Fighting with monsters
When you go to explore the 8 different dungeons in Rune Factory, you can opt to have a companion come with you. One of the monsters you've collected can help you fight the other beasts that you run into while exploring. All you have to do is talk to the creature inside your barn and ask it to accompany you out of the barn.
As you go through the areas the creature will automatically go into attack mode as you come up to a monster generator. It will continue to fight the creatures that spawn until the generator is destroyed. Your friend will take damage and status affects just like you do, and can also be healed using your magic spells.
Each of the friends available to you have different types of attack abilities. Some cause status affects themselves, some are brute-strength beasts, and others cast magic and can even cure your own HP.
- Critical
An attack doing a large chunk of damage at once. - Paralysis
Forces the enemy to walk instead of run. If you're hit with this you can't run until you cure it with the Medicshion spell or Mahiron item. - Sealing
Magic spells are sealed. It's very inconvienent for you if you're inflicted with this! Cure with Perapera Pills. - Poison
A damage over time affect that drains Hit Points. You can cure this disease with Medicshion, Neutralize Poison Bottle, or by eating the wild poison-curing grass that grows in the cave-based crop fields. - Power Attack
A knockback attack that forces your enemy (or you) to be stunned for a moment. - Element-based Attacks
These types of attacks will do more damage depending on the victim's defense against the element. - Magic Attacks
Spells like Inferno, Water Laser, Life Absorber and others, can be cast against you just as well as being used by you or your companion. Your friend will only use magic as long as you have Rune Points left. If you are out of RP then the beast uses normal melee attacks. - Topple Attack
This causes the victim to turn around in a circle and fall down, unable to make any attacks. - Absorb Attack
Any damage done will be converted into Hit Points to the beast causing the attack. It's kind of a mini cure abilitiy.
If your companion ever runs out of Hit Points then it transports back to the barns on your farm. You don't permanently loose the creature and there's no penalty for allowing it to be defeated. On the other hand, you'll be on your own in the cave until you exit or reach the boss.
Even when you do eventually reach the end of the area, your companion can not venture into the boss room with you. If you try to enter the last room you'll be told that it's too dangerous for your friend and asks if you want it to return back to your farm.