Shuffle Time (シャッフルタイム, Shaffuru Taimu)? is a recurring Persona gameplay feature introduced in Persona 3. It gives the player access to additional rewards after battle, which include Persona cards, items, money or EXP bonuses.
Persona 3[]
With the exception of Boss battles, Shuffle Time is always triggered when the protagonist deals the final blow or the party ends a battle with an All-Out Attack. On occasion, other party members will initiate Shuffle Time when striking the last blow, as well.
Shuffle Time cards include the Tarot's minor Arcana - Sword, Cup, Wand, and Coin - along with Persona cards, Blank Cards, and the distinct Death card. The cards that are present during Shuffle Time (excluding Persona and Death cards) have their respective ranks as well, ranking from the lowest (1) to the highest (10):
- Sword (Red) - Grants weapons.
- Cup (Blue) - Restores either the protagonist's or the party's HP.
- Coin (Yellow) - Grants money.
- Wand (Green) - Increases EXP obtained from battle (may also increase the equipped Persona's stats instead):
- Rank 1: EXP x 1.2
- Rank 2: EXP x 1.4
- Rank 3: EXP x 1.6
- Rank 4: EXP x 1.8
- Rank 5: EXP x 2.0
- Rank 6: EXP x 2.2
- Rank 7: EXP x 2.4
- Rank 8: EXP x 2.6
- Rank 9: EXP x 2.8
- Rank 10: EXP x 3.0
- Persona Card - Grants a Persona (unless already obtained).
- Blank Card - Grants nothing. This may activate a "One More", allowing the player to retry Shuffle Time.
- Cursed Card - The fading Skull & Crossbones is sometimes generated, which hastens the arrival of The Reaper if selected.
There are three different Shuffle methods:
- Switching the place of cards.
- Cards are collected from above and reordered according to the order the card is taken; the first card taken will be the first card to reappear.
- Stacking several cards into one and then separating them back according to their original placement.
At times, the player is granted a chance to "Double Up!", which allows the player to perform one more Shuffle Time. If a Persona, EXP, or Sword Card is chosen, the player will obtain the new card along with the original card. However, If a Blank Card is chosen, the previously chosen card's effect will disappear. It is possible, though unlikely, to get more than one "Double Up!"[1]
Persona 3 Reload[]
Shuffle Time received an overhaul in the remake. Chances of occurring it increases after occuring a One More during a battle. However, it also occurs after landing the finishing blow during an All-out Attack, which is shown before a character does their finishing touch, unlike in the original.
The cards are no longer shuffled around like in the original, and they no longer hide which cards are in which positions, allowing a free pick of any card that is offered. With the exception of Blank cards and Cursed cards, all the different card types from the original Persona 3 make a return, but with minor changes, and all Minor Arcana suits now have Jacks, Queens and Kings among them.
- Sword (Red) - Grants a Skill Card.
- Cup (Blue) - Grants a random positive effect.
- Coin (Yellow) - Grants money.
- Wand (Green) - Increase experience gained from battles.
- Persona Card - Grants a Persona (If already in stock, grants experience to all personas of the same arcana)
In addition to the cards listed above, there are now Major Arcana cards that can occasionally show up in Shuffle Time. Only 2 cards are available at the start, but more are unlocked through acquiring key items either throughout the game, or through the Monad Passages.
- 0. Fool Arcana - Increased experience from all battles until you leave Tartarus. (Available at the start)
- I. Magician Arcana - Gain 2-3 of a specified rare item. (Available at the start)
- II. Priestess Arcana - All-Out Attack damage increased until you leave Tartarus. (Available after 5/9)
- III. Empress Arcana - The En, Ag, and Lu of personas in your possession are raised by 2. (Available after 6/8)
- IV. Emperor Arcana - The St and Ma of personas in your possession are raised by 2. (Available after 6/8)
- V. Hierophant Arcana - The level of your currently equipped persona will be raised by 1. (Available after 7/7)
- VI. Lovers Arcana - increase the Social Link bonus for Fusion until you leave Tartarus. (Available after 7/7)
- VII. Chariot Arcana - Your maximum HP will be raised by 10. (Available after 8/6)
- VIII. Justice Arcana - You will be able to pick 1 additional card from Shuffle Time until you leave Tartarus. (Available after 8/6)
- IX. Hermit Arcana - Your maximum SP will be raised by 7. (Available after 9/5)
- X. Fortune Arcana - All current party members' maximum HP will be raised by 8. (Available after 10/4)
- XI. Strength Arcana - All current party members' maximum SP will be raised by 5. (Available after 10/4)
- XII. Hanged Man Arcana - Obtain 1 Incense. (Available after 11/3)
- XIII. Death Arcana - N/A
- XIV. Temperance Arcana - The next time you do a social activity, Academics, Courage, and Charm will be raised more than usual. (Available through the Monad Passage on floor 91)
- XV. Devil Arcana - The number of items obtained from breakable objects and enemies will increase until you leave Tartarus. (Available through Monad Passage on floor 117, requires Temperance Card)
- XVI. Tower Arcana - The personas in your possession will have all stats raised by 1. (Available through Monad Passage on floor 143, requires Devil Card)
- XVII. Star Arcana - You will be able to pick 1 additional card from Shuffle Time until you leave Tartarus. (Available through Monad Passage on floor 171, requires Tower Card)
- XVIII. Moon Arcana - All party members get their HP and SP fully restored. (Available through Monad Passage on floor 197, requires Star Card)
- XIX. Sun Arcana - You will be able to fuse personas up to 5 levels above your current level until you leave Tartarus. (Available through Monad passage on floor 225, requires Moon Card)
- XX. Judgement Arcana - The party member with the lowest level will recieve a huge amount of EXP. (Available through Monad passage on floor 225, requires Moon Card)
Finally, after acquiring enough Major arcana cards in Shuffle Time, an Arcana Burst is in effect until you leave Tartarus. This raises the rank of all the minor arcana cards that are given through Shuffle Time by 1.
