Pep

Pep (ゾーン, Zone, Pep) is a battle mechanic in the Dragon Quest series, introduced in Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. When a character is pepped up, they will glow blue with power and their attributes will be powered up temporarily. The bonuses and the triggers for Pep are different for each character. When a character is pepped up, there are certain abilities available to them known as Pep Powers. Certain enemies are also able to become pepped up in battle and some even have access to their own Pep Powers.

The Hero from Dragon Quest XI becoming pepped up in battle.

Although somewhat similar to Tension from previous games, Pep differs in many ways. For one, it triggers randomly and each character appears to have different triggers for it, such as taking damage in battle, or inflicting damage on enemies. Pep is able to carry over between battles, as well, and a character who is pepped up will stay in the state if the battle ends while they are still pepped up or if they have been switched out of the active battle party. This can be useful for certain quests, which require the player to perform specific Pep Powers on enemies. Pep typically lasts between 6~8 turns in battle and the blue glow behind a character's portrait in battle will begin to flash to indicate that the status will be ending soon.

Pep Bonuses

If a character has unlocked the skill, "Pep-Up Power-Up" on their panels, they will receive an even stronger boost to their attributes while pepped up.

Character	Attributes Boosted
Hero	Strength +20% (40%), Resilience +20% (40%), Critical Hit Rate
Erik	Strength +20% (40%), Deftness +100% (150%), Evasion +100% (150%)
Veronica	Magical Might +20% (40%), Resilience +40% (60%), Magic Critical Hit Rate
Serena	Magical Mending +20% (40%), Resilience +40% (60%), Magic Critical Hit Rate
Sylvando	Strength +20% (40%), Charm +100% (150%), Evasion + 100% (150%)
Jade	Agility +100% (150%), Charm +100% (150%), Critical Hit Rate
Rab	Magical Might +20% (40%), Magical Mending +20% (40%), Magic Critical Hit Rate
Hendrik	Agility +100% (150%), Resilience +20% (40%), Critical Hit Rate

Pep Powers

Being pepped up allows for special combo abilities to be used in battle, each far more than the sum of its parts. There are some abilities that do not require all participants to be pepped up. Pep vanishes from all contributing party members after a Pep Power is used.

