Saga2edit divides items into four sections. Normal items (0-127) are items that can be equipped and (usually) unequipped and bought and sold. They are the only items that have a price. (Other items will have a de facto price only by reading out of bounds of the price array; but they cannot normally be bought or sold.) Abilities (128-255) have special logic in cases like recharging when staying at the inn and being replaced by new abilities after battle for mutants.
Outside of battle, most things use only one byte to refer to items, which means they can only refer to items 0-255. In battle, things use two bytes to refer to items (outside of a couple of bugs) which allows magi and special items to be used. Magi are treated mostly like normal items, although many things that reference magi also look at the number of that magi the party has collected which is tracked separately.
Special items are used internally for combatants that are paralyzed (270) or sleeping (271).
Several other items also have special hard-coded behavior. The No Move item (255) is often used directly by the game. The behavior of SelfFix (126) and Recover (254) is also hard-coded based on those item ids.
Item names are limited to 8 characters (technically, 8 bytes, but saga2edit won't use digraphs to encode item names). Escape sequences (as used in scripts) are enclosed in parenthese and can be used to encode things like icons. Saga2edit won't accept script instructions in names, (but they could be encoded manually using hex escapes).
This controls what happens when the item is used in battle or from the menu. Some numbers mean different things for menu use and battle use. These behaviors are implemented in the battle language. The technical document contains descriptions for many of the scripts.
The parameter has different meanings depending on the other item settings. The script uses the parameter in many different ways, but commonly, for weapons, it is the attack multiplier. If any of the armor slot flags are set, this is also the (non-robot) defense bonus for the armor. It is possible for this value to be overloaded with multiple meanings.
This is a second parameter that has different meanings. The script's use of this parameter is more varied than the first parameter. If the resist or weakness flags or set, this controls the associated elements (but these can be set more easily using the dedicated element flags in the editor). If the stat bonus flag is set, this controls the stat bonus (but this can be set more easily using the dedicated bonus settings in the editor). It is possible for this value to be overloaded with multiple meanings. (In the vanilla game, ParaSuit works this way.)
This is the animation associated with using the item. Note that normal data-driven animations are indexed starting at 128, and "procedural" animations are indexed starting at 0.
This is the sound effect associated with using the item.
The number of uses the item starts with (and maxes out at). 254 is a special value for items that can be used an unlimited number of times (and it is also conventionally used for items that can't be used).
This is the amount of GP needed to buy the item in a shop. The selling price is also derived from this value.
If this flag is set, the item can be used in battle. The behavior is controlled by the script setting (and probably further controlled by other settings depending on the script).
If this flag is set, the item can be used outside of battle (in the menu). The behavior is controlled by the script setting (and probably further controlled by other settings depending on the script).
This prevents the item from being unequipped.
This flag is not used.
This indicates items that target all enemies or all allies. Not that this doesn't necessarily change an item's behavior; scripts generally expect a certain kind of targeting. Instead, this only directly controls the target selection process (by the player or enemy AI). Note that targeting all allies has no prompt, so it can also be used for items that are thought of as self-targeting (like shields).
This indicates items that target the user's opponents (rather than allies).
This flag is not used.
A character who uses this item will use a physical counter attack when attacked.
A character who uses this item will use a status counter attack when attacked.
A character who uses this item will use an elemental counter attack when attacked.
A character who uses this item can block certain attacks and gets some other benefits of using a shield.
A character who uses this item can reflect certain magical attacks.
Indicates that this is a magi that boosts certain elemental attacks. (Note that the behavior has some bugs.)
If a character has an item with this flag, they can't be surprised.
If a character has an item with this flag, their party has a chance to surprise the enemy.
Marks armor that uses the helmet slot. The parameter setting will be treated as the defense bonus.
Marks armor that uses the body slot. The parameter setting will be treated as the defense bonus.
Marks armor that uses the gauntlet slot. The parameter setting will be treated as the defense bonus.
Marks armor that uses the Shoe slot. The parameter setting will be treated as the defense bonus.
This item provides elemental resistances. The element flag (or parameter 2 setting) can be used to control the corresponding elements.
This item provides elemental weaknesses. The element flag (or parameter 2 setting) can be used to control the corresponding elements.
This item provides stat bonuses (besides the usually defense bonus for armor and separate from robot stat bonuses). The additional bonus settings (or parameter 2) control the bonus.
The item usage will not be changed when a robot equips or unequips the item. (This is set for martial arts and armor.)
These settings are available when the resist or weakness flag is set; they associates that setting with the indicated element. (Technically, each controls a bit of the parameter 2 setting.)
These settings are available when the stat bonus flag is set; they indicate that the bonus setting applies to the indicated stat. (Technically, each controls a bit of the parameter 2 setting.)
This setting is available when the stat bonus is set. It controls the size of the stat bonus. The maximum value is 15. (Theoretically, this overlaps with four bits of the parameter 2 setting.)
These settings control which stat can grow after battle when a human or mutant uses this item. They also control which robot stat will be increased by equipping this item (although robots will never gain mana).
This controls the number of HP the robot will gain by equipping the item and also the size of the stat bonus for equipping the item (with the stat determined by the affinity flags).
HP grows by 9 × (power + 1). The stat grows by 2 × (power + 1).
The maximum robot power value is 15.