Incense (お香 or インセンス, Okou or Insensu)? is a special type of item in the series.
Role[]
Incense is a special type of item that increases a playable character's stats and fully restores their HP and MP. Typically they can only be used outside of battle, and are only available for base stats (St, Ma, Lu, etc), increasing a single stat by 1, however some games feature Incense that can be used for HP and MP, increasing them by 5 or 10. A few games also feature incense that increase all stats by 1 or 2.
However, in Shin Megami Tensei IV, each Incense found is based on the 5 stats, and using one heals all HP and MP of a character or demon, as well as raising the stat it is named after by 3.
In Shin Megami Tensei and Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, only humans could use Incenses.
Types of Incense[]
- St (力の香, Chikara no Kou)?: Increases strength and attack.
- Ma (魔の香, Ma no Kou)? / (魔力の香, Maryoku no Kou)?: Increases magic, MP, magic attack, and sometimes magic defense.
- In (知恵の香, Chie no Kou)?: Increases wisdom, magic defense, MP, and sometimes magic attack.
- (ちえのこう, Chie no Kou)? (Shin Megami Tensei)
- Vi (耐の香, Tai no Kō)? / (耐力の香, Tairyoku no Kou)?: Increases HP and defense.
- Ag (速さの香, Hayasa no Kou)?: Increases hit, speed, and avoid.
- Lu (運の香, Un no Kou)?: Increases critical, drop rate, hit, and avoid.
- (うんのこう, Un no Kou)? (Shin Megami Tensei)
- (運の霊香, Un no Reikou)? (Shin Megami Tensei V)
- (LUKインセンス, Rakku Insensu)? (Megami Ibunroku Persona)
- (LUCインセンス, Rakku Insensu)? (Persona 2)
- (ラックインセンス, Rakku Insensu)? (Persona 5 Strikers & Persona 3 Reload)
- (ラックノイズ, Rakku Noizu)? (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 1/2)
- Dx (技の香, Waza no Kou)?: Increases dexterity, magic attack, magic defense and MP/SP. Only seen in Megami Ibunroku Persona and the Persona 2 and Shin Megami Tensei IV duologies. (replaces Ma and In)
- "TEC Incense" (TECインセンス, Tekunikku Insensu)? (Megami Ibunroku Persona & Persona 2)
- HP (HPインセンス, Eichi Pii Insensu)?: Increases max HP by 10.
- MP/SP (SPインセンス, Esu Pii Insensu)?: Increases max SP by 10
Persona exclusive[]
- All (ALLインセンス, Ouru Insensu)?: Increase all stats by 2.
- Lucky Mallet (打出の小槌, Uchide no Kozuchi)?: Increases all stats by 3/4
- Master Incense (マスターインセンス, Masutaa Insensu)?: Increase all stats by 1.
Gum[]
Gum (おこう, Okou)? is the name for the stat increasing items found in the Devil Children series and increase a stat by one point. Unlike other games they do not restore HP/MP, nor does increasing certain stats increase those two, and must either have the demon gain HP through rank up or Trainers.
Noise[]
Noise (ノイズ, Noizu)? serves the same function as Incense in the Digital Devil Saga series. They increase the individual stat by 2, with the exception of HP/MP, which increases by 10. All are dropped by specific demons:
- Power Noise: Dropped by Ongyo-Ki in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner and Surt in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2.
- Magic Noise: Dropped by Horus in both games.
- Vitality Noise: Dropped by Arahabaki in both games.
- Quick Noise: Dropped by Garuda in Avatar Tuner and Barong in Avatar Tuner 2.
- Luck Noise: Dropped by High Pixies summoned by Pixie in Avatar Tuner and Mada in Avatar Tuner 2.
- HP Noise: Dropped by Girimehkala in both games.
- MP Noise: Dropped by Isis in Avatar Tuner and Lilith in Avatar Tuner 2.
Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku[]
In Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku, use of Incenses is restricted to healing springs.