Attack Pep Powers

• Boulder Toss: 221~291 base damage, 733~803 max earth damage to all enemies. Requires the Luminary, Rab, & Hendrik to be in the party with no specific skills.
• Buff-Buff: multiplies the Luminary's attack stat by four times to damage one enemy, with a chance to beguile the foe if it is not immune. Requires the Luminary to know Unbridled Blade & Jade to know Puff-Puff.
• Chop n' Churn: Multiplies the Luminary's attack by 150% to all enemies, wind element. Requires the Luminary to know Helichopter & Serena to know Woosh.
• Falcon Trinity: a single enemy is attacked six times. The Luminary deals 250% damage, Erik hits for double damage, and Hendrik's attack is raised to 150%. Requires the Luminary, Erik, & Hendrik with no specific skills.
• Fire and Grimstone: decreases enemy resistance to fire, soil, and darkness damage by 25% for 3~4 turns. 12~60 to 436~484 damage after an enemy's action. Requires the Luminary, Erik, & Rab to be in the party with no specific skills.
• Fiery Fandango: Luminary strikes four times randomly at full power with a burning blade. Requires the Luminary to know Sword Dance & Veronica to know Kafrizzle.
• Fly-By Knight: deals up to 1063~1073 non-elemental damage to one enemy, based on Hendrick's defence stat and is effected by Buff. Requires the Luminary to know Kaclang, and for Jade & Hendrick to be present.
• Frizzcracker: deals fire and ice damage to all enemies, using a monsters' weakness instead of resistance for damage calculation. Requires the Luminary to know Kafrizz & Veronica to know Kacrack.
• Frizzwhizz: deals fire and wind damage to a group of enemies. Requires the Luminary to know Frizz & Sylvando to know Woosh.
• Gigaburst: 497~557 to 2970~3030 lightning damage to one enemy. Requires the Luminary to know Gigaslash or Gigasmash, along with any three characters.
• Hit Parade: damage is level dependent, hits random enemies eleven times for 11~33 to 55~77 damage. Requires the Luminary & Sylvando with no specific skills.
• Ice n' Slice: 84~94 base damage, maximum 403~413 ice damage to one group of enemies. Small chance to stun enemies. Requires the Luminary to know Frost Fangs & Veronica to know Crack.
• Itemized Kill: 120% flame damage from the luminary to one enemy and Erik will always steal something (with the chance of picking the rare drop greatly increased). The Luminary does not need to be equipped with a one-handed sword to perform this technique. Requires the Luminary to know Flame Slash & Erik to know Half-Inch.
• Kazapple: Up to 594~654 lightning damage to all enemies, with a high chance to stun them for a turn. Requires the Luminary to know Zapple, Jade to know Lightning Storm, & Rab to be present.
• Kazapstrophe: 527~1986 lightning damage to all enemies. Requires the Luminary to know Kazap & any three companions to be present.
• Lightmare: deals up to 1,500 light damage to one enemy. Requires Veronica to know Kaboomle and for the Luminary & Hendrick to be present.
• Love Hurts: 50~70 to 390~410 damage to a group of enemies, chance to paralyses for 1~4 turns. Requires the Luminary to know Sword Stance & Sylvando to know That's Amore.
• Shock Tactics: 70~110 base damage, maximum 210~250 lighting and wind damage to all enemies. Requires the Luminary to know Gigaslash & Jade to know Vacuum Smash.
• Solar Flair: 285~315 to 625~655 light damage to all enemies, chance to increase lightning damage by 25% for 4~6 turns. If enemy is a zombie then damage is increased by 50%. Requires the Luminary to know Quadraslash & Rab to know Pearly Gates.
• Steeds of Destruction: launches 8 random attacks at 60% power for a potential of 480% damage to one enemy. Requires the Luminary to know Sword Dance & Hendrick to know A Cut Above.
• Sword of Succor: double-damage to one enemy, restores HP & MP by 50% of damage dealt. Requires the Luminary to know Miracle Slash & Veronica to know Drain Magic.
• Tempered Tantrum: 360% damage dealt to one enemy, requires the Luminary to know Flame Slash & Sylvando to know Hot Lick.
• The Real Decoy: 24~32 to 356~364 damage to one enemy. Requires the Luminary & Erik, with no specific skills.
• Ultra Violet: deals wind damage to all enemies, approximately double Sylvando's attack stat, and has a 25% chance to confuse non-immune monsters. Requires Sylvando to know Pink Pirouette, and for the Luminary & Rab to be present.
• Whacky Sack: 78~98 base damage, max 545~565 darkness damage to one group of enemies. Magical might dependent, requires Rab & Jade with no specific skills.

Healing Pep Powers

• Arboria's Blessing: restores 25% of max HP to party, restores 8% of max HP and MP to party for 5 turns. Requires Veronica & Serena, no specific skills.
• Brownie Boost: raises party's attack by 50%, defence by 100%, and restores HP/MP by 8% for 4~6 turns. Requires the Luminary, Serena, & Jade with no specific skills.
• Choir of Angels: restores 1/3rd of all allies' HP and cures status ailments. Requires the Luminary to know Fullheal & Serena to know Hymn of Light.
• Shocking Twist: Sylvando will auto-revive when killed, will draw enemy attention to himself, take only half damage, and will always paralyze an enemy who targets him so long as they are not immune. These effects last for two turns. Requires Sylvando, the Luminary, & Serena with no specific skills.
• Yggdragon's Blessing: renders the party invincible to all types of damage and instant death, but does not protect against status ailments and can be removed by Disruptive Wave. Requires the Luminary to know Omniheal, and for any three allies to be present.

