History VideoGame / NaturalDoctrine

* DifficultySpike: The mines that open up at the same time the skeleton kingdom does are a huge climb in difficulty. Enemies will appear out of nowhere, and all move immediately, meaning whoever was unfortunate enough to trigger the ambush won't be able to guard against the attacks.

ending you get.]]]]

* NewGamePlus: Your levels carry over. [[spoiler: It's also possible to save Vasily later in the game if you retrieve her ring on the stage that you lose her.]]

* {{Permadeath}}: [[spoiler: The last 3 levels of the game change things up in that if someone dies, they are dead permanently and the game continues. Depending on who survives the final boss determines [[MultipleEndings what * PowerfulButInaccurate: Later rifles pack a serious punch, but their accuracy is in the 70% range compared to earlier rifles that could be in the 90% range.

It becomes a balancing puzzle of risk and reward, because if you move too many of your characters, the enemy will get free reign with their own forces, but if you don't pull off the kill, they'll Link all their attacks to kill one of your characters, and trigger a Game Over.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nd2204.jpg]]

* FinalDeath: [[spoiler: The last 3 levels of the game change things up in that if someone dies, they are dead permanently and the game continues. Depending on who survives the final boss determines [[MultipleEndings what ending you get.]]]]

* PowerfulButInaccurate: Later rifles pack a serious punch, but their accuracy is in the 70% range compared to earlier rifles that could be in the 90% range.

''In a chaotic world, a single fortress city is humanity's last beacon. Humans have taken up sword and magic against the encroaching beasts to keep their light from fading.''

''But some travel into the wilderness, seeking fortune. One such pair is Geoff and Vasily, who act as bodyguards for a young explorer, diving into mines overflowing with dangerous creatures.''

Natural Doctrine is a NintendoHard TurnBasedStrategy RPG set in a world where a rare magical element called Pluton is essential to life itself. Unfortunately, it's downright lethal to humans, so they have to raid monster dungeons in order to gain supplies of refined Pluton, which is safe to use.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Nebula suggests that Ingbert did this to the enemy captains. [[spoiler: Considering how Mel's HeelFaceTurn took about three sentences after Stiem's destruction, it's probably true. Ingbert all but confirms this later on.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Mel shows concern about Stiem getting rusty in the rain, despite him being made out of stone. [[spoiler: This suggests that this isn't the Golem she's used to.]]
** When the party finds Aizen, he suddenly switches on, shortly before the enemy catches up with them. [[spoiler: Said enemy is Mel and Stiem, and Aizen used to be the former's Golem.]]

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: When Aizen destroys Stiem, Mel takes about five seconds to go from wanting Zeke dead, to joining the party. Vasily's sister Erna joins the party much later on, but doesn't get over her hatred to Geoff nearly as quickly.]]

* LittleMissBadass: Mel. She's a young girl that has to use goblin weaponry, because anything else would be too big for her to wield. She controls GOLEMS. [[spoiler: Although Nebula suggests that Stiem may have been controlling her...]]

* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou - The entire party. If someone falls, it's an immediate game over.

* EmptyLevels: One reason why this game is so tough is that gaining levels means you get one new skill and nothing more. This skill could be a small increase to a stat or a modification to your class ability. This means that your character could end up getting a few extra hit points, just in time to fight a new type of enemy who'll ream them out in one hit. Since there's a fairly low level ceiling, most of the real game-changers will come from new equipment you find and buy and not your experience levels.

Natural Doctrine is a NintendoHard turn-based strategy RPG set in a world where a rare magical element called Pluton is essential to life itself. Unfortunately, it's downright lethal to humans, so they have to raid monster dungeons in order to gain supplies of refined Pluton, which is safe to use.

* AllTrollsAreDifferent: Curled up and asleep, they look just like rocks. [[spoiler: There's on in the first goblin mine, in the jail cell in the hidden corridor. Opening the cell wakes it up. It counts as a size 4 boss.]]

* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou - The entire party. If someone falls, it's an immediate game over.

There is also an online multiplayer mode, rare for a turn-based SPRG. Notably, you collect cards that represent units so you can ause them in your party. What's more, you can collect pretty much ''any unit in the game.'' Yes that includes enemies, NPCs, and the size 4 giant bosses.

* FluffyTamer: Mel. She's a young girl that has to use goblin weaponry, because anything else would be too big for her to wield. She controls GOLEMS. [[spoiler: Although Nebula suggests that Stiem may have been controlling her...]]

* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Geoff, Vasily, [[spoiler: and Erna]] can equip shields, and they aren't just for show. Shields all have a chance of blocking an enemy melee attack, which goes up if they use a guard skill. Combined with weapon parry chance, and the counterattack skill, which makes them extremely likely to dodge and counter in the next battle, and these two can be functionally immortal in any melee fight.

* BigEater: Vasily and [[spoiler: her sister]] will often open treasure chests, hoping to find food inside. But the one who really takes the cake is Tatyana, who spends most of her dungeon crawling talking about eating. Normally eating whatever she's shooting at.

* HeroesPreferSwords: Although interestingly, Geoff can also wield guns, and switch between them freely during his turn.

* DemBones: The earliest you can find them is in the second goblin mine. There's also the realm of the undying, which is literally overrun with them. [[spoiler: What's left of Tatyana's real parents are found there.]]

* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: You get an unlimited supply of Pluton for the upcoming trial of the water. [[spoiler:Said trial involves fighting against TWO giant bosses at the same time]].

* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: You get an unlimited supply of Pluton for the upcoming trial of the water. [Said trial involves fighting against TWO giant bosses at the same time].

** In the trial of the water, [[spoiler: you face two giant boss Gorians. All they would need to do to win would be to have one go forward, and the other to circle around the back to get the party in a pincer. But they'll both go after whoever is closest, meaning that it's a simple matter of pulling them into a long corridor, and letting Nebula go to town while Mel repairs Aizen.]] Then again, isn't this game Nintendo Hard enough?

* {{Squick}}: Tatyana is quite happy to eat whatever she can kill. This includes goblins, golems, people, gorians, lizardfolk, and skeletons.

* TemptingFate: [[spoiler: Vasily complains about the Gorians being exactly why she didn't want to come. A few seconds later, she's eaten by said Gorians.]]

It becomes a balancing puzzle of risk and reward, because if you move too many of your characters, the enemy will get free reign with their own forces, but if you don't pull off the kill, they'll Link all their attacks to kill one of your characters, and trigger a Game Over.

''In a chaotic world, a single fortress city is humanity's last beacon. Humans have taken up sword and magic against the encroaching beasts to keep their light from fading.

But some travel into the wilderness, seeking fortune. One such pair is Geoff and Vasily, who act as bodyguards for a young explorer, diving into mines overflowing with dangerous creatures.''