- Warrior's Incense (物夫の香, Monofu no Kou)?: Increases Strength
- Earth Incense (大地の香, Daichi no Kou)?: Increases Vitality
- Heaven Incense (天の香, Ten no Kou)?: Increases Intuition
- Soul Incense (心魂の香, Shinkon no Kou)?: Increases Wisdom
- Devilish Incense (魔性の香, Mashō no Kou)?: Increases Magic
- Scholar's Incense (学人の香, Gakujin no Kou)?: Increases Intelligence
- Devotee's Incense (精進の香, Shoujin no Kou)?: Increases Divine Protection
- Gale Incense (疾風の香, Hayate no Kou)?: Increases Agility
- Artisan Incense (職人の香, Shokunin no Kou)?: Increases Dexterity
- Noble Incense (貴人の香, Kijin no Kou)?: Increases Charisma
- Luck Incense (運の香, Un no Kou)?: Increases Luck
Shin Megami Tensei V / Vengeance[]
In this title, Incenses are used to boost the stats of the Nahobino's recruited demons. When used, they increase their specified stat by 1, aside from Health and Stamina Incenses, which increase a demon's maximum HP and MP counts by 10. In the original SMT5, they do not restore spent HP or MP. In Vengeance, while this is still the case, much like in Strikers, they do take into account the new max HP/MP totals and increase a demon's current HP/MP stock as well by the same amount.
The Nahobino has an equivalent to Incense in the form of Balms (霊香, Reikou)?, and they increase his stats by the same amount Incense perform. In the localized version, the names of these Incenses and Balms are not written in shorthand.
- Health Incense/Balm: Raises Max HP by 10.
- Stamina Incense/Balm: Raises Max MP by 10.
- Strength Incense/Balm: Raises Strength by 1.
- Vitality Incense/Balm: Raises Vitality by 1.
- Magic Incense/Balm: Raises Magic by 1.
- Agility Incense/Balm: Raises Agility by 1.
- Luck Incense/Balm: Raises Luck by 1.
In the original game, Incenses and Balms can be obtained through either Miman milestone rewards or Search Points with a demon navigator. Unique to Vengeance is the ability to demand an Incense from cornered demons. Rarely, demons may give out Incenses or even Balms as a level up present. In Godborn Difficulty, Incenses and Balms can be bought in bulk from Gustave at the Cadaver's Hollow, albeit at an exorbitant price.
Persona 3 Reload[]
In Persona 3 Reload, with the removal of Incense Cards (which were instead put into Shuffle Time), Incense follow similar mechanics that was used in Persona 5 Strikers, in that they can be used to improve all Personas, are used outside of combat, and are named after the Incense present in that game.
Similar enough to Royal, on the other hand, is that they come in quality variants named after how much they boost their respective stat in Roman numerals (I, II, III).
A sixth variant of Incense, called Master Incense, also exists, which boosts all stats by one per use.
Persona 5 Royal[]
In Persona 5 Royal, uses of Incenses are restricted to improving the Personas the protagonist can use within the Lockdown facility in the Velvet Room, much like Incense Cards, where they behave as actual incense in a spherical burner. Like how they worked in classical iterations, specific Incenses (抹香, Makkou)? improve battle stats by 1 (e.g., a Incense MA adds 1 point to Magic, etc.), though they do not restore HP/SP due to their non-combative application.
In addition to that, there are stronger versions of Incense called Ambergris (リュウゼン香, Ryūzenkō)? (+2 version) and Nirvana (+3). There is also a unique variety called Musks (ジャ香, Jakō)?, which raise a point to two specified stats, and the Rasta Sandalwood, which raises 1 point to St, Ma and Ag.
Should incense be lit during a fusion alarm, its effects are doubled.
Incenses can be bought from Jose's Shop and the Mantra Ganda specialty shop within Kichijoji, as well as being able to be found in Treasure Chests within Palaces, dropped by certain Shadows in negotiation, and can possibly be obtained from an Itemization Accident.
Persona 5 Strikers[]
Unlike Persona 5 Royal, Incenses in Persona 5 Strikers work very similarly to their function in the Shin Megami Tensei games; while they do not restore HP or SP, they do take into account the new max HP/SP totals, and increase a character's current HP/SP stock as well by the same amount.
Incenses can only be used outside of combat. Upon use, an Incense will permanently boost either a character or a Persona's stats; HP and SP Incenses boost the selected character's eponymous stats by 5, while Power, Magic, Guard, Speed, and Luck Incenses boost the Str, Ma, En, Ag and Lu stats respectively of any Persona by 1.
