Overdrive

Rean Schwarzer and Toval Randonneur activating their Overdrive ability in Trails of Cold Steel II.

Overdrive (オーバーライズ) is a combat mechanic in Trails of Cold Steel II.

Description

Overdrive is introduced at the entrance of Lunaria Nature Park during Act 1: "Ashen Chronicles". From then on, the Overdrive Gauge will be enabled, allowing two linked party members to activate Overdrive when full. At the start of Act 2: "The Awakening Lions", a second gauge becomes available, enabling two Overdrive activations at a time. The Overdrive Gauge fills when successfully attacking enemies and winning battles.

Overdrive Gauge

The Overdrive Gauges fill by attacking and defeating enemies, healing allies, and obtaining tactical bonuses after a victory.

• Each enemy attacked fills the gauge by 1%, while each enemy defeated fills 2%.
• Entering a battle with Triple Advantage fills the gauge by 1% for each enemy damaged.
• Healing an ally (must be a different character than the healer) fills the gauge by 2%.
• Damaging an enemy through basic link attacks and using link abilities does not increase the gauge except for the 2% for defeating an enemy.
• Rush and Burst fill the gauge by 1% for each enemy attacked by each character.
• After a victory, the gauge fills by the tactical bonus multiplier ×5% (including the base 1.0).

Overdrive

When the Overdrive Gauge is full, Overdrive can be activated on a party member's turn if they're linked with another member who they can Overdrive with. Activating Overdrive grants the following effects:

• All negative effects are removed from the characters and they recover 30% of HP and EP and 30 CP.
• The linked members will have 3 turns in which their delay will be reduced to 0, starting with the activating member.
• All attacks they make unbalance enemies if they can.
• Arts are instantly used without spending a turn to cast.

Using crafts that have 0 delay will not take up an action, but switching party members will instantly end Overdrive.

Requirements

Only Rean Schwarzer can Overdrive by default with any other party member, with the exception of Toval and Sara, Claire and Millium, Sharon and Alisa, and Lloyd and Rixia. Any other pairing requires defeating a specific Trial Chest found in various locations. Additionally, inside the Reverie Corridor there are no pairing restrictions.

Trial Chests

Trial chests are a type of chest that can only be opened if the required characters are in the player's party. When opened, they trigger an encounter for only those same characters, and if they win they gain 500 link EXP and the ability to go into Overdrive together.

Furthermore, if a trial chest is interacted without the required characters in the party, a chest quote is shown (similar to the ones found in the Liberl and Crossbell arcs).

Location	Characters	Contents
East Celdic Highway 3		Senior Bear Mole, Bear Mole ×4
		Machias and Elliot decided to open their own business. Funding was no problem, of course, because they both had a connection to some CAPITAL!
Garrelia Byroad 1		Queen Bee, Thunder Bee ×2
		Sharon had just set out some ice cream, when Fie snuck in and absconded with the frozen treat. The melted trail she left behind was the only clue about this cold steal.
Terra Shrine		Giant Amalgam, Dastardly Amalgam ×3
		You try to open the trial chest. It claps its hands over its ears and whispers, 'I can't hear you.'
Nord Highlands - North		Lord Drango, Infant Drango ×7
		How is this message like Millium? It's short.
Nord Highlands - South		Megalon Buffa, Brutal Buffa ×2
		You've heard it a Millium times before: nice Gaius finish last.
Aria Shrine		Emerald Ooze G, Emerald Ooze ×2
		Irina Reinford's daughter wasn't ready to purchase her own orbal car, but she was willing to take out A-lisa on one!
Aqua Shrine		King Crysnetic, Crysnetic ×4
		Did you hear Vita Clotilde was accused of impersonating a radio show host? Yup: charged with a Misty-meanor.
Garrelia Fortress - Ruins		Huge Rat, Dirty Rat ×7
		If you want a little beer, get a pint glass. If you want more, a tankard. But if you want to really get smashed, pour it into a Vale-stein.
Ancient Quarry		Alpha Diglem ×2, Diglem ×4
		Who decided to name an academy 'Thors'? Sounds like they were pretty hammered at the time!
North Kreuzen Highway 3		Godlinoceros, Enduranoceros ×2
		Millium has been doing her best to get Jusis and Machias to come play with her, but sadly, her efforts thus far have been Juseless.
Twin Dragons Bridge - Garrelia Side		Giga Ashen Pom ×2, Ashen Pom ×6
		It's silly that Laura is worried about her weight, right? After all, it doesn't look like she's put on even Le-gram.
Spina Byroad		Ghost Tomartian, Agonizing Tomartian ×7
		It makes sense that Emma was the top scorer on the Thors entrance exam. After all, she really knows how to spell!
Sachsen Mountain Path 2		Master Cryon, Bear Mole ×4
		How can you tell that Gaius grew up in a pretty extreme environment? His whole family is IN TENTS!
Nortia Highway 2		Pudgy Penguin ×2, Mad Penguin ×6
		Have you heard Elliot's father published a best-selling book on the Imperial forces? They don't call him 'Craig the Read' for nothing!
Eisengard Range 3		Rolling Rock
		Laura may usually win against Fie in a swimming race, but it's no contest when they're racing on land. After all, Fie's always been fast on her Fiet.
Terra Shrine - Proving Grounds		Dino Slug, Dissolution Slug ×5
		Millium tried to run after Machias caught her sneaking food, but she stopped dead in her tracks when he shouted, 'Don't you move one more milliumeter!'
		Minos Lord, Minos Demon ×2
		It's whispered among jaegers that Class VII will take out anyone...if the price is right. They'll just charge you a little Fie.
Aqua Shrine - Proving Grounds		Grand Ghastly, Ghastly Frog ×4
		Millium was called into Captain Arundel's office after spilling a few secrets. With a frown, he said, 'It's about time someone around here gave you a stern Lechter!'
		Gigantic Sharkodile
		Alisa asked Machias if he'd like to ride in an Achtzehn straight off the Reinford assembly lines, but he shook his head, saying, 'No tanks!'
Ignis Shrine - Proving Grounds		Homuranomikoto, Hinomikoto ×2
		Word has it that the Imperial Army has weaponized the karaoke performances of Class VII's instructor into a new type of munition: the Sara-nade.
		Arch Geist, Soul Geist ×4
		Whatever happens, Emma and Machias can always fall back on their bartending skills. You seldom see them without their glasses!
Aria Shrine - Proving Grounds		Heavy Stalker, Stone Stalker ×7
		When Jusis and Rufus decide who will inherit the Albarea lands, will they have to DUKE it out?
		Claydoll Omega, Claydoll ×2
		Fie and Millium are on a waiting list for a new product that will help them grow taller, but it's very in demand. Hopefully they'll get it sometime in the next Millennium.
Aurochs Canyon Path 2		Elder Mantis, War Mantis ×4
		Have you seen Dorothee's book about Jusis & Machias? It started with a Noble Command, a Treasure Sword was brandished, and it ended with a shotgun wedding.
North Kreuzen Highway 2		King Falena ×2, Were Falena ×4
		Class VII's been working tirelessly to find a way to stop the civil war, but it's Claire that they're Tovally at a loss on how to do it. Care to Sharon idea or two?

Trivia

• Overdrive is a similar mechanic to Burst from Trails to Azure.
• All victories with Overdrive in effect count as though a link attack is used for victory dialogue, even if the final attack was an orbal art or no link attack.