This section will give you a close-up look at the various classes of Final Fantasy Online.
Quickly access a section with the table of contents:
Melee Information | Mage Information
Fighter/Knight | Black Belt/Master | Thief/Ninja | Red Mage/Red Wizard | Black Mage/Black Wizard | White Mage/White Wizard
There are three melee classes in FFO. You can choose from the Fighter, the Thief, or the Blackbelt. Each class has its strengths and weaknesses. The melee classes can hit harder then the mages in close combat; in addition, each class has a unique trait that allows them to stay alive longer when fighting up close. When starting out, the skills a given class has are:
Fighter: Beef Up, Defend
Black Belt: Stun, Grab
Thief: Filch, Unmask
When compared to the mages the melee classes are pretty similiar, but when compared to each other they are very different.
Mages differ from the melee classes in that they focus more on spellcasting instead of up-front attacks. While it is possible for mage classes to learn Skills through weapon proficiencies, there are no inherent skills they learn. Instead, each mage class begins the game with two spells. They are:
Red Mage: Cure 1, Poison 1
White Mage: Cure 1, Light 1
Black Mage: Dark 1, Saber
Eventually the mage classes can learn up to two of the six elemental branches: Fire, Water, Lit (Lightning), Earth, Air, or Ice. Depending on which branches you choose, you will be able to gain different spells. Each class is given a different starting spell when given an element: (Note that [element] can be any of the six elements.)
Red Mage: Imbue [element]
White Mage: Anti-[element]
Black Mage: [element] 1
The easiest way to learn new spells is to become better at old spells. In most towns, there is a spell trainer who will allow you to spend experience to raise the proficiency of any of your spells. After you have learned one or more spells to a certain expertise, a new spell will reveal itself. However, there are some spells that are impossible to learn through old spells, and are known as "quest spells". These spells can only be learned by accomplishing a certain task set by mentors of the spell.
Strengths: High HPs, good attack and defense
Weaknesses: Equipment Maintanance, generally stamina problems because of their heavy armour
Playstyles: Tank, Attacker, Defender
Fighters are the frontliners, the meat shields, and typically the bravest characters. Using nothing but the weapons in their hands and the clothes on their backs, they attempt to fight anything and everything in close combat. In some cases one may find a Fighter holding a bow and arrow, possibly even a rifle, but these are simply substitutes to the true power of what a Fighter can do: fight. Oftentimes enemies are simply intimidated by the Fighter's presence and straight-forwards means of combat. In general, Fighters excel in the most expensive equipment, although a practical weapon is usually better than a artistic one.
A Fighter who has built up their strength and stamina to great levels will eventually be accepted as a Knight. This class has the most endurance, both in stamina and physical health, out of any class in the game. Coupled with the ability to wear almost any sort of armor you can throw at them, Knights last longer in the battlefield than any other class. On the other hand, since they are always using high class equipment, it will cost a lot to repair and upgrade. However, once the cost is managed, they are a fiercesome and deadly opponent.
Tank: This build focuses on a lot of Hit Points. They will get HP upgrading suffixes. They also focus on their armour. The Tank will generally have the highest HPs and Armour out of everyone in any given party. They will get deep into swarms and take hits for the party. Their attack is generally decent to pretty good. But their main focus is to be able to take hits and a lot of them.
Attacker: Such a Fighter will hone their offense, and only that. They will have the best weapons and the highest weapon proficiency. Their armour isn't a great concern but should still be pretty good. The Attacker won't dive into swarms, but rather get up next to the swarm and begin taking monsters out with their massive attack power.
Defender: This playstyle, naturally, focuses on defense. They will have very high armour and really good shielding. Because they use a shield, their attack may be a little lower then the others in their class. The Defender will usually stay back and protect the mages, or get near a swarm to distract the monsters while other party members take the monsters out.
Strengths: Very high attack power
Weaknesses: Magic defense, lack of range
Playstyles: Power-hitter, Monk
A Black Belt is one who has trained in martial arts, resolving combat using their bare hands, along with such physical weapons as nunchucks and tonfas. Their strength lies in raw power, as opposed to others who rely on mastering a certain type of weapon to aid lesser muscles. While it is rare to see Black Belts carrying swords and hammers, it is not impossible for them to use weapons of this caliber, as they tend to wield them in ways similar to their own. A Black Belt faces enemies head on, much like what one expects from a Fighter, but has a more indirect approach, striking vital points and blocking attacks with their fists, in order to achieve an effecient and flawless victory.
Black Belt who continually hone their skills and talents will advance into an entirely new branch of fighting: it is at this time that are recognized as a true Master. Finally achieving the title as strongest in the land, he can tank in a different way - by simply cutting down enemies before they get even one hit in. Despite a player's armor choice, Black Belts should avoid being surrounded by powerful enemies, however, since they can only attack one enemy at a time. In a fight against a single enemy, the Master will almost always come out the victor.