Incenses are normally very rare and are usually obtained as chest rewards, drops from special enemies or as rewards from Requests. However, in New Game+, Sophia's Shop will sell 3 of every variety of Incense for the price of ¥200,000 each (as low as ¥80,000 during a sale). Like normal items, Sophia will restock Incenses regularly between long visits to the Metaverse. On Merciless difficulty, Incenses will also drop semi-frequently from normal encounters, with HP and SP Incenses being more common than the others, ranging from 1-3 pieces of Incenses.
On standard difficulties, Treasure Demons can randomly drop two of a specific Incense after a battle, while Request-specific Shadow or boss rematch fights can drop three. On Merciless difficulty, Request-specific Shadows and bosses during rematch drop a increasing amount of any given Incense after battle, while Dire Shadows and Treasure Demons can drop six Incenses after battle, and The Reaper in particular can drop 75.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE (Encore)[]
In Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE and its enhanced port, Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore, Incenses work somewhat like they do in most Shin Megami Tensei installments, in that while using them to enhance a playable Mirage fully restores the HP of the selected character, they don't restore spent EP. There are 7 varieties of Incenses, though the last of them is an oddity in games made before and after:
- Str Incense: Permanently raised the Strength stat.
- Mag Incense: Permanently raises the Magic stat and raises a character's maximum EP count.
- Skl Incense: Permanently raised the Skill stat.
- Spd Incense: Permanently raises the Speed stat.
- Def Incense (守備の香, Shubi no Kou)?: Permanently raises the Defense stat and raises a character's maximum HP count.
- Res Incense (魔防の香, Mabou no Kou)?: Permanently raised the Resistance stat.
- Lck Incense: Semi-permanently raises the Luck stat, until the next New Game Plus run.
Wholly unique to this game, the Lck Incense when used bolsters the Luck stat by 1, where as the other Incenses bolster their respective stats (aside from Max HP/EP) by 3. This is due to how Luck isn't a stat measured by a numerical value like tradition, but as a property measured by a ranking system. Any bolstering with Lck Incenses does not carry over to New Game+ files despite the effects of the other Incenses being able to do so, presumably to said lack of traditional point value. As such, Lck Incenses only carry over if you simply don't use them. A minor note is that their Japanese name isn't the full name of the Luck stat (幸運, Kou-un)? for Fire Emblem, but the common abbreviated form for Lck Incenses from the Megami Tensei franchise.
Incenses can be won via the lottery at the Hee Ho Mart by spending Melmarks, which are gained by purchasing items, accessories, and costumes, as well as the rare vending machines pull. They can also be found in treasure boxes and obtained through completing requests.
The most reliable way to get Incense is through Illusory Urahara, an Idolasphere located in Harajuku. Start the "Arena Staff on Hire" request there, and Nieg, a Phantom, will show up in Harajuku near the Crepes Dia shop. Recruit him to the Arena and he will trade one of six Incenses for every 9 clusters of Detritus traded, and throws in a randomized free Incense with each tenth successful trade. This random freebie is how one gets Lck Incenses from Nieg. However, if you are carrying the maximum amount of any given Incense and the randomized freebie just so happens to be that Incense you're maxed out on, it is considered trashed and is wasted.
The reason Nieg has so much Incense is that, in his desperation to get stronger and getting Detritus ended up too much trouble for him to obtain it from Savage Mirages, he looked elsewhere and splurged to obtain a large amounts of Incense after hearing of their power to improve their recipients, only to find out they don’t work on Mirages.
See Also[]
- Incense Card - the incense equivalent for fusion for the Persona 2 duology, and regular incense equivalent for the protagonist's Personas in the Persona 3 trilogy.
- Jazz Jin - the incense equivalent for party members in Persona 5 Royal.
- Shuffle Time - specifically the variant in Persona 3 Reload, which has options that has incense-like effects.
| General | |
|---|---|
| Consumable Items (Infiltration Tools - Meals) - Materials - Treasure - Skill Card - Essentials (Books - DVDs - Retro Games - Gifts - Decorations - Incense - Other Essentials) - Key Items (Will Seeds) | |
| Equipment | |
| Melee Weapons (Ranged Weapons) - Armor (Shoes) - Accessories - Outfits Mistiques | |