Part 12: Job Analysis: White Mage
The magical healing class. The White Mage is notable for having access to every defensive buff, as well as being the most reliable source of multi target healing.
Stat Changes
Strength: -7
Agility: +1
Stamina: 0
Magic: 25
Still a mage, so fragile and not so strong physically. The White Mage at is a bit more sturdy then other mages due to not having a stamina penalty though.
Innate Skills
White Magic: The White Mage can cast any learned spell listed under White Magic.
Learned Skills:
White Magic 1: Allows any class to cast Cure, Libra, and Poisona.
AP Required: 10
White Magic 2: Allows any class to cast Silence, Protect, and Mini.
AP Required: 20
White Magic 3: Allows any class to cast Cura, Raise, and Confuse.
AP Required: 30
White Magic 4: Allows any class to cast Blink, Shell, and Esuna.
AP Required: 50
White Magic 5: Allows any class to cast Curaga, Reflect, and Berserk
AP Required: 70
White Magic 6: Allows any class to cast Arise, Dispel, and Holy.
AP Required: 100
MP +10%: Increases the MP of whoever has it equipped by 10%
AP Required: 300
Total AP to Master: 580
White Magic
Cure: Restores a small amount of HP.
MP Cost: 4
Libra: Shows an enemy's HP, MP, level, weaknesses, and whatever status effects it has.
MP Cost: 1
Poisona: Heals the Poison status effect
MP Cost: 2
Silence: Inflicts the Silence status
MP Cost: 2
Protect: Grants the Protect status, reducing physical damage.
MP Cost: 3
Mini: Inflicts the Mini status.
MP Cost: 5
Cura: Restores a medium amount of HP.
MP Cost: 9
Raise: Revives a KO'd ally with a small amount of HP.
MP Cost: 29
Confuse: Inflicts the Confusion status.
MP Cost: 4
Blink: When cast on an ally, the next two physical attacks will automatically miss.
MP Cost: 6
Shell: Grants the Shell status, reducing magical damage.
MP Cost: 5
Esuna: Heals all standard status effects.
MP Cost: 10
Curaga: Restores a large amount of HP.
MP Cost: 27
Reflect: Grants the Reflect status, all spells will "bounce" off the target and hit the caster.
MP Cost: 15
Berserk: Grants/Inflicts the Berserk status, target will gain an attack and speed increase, but will do nothing but attack/
MP Cost: 8
Arise: Revives a KO'd ally with full HP.
MP Cost: 50
Dispel: Removes all positive status effects from the target.
MP Cost: 12
Holy: Does massive Holy elemental damage.
MP Cost: 20
Normal Play Analysis
White Mage is always good. Basically, if you want healing? White Mage is the way to go. Keep up its job levels and you'll always be able to keep alive.
Low Level Play Analysis
The problem with the White Mage is simply this; you die in one hit anyway, so what's the point of healing? It's far more important to avoid damage in the first place rather then heal it. However, the White Mage does have one saving grace, Holy. It's spell power is 241. In comparison, the other ultimate spells are Flare at 254, Meteor at 14 (Though Meteor ignores defense and has a large random multiplier added to it.) and Bahamut is 250. So while Holy is (slightly) weaker then the other ultimate spells in raw numbers, it has some major advantages. First, it's an elemental spell. Very little resists or absorbs Holy, this is great. Since it's elemental, it can also be boosted with the right equipment. This actually makes it more powerful then other the non-elemental "ultimate spells." (When boosted, Holy's power is 361) Finally, it costs 20 MP. With a Gold Hairpin that's reduced to 10. This means that casting Holy is actually a feasible offensive move in a low level game.