Dynamis - Limit Breaks

[Dikatis]

One, the status condition 'Breaking your limits as only a true Warrior of Light can' (or something like that) I can concede a little on. However, we also 'break our limits' when we're summoning allies in Seat of Sacrifice, right? Elidibus says it's an 'incantation of eld, but not of Hydaelyn's making. What are you?' We're drawing from the power of Azem in that scene, with our own desire fueling it. That's not necessarily Dynamis either, right? It's aether, because that's what the Ancients used, and therefore impossible to be Dynamis (as we have no lore support for Azem using Dynamis). In the final fight with Zenos, we literally burn our soul, which could be Dynamis, but we can't limit break, and that would be stupid useful in that fight. But Zenos can, or appears to, powered by his voidsent which is an aether construct.

Two, I kind of see a link where you use your Dynamis to channel Aether, it makes a little more sense. But that opens an entire mess of issues itself. When we cast thaumaturgy spells, do we use Dynamis? Conjury? Summoning a Fat Cat minion is pulling the minion out of the Void... is that Dynamis or Aether?

No one said the attack itself isn't aether. It's just using dynamis to channel a lot more aether and pull out a lot more power than you'd normally be able to. The ancients don't need to use dynamis to pull out attacks on the level of a Limit Break because they have so much more aether.

As for the solo duty, well, game mechanics? It'd be neat if you could use a Limit Break in that scenario but it wouldn't be all that impressive to use a Healer Limit Break there so you're probably not allowed to do it there for the sake of parity.


I don't see why the other schools aren't able to use dynamis. It's just a form of energy manipulated through emotions. If anything, Dark Knight and Dancer are all about using emotions (love and hope) to draw out additional power (dynamis) and to a lesser-extent, Warrior (using one's desire to protect others to unleash an inner strength beyond normal mortal limits).

To quote Nidhana:

Akasa can neither be created, or destroyed. It is beyond our power to purposefully alter or manipulate. The only thing observed to influence it is an abundance of... I want to say "spiritual emotion". As a veteran of the battlefield, surely you've experienced moments of desperation or exaltation where you've transcended the usual limits of your capabilities? That is the manifestation of akasa, the invisible essence harnessed by heart, mind, and unyielding spirit!

The context of WoL and friends' final battle with the Endsinger fits this perfectly.

Then there's the reworked Ultima Weapon fight where you get this message prior to your Limit Break gauge charging to Level 3:

Hydaelyn: I have not the strength... to shield thee again... Permit not that manifestation of that vile magick, lest Darkness prevail!

Your fervent hope shines forth with resplendent Light, granting you strength beyond your limits!

This implies that WoL and friends were able to channel a LB3 Limit Break through their sheer determination empowering them with dynamis despite not normally being able to.

[Vyrerus]

In some fights, the LB3 automatically charges just before you need it.

In others you may need the LB3, but it has to build up over time through its natural building mechanisms(stuff like people getting healed en masse from near death to full HP, breaking Ifrit's nails etc).

I'm of the mindset that when the LB3 builds automatically to 3 charges, that would be a sudden Dynamis reaction. The pressure of the situation teasing out your dramatic need for power, and of course, it mimics the techniques you already know, because as far as we're shown the WoL's use of Dynamis is completely unconscious.

But when it builds naturally, it's merely the techniques developed and used via Aether mainly.

I don't think there's anything official on this yet, because the writers haven't decided what direction they're going to go with it, but Cleretic is correct.

[RyuDragnier]

In some fights, the LB3 automatically charges just before you need it.

In others you may need the LB3, but it has to build up over time through its natural building mechanisms(stuff like people getting healed en masse from near death to full HP, breaking Ifrit's nails etc).

I'm of the mindset that when the LB3 builds automatically to 3 charges, that would be a sudden Dynamis reaction. The pressure of the situation teasing out your dramatic need for power, and of course, it mimics the techniques you already know, because as far as we're shown the WoL's use of Dynamis is completely unconscious.

But when it builds naturally, it's merely the techniques developed and used via Aether mainly.

This is a pretty good telling of how to tell what is and isn't dynamis when it comes to limit break building. On terms of actual limit break effects, it muddles a bit. Several LBs look like they'd easily qualify for just aether, such as GNB, MCH, or SGE. While others look like they can qualify for Dynamis, like DRK, MNK, or WHM. But in terms of the actual effects, that's going to be a pretty weird mix of Aether and Dynamis going on that we many never know the full formula for.

[Cleretic]

It should also be pointed out that we have definite proof of non-Dynamis limit breaks from the Ktitsis Hyperborea Trusts. Those three can't use dynamis and yet can crack out LBs, although I believe their AI isn't tremendously inclined to. And I'd find it hard to believe the Machinist LB3 is anything but exactly what it looks like.

So basically, 'dynamis LBs' are a pretty cool idea that works sometimes, but also there's definitely instances were someone just... makes a giant fireball once in a while. So if you're a roleplayer trying to write up your own LB you can go either way and have decent grounding.

[RayneBoemir]

I thought Endsinger’s quote is more about the shield over the party which was caused by all the scion’s prayers.

[Kranel_San]

I thought Endsinger’s quote is more about the shield over the party which was caused by all the scion’s prayers.

She reacts to the WoL Tank LB3 by saying: "Dynamis?" As it happened before the scions' prayers and the shield protecting the WoL from fatalism.
Afterward, she says: "What's this defiance" to the shield in a manner similar to someone saying: "Wtf where this positive energy is coming from???"

[TheMightyMollusk]

It's implied in Elpis that dynamis is just putting a name to the "heroic willpower breaking all limits" trope, including things like limit breaks.

[Lihtleita]

remember how when you were seven you thought the sun was made of gas, and now that youre older you know its actually plasma?

apply that to our understanding of limit breaks

[BaroLlyonesse]

remember how when you were seven you thought the sun was made of gas, and now that youre older you know its actually plasma?

apply that to our understanding of limit breaks

You mean that thing where someone presented clear and undeniable evidence supported by data that the sun, while yes is composed of gas, is in a constant state of plasma, and therefore if you were logical, you had to accept it?

If science said the sun was plasma because one scientist who knew about plasma one day looked up and said one word: 'Plasma...?' and literally nothing else, would you believe that to be evidence that it was true?

For that to apply to Limit Breaks, there has to be clear and undeniable evidence. So where is it?

EDIT: Remember, this is the game that feels it necessary to go on multiple quests to explain all kinds of game mechanics, such as primal summoning, how crystal crafting works, and the benefits of a specific river's water to clean clothes.

[Lihtleita]

For that to apply to Limit Breaks, there has to be clear and undeniable evidence. So where is it?

a being who predates the sundering, was the familiar of one of the most brilliant creative minds of that era and was the result of his experiments with dynamis

yeah i think she would know if it was dynamis, we should probably believe her (we should probably find a direct traslation of the jp scene)

its actually implied by nidana that aether and dynamis are confused a lot by eorzeans, making any mention in the lorebooks subject to that misconception.