Effect |
| Ranger | Ranger nurturers | +5% Training Effect |
| Caster | Caster nurturers | +5% Training Effect |
| Assassin | Assassin nurturers | +5% Training Effect |
| Supporter | Supporter nurturers | +5% Training Effect |
| All Classes | All nurturer types | +5% Training Effect |
| Savior | Savior only | +5% Training Effect |
The "All Classes" synergy is especially valuable since it benefits every nurturer on your team. Matching class synergy is key to maximizing training gains during a Journey.
Promotion System
The Promotion system is the core power progression of Arcana. Each Arcana has a PromoteGroup containing 4-8 passive bonuses that unlock at specific Arcana levels and scale as you level up.
Promotion Types
Promotions are split into four categories based on when they activate:
| Active Type | When Active | Count | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journey Start | Journey start | 144 | Buffs starting stats, gold, stamina, PP, Bond Points |
| Training | During training | 353 | EXP gains, stat growth rates, support rates, success/fail modifiers |
| Class Training | Training (class-specific) | 73 | Boosts for matching nurturer classes |
| Request | During requests | 40 | Request success rate, gold reward increases |
Journey Start Bonuses
These give you a head start on each Journey run by buffing your starting resources:
- Starting Stats -- Bonus Power, Health, Focus, Endurance, or Protect at journey start (scales per level)
- Starting Gold -- Extra gold to spend during the journey
- Starting Stamina -- Extra max stamina for more actions per run
- Starting PP -- Extra Planet Points
- Starting Bond Points -- Extra Arcana Points for activating Unique Effects
Training Bonuses
These improve your training outcomes throughout the journey:
- Training EXP Rate Up -- % increase to EXP gained from training
- Training Increase Value Up -- Flat bonus to stat increases per training
- Training Increase Value Rate Up -- % increase to stat increase values
- Training Support Rate Up -- % increase to support success rate
- Big Success Bonus -- Increased chance of big success during training
- Training Fail Down -- Reduced penalty on training failure
- Training Condition Efficiency Up -- Better results when training conditions are met
Class-Specific Training Bonuses
Similar to general training bonuses but only apply when training nurturers of a matching class (Striker, Defender, Ranger, Caster, Assassin, Supporter). These stack with the general training bonuses.
Request Bonuses
Improvements to the request/favor system:
- Request Success Rate Up -- Higher chance of request success
- Request Gold Increase -- More gold from completed requests
How Promotions Scale
Each promotion has an UnlockLevel and a PromotePerLevel interval:
- The bonus activates once you reach the unlock level
- Every N levels after that (based on the promotion's per-level interval), the bonus increases
- For example: a promotion that unlocks at Lv10 with a per-level interval of 10 and a base value of 8 with +1 per level would give +8 at Lv10, +9 at Lv20, +10 at Lv30, etc.
Arcana-Specific Promotes
50 of the 610 promotions are Arcana-specific -- they have a PromoteId matching an ArcanaId (ID >= 7,000,000). These are unique bonuses unlocked at Lv35+ that only that specific Arcana provides. They typically grant large flat bonuses (e.g., +150 to a training value).
Unique Effects
30 SSR Arcana have Unique Effects -- powerful abilities that cost Bond Points (Arcana Points) to activate during a Journey. Bond Points are earned by leveling any Arcana to Lv30+.
| Property | Details |
|---|---|
| Cost | 30-70 Bond Points (most commonly 50) |
| Activation | Must spend Bond Points during Journey to activate |
| Duration | Active for the rest of the current Journey |
Unique Effects come in three types based on their icon:
- Training type (17 Arcana) -- Enhances general training outcomes
- Training Tag type (7 Arcana) -- Enhances training for specific nurturer classes
- Request type (6 Arcana) -- Enhances request/favor outcomes
Examples of unique effect names (localized):
- Bell -- "Mutual Arrangements" (40 BP)
- Emily -- "Battle Readiness" (70 BP)
- Charlotte -- "The Grand Master's Prestige" (30 BP)
- Carmen -- "Secret Recipe Soup" (60 BP)
- Luna -- "Lunar Blessing" (50 BP)
Journey Events
65 Arcana have story event chains that trigger during Journeys:
- 45 Arcana have 3 sequential events (event 1 -> event 2 -> event 3)
- 20 Arcana have 1 standalone event
- Events are non-repeatable narrative cutscenes featuring that character
- Events form linear chains -- each event requires clearing the previous one
- Only SSR and SR Arcana have journey events (R grade has none)
These events add narrative flavor to Journey runs and may include voiced dialogue from the linked character.
Formation & Presets
Before starting a Journey, you equip Arcana into your Arcana Formation:
- All formation slots must be filled before starting a Journey
- Cannot equip an Arcana featuring the same character as your chosen Savior
- Up to 16 presets can be saved and copied for quick switching
Central Tactics
Arcana power can also enhance the Savior's base stats through the Central/Tactics system:
- Equip Arcana to boost the Savior's ATK, HP, or DEF
- This is separate from Journey bonuses -- it applies to regular combat
Full Arcana List
All names below are from the English localization. Data verified from game files.
