Octopath Traveler 0: How to defeat Auguste the Playwright

Octopath Traveler 0’s Auguste the Playwright is the final boss battle of the Master of Fame storyline. At the end of Chapter 3, you encounter Auguste for the final time, on stage, in front of a crowded theatre. This battle, like nearly all major boss fights in the game, has two phases. The first is the normal character, and the second is when they activate the power of their ring, and transform into their “true self”.

No matter when you fight Auguste the Playwright, he can be a powerful foe in Octopath Traveler 0. You’re given flexibility in what order you go through the storylines, though he was the first of the beginning chapters that we bested. Here’s what you need to know about this deadly boss.

Note: The footage of this boss fight does contain spoilers for the Master of Fame storyline.

---

How to defeat Auguste in Octopath Traveler 0

At the end of Master of Fame Chapter 3 in Octopath Traveler 0, you will have to fight two phases of Auguste: Auguste the Playwright and Auguste the Prince of Thieves. Both fights are dangerous, but by now you should have more than enough party members to have a flexible team. I recommend not wasting your BP, but saving it for when he’s stunned after breaking his shields, to get the most damage out.

(Fight begins at 37:19)

Personally, I played the main character as a Cleric, with Pius as a backup, to always have heals in any situation, but your team may vary. Here’s what you can expect in both versions of this boss fight.

How to beat Auguste the Playwright in Octopath Traveler 0 (Phase 1)

Stats

• Health: 17,264
• Vulnerabilities: Sword, Spear, Axe, Ice Magic, Shadow Magic

Auguste’s attacks

• Attack: Attacks one party member.
• Fatal Sentence: Inflicts Doom on one character.
• Passion: Deals damage to one character.
• Toxic Dust: Inflicts poison on entire first row.
• Widespread Fury: Deals magic damage to entire first row.
• Resistance increase: Increases resistance to non-weakness damage sources.
• Time for the Curtain to Fall: If you don't break him, he'll deal shadow damage to the front row and inflict Fatal Sentence on them.

Auguste's Poison and Fatal Sentence are his greatest powers (Image via Square Enix)

Auguste starts with 13 Shield in this Octopath Traveler 0 boss fight, and has a decent chunk of health. He has quite a few attacks that inflict status ailments, as well, including one that you almost certainly can’t remove yet: Fatal Sentence. The game will count down to 0, for each turn that character takes, and they’ll die when it hits 0.

You really have to beware of Fatal Sentence and Toxic Dust the most. Widespread poison can be annoying, but as long as you have a healer alive to keep the damage to a minimum, it’s not so bad. Just keep an eye on your health.

When Auguste says “Time for the curtain to fall”, you’ve got one turn to break down his shields before he unleashes his ultimate attack, “And now for the grand finale!”. This hits your whole front line with magical damage, and inflicts Fatal Sentence. At this point, you need to finish him off, and fast. However, once Auguste the Playwright is defeated in Octopath Traveler 0, there's one more fight to overcome.

---

How to beat Auguste the Prince of Thieves in Octopath Traveler 0 (Phase 2)

Stats

• Health: 19,980
• Weaknesses: Sword, Spear, Axe, Ice Magic, Shadow Magic (or Dagger, Bow, Staff, Fire Magic, Lightning Magic)

Attacks (Auguste)

• Attack: Deals damage to one character.
• Noxious Breath: Deals damage and inflicts poison on one character.
• Fury Unchained: Attacks three party members at random.
• Widespread Fury: Deals magic damage to entire first row.
• Weakness Shifting Stance: Changes his collection of weaknesses.
• Creates a Deadly Zone: Summons a Ruinous Rancor.
• Ire of the Prince of Thieves: After “A wave of death..”, deals Shadow Magic damage to front row and inflicts Fatal Sentence.

Auguste's Ruinous Rancor is not something you want to stick around (Image via Square Enix)

Auguste the Prince of Thieves is a more horrific design, and it’s the real final battle of the Master of Fame storyline. If this is the first story you completed, you’re going to see a lot of these “final forms” throughout the rest of the game.

In addition to the main body, Auguste the Prince of Thieves also has a minion, Ruinous Rancor, that you need to focus down. Don’t let that stick around for any longer than you have to.

Another threat in this fight is, after you’ve broken his shields, he’ll use Weakness Shifting Stance, which gives him a different set of weaknesses you’ll need to be able to exploit. The fight isn’t too much different from the first one, except that he’s a bit stronger, and chan adjust his weaknesses to a second set.

Nothing more annoying than weakness changes! (Image via Square Enix)

If he uses A wave of death surges out from Auguste the Prince of Thieves, you have one turn to break him, before he uses Ire of the Prince of Thieves, which deals shadow damage to the front row, and inflicts Fatal Sentence. If you break him, Fatal Sentence should go away. This typically happens around 25% health, but you can break and defeat him before this ever happens, if you hit hard enough.

Just remember to focus down the Ruinous Rancor, and keep flexible on your weapons for his weaknesses. Each time you break his shields, he’ll swap between the two sets of weaknesses. Once he’s defeated, you can wrap this story in Octopath Traveler 0, and unlock the Blade of Vengeance skill to equip.

---

Octopath Traveler 0 is an incredible new JRPG from Square Enix that takes the story from the mobile game Champions of the Continent, and expands it into a brilliant, tragic story. You can learn more about it in our in-depth review.