Persona 4
Persona 4

Compendium

Learn to re-summon your obtained Personas using the Persona Compendium in Persona 4. This guide helps you manage and fuse Personas efficiently.

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Compendium

The Persona Compendium is an invaluable resource located within the Velvet Room. It acts as a comprehensive database of every Persona you have ever obtained, allowing you to re-summon them at any time for a fee. Mastering the Compendium is crucial for efficient Persona management, fusion, and completing the game's challenges.

Accessing the Compendium

To access the Compendium, simply visit the Velvet Room. Speak with Igor and Elizabeth (or Margaret later in the game), and select the "Compendium" option from the menu. You can do this at any point the Velvet Room is accessible, typically before entering a dungeon or after completing one.

Compendium Mechanics

  • Registration: Every time you obtain a new Persona, either through Shuffle Time or fusion, it is automatically registered in the Compendium. If you obtain a Persona you already possess, its stats and skills will be updated in the Compendium to reflect the stronger version. This is important for retaining powerful skill sets.
  • Summoning: You can summon any registered Persona from the Compendium. The cost to summon a Persona is determined by its level and the number of skills it possesses. Stronger Personas with more inherited skills will naturally cost more Yen.
  • Completion Rate: The Compendium tracks your completion rate, showing you what percentage of all available Personas you have registered. Achieving 100% Compendium completion is a significant accomplishment and a requirement for certain trophies/achievements.

Strategies for Effective Compendium Use

1. Skill Card Farming

The Compendium is your best friend for obtaining specific Skill Cards. Here's how to leverage it:

  • Identify Target Skills: Determine which skills you need for your active Personas.
  • Find Persona with Skill: Consult a Persona fusion chart or an online resource to identify Personas that naturally learn the desired skill or can inherit it easily.
  • Fuse and Register: Fuse the necessary Personas to create the target Persona. Make sure the Persona learns the skill you want to turn into a Skill Card.
  • Register in Compendium: Once the Persona has the skill, register it in the Compendium.
  • Summon and Card: Summon the Persona from the Compendium. Then, take it to the Cafe in Okina City (available from 6/25) and have it "extract" the skill into a Skill Card. This costs a small amount of Yen and takes a day.
  • Repeat: You can re-summon the same Persona multiple times to get multiple copies of the Skill Card, though this can get expensive.

2. Fusion Fodder Management

Don't be afraid to use powerful Personas as fusion material if you've registered them. Since you can always re-summon them from the Compendium, you have a safety net. This allows for more experimental fusions without permanent loss.

  • Register Before Fusion: Always register a Persona in the Compendium immediately before using it in a fusion, especially if it has valuable skills or high stats.
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis: Weigh the cost of re-summoning a Persona against the benefit of the fusion. Sometimes, it's cheaper to re-summon a high-level Persona than to grind for a new one.

3. Persona Leveling and Skill Inheritance

When fusing, pay close attention to skill inheritance. If you fuse a Persona that inherits a powerful skill, register that version in the Compendium. This allows you to re-summon that specific Persona with its inherited skills later, saving you time and effort.

  • Skill Inheritance Priority: During fusion, you'll have the option to select skills for the new Persona to inherit. Prioritize unique or powerful skills that are difficult to obtain otherwise.
  • Re-registering for Optimal Builds: If you've leveled up a Persona significantly or inherited new skills, re-register it in the Compendium to update its entry. This ensures you always have access to the most optimized version of that Persona.

4. 100% Completion Incentives

While not strictly necessary for completing the main story, aiming for 100% Compendium completion offers significant rewards:

  • Trophy/Achievement: "A True Man's Stand" (or similar, depending on version) is awarded for 100% Compendium completion.
  • Special Item: Upon reaching 100% completion, speak with Elizabeth (or Margaret) in the Velvet Room to receive a special item, often a powerful accessory or weapon.
  • New Game+ Advantage: In New Game+, your Compendium completion carries over, along with your registered Personas. This provides a massive advantage, allowing you to summon high-level Personas from the start of a new playthrough.

By actively managing and utilizing the Compendium, you'll streamline your Persona acquisition, optimize your fusion strategies, and ultimately conquer the challenges of Inaba with greater ease.