SSR Arcana (30)
| Character | Arcana Name | Special Tag | Class Synergy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asherah | Young Lady of Stranis | HP | All |
| Annah | Undercover Cop | Toughness | All |
| Besta | A Satisfying Meal | Toughness | Defender |
| Bell | Deep Mourning | Crit Rate | Ranger |
| Carmen | Night View Beyond the Window | Super Effect | Savior |
| Ceres | An Unseen Place | Super Effect | All |
| Claire (Bunny) | The Perfect Bunny Girl | HP | All |
| Charlotte | A Knight's Oath | Turn Speed | All |
| Charlotte (Bunny) | A Clumsy Way to Relieve Desire | Super Effect | Assassin |
| Dana | A Stroll with Friends | Crit Rate | Caster |
| Elisa | Divine Trial | DEF | All |
| Emily | A Quiet Moment of Rest | Super Effect | Defender |
| Frey | The Princess Ascends the Throne | Super Effect | Supporter |
| Frey (Bunny) | The Indomitable Masterpiece | Crit Damage | All |
| Harley | Born to Be Wild | Toughness | All |
| Hilde | Nostalgia Strikes Back | Super Effect | Defender |
| Kyra | As Cute as Kyra! | Turn Speed | Assassin |
| Lacy | No Pain, No Gain | ATK | All |
| Lily | There's Only One Truth | ATK | Caster |
| Lyn | Under the Glass Moon, Over the Pavilion | ATK | All |
| Muriel | Divine Judgement | Crit Damage | Caster |
| Naru | Dreams Under the Stars | Crit Rate | All |
| Omega | The Imaginary Pioneer | Super Effect | All |
| Petra | Made by Petra | Crit Rate | All |
| Roberta | Responsibility Atop a Pile of Paperwork | Super Effect | Savior |
| Rosaria | The End Wears the Face of a Girl | ATK | Ranger |
| Scarlet (Bunny) | The Great and Amazing Bunny Girl | Effect Hit | Savior |
| Tanya | Master of Fried Food | Super Effect | Savior |
| Vera | More Than Professional | Super Effect | Supporter |
| Yoo Mina | Experienced Mercenary | Super Effect | Savior |
SR Arcana (15)
| Character | Arcana Name |
|---|---|
| Asherah | The Beginning of the Journey |
| Claire (Bunny) | Cleaning, and an Unexpected Guest |
| Clarissa | Eagle-Eyed Hunter |
| Epindel | Foundation of Elegance |
| Haydee | Silent Hatred |
| Lugh | Final Touches |
| Luna | Beyond the Moon |
| Lydia | A Satisfying Bloom |
| Marcille | Rabbit Town |
| Roberta | Enough Chit-Chat |
| Scarlet (Bunny) | Assault of the Rampaging Dragon |
| Seira | Butterfly of Phantasm |
| Serpang | Sweet, Fluffy, Zzz... |
| Smile | Cats Do Not Smile |
| Trish | Choosing the Next Prey |
R Arcana (22)
| Character | Arcana Name |
|---|---|
| Asherah | The Girl Chasing the Stars |
| Annah | Baton of the People |
| Besta | Shield of the West |
| Carmen | Knights' Shield |
| Ceres | Sword of the West |
| Claire (Bunny) | Master Maid |
| Charlotte | Grand Master of the Wild Roses |
| Dana | Druid Out of the Forest |
| Freya | Blue-Blooded Entrepreneur |
| Harley | Galloping Spirit of the Plains |
| Kyra | Girl of Kotodama |
| Lily | Rabbit with Two Faces |
| Lisette (NPC) | Pathfinder of Starlight |
| Lisa (NPC) | Pathfinder of Starlight |
| Lugh | Ice-Forged Blade |
| Luna | Like an Oracle to Flames |
| Lydia | Serpent of the West |
| Naru | Ambitious Newcomer |
| Serpang | Mystic's Partner |
| Smile | Just One Smile, Please |
| Clarissa | Eagle-Eyed Hunter |
| Vera | Brave Courier |
Tips
- Prioritize SSR Arcana -- the Special Tag combat buff and Class Synergy make them significantly stronger than SR/R
- Match Class Synergy -- equipping an Arcana with class synergy matching your nurturers gives +5% training effect, which compounds over a Journey
- Level multiple Arcana -- you need Bond Points from Lv30+ Arcana to activate Unique Effects, so spread your EXP items across several cards
- Save Bond Points for key Unique Effects -- some cost 30 BP (cheap) while others cost 70 BP (expensive); plan which effects you want per Journey
- Farm limit breaks -- duplicate Arcana convert to shards for limit break, raising the level cap and unlocking higher-tier promotions
- Build presets -- with up to 16 preset slots, save formations optimized for different Journey content (training-focused, request-focused, boss-focused)
- Central Tactics -- don't forget to equip Arcana in the Central system too, as it boosts the Savior's base combat stats