Black Mage
There is a certain draw to becoming a Black Mage, and it's not the ability to impress Lulu. Not entirely, anyway. Taking control of the elemental forces that hold Spira together, she of the pyntie hat can casually set fire to those who oppose her with a deft flick of the wrist. Black Magic is naturally her strong point.
Unfortunately, it's her only point. Unable to attack in other ways, the mage relies on spending her MP to exploit her enemies' elemental weaknesses; she has no non-elemental attacks. Such a skill is doubtless vital against the Flans and Elements of the world, but she can't just get stuck in with her comrades. Given her selection of essential but underwhelming skills, black magic is best learned ASAP and then brought into more useful dresspheres with the Black Tabard garment grid or Black Lore accessory.
Pros
- Essential elemental magic
- Pointy hat
Cons
- Relies on a steady MP flow
- Whither Demi, Flare, Ultima?
Acquisition
Chapter 1. After returning from Gagazet at the start of the chapter, Shinra will turn the create this dressphere from the ruins' treasure.
Summary
| Name | Prerequisite | AP | Name | Prerequisite | AP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | - | *** | Blizzard | - | *** | |
| Thunder | - | *** | Water | - | *** | |
| Fira | - | 40 | Blizzara | - | 40 | |
| Thundara | - | 40 | Watera | - | 40 | |
| Firaga | Fira | 100 | Blizzaga | Blizzara | 100 | |
| Thundaga | Thundara | 100 | Waterga | Watera | 100 | |
| Focus | - | 10 | MP Absorb | Focus | 10 | |
| Black Magic Lv.2 | - | 40 | Black Magic Lv.3 | Black Magic Lv.2 | 60 |
Abilities
| Fire | ATB | |
|---|---|---|
| MP | 4 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | N/A | |
| Prerequisite | N/A | |
Cranking up the heat is a very effective way of attracting someone's attention, and setting them alight politely informs them not to interfere with your plans. A quick blast of the pyrotechnics will put an end to a wide variety of foes. | ||
| Blizzard | ATB | |
| MP | 4 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | N/A | |
| Prerequisite | N/A | |
A sparkling winter chill ideal to cool down reptiles and put out any fiend with a penchant for fire. | ||
| Thunder | ATB | |
| MP | 4 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | N/A | |
| Prerequisite | N/A | |
A true bolt from the normally grounded black mage, calling forth a little sample of the fury of the heavens. Sadly Rikku is no longer scared of lightning, so you can't chase her round the room with a bout of rolling thunder. | ||
| Water | ATB | |
| MP | 4 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | N/A | |
| Prerequisite | N/A | |
And with this, the quartet is complete. Um. Basic level water magic. For attacking things with. | ||
| Fira/Blizzara/Thundara/Watera | ATB | |
| MP | 12 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | 40 | |
| Prerequisite | N/A | |
The -ra level versions of the elemental spells cost noticably more than the basic versions, but also inflict considerably more damage. These are the tools of the serious Black Mage, but be sure to keep a careful eye on the rapidly dwindling MP pool. | ||
| Firaga/Blizzaga/Thundaga/Waterga | ATB | |
| MP | 24 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | 10 | |
| Prerequisite | -ra level spell | |
Extremely powerful spells for the discerning Black Mage, packing a magical punch that can bring any fiend to its knees. The MP cost is naturally higher, as it deals more damage per round, and so there is the constant danger of running dry over protracted battles. | ||
| Focus | ATB | |
| MP | 0 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | 10 | |
| Prerequisite | N/A | |
Tough fiend on the battlefield? Running low on Ethers? Make every spell count by Focusing to increase the mage's magical strength by three levels, up to a maximum of 10. She may only Focus on herself, but the effect will last on switching to a new dressphere. | ||
| MP Absorb | ATB | |
| MP | 0 |
| Charge | 100% | |
| Recover | None | |
| Learning | ||
| AP | 10 | |
| Prerequisite | Focus | |
To a black mage, energy is everything. Run out of magical energy and her link to the ethereal plane is severed - meaning no more spellcasting and an imminent defeat. MP Absorb should be learned as soon as possible and used often, as it pulls MP from the enemy and uses it to refuel her own supply. Not only does this keep the firagas flowing, it can also render the magic-using opponent defenceless. | ||
| Black Magic Lv.2 | ATB | |
| Type | Auto-Ability |
| Learning | ||
| AP | 40 | |
| Prerequisite | N/A | |
The black magics already have their own levels in the form of the ra-ga progression, but things can be made even better. By spending a few AP to learn level 2 magic, the charge time for the spells may be cut by 30%. Sadly, this only applies while using the Black Mage dressphere and doesn't carry over to other classes. | ||
| Black Magic Lv.3 | ATB | |
|
| Type | Auto-Ability |
| Learning | ||
| AP | 60 | |
| Prerequisite | Black Magic Lv.2 | |
Cheap reuse of a screenshot, I know, but it's not like it's very exciting to look at. Third level black magic shaves an additional 20% off casting time, allowing the mage to throw spells out at twice the rate of her novice counterparts. | ||
