Rune Factory 2 - General Guide

Tool Acquisition List:

From Mana: Watering Can and Hoe
From Barrett: Fishing Rod (Pole)
From Gordon: Hammer
From Tanya: Axe
From Jake: Sickle
From Herman: Milker
From Egan: Clippers
From Cecilia: Pet Glove
From Rosalind: Harvest Basket
From Ceci in second Quest: Brush

Other Special Items:

Cammy gives Seeds as a reward for completing her Requests. Her Requests
actually consist of little mini-games.
Yue gives Cooked Dishes in many of her early Requests but she will give you
items that will aid in combat as well. She will give you a Headband and a
Critical Ring in a later Quests.
When Roy asks you for an Emerald, give it to him to obtain a CHARM.

2nd Generation Requests:

There are new Requests in the 2nd Generation that will not appear until you
have made the transition. It is as important to complete all Requests in the
2nd Generation as it was in the 1st. Heart Levels increase when you complete
a Request and vital items often can be obtained only as Rewards for a Request
that has been fulfilled. You will receive Missing Pages from Spell Books,
for example, only if you complete Yue's Requests in the 2nd Generation.

Tool Use:

As your Levels increase, your ability with respect to many of your Tools will
increase, requiring less of your total Energy to use. Use increases the power
of Farm Tools and Weapons. Farm Tools and Weapons take a charge in many
cases, allowing you to generate more power with them or achieve a greater
range. To charge an equipped tool, you must hold down the button. In the
first Generation game, tools and weapons have two levels of charge at the
most. The area surrounding the tool will change colour twice and, in the case
of any farm tool, the number of squares that will be effected by the tool
will be highlighted.
For example, without any charge at all, any Farm Tool such as a Watering Can,
Hoe or Sickle, will affect only one square. If you charge the tool to the
next level, it will affect three squares. Charge it to the next level and it
will affect nine squares. This can be extremely useful so remember to charge
your Farm Tools before you use them!
Note that the original Tools in the 1st Generation become the 'Rusty' Tools of
the 2nd. When your Child finds the Tools, they will have rusted and no longer
will take a Charge. You need to upgrade them to better Tools at your own
Forge in the 2nd Generation.

Basic Game Controls:

The 'A' Button is the action button to allow you to speak to an individual,
take an item from the ground or harvest any Crop.
The 'B' Button is the Tool Button. When you press the 'B' button, you will
use whatever Tool or Weapon is equipped currently. If you have an item in
your Hands, however, that will override any item equipped as a Tool in terms
of the Button's action.
When an item is held, you will see the following options:
'A' will 'Toss' or chuck out the item.
'B' will allow you to 'Eat' the item.
'Y' will allow you to 'Keep' the item by stashing it in your Rucksack.
The 'Y' Button has one function outside of Caves/Dungeons and another when you
are inside 'enemy' or 'hostile' territory. Whenever you are holding an item
in your 'Held' slot, press the 'Y' button to store the item in your Rucksack.
If, however, you have Spells equipped in your 'Rune Ability' or Magic Slots,
pressing the 'Y' button will activate the Spell. If, however, you are inside
hostile territory but are holding an item in your hands, the 'Y' button will
transfer it to your Rucksack as always.
As you have two slots for Magical Abilities or Spells, both the 'X' and 'Y'
buttons will be assigned to these.
Finally, in the bottom left corner of the lower screen of the DS, you will
find three icons. The first is a Sword, the second is a Magical Rune and the
third is a Hand. These are shortcuts that, when tapped with your Stylus,
allow access to a sorting menu for each type of item.
If you tap on the Sword, you will be able to cycle through all your Tools and
Weapons.
If you tap on the Bind-Rune, you will be able to cycle through all your Spells.
If you tap on the Hand, you will be able to cycle through all your Items.[/font]

Magic Spells or Rune Abilities:


You will obtain only a few of these in the 1st Generation Game: 'Power
Wave', 'Fireball' and 'Special Concerto'. The first will be found in your
own bookcase, the second will be given to you by Tanya and the third will be a
gift from Mana when your Barn is completed.
Fireball:
Fireball is a classical Magic Spell. Search your Bookcase by pressing the 'A'
Button when you first enter your House to find 'Fireball', a 'Magic Book'.
Its description is:
Fireball: Hurls a blazing ball of blame. However, the book is badly damaged.
Equip the Magic Book immediately in your Rune Ability Slot. You have two Rune
Ability Slots. When you receive 'Power Wave' from Tanya, equip that in the
second slot.
Power Wave Skill Seal:
When you first meet her at the Smithy, Tanya will tell you:
Tanya; Oh, and one more thing! Just owning a sword will make you stronger,
but you should also look for 'Skill Seals!
Skill Seals let you use powerful weapon moves! Here, I've got a spare one
that you can have. Try it out!
You got: POWER WAVE!
Frey: What is this…?
Tanya; A Skill Seal for a shortsword. Equip it along with the correct weapon
to use it.
There are lots of other Skill Seals out there. But that't he only one I've
got for you. I hope you can find more!
Skill Seals can be limited to specific weapon types. As Tanya explained,
the 'Power Wave' is a Skill for the Shortsword. It therefore will not work
with a Wand or a Battle Hammer. It is the only Weapons Seal that you will
receive in the 1st Generation.
By accepting Barrett's first challenge at the Dojo in the 2nd Generation, you
will obtain three more Weapons Skill Seals.
Special Concerto:
When your Barn is completed, Mana will visit and will give you the 'Special
Concerto' Spell.
Special Concerto: This music will make your monsters perform their special
abilities. Equip it to the X Button or Y Button and then use it to make your
monsters perform various actions for you.
As with other Magical Spells, you cannot use the 'Special Concerto' to make
your Monsters perform on the farm. What it does is to augment the special
effect of a Tame Monster's attack in hostile territory. When you activate it,
you will hear the sound of a horn and your Tame Monster will glow briefly
before he attacks. His attacks will have at least twice the power that they
otherwise would have. In the 1st Generation, this is over-kill to some extent.
The Special Concerto really is not that critical in the 1st Generation but you
will find that it is vital in the 2nd Generation in certain specific
situations.

Using Magic Spells:


You will not be able to activate any Magic Spell when you are inside the Town
area. Spells only can be activated in hostile or enemy territory, in any
Cave/Dungeon. Use the 'Y' button to activate the Spell.
Magic may not be very important in the 1st Generation but increasing your
Magic Skill Levels is. In the 2nd Generation, you will have Healing Spells as
well as Magical Attack Spells. By increasing your Magical Skill levels in the
1st Generation, you will be prepared for the new challenges in the 2nd
Generation. This is critical if you wish to be able to engage in combat with
the new powerful Monsters in the next generation!

Weapons and Accessories:


Tanya sells only a few items in the 1st Generation game.

Tanya's Smithy:


Broadsword: 1200G
Level 1; Attack 8; Charge 1
Sell for 600G.
A light, easy-to-use sword. Recommended for beginners. So versatile, some
also use it as a chopping knife.
Claymore: 1500G
Level 1; Attack 21; Charge 1
Sell for 750G
A longsword that's easy to swing. Its decorative rings can be toyed with to
pass the time.
Spear: 1000G
Level 1; Attack 12; Charge 1
Selling Price: 500G
A simple spear. Perfect for the beginner. So simple that it has been used as
a food skewer in the past.
Battle Hammer: 1500G
Level 1; Attack 30; Charge 1
Selling Price: 750G
A hammer designed for battle. Great for blowing off steam when you send your
foes flying.
Battle-Axe: 1200G
Level 1; Attack 28; Charge: 1
Selling Price: 600G
Battle-Axe: An axe with a wild, uncontrolled swing Handle with care.
Rod: 1200G
Level 1; Attack: 3; Charge: 1
A staff that boosts magical power. Was not designed to be used as a weapon
itself.
Small Shield: 500G
Level 1; Defence 2
Selling Price: 250G
A small, easy-to-use shield that offers only limited defence.
Cheap Bracelet: 740G
Level 1; Defence: 1
Selling Price: 370G
Cheap Bracelet: A old, worn-out bracelet. Raises defence a little, but you
have to put up with its shabby, cheap appearance.
Leather Boots: 1360G
Level 1; Defence 2
Selling Price: 680G
Sturdy, long-lasting boots made from leather. Loved by travelers everywhere.
Enables back step ability.

Weapon and Equipment Strategies:


Many players of the original Rune Factory were not familiar with RPG
strategies and therefore were not aware of the difference between combat
without protection and combat with good armour and defensive accessories. In
particular, when your character's levels are low, accessories that will
protect him from damage can be absolutely vital.
Although funds are limited initially, you need to buy the Broadsword, the
Small Shield and the Leather Boots before you engage in combat with any
Monsters. I always recommend a one-handed weapon and a shield over a two-
handed weapon. Even if the two-handed weapon is far more powerful than any
weapon wielded by one hand, you cannot carry a shield unless you keep one hand
free. This in effect means that you need to choose the Broadsword, the Spear
or the Rod over any of the other, more powerful weapons.
If you have sufficient funds, you should buy and equip the Cheap Bracelet as
well, but if you complete a Request for Roy, he will give you a Charm that
offers better defence.

Equipment Slots:


Your character has a total of seven equipment slots as follows:
Held: This is the slot for any item that you wish to hold in your hands.
When harvesting a crop or accepting any item, you need to have an empty 'Held'
slot for the item. Once it is equipped, you have the option to Toss it by
pressing 'A' or put it in your Rucksack by pressing 'Y'. If it is an edible
item, you will have a third option to 'Eat' it by pressing 'B'.
R. Hand: Unfortunately, Rune Factory does not allow a left-handed individual
to equip a weapon in his/her left hand. The Right Hand is the default hand
for any Weapon that is equipped. If you equip a two-handed weapon, your Left
Hand slot must be empty to accommodate the weapon equipped in the Right Hand.
L. Hand: This is the slot for any Shield to be equipped. If you have
equipped a two-handed weapon in your right hand, however, any Shield will be
returned to your Rucksack automatically.
A Small Shield offers 2 Defence points. Again, I recommend that every player
buy and equip a Shield in the early stages of gameplay.
Rune Ability: The next two slots are designated for any Skill Seals and Magic
Spells. You can equip one of each in these slots.
Accessory: The final two slots are designated for Accessories, which include
protective items and footgear. Tanya sells one of each in the form of
the 'Cheap Bracelet' and the 'Leather Boots'. If you must choose between
them, I recommend the Leather Boots as this gives 2 Defence Points and allows
your character to 'step back' from an enemy, giving him more dexterity and
skill in combat situations.
The Cheap Bracelet gives only 1 Defence Point but it is better than nothing
until you obtain the Charm from Roy. The Charm will give you 4 Defence Points.

Farm Menu:


Press the Start Button to view your current Statistics, your Equipment Menu
and your Rucksack.
You will find your characters Statistics on the upper screen of the DS. On
the lower screen, your Equipment will be displayed on the left and your
Rucksack will be displayed on the right.
Your Statistics will display the following:
LV or Level
Next Level: This is displayed in a yellow bar that shows how close you are to
the next level.
HP: This is your total in terms of Health Points, displayed in the form of a
green bar. Damage from Monsters will deplete your HP. When your RP equals
zero, your HP will begin to decrease whenever you use any tool or weapon.
RP: This is your total in terms of Rune Points, displayed in the form of a
blue bar. Rune Points are used whenever you activate any Magical Spell. Rune
Points are used whenever you perform any action with a Weapon or Tool as
well. When Rune Points equal zero, your HP will begin to decrease with the
use of any Tool or Weapon and you no longer will be able to activate any Magic.
Money: This shows your total current earnings or income.
To the right of these figures, you will find your Statistics in terms of
combat abilities.
ATTACK
DEFENCE
MGC ATK
MGC DEF
STRENGTH
VITALITY
INT (Intelligence)
An Accessory can affect more than one of these abilities. For example, the
Charm will raise your Defence, your Magical Defence and your Vitality. In the
description of any Accessory, you may see a tiny blue box in the lower left
corner of the upper screen that will provide information about the areas that
the Accessory affects. With respect to the Charm, the little blue box
indicates that 'Body' is increased.

Attack and Defence:


The Broadsword may be the weakest weapon with only 8 Attack points, but it is
more than sufficient to defeat the Monsters that you will meet in the 1st
Generation, especially if you are equipped with all the Defensive items that
are available. With the added power of the Power Wave, you should have no
trouble defeating the monsters you encounter.
Later, you can purchase the Spear which gives 12 Attack points and yet still
allows you to carry a Shield. This, alternating with the Rod, are my personal
choices in the 1st Generation.

Magic Attacks:


The Fireball can be used by itself if you simply press 'Y' in hostile
territory if it is equipped in one of your Rune Ability slot. When you equip
the Rod in your Right Hand, however, you virtually double the power of any
Spell that you activate. The Rod actually can be used as a club but has
little Attack power, with only 3 Attack points.

Farm Tools as Weapons:


Actually, although Tanya and other Residents will advise you not to enter any
hostile territory until you have purchased a proper weapon, any Farm Tool,
including your Watering Can, can be used as a Weapon against a Monster in a
pinch! A Hammer has 12 Attack Points but an Axe has even more power with 14
Attack Points. The Watering Can has 10 Attack Points and the Sickle has 7.

Other Sources of Accessories:


Yue, one of the Eligible Girls in the 1st Generation, sells a couple of
Accessory items as well. Her menu is an odd assortment of Cooked Dishes, one
Ore in the form of Platinum and a few Accessories. The Accessories that will
boost your Abilities are:
Ruby Ring: 6320G
Level 1; Defence 0
Attack +4
Aquamarine Brooch: 4080G
Level 1; Defence 3
It boosts not only your Defence, but your Magical Defence and your Vitality.
Amethyst Ring: 5020G
Level 1; Defence 0
This will give you +3 Attack, +2 Defence and +2 Vitality.
Emerald Ring: 4880G
Level 1; Defence 0
This will give you +2 Attack, +2 Defence and +2 Vitality boost.
You can see, therefore, that it sometimes can be useful to experiment with
different Accessories. Although the description of the two Rings Yue sells
display 0 Defence rating, both actually do have an effect on your Statistics.
Disposing of old Weapons and Accessories:
You will have a Refrigerator and a Cabinet as well as your Rucksack for
storage of items, but as you acquire different Crops, War Trophies and special
items, you may wish to dispose of items that you no longer find useful. Any
item can be sold to any Merchant, including Yue. Simply transfer the item
from your Rucksack to an Empty Slot in the Merchant's Menu in order to sell
it. Weapons cannot be shipped but Accessories can be shipped instead of being
sold to a Merchant. In fact, to complete your Shipping List, you will need to
ship 1 of each item that can be shipped.

Some Initial Requests:

