All disclaimers apply: I do not own Star Ocean 2. I love the game and I am writing this for my own benefit really, but have chosen to publish it on the net for others to use as they see fit. Do not steal any of the content. If you do, I will hunt you down and do nasty things to you (no, I won't elaborate, this is a G rated FAQ). Star Ocean 2 is owned by those wonderful people at TRI-ACE.
There are four parts to this FAQ. The Skills List, The Talents List, The Specialties List and The Super Specialties List. Currently, only the first three are done. I'm working on getting the Super Specialties done and it should be updated in a few days.
Here are the skills available, what they do, and where to get them:
Knowledge 1 - Cross, Clik, Linga, Central City
Mineralogy - Skill Level X 3 increase to INT
Related - Metalwork, Identify, Alchemy
Herbal Medicine - HP & MP Restore SL X 3
Related - Identify, Compounding, Survival
Recipe - Varies by favorite foods
Related - Cooking (duh)
Knowledge 2 - Herlie, Hilton, Linga, Central City
Musical Notation - SL + 1 AGI increase
Related - Musical Talent (surprised?)
Biology - SL2 X 10 HP increase (very important to get
early on)
Related - Compounding
Tool Knowledge - Item Selling SL X 3
Related - Identify
Knowledge 3 - Linga, North City
Mental Science - SL X 5 MP Increase
Related - Compounding
Piety - Skills Increase Somewhat (Misleading! Nothing happens
that I have noticed.)
Related - None
Fairyology - SL + 1 INT Increase
Related - Alchemy
Sensibility 1 - Cross, Clik, Central City
Courage - No Nerves (Nothing spectacular, but important to have)
Related - Pickpocket
Patience - SL X 2 CON (Only Skill that raises CON. Get this one
ASAP!)
Related - Practice, Survival
Esthetic Sense - Nothing
Related - Art, Metalwork
Good Eye - HP Restore Increases
Related - Cooking
Sensibility 2 - Herlie, Hilton, North City
Playfulness - A Gift From Heaven (FOL) ((Formula = (previous
level) + (SL) X 600) I think)
Related - Oracle (The most useless 'ability' in the entire
game according to me)
Danger Sense - SL X 3 STM
Related - Scout (Someone with 6th Sense works best with this
one)
Perseverance - Reduces Skill Points Needed. (Go to Herlie
Immediately! Get Sensibility 2! Get this one MAXXED out FIRST!)
Related - Practice
Poker Face - SL X 3 GUTS
Related - Pickpocket
Sensibility 3 - Lacour, Armlock
Functionality - SL X 6 STR, DEX, AGI, INT
Related - Customise
Radar - Item randomly appears in inventory
Related - Oracle
Effort - Lowers EXP needed for next level by 4% (somewhat useful
at higher levels)
Related - Practice
Technique 1 - Cross, Clik, Central City
Whistling - Well, Whistling of course
Related - Familiar
Copying - None
Related - Reproduction
Sketching - None
Related - Art
Kitchen Knife - SL X 20 STR (Start with this one before you have
Perseverance. Makes a BIG difference in the Salva Drift.)
Related - Cooking
Technique 2 - Hilton, North City
Mech Knowledge - None
Related - Machinery
Craft - SL + 2 AGI
Related - Customise, Metalwork
Animal Training - None
Related - Familiar
Writing - SL X 2 DEX
Related - Authoring
Technique 3 - Linga, North City
Musical Instrument - SL + 1 AGI
Related - Musical Talent (Oh, boy. Big Surprise There)
Metal Casting - SL X 2 DEX
Related - Customise
Scientific Ability - SL X 10 STR increase (Claude starts with
this one. Good one to start with. Up it.)
Related - Metalwork
Mech Operation - None
Related - Machinery
Combat 1 - Clik, Herlie, Lacour, Armlock
Spirit Force
Below The Belt
Strong Blow
Cancel
Combat 2 - Hilton, Lacour, Armlock
Flip (USELESS, turn it off or don't put points there at all until absolutely necessary, ie, everything else maxxed out. Flip takes way too much time to be efficient.)
Gale
Feint
Mental Training
Combat 3 - Lacour, Armlock
Counter Attack
Parry
Body Control
Motormouth (Useful for Mages only. Don't bother with the fighters.)
Provocation (Pretty useless, but good for unlocking sound clips.)
Combat Special
Float - Found in Cave of Trials
Okay, you know about the skills now, but what about the talents? You can learn all but one Talent in the game, so if you don't have one that you want, keep at it and you'll get it. The best way to do it is use the Orchestra Super Specialty once you get more than one instrument and have the character you want to learn the talent set about on the related task.
For example: Dias doesn't have Sense of Taste so he's more likely to fail at Cooking. I want him to figure out what people like and what they don't. I play the Orchestra and have him cook stuff. Eventually, I'll be informed that Dias now has a Sense of Taste. Yay!
Word of Caution. Try not to use Customise to unlock Originality. If you do, then SAVE first or find crappy materials to work with. That way you don't lose your only piece of Mithril trying to get your best weapon without Originality.
Originality
Related - Customise, Metalwork
Dexterity
Related - Metalwork, Compounding, Pickpocket, Machinery
Writing Ability
Related - Authoring
Pitch
Related - Musical Talent
Sixth Sense
(Very Hard To Unlock. In fact, near to impossible. I've heard that
people have done it, but I have yet to unlock it. You can get characters with
it. Before you meet a character for the first time, save and meet them. Check
their skills. If they don't have Sixth Sense, reload and try again. I've noticed
that Celine and Dias are your best bets for Sixth Sense.)
Related - Danger Sense
Sense of Taste
Related - Cooking
Sense of Design
Related - Art, Machinery
Sense of Rhythm
Related - Musical Talent
Love of Animals
Related - Familiar
Blessing of Manna (You
cannot learn this. Either you have it or you don't. Mages DO. Fighters DON'T.)
Related - Alchemy
Okay, now you know where to find the skills and what the Talents are, but what makes up what without having to look through it all. Here's an easy way to see.
Alchemy - Mineralogy, Fairyology
Art - Esthetic Sense, Sketching
Authoring - Writing
Compounding - Herbal Medicine, Biology, Mental Science
Cooking - Recipe, Good Eye, Kitchen Knife
Customise - Functionality, Craft, Metal Casting
Familiar - Whistling, Animal Training
Identify - Mineralogy, Herbal Medicine, Tool Knowledge
Machinery - Mech Knowledge, Mech Operation
Metalwork - Mineralogy, Esthetic Sense, Craft, Scientific Ability
Musical Talent - Musical Notation, Musical Instrument
Oracle - Playfulness, Radar, Piety
Pickpocket - Courage, Poker Face
Practice - Patience, Perseverance, Effort
Reproduction - Copying
Scout - Danger Sense
Survival - Herbal Medicine, Patience
Blacksmith - Customise, Alchemy
Come On Bunny - Scout, Familiar
Comprehension - Practice, Survival
Identify All - Identify, Metalwork
Master Chef - Compounding, Cooking
Orchestra - Art, Music
Publishing - Writing, Machinery
Reverse Side - Pickpocket,
Reproduction
Note: Will make you unpopular in your party. If you are
gunning for a couple ending, don't use this often.