[Armando]

I don't believe such a scenario exists, but if you can provide me with one I may change my mind next time one drops off a mob.

Easy. You're in a dungeon. Aggroed something you shouldn't have. Slept it. Deodorize will prevent it from tracking you down to the ends of the earth and linking every mob of its kind if the thing tracks by scent.

Obviously it's just as viable in an outside area, but it's generally in dungeons where that situation can get ugly very quickly.

[cidbahamut]

Damn you and your logic, now I have to go find another scroll of Deodorize.

[Solymir]

I can't figure out why so many people are asking you if you have phalanx. I realize it can be handy for times when you might pull hate during a party, but unless the rest of your exp party totally sucks you shouldn't "need" it unless you are soloing. Maybe I am missing something from the Rdm > exp party equation.

[cidbahamut]

I dunno, I wasn't being asked to tank or anything. People were just sort of asking me if I had it while we made our way to camp. It was only 2 or 3 folks who asked, so it's not like I was barraged with demands for it, but it was enough to make an impression on me.

[pixiehawk]

They think cid gets the 75/merit one at 30whatever it was?

I think I used it a handful of times right after I got it in parties, then promptly forgot it until I started doing stuff where I actually get hit (little bit of solo, BCNMs, misc endgame shit) and then half the time I still forget about it /blush.

[Karinya]

Originally Posted by Evion

The only spells you will really need for a RDM (mostly referring to XP pt) are:

DIA/DIA 2
BIO/BIO 2
HASTE
REFRESH
STONESKIN
CURE1-CURE4
RERAISE
DISPEL

Other than that, nobody should notice and you'd probably be going outside of what the party wants from you anyway.

This is terribly, horribly wrong. Protect, Shell, Regen, Paralyze, Slow, Blind, Poison, Gravity, SLEEP, SILENCE... in the meantime RDM doesn't even get reraise (And what use is it without raise anyway? Do you expect to die first? Not if you're not using sleep, you won't) until you get it through a subjob at 66 or 70. (There are, of course, lots of other subjob spells that you should have and can expect to use a lot once you do have them.)

I wouldn't go quite as far as Armando - phalanx, aquaveil, spikes, and many barspells (particularly RDM's native, self-only ones) are likely to pass unnoticed or unused in party situations, too, and I can't even remember the last time I used diaga in any situation whatsoever - but it's definitely a good idea to have your full line of spells available to you, even if you might be able to get away with less. (Several of those spells are really designed for soloing, which is why they don't get used much in parties; but if you ARE soloing, they can help a lot.)

In addition to building your level and your skill as a RDM (you can't learn how to use a spell you don't have at all), you're also building your reputation with other players on your server and not having your spells has a definite effect on reputation.

Speaking of subjobs, they can be a good way to take time off exping your main job, especially for a mage. If RDM is your main you have half of a mage subjob's spells already, or more than half. You will eventually want WHM, BLM, and possibly SCH to 37 (as well as special-purpose subs like NIN and DRK). Taking time off to level them now (above half your current level, I mean; I hope you're at least doing that) can pay off in crystals and other drops in exp, and when you get done with leveling those subs, sell the gear you used for them (that isn't also used by your main or another sub you're planning to level).


P.S. Does anyone see the irony in Evion advising cid to do Royal Jelly while omitting half the spells you need for it from his list of spells you need on RDM? That is either one horrible RDM, or not a RDM at all and with very poor understanding of what you need to be good at RDM.

[Vevau]

I have legitimately used every spell on rdm, still 3/6 on Enspell IIs but farming them up.

Deodorize, other than for casting on Galka is good for losing mobs which track by scent and there is no water to run through.

Damned, didn't see page 2 with Armando explaining that!

On the original point, it is common and the better practise to farm and buy ahead but stopping to catch up is fine especially on your first job. BTW ignore Evion unless you want to play like a scruffy whm