Shapeshifting Mechanics

"Humans and dragons... pactbound once more."

Shapeshifting is a mechanic that allows adventurers to transform into their equipped dragon during a quest.

Overview
During a quest, an icon of the equipped dragon as well as a two-part Dragon Gauge will appear next to the adventurer's icon. When this gauge is filled to at least 1 bar's worth (50%), the dragon's icon will light up and shapeshifting will be available for use.
 * If the gauge is filled to two bars' worth (100%), that allows 2 uses of shapeshifting even if no further dragon gauge gains are received later. Note that this does not extend the duration of the shapeshift; shapeshift always uses 1 bar's worth of Dragon Gauge and have a fixed duration dependent on the dragon's bond level and Dragon Time boosts.
 * If the adventurer has an affliction, then shapeshifting will be unavailable until the affliction wears off or is cleansed.

Shapeshifting allows the player to temporarily fight as the dragon, granting access to new basic attacks, a new skill (that is immediately ready to use), procs any dragon-related abilities, removes most debuffs, and a dragon timer that shows how much longer the Adventurer will remain in their shapeshifted form.
 * The basic attacks of dragons will not refill the SP of the base adventurer's skills, weapon skills, or shared skills. However, any automatic SP regeneration for those skills will still occur while in dragon form.
 * All dragons have a limit on how many times they can use their skill within a single transformation. Usually the limit is just 1, but if the limit is 2 then the dragon can recharge their own skill with SP from their basic attacks. Examples of dragons that can do this are or.

During shapeshift, the player cannot be knocked back and is immune to all afflictions and most debuffs. Any damage taken will deplete part of the dragon timer, rather than HP. Once the timer is fully depleted, whether by time or by taking damage, the dragon will revert to the adventurer, and shapeshifting will be unavailable for 10 seconds (even if there is enough dragon gauge remaining to shapeshift again).

All manner of shapeshift attacks will break enemy blue shields instantly, and can also destroy some field obstacles. They however cannot instantly break Kai Yan's Adamantine Shield unless a dispel effect is carried by the attack (e.g. any dragon's basic attacks with 's ).

Unlike adventurers, both moving and dodging during shapeshift will also cause hitstun towards targets and break objects.

When using a dragon's skill, their animation is locked - even if the dragon receives enough damage during the skill to end dragon form, the dragon will not revert until the skill animation has finished under most circumstances. This can be used to "dragon tank" attacks that would otherwise be lethal to the adventurer if the dragon were to revert too early. Note that there exist some attacks that will still instantly revert the adventurer and cause an effect or damage.

Computer-controlled allies will not shapeshift if it is available. This also applies to the leader unit on auto-play. If shapeshift is activated manually and auto-play is resumed, however, the computer-controlled ally will use the dragon's skill immediately and continue attacking.

Shapeshift activation shockwave
When an adventurer shapeshifts, they will emit a shockwave that damages surrounding enemies, with an element that matches that of the equipped dragon. The damage modifier of this shockwave depends on the rarity of the equipped dragon, with some exceptions.
 * Adventurers with unique dragon forms or access to Unique Transformations will use the variant of the shockwave, regardless of what their equipped dragon's rarity is. The element of their shockwave will match the adventurer, also regardless of the equipped dragon.

Dragon Gauge
The dragon gauge dictates whether or not shapeshifting is available. At least 50% charge is needed for a single shapeshift; it is possible to store up to 100% charge before further Dragon Gauge gains are lost.

Dragon gauge charge is granted:
 * Whenever an enemy is defeated
 * When a boss's HP reaches certain thresholds (usually every 10% of their max HP depleted)
 * When breaking a dragon obelisk (25% gauge from a small obelisk, 50% from a large obelisk)
 * When a personal gauge boosting skill or ability is activated in the player's team (but not across other players in a co-op quest).

Notes:
 * It is not possible to receive dragon gauge charge while shapeshifted from defeating enemies or reducing a boss's HP. However, personal gauge boosts and dragon obelisks will still provide dragon gauge charge.
 * In solo play, this gauge is shared among all units.
 * In co-op play, the gauge is shared to the extent that all players get the charge from enemy kills/boss HP thresholds/dragon obelisks. However, the actual amount of gauge gained can differ based on each player's equipped Dragon Haste co-abilities and/or chain co-abilities, if any. Personal gauge boosts from skills and abilities also do not apply to human-controlled co-op allies at all.
 * If a computer-controlled ally is brought into co-op, they will share gauge with the human player that they belong to.