As Requests form the basis of much of your early income as well as the method
by which necessary tools and items are obtained, it may be useful to describe
a few of the initial Requests that appear on the Bulletin Board.
A request from Barrett: Find something for me.
Barrett has lost a book. You will find the Book in the Church once you have
spoken to Barrett to initiate the actual Quest. Take it to Barrett and he
will give you a POLE, the Rune Factory term for the Fishing Rod.
A Request from Byron: Please go find Barrett for me
You need to speak to Byron first as always, then find Barrett to tell him that
his father is looking for him. Return to Byron and he will give you an EMPTY
BOTTLE.
Empty Bottles are used in Rune Factory to store Recovery Potions. With 3
Medicinal Herbs and 300G, Natalie will fill any Empty Bottle that you have
with a Recovery Potion.
A Request from Douglas: Go and fetch me 'The Fighting Bull's Horns'
Request from Alicia: I'm looking for people who want their fortune told.
Alicia's 1st Request is one of the more entertaining but unprofitable. She is
the 'Trickster' of Rune Factory, and has a greed for gold that will cause her
to make the most financially from any situation. She will tell you that she
needs to practice her fortune-telling and that you will be paid 100G if you
agree to be her subject. When you agree, she will tell you that financial
loss is in your future. She will pay you 100G but then ask you to pay 200G
for the fortune! The money automatically will be deducted from your
earnings.
Note that there is a way to circumvent this little minx! Simply go to her
when your total income equals zero. You will lose the 100G that she 'pays'
you for serving as a test subject, but you won't lose any of your own money.
A Request from Ray: Please find some medicinal herbs
You probably have Medicinal Herb in your rucksack at all times if you are
sensible. Simply give Ray one Medicinal Herb after speaking to him to
initiate the Quest and he will give you 50G in return. It is one of the
smaller rewards, but it is important to complete ALL Requests that are posted
on the Board.
A request from Natalie: I lost my stethoscope on a house call. If any one
finds it, please let me know.
When you speak to Natalie to initiate the Quest, she will tell you that she
believes she left the stethoscope at the Sainte-Coquille Mansion. Go there
and you will find it in upstairs in the bedroom to the far left (far west).
Take it to Natalie for a reward of 200G AND an EMPTY BOTTLE.
If you completed Byron's Request, you now will have two Empty Bottles.
Please find something
A Request from Cecilia: Please find a ruby for me. And stay out of trouble.
When you give the Ruby to Cecilia, she will give you the 'Pet Glove' which
will allow you to tame Monsters instead of defeating them. You will not be
able to tame a Monster, however, until you build a Barn to house them.
Come here for a Sec
A request from Jake: I'm gonna give you some work.
Speak to Jake and ignore his hatred and resentment of humans. His first
Request actually involves Cecilia. It is worth noting here because it is
characteristic of Requests in Rune Factory 2 that they often involve more than
one character. By completing the Jake's Request, you therefore can raise the
Heart Levels both of Jake and Cecilia. It is important for another reason
as it is the means by which you will obtain a Sickle, a primary farm tool.
Jake: Ceci seems to have lost something, and is quite upset over it. I want
you to help her for me, human. That's all. Now get on with it. Do it for
Ceci, human.
Me: Um… what am I looking for?
Jake: Why don't you ask her?
Me: Yes, of course…
You now must speak to Cecilia to further Jake's Request.
Me: Jake says you're looking for something, Cecilia. I asked him what it
was, and he told me to quit bothering him and ask you. Jake said that? He
didn't have to be so rude. I'm looking for a PENDANT. I dropped it when I
went to Trieste Forest.
Me: Trieste Forest? Okay, I'll go have a look.
The pendant for Ceci is near the entrance of the Trieste forest.
Me: Is this the PENDANT, Cecilia?
Cecilia: Oh, you found it! Thank you so much. Freya, I thought it was gone
for goo.
Me: I'm glad we found it. Well, I guess I'll be going now.
Cecilia: Sorry for the trouble. Be sure to thank Jake for me too, okay?
Me: I will.
In the case of any Request, you only complete the Request when you speak to
the individual who originated it. Return to Jake, therefore to tell him the
good news.
Me: I found what Ceci lost.
Jake: Oh, you did? You should be proud. You were able to help Ceci. All
right, I guess you earned the reward. I don't really want to give you
anything, but since it was for Ceci, I'll make a special exception.
You got: SICKLE!
Cecilia's Request:
Cecilia: We need an INDIGO GRASS for Herman's latest delicacy. You can find
them at Blessia Island- Centre, but I haven't go the time to get one myself.
For giving Ceci the INDIGO GRASS (I bought some at the Clinic), I got 200G and
a BRUSH!!!
Ceci: Use this on any monsters you catch to help tame them. Don't be shy
about using it, okay?
Me: Thanks.
Ceci: If I ever need anything else, I'll be sure to put it up on the bulletin
board.
Egan's 1st Request: Please take this for me
I've made something new and I would like you to try it. Any time is fine with
me, so please stop by when you get the chance.
This Request may appear quite trivial as all he wants from you is that you try
a new fish dish he has prepared. The reward for doing so, however, is the
Clippers, an essential Ranch tool.
Egan: This is a new fish dish I made. Please, try it.
After you have tasted the dish, he will ask you how it could be improved. You
have a choice of options. As with the options you are given in many of the
Request Events, it really does not matter which one you choose in terms of
obtaining the Reward and raising the individual's heart level.
At the end of the Event, Egan will say: Well, I need to make sure it's good,
considering I'll be giving it to my customers. Here's something for your
troubles.
You got the CLIPPERS.
You can use these to shave the wool off of monsters you've tamed.
A request from Rosalind: Please find me some Lamp Grass.
Could you please supply me with some Lamp Grass? See me for details.
When you speak to Rosalind, she will describe the location of the Lamp Grass
she needs in great detail. These initial Requests often are tutorials in a
way, to familiarize your character with the various locations on the Map.
Rosalind: 'Okay, let me tell you about what I need. You know the Trieste
Forest, right? It's the dungeon to the east of Alvarna Falling Star Path.
Well, if you go into Trieste Forest – Spring Clearing and walk forward a
little bit, the road splits off in two directions. There, if you face north,
you should take the path on your right. Once you do that, you should be able
to find a flower called a LAMP GRASS right under your feet. Please pick that
flower and then bring it back here. I'll give you 2000G as a reward if you
get the job done.'
Rosalind's Request Rewards often are very large sums of money. You will find
the money useful, but beyond that, it is important to perform all the Requests
that appear on the Bulletin Board as they increase the Heart Levels of the
townspeople and Eligible Girls.
Although Lamp Grass is a plant that you can grow from seeds and in fact takes
a long time to mature, you do not need to plant it yourself in order to
complete this Request. As with many of the items that are the subject of a
Request like this, you will find the object on the ground at the specified
location. Simply collect it by pressing the 'A' button, then stash it in your
Rucksack until you can give it to the individual.
Note that rare Accessories sometimes are the object of a Request but if you
are tempted to keep one for yourself instead of returning it to the rightful
owner, you will find yourself unable to do so. The item will disappear from
your possession if it is not returned properly. Unless the Accessory is a
reward for completing a Request, like the Charm made by Roy for you, it cannot
be retained by your character.
In Rosalind's next Request, she will ask for an Apple. You can find Apples on
a Tree in Trieste Forest or you can obtain them as War Trophies from the Pomme-
Pomme Monsters that resemble Apples and are found on the first screen of the
Trieste Forest during the day.
For your Reward, you obtain 4000G and the Harvest Basket.
Rosalind. You got 4000G.
Rosalind: Please take this HARVEST BASKET as well.
You got: HARVEST BASKET!
This HARVEST BASKET is a tool that can be used to gather items from monsters
that you've befriended. To be more precise… You can gather HONEY from pet
Hornets and Queen Bees and eggs from Cluckadoodles. To use it, first press
the L and the B Button at the same time. This will display the Quick Equip
Tools menu. Highlight your new Harvest Basket and press the B Button. Doing
so will equip your HARVEST BASKET in your right hand. With the HARVEST BASKET
equipped, walk next to you rpet Hornet or your Queen Bee and press the B
Button. Then you'll gather honey from your monster. You can gather eggs from
your Cluckadoodle in the same way. Understood? You can use that HARVEST
BASKET to periodically gather eggs and honey from monsters that you've
befriended in the dungeons. You can sell those products, or, if you prefer,
you can keep them to use in your own cooking. I hope that you'll get a lot of
use out of that gift!

A Request from Max:
Delivery Work (Big Money!)
Work delivering goods to Jake. Easy! Safe! Guaranteed to be worth your
while!
Speak to Max to obtain the item you need to deliver to Jake. In this case, it
is Spinach, an Autumn Crop. Request Events can give clues as to the likes and
dislikes of individuals. As you are delivering Spinach to Jake, you can
assume safely that it is one of his favourite gifts.
Max: Ah, Freyr! You're here about the posting, right? So, I have a favour
to ask you…Could you deliver this green vegetable called SPINACH to JAKE?
Just like it said on the Bullein Board, I prepared a reward of 4000G. So this
vegetable is the spinach. I leave it to you! I'm counting on you!
The request is straightforward and you should have no trouble in completing
it. Take the Spinach to Jake, who is at the Smithy during the day, then
return to Max to announce completion. He will give you 4000G.
A Quest for Breakfast
Request from Herman
There is something I absolutely must have for breakfast! Please get it for me!
Herman needs an ingredient for cooking: RICE. You can purchase Rice easily
from the Pumpkin General Store for 270G. Return to Herman as quickly as you
can to give it to him. Although he promised 2000G for the task, he in fact
will give you 3000G!
A Request from Yue: Nothing comes before good skin.
Yue: 'Maybe I've just been working too hard, but lately my skin's been really
drying up. I know somethin' that would be great –can you get it for me?'
The item is HONEY, which you can find in the Trieste Forest. You can avoid
all monsters if your levels are low and simply collect the Honey, then return
to give it to Yue. She will give you a bag of DAIKON SEEDS.
Big Radishes are a Most Favourite of hers. As she will tell you: Plant these
seeds and grow them into big radishes! Big radishes are the best!
They are a Winter Crop, however, so you will need to plant them in a Winter
Cave.
Request from Cammy: Improve your strength with shadow boxing.
She will announce her intention to treat you to a 'Super Training Plan:
Strength'. She will announce 4 moves and you have to repeat them to her.
Actually, there are only two different moves: 'Left Jab' and 'Right Hook' and
she will announce them in different combinations which you must repeat in the
same order. If you can do this successfully four consecutive times, she will
pronounce the test completed and give you a reward of a bag of TOYHERB Seeds.
As these are Spring seeds, you can plant them immediately in your field.
Cammy's Requests constitute a series of little mini-games. She will give you
different types of Seeds as a reward whenever you complete one of her Requests.
A Request from Gordon: I need you to get this and bring it to me.
Gordon's Request: Please get me an amethyst!
When you speak to Gordon, he will give you a Hammer, as this is a mining
request. You need to take the boat to Blessia Island, then smash rocks to
find an Amethyst. It should not be difficult but you probably should make
certain that you have a sword before you explore monster-infested areas.
Take the Amethyst to Gordon. He will allow you to keep the Hammer and give
you 400G for your trouble.
A Request from Roy: Come talk to me… I really messed something up
Roy tore a tablecloth and needs 'CHEAP CLOTH' in order to replace it. This is
a war trophy that is found randomly in Chests dropped by Orcs.
He will advise you: So, it's a CHEAP CLOTH. I heard ORCS in the Trieste
Forest drop it. Just find the ones wielding maces. Piece of cake, right?
This Request allows you to become familiar with the War Trophies that
different Monsters drop in Chests. There are a number of Request Events that
involve War Trophy items.
Tanya's Request: Battle Strategies: Orc
There's something that I want to talk to you about… Come by and see me, 'kay?
Quest can be replayed
Tanya's Requests are a means by which you can earn a little money while
increasing your levels in combat. Each of the Quests that appear on the board
can be replayed, which means that you can earn the income again and again.
These are only a few examples of Requests that appear on the Bulletin Board
early in the game.
Many of the initial Requests that appear on the Message Board will result in
the acquisition of Farm and Ranch tools. As you continue to raise heart
levels, more Requests will appear. You must complete the Requests in order.
Even when a specific Request may appear to be trivial, you need to complete it
as a more important one may follow.
Request Events count as Heart Events where the Eligible Girls are concerned,
but it is not sufficient to complete THEIR Requests. Very often, another
character may provide the item you need to make a Marriage Proposal in one of
his/her Request Events. If you ignore the Requests of ordinary villagers, you
may find yourself at a standstill at some point with respect to the girl of
your dreams! Even when you have experienced all of an Eligible Girl's
Requests and have raised her to 10 Hearts, if you do not have the item that
prompts a Marriage Proposal, you may be unable to propose to her.
Requests have many uses in Rune Factory 2. They are the method by which you
can obtain most of the tools you need. They allow you to learn more about
characters, their habits, history, likes and dislikes. They allow you to earn
much-needed income and to obtain rare or important items. They allow you to
raise heart levels.
It is easy to visit the Bulletin Board regularly to see if any new Requests
have appeared there. Often, one can complete all the Requests that appear on
the Board in a single day. Rune Factory 2 fundamentally is a game based on
the philosophy of Harvest Moon. By helping others, your character will help
himself and make progress towards his goals.

Request Items

There are two distinct kinds of item that will be the subject of any Request.
The first is a special item that has been placed at a specific location. In
order to complete the Request, you need to 'fetch and carry' the item from its
location back to its owner. When an individual requests a specific item,
you need to find THAT item and return it to the character.
The second type of item is a generic item. For example, when Yue requests a
number of different coloured Wild Grasses for her kimono project, you simply
need to provide a Wild Grass of each colour. How and where you obtain them is
irrelevant. You can collect them from different areas on the map, take them
from your storage cabinet or purchase them at the Clinic. The same is true
with respect to generic War Trophies requested by individuals. The 'Wolf
Fang' that Yue requests is ANY Wolf Fang.
It is important to distinguish between the two types of items involved in
Requests as often you can save yourself time and trouble simply by fetching an
item stored at home…

2nd Generation Requests:

Although all Courtship Request Events occur in the 1st Generation, there are
Requests that occur only in the 2nd Generation. A separate Requests Guide
will list ALL Requests, both in the 1st and 2nd Generations as well as the
method by which each is completed.


Courtship and Marriage

Courtship and Marriage are a very important aspect of most Harvest Moon games
and are even more vital in Rune Factory 2, where half of the game is
predicated upon your child's existence. If you fail to marry and have a son
or daughter, you never will be able to experience much of the story.
Requests contain the storyline in the 1st Generation of Rune Factory 2.
Requests by individuals are posted on the Bulletin Board in the centre of
Alvarna. It is through acceptance and completion of these Requests that you
raise love and friendship levels and court eligible girls. Requests Events
often act as Heart Events.
As stated elsewhere in this guide, you should accept every Request that
appears on the board, even if made by an Eligible Girl in whom you have no
real romantic interest. Completing a Request, even if it involves a
declaration of love, will not obligate you to marry and many important items
are obtained only through the completion of Request Events. Other characters
apart from the Eligible Girls themselves may be involved ultimately in the
requirements for marriage. If you do not complete the Requests made by THOSE
characters, you may find yourself unable to propose to the girl of your dreams.
The first rule of Courtship, therefore, in Rune Factory 2 is to experience ALL
Request Events!
Although gifts can raise heart levels a little as they do in all Harvest Moon
games, it is the Requests that are the most vital component in courtship and
friendship. The other way to raise Friendship and Love Levels quickly is by
speaking to every character whenever a Festival occurs. Although individuals
may tell you that winning a Festival Contest is the way to a girl's heart, it
actually is merely by speaking to ALL individuals that you will increase Heart
Levels.
The second rule of Courtship, therefore, is to meet and greet EVERY character
on Festival days.
If you follow these two rules, you can have every girl at the maximum of 10
Hearts in terms of Love Points before the end of the first Autumn season
without ever giving a Birthday Gift or any other item to the girls and you
should be able to propose successfully to any Eligible Girl and marry her
before the beginning of the first Winter if you wish to do so.
Part of the fun in Harvest Moon is remembering the birthdays of every
character and giving them gifts that they particularly like. In Rune Factory
2, however, there is only one item that will be 'recognised' as an actual
birthday gift by each individual. It never hurts to give 'Most Favourites'
to individuals but in Rune Factory 2, the most important path to marriage is
taken by experiencing all the Request Events that appear on the Bulletin Board.

Birthdays in Rune Factory 2

For each of the Eligible Girls, only one item will elicit recognition as
a 'birthday gift' on the occasion of her birthday. In this aspect, the game
differs from other traditional Harvest Moon games, where any item that the
individual loves usually will elicit a response that mentions the fact that it
is his/her birthday.
The special Birthday Gifts are as follows:
Alicia: Emerald Ring
Cecilia: Aquamarine Brooch
Dorothy: Strawberry Jam
Julia: Seafood Pizza
Mana: Baked Sweet Potato/Grilled Yam
Rosalind: Hot Milk
Yue: Cabbage Cakes
As Cooking and Forging abilities do not exist in the 1st Generation, you only
can obtain these items from other individuals or local shops.

Marriage Proposals


In Rune Factory 2, you will not find any universal item that accompanies a
proposal of marriage, such as the Blue Feather in other Harvest Moon games.
Rune Factory 2 resembles its predecessor to the extent that every proposal of
marriage is different and is predicated upon a unique item or situation.
The item that triggers the marriage proposal may be obtained from the Eligible
Girl herself in the course of one of her Requests or it may be given to you by
another character in the course of one of his/her Requests.
For example, it is Yue herself who will give you the 'Yue Swap Ticket' that
triggers a proposal of marriage, but in Mana's case, you must obtain
an 'Engagement Ring' from Douglas and in Dorothy's case, a 'Blessing Pendant'
from Gordon. In Julia's case, it is Yue who will give you the special Memento
Ring made from a rare ore obtained in one of Julia's Request Events. As for
Cecilia, she will give you the 'Round Stone' that will constitute her Proposal
Item, but you need to accept a final Request from her at 10 Hearts after
receiving the Round Stone in order to be able to propose marriage to her.
Alicia's final Event will not occur either until she has reached 10 Hearts but
it is in this final Request Event that you will obtain the Special Proposal
Item and have the chance to propose marriage to her.
Finally, Rosalind's Special Proposal Item will be given to you by her brother
Max, but only if you have 9 tomatoes to give him in exchange.
As Requests only appear in a specific order on the Board and have minimum
Heart Level requirements in each case, you must complete all previous Requests
in order to obtain the Event that will be the key to your marriage.
Once you marry, no further Requests will appear from the Eligible Girls in the
1st Generation. Any Special Proposal Items that you obtained from them can be
given to them after you marry, but will not have any real effect, obviously.
If you do give the Eligible Girls the items after you marry another girl, some
of the Girls will remark upon this fact. Others simply will regard the item
as an ordinary gift. Yue will state, rather baldly, that the Yue Swap Ticket
has expired, without making any further reference to your marriage to another.
The Special Proposal Item cannot be shipped, nor can it be tossed. If you
attempt to ship it, it will bounce back into your hands with a prompt to the
effect that you need to keep it. If you toss it anywhere on the map in
Alvarna, including any Cave/Dungeon, it will appear in the 'Lost and Found'.
In fact, if you find that you have no space in your Rucksack due to the
presence of 7 Special Proposal items, you can toss them on the ground
and 'store' them in the 'Lost and Found' temporarily.
Storage space is limited at the very start of the 2nd Generation, however, and
there are a total of 7 Special Proposal Items. Only one will be used to
propose to the lucky girl you choose for yourself. Once the 2nd Generation
begins, you will not be able to give those items to the women your father
courted, so decide what you wish to do BEFORE you build the School. If you
toss the items into the street in the 2nd Generation, they no longer will go
to the Lost and Found. They simply will disappear forever. It is far better
for your first character to give them to the girls once he marries but before
he goes on the solitary Quest that leads into the 2nd Generation.
On the other hand, if you are very sentimental and wish to keep the unused
Special Proposal Items, you will be able to purchase more Storage space from
Yue as 'Bargain' items on Wednesdays. The larger Refrigerator and Shelves
will be placed in the Workshop and each will have 60 item slots. Unused Magic
Spellbooks and Tools as well as War Trophies can be stashed in the Shelves.
When you have purchased the new Refrigerator and Shelves for the Workshop, you
still will have your original Refrigerator and Shelves at home. Thus, you
will have two sets of Storage furniture, one at home and one at the Workshop.
It would be best to keep your most Tools and Spellbooks in the Cabinet at
home, using the one at the Workshop for ingredients for Recipes. Obviously,
you will need to take any Tools that you wish to upgrade to the Forge at the
Workshop.
As in other Harvest Moon games, you will find that you have Rivals for the
affection of some of the Eligible Girls. You do have an advantage over the
Rivals, however, as each Rival Wedding occurs according to a pre-ordained
schedule and your character will have adequate time to raise all Eligible
Girls to maximum heart levels before the first of the Rival Weddings occurs in
the 2nd Year. In fact, even if the Rival is at the Church with the Eligible
Girl and is on the verge of making his vow of marriage to her, you will have
the opportunity to 'steal the bride' from your Rival provided her Heart level
is sufficiently high. This is a new twist to Harvest Moon courtship and one
that promises to be quite exciting, if a player is disposed to remain single
until the scheduled date of a Rival Wedding.
The potential Rival Couples are as follows:
Max and Julia
Barrett and Dorothy
Ray and Rosalind
Jake and Cecilia
The dates that the Rival Weddings will occur according to schedule if you do
not prevent them actively are:
14 Summer, 2nd Year: Jake and Cecilia's Wedding
17 Spring, 3rd Year: Ray and Rosalind's Wedding
17 Autumn, 3rd Year: Barrett and Dorothy's Wedding
11 Winter, 4th Year: Max and Julia's Wedding

