Part 138: Let's Learn Jobs: Salve-Maker

Let's Learn Jobs: Salve-Maker



Salve-Maker is a healing/utility job and a solid alternative or supplement to White Mage, as well as offering several unique gameplay twists of their own. They are the only ones capable of using the special compound items, which can be mixed to make all sorts of buffs/debuffs/elemental attacks.

They are an upgrade to Final Fantasy 5's Chemist, revolving almost entirely around the use of items. Make sure to upgrade Norende's item and compound shops early!




Job symbol, and recurring motif for the Salve-Maker, is this face/mask-like symbol. Similar faces are used in many Japanese media, and may be based on either Noh masks or the Haniwa, japanese figurines historically (ca.300-710) buried with the dead, making them appropriate for death-dealer Qada's job. Some other possible related uses of this imagery: Mario's shy guys, Animal Crossing gyroids, most of the npcs in Mischief Makers, No Face from Spirited Away.

Job Command is a mortar and pestle, used across the world in traditional medicine to crush ingredients into powder.



Salve-Makers are decent magic-users, and since compounding takes no MP, most any MP-using job can be useful to stick on them for additional versatility.



Blue are support abilities, red are skill abilities.

Level 1 - Compounding: Combine two items to obtain a special effect.
Level 2 - First Aid: Restore HP to ally with lowest HP at end of turn. Unaffected by silence.
Level 3 - Experiment: Transforms a consumable into an attack item.
Level 4 - Attack Item Amp: Damage from attack items raised 150%. (Cost: 1)
Level 5 - Inoculate: Use status-curing item to give immunity to that status for 6 turns.
Level 6 - Auto-Potion: Automatically use potion on self when damage is taken. (Cost: 1)
Level 7 - Shorten Ailment: Chance to cure sleep, paralyze, dread, confuse, charm, and stop at start of turn raised by 50%. (Cost: 1)
Level 8 - Widen Area: Item use will apply to all party members or enemies. (1 BP)
Level 9 - Healing Lore: Allows other jobs to equip the Salve-Maker specialty. (Cost: 2)
Level 10 - Turn Toxic: Inflict poison and deal damage equal to recovery amount of item used.
Level 11 - Auto-Phoenix: Automatically use a phoenix down if an ally is K.O.'d. (Cost: 2)
Level 12 - Collect: Get an item during battle. Differs by location.
Level 13 - Resurrect: Resurrect all K.O.'d allies and restore 25% health.
Level 14 - Feel No Pain: HP does not reduce for 2 turns, after which all damage is applied. (Cost: 3)

Compounding is the heart of Salve-Maker, and I'll discuss it in more detail below. Aside from that they some solid abilities, from Attack Item Amp for a greater offensive role to Widen Area, First Aid, and Resurrect to make their healing as good as or better than a White Mage.



There are 89 different types of compounds, all of which can be viewed as encylopedia entries in D's Journal once you've created them.

In general, there are two categories of items, and successful compounds can only be created when you mix two items in the same category. Mixing items from the two categories together results in the above Rage Orb, which is considered a failure.



All Rage Orb does is inflict one (1) damage and make the enemy target your salve-maker. Not good. So, what do successful compounds do?

The first category is regular items, such as potions or elixirs - classic Final Fantasy stuff which can be used on their own or in a compound. Items mixed using the first category create enhanced versions of items. For example, compounding hi-potion (restores 500 HP) and ether (restores 40 MP) creates quarter elixir (restores 2,500 HP and 250 MP).

The second category is items such as beast liver or fairy wing. These cannot be bought in stores and can only be used in compounds. Items mixed using the second category create buff, debuff, or attack items. For example, compounding beast liver and dragon fang creates Giant's Draft, which doubles maximum HP and restores all HP to a target.

Salve-Maker is an incredibly potent support job -- the only limitation is the number of items you own.



When you use magic/ability/items which heal HP and/or MP, doubles the effectiveness of any recovery effects. A good option if you have a straightforward dedicated healer.


The theme this time is: fashionable(?) yet unsettling hospital/sanitarium wear. Black rubber gloves and boots (or in the case of Edea, heels) contrast with sickly yellow jackets for the men and minidresses for the women -- the latter for added sexy nurse angle. The men also carry either decorations or packs with the salve-maker icon around their necks and vials of colorful chemicals around their waist for easy access...






...While the women have sacks with the salve-maker icon on them, which are presumably filled with dry ingredients for deadly compounds.