Personal gauge boosts
Some units have skills that will increase the charge of their personal dragon gauge when used.
 * This gauge increase only affects the adventurer and any computer-controlled allies that they have - it does not affect human-controlled allies in co-op play.
 * Personal gauge boost effects will only consider the Dragon Haste on their user.
 * Any personal gauge boost effects on the equipped helper unit will also apply in solo play.

Dragon Haste
Dragon Haste increases the rate at which the unit will gain Dragon Gauge.
 * Dragon Haste does not apply to human-controlled allies in co-op.
 * In solo play, only the Dragon Haste on the currently-controlled unit is applied to boss-based gauge gains. For example, if a computer-controlled ally has equipped, but the currently-controlled unit does not, then Blossoms effectively does nothing to boss-based gauge gains.
 * If the controlled unit is switched during combat, then the Dragon Haste on the new controlled unit is considered instead. Continuing the example, switching the controlled unit to the computer-controlled ally that has Blossoms will cause Blossoms to actually apply.
 * Personal gauge boost effects (such as on 's ), will only consider the Dragon Haste on their user (in this case, Gala Mym).

Co-Abilities
Dragon Haste is a common co-ability on most sword-wielding adventurers.

Shapeshift Prep
Shapeshift Prep allows the dragon gauge to be automatically filled to a set amount at the start of a quest. This effect applies to all units in both solo and co-op play.
 * Any Shapeshift Prep effects on the equipped Helper unit will also apply in solo play.
 * In raid events, Shapeshift Prep effects will apply to all 16 units.
 * Shapeshift Prep is a percentage-based ability; hence, it will affect adventurers using Unique Transformations equally.

Effects during Shapeshift
Some abilities will trigger an effect that only applies during shapeshift. These effects will cease to apply after shapeshift has ended.
 * These effects do not function at all on adventurers with Unique Transformations.

Dragon Damage
Dragon Damage increases the damage dealt by all attacks while in dragon form.

Dragon attack rate
Dragon attack rate up increases the speed at which attacks can be performed while in dragon form.

Dragon Time
Dragon Time, as the name may suggest, is the amount of time that the adventurer can stay in dragon form. This time can be extended by bond level with the equipped dragon, which can be increased in the Dragon's Roost. Some skills and abilities will also increase Dragon Time.

Effects persisting beyond Shapeshift
Some abilities will trigger an effect upon shapeshifting, and their effects will persist after shapeshift has ended.
 * These abilities do not function at all on adventurers with Unique Transformations.

Dragon's Claws and Dragon's Might
Abilities such as Dragon's Claws or Dragon's Might will grant one or more strength buffs that last throughout the quest.

Abilities
Dragon's Skill grants one or more buffs to Skill Damage that last throughout the quest.

Abilities
Dragon's Scales grants one or more buffs to Defense that last throughout the quest.

Abilities
Some abilities trigger an effect after shapeshift has ended.
 * These abilities do not function at all on adventurers with Unique Transformations.

Unique Dragon Form
Certain adventurers have a unique dragon form that overwrites the attacks and skill of the equipped dragon when shapeshift is performed. The equipped dragon's abilities are maintained.

Unique Transformations
A Unique Transformation is a special mechanic that replaces shapeshifting for certain units.

Overview
Similar to shapeshifting, Unique Tranformation (UT) uses a gauge and is available to use once the gauge reaches a certain threshold, which varies by the adventurer. Once it is activated, the user will emit a shockwave that deals 200% damage of the user's element to surrounding enemies. The gauge will then start to decrease, acting as a timer to indicate how long the Unique Transformation state will last. A UT cannot be entered if the adventurer has an affliction.

When UT is activated, the UT gauge will begin to deplete from the fill amount it had at the time of activation. For example, if the fill amount was 60%, the gauge will begin to deplete from 60%. This natural UTP depletion is paused during skill animations.

During UT, the user is also not immune to damage, so any damage taken will deplete HP as usual - but not the UT gauge.

UT can be freely de-activated by tapping the icon again (as opposed to shapeshift, which can only be exited when the timer is depleted). If this is done, the UT gauge will pause with the same fill amount as when it was deactivated. It will then be possible to enter UT again after about 5 seconds, provided the gauge is filled enough to activate it again. If the UT gauge fully depletes and is not ended prematurely, then the wait time will be 10 seconds instead.