Although Max is a Rival, he will give you many useful tips where Courtship is
concerned:
Max: If there's a girl in this village that you like, you should actively
make use of the bulletin board. There should be some concern or request from
that girl among the postings there. Check the postings frequently and find a
solution for them on your own. If you do, before you know it, you'll have a
romantic relationship started with the girl that you're interested in.
With his usual sense of humour, he adds: 'Alright, you've got some choice
information. I'll let you borrow that advice, but you have to pay me back 1
million times!'
As previously stated, though, completing Requests is the most important
component in this game in terms both of Friendship and Love.
Your character will obtain most of his Tools, many Seeds and some valuable
Accessories in the course of Request Events. Some Requests offer cash
rewards, from small sums to very substantial ones. More importantly, though,
they raise Heart Levels. You may find that a Request Event for one Eligible
Girl will increase Heart Levels for other Eligible Girls as well. One of
Alicia's Request is that you take Mana on a romantic date in order to prove
that her love fortunes are accurate. Doing so will increase both Alicia's and
Mana's Heart Levels. Julia will be involved in one of Yue's Requests. The
social aspect of Rune Factory 2 is complex in the sense that you really need
to advance your Relationship with every character in order to succeed.
Relationship always are an important part of Harvest Moon but in Rune Factory
2, you actually may find yourself at a standstill romantically if you have not
fulfilled ALL Requests posted by the residents of Alvarna.
In many of the romantic Request Events, your character will be given a choice
of Responses. Although one Response may be superior to the others in terms of
pleasing the Eligible Girl, the increase in Heart Level will occur when you
complete the Request and is not affected by the choices you make. In this
respect, it is very different from other Harvest Moon games, where you can
lose a full Heart Level by giving the 'wrong' response in the course of any
Heart Event.
Although the Request that leads ultimately to marriage may appear when the
Eligible Girl reaches 8 or 9 Hearts, you will not be able to propose to her
successfully until she is at the maximum Level of 10 Hearts in terms of her
Love Points. In the case of Alicia and Cecilia, there is a final Request that
appears only when the girl reaches the maximum of 10 Hearts.
When you have obtained the special item that will prompt the Proposal, give it
to her at 10 Hearts to obtain the option to propose marriage. If you choose
the other option, the item will be returned to you and you will be able to
propose again later with no loss of heart level for delaying the proposal.
The second time you offer the Special item, you will be taken directly to the
Marriage Proposal without any other option, so make certain that you are ready
to marry the Eligible Girl when you offer her the Special Proposal Item for
the second time.
This is true with respect with options given at Romantic Festivals as well.
You will have the option to ask the girl for a date or to speak of a different
matter. Avoiding the offer of a date will not result in any loss of affection
and you will have the ability to ask again. It is not the offer of the date
that increases heart levels in any case, but the fact that you have met and
greeted the girl on the day of the Festival. You therefore can raise every
Eligible Girls' heart levels on each Festival Day, irrespective of your
ultimate choice of partner if it is a Romantic Festival such as the Flower
Festival or Dance Festival.
When your proposal of marriage to any Eligible Girl is successful, the wedding
ceremony will follow immediately. An entire day will pass in the course of
the Wedding and you will resume control of your character on the following
day. In other words, you lose a full day when you marry. Make certain that
you have sufficient fodder for your Monsters on hand in the Barn before you
propose. Unlike many other Harvest Moon games, the existence of Fodder in the
Barn is all that is needed to feed your Monsters. You need not feed them
personally.

Life after Marriage

Marriage in Rune Factory 2 automatically leads almost immediately to pregnancy
and the birth of your Child. Speak to your wife each morning to obtain
different responses each day during the first week after the wedding. About
one week after marriage, she will declare that she feels unwell, but she does
not believe it to signify anything serious. About 10 days after the Wedding,
your wife will announce that she is pregnant. At this point, you will be
asked if you would prefer a boy, a girl or if you have no preferences
whatsoever. The answer you choose will determine the gender of your child.
If you declare that you have NO preference, the gender will be randomly chosen
but otherwise will correspond with the gender you choose.
Your child will be born 16 days after your Wedding and his/her birthday will
appear immediately on the Calendar on your Wall.
You must leave your house on the scheduled day of the child's delivery in
order for the birth to occur. If you do not leave your house, the child will
not be born, although his/her birthday WILL appear notwithstanding on the
Calendar. This is a warning to players who 'sleep' through the seasons not
to do so. If you awaken simply speak to your wife before you return to your
bed, the child will not be born until you have made the effort to walk outside
your farmhouse!
There is no Birth Event. When you return to your house on the appointed day,
your wife will be holding your child in her arms and will ask you to choose a
name.

Embarking upon the 2nd Generation:

After the birth of your child, he/she will remain an infant in your wife's
arms until you order a School to be built. The price of a school is 100,000G
and 1000 pieces of lumber. You should have more than enough gold and lumber
long before your child is born but if you wish to remain in the 1st Generation
for some reason, you can delay the project.
Otherwise, as soon as you and your wife have a dialogue about the need for a
school for your child, you should visit Byron. You now will find a new
option available. It will be the option to build a school. Incidentally,
although the option to speak to Byron about expanding the Barn will exist
throughout the 1st Generation game, he will tell you that the potential may
exist but he feels it is not timely to agree to an expansion yet. You
therefore will not be able to expand your Barn in the 1st Generation.
When you ask Byron to build the school, providing him with 100,000G and 1000
Lumber, it will take 10 days for the project to be completed. This is your
last opportunity to enjoy the 1st Generation game, so do whatever you feel is
necessary to prepare for your child's life as the main character.
Hint: Your tools have the power to be charged, but when your child inherits
them, they will have rusted and be basic tools with no charge power.
On the 10th day, your wife will announce that the School has been completed.
Until then, when you visit the location, you will find the building in the
process of being constructed. It will stand in Cherry Blossom Square, by the
way, corresponding with the vision conceived by Mana in her Request Event.
When you go to the School after its completion, an Event will occur, sending
your character away from Alvarna in haste and secrecy. Years will pass and
you will regain control of the game as your child who now will be 9 years
old. The Chest near the Fireplace that could not be opened in the 1st
Generation will contain all your father's old tools, now rusted. Although you
will begin the 2nd Generation with all the Levels attained and the items
collected by your father as well as the Monsters in your Monster Barn, the set
of Rusty Tools will be very basic in their use. You will not be able to
charge them. Better tools can be obtained, though, once you have a forge and
even at the very start of the 2nd Generation, Tanya will offer a wider
selection of weapons.
Note that the new items offered by Tanya for the most part are not as useful
as the Weapons and Accessories you yourself can forge in the 2nd Generation.
The main advantage in being able to purchase weapons and accessories from
Tanya is for use as 'ingredients' to forge even better items.

Your Spouse as a 2nd Generation Character

The woman you choose to marry in the 1st Generation will be an important
character in the 2nd, even though her role will be transformed from that of
spouse to mother. She will continue to preside over the household, caring
for her son or daughter.
Oddly, though, when your Child becomes the main character in the game, his/her
mother's heart level will be reduced to zero with the heart levels of every
other individual. Furthermore, she will resume the tasks or habits of her
single life, so although she will sleep at the farmhouse and greet you each
morning and night, she will be found in Alvarna during the day.
If your character in the 1st Generation marries Yue or Alicia, they will
resume their original 'careers' in the 2nd Generation and treat their child
effectively like a stranger during the day when they are 'working'. Alicia
will not charge her husband for fortune-telling, but she will charge her own
child!


Special Proposal Items

The 'Blue Feather' that accompanies traditional Harvest Moon proposals of
marriage is not part of the courtship rite in Rune Factory 2. Like its
predecessor, the manner of proposal is different for each of the eligible
girls. You need to have the Eligible Girl at 10 Hearts and have the correct
special item in order to be able to make a proposal of marriage. In some
cases, it is a third party who will provide the special item, as in the cases
of Dorothy and Mana. In other cases, it is the girl herself who will give it
to you. Yue will give you the 'Yue Swap Ticket' and Ceci will return the
Round Stone to you for safekeeping in the course of their Request Events at 9
Hearts.
Whatever the method, if you attempt to use the special item at 9 hearts, the
girl will refuse it, returning it to you again, telling you that she is not
ready for marriage. In fact, if you are not ready for marriage yourself,
you will have the option to avoid making the proposal when you give the girl
the special item in question. Choosing the option that will postpone any
marriage proposal will not result in any decrease in heart level, by the way.
You will be able to propose again without any problem or delay if that is your
desire.
If you attempt to ship a Special proposal item, it will bounce back into your
hands with a message: 'I should hold onto this.'
If you drop any Curio or Special Item by accident, it will go to the 'Lost and
Found' in Byron's house where your character can retrieve it.

List of Special Proposal Items:

There is a unique item that you need in order to propose to each Eligible
Girl. They are:
Engagement Ring: A valuable, important ring given to one's life partner.
The Engagement Ring is Mana's Special Proposal Item and will be given to you
by Douglas when you accept his Challenge Request.
Crystal Ball: The ancient tool of a fortune-teller. Said to reveal the
future when gazed into.
The Crystal Ball is Alicia's Special item and you must fetch it from the
Padova Mountains in her Request Event at 10 Hearts.
Blessing Pendant: A handmade pendant for Dorothy entrusted to you by Gordon.
Protects bearer from harm.
The Blessing Pendant will be given to you by Gordon in a Request he will make
after you have experienced Dorothy's Request at 9 Hearts.
Round Stone: A beautiful Round stone. But still just a stone.
You must find the round Stone for Cecilia in one Request and then take it to
her on the Bridge in Messhina Valley in another Request when she attains 10
Hearts.
100 Rose-Bouquet: Rare and expensive roses called 'Geshule'. This bunch has
special significance for Rosalind.
Max will offer to give you this very expensive bouquet of roses if you give
him 9 Tomatoes.
Memento Ring: A beautiful ring made from Messhlight ore. Made by a skilled
craftsman, an acquaintance of Yue's.
You must obtain a piece of Messhlight Ore for Julia in her Request Event, then
give it with 10,000G to Yue in order to have the Memento Ring made.
Yue Swap Ticket: A ticket that can be swapped for a prize at Yue's store.
Apparently, it is very unique.
Yue herself will give you the Yue Swap Ticket at the end of her Request at 9
hearts.


Taming Monsters:


You will not be able to tame any Monsters until you have the Pet Glove. This
is the Reward for completing one of Cecilia's Requests. She will ask you to
obtain a Ruby in Trieste Forest for her without killing any Monsters in the
attempt. When you return to her with the Ruby, she will give you the Pet
Glove.
Cecilia: Here, take this PET GLOVE. It's a present for me. You can use it
to become even better friends with monsters.
You got the PET GLOVE.
Me: What is this?
Ceci: It's a glove that will let you tame monsters. If you equip it, you can
pet a monster to show your affection for it. If you show it enough love,
it'll become your friend.
Me: That's amazing!
Ceci: Well, you'll probably come under some pretty heavy fire while you're
petting it, but…
Me: Hahaha.
Ceci: But if you show it love, everything will be fine in the end. Oh, but no
matter how much love you show it, it won't befriend you unless you have a barn.
Me: A barn?
Ceci: It's the place where you keep the monsters that you tamed. You need
Mayor Byron's permission in order to build one, though. Try talking to him
when he's in his office at his house.
Me: Got it.
Ceci: You'll also be needing wood if you plan on building a barn. Let me give
you a headstart on collecting it.
You got 100 pieces of wood.
Me: Thank you.
Ceci: Okay, good luck.
Now if you visit the Mayor , you have two options as follows:
I want to talk to you.
I want to build a barn.
Byron: A barn? There's some space on the west of the farm that should suit
your needs. You can use that, if you like.
Me: Thank you.
You'll need 50 pieces of wood and 5000G to build it.
Th-that's a little more expensive than I was expecting…!
Byron: We are talking about an entire building here, after all! You have my
permission to build it, anyway, so the rest is up to you. Once you have the
materials and the money, come back and talk to me again.
You should have 5000G if you have been completing Requests faithfully. You
will have more than enough Wood for the project as well.
Remember that all the items and resources you collect in the 1st Generation,
apart from your Tools, will be inherited by your child in the 2nd Generation.
Do not be too quick, therefore, to move ahead to the next generation. You do
not waste either time or energy by pursuing all possible activities in the 1st
Generation game.

Lumber for Building Projects:

Even if you did not till ANY land and allowed wild items to drop both on your
Field and in the tillable plots in the four Caves/Dungeons, you never would be
able to collect enough Lumber to complete the important building projects of
creating a Monster Barn and a School. The Monster Barn only requires 50
pieces of Lumber but the School requires 1000 Lumber and 100,000G. The School
is the project that will allow you to move forward from the 1st Generation to
the 2nd Generation, so you should have both sufficient lumber and gold in your
possession when you marry, as you then can order the School as soon as your
child is born.
The only method by which large quantities of Lumber is obtained is through the
Requests that appear on the Bulletin Board. This is another reason why
players should complete ALL Requests. Requests are tied to Friendship/Love
Levels. Completing any Request raises heart levels and allows the next
Request to appear when the required heart level for that Request is reached.
Everything in life is connected. You cannot hope to progress smoothly if you
perform some activities and neglect others. Friendship is one of the most
vital aspects of any Harvest Moon game and it is Friendship that is the
foundation of the Request system.
As stated earlier, even if you experience all of the Request Events for the
girl you wish to marry, in some cases it is only by experiencing the Request
Event of another character as well that you will be able to obtain the Special
Proposal Item that will allow you to propose marriage to her.
Experience Levels are important in terms of any activity. The higher you can
raise all your character's Skills, the better-equipped your child will be at
the start of the 2nd Generation as all Skill Levels will be inherited by
him/her.
As both Lumber and Gold are important considerations when determining how
quickly you wish to enter the 2nd Generation, it is vital for your character
in the 1st Generation to grow as many Crops as possible. You should till
every square both in your Field and in the four Caves/Dungeons, planting fast-
growing Crops in your Field in each season and all the slow-growing, more
valuable Crops in the Caves.
By completing all possible Requests, you will have more than sufficient Lumber
to build the School when your child is born but in terms of collecting the
greatest amount of Lumber, there is one season when your Field will be fallow
and Wild Items, Branches, Stumps and Stones will appear daily. During the
Winter season, you will be unable to plant any Crops in your own Field. This
is the season when you should chop every branch and Stump that appears, and
collect every Wild Item in order to keep the field clear for MORE items.
Items appear randomly each day on any square that is untilled. If you allow
them to collect for days, you are wasting the potential of the squares the
items occupy. Clear your Field each day in Winter in order to be able to
acquire the greatest quantity of Lumber. Wild grasses may have low shipping
values, but it is vital to clear them from your Field daily. Furthermore,
although you can buy all Wild items at the Clinic, the price you will pay is
very high. It is far better to keep at least one stack of Medicinal Herbs
and Antidotal Herbs in your Cabinet and one in your Rucksack for use in
Recovery Potions and as a basic antidote to Poison.

Monster Care:


You can see the heart levels of your Monsters when you access the Friends Page
of your Farm Menu, but you will not see any other details about them. To see
how much Feed you have, what products or tasks can be obtained by your
Monsters as well as which Monsters will give products on any given day, look
at the billboard to the right of the Monster Barn. Here you will see a List
of all the Monsters you own. A shadow of an icon signifies the potential of a
Monster to perform a task or give a ranch product. If the icon is black
(filled), it signifies that you will be able to obtain the product now.
The size of the product depends on the heart level of the Monster. From 0-3
Hearts, the Monster will give Small Product. From 4-7 Hearts, you will obtain
Medium Product. From 8-10 Hearts, you will obtain Large Product.

Tips for Farm Help


When Monsters help with farm labour, they do so in a very specific manner,
beginning in the northeast corner of your field, moving square by square
towards the west. They will work the squares row by row, each time beginning
the row in the east and moving towards the west where the shipping container
and farmhouse stand.
A monster who waters crops will water every tilled square, whether or not any
crop is planted currently in that square. You therefore are advised to
organise your planting by filling the plots at the top of your field first.
A monster who harvests will do so in the same way, beginning in the northeast
corner whether or not any ripened crops actually are there. As monsters are
limited in the amount they can accomplish, you may find that any ripened crops
in the lower half of the field will remain standing at the end of the
Monster's workday.
Tilled soil unplanted with any crop will remain tilled throughout the seasons
and will not acquire any wild items, weeds, stones or branches. It is only
untilled soil that draws items to it.
Crops left standing at the end of the season will become 'Withered Grass' on
the first day of the next season. Withered Grass can be collected like weeds,
but when collected, leaves the soil untilled. If you wish to keep the soil
tilled, use your sickle on the crops on the last day of the season.
Incidentally, you only can assign two monsters to any farm task. You
therefore can assign two tame Monsters to water the fields and another two to
harvest the crops. If you attempt to assign a third, you will obtain a prompt
to the effect that this will not be permitted.

Introduction to the 2nd Generation

10 days after you initiate the School project with Byron, it will be
completed. Your character has to walk towards the door of the new School,
however, in order to set the event in motion that will take the game to the
2nd Generation.
When the School is finished and the Event occurs, nine years will pass during
the Event and your character, on a stormy night, finally will remember his
identity and his original (lost) purpose. He will leave during the night,
without a word of explanation to any one. Your child, however, will find him
on the verge of his departure and before your character leaves, he will give a
plot item to your child. This is an ancient book. It will not go into your
Rucksack but into the Plot Items section of your Farm Menu.
When next you resume control of the game, it will be in the person of your
child. When he/she descends the stairs from the bedroom, a little Event will
occur, prompting him/her to go to the Chest to the left of the fireplace that
formerly could not be opened. Here your child will find his/her father's set
of tools, now rusted alas.
You now are determined to find your Father. That is your primary quest in the
2nd Generation. To do this, you will be required to improve all your Skills,
attend School daily in order to learn 'Recipes' for cooking, forging,
accessory-making and pharmaceuticals and explore the areas of the
Caves/Dungeons that your Father could not access.