Support Pep Powers

• 0 Zone: eliminates MP cost for one ally for 3~5 turns, will not work with Magic Burst or Kerplunk. Requires the Luminary & Rab, with no specific skills.
• Arise: raises Luminary's attack by 50%, defence by 100%, agility by 40%, and deftness by 50%. Shield/greatsword guard rate raised to 100%, luminary is also cured of all ailments and pepped up after use. Lasts 4 turns, and requires the Luminary, Sylvando, & Hendrick with no specific skills.
• A Blaze of Glory: raises the Luminary and Hendrick's attack by 50%, but lowers defence by 75% for 4~6 turns. Requires the Luminary & Hendrick, with no specific skills.
• Care Prayer: raises party's defence by 100% and magical mending by 50% for 4~6 turns, overrides debuffs to get highest value. Requires the Luminary & Serena, with no specific skills.
• Echo Aura: Veronica gains a 20% chance for her spells to be cast twice in a row for 4 turns, stacks with her Enchanting Echo trait for a 40% chance to activate. Requires the Luminary, Veronica, & Serena with no specific skills.
• Electro Light: 75% chance to summon metal monsters that scale to the party's average level, and a 25% chance to summon Killing machines that also scale to the group.
• Fire and Grimstone: lowers all enemies' resistance to fire and darkness, and deals earth damage at the beginning of each turn. Requires the Luminary, Erik, and Rab with no specific skills.
• Haulelujah: increases experience and gold by 150%~300%, guarantees enemies will drop rare items, not the common drops. This includes monsters that were killed before using the ability. Requires the Luminary, Jade, & Erik, with no specific skills.
• Knight's Mandate: allows Hendrik to use Knight Watch, which makes him invincible and shields the whole party. Requires the Luminary, Serena, & Hendrick, with no specific skills.
• Re-Revamp: increases Jade's attack by 150%, defence is doubled, agility is increased by 40%, charm is increased by 150%, and her resistance to status ailments is raised. Requires Jade to know Revamp and for the Luminary & Veronica to be present in the party.
• Ring of Wrack and Ruin: doubles the spell critical hit chance for all allies. Requires the Luminary & Veronica to be present, with no specific skills.
• Roaring Tirade: stuns all enemies for one turn, always works unless the monster is immune. Requires the Luminary & Jade, with no specific skills.
• Rough 'n' Tumble: increases party's evasion to 50% and triggers auto-counterattacks 25% of the time for 6 turns. Requires the Luminary, Erik, and Sylvando with no specific skills.
• Rush of Blood: increases Rab's attack by 50%, defence by 100%, agility by 40%, and deftness by 50%, magical might and mending by 50%, haywire spells by 50%, and his status ailment resistance goes up. Rab becomes exhausted after performing this move and is reduced to 1 HP. Requires Rab to know Caster Sugar & Jade to know Puff-Puff.
• Saint's Ascension: Serena gains access to the Saint's Song ability, which fully heals the party. Requires the Luminary, Serena, & Rab with no specific skills.
• Shooting Stars: increases the party's agility by 40% for 4~6 turns and triples the evasion rate until a character acts twice. Requires the Luminary, Veronica, & Sylvando.
• The Fight Fantastic: increases party's attack by 50%. Requires the Luminary & Sylvando, with no specific skills.
• Tundra and Lightning: lowers all enemies' resistance to ice and lightning, and causes earth damage at the beginning of each turn. Requires the Luminary, Erik, & Veronica with no specific skills.
• Wild Side: doubles Erik's attack, defence, and agility, and enables him to take two actions per turn. Requires the Luminary, Erik, and Serena to be in the party, with no specific skills.

Trivia

The concept of party members combining their powers to pull off advanced moves is reminiscent of the Techs seen in Chrono Trigger, the 1995 Squaresoft RPG that Yuji Horii produced and supervised.

Gallery

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  The Hero, Jade, and Sylvando getting ready to use a Pep Power together.