Current Events > What sorts of abilities would a spy class have in a JRPG?

(+) Yeah! (+)

What would be cool for them to do in battle?

Shadow Hearts Margarete

Analyze an enemy's stats and abilities
Feign Death, so the enemy doesn't attack the spy
Distract, so that the hero party can flee from the enemy

Sense. An ability to look like the enemy to avoid getting hit.

Brainwashing enemies into attacking each other

If I was gonna write it up as a final fantasy job

• Prevents surprise/back attacks just for existing
• Free Libra ability
• Guaranteed escape ability
• Attacks cause various status ailments like blind, silence, poison, and confuse
• Hide ability
• Bribe skill (spend gil to inflict death)

I could imagine poison/paralysis as the status they can inflict

Support skills and buffs:

• Accuracy buff
• Smokescreen debuff for accuracy on enemies
• Escape moves from battle for party
• Stealth/Hide moves for decreasing aggro

Attack skills and buffs:

• Penetration buff
• Long range abilities
• Backstab
• Thievery/Steal/Mug
• Explosive items

Magic:

• AOE explosion moves
• Illusion magic for sleep/stun/confusion

Sabotage - sets up a bomb that explodes 2 turns later. (does more damage than most other abilities to compensate for the delayed payoff)

Thanks for clearing out my mental block on this, CE. These are all fun ideas

Pretty sure their state would look like this:
*Reduce enemy encounter rather
*Steal items from enemies
*Heightened evasion (enemies are less likely to be able to hit them)
*Able to detect enemy weaknesses
*Best suited with short ranged weapons or some kind of fire arm

Most of this comes from Payday 2.

-Crits. Low detection + sleight of hand means a much easier time hitting critical areas.
-Dodge chance for similar reason, focuses on not being seen and has training to avoid danger if discovered.
-Aggro removal, make the opponent target a different party member.
-Signal jammer, loud feedback staggers enemies and the signal messes with machine enemies.
-A fight or flight mode where after their health drops below a certain threshold, extra speed/dodge bonuses are applied.
-Projectiles that deal status effects. This sounds like a really solid ability so they should cost a lot of mana, have to take aim first or be slow to launch or something.
-If taken out by a melee attack, inflicts a powered up status on the enemy that got the kill. Could either do more damage, have a higher chance to activate each turn or be permanent.

I think of it like a glass cannon assassin thing more than a support.