[Snake]

Can Payback get toned down to this?

Payback
When an enemy inflicts any negative status effect on you, they gain a status that reduces their Status Resist for the next 2 rounds.

Rank 1: -5% Status Resistance
Rank 2: -15% Status Resistance
Rank 3: -30% Status Resistance

or

When an enemy damages you, they gain a status that reduces their Status Resist until their next turn.

Rank 1: -5% Status Resistance
Rank 2: -10% Status Resistance
Rank 3: -15% Status Resistance

Hexers already have an overbearing Status Infliction naturally thanks to Dark Invasion (they gain free 20% Status Infliction), why the heck do they debuff the enemy's Status Resistance for their whole team to exploit too by just being hit, in a game you need to get hit in order to die?

Besides, Payback would fit better if you got inflicted with let's say, Poison or Burn. You'll be giving their medicine back by Karma, right? Why a huge debuff for a petty reason such as taking damage?

Also, building for Status Resistance seems to be the only way to combat a Hexer, but how can you ever manage to do so if they
1- Can reduce your status resistance by 30% for the minimal scratch?
2- Can reduce your FAI to 0, and all of your Status Resistance you 'wasted' points in?
3- Can overpoint your FAI with Death Knighting. (They get +10 SKI +10 WIL, aka MORE Status Infliction.)

[K Peculier]

This is the main reason why I don't bother building status resistance because a well built Hexer will poison and fang your butt regardless of how much you build without severely limiting yourself.

+1