Attending School

The School offers different classes both in the Morning and in the Afternoon,
and Classes vary according to the day of the week. School opens each day at
9.00 a.m. with Mana as the teacher. Her classes essentially are Cooking
classes. You can take a maximum of two lessons each day from a Teacher.
After you have had two Lessons, the class will be dismissed, although Mana
will stay in the classroom at her desk until she is replaced by Barrett in the
afternoon.
When you speak to Mana in the Classroom, she will offer a number of different
options. You can speak to her, request a Lesson or request that she repair
one of your Magic Books. A list of all Magic Books and their method of
acquisition is included elsewhere in this Guide. You will find only one in
the 1st Generation when you go to the bookcase in your own farmhouse. Like
all the Magic Books that you find, it will be damaged and missing some of its
pages. Even when a Magic Book misses pages, it can be used, but its power
will be lessened by the damage. You therefore can use 'Fireball' throughout
the 1st Generation.
You can obtain Missing Page 1 of Fireball in the 1st Generation as well by
completing one of Alicia's Requests. You have to wait until the 2nd
Generation, however, for Mana to be able to repair it properly.
Barrett teaches Classes in the afternoon at the School. His Lessons teach
forging, accessory-making and pharmaceuticals. Again, you are restricted to
two Lessons each day and a different list of Lessons will be offered each day
of the week, apart from the Holiday. You can choose to learn these Lessons in
any order you wish.

Lessons are only the 1st Step…

Although you can complete every Lesson that Mana and Barrett offer, you will
not be able to put any of your knowledge into practice until you build a
Workshop. You will be told this quite clearly the first morning you attend
school. Byron, as always, is in charge of these expansions.

2nd Generation Expansions:

When you speak to Byron in his house now, you will find a new list of options:
Expand the Barn
Expand the School
The option to expand the Monster Barn that was refused to you in the 1st
Generation now will be available. Options to expand the School by building a
Library, a Workshop and a Dojo will be available as well. The prices are:
Any Barn Expansion: 50 Wood and 5,000G
Any School Expansion: 100 Wood and 10,000G


Monster Barn Expansions:

You can order more than one expansion of the Monster Barn, giving you more
than sufficient space to tame as many Monsters of as many different varieties
as you wish.
All Tame Monsters from the 1st Generation will be retained in the 2nd
Generation and, unlike the other characters, their Heart Levels will remain
the same. If, therefore, you had 16 Monsters at 10 Hearts in the 1st
Generation, you will find yourself with the same 16 Monsters at 10 Hearts when
you play as your child.
You will need the Barn expansion, however, as there are many new varieties of
Monsters now, including those who make Honey and others who are capable of
pulverising the boulders and stumps in your Field.
Your Rusty Tools no longer will take a Charge and any work done by your father
in the field will have been eroded in the passage of years. You therefore
need to forge better tools or tame Monsters in order to be able to clear and
till your entire field, as a random number of Stumps and Boulders will have
appeared in the passage between 1st and 2nd Generations.

School Expansions:

You really need to order all three of the School Expansions as quickly as
possible if you wish to be able to advance in the 2nd Generation. What is
truly wonderful is the ability to order ALL expansions immediately. You can
order an expansion of your Monster Barn as well as the Library, Workshop and
Dojo in a single conversation with the Mayor. Simply ask for the next
expansion on the list as soon as he agrees to perform the previous one.

School Library:

The School Library contains bookshelves filled with books and a table in the
centre that will allow you to play a multi-player game that will reset all
your abilities randomly. Sugoroku is the name of this game.
Apart from this, however, the Library is a necessary expansion because it
contains some of the Magic Books you need in order to have all possible
Magical Abilities. Simply search all the Bookcases in the Library to find
them.

School Workshop:

You should have more than sufficient Lumber and Gold when you begin the 2nd
Generation to afford all possible Expansions, but if you only can afford one
at the start, choose the Workshop, as this is the location where any Cooking
and Forging activities occur in Rune Factory 2.
Simply having a Workshop will not allow you to do anything. The Workshop when
built will be empty. You need to buy a Kitchen, Forge and Pharmacy from Yue
if you wish to be able to use any of the Lessons you learned in School. Speak
to Yue and ask her for a Bargain.
Like the Lessons that are taught in School, Yue's 'Bargains' option differs
from day to day and you first need a Kitchen if you wish to purchase any
Kitchen Utensils from you. In this respect, Rune Factory 2 is similar to the
original Rune Factory.
Yue sells the actual Kitchens, Small and Large, Forge and Pharmacy on Monday.
The options that appear under 'Bargains' are:
Small Kitchen: 1000G
Large Kitchen: 5000G (?)
Forge/Workshop: 7000G
Pharmacy: 3000G
Once you have the basic Kitchen, you will be able to buy Utensils from Yue.
The options available for 'kitchenware' are:
Small Kitchenware
Large Kitchenware
As in many Harvest Moon games, a small kitchen only accommodates a limited
number of Utensils. You really should buy the Large Kitchen as soon as
possible in order to be able to obtain all possible Utensils to cook without
any restrictions.
As with Byron and the building Expansion options, Yue will allow you to buy as
many items as you wish in a single visit. You can purchase the Small and
Large Kitchens, the Forge and the Pharmacy immediately. They cost very
little.


Dojo

The Dojo is a very interesting place. It is here that Barrett will 'test' you
by asking you to fight a few Monsters. When you have done so the first time,
he will reward you with three new Weapons Seal Spells.
If you wish to have all possible abilities, you need the Magic Spells found in
the Library and the Seal Spells given in the Dojo. It therefore is advisable
to order all three School Expansions from Byron.

Cooking and Forging: Practice makes Perfect

As in the original Rune Factory, cooking, forging and the creation of
accessories and medicines requires practice. Each 'recipe' has a Skill level
requirement. If you access the Levels page in your Farm Menu, you will find
that your Skill Level in Cooking, Forging and Pharmaceutical is at Level 1 at
the start of the 2nd Generation. Learning the Lessons at School will not
increase your Skill in these areas. You actually need to be able to make the
items successfully.
This essentially requires that you make the same item more than once. Each
attempt, even if it fails, will bring you closer to success. When you have
made easy Recipes successfully, you can begin to attempt more difficult ones.
It is pointless to attempt a difficult Recipe if you have a low level of
Skill. You will do nothing more than waste good ingredients.
My Recipe Cookbook Guide will include all possible Recipes in Rune Factory 2
for Cooked Items, Weapons, Accessories and Medicines. In Rune Factory 2,
however, you cannot experiment to create a new Recipe. You must have obtained
the Recipes either by learning your Lessons in School or by being given them
as rewards in Caves.
The primary benefit of a Recipe/Cookbook Guide is to give players an idea of
the items that will be needed in terms of ingredients for specific Recipes.
Some items are more difficult or time-consuming to obtain than others. By
knowing which items you need or how many of each are needed to create a
specific Cooked Dish or Weapon, you can collect those items for future use.
An advantage of practice in Cooking is the fact that a Cooked Dish is worth
more than raw ingredients in many cases. For example, if you ship a Pink
Turnip from your field, you will obtain 210G. If, however, you make it into
Pickled Turnips, you can ship it for 310G. Energy is consumed whenever you
cook or forge an item, but you will make a profit in many cases when you ship
the result.
Weapons cannot be shipped, of course, but they can be sold to a Merchant.

Cooking Menu

When you wish to cook, go to the Workshop. Provided that you purchased a
Kitchen, Small or Large, from Yue, and provided always that you have been
attending school and learning your lessons, you will be able to cook.
Kitchen Utensils must be purchased separately from Yue, but even without any
Utensils, you can cook some simple dishes. Next to the name of any Dish you
have obtained through a Lesson or in a Cave will be a number that represents
the Skill Level required to guarantee that you can complete it successfully.
The actual percentage of the chance of success for any Recipe depends on your
own Cooking Skill Level.
Results of any Cooking experiment are random but your chances of success
increase as your Skill levels increase. At the start, practice by cooking
dishes that have very low Skill level requirements. It is better to practice
with dishes that require only ingredients that can be purchased from Douglas,
as there is no point in wasting Crops that take time to grow on practice
recipes.
'Rice Ball' is an excellent beginner's Recipe. All you need is Rice,
purchased for 270G from Douglas.
Press 'A' in front of the Kitchen to access the Cooking Menu.
Note that you MUST have all ingredients in your actual Rucksack. Even when
you have a large Refrigerator and Shelves installed in your Workshop, the
contents will not be accessible to your character when you cook or forge
items. You therefore must remove whatever ingredients you need from
Refrigerator or Shelves and make certain they are in your Rucksack before you
begin any Cooking, Forging or Pharmaceutical project!
On the top screen, you will see a blank lined page. On the bottom screen, you
will see a Cooking Box with six empty slots and a Success Rate box with a
percentage. Now you need to find a Recipe and place the ingredients required
for the Recipe in the Cooking Box.
If you wish to make a Rice Ball, simply place a portion of Rice in one of the
Cooking Slots, then tap the book icon in the left corner of the bottom
screen. You will see two icons there. The first will display your Rucksack
as 'Ingredients' with the Cooking Box to the right. The second will display a
list of all the Recipes you have learned.
Tap the Book icon and you will find the List of Recipes that you have learned
displayed on the lower screen. Find the Recipe you need and highlight it,
then tap the book icon again to return to the Cooking page.
There are three excellent 'practice' Recipes in the Cookbook if you have taken
the Lessons for them.
Pickled Turnip Recipe
Pickled Turnip Recipe
Rice Ball
There are two separate Recipes for Pickled Turnips as one uses Pink Turnips
and the other uses white Turnips. I would recommend the Pink Turnips as they
grow in Spring and you will begin the 2nd Generation in Spring. If you do not
wish to purchase Rice from Douglas, choose the Pink Turnips Pickled Turnips
Recipe. The two Pickled Turnips Recipes have a Skill Level of 3. Rice Ball
has a Skill Level of 4. If you have a Cooking Skill Level of 1, your chances
of successfully creating Pickled Turnips will be 84%. It will be 73% or 75%
for Rice Ball. When you increase your Cooking Skill to Level 2, that
percentage will increase to 82%. At Level 4, which is the required Level for
the Dish, your percentage should be 100% finally.
As previously explained, when you have highlighted the Recipe, tap the Book
Icon again to return to the Cooking Page. Now you will see a List of
Ingredients for the Recipe on the top screen. Make certain that you place all
necessary ingredients in slots in the Cooking Box. For Rice Ball, all you
need is a portion of Rice. For a Pickled Turnip, all you need is 1 Turnip.
If you do choose to make the Pickled Turnips, however, make certain that you
choose the right Recipe for the Turnips you are using! Do not use white
Turnips to attempt to make the Recipe that asks for Pink Turnips.
When each ingredient occupies a slot in the Cooking Box, tap 'OK' to cook the
dish. If it cooks successfully, you will see a large message of 'SUCCESS!'
emblazoned across the Cooking screen. As with combat situations, practice
increases skill levels. Make the same simple recipe again and again to
increase your Skill Level in Cooking.
To increase from Level 1 to Level 2, you need only make about three successful
Dishes. They can be the same dish made more than once. As your Cooking Skill
Levels increase, however, it will take longer to progress to the next Level.
This was true in the original Rune Factory as well.
Skill Levels for Recipes will not be given in the Lessons at the School. They
are displayed only when you access your Cookbook in the Kitchen or at the
Forge, Workbench or Pharmacy.
Finally, it is important to realize that Cooking or Forging takes energy. It
is hard work, after all, and your character will lose HP in the process. It
is possible to practice the same Recipe again and again but only if you pay
attention to your energy levels. You actually can pass out if you spend too
much time in the Kitchen!
As your Skill Levels at the activity in question increase, less HP will be
consumed. Again, practice is the key whether you are fighting a Monster,
planting a Crop, cooking a meal or forging a fine blade!


Farming in the 2nd Generation

In the 10 day period between ordering the School to be built and its
completion, your character should not plant any Crops in the field that cannot
be harvested before the end of the 1st Generation. Although Crops grown in
the Caves/Dungeons will survive the change in generations randomly, those in
the Field will die without exception. Furthermore, they will become Withered
Grass, giving your Child added labour at the start of the 2nd Generation.
Grow Crops that will mature in 10 days or less and harvest all of them before
you visit the completed School. When you resume control of the game as your
Child, your Field will be a mess.
If not filled with Withered Grass, you still will have considerable labour to
perform before your Field is clear. A random number of wild items, branches,
stones and large Boulders and Stumps will occupy your Field at the start of
the 2nd Generation. Furthermore, the Rusty Tools you inherited from your
father will not take a Charge. This means that every Farm tool will affect
only one square when used!
If you were diligent in taming and using Monsters in the 1st Generation, you
should have 2 Monsters to help water your Crops in the 2nd Generation. As
ever, they begin their work in the upper northwest corner of the Field, so
clear those plots first and plant quick-growing Crops like Pink Turnips
immediately. You now will find that you need all the Rune Points you can
create. Plant Strawberries and Grass for their multiple harvests. As they
take longer to mature than Pink Turnips, however, you need some Pink Turnips
in the Field for the Rune Points if nothing else.
If you 'inherited' Monsters who perform Farm labours from your Father, you
will discover that their efficiency has improved enormously in the 9 years
that passed between the end of the 1st Generation and the start of the 2nd.
Two Tame Monsters from the 1st Generation set to water your Field can cover
the entire field now each day, instead of the partial performance they
delivered each day in the 1st year of the game in the 1st Generation.
Although you will not be able to destroy the Stumps and Boulders in your Field
with your Rusty Tools, there are Monsters in the 2nd Generation who can be
tamed to perform these vital tasks. There are more varieties of Monsters who
will smash boulders than perform logging, by the way.
To find a Monster who will destroy the Stumps in your Field, you need to visit
Messhina Valley. At the top of a mountain in a new area on the map, you will
find Blackbirds. They are extremely vicious and their rapid multiple attacks
will deplete your HP almost instantly, so make certain that you have the Cure
Spell equipped before you try to tame one.
To find a Monster who will smash Boulders, go to Blessia Island. There are a
number of different Monsters there, including Trolls and Giant Beetles, who
will perform this task if set to it.
Monsters who are set to smash boulders or destroy stumps will work in the
Morning. By the middle of the 2nd Week of the game in the 2nd Generation,
however, you should have been able to upgrade your Rusty old tools and have a
full set of upgraded Tools that you have made in your own Forge.
Note that Tame Monsters who perform Farming Tasks, both in the 1st and 2nd
Generation, only will work on your own Field and will not help with chores in
the Caves even if you take them with you!

Your Farmhouse in the 2nd Generation

You will find that there are many new options to explore in your own Farmhouse
when you begin life as your Child in the 2nd Generation.
The most important of these are the Magic Spellbooks that will be found in the
Bookcase on the Upper Floor (in your mother's bedroom) and at the Table in the
centre of the ground floor.
You will find your father's old tools automatically in the first Event in the
2nd Generation in the Chest that could not be opened in the 1st. Sad to say,
the Chest cannot be used to STORE any items afterwards.
Another new option is the ability to change your Outfit. Go to the armoire in
the northwest corner of the upper floor and press 'A'. You will see a prompt:
('I think I'll change my outfit…)
Now you will have access to a series of choices and four different 'drawers'
filled with outfits of different colours. Once you have changed from
your 'original outfit', you always will have the option to change back into it.
If your character is a girl, you will have a 'Nice Outfit' that is a beautiful
gown and veil fit for a Queen. Unlike the formal outfit in Harvest Moon Boy &
Girl, you will be able to peform all farm tasks even if you choose to dress in
the gown!

Caves in the 2nd Generation

In the 2nd Generation, you will discover that the areas beyond the gates in
each Cave are accessible to your character. As a Child who is smaller than
any adult, he/she simply can slip through them!
Now you can explore all the areas in each of the four Caves. Here you will
find new Monsters, new plots for Crops and the plot items needed to find your
Father.
In the 1st Generation, if you attempted to discover the purpose of the Altars
in the Caves, you would meet with nothing but failure. In the 2nd Generation,
you will receive a new prompt when you access an Altar in any Cave. Each
Altar has a different message for your character.
One of your goals when exploring any Cave is to recover the Fragments of a
broken Tablet. There is a Tablet for each of the Caves and it is by
performing the action required at each of the Altars that you will obtain each
of the Fragments of the Tablet that belongs to that particular Cave. The
Altars act as barriers and by fulfilling the designated act, you will destroy
the barrier. A section devoted to the Altars and the methods by which each
is dissolved is included in this Guide.
Each of the Caves now has a 'Boss' Monster and you need to be careful not to
enter the screen inhabited by the 'Boss' unless you are ready to defeat it.
The Boss Monsters are discussed in a separate section.