Power-hitter: This type relies on attack power and high-level weaponry. As mentioned above, Black Belts use armor simply to increase speed and keep stamina high -- not to withstand long battles, and especially not to fight magic-using enemies. A well-balanced party needs a tank, and Black Belts can fit that category if they are strong enough to destroy enemies quickly. However, a drawback of a Black Belt who relies more on offense than defense is that he will typically require a White Mage or Red Mage to keep his HP going. Fortunately, a Black Belt who tears down a group of enemies in a few seconds keeps the monsters coming in level-gaining expeditions, and keeps the troupe moving in dungeon-crawling quests.
Monk: Such a build is less common, but certainly an asset to any group lacking proper healers. A Black Belt using such abilities as Mantra can revitalize party members, allowing for them to continue to fight. If a player wishes to use a Black Belt more as a support character, he would be wise to keep proficiency high for Mantra and to have a stash of stamina potions with them. Because Mantra revives MP as well as HP, this encourages all magic-using classes to take the offensive position, while the Monk stands next to them and keeps their chant going. In fact, since Mantra (and its counterpart, Chakra) replenishes a significant enough amount of HP as well, the Black Belt can act as a tank, absorbing blows while the mages pound away at the enemies. This tactic is often useful when facing melee-resilient enemies.
Strengths: Speed, Low attack recoil, Stealthy combat
Weaknesses: Defense, Open combat
Playtypes: Assassin, Rogue, Attacker
Usually taking the path of least resistance, the Thief is well-known for their tricks and traps in order to defeat their enemies. They are capable of very dastardly deeds, and one should not keep their guard down for an instant, even when one is allied with them. A Thief will attempt to steal what they can and attempt any manuver possible, all for the sake of debilitating and eventually destroying the problem in front of them. They will also put on the face of others, trying to fit in while their ulterior motives are put into play. Those wishing to try their luck as Thieves will find themselves hard-pressed to find real friends, but the profits gained can more than make up for it.
As a Thief learns more and more about the ways of trickery, shrewdness and stealth, they adapt into more and more situations, eventually entering a phase of training where they are known as Ninja. While the defense is not that great for a melee class, it is more than made up with because of both the Ninja's attack power and attack speed. A Ninja may excel in PvP because of their unique build, including the useful skills that can be obtained through even greater success of their abilities, but they are also taken out fairly easily if they aren't looking carefully. The most skilled Ninja will win the battle before anyone knows what's going on.
Assassin: Playing to be an assassin requires great focus on certain skills. A Thief will concentrate on PKing one opponent at a time, usually involving ambushes (it is possible to try more than one PC at a time, but it may be too much trouble). Utilizing Poison-type weapons and deadly skills, the Assassin may even break into an Inn room to slay their target and escape town (due to disguises this is very possible without becoming a criminal). If things look bleak at any moment, an Assassin should always have a plan of escape, more or less including the use of a Smoke Bomb.
Rogue: This build focuses on stealing as much as he/she/it can off of a PC and escape without capture. Rogues tend to pick on PCs lower in level than them and take advantage of anyone they deem useful. Because of their speed, Rogues can run away from tougher opponents or PCs looking for revenge. Because Rogues practice their Thief side more, their Proficiencies (especially the combat-related ones) are lower than usual.
Attacker: This is a standard for most Thieves trying to gain experience in the world of monsters, using a Ninja's attack speed and moderate health to support parties when fighting. Monsters tend to die faster with the decent damage quickly performed by the Ninja, giving Knights and Masters an easier time. An Attacker may also stay by any mages in the party during swarms in order to support them in frying these creatures. While they can only take so many hits, it is much better for a Ninja to be low on HP than have another member of the party dead.
The so-called jack-of-all-trades in FFO, the Red Mage is ready for almost any situation. The Red Mage borrows from both the White Mage and Black Mage, taking some of their spells as their own. In addition, the Red Mage manages to have their own unique spells as well. Furthermore, they have been trained in melee combat more than the other mages, having an edge in battle when the enemies come into close range. Due to the great variety that the Red Mage wields, they lack any supreme power in a single trait. In terms of magical prowess, they lose to the Black Mage in offensive magic and the White Mage in defensive magic. In terms of physical expertise, they sorely lack the power of a Fighter. However, they still have all of those powers mixed with their own for a very unpredictable opponent.
The Red Wizard has gone beyond the powers of the Red Mage, enhancing all of their abilities even further through a versatile amount of training both the body and the mind. While they cannot compare to the Black Wizard, White Wizard, or the Knight, they are at least on par with the previous classes of the three. With this combination of white and black magic, along with their combat skills, the Red Wizard is a very dangerous opponent to face.
