Defense

Defense is the statistic that affects how much damage an Adept or Monster takes in Battle from physical blows (as opposed to resistance, which determines how much damage is taken from element-based assaults). A higher Defense rating means less damage will be taken. The highest possible defense rating is 999.

Your Defense is affected by your character's level, Character class, and by which armor or rings you currently have equipped. In battle you can temporarily increase your Defense by using Psynergy, but at the same time your Defense can be temporarily dropped by an enemy's Psynergy or Monster skill.

Ways to permanently increase Defense
You may permanently increase your Defense in one of the following ways:
 * Gain a level through battling.
 * Use a Hard Nut.
 * Set a Djinn that increases Defense.
 * Change your Character class.

Ways to temporarily increase Defense

 * Certain Psynergies: Guard Psynergy series and Guardian Psynergy series.
 * Certain Djinn: Iron and Corona.
 * Using the Captain's Axe or Guardian Armlet in battle. There is a chance the item will break.

Ways to permanently decrease Defense
There is no known way to permanently decrease Defense, but such an effect would be undesirable anyway.

Ways to temporarily decrease Defense
It should be noted that the Break Psynergy will remove any temporary bonuses to Defense.
 * The Impair Psynergy series.
 * Certain Monster Skills: Acid Bite, Armor Crush, Desert Gasp, Rotten Blood, Sticky Goo, Slaver, and Spider Web.
 * Several Djinn have a chance of decreasing the target's defense: Chill, Core, Hail, and Torch.
 * The unleash effects of several weapons: Burning Sword, Comet Mace, Giant Axe, Huge Sword, Robber's Blade, and Tungsten Mace.
 * The Zagan Summon.