Self-Help Guide

The Self-Help Guide is an important item in OMORI.

Description

A book all about battles, written by Hero. Wow...

Obtaining

Obtained during the tutorial, right after killing Ye Olde Sprout on the way to Basil's house.

Usage

Using this item reveals a lot of information about how the battle system of the game works, but without going too much into details with the numbers, covering stats, emotions, follow-ups, skills, equips, toys, and leveling, as seen below:

Stats

Heart: Heart shows the amount of damage you can take before you become toast. Friends who are toast can no longer fight in battle!
Juice: juice is needed in order to use skills, which have various effects. Different skills may require different amounts of juice.
Attack: A higher attack increases the damage dealt to a foe, more or less.
Defense: A higher defense reduces the amount of damage taken from a foe... usually...
Speed: Speed determines the order in which friends and foes perform their actions.
Luck: Luck affects critical hit rate, which is your chance to deal a more powerful blow to a foe!
Hit rate: Hit rate affects your chance to hit a foe. The lower your hit rate, the more likely you are to whiff attacks.
Energy: Energy is a collective stat shared between all friends and is needed to perform a follow-up move. To read more about energy, consult the follow-up section.

Emotions

Overview: Emotions can determine how effective an attack is. Happy beats angry... angry beats sad... sad beats happy! Emotions also affect different stats for both friends and foes. Please refer to the Emotion Chart in your important pocket for an easy visual.
In addition, the emotions of defeated foes can grant bonus effects. Happy foes have a higher item and clam drop rate, while angry foes will give out more exp. Sadly, sad foes don't have any extra bonuses, but are typically easier to defeat.
Happy: A happy friend/foe will have increased luck and speed, but a lowered hit rate.
When a friend/foe is even more happy, they become ecstatic.
An ecstatic friend/foe's luck and speed are increased even further, but hit rate also lowers accordingly.
Sad: A sad friend/foe will have increased defense, but decreased speed. Part of the damage that would be dealt to heart is dealt to juice instead.
When a friend/foe is even more sad, they become depressed.
A depressed friend/foe has an even higher defense and an even lower speed. Part of the damage that would be dealt to heart is dealt to juice instead.
Angry: An angry friend/foe will have increased attack, but decreased defense.
When a friend/foe is even more angry, they become enraged.
An enraged friend/foe has a much higher attack, but their defense drops even lower.

Follow up

Overview: A follow-up move is a bonus action that a friend can perform after their normal attack.
To do a follow-up, attack and then press the button corresponding to the follow-up move you want to use.
Energy: Energy is a collective stat shared between friends.
Doing a follow-up costs 3 energy, except for release energy which costs 10.
Battles start with 3 energy, and 1 energy is gained every time a foe deals damage to a friend.

Omori

Attack again:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Omori attacks once more!
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Omori attacks once more, with feeling!
After defeating Sweetheart: Omori attacks twice more, with feeling!

Trip:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Omori aims for a low attack and reduces the targeted foe's speed.
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Omori aims for a low attack, reducing the targeted foe's speed and making them sad.
After defeating Sweetheart: Omori aims for a low attack, greatly reducing the targeted foe's speed and making them sad.

Release energy: Everyone comes together for the ultimate attack and deals huge damage to all foes!

Aubrey

Look at Omori:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Aubrey tries to get Omori to notice her, so she makes a strong attack on the same foe!
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Aubrey tries to get Omori to notice her, so she makes an extra-strong attack on the same foe
After defeating Sweetheart: Aubrey tries to get Omori to notice her, so she makes an extra-strong attack on the same foe that ignores its defense!

Look at Kel:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel pesters Aubrey and makes her angry.
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel pesters Aubrey, making both of them angry and raising their attack.
After defeating Sweetheart: Kel pesters Aubrey, making both of them enraged and raising their attack.

Look at Hero:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero encourages Aubrey, making her happy and increasing her defense.
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero encourages Aubrey, making her happy, increasing her defense, and recovering 25% of her heart.
After defeating Sweetheart: Hero encourages Aubrey, making her ecstatic, increasing her defense, recovering 75% of her heart, and recovering 50% of her juice.

Kel

Pass to Omori:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel passes the ball to Omori, dealing 1 damage to Omori and making him sad.
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel passes the ball to Omori, dealing damage to a foe and making Omori happy.
After defeating Sweetheart: Kel passes the ball to Omori, dealing big damage to a foe and making Omori ecstatic.

Pass to Aubrey:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel pitches the ball to Aubrey, who knocks it out of the park and deals damage to a random foe!
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel pitches the ball to Aubrey, who knocks it out of the park and deals big damage to a random foe!
After defeating Sweetheart: Kel pitches the ball to Aubrey, who knocks it out of the park and deals very big damage to a random foe!

Pass to Hero:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel passes the ball to Hero, who helps Kel dunk on all foes, dealing damage!
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Kel passes the ball to Hero, who helps Kel dunk on all foes, dealing big damage!
After defeating Sweetheart: Kel passes the ball to Hero, who helps Kel dunk on all foes, dealing very big damage and reducing all foes' attack!

Hero

Call Omori:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero calls Omori. Omori attacks, then Hero heals 15% of Omori's heart with words of encouragement.
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero calls Omori. Omori attacks, then Hero heals 25% of Omori's heart and 10% of Omori's juice with words of encouragement.
After defeating Sweetheart: Hero calls Omori. Omori attacks, then Hero heals 40% of Omori's heart and 20% of Omori's juice with words of encouragement.

Call Aubrey:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero calls Aubrey. Aubrey attacks, then Hero heals 15% of Aubrey's heart with words of encouragement.
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero calls Aubrey. Aubrey attacks, then Hero heals 25% of Aubrey's heart and 10% of Aubrey's juice with words of encouragement.
After defeating Sweetheart: Hero calls Aubrey. Aubrey attacks, then Hero heals 40% of Aubrey's heart and 20% of Aubrey's juice with words of encouragement.

Call Kel:

Before defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero calls Kel. Kel attacks, then Hero heals 15% of Kel's heart with words of encouragement.
After defeating Space Ex-Boyfriend: Hero calls Kel. Kel attacks, then Hero heals 25% of Kel's heart and 10% of Kel's juice with words of encouragement.
After defeating Sweetheart: Hero calls Kel. Kel attacks, then Hero heals 40% of Kel's heart and 20% of Kel's juice with words of encouragement.

Skills

Learning skills: Skills can be learned by leveling up, completing side quests, and finding certain items. Some skills like Hero's cook can be used outside of battle.
Skill swap: Each friend can have up to 4 skills equipped at once.
You can select which skills you want each friend to have through the player menu.

Equips

Weapons: Weapons raise the wielder's attack. Friends can only equip their own weapon.
Charms: Charms can be equipped by anyone. Most charms grant stat bonuses, but some have unique effects.

Toys

Toys: Toys are used during battle to support friends or deal damage to foes. They can't be used outside of battle.

Leveling up

Leveling up: Omori and non-toast friends earn exp after each battle. Once a certain amount of exp is reached, that friend will level up.
When a friend levels up, they gain stats and will occasionally learn a new skill!
You can see the required exp needed to reach the next level by examining the purplish-pinkish gradient under each friend's name in the player menu.

Trivia

It's called "battle book" in the files.