While some fantasy RPGs do have recruitment systems where players can have new units in their party, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch instead has Familiars. These are creatures all around the overworld that players can Tame into becoming their pets, and eventually companions that can accompany them in combat.
With each Familiar having their own unique appearance, characteristics, stats, and even combat capabilities, players of the Ni no Kuni title should take extra care in ensuring their chosen Familiars are well-taken care of in order to maximize their potential. But first things first, just how exactly can players Tame Familiars in Wrath of the White Witch?
What Are Familiars?
In the world of Ni no Kuni, Familiars are simply various creatures that players were able to Tame and convince to fight on their side throughout their journey. The sole difference between a Familiar and a regular creature is the fact that they are owned by the player, meaning almost all creatures in the game are capable of being Tamed into an ally of the protagonists.
Interestingly enough, Familiars may also act as substitutes or reinforcements for characters as they can fight on their behalf. When summoned, Familiars use their various abilities in order to help players defeat other opponents.
How To Tame Familiars?
Players don’t just acquire Familiars on the get-go, however. Before players can have a Familiar do their bidding, they first need to do a process called Taming. While this is a crucial in-game mechanic, it’s only introduced after players complete the Temple of Trials.
This is a location where protagonists Oliver and Esther must overcome a series of challenges in order to have Oliver become a sage-in-making and for Esther to become capable of Taming Familiars. It’s through Esther that players can actually pull off the game’s core Taming mechanic.
Enter Serenade
Similar to Oliver and the other characters, Esther also has unique combat mechanics that separates her from the rest of the team in terms of battle contribution. On her end, Esther can use the harp in order to cast various spells as the Ni no Kuni game’s go-to spellcaster, and among the special abilities she could cast is Serenade.
When Esther unlocks this ability after the Temple of Trials, all creatures they fight now have a chance of causing Hearts to appear above their head when they fall close to defeating the creature. There is a 4-25% chance of this happening, and this indicates that the creature has fallen in love in the player. Should this happen, players must stop combat immediately and have Esther use Serenade on them instead.
Get Jack Of Hearts
In the Ni no Kuni game, players may want to acquire Jack of Hearts in order to boost their chances of Taming Familiars. This is acquired once players give four (4) Merit Award Cards to the game, and this is located in the third awards tier.
Thanks to this Merit Award, players may be able to use Serenade on creatures much easier, allowing them to avoid having to find them over and over again just for Taming attempts.
How To Take Care Of Familiars?
Once players obtain their Familiars, they need to take care of them like regular pets. Despite how independent they seem to be, these Familiars need regular care and attention in order to perform ot the fullest. At its core, players simply need to feed their Familiars with any kind of treat in order for their Familiars to get satiated or meet its Fullness, as well as boost its other stats.
However, it’s important for players to check their Wizard’s Companion from time to time, as a Familiar genus does have a specific favorite treat. When fed with their favorite treat, a Familiar will get a boost in their Familiarity, which denotes their closeness with the players.
What Are Astral Signs?
Similar to Typing in Pokemon, gameplay with Familiars in Wrath of the White Witch also follow a monster-type system. In this case, each Familiar can fall under one Astral Sign, all of which have different relationships with each other. Sometimes, a Familiar can be born under double Astral Signs, which have different effects as well. These signs follow a rock-paper-scissors format, which is the following:
- Sun Sign: This deals 20% more damage to Moon Signs, and deals 20% less damage to Star Signs.
- Moon Sign: This deals 20% more damage to Star Signs, and deals 20% less damage to Sun Signs.
- Star Sign: This deals 20% more damage to Sun Signs, and deals 20% less damage to Moon Signs.
- Double Sun/Moon/Star: The above relationship applies, except they now deal 30% more or less damage against them.
- Planet Sign: They aren’t affected by the primary trio, except for the fact that they deal 50% more damage to Double Planet Signs.
- Double Planet Sign: They deal 10% more damage against all the other Signs and Double Signs, except Planet Signs.
What Is A Metamorphosis?
Again sharing a similarity with Evolutions in Pokemon, the gameplay with Familiars in Wrath of the White Witch also has room for a Familiar improvement system. Called Metamorphosis, certain Familiars are able to achieve a stronger form once fed with a stone appropriate to their Astral Sign.
When done so, the Familiar will transform into a much stronger version of themselves, complete with a potentially different appearance and color scheme. A Familiar can experience up to three Metamorphoses, with the third variant allowing players to choose between two (2) new forms that have different playstyles. For instance, in the case of the elusive Toko, its third form Tokotocold is a freezing-reliant variant, whereas the Docotoko is a healer variant.
How Do Familiars Perform In Combat?
Aside from members of the main party, players can actually recruit Familiars to aid them in combat. When summoned, Familiars share the HP and MP of players while they have a set Stamina that depletes through the course of combat. If their Stamina is depleted, the Familiar retreats and recharges before being able to make another appearance.
Moreover, aside from the default set of offensive and defensive attacks that they learn throughout leveling up, Familiars may also acquire what are called Tricks. These are element-based special moves that can be equipped to Familiars in order to generate effects, such as spells in other RPGs like Final Fantasy. Moreover, acquiring golden glims from opponents can allow Familiars to cast Miracle Moves, or no-cost Tricks that are extremely powerful in nature.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch was released for the Xbox One and Series X/S last September 15, 2022. The game is also available for the Switch, PS3, PS4, and the PC.