Question about stats

[Myotis Seraphim]

Is equipment the only way to raise a character's stats? I read elsewhere that skills raise them or something similar, so I'm a bit confused on the matter.

[codehunter87]

Leveling up a character's skills CAN increase their base attack value, for both their physical weapon and their skill.

Take, for example, Jonathan. His whip starts weak, but as he levels up his sub-weapons, his whip grows stronger as well as the subweapon. However, it may take more than one subweapon level to notice a difference in the whip's power.

For Charolette, learning more spells and maxing out their level is the key, and as her Book of Binding levels up, it changes the attack animation and hit box.

For Shanoa, Whip Users, Maria, Fuma, and Yoko, you have to use the skills in question to level them up. For Soma, Alucard, and Charolette you need to collect more copies of the skill.

Please note, it's debatable if leveling skills powers up Alucard or Soma's base attack though. Mainly because for them, equipment is their main stay. For Shanoa, she can find other weapon glyphs, but she still needs to level her skills to power up.

Also note, skills found only in the DLC chapters does NOT contribute to Attack power, unless that character started with those skills. So any of Yoko's, Maria's, or Fuma's subweapons still work to power their attack, but Retro Subweapons and the Javelin do not for the Whip Users.

[Myotis Seraphim]

I see. Thank you for clearing that up for me, it was getting confusing.

[Iron Blue Arremer]

Indeed, every character's stats increase if you level them up (including Soma and Alucard, but their increase is very small).

All DLC subweapons or spells that don't come with a character already do not count towards leveling up, even if it were the first ability you level up.

So, not counting are Tetra Spark, Acerbatus, Globus, Luminatio, Javelin, all abilities that start with R. and all enemy souls that have been included from Chapter 7 onwards.

That is, at least in the 360 version - I do not know how Chapter 7 is included in the PS3 version.

[swerve]

Just to confirm, the PS3 version still recognizes Chapter 7 as DLC for the purposes of everything that works differently for DLC, even though it is included with the base game purchase. This means (for example) that Charlotte does not need to absorb Delta Spark to max out her book of binding, nor does absorbing it have any impact on her stats.

[Squeezit]

Yep, you are correct.