All Techs - Single, Dual & Triple

Techs are special abilities learned by earning Tech Points (TP) in battle. Each character earns TP individually; they must be in the active party when an enemy dies to gain points. Single techs belong to one character, while dual and triple techs combine abilities from multiple party members.

Single Techs

Each character has 8 single techs. The first magic tech (marked N/A for TP) is learned from Spekkio at the End of Time rather than through TP. Robo and Ayla can't learn magic since Robo has no soul and Ayla predates magic's arrival on Earth.

Crono (Lightning) — Cyclone handles groups early on, but it's even better when combined with dual techs. Raise is handy since Crono's a fixture in your party for most of the game. Luminaire is the strongest single tech under normal circumstances.

Lucca (Fire) — Her high Magic stat makes her the best at dispatching groups and magic-weak enemies. Hypnowave trivializes a few boss fights mentioned in the walkthrough. Protect becomes essential when physical damage nearly exceeds your max HP. Flare is the second strongest single tech after Luminaire.

Marle (Ice) — Almost entirely support. Haste is extremely useful against long boss fights like Black Tyranno; Arise is the best revival in the game. Her drawback is no party-wide healing, but she gets dual techs that compensate. At higher levels, Ayla's Kiss heals to full for 1 MP, which makes some of Marle's moves redundant.

Frog (Water) — Required for the Magus's Castle sequence and solid otherwise. Heal is party-wide healing at just 2 MP. Frog Squash deals extreme damage when his HP is low; the best time to use it is right after he's revived. Pair him with Ayla for Slurp Kiss, the most MP-efficient healing in the game (1 MP each, heals entire party).

Robo (None) — Very slow, so he needs Speed Capsules to reach his potential. He learns Laser Spin early, which helps during the Factory where he's required. Heal Beam is useful but weak compared to other healing techs. He can't learn magic but deals Lightning, Fire, and Shadow damage with various techs, making him versatile despite the limitation.

Ayla (None) — All physical since she predates magic. This makes her ineffective against high-defense enemies, but Triple Kick hits hard and Charm steals rare items you can't get any other way. Dino Tail works like Frog Squash; damage increases as her HP drops. Slurp Kiss with Frog is the most MP-efficient party heal in the game.

Magus (Shadow) — Joins with all techs already learned. He has every element plus Shadow, making him the most versatile magic user. His versions of Lightning II, Fire II, and Ice II are about 30% stronger than Crono's, Lucca's, or Marle's versions. Dark Matter is powerful but still weaker than Luminaire and Flare.

Dual Techs

Every pair of characters (excluding Magus) has three dual techs between them. Both characters must have the required single techs learned, and both need enough MP. The first time you use a dual tech, it unlocks permanently for that pair.

Crono Combinations

Crono + Marle

Crono + Lucca

Crono + Frog

Crono + Robo

Crono + Ayla

Other Combinations

Lucca + Marle

Lucca + Frog

Lucca + Robo

Lucca + Ayla

Marle + Frog

Marle + Robo

Marle + Ayla

Frog + Robo

Frog + Ayla

Robo + Ayla

Triple Techs

Triple techs require all three characters to have the component techs learned and enough MP. There's a triple tech for every three-character combination that includes Crono and excludes Magus. To unlock one, just fight a battle with the right party and required techs available.

Standard Triple Techs

Rock Triple Techs

These hidden triple techs require a specific "rock" accessory equipped on one of the participating characters. You won't find these until The Time Egg when you can finally choose your party without Crono. The techs only work while the rock is equipped.

Mastermune has a unique mechanic: damage scales with the combined missing HP of all three party members. And Poyozo Dance ignores both physical and magic defense entirely, making it one of two non-elemental attacks in the game (the other being Ayla's Tail Spin).