Cave and Monsters Guide, 1st Generation:

In the first generation, you will be able to enter all four Caves, each of
which is connected to a specific season and contains plots for crops. Each
cave has its own complement of monsters, and these will change according to
the time of day. During the day, you will find one group of monsters
patrolling the cave. When night falls, a different group will appear.
Monsters are a vital aspect of both Rune Factory games. They serve many
purposes, from providing all Ranch products and acting as helpers on your farm
to being a source both of transport and War Trophies. A War Trophy from a
Monster often will be the object of one of the Requests on the Bulletin
Board. Although the individual who makes the Request will tell you precisely
where to find the War Trophy in question, it saves time and energy if you have
saved items in advance in your Cabinet.
Knowing which Monsters will water crops and which will harvest them can be
useful as well. If you intend to grow as many crops as possible both on your
own field and in the plots in the Cave/Dungeon areas, it is most helpful to
have a Monster working for you on your farm.
Monsters who neither produce any Ranch Products nor can be trained to work on
the farm nonetheless may be useful companions in a fight. All Monsters can be
commanded to accompany your character when he goes to any Cave/Dungeon and
they automatically will fight by your side against both enemies and Monster
Generators. Some Monsters are more powerful than others and some have far
better attack strategies than others.
In the 1st Generation game, there is one Monster who will act as a Transport
Animal, and in fact, it is one of my own personal favourites in the wild
animal kingdom. You can ride a Wolf both in the original Rune Factory and in
its sequel although the Monsters bear different names in each game.
The Silver Wolf whom you can ride happens to be one of the best fighters to
have with you in combat as well. In the 1st Generation game, he is powerful
enough to take out any Monster Generator with a single pounce. He can fell
any Monster enemies with one or two blows. His attacks are very well-aimed as
well. There are other types of Monsters who may be powerful but less adept at
aiming their attacks precisely.
Having a Monster with you in any Cave/Dungeon can save time. You may find
that, if you have crops growing in every Cave/Dungeon on the map, you will be
pressed for time to water all your Crops, perform mining operations and
interact with individuals before 1.00 a.m., the time when you need to be in
bed to avoid fatigue the next day.
Doors will be unlocked after 6.00 p.m. once the owners reach a minimum of 3
Hearts but even so, there is much distance to travel if you wish to water
every plot in every area of the Map on a daily basis. Being able to ride a
Silver Wolf will cut your travel time in half. Having him by your side in any
combat situation will save more time as he can destroy any generator while you
defeat the Monster who has been spawned initially from it. If you must
destroy the generator yourself as well as defeat the Monster before you can
water any Crops, valuable time will be spent in this preliminary activity. A
Silver Wolf can be a tremendous boon to you, a true 'boon companion'.
When you are accompanied by any Monster, you will not be able to enter any
Building, even your own Farmhouse. You must send the Monster back to the Barn
if you wish to shop in the village, although you can ride a Monster through
the Village if you are going to Blessia Island.
You actually can take the ship to Blessia Island with a Monster although he
will be left behind on the pier when you leap onto the ship. Even so, upon
your arrival, you will find he has made his own way to the Island somehow.
There are few Monsters who will help on the Farm in the 1st Generation game,
but you can tame one type of Monster who will water the field and two others
who will harvest your Crops. Remember that a Crop must stand fully ripened in
the field in order to produce a Rune Point. If you intend to use Monsters to
harvest your crops, you may wish to grow a few plots of Grass in the field as
they will not cut this and you can continue to use the fully-ripened grass for
Rune Points until you decide to cut it with the Sickle.
Note that a detailed map of the Cave/Dungeon appears on the top screen. Among
other things, it shows the location of any tillable land in the area.
When you are mounted, you neither can fight nor use farm tools. Dismount to
use your Watering Can in any Cave/Dungeon area. The Monster will wait
patiently by your side until you complete your chores. (Farm work
is 'beneath' a Wolf!) As stated previously though, the Wolf is very useful
even when your only purpose in visiting the area is to tend to the crops. He
will take out the Generation instantly while you defeat the enemy it spawned,
saving you time.
One cautionary note that I will make certain I include in my General Guide is
the potential effect of combat on Crops. Using any weapon where a Crop grows
may destroy the Crop as surely as if you used a Sickle on it. In the
beginning of the game, when my attention was directed solely towards the
threat any Monster posed, I inadvertently destroyed a couple of my Crops by
fighting the Monster on the plot where they were growing. If you do not have
9 squares filled with fully ripened Crops or Flowers, a Rune Point will not
appear. By allowing my character to flail about with his weapons on the
farming plot in the Cave or Dungeon, I lost a chance to create a Rune Point...
To be honest, in the 1st Generation, you may find that you have far more Rune
Points than you can use. It is only later that you will be able to make every
Rune Point count.

Rune Flowers:

A secret source of Rune Points is the Rune Flower, a beautiful pale blue
flower that you will find only in hostile territory. You may believe that it
is nothing more than a part of the graphic landscape as you will not be able
to pluck it by pressing 'A'. Use a Sickle instead to cut it and a Rune Point
will appear.
This is vital in the 2nd Generation when Monsters are more powerful and more
plentiful in every Cave/Dungeon area. Knowing where the Rune Flowers grow and
being able to access them quickly may mean the difference between health and
defeat, as you will need your Magic in the 2nd Generation, both in the form of
spells that restore health and those that are weapons against the enemies you
encounter.

Rune Crystals:

In the 2nd Generation only, you will encounter a new rock in locations that
previously were inaccessible. These are Rune Crystal rocks. Smash a Rune
Crystal with your Hammer to uncover a Rune Point.

Mining and Monsters:

Where mining is concerned, a player needs to be aware of a few points. First
of all, many of the rocks in which items are found will be grouped near a
Monster Generator. Although you can smash an individual rock quickly,
ignoring combat, any rocks that are grouped near a Generator cannot be smashed
until the Generator is destroyed. In Rune Factory 2, your character in combat
will target an enemy by default if any is within range. A Monster Generator
is treated as an enemy for this purpose and a hammer, although strong, may not
be the most efficient method of destroying a generator. Use your most
powerful weapon to destroy the Monster Generator before you attempt to mine
the area with your Hammer.
In similar fashion, if an enemy is within range, when you swing your Hammer,
it will target the enemy instead of the rock. Dispatch any enemy within range
with a powerful weapon before you resume mining.

Monster HP

The HP of any Tame Monster will increase according to the amount of time he
has spent with you. For example, a newly tamed Silver Wolf will have a total
HP of 65 but a Silver Wolf in your care for over a full season may have a
total HP of 200. You can raise a Monster's Heart Level to 10 in less than a
fortnight, but even apart from Heart Levels, there is a significant difference
between a Monster who has been tame for 10 days and one who has been tame for
two full seasons.

Collecting Items:

Many items can be found in all areas. Medicinal Grass and Antidotal Grass, as
well as Weeds, Branches and Stones will be found in every area of the map.
There are Coloured Wild Grasses that are specific to particular seasons,
however and therefore will be found only in Caves/Dungeons connected to their
season. White Grass, a Winter Grass, is found only in the Padova Mountains.
Poison squares that resemble brightly coloured rocks will be found in the
tillable plots in the Caves/Dungeons at the start of the game. Do not stray
too close to them or you will be poisoned. Eat an Antidotal Grass to restore
your health. The effects of poison are to bleed you gradually of your HP.
You will lose a few points of HP at a time continuously until you pass out, so
the sooner you eat the Antidotal Grass, the better.
A Scorpion's sting can inflict Poison but Poison from its attack is a rare
occurrence early in the game. Again, carry Antidotal Grass in your Rucksack
for use in any emergency.

Tilling your Fields

There are advantages and disadvantages to tilling all plots on the map. If
you till every square in your own field, wild items no longer will appear
until the ground restored to its natural condition. This means that you no
longer will be obliged to dispose of weeds, branches and stones but it means
that no wild grasses or other useful items will appear either. The same holds
true in any Cave/Dungeon. When you till every square in a Cave, you will be
able to grow more crops, but you no longer will be able to find the wild items
specific to that season. The Clinic does sell ALL items found in the Wilds,
however, so if you need a specific wild item in a pinch, you can buy it
there. The money made from shipping Crops far outweighs the disadvantage of
paying for an item at the Clinic. Buying items from any merchant or shop
moreover will raise the Friendship level of the owner/merchant.
A note of warning should be made about coloured stones that appear only in
tillable fields in Cave/Dungeon areas. They tend to be blue or purple in
colour and are poisonous. If you stray too close to one, you will be
poisoned. Make certain that you keep a few Antidotal Herbs in your Rucksack
until you can neutralize all the poison squares in the Caves. Natalie
sells 'Antidote Potion' at the Clinic for 325G but it is unnecessary when a
single Antidotal Herb should suffice early in the game.
Natalie sells 'Neutral Agent' for 100G. This will destroy the poison
completely, transforming the square into untilled soil.

Qualities of Monsters in 1st Generation:

Each monster whom you tame will arrive in your barn with a Friendship level of
zero. Although a monster with zero hearts can be set to work in your field,
provided he has the capacity, his skill will be poor and little will be
accomplished. In like manner, although a monster with zero hearts will
produce Ranch Products, provided he has the capacity to do so, the product
will be small until heart levels increase.
Fortunately, Monster Heart levels increase rapidly if you use the Brush on
your Monsters daily. A monster with 0-3 Hearts will produce Small product;
with 4-7 hearts, will produce Medium Product and with 8-10 Hearts, will
produce Large Product.
Each Monster has specific skills and capacities, however, so part of the
strategy of taming monsters should be to fill your barn with monsters with the
most useful skills. In the first Generation game, you can find a monster
with each Skill that you need. The Cockadoodle will produce Eggs, the
Buffamoo will produce Milk and the Wooly will produce Wool. You can use a
Silver wolf for transport. A Goblin Pirate will water your crops and an Orc
will harvest them.
In terms of working on the farm, even Monsters at 10 Hearts will be rather
inefficient in the early stages of the 1st Generation. They always begin work
in the same spot, in the top northwest corner of your field and move across
the field, one square at a time. If you wish to achieve the maximum benefit
from any 'farmhand', therefore, you should plant crops in the top half of your
field first.
Even after a full season of working in the field at 10 Hearts, a Monster set
to water the Crops would water only about one-third of the field, beginning
after 4.00 p.m. and racing back to the Barn before 8.00 p.m. They are fun to
watch, though!

Monsters in the 2nd Generation:

The Bestiary Section that follows lists all Monsters that are found both in
the 1st and the 2nd Generations. Monsters listed in the 1st Generation
section will be found in the 2nd Generation of the game as well, but in the
2nd Generation, they will be joined on most screens by new Monsters. You
therefore will find the Caves much more challenging in the 2nd Generation.
Fortunately, you will be able to obtain healing spells at the start of the 2nd
Generation which will enable you to recover HP and cure status Ailments as
well as the 'Escape' Spell that will allow you to return instantly to the
entrance of any Cave.
It is when you encounter some of the 2nd Generation Monsters that you will
realise that none of the time spent in the 1st Generation was wasted. You
have a far better chance of surviving any encounter with a 2nd Generation
Monster if you raised your Skills to the highest levels in the 1st Generation!
As far as tame Monsters are concerned, those whom you had in the 1st
Generation will be transferred to the 2nd Generation and will keep their Heart
Levels. You therefore should have 16 Tame Monsters with 10 Hearts each in
your Monster Barn at the start of the 2nd Generation. Once you reach the 2nd
Generation, you will be able to expand your Monster Barn to collect new
Monsters as well, including those who produce Honey.
Furthermore, Tame Monsters inherited from your Father who work on your Farm
will have much more skill and efficiency at the start of the 2nd Generation
than they had in the 1st. After all, 9 years have passed! Two Monsters set
to water your Field, if both have worked since the 1st Generation, now should
be able to water every plot in the field!

1st Generation Monster List:


Trieste Forest, Spring Cave:

Items: Aquamarine, Emerald, Earth Crystals, Scrap Iron, Iron, Medicinal Herb,
Antidotal Herb, Bamboo Shoot, Red Grass, Orange Grass, Yellow Grass, Black
Grass
Apples grow on a tree in the northeast corner of the third screen. You can
pick four apples from the tree once every four days.

Day Monsters:

Pomme Pomme: Sometimes it looks just like an apple with its round body, but
it's too big… Skill: Charging; Attibute; None; Found in Trieste Forest during
the day. Will not work. War Trophy: Apple
Orc: Not very bright, but curious and active. May visit the town out of
curiosity. Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Earth. Will harvest. Found in
Trieste Forest during the day. War Trophy: Cheap Cloth
Orc Archer: Calm and laid back personality. It works at one speed: Slow.
Skill: Rapid Attack; Attribute: Earth. Found in the daytime in Trieste
Forest. Does no farm work. War Trophy: Arrowhead

Night Monsters:

Wooly: Special feature is its fluffy fur. Well vented, it stays cool in
summer. Skill: Tackle; Attribute: None. Found in the night in Trieste
Forest. Provides Wool if you have clippers. War Trophy: Fleece
Ant: Wanders around aimlessly, sometimes suddenly remembering to attack.
Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Earth. Found at night in Trieste Forest.
Will harvest crops. War Trophy: Insect Skin
Spider: Scurries about quickly, overcoming its prey with speed and ferocity.
Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Earth. Will not work on the farm. War
Trophies: Strong String

Trieste Forest, 2nd Generation:

In the 2nd Generation, you will find the same Monsters in Trieste Forest as
haunted the screens in the 1st Generation but additional Monsters will have
joined them. New Monsters are as follows:
Day:
Orc Archer: 55 HP. Calm and laid back personality. Works at one speed:
Slow. Skill: Rapid Attack; Attribute: Earth. Will not help on farm. War
Trophy: Arrowhead.
Orc Hunter: 65 HP. Forest hunter. Very few can creatures can evade an Orc
Hunter's arrow. Skill: Rapid Attack; Attibute: Earth. Will not help on farm.
Big Mushroom: 70 HP. A gigantic mushroom as tall as a person. Emits poison
powder if it senses danger. Skill: Poison Powder; Attribute: Earth. Will not
help on farm. War Trophy: spore
Night:
Tricky Mushroom: 105 HP. Monster mushroom that glows fluorescent. Glowing is
the way it communicates. Skill: Poison Powder; Attribute: Earth. Will not
work on the farm. War Trophy: Spore
Flower Blossom: HP: 76. It fires seeds from its mouth and is very sensitive
to sound. Skill: Cure; Attribute: Earth. Will not work on the farm.
Leaf Ball: 85 HP. A floating plant monster. It likes sunny places. Skill:
Sonic Wind; Attribute: Wind. Will not work on the farm.
Killer Ant: HP: 61. The ant chief. Can even chew through rock with its well-
developed jaws. Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Earth; Will work on the
farm, helping with the harvest, or pulverising large boulders. War Trophy:
Speckled Skin
High Orc: HP: 91. Very cautious, lives deep in the woods. Highly territorial
and aggressive. Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Earth; Will help with the
harvest.

Summer Cave: Blessia Island

Here you will find Oranges on a tree, Red Grass, Amethyst, Fire Crystal, Scrap
Iron, Bronze, Ruby
Wild Grasses: Medicinal Herbs, Antidotal Herbs, Black Grass, Green Grass,
Yellow Grass, Orange Grass, Indigo Grass, Blue Grass

Day Monsters:

Goblin Pirate: Thinks he's the strongest. Actually weaker than Goblin
Captain. Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Fire; Found during the day on
Blessia Island, at the entrance. Will water your crops. War Trophy: Quality
Cloth
Goblin Gangster: A crazy rascal who flings around knives and tries to pick
fights. Skill: Knife Throw; Attribute: Fire; War Trophy: Skull

Night Monsters:

Scorpion: Hides in the sand to hunt its prey. Stores a powerful poison in its
tail. Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Darkness. Found on Blessia Island
near entrance at night. Will not work on the farm. War Trophy: Scorpion Tail
Shadow Panther: A rare beast that can walk on two legs. Skillfully uses its
front legs to eat. Skill: Tackle; Attribute: Darkness. Will not work on the
farm. War Trophy: Panther Claw

2nd Generation, Blessia Island:

Day:
Tortoise: 107 HP; Has a large shell on its back. Withdraws into its shell if
in danger. Skill: Charging; Attribute: Water; Will water your crops.
Troll: 267 HP; Massive creatures of enormous strength. One punch can smash
nearly any enemy. Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: None. Will destroy
boulders on farm.
Night:

Flower Lion: 65 HP; Sprouts impressive leaves that look like a lion's mane.
Skill: Cure; Attribute: Fire. Will not work on the farm.
Giant Beetle: 110 HP; Lifts and throws enemies with its horns. Its aim is to
defeat Hurcules in a fight. Skill: Charging; Attribute: Wind; Will destroy
boulders on the farm.
Blood Panther: 100 HP; Can run extremely fast. It's speed is unsurpassed.
Skill: Tackle; Attribute: Darkness; Will not work on the farm.

Messhina Valley, Autumn Cave:

Messhina Valley: A pretty lonely place, but good for growing Fall Crops.
Danger Level: 2 Stars
Here you will find Grapes on a vine near the Entrance. Gems and Ores that can
be mined here include Wind Crystal, Scrap Iron, Iron, Bronze, Silver, Sapphires
Wild Grasses include: Medicinal Herb, Antidotal Herb, Red Grass, Yellow Grass,
Orange Grass, Black Grass

Day Monsters:

Goblin: Sly little monsters that like to sneak behind and attack from the
rear. Skill: Back Stab; Attribute: Fire; Found in Fall area in daytime. Will
harvest. War Trophy: Power of Warrior.
Goblin Archer: It lacks composure and tends to drop its arrows everywhere.
Skill: Rapid Attack; Attribute: Fire. Found in Fall area during daytime.
Will not work. War Trophy: Cheap Bandage
Buffamoo: Gentle and calm, it doesn't attack people, but try not to make it
mad. Skill: Head Butt; Attribute: None. Found in Fall area in
daytime.Provides Milk if you have Milker. War Trophy: Small Milk

Night Monsters:

Goblin: Sly little monsters that like to sneak behind and attack from the
rear. Skill: Back Stab; Attribute: Fire; Found in Fall area both in the day
and at night. Will harvest. War Trophy: Power of Warrior
Goblin Archer: It lacks composure and tends to drop its arrows everywhere.
Skill: Rapid Attack; Attribute: Fire. Found in Fall area both during the day
and at night. Will not work. War Trophy: Cheap Bandage
Cluckadoodle: Makes a loud cry early in the morning, so it's been used as an
alarm for ages. Skill: Nonstop Pecking; Attribute: None. Found in western
area of Autumn cave during the night. Will produce Eggs if you have a
Basket. War Trophy: Small Egg

2nd Generation Monsters, Messhina Valley

Day:
Night:
Chipsqueek: HP: 90. A charming little creature. It is always eating
something. Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Earth. Will not work on the farm.
Hornet: HP 50. Works feverishly for the queen bee. Relentlessly stings the
enemies. Skill: Rapid Attack; Attirubte: Wind

Padova Mountains, Winter Cave:

Here you will find Water Crystals, Diamonds, Sapphires, White Grass, Orange
Grass, Red Grass, Yellow Grass, Yellow Grass, Black Grass
Orc Viking: A brutal orc warrior. Acts violently for his own satisfaction.
Skill: Serial Attack; Attribute: Water; Wields a double-headed axe; Found in
the Winter Cave during the day. Will not work. War Trophy: Shoulder Piece
Silver Wolf: Wolf that lives in the snowy mountains. Hard to tame due to its
wilf nature. Skill: Tackle; Attribute: None; Can ride it if you take it out
of the barn. War Trophy: Wolf Fang

Night Monsters:

Ogre Viking: Hurls two hand axes, but doesn't have very good control. Skill:
Tomahawk; Attribute: Water. Found in Padova Mountains at night. Will not
work for you. War Trophy: Glue
Silver Wolf: Wolf that lives in the snowy mountains. Hard to tame due to its
wolf nature. Skill: Tackle; Attribute: None; Can ride it if you take it out
of the barn. Found in Padova Mountains both during the day and at night. War
Trophy: Wolf Fang




Gates and Altars in the Caves

As previously stated, your character will be unable to unlock any of the gates
or Altars in the four Caves in the 1st Generation of the game. He will be
restricted to those areas in each Cave/Dungeon that are accessible initially.
It is only when your Child becomes the main character in the game that you
will be able to explore every area in each of the Caves. Altars act as
barriers and must be dissolved if you wish to pass. Your character, by virtue
of being a child and not an adult, can slip through the gates without any
problem or need for further actions.
In the quest to find your father, you must collect all the Fragments of the
Stone Tablets in each of the four Caves. Each tablet is of a different colour
and each colour is specific to one Cave. Obtaining all the fragments of a
single Stone Tablet will not have any substantial effect, however, in terms of
advancing the plot. It is only when you have collected all the Fragments of
all four of the Tablets that you will be able to progress to a new area.