UT does not consume the regular Dragon Gauge, so if an ally in solo play activates UT, then the shared Dragon Gauge will not be affected for other units on the team. UT is also unique to the unit itself, meaning multiple units on a team can activate UT without preventing other units from doing so.

UT Gauge
The UT Gauge can take regular Dragon Gauge boosts from defeating enemies, boss HP thresholds, dragon obelisks, and personal dragon gauge boosts.

However, the regular Dragon Gauge holds a maximum of 1,000 Dragon Points (DP), while the UT gauge can hold higher amounts, thus requiring more DP to fill it up. For example, if a UT gauge can hold a maximum of 3,000 points, then if an enemy granted 100 DP, a normal adventurer would gain 10% gauge while the UT adventurer would only gain 3.33% gauge.

Since Shapeshift Prep's effect uses a percentage instead of a DP value, it is not subjected to the above caveat - 10% Shapeshift Prep would give 10% gauge to both a normal adventurer and a UT adventurer.

Depending on the UT adventurer, some skills or standard attacks will also directly add or remove from the UT gauge. These boosts only affect the UT gauge, and will not affect the regular Dragon Gauge.

Dragon Haste is applied to all sources of UTP (such as skills or standard attacks) as well as all sources of DP.

Shapeshift-triggered Effects
Effects triggered by shapeshifting (such as Dragon's Claws), effects that only apply during shapeshift (such as Dragon Damage or Dragon Time), and effects that occur after ending shapeshift (such as Fatalis' curse), are not activated by UT since technically no shapeshift took place.

Variations of Unique Transformation
Unique Transformation has some variants, each of which may have their own quirks.

Dragondrive
Unlike Shapeshifting, Dragondrive does not transform the Adventurer into their Dragon - instead, it enhances the stats, skills, and/or attacks of the base adventurer.

The Dragondrive gauge holds a maximum of 3,000 points, meaning that any regular Dragon gauge boosts will be only about 33% as effective, percentage-wise.

During the Dragondrive animation, the user is immune to all afflictions - however, they are not immune once the animation ends and they are in Dragondrive. While getting an affliction before Dragondrive would prevent Dragondrive, getting afflicted during Dragondrive will not end it.

For some units, standard attacks during Dragondrive will fill the gauge, allowing the Dragondrive state's timer to be extended if one keeps attacking. Skills can also restore or deplete portions of the Dragondrive gauge.

While computer-controlled, Bellina and Aldred will not use Dragondrive automatically, but Yurius will.

Dragondrive adventurers may not participate in Dragon Battles, as they do not shapeshift into a dragon.

Divine Dragon form
Divine Dragon form will transform into a unique Dragon. This form can be considered a hybrid of shapeshifting and dragondrive.
 * Similar to shapeshifting, Divine Dragon form will instantly break enemy blue shields, cause stagger to smaller enemies, and automatically break obstacles.
 * Similar to shapeshifting, while in Divine Dragon form, Tiki is immune to all afflictions and most debuffs.
 * Similar to adventurers with regular shapeshifting, Tiki may participate in Dragon Battles in Divine Dragon form.
 * Similar to dragondrive, the Divine Dragon form retains a HP stat, and reaching 0 HP will cause Tiki to be defeated instead of exiting the Divine Dragon form.
 * Similar to dragondrive, it is not affected by the majority of dragon-related abilities such as Dragon's Claws, Dragon Damage, etc.

The Divine Dragon gauge holds a maximum of 1,200 or 1,800 points, depending on the level of the ability Dragon Scion. This means that any regular Dragon Gauge boosts will be only about 83% or 56% as effective, percentage-wise.

Upon entering Divine Dragon form, Tiki's human form skill gauges will be saved and be replaced by her Divine Dragon skills, which start out completely filled.

While in Divine Dragon form, Tiki is immune to all afflictions and all damage taken is reduced by 50%. However, Tiki's Force Strike as well as any equipped weapon skills or shared skills are disabled. Any SP gained through standard attacks will only affect the Divine Dragon form's skills, and will not affect the human form's skills*. Tiki is also not affected by "Primed" abilities (Primed Defense, Primed Strength, etc).
 * SP regeneration effects, such as those from, will affect Tiki's human form skills, but not her dragon form skills.

When Divine Dragon form is ended, Tiki's human form skill gauges will return to their state before the transformation happened. Divine Dragon form's skill progress is not saved, however, so entering the form again will start with its skill gauges completely filled once more.

A computer-controlled Tiki will transform into Divine Dragon form at her earliest opportunity.