Strengths: Many different abilities: better attack power than White/Black Mage, spells from both branches
Weaknesses: Power is spread everywhere, so no one stat is better than any other class: lacks the power of melee combat that Fighters have, lacks magic power of other mages
Playstyles: Attacker, defender, spell-caster, healer
Attacker: While you will only occasionally find a Red Mage put into this position, there are times when waving their weapons are better than using their spells. Give this Red Mage as powerful a weapon as he can use, light or medium armor, and support spells ready. This situation usually occurs in a group of mostly mages, when the enemy is unusually resistant to magic.
Defender: A rare but possible job for the Red Mage, this type of combat requires heavy armor and a decent weapon. Like with the Attacker, a Defender will only be seen in a group of mages where the enemy is too strong for the other mages to handle their blows.
Spell-caster: A Red Mage usually takes the role of the spell-caster, considering the vast amounts of magic they know. When a spell-caster, a Red Mage should have mage armor and a good staff in their hand, as well as both offensive and defensive spells at their disposal. This is the most complicated of the roles they play, as they will need to know when to attack and when to help out.
Healer: This is done much like it would be done with a White Mage; the Red Mage focuses only on healing their allies during combat. While it is quite possible to use support magic at this time, it is better to be done before the battle starts, switching to the curative powers once combat has begun.
Capable of casting a large assortment of defensive and curative spells, the White Mage is considered the primary support class in FFO. While they have very few means of direct assault, or even damaging spells, they are able to conjure large amounts of help in the form of magic. In addition, White Mages have been taught in the way of the Holy Priests, gaining access to the purified Light magic in order to smite the legions of the undead. When you need assistance on the field, the White Mage is ready to aid.
The White Wizard is a White Mage who has gone deep into training in the ways of the Holy Priests, seeking divine knowledge and coming out with true power. They are able to cast the greatest support magic known even by the Holy Priests, heal allies without any trouble, and defeat even the toughest of the living dead. No group in the heart of darkness is complete without one.
Strengths: Powerful defensive and curative magic, very high MP and magic abilities, best class against undead
Weaknesses: Low HP, offense, and defense; cannot survive easily without a group
Playstyles: Undead-killer, support-caster, healer
Undead-killer: Given that all White Mages are allowed Light magic, they tend to be the most proficient cast at slaying the undead. Having two or even three White Mages along with a front team of Fighters or another melee class will prove to be very efficient at destroying large mobs of the living dead.
Support-caster: Even the White Mage is given more than just defensive magic, as they have access to a few spells harmful to the enemies. While the primary task of the support-caster is to give aid to allies (through ability-increasing spells), they will move into battle every so often to attack the enemy with their status magic.
Healer: Simply put, the White Mage playing this style focuses on healing. They watch the battle and cure anyone who is being hurt. While it is wise to cast the status spells beforehand, a healer needs to spend all of their time healing during the battle.
Master of all spells great and terrible, the Black Mage is the primary wielder of offensive magic. Though physically they are frail and lacking, mentally they have the greatest potential of any class. Black Mages gain access to many of the attack spells, as well as the offensive status spells. Furthermore, the Principle Conclave has allowed them access to the most powerful magic of all: Dark magic. Combined with this ability, Black Mages are truely a sight to behold in battle, capable to striking down several foes without so much as a scratch on himself.
Once a Black Mage has gained full control of their power, they ascend to the awe-inspiring Black Wizard, greatly expanding their usefulness in combat. Not only do they have the powers to reach into the deepest and darkest magics available, but their original power of the elements is amplified well beyond their old means as a Black Mage. Needless to say, to come up against a Black Wizard and live is a truly astonishing feat.
Strengths: Extremely powerful offensive and status magic, very high MP and magic potential.
Weaknesses: Difficult to fight alone, very low HP and defense capabilities.
Playstyles: Support-caster, nuker, disabler
Support-caster: Surprisingly, the Black Mage has a few spells that help their allies out. Combine these spells with some offense and they're a very reliable addition to the party. They focus on the defensive spells first, then use some status spells, and finally pelt the enemy with the damaging spells. This playstyle does not need absolute focus on spellcraft and can get some armor, since they are not focusing on a single thing.
Nuker: The Black Mage is the only class that is able to keep the enemy under constant barrage with powerful spells. Entering this role means they are the center of attention, and so they require assistance from the other classes in order to keep up the onslaught. The key is to deal as much damage as possible to the enemy before they reach you, then move towards more precise hits.
Disabler: Black Mages have many spells which hinder the opponent in one way or another. The first thing is to cast the status spells which affect the most powerful monsters in the area, then move on to the weaker ones. A Disabler is more for player vs. player combat, but can be helpful in very difficult monster regions.