Cave Altars:

Each Altar in a Cave is 'dissolved' by a different method. Stand in front of
the Altar and press 'A'. You will be given a clue or hint as to what is
needed to dissolve the barrier. When you dissolve a barrier, you will
receive a Fragment of the Stone Tablet. When you defeat the 'Boss' Monster
of any Cave, you will obtain another Fragment. The order in which you obtain
the Fragments is irrelevant. You can defeat the 'Boss' Monster at any point
in your exploration of any Cave.

Trieste Forest Altars:

1st Altar, in Aegis Falls:
Requests three of the vegetables that are the same colour as 'cherry
blossoms'. Take three Pink Turnips to the Altar and 'give' them to it by
pressing 'A'. The barrier will dissolve, giving you access to a new path.
2nd Altar, at River Stream:
'There's a bright, fiery, red fruit that grows in the trees of Trieste
Forest. Bring me 12 of them.'
This refers to Apples. You can obtain Apples as a War Trophy randomly from
Pomme-Pommes or collect them from the Apple Trees in the Forest. They can be
different levels of fruit, although you will be forced to give a few at a time
if they consist of more than one level. Simply press 'A' to 'give' the Apples
to the Altar and it will dissolve.
3rd Altar, at Great Tree:
Here the Altar will instruct you:
'Go to the Trieste Forest – Mushroom Patch and defeat 4 Tricky Mushrooms.
They appear at night.'
Tricky Mushrooms, like their daytime cousins, can send out puffs of poison in
their attacks. Make certain that you have an Antidotal Herb or the Medication
Spell in order to be protected from the results of any poisonous attack.
Defeat four of them and the barrier will dissolve.
4th Altar, Ruins:
Here you will not be required to perform any action whatsoever, but will be
given some rewards in recognition of your strength in the form of some special
Recipes for Cooking and a fragment of the Green Stone Tablet.
Boss Enemy: Terror Tree
The 'Boss' Monster of Trieste Forest is on the Wooded Paradise screen. As
soon as you enter this screen in the 2nd Generation, the Boss Battle will
commence. The Terror Tree actually is easier to defeat than some of
the 'ordinary' Monsters that you will encounter in other Caves in the 2nd
Generation. If you have obtained 'Cure' before you engage this Monster, you
will have no problem whatsoever. If you do not have Cure, your existing
Recovery Potions (and you should have 3 in the 1st Generation) should be more
than sufficient to heal any damage the Giant Tree causes. If your Skill
levels are high and you have a Shield and decent Accessories, you will have
all the advantages you need. I found that Fireball worked well on this
Monster and defeated it quickly. As always, equipping a Rod or Staff doubles
the effect of any Magic Spell.

Blessia Island Altars:

1st Altar: You need to give 6 Pineapples to this Guardian in order to
dissolve the barrier:
Actual Message: A Summer Fruit. It's thorny and difficult to hold. Bring me
6 of them. But I'll only take them at night.
Me: (Only at night? I'll have to be careful!)
I went back, dumped 6 pineapples on it and it disappeared, giving me a Blue
Fragment.
2nd Altar: To dissolve this barrier, defeat 3 Death Stalkers at the North
Beach screen.
Actual Message:
Go to BLessia Island – North Beach and defeat 3 Death Stalkers, the stealthy
night hunters!
Me: (Death stalkers?)

Messhina Valley Altars/Stone Guardians:

1st Altar: Defeat 3 Buffalo in the Giant Boulder Area. You will find them
only during the day.
Actual Message:
Defeat 3 Buffalo at Messhina Valley – Giant Boulder! They disappear after
sunset.
2nd Altar: Sow crops in every square in the Holy Statue field area. Every
square must ripen, producing Runes before the requirement will be met.
Spinach is the fastest growing Autumn Crop but if you wish to profit from
multiple harvests, grow Yams.
Actual Message:
Sow crops in all of the fields at Messhina Valley- Holy Statue. Remember,
they must all be fully grown. Any kind of crop will do.
Me: (All the fields? Isn't that a lot?)



Fishing:


Fish as always can be found at different locations in different seasons. The
fishing areas in the actual town of Alvarna will deliver different varieties
of ocean fish in every season. Elsewhere, however, the seasons are rigid,
allowing you to catch the same varieties of fish throughout the year.
The levels of the fish that you catch will depend on your own Experience
levels to some extent. As you continue to fish, the levels of the fish
increase and with them, the shipping values.
As in many Harvest Moon games, there is an annual Fishing Festival. In Rune
Factory 2, it occurs on 25 Summer. Herman will announce the variety of Fish
that is the subject of the contest. The individual who catches the largest
fish will be the winner. You will compete against Barrett and Dorothy. It
is not difficult to win this Contest even in the very first year if you have
fished sufficiently to raise your level of experience to the point where you
can catch Level 4 or Level 5 Fish.

Fishing from Piers and Beaches:

Although you will find Ocean fish both when fishing from the harbour and piers
of Alvarna and from the pier and beaches of Blessia Island, it is important to
recognize the variation in seasons between the two. In fact, the seas that
border Blessia island are tropical in nature or 'summer' seas and you will
find the same varieties of fish there year-round. Thus, in Summer, when the
Fishing Contest occurs, you will be able to catch the same varieties of fish
whether fishing in Alvarna or Blessia Island, but in other seasons, you will
find saltwater fish for the current season only if you fish from the harbour
or piers of Alvarna.
Another point should be made with respect to Fishing, your Shipping/Items List
and general activities in different seasons. Although there are Crops that
grow in Winter, they will not grow in your Field. You only can grow those
Crops in Winter Caves/Dungeons. You therefore will have fewer farming tasks
in Winter than in the other three seasons. Winter, therefore, is the season
for Fishing. Use the season to increase your Farming Skill levels and to
catch all varieties of Winter fish! Some of the largest and most valuable
saltwater fish are caught during the Winter season in Alvarna.

Ocean Fish:


Shrimp: 360G
A type of crustacean encased in a hard shell. Triaiva; It has 13 pairs of
legs.
Caught from the ocean in Spring, Summer in Alvarna and in Blessia Island year-
round
Turbot: 93G
Both eyes are on the right side of this fish's body. Can change colour to
blend in with its surroundings.
Caught from pier in Spring, Summer or from beach at Blessia Island (Summer)
Sardine: 70G
A relatively easy fish to catch. Swim in breathtaking, perfectly coordinated
schools.
Found in ocean in Alvarna in all seasons or at the beaches of Blessia Island
(Summer)
Needlefish: 45G
Long and slender. Swims near the surface. Has a greenish back and a shiny
silver-white belly.
Found in ocean in Spring.
Skipjack: 150G
A popular Fall fish. Requires both skill and strength to land.
Found in oceans of Alvarna in Autumn.
Pike: 22G
This fish gets its name from its long and slender shape. A fall dish. Very
good for you.
Caught from the ocean in Alvarna in Autumn.
Yellowtail: 260G
The name yellowtail is actually used for a number of fish. This variety is
said to bring good luck.
Caught from the sea in Alvarna in Winter season.
Girella: 65G
A winter, salt water fish. A popular, easy to hook catch. Puts up a bit of
fight when reeling in.
Flounder:
Both eyes are on the left side of this fish's body. Larger mouth and sharper
teeth than the turbot.
Caught from the sea in Alvarna

Freshwater Fish:


Chub: 35G
A fish with a single dark stripe on its body. Three beautiful lines appear
during spawning.
Found in Padova Mountains (Winter)
Char: 66G
A commonly sought-after catch by fishermen everywhere. Likes cold waters.
Caught in rivers of Blessia Island (Summer)
Masu Trout: 50G
A fisherman's standard catch. A freshwater fish, though some may travel to
the ocean.
Caught in any location throughout the year.
Pond Smelt: 42G
This long and slender fish adapts well. Often fished from frozen lakes
through holes.
Found in Padova Mountains. (Winter)
Salmon: 160G
Live most their lives in the ocean, but famously swim upriver to breed. Used
in many dishes.
Caught from the bridge in Messhina Valley (Autumn cave)

Weather in Rune Factory 2


Most Harvest Moon games include a device by which predictions of the next
day's weather can be obtained. In many games, it is the 'Weather Channel' on
the television that provides predictions of the weather. In games with
a 'Weather Channel', the result can be changed by reloading the game at a
specific point.
In Island of Happiness, Taro's arthritis gives him the capacity to predict
the weather, but in fact, the weather is programmed six days in advance,
giving the player little opportunity to change the weather.
Rune Factory 2 may have the most intriguing weather predictions in any Harvest
Moon game in the form of true 'predictions' by the local aspiring
fortuneteller, Alicia.
In fact, when you ask Alicia for a weather prediction, you have a couple of
different options. She can predict the weather for the following day or she
can attempt to CHANGE the weather, if you are willing to pay more. The cost
to change the forecast for the next day either to Sun or Rain is only 100G, by
the way.
Alicia's Menu:
I want to talk.
I want you to read my fortune.
Never mind.
If you choose the fortunetelling option, you will have the following choices:
Weather reading.
Location reading.
Never mind.
If you choose the 'Weather' option, you will have three choices:
Tomorrow's weather.
I want it to be clear tomorrow.
I want it to rain tomorrow.
If you choose 'tomorrow's weather', she simply will tell you what sort of
weather you will have on the morrow. That costs only 10G. If you actually
wish to CHANGE the weather forecast to the one you desire, that will cost 100G
but is very effective.
A Location Reading will give you the current location of any character in the
game. This can be very helpful when you have accepted a Request but cannot
find the individual involved at his/her usual location. Alicia instantly will
be able to tell you where to meet the character. A Location Reading is 20G.
When you choose the option, the Menu will give you individual choices. In
some cases, it groups two or three characters together, so you will obtain
three locations for the price of one.
An advantage to marrying Alicia: You can get your predictions at 6.00 a..m.
each morning or indeed, whenever you wish from her.
Your options in your own bedroom will be:
I want to talk.
I want you to read my fortune.
Never mind.
I want you to read my fortune.
Weather Reading.
Location Reading.
Never mind.
Weather Reading.
Tomorrow's Weather
I want it to be clear tomorrow.
I want it to rain tomorrow.
Never mind.
If you wish to change the forecast, Alicia will declare: When we were single,
I had you pay me 100G, but I guess we don't need to bother with that now, do
we?

Effects of Rain:
As in other Harvest Moon games, when it rains you will not need to water your
Crops. Although it does not appear to rain in the Caves/Dungeons, you
nonetheless will find that every square of tilled soil has been watered on a
rainy day. If you attempt to water any Crop while it is raining, your
watering can will remain full. In Rune Factory 2, a snowy day has the same
effect. All crops inside any Cave/Dungeon will be watered whenever it snows,
giving you more time to fish. Remember that you cannot grow any crops in your
field in Winter.
Severe Storms:
Weather in Rune Factory 2 can be as fickle as in reality or any other Harvest
Moon game and weather conditions include the awful hurricanes and snowstorms
that can presage damage to any farm. In most other Harvest Moon games,
hurricanes are restricted to the Summer season but in Rune Factory 2, a
devastating storm can occur in ANY season.
Rosalind will declare as much at 9 Hearts:
Rosalind: In most places, summer is typically the hurricane season. But here
in Alvarna, storms can come any time of the year. Be careful!
A severe storm will destroy crops in EVERY field on the map randomly,
including the fields in the Caves/Dungeons and litters empty squares with wild
items, branches, stumps, stones and boulders randomly. It can be quite
heartbreaking to have planted a rare Crop that requires 100 days to mature
only to find that three out of nine plants have been destroyed by a
hurricane! Nonetheless, that is the way Nature operates in reality and
Harvest Moon games always have been realistic in terms of acknowledging the
power both of life and of death.
Alicia can prevent severe storms only if you make certain that you obtain a
Weather forecast from her daily. In fact, Alicia has power to change the
Weather on any day other than a Festival Day. On any Festival Day, the
weather ALWAYS will be sunny.

Farming in Rune Factory 2

Seeds for each of the four seasons can be purchased from Douglas at his
General Store. All seeds apart from Grass are seasonal in nature and, if they
are planted in the wrong season, will vanish from the soil. You can plant
seeds for the next season on your own field on the 30th Day of the previous
season.
Each of the four Caves/Dungeons is season-specific. You therefore have the
opportunity to grow Crops for all four seasons throughout the year by growing
them in the Caves throughout the map.
Many seeds require less than a full season to mature, but there are a few rare
varieties of Crops that require up to 100 days to mature. They tend to be the
most expensive seeds as well. Make certain not to waste these valuable seeds
by planting them in your own field where they will die and become nothing more
than 'Withered Grass' when the season changes after 30 days. Crops that
require more than 30 days to mature must be grown in Caves/Dungeons.
Your Watering Can in the 1st Generation holds 30 portions of Water. Each
portion will water a single tilled square. If a square in a field is tilled,
it will take water from the Watering Can. If untilled, no water will
be 'spilled' or used. If any square has been watered previously on any given
day, watering it again will have no effect and will consume no water
whatsoever. You therefore cannot waste water in this game.
Wild items will appear randomly on any squares that are untilled. Once soil
is tilled, no items will appear. This includes stones, branches and weeds as
well as medicinal plants and wild coloured grasses. If you wish to continue
to gather wild items either on your own field or in any cave area, you must
keep some of the soil in the tillable plots untilled.
Most wild items are sold at the Clinic, however, making it unnecessary to
reserve tillable soil for their appearance. The only item that is not sold at
the Clinic is Bamboo Shoots but they are of limited use until you have the
ability to cook. Bamboo Shoots appear in Spring, so if you wish to be able to
collect them regularly, you must keep some soil untilled in the Trieste Forest
or wait until Spring arrives and do the same with your own field.
Grass is the only Crop that is not seasonal. In fact, it will continue to
grow from season to season.
Hurricanes or any other severe storm will destroy crops randomly throughout
the map, including crops planted in the Caves/Dungeons.

Creating Rune Points

Whenever 9 squares contain Crops or Flowers ready for harvest, a Rune Point
will appear somewhere on the field the next morning. If you wish to be able
to obtain a Rune Point regularly from that Crop, you must leave it unharvested
on the field. The 9 ripened Crops or Flowers need not be in the same 3 x 3
area, nor need they be of the same variety. Any 9 ripened Crops/Flowers in
any field will produce one Rune Point per day.

Crops and Seasons

There are Crops specific to each of the four Seasons but although Winter Crops
can be grown in any Winter Cave/Dungeon throughout the year, you cannot grow
ANY Crops, including Grass, in your own field in Winter. In fact, Grass,
which will yield harvests from Spring throughout Summer and Autumn, will die
at the start of the Winter Season and become Withered Grass if left standing
in your field. Dispose of all Withered Grass in your field on the 1st Day of
Winter in order to be able to gather as many Wild Items during the Winter
season as possible.
During Spring, Summer and Autumn, you should till every square in your own
field and use it to grow both Crops and Grass, thus maximising both your
income, your supplies of Monster Feed and Rune Points. In Winter, however, as
only Wild items will grow in your field randomly, make certain that all
squares are EMPTY, so that you can obtain the maximum amount of Wild items,
Branches, Stumps, Stones and Boulders, raising your Lumber totals and
increasing your Mining and Logging Skill levels.
Never waste time, energy or land in Harvest Moon! You can 'sleep' through the
Winter season without any negative effects to Friendship or even Crops growing
in Caves/Dungeons, but you will waste the opportunity to raise Fishing, Mining
and Logging Levels as well as the income that Crops grown in the four Caves,
and Ranch Products given by Tame Monsters would bring if you do your job
properly!

