Rods, what do they rely on?

The damage from fighting with a rod, is it powered by your Magic or your Vigor?

I'm fairly sure that the actual rod damage is calculated through Strength. The after effects of the rod, however, (such as casting Fire 2 randomly when used) are affected by magic.

Yes, a rod's magic ability is determined by your Magic Power. For instance, if you use the Fire Rod, it's the same as your character casting Fire 2, so it uses your Magic Power to determine damage.

All answers (and more) can be found here!

Just skip ahead to the section about rods. I'll do it myself and post the answer at some stage, but I just don't feel like it now...

EDIT: OK, I got round to posting the answer... All information here is provided by Kris DeHart.

Weapons with this effect: Fire Rod (Fire 2), Ice Rod (Ice 2),
Thunder Rod (Bolt 2), Poison Rod (Poison), Pearl Rod (Pearl),
Gravity Rod (Quartr).

Amor with this effect: Flame Shld (Fire 3), Ice Shld (Ice 3), Thunder Shld (Bolt 3)

When an item casts a spell when used, the item is destroyed when used. The spell cast uses the same chance to hit, and damage calculation as if cast by the character.

Damage calculation for these items skips the following steps for these items:
Step 6. Damage modification

Step 6a. Random Variance

Damage = (Damage * [224..255] / 256) + 1

Step 6b. Defense modification

Damage = (Damage * (255 - Defense) / 256) + 1

Magical attacks use Magic defense

Step 6c. Safe / Shell

If magical attack and target has shell status, or physical attack and
target has safe status:

Damage = (Damage * 170 / 256) + 1

Step 6d. Target Defending

If physical attack and target is Defending:

Damage = Damage / 2

Step 6e. Target's row

If physical attack and target is in back row:

Damage = Damage / 2

Step 6f. Morph (target)

If magical attack and target has morph status:

Damage = Damage / 2

Step 6g. Self Damage

Healing attacks skip this step

If the attacker and target are both characters:

Damage = Damage / 2


Step 7. Damage multipliers #2

The damage multiplier starts out = 0.

The following add to the damage multiplier:

Hitting target in back - If physical attack and attack hits the back of the
target, then 1 is added to the damage multiplier

Step 7a. Damage = Damage + ((Damage / 2) * damage multiplier)


All information came from Kris DeHart's algorithm FAQ which can be found at http://www.rpglegion.com/ff6/ff6alg.txt. I just had to mention it, check it out...

I wasn't specific enough.

I'm talking about an actual non-elemental rod, like the Magnus rod for example. I played for a while last night powering up my magic, and I'm 90% sure that's it. I gave my guy some vigor to see if it had an effect, and it was next to nothing. Magic seems to be it.

Damage from rods is calculated just like any other weapon. Calculation is as follows:

For physical attacks made by characters :

Step 1a. Vigor2 = Vigor * 2
If Vigor >= 128 then Vigor2 = 255 instead

Step 1b. Attack = Battle Power + Vigor2

Step 1c. If equipped with Gauntlet, Attack = Attack + Battle Power * 3 / 4

Step 1d. Damage = Battle Power + ((Level * Level * Attack) / 256) * 3 / 2

Step 1e. If character is equipped with an Offering:

Damage = Damage / 2

Step 1f. If the attack is a standard fight attack and the character is
equipped with a Genji Glove, but only one or zero weapons:

Damage = ceil(Damage * 3 / 4)


I hope that this is the answer you're looking for...

mmmmmm i know people are gunna make fun of me for this but

rods suck because............................i like swords :) MUHAHAHA

Well you suck because you like swords. (Rods also suck because they're not swords...)