Persona 4[]
Shuffle Time carries different Persona for every individual dungeon in the Midnight Channel. Unlike Persona 3, there are no Minor Arcana cards - the reward of a Shuffle Time is solely a Persona.
There are three types of Cards in Shuffle Time:
- Persona card. Personas that are already in the player's possession are not generated.
- Blank card; symbolized by a gray glass shatter effect. Nothing happens when this card is selected.
- Penalty card; symbolized by a red and black diagonal cross. Players will not receive EXP, money or items after battle.
There are also three different Shuffle methods:
- Rotating cards either horizontally, diagonally, or a combination of both.
- Memory match, where player matches two cards. Has at most five attempts.
- Similar to slot machines, player must match three of the same card either horizontally or diagonally upwards/downwards.
There is also a random chance after either a Persona card or a Blank Card is chosen that an Arcana Chance is granted.
Persona 4 Golden[]
Shuffle Time now incorporates Major and Minor Arcana cards, each with varying effects. Cards are not shuffled anymore and remain face up. If all cards are drawn, a Sweep Bonus (also known as an All Get Bonus) is granted, which guarantees a Shuffle Time at the end of the next battle, an additional 2 draws, and any Death, Judgement, or currently-owned Persona cards being converted into different cards.
- 0. Fool Arcana +1 Draw, all undrawn cards will be changed.
- I. Magician Arcana - Ranks up a skill of the currently-equipped Persona.
- II. Priestess Arcana - +1 Draw, Converts 1 undrawn card into random Arcana card.
- III. Empress Arcana - +1 Draw, removes 1 undrawn card from selection.
- IV. Emperor Arcana - Instantly levels up currently-equipped Persona.
- V. Hierophant Arcana - +1 Draw, Converts 1 undrawn card into random Persona card.
- VI. Lovers Arcana - +2 Draws, post-battle item drops will be lost.
- VII. Chariot Arcana - Increases Ag of currently-equipped Persona.
- VIII. Justice Arcana - Increases St of currently-equipped Persona.
- IX. Hermit Arcana - Shadows on the current floor will not give chase. Effect will be nullified if player initiates a battle or leaves the current floor.
- X. Fortune Arcana - Increases Lu of currently-equipped Persona.
- XI. Strength Arcana - Increases Ma of currently-equipped Persona.
- XII. Hanged Man Arcana - Increases En of currently-equipped Persona.
- XIII. Death Arcana - Instantly ends Shuffle Time.
- XIV. Temperance Arcana - Grants one Treasure Key.
- XV. Devil Arcana - +3 Draws, adds a -100% modifier to EXP after battle.
- XVI. Tower Arcana - +3 Draws, adds a -100% modifier to money gained after battle.
- XVII. Star Arcana - +1 Draw, 1 drawn card will be removed along with its effect.
- XVIII. Moon Arcana - +2 Draws, adds a -50% modifier to EXP after battle.
- XIX. Sun Arcana - +2 Draws, adds a -50% modifier to money gained after battle.
- XX. Judgement Arcana - No effect.
- XX. Aeon Arcana - +4 Draws, no effect.
- XXI. World Arcana - No effect.
- Suit of Swords - Grants Skill Cards.
- Suit of Cups - Restores the Party's HP and SP
- Suit of Coins (Pentacles) - Grants extra money. Effect will compound with Sun Arcana and/or Tower Arcana.
- Suit of Wands - Increases EXP obtained. Effect will compound with Moon Arcana and/or Devil Arcana.
- Related multipliers (such as the Tower, Sun and Coins cards) are accumulated against one another, before applied to the final result.
- The Death card cannot halt Sweep Bonuses: it directly reduces the user's remaining attempts to draw cards to 0.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ It's been 84 years - Blind Let's Play Persona 3 FES Episode #75 YouTube. (Chronos; July 28, 2019)