Restoring Energy Levels

Rune Points will restore your character's RP. Walk over the Rune Point to
collect its energy. Your character needs both HP and RP in order to be able
to perform all possible activities. Magical Spells require RP. Tool and
weapon use will consume RP until it reaches zero and then will begin to take
HP instead. When HP reaches zero, your character will pass out. Try to avoid
this situation.
Medicinal Herbs will restore HP until you have an Empty Bottle. When you do,
take it with 3 Medicinal Herbs to Natalie at the Clinic. She will create a
Recovery Potion for you.
Both will be replenished fully after your character goes to bed. He will
awaken with full HP and RP bars the next morning.
Rune Factory 2 Calendar:

Calendar of Festivals and Birthdays:

SPRING
1 Spring: New Year's Day
No festivities per se in this game.
2 Spring: Douglas' Birthday
5 Spring: Barrett's Birthday
9 Spring: Yue's Birthday (Cabbage Cakes)
13 Spring: Flower Festival
Ask an Eligible Girl to accompany you to Cherry Blossom Square to gaze at the
Cherry Blossoms.
16 Spring: Julia's Birthday (Seafood Pizza)
21 Spring: Natalie's Birthday
25 Spring: Eating Contest
This Contest is a mini-game. Press the Button repeatedly as quickly as
possible to win this Contest.
27 Spring: Byron's Birthday
SUMMER
1 Summer: 1st Day of Summer
3 Summer: Leonel's Birthday (2nd Generation)
7 Summer: Monster Taming Contest
You must have a Pet Glove and a Barn as well as space for one more Monster in
your Barn if you wish to participate. Timing is what will win this Contest.
9 Summer: Mana's Birthday (Baked Sweet Potato/Grilled Yam)
12 Summer: Cecilia's Birthday (Aquamarine Brooch)
15 Summer: Cammy's Birthday
19 Summer: Dance Festival
Ask an Eligible Girl to dance with you in the De Sainte-Coquille Park Square
23 Summer: Jake's Birthday
25 Summer: Fishing Contest
Herman will announce the variety of Fish that you need to catch. The largest
fish entered will win.
28 Summer: Alicia's Birthday (Emerald Ring)
AUTUMN
1 Autumn: Adventure Contest
You must find the Item that Herman has placed somewhere on the map.
6 Autumn: Max' Birthday
8 Autumn: Ray's Birthday
13 Autumn: Harvest Festival
No festivities per se in this game.
15 Autumn: Gordon's Birthday
21 Autumn: Egan's Birthday
25 Autumn: Monster Contest
Enter the Tame Monster with the highest Strength to win the Contest.
27 Autumn: Rosalind's Birthday (Hot Milk)
29 Autumn: Sera and Serena's Birthday (2nd Generation)
WINTER
2 Winter: Dorothy's Birthday (Strawberry Jam)
7 Winter: Shooting Star Festival
Invite an Eligible Girl to watch the Shooting Stars with you at the Crossroads
at 9.00 p.m. This is a romantic occasion.
10 Winter: Herman's Birthday
15 Winter: Orland's Birthday (2nd Generation)
19 Winter: Mining Contest
Herman will ask for a specific Gem. Although the intention of the Contest is
to measure the speed with which you can find it in a Mine by using your
Hammer, you can take the Gem from storage and give it to him for a guaranteed
first prize result.
21 Winter: Tanya's Birthday
25 Winter: Roy's Birthday
27 Winter: Leann's Birthday (2nd Generation)
30 Winter: New Year's Eve
No festivities per se. People speak of the Year's ending


Monster Tips and Tricks

Tame monsters serve many different purposes in Rune Factory 2. It is easy to
raise their heart levels by using the brush daily. Within a fortnight, if you
have brushed a tame Monster regularly, it will be at maximum friendship
level at 10 hearts.
A Monster at 10 hearts who produces Ranch Product will give Large Product.
High heart levels do not appear to make farmhand Monsters more efficient but
experience should do so in time.
A Monster who fights with you in the Caves/Dungeons is more likely to obtain a
War Trophy from a defeated Monster. I have noticed this again and again. If
you ride a Silver Wolf or other Transport Monster into a Cave, you can
dismount precisely where you want him to fight. Any other Monsters will
follow you like obedient dogs, then face the closest Monster or Monster
Generator even if you would prefer that they engage in combat elsewhere. By
riding a Monster into the Cave and dismounting wherever you need the Monster
to fight for you, you can apply a little strategy to save time and energy.
As previously noted, Tame Monsters will knock War Trophies out of defeated
Monsters more often than you can.

Monster Trivia

Whenever you speak to a Tame Monster inside the Barn, you will obtain a little
message about him as well as an option to exploit the Monster's specific
talent if he has one. There are three possible messages. They range from a
declaration to the effect that the monster is 'cute' to one that asks: 'What's
wrong? You don't seem your usual self?' These all are RANDOM messages and
you need not be concerned if you are told that the Monster is not entirely
happy. If you speak to him again, you will receive an entirely different
message
Incidentally, your Monster will not display much care for his own health and
welfare when you are in hostile territory. That is one reason why I usually
choose my Silver Wolf to accompany me, as I can ride him, then point him in
the right direction for combat. Otherwise, you often will find yourself in a
situation where your Monster companion is concentrating desperately on the
total annihilation of the nearest Generator while a Monster meanwhile attacks
him, delivering punishing blows to the poor oblivious creature. It is
important to note here that there are no permanent effects if the HP of your
companion reaches zero. He simply will be returned immediately to the Barn
and once there, his HP will be restored fully. (This was the case in the
original Rune Factory as well.) Nonetheless, it is a pitiful sight when the
Monster Companion is unaware of his best interests. Better to ride him to the
target, then dismount there.
Strategic Saves:
You can save your game 'in' either of your Diaries in your own house or you
can save it at the Save Points found at the entrance to every Cave/Dungeon as
well as inside the Caves/Dungeons. There are advantages to frequent saves in
any game, but in the case of Rune Factory 2, there are times when it is useful
to save at the entrance to a Cave/Dungeon rather than saving in your Diary.
Whenever you are accompanied by a tame Monster companion, you will be unable
to enter any building, including your own house. This means that you will be
unable to save your game in your Diary. You can save at any Cave/Dungeon Save
Point when accompanied by a Monster, so that is an alternative to sending the
creature back into the Barn simply in order to enter your House to save your
game.
Whenever you smash rocks in a Cave, the items you find are generated randomly,
which means that if you reload, you will find a different configuration.
Although there will be a point where Scrap Iron is as good as Diamonds simply
because your main reason for mining will be to increase Skill Levels, very
early in the game all income is to be welcomed and gems will represent a good
portion of your daily income until you can harvest your first Crops.



Farming Tips and Tricks

Grow only fast-growing Crops in your own field. Any crop that requires a full
season or more to mature MUST be grown in a Cave/Dungeon where the season
never changes. In the 1st Generation, you will not require many Rune Points
in the Cave/Dungeon areas that are open to you, so you can focus mainly on
slow-growing Crops, designating only one or two 3 x 3 plots for fast-growing
Crops. It is best to grow multiple-harvest Crops for Rune Points as you then
will be able to harvest them and still expect Rune Points from them every
couple of days.
If you have a Barn filled with Monsters, you will require an extraordinary
amount of Feed for them, far more than you can afford to buy from Douglas.
You therefore need to plant Grass as early as possible in the game. Grass is
a 'multiple-harvest' crop that grows throughout the seasons. Reserve five or
six plots in your field for Grass. These plots will produce more than enough
Feed for all your Monsters as well as creating Rune Points regularly even if
you harvest it with your Sickle. For example, when you have 8 plots of Grass
in your Field, it is best to stagger your Harvests, so that you can count on
at least 2 Rune Points from your Grass each day. If you cut down only 2 of
the 8 each day, you always should have 2 fully-ripened plots to produce Runes.
Note of Caution: Harvest Moon veterans need to be aware of the changes in
season for certain Crops like Potato and Eggplant. Eggplant, traditionally an
Autumn Crop, is a Summer Crop in Rune Factory 2. Potato, traditionally a
Spring Crop, now is an Autumn Crop as well. Make certain that you always look
at the description of the Seeds before you plant them!
Crops can be planted in your Field a day prior to the start of the Season in
which they will grow. This can make a big difference in your Yield when the
Crop is a multiple-harvest Crop. As previously stated, leaving last season's
Crops in your field will result in Withered Grass on the first day of the next
season and when that is removed, you will find that the soil has reverted to
untilled soil. If, however, you use a Sickle on your Crops on the last day of
the season, you will increase your Experience Level and find that the soil
remains tilled ground, allowing you to plant crops for the next season
immediately.
Note that nothing will grow in your Field during the Winter season so do not
plant ANYTHING on the last day of Autumn or during Winter except in plots in
Cave areas.

Seeds

Seeds can be obtained either by completing Requests or by purchasing them at
the Pumpkin General Store. You can buy seeds for each of the four seasons
throughout the year. Items available in every season will appear on the menu
for each Season. Seeds specific to one season will be found only in the menu
for that Season.
Items at the General Store are sold generally in packs of 9. The price that
is displayed when you tap on an item is the price for a single item in the
stack of 9. You therefore either need to separate an item from the stack or
multiply the price by 9 in order to ascertain the price of purchase.
Players often are confused by this, wondering why they cannot transfer seeds
from the Store inot their Rucksack. If they cannot do so, it is because they
have insufficient funds.
Whenever you tap on a bag of seeds, you will see its description and
properties displayed on the top screen. Remember, however, that the price
shown is the price at which you could expect to sell the seeds, about half of
the purchase price!
The prices given here are prices for Level 1 Seeds when sold by the General
Store:
Spring Seeds:
Pink Turnip Seeds: 980G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 4 Days

Strawberry: 5400G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 8 Days

Cabbage Seeds: 780G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 11 Days

Moondrop Seed: 520G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 6 Days

Toyherb Seed: 1450G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 12 Days

Onion Seeds: 690G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 7 Days

Cherry Grass Seed: 9800G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 60 Days

Lamp Grass Seeds: 24000G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 90 Days

Blue Crystal Seed: 32400
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 100 Days

Emery Flower Seeds: 54000
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 120 Days

Pink Melon Seeds: 8400G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 20 Days

Grass Seeds: 300G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 9 Days

Summer Seeds:

Cucumber Seeds: 2200G
Multiple Harvest Crops
Growth: 10 Days
Subsequent Harvests: Every 6 Days

Tomato Seeds: 1980G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 10 Days
Subsequent Harvests: Every 4 Days

Corn Seeds: 1800G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 14 Days
Subsequent Harvests: Every 3 Days
Pumpkin Seeds; 1580G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 12 Days

Pineapple Seeds: 7400G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 20 Days
Subsequent Harvests: Every 5 Days

Pink Cat Seeds; 550G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 6 Days

Eggplant Seeds: 2900G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 9 Days
Subsequent Harvests: Every 3 Days

Ironleaf Seeds: 17000G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 40 Days

Clover Seed: 12800
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 60 Days

Fireflower Seed: 9800G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 90 Days

Green Crystal Seed: 29700G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 100 Days

Grass Seeds: 300G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 9 Days



Autumn Seeds:

Potato Seed: 440G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 7 Days

Carrot Seeds: 990G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 9 Days

Yam Seeds: 1480G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 6 Days
Subsequent Harvests: Every 3 Days
N.B. Yams are the best profit-maker in any Harvest Moon game, as the seeds
are fairly inexpensive, the crops mature quickly and deliver multiple
harvests every 3 days after the initial Harvest.

Spinach Seeds: 790G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 5 Days

Green Pepper Seed: 3450G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 10 Days
Subsequent Harvests: Every 6 Days

Charm Blue Seed: 2200G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 12 Days

Autumn Grass Seed: 13500G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 60 Days

Pom-Pom Grass Seed: 7000G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 90 Days

Red Crystal Seed: 34800G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 100 Days

Grass Seeds: 300G
Multiple Harvest Crop
Growth: 9 Days



Winter Seeds:

Remember that Winter Crops can be grown only in Cave/Dungeon areas and not on
your own Field.
Turnip Seed: 510G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 4 Days

Noel Grass Seed: 17000G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth; 40 Days
N.B. The Noel Grass when mature represents the traditional Yule Tree!

Daikon Seeds: 3300G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 14 Days

Leek Seeds: 1680G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth; 6 Days

White Cabbage Seeds: 2400G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 11 Days
N.B. White Cabbage resembles Bok Choi or Chinese Cabbage
Hot-Hot Flower Seed: 9700G
Single Harvest Crop
Growth: 20 Days
N.B. One of the most colourful and unusual crops.


Other Items at General Store

Although the other items sold at the General Store are not related to farming,
it may be most logical to list them here. They consist of Sleeping Bags,
Feed, Ingredients for Cooking and a few cooked Dishes as follows:
Fur Sleeping Bag: 1800G
Feed: 400G
Rice: 270G
Chocolate: 450G
Wine: 1920G
Youth Grass: 750G
Flour: 540G
Oil: 780G
Curry Powder: 180G
Dumpling Powder: 170G
Fried Eggs: 1450G

Unconventional Weapons

Tips for Increasing Levels:
The level increases that your character gains will be inherited by your child
in the 2nd Generation of the game. The longer you stay in the 1st Generation,
the higher your levels will become, if you are diligent in performing all
possible activities on a regular basis. It is your Farming and Weapons
Skills, however, that will increase the most and there may come a point either
when they reach the maximum level or you feel that you should concentrate on
other Skills.
There are ways to do this without wasting time or energy. First, you can
store your Weapons and use a Rod with the Magic Spell of Fireball whenever you
enter any Cave/Dungeon until you increase your Magic Skills. Although your
choice of magic is very minimal in the initial stage of the game, the level
increases will be valuable when you have more choices. You can use a Magic
Spell by itself but by equipping the Rod, you virtually double the power of
the Spell at the very least. The Rod can be used as a club but its power is
not great and that will not raise Magic Skill levels! Use Fireball with the
Rod equipped in the tool slot both for great power in attack and in order to
increase your Magic Skill level.
Once your Magic Skill levels are high, you can equip your Axe instead and
increase its Skill Levels in combat situations. Any Farm tool will serve as a
weapon. The only tool that cannot be used in combat is the fishing Rod and,
technically speaking, that is not a 'farm tool'. In fact, you cannot use the
Milker, Clippers or Basket either… Anything else, including the Watering Can,
can be used as a Weapon. The Watering Can, Sickle and Hoe will increasing
Farming Skill levels, however, and those will be very high if you have been
farming regularly. It is the Axe and the Hammer that may require more use.
Smashing rocks in the Cave/Dungeon areas may raise your Mining Level a little,
but using the Hammer in combat as well will result in faster increases. A
Hammer can smash a Monster Generator or a Monster's Head and the Axe can do
the same…
By using these unconventional weapons, you can increase many of your Skill
levels rather than maximising one or two only.

Visits to the Doctor

There are a number of options when you visit the Clinic. They are:
What can I do for you today?
I just wanted to talk.
I'm not feeling very well.
I wanted to see what you have in stock.
I wanted a RECOVERY POTION.
The first option is: 'I just wanted to talk.'
This should be your choice whenever you have accepted a Request or simply wish
to increase friendship levels.
'I'm not feeling very well.'
This is the option to choose if you want to be cured of a Status Ailment.
Your other option when suffering from a Status Ailment is to buy the specific
medication that will cure it. Note that the Doctor will not restore HP or
RP. You can do that by using Recovery Items or by visiting the Bathhouse to
take a Bath.
'I wanted to see what you have in stock.'
This option provides access to the Shop Menu.
Clinic Menu:
Antidote Potion: 325G
Antidote Medicine neutralises the effects of Poison.
Para-Gone: 750G
Cures paralysis and restores 30 HP. You will not use this in the first stage
of the game.
Roundoff: 500G
Cures Seal Status Ailment and restores 30 HP. You will not use this in the
first stage of the game.
Cold Medicine: 875G
Cures a Common Cold. You can catch a Cold if you stay awake for two
consecutive nights. One of Rosalind's Requests requires that you catch a cold
for her!
Neutral Agent: 100G
Neutralises a Poison Square in any Cave/Dungeon field. You will need this
from the very start of the game if you plan to cultivate all the fields in the
Caves/Dungeons.
Formula A: 2000G
Fertiliser that speeds the growth of crops by 1 day. Sometimes given as
prizes if you win a Festival Contest. The only reason to buy it in the early
stages of the game is if a valuable Crop planted in your field could be
harvested before the season change if you had an extra day! It is an
expensive option and it is better to be careful when choosing which crops to
plant in your own field.
Medicinal Herb: 30G
Medicinal Herb is a wild item that grows in every season and can be found
randomly in your own field or any field in a Cave/Dungeon. It restores a
little HP when eaten. 3 Medicinal Herbs are needed to create any Recovery
Potion.
Antidote Herb: 60G
Cures poison when eaten. This item is found randomly in every season in your
own field as well as any field in a Cave/Dungeon. It is best to keep at least
9 Antidote Herbs that you have collected from the wilds in your Rucksack or
Refrigerator for emergency use.
Black Grass: 90G
Wild grass found randomly in your field or in any field in a Dungeon/Cave.
Orange Grass: 30G
Wild grass found randomly in your field or in any field in a Cave/Dungeon
Red Grass: 30G
Wild grass found randomly in your field or in any field in a Cave/Dungeon
Yellow Grass: 30G
Wild grass found randomly in your field or in any field in a Cave/Dungeon
Blue Grass: 30G
Wild Grass found randomly in your field or in a Cave/Dungeon.
Green Grass: 30G
Wild grass found randomly in your field or in a Cave/Dungeon in Summer
Purple Grass: 30G
Wild grass found randomly in your field or in a Cave/Dungeon in Summer
Indigo Grass: 30G
Wild Grass found randomly in your field or in a Cave/Dungeon in Summer
White Grass: 150G
Wild Grass found randomly in a Winter Cave/Dungeon
'I wanted a Recovery Potion.'
Recovery Potion: If you want a Recovery Potion, you will need 3 Medicinal
Herbs, an Empty Bottle and 300G. You should be able to obtain 3 Empty Bottles
very early in the game by completing Requests from different individuals. The
Doctor will make the Recovery Potion instantly for you and fill the Empty
Bottle with it.
Please note that you cannot equip the Empty Bottle before ordering the
Recovery Potion. If you do, its existence will not be recognised, oddly
enough. Simply leave it in your Rucksack.

Storm Repairs

At 5 Hearts, Byron may remark: The day following a storm must be tough out in
the fields! I know storms do a lot of damage, but I'm equally sure that you
can repair it.
Any severe storm can leave debris on any tillable soil, whether in your own
field or in a Cave/Dungeon. When an item has appeared on land after any
severe storm, you will find that the soil has reverted to untilled soil once
you collect or dispose of the item.
Scattered branches, stones and wild grasses are not the worst effect of any
storm. It is the random destruction of your Crops that will hurt the most and
cause the worst effects, especially if those Crops are slow-growing and almost
have reached the point where they could have been harvested.
It is not merely the loss of a Crop and the income it could have provided but
the fact that the random destruction of your Crops by a storm will leave you
with incomplete plots. A bag of seeds, when planted, yields nine plants.
Nine ripened Crops yield one Rune Point per day. If a storm destroys any of
the plants in a 3 x 3 square, you lose the ability to create a Rune Point from
the Crops in that square.
How then should you 'repair' the damage? If the Crops growing in that square
are long-term or expensive Crops, you will not profit by planting the same
type of Seeds as you will be using a bag that contains 9 seeds to fill only a
couple of empty squares. Furthermore, any slow-growing Crop will take longer
to mature than the original Crop.
The best solution in my view is to plant the most inexpensive multiple-harvest
Crop in the empty squares. You may not be able to obtain a Rune Point from
the first harvest of the substitute Crop but when the slow-growing Crop
matures finally, ripe plants from the substitute Crop can be combined with
the original Crop to create a Rune Point.
Remember that you need 9 ripened Crops to create a Rune Point. They only need
to be growing in the same field, but need not be the same Crop nor even
growing in the same 3 x 3 plot.

