Breaking Rods
April 4, 2017
15:24
A typical strategy for completing the game with ease is Rod Breaking.  To do this, you need any class that is capable of equipping rods (and/or one Staff which works the same way), which is about half the classes in the game.
First, equip the rod as your active weapon, then from the items list in-battle, use the Rod - just like Equip & Use above.  A single extremely powerful spell will be cast, at the cost of the rod being destroyed.
This is an extremely easy way to do a huge amount of damage, especially early in the game.  It's powerful to the point of being considered the "easy way out" of many challenges by some experienced players.  It will remove the challenge of many early game fights, but really, it's all up to you if you want to use it.
That said, if you want to, here's what rods you can get, where to get 'em, and what they break into:
Fire, Ice, and Thunder rods can be bought in Karnak in Act 1.  When broken, they cast Firaga/Blizzaga/Thundaga respectively.  These spells have an absolutely huge Magic Power to begin with (185), never mind what it looks like compared to the spells you will have access to in the first world.
Poison Rods can be bought in Quelb during Act 2.  Breaking it casts Bio, which does less potent Poison damage than the previous rods; but it can get around enemies that resist the three and is still quite potent.
Light Staves, despite not being Rods, can be broken.  Getting them is really tough - during Act 2 at Ghido's Cave, you need to defeat Metamorphas when they're in their default form.  You can also get them from the Cave in the Interdimensional Rift via the same enemies.  When these are broken, they cast the awesome Holy (241 base magic power!); unlike other options there's no easy way to get them, you have to farm.