Field Skill (XC2)

Field Skills are a mechanic in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country. They are special Skills bound to a that are used outside of combat, such as Merc Missions, s, item crafting, or other Field Skill checks. Field skills can be upgraded through the.

Rare and Legendary Blades (almost) all have 3 different Field Skills, and they can be upgraded to a maximum of level 3 (level 5 in specific cases). Common Blades have between 1 and 3 different Field Skills, each of which can be upgraded to a maximum of between 1 and 3. The number of Field Skills available to a Common Blade, as well as how far each one can be levelled, is random but correlated with the Blade's number of crowns.

Usage
Several different gameplay mechanics make use of Field Skills. In all usages of Field Skills except for Merc Missions, the Blades whose Field Skills contribute to Field Skill checks are those currently equipped to a playable Driver, regardless of whether said Driver is in the active party (although they must be in the list of currently available Drivers in the menu). and count separately and are treated as both being engaged simultaneously in gameplay situations in which either one can be used (from  onwards).


 * Standard overworld Field Skill checks can be found in the overworld. They require a certain number of levels of one or two Field Skills to pass (e.g. 2 levels of Superstrength and one level of Focus). Here, the total amount of any particular Field Skill is equal to the sum of the levels of that skill across all Blades active in the party; for example, having one Blade with level 3 Fire Mastery is equivalent to having 3 Blades with one level of Fire Mastery each. Such checks exist as a part of an area's geography until they are completed; upon completion, they change an aspect of the local geography (e.g. forming a path to a new area or revealing a ) and the check disappears. Some such checks only appear during certain quests. Overworld Field Skill checks can be seen on the minimap; they are marked by a blue symbol of a mountain with a crescent surrounding it, the same shape as that in the Field Skill symbol above.
 * dialogue may perform a Field Skill check, requiring a certain number of levels of one or two skills like checks in the overworld. In these cases, the NPC's dialogue branches depending upon whether the check was passed or not. Often, failing the check ends the conversation (allowing the player to try again) whereas important dialogue and/or that which advances a quest will be behind the branch that requires passing the check, making this functionally very similar to an overworld Field Skill check.
 * Each has a certain Field Skill associated with it. If a collection point is used and a Blade currently equipped to a Driver has the associated skill, there is a chance that the collection point will spawn more items. The chance increases if the Field Skill is at level 2, and becomes a certainty if it is at level 3 (or higher). This may apply independently for up to three different Blades, increasing the number of collectibles spawned each time. This applies similarly at Salvaging points with the Salvaging Mastery skill; here, the activation of the skill results in a higher chance of getting better loot.
 * Many Merc Missions have suggested Field Skills; sending Blades with such Field Skills on the mission decreases the amount of time the mission takes. In particular, the mission time is decreased by 6% (additively) for each level of each suggested Field Skill summed across all Blades who go on the mission, rounded down to the nearest minute, down to a minimum of 25% of the original mission time.
 * Field Skills involved with crafting (see below) may be used at specific locations. These checks function similarly to standard overworld Field Skill checks, but they do not disappear after the check is completed.

Categories
Field Skills can be split into several categories:
 * Each has a specific "Mastery" skill, such as Fire Mastery. While only some rare and legendary Blades have such skills, every common Blade carries the Field Skill associated with its element. Light Mastery is an exception, however, as common Blades cannot have light as its element. These skills are mainly used for general Field Skill checks or Merc Missions.
 * Some Blades can craft items at certain places. This mechanic is bound to a Field Skill which can be levelled up to unlock new recipes. This category includes 's Cooking, 's Weaving, 's Icecraft, 's Patissier, 's Dumpling Pro, and 's Ardent Cooking.
 * Some Field Skills, such as Botany or Agronomy, are used at s to get higher yields of s. Salvaging Mastery can also increase loot from salvaging. Common, rare, or legendary Blades can get these skills.
 * A few Field Skills like Info Collector or Transport Mastery are exclusive to common Blades and only used for Merc Missions.
 * A handful of Field Skills are exclusive to rare and legendary Blades, albeit not to a single one. They are used for Field Skill checks and Merc Missions. Examples include Lockpicking (often used for opening s) and Focus.
 * Many rare Blades carry a Field Skill exclusive to them, such as 's, 's Titan Weapon Wisdom, or all of 's Field Skills. They are only used in their respective Blade Quests (as well as some DLC-exclusive quests) and Merc Missions.
 * 's Phonex Linguistics is required to talk to Phonexes.