Using Land for Crop Storage

There is another strategy that can be used when planting Crops to fill empty
spaces left by a severe storm. If there is an item that a particular
individual loves to receive as a gift, you can plant that crop in the spaces
left empty by the destruction caused by a storm. You then will have a
constant source of items to give as gifts to that individual when needed. A
Crop in a single square is not a significant source of income in most cases.
You therefore can leave it unharvested until needed. If there are
sufficient 'empty' spaces to equal a total of nine squares, plant the least
expensive crops that will be the most useful as gifts. Multiple harvest
crops, however, are better than single harvest crops in this respect.
Remember that when you plant a bag of seeds in a plot where only one or two
squares are unoccupied, you will waste seven seeds. It therefore is better
not to use expensive seeds in this fashion.

Preventing Storms:

Alicia's ability to change the weather appears to be guaranteed. The only
problem is that, unless you are married to her, she will offer the Weather
prediction option only while she stands in the Port area. If you wish, you
can pay her each day to control the weather. This should avoid any severe
storms.

1st Generation Limitations:

Although the 1st Generation game is very satisfying in many ways, it is best
to know what CANNOT be unlocked until the 2nd Generation game.
One option that cannot be unlocked is the option to expand your Monster Barn.
You will be able to build a Monster Barn that houses a total of 16 Monsters,
but you will not be able to expand it at this stage. Whenever you ask Byron
to expand the Barn, he will declare:
Byron: 'Although there is potential to expand the barn, I don't think we need
to right now.'
Another option that cannot be unlocked is that of opening any of the gates in
the Caves/Dungeons. You must be satisfied to explore the screens that are
available to you and not even try to unlock the gates in the 1st Generation.
Nor can you perform any actions with respect to the Shrines or Altars in the
Caves. That is for the next Generation.
Finally, the items that are sold by any merchant or shop in the 1st Generation
will not change at this stage. No new weapons will be added by Tanya; no new
items will be added by Natalie, Yue or Douglas.
I feel it is best to know this from the start rather than trying to unlock new
options endlessly but fruitlessly in the 1st Generation. It is only by
marrying, having a child and building the School that new options will appear.

Item Shipping Values:

Small Egg: 110G
Medium Egg: 250G
Large Egg: 380G
Small Milk: 120G
Medium Milk: 260G
Large Milk: 340G
Small Fleece: 200G
Medium Fleece: 400G
Large Fleece: 600G
Items from Mines:
Scrap Iron: 4G
Iron: 80G
Bronze: 90G
Silver: 220G
Diamond: 660G
Ruby: 250G
Emerald: 170G
Sapphire: 540G
Amethyst: 220G
Aquamarine: 170G
Earth Crystal: 250G
Wind Crystal: 250G
Water Crystal: 250G
Fire Crystal: 250G
War Trophies:
Cheap Cloth: 30G
Quality Cloth: 50G
Arrowhead: 247G
Proof of Warrior: 50G
Glue: 80G
Cheap Bandage: 30G
Shoulder Piece: 55G
Insect Skin: 70G
Strong String: 80G
Scorpion Tail: 120G
Panther Claw: 90G
Wolf Fang: 130G
Skull: 40G
Wooly Furball: 60G
Items from Wilds:
Rock: 2G
Branch: 15G
Wood: 5G
Fishing Items:
Can: 1G
Boot: 1G
Masu Trout: 50G
Sardine: 70G
Char: 60G
Chub: 35G
Skipjack: 150G
Turbot: 78G
Salmon: 120G
Needlefish: 45G
Pike: 20G
Shrimp: 120G
Flounder: 210G
Yellowtail: 260G
Girella: 65G
Pond Smelt: 42G
Miscellaneous Items:
Youth Grass: 250G

Magic Spells in the 2nd Generation

You will have but one Magic Spell in the first Generation in the form of
Fireball. As with any Magic Book that you obtain, it will be severely damaged
and is missing pages. You need to find the Missing Page for each Magic Book,
then ask Mana to repair it at the School in the 2nd Generation. The Fireball
Missing Page will be given to you actually by Alicia in the 1st Generation in
the course of a Request Event, but you will not be able to make the repair
until the 2nd Generation.

Beginner Spells:

The following are the Magic Books that you can obtain within the first week of
the 2nd Generation. They consist both of Magical Attack Spells and 'White'
Healing Magic as well as the useful 'Escape' spell that allows you to return
to the Entrance to any Cave instantaneously.
If you make all expansions and find all the following Spells, you will have
the four basic Elemental Magic Attacks as well as the ability to restore HP
and reverse Poison and Paralysis almost at the start of the 2nd Generation.
Other Spells can be obtained later in the game.

Escape:

This extremely useful Magic Book is found when you search the table in the
centre of your Farmhouse on the ground floor. Press 'A' in front of the table
and the Escape Spell will be yours! Unlike other Spellbooks, this one is
intact and no repairs are needed. Use 'Escape' to return to the Entrance to
any Cave instantly.
Escape: Very useful magic that will whisk you to safety faster than you can
say: 'There's no place like home.'

Water Laser:

Your mother stands in front of a bookcase in the bedroom on the left on the
2nd floor of your Farmhouse. Search the bookcase by pressing 'A' to find the
Water Laser Spellbook.
This is a 'Water' Attack Spell.
Water Laser: Fires water at high pressure.

Cure:

When you press 'A' to search the Bookcase near the staircase on the ground
floor of the Clinic, you will find two Spellbooks: Cure and Medication.
Serena and Sera will arrive and graciously tell you to keep the books. When
used, it recovers 80 HP both for you and for any Monster who accompanies you.
Cure:

Medication:

This is one of two Spellbooks found in the bookcase on the ground floor of the
Clinic that the twins will allow you to keep. When used, it will cure Status
ailments and restore 30 HP in the process. Like 'Cure', it will affect both
you and any Monster who is your companion in the Caves. Note that it works
only on poison and paralysis.
Medication: Status ailment magic. Cures poison and paralysis.

Sonic Wind:

This is a Magic Book that you will find when the Library has been completed.
Search the bookshelves. Sonic Wind will be found in the southwest corner of
the Library.
This is a 'Wind' Attack Spell.
Sonic Wind: Unleashes scythes of wind that chase down enemies.

Stone Spike:

This is a Magic Book that, like Sonic Wind, will be found in the Library. You
will find it in a bookcase in the middle of the Library, on the right side of
the bookcase.
This is an 'Earth' Attack Spell.
Stone Spike: Makes rocks spike up at your feet.


Fireball:

This is the one Magical Attack Spell that you will have in the 1st
Generation. Use it as much as possible in the 1st Generation to increase your
Magical Skill levels.
This is a 'Fire' Attack Spell.
Fireball: Hurls a blazing ball of flame.

Weapon Skill Seals:

In the 1st Generation, Tanya will give you your first Skill Seal in the form
of Power Wave, a Shortsword Skill.
In the 2nd Generation, Barrett will give you three new Weapon Skill Seals when
you defeat the Monsters for the first time in the Dojo: Triple Strike, Hammer
Fall and Thrust Strike.

Power Wave:

This is the only Skill Seal you will have in the 1st Generation. It is for
the Shortsword and cannot be used with other types of Weapons.
Description: Charge up a shockwave and unleash it across the ground. Causes
long stun.


Thrust Strike

This is a Combination Attack for a Spear.
Description: Spear; Combo Attack. Lower your spear and charge. Once you
start, nothing can stop you.

Hammer Fall:

This Skill Seal can be used both with an Axe and a Hammer Weapon.
Description: Hammer/Axe; Smashes a mighty attack into the ground, stunning
enemies.

Triple Strike

This is a Skill Seal in the form of a Combo Attack for a Longsword.
Description: Longsword; Combo Attack; A precisely timed combo to the front,
back, sides.

2nd Generation Requests

New Requests appear on the Bulletin Board in the 2nd Generation. As with 1st
Generation Requests, some provide better Rewards than others, but it is a good
idea to complete ALL Requests. Remember that Heart Levels increase when you
complete a Request. Furthermore, all Requests appear in a set order. It is
only by completing the initial Request from any individual that you allow the
next to appear when any Heart Level requirements have been met.

Important 2nd Generation Requests

Among other Requests that appear in the 2nd Generation are those from Yue that
will result in the acquisition of the Missing Pages from some of your new
Magic Spellbooks. Barrett will give you Missing Pages as well. Jake's first
Request will result in a Reward in the form of one of my favourite Weapons
from the original Rune Factory: Windsword. As it is his very first Request,
you can obtain this excellent weapon in the 1st or 2nd week of the 2nd
Generation. All Requests will be found in my Requests Guide for Rune Factory
2 at:
http://faqs.ign.com/articles/933/933287p1.html

Upgrading your Tools in the 2nd Generation

In the 1st Generation, your character possessed tools that could be charged by
two levels, allowing them greater power and effect. For example, your
Watering can would water one square if you did not charge it, but if you
charged it to the next level, would water three squares. By charging it to
the ultimate level, it would water 9 squares. In this way, you could water an
entire 3 x 3 plot with a single use of the Watering Can.
In the 2nd Generation, your Child will find his/her father's set of Tools in
the Chest to the left of the fireplace. They will have rusted over the years,
however, and no longer will take a charge. This places your child in a
difficult situation where farm work is concerned.
Fortunately, you can order the upgrades for the School immediately, and
completion of any upgrade project occurs overnight. When you have a Workshop,
you will be able to purchase the Kitchen, Forge and Pharmacy from Yue. You
can buy all of these in a single encounter with the enterprising merchant.
Yue's 'Bargains' change each day and it is on Monday that she sells the actual
Kitchens, Forge and Pharmacy. This means that the earliest you will be able
to use ANY of the Recipes/Lessons you learned in school will be on Monday of
the 2nd week in Spring. Until then, you have one of two choices: You can use
the rusty old tools as best as you can to plant and water crops or you can use
Monster farmhands for as many tasks as possible.
You should have inherited two Monsters who will water your fields and two who
will help with the Harvest. Monsters will be transferred with their existing
Heart Levels into the 2nd Generation. Having two Monsters to water your
fields will be very useful in the first week of Spring, when you do not have a
Watering Can that can water more than one square at a time. Unfortunately,
Monsters will not till the soil, so you will be obliged to use the Hoe
yourself to till the soil square by square.
As far as Stumps and Boulders are concerned, the old tools you inherit will
not have enough power to destroy them, no matter how many times you swing the
tool. On Monday of the 2nd week in Spring, you should be able to forge
upgraded tools that enable you to smash any Boulders and chop any Stumps but
until then, you can tame new Monsters who will perform these tasks if you are
really impatient!
Otherwise, collect as much Bronze and Iron as possible in the first week in
preparation for the Tool upgrades.
The text of each Lesson is given in my Rune Factory 2 Recipe/Cookbook Guide,
but the ingredients needed for each of the initial Tool upgrades are listed
here.
The 'Recipes' for the first upgrades for your Tools are:
Tin Waterpot: Old Waterpot, Bronze x 3 (Wednesday Lesson)
Sturdy Hoe: Rusty Hoe, Bronze, Iron x 2 (Wednesday Lesson)
Beginner's Pole: Old Pole, Wood, Bronze x 2
Iron Hammer: Old Hammer, Bronze x 2, Iron (Monday Lesson)
Chopping Axe: Rusty Axe, Bronze, Iron x 2 (Monday Lesson)
Iron Sickle: Rusty Sickle, Iron x 3 (Monday Lesson)
Make certain that you attend School each day both in the morning and in the
afternoon in order to obtain as many Recipes as possible early in the 2nd
Generation. Although you will not have a Forge on the 1st Wednesday of the
2nd Generation, you can learn the Lesson to make upgrades to your Watering
Can, Hoe and Fishing Rod. When you have the opportunity to purchase the Forge
on Monday In the 2nd Week of Spring, you will be able to make upgrades to ALL
your Tools provided you have learned those Lessons.
Remember that the 'Bargains' that Yue offers vary according to the day of the
week. You only can purchase a Kitchen (Small and Large), Forge and Pharmacy
from her on Mondays.

Yue's Bargains

In the 2nd Generation, you will have a new option whenever you encounter Yue.
Her Menu will contain an additional choice to purchase 'Bargains'.
Yue's Bargains differ according to the day of the week. ON Mondays, she will
offer the following:

Monday Bargains

Small Kitchen: 1000G
Large Kitchen: 5000G (?)
Forge/Workshop: 7000G
Pharmacy: 3000G

Wednesday Bargains

On Wednesdays, she will offer:
Refrigerator: 10,000G
Shelves: 10,000G
Record Player: 20,000G
Full Set of Tools: 30,000G
The 'Full Set of Tools' consists of the Makers and include:
Mayonnaise Maker
Cheese Maker
Yogurt Maker
Seed Maker
Thread Maker
As with all of Yue's Bargain items, they will be placed in the Workshop. You
will find the Makers in a row in the northwest corner of the Workshop.

Friday Bargains

On Friday, Yue will offer Kitchen Appliances in the form of all the 'Utensils'
that you will need if you wish to make all possible Cooked Dishes.
There are two separate Menus for Friday's Bargains:
Small Kitchenware
Large Kitchenware
This is why you should buy both the Small and the Large Kitchen from Yue in
the same visit. With only a Small Kitchen, you will be limited to the three
Appliances allowed in a Kitchen of that size. With the Large Kitchen, you can
purchase all six Kitchenware Appliances.
The Small Kitchenware Appliances are:
Knife Set: 1000G
Frying Pan: 2000G
Pot: 2500G
The Large Kitchenware Appliances are:
Oven: 5000G
Mixer: 5000G
Steamer: 2000G

All of Yue's Bargain items will be placed immediately upon purchase in the
Workshop of the School. The Refrigerator and Shelves each contain 60 item
slots. Your original Refrigerator and Cabinet will remain in your farmhouse.
On any given day, you can purchase ALL the Bargain items that Yue offers for
sale. You therefore can purchase both the Small and the Large Kitchen,
enabling you to purchase all Kitchen Utensils from Yue when they are offered
on Friday.

Explanation of Bargain Items


Yue's Kitchens:

As previously stated, building the Workshop is the first step if you wish to
cook but it will be nothing more than an empty chamber until you have bought
the requisite furniture/items from Yue. On Mondays, she will sell the
actual 'foundation' items for the Workshop in the form of two Kitchens, a
Forge and 'Workshop' Bench and a Pharmacy.
If you wish to be able to buy and use all possible Kitchen Appliances, you
will need the Large Kitchen. With only a Small Kitchen, you will be limited
to 'No Utensils' Recipes, Knife Recipes, Pot Recipes and Frying Pan Recipes.
All Kitchen Appliances/Utensils are sold by Yue on Fridays and are divided
between those designated for the Small Kitchen and those designated for the
Large Kitchen. Purchase BOTH the Small Kitchen and the Large Kitchen on
Monday, when you purchase your Forge and Pharmacy.
Until you have purchased Kitchen Appliances/Utensils from Yue, even with the
Large Kitchen, your Cooking Menu will be very limited, restricted to the
Recipes that require No Utensils. In Rune Factory 2, Sashimi requires a Knife
purchase and thus cannot be made until you have bought this Utensil. What you
will be able to make without any Utensils are Pickles, Rice Balls, Ice Cream
and a few other items.
In actual fact, you will not be able to make all of the 'No Utensil' Recipes
when you first obtain your Kitchen, as some of them require high levels of
Cooking Skill.
When you learn a Lesson from Mana, you will obtain the actual Recipe for a
number of dishes, but even if you have all Kitchen Appliances/Utensils
required to make these recipes, you may not have sufficient skill for many of
them. Skill Levels for Recipes are not given in the Lessons. They are
displayed only when you access your Cooking Menu in the Kitchen. In the
Cooking Box, you will see a percentage number when you have chosen any
specific Recipe. This number represents your actual chance of making the Dish
successfully.
You therefore will be able to make Rice Balls and Pickled Turnips when you
first purchase your Kitchen, but Ice Cream will require more Skill, which
simply translates to PRACTICE in Cooking. Make the same low level Recipes
again and again, raising your Cooking Levels, before you even attempt a Recipe
that has less than a 50% chance of Success.
In terms of the Forge, Workbench and Pharmacy, you will require no further
Appliances/Utensils after purchasing the initial fundamental furniture item.
Again, you will find that many of the Recipes learned in School will be out of
your reach at the start of the 2nd Generation. The first forging projects you
need to complete, both for the sake of usefulness and in order to be able to
increase your Forging Skill, are those that will upgrade your old Rusty
Tools. These require only Level 5 Forging Skill. What this means is that you
may succeed the first time you try to make them or you may fail. Save your
game BEFORE you go to the Workshop if you are not inclined to waste
good 'ingredients'. Make only one Tool at a time, then run back to the
Farmhouse to save the result if you succeed. Otherwise, you may find that you
have wasted quite a few good Bronze and Iron pieces before you have a full set
of upgraded tools.
In my own experience, I succeeded the first time I tried to make an upgraded
Level 5 Tool and succeeded with each project the first time, with the
exception of one failure. It is all a matter of chance, however, unless the
Success Rate is displayed as 100%.

Record Player

Yue's Bargains on Wednesday include a Record Player. This is not a necessity
by any means, but is an interesting addition to the game. The Record Player,
when purchased, will be placed in the Workshop rather than your own
farmhouse. As previously stated, this is where ALL Bargain purchases are
placed.
When you access the Record Player, you will see the option to 'Play a song'.
When chosen, a number of melody themes for Rune Factory 2 will be displayed.
At the start, you will find the options to play any of the themes for the four
seasons. Unfortunately, the song will stop as soon as you press 'A' when your
character makes a remark about the song's effect on him/her. If, therefore,
you wish to listen to more of the melody, you should stand in front of the
Record Player without pressing 'A' again until the song finishes.
This means that you cannot have another theme in the background when you are
performing tasks in the Workshop.

Rune Factory 2 Requests Guide:
http://faqs.ign.com/articles/933/933287p1.html
Rune Factory 2 General Guide:

http://faqs.ign.com/articles/931/931607p1.html

Rune Factory 2 Courtship and Marriage Guide:

http://faqs.ign.com/articles/932/932037p1.html

Rune Factory 2 Characters Guide:

http://faqs.ign.com/articles/931/931956p1.html

Rune Factory 2 Bestiary and Caves Guide:

http://faqs.ign.com/articles/931/931545p1.html

Rune Factory Requests Guide:
http://faqs.ign.com/articles/933/933287p1.html

Rune Factory 2 Recipe/Cookbook Guide:
http://faqs.ign.com/articles/935/935526p1.html