Final Fantasy IV PS1 Walkthrough
Mist Aftermath and Kaipo
Well. That was mildly horrifying.
Cecil is now on the far side of the valley, Kain is gone, and so is the BombRing. Heal Cecil if needed and head toward the desert oasis of Kaipo.
Technically you can reach Water Cavern-South by following the wall to the left, but leave that for later. Going cave exploring alone isn’t going to make this day any better.
An Interrupted Night’s Sleep
Save outside Kaipo. You can move around the entrance briefly, but continuing into town starts the scene that takes Cecil and the girl to the Inn. The first night’s stay is free. Naturally, there’s a catch.
Boss Fight Prep
Cecil fights this one alone. Prioritize the General rather than working through the Soldiers first.
The formation is one General and three Soldiers. In my fight, the General took four attacks and the next two Soldiers each fell to one. The last Soldier was removed by a fire-like effect during the scripted ending. Let the scene play out.
The girl introduces herself as Rydia and joins as a Summoner. She starts at Level 1 with only 30 HP. That’s not much of a buffer against, well, anything. Before leaving town, use Order to move her into a back-row position and leave Cecil in front.
Look Around Kaipo
The Inn now charges 50 Gil. Its item counter sells Potion (30 Gil), ItemRevives a KO'd ally. Can appear as loot from a FloatEye and Eagle formation southwest of Baron. (100), Soft (400), MaidKiss (60), Eyedrops (30), Antidote (40), ItemField/save-point recovery, restoring up to 1,000 HP and 100 MP. At higher levels, check your remaining deficits before continuing. (100), and Gysahl (50).
A few Potions, a couple of ItemRevives a KO'd ally. Can appear as loot from a FloatEye and Eagle formation southwest of Baron. items, an Antidote, and a ItemField/save-point recovery, restoring up to 1,000 HP and 100 MP. At higher levels, check your remaining deficits before continuing. make a reasonable traveling reserve. Check what you already have before spending money.
Talk to the people around town. You’ll hear about Damcyan to the north, Antlion Cave to its east, and an old man blocking the route through the Water Cave. Someone also mentions a girl from Baron. Given how many girls from Baron we’ve met so far, I have a suspicion.
Before visiting her, inspect the upper of the two pots above the weapon shop for an ItemAn item found in the middle chest of Baron Castle's opening treasure room..
Do We Need to Buy Equipment?
Not yet. Rydia already has a Rod, EquipmentEquippable by Everyone except Cecil (Dark Knight). Def 1; Eva −5%; Mag Def 1; Mag Eva 1%., EquipmentEquippable by Everyone except Cecil (Dark Knight). Def 2; Eva 0; Mag Def 1; Mag Eva 1%., and EquipmentEquippable by Edge, Rydia (both forms), Rosa, Yang, Palom, Porom, Edward, Tellah, FuSoYa. Def 2; Eva 0; Mag Def 2; Mag Eva 1%.. The shops don’t offer a compelling replacement for that outfit.
| Weapon shop | Gil |
|---|---|
| Rod | 100 |
| Staff | 160 |
| EquipmentEquippable by Cecil (Paladin), Rydia (both forms), Rosa, Cid, Palom, Porom, Edward, FuSoYa. Power 5; Acc 30%. Attack element: Projectile. Requires a bow-and-arrow pair. | 220 |
| EquipmentEquippable by Cecil (Paladin), Rydia (both forms), Rosa, Cid, Palom, Porom, Edward, FuSoYa. Power 5. Requires a bow-and-arrow pair. | 10 |
| Armor shop | Gil |
|---|---|
| EquipmentEquippable by Everyone except Cecil (Dark Knight). Def 1; Eva −5%; Mag Def 1; Mag Eva 1%. | 100 |
| Clothes | 50 |
| EquipmentEquippable by Everyone except Cecil (Dark Knight). Def 2; Eva 0; Mag Def 1; Mag Eva 1%. | 200 |
| EquipmentEquippable by Edge, Rydia (both forms), Rosa, Yang, Palom, Porom, Edward, Tellah, FuSoYa. Def 2; Eva 0; Mag Def 2; Mag Eva 1%. | 100 |
Leave the Rod equipped. During battle, select Item, press up to reach the equipped weapons, select Rod, and choose an enemy. It gives Rydia something useful to do without spending her tiny MP reserve. The bow would require arrows too, and there’s no need to spend that money just now.
Namingway is in the armor shop if you’d like a name change. You don’t need to change anyone’s name to advance the story.
If you kept Kain’s old equipment, you can sell his Spear, Equipment: ShieldsEquippable by Cecil (Paladin), Kain, Cid. Def 1; Eva +20%; Mag Def 0; Mag Eva 0., Equipment: HeadgearEquippable by Cecil (Paladin), Kain, Cid. Def 3; Eva −10%; Mag Def 0; Mag Eva 0., Equipment: Body armorEquippable by Cecil (Paladin), Kain, Cid. Def 4; Eva −10%; Mag Def 1; Mag Eva 0., and Equipment: Hand armor and ringsEquippable by Cecil (Paladin), Kain, Edge, Cid. Def 2; Eva −10%; Mag Def 0; Mag Eva 0. for 520 Gil altogether. His Equipment: Hand armor and ringsEquippable by Cecil (Paladin), Kain, Edge, Cid. Def 2; Eva −10%; Mag Def 0; Mag Eva 0. are NOT Rydia’s EquipmentEquippable by Edge, Rydia (both forms), Rosa, Yang, Palom, Porom, Edward, Tellah, FuSoYa. Def 2; Eva 0; Mag Def 2; Mag Eva 1%.. Leave hers equipped.
Rosa and the Sand Ruby
Visit the northeastern room to find Rosa ill with desert fever. The man there explains that she needs a Sand Ruby from Antlion Cave. Examine the bookshelf if you forget; like all good medical professionals, he keeps a written copy of his advice handy.
Our next route is north through Water Cavern toward Damcyan.
Before You Leave
Keep Rydia in the back row. If you want her walking around town instead of Cecil, tap R1 to cycle the visible leader. That doesn’t change the battle formation, but I get bored watching the same character walking around all the time.
A few nearby battles can make her much less fragile. MagicA spell Rydia learns upon reaching Level 5; its list, icon, and MP cost remain to be captured. at Level 5 is a useful early milestone for the cave. I tend to grind a bit more, but it’s not really necessary before moving on. Do keep an eye on Rydia’s HP, return to the Inn or use ItemField/save-point recovery, restoring up to 1,000 HP and 100 MP. At higher levels, check your remaining deficits before continuing. when needed. Save outside the town, then dontinue with Water Cavern.