Piscodemons -- Boss #3
Four Piscodemons ambush your party the moment you pick up the Crown from the chest on Marsh Cave's lowest floor. They are the first boss where magic becomes unreliable-their 98 Magic Defense and resistance to Fire, Ice, and Spirit make most offensive spells nearly useless. Physical damage is the path to victory.
Piscodemons Stats
HP
84
Attack
30
Defense
16
Magic Defense
98
Weakness
None
Resistance
Fire, Ice, Spirit
Strategy
Four enemies with 30 Attack hitting every round adds up fast. Eliminate one Piscodemon per round and the incoming damage drops quickly. Do not split attacks across multiple targets. Warriors and Monks: Focus every physical attack on the same Piscodemon each round. Haste on your best attacker is the highest-value first turn-a Hasted Warrior with a Rune Blade or Broadsword can drop one in a single swing. Black Mage: Open with Haste on your Warrior, then stack Temper. Thunder is the only offensive spell not resisted here-use it if you have spare charges, but physical buffs are more valuable than direct damage. White Mage: Cast Cura every single turn. With four 30-Attack enemies landing hits, your party drops faster than you expect. Invisira on your squishiest member is the best secondary move if the party stays healthy for a turn. Red Mage: Haste a second physical attacker if your Black Mage is handling the first. Attack otherwise. The fight ends in 3 to 4 rounds with Haste active. Without buffs, expect 5 to 6 rounds and significantly more healing strain.
Quick Tips
- • Heal before grabbing the Crown. The ambush triggers immediately when you open the chest-there is no prompt, no warning. If your party is low from the dungeon, use a Potion on everyone first.
- • Status effects do not land. Piscodemons resist Sleep, Paralysis, Stone, and most ailments. Skip those entirely.
- • Buy Haste and Temper in Elfheim before entering Marsh Cave. Without those two spells, this fight is significantly harder.
Turn-by-Turn Guide
- 1. Focus physical attacks on one Piscodemon
- 2. Black Mage opens with Haste on Warrior
- 3. Black Mage then casts Temper
- 4. Warriors/Monks attack focused target every round
- 5. White Mage casts Cura every turn
- 6. Eliminate one Piscodemon per round
- 7. Continue until all four are defeated
Rewards
Exit the Marsh Cave and save. The Crown triggers the next step in the early-game quest chain: bring it to the Western Keep northwest of Elfheim. The king on the throne is actually Astos, the Dark Elf behind the Elf Prince's curse. Handing over the Crown starts a boss fight immediately-make sure your party is fully healed before walking into that throne room. Three locked chests also sit inside Marsh Cave (guarded by additional Piscodemons). You need the Mystic Key to open them. Come back after you beat Astos and complete the Crystal Eye quest chain.