AMs?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

I keep going over and over in my head that Scholar is described as able to wield both schools of magic. I keep wondering if its both full schools. Makes me wonder if I should start collecting AM scrolls now because if they are usable by Scholar, then they'll clearly shoot up in price. Granted most of these will still be farmable no matter what, but for a brief time they'd inflate.

High tier White Magic I'm not so much interested in since I got most of it in my short-lived RDM career and what I don't have is probably always going to be cheap.

At any rate, I'd think if Scholar doesn't get AMs, they'd at least get T4s since SE deemed automations worthy of having them. I kinda feel like giving Scholar AMs would be kicking BLMs while they're down, though.

[Mhurron]

So you believe that they are going to try and replace RDM, WHM and BLM all in one go with one job?

[Taskmage]

I think giving autos tier IV is balanced by the fact that they're somewhat unpredictable in casting. Techniques like kiting and timed nuking would probably be impossible to pull off reliably with a pup.

I would think at best scholar would get tier III which could be enhanced beyond a rdm's use of them through black grimoire chapters.

[arkaine23]

That is in line with previous incarnations of Scholar in Final Fantasy games. Their spell list of White and Black magic is basically like a RDM's, tier III tops.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I really dont think Scholar will get AM's never...AM's are Black Mage's Most Powerfull magic thats why they can get the AM II with merit.Would be incoerent giving them to any other job

[Balfree]

Give Tier 4 to scholars.

Give BLM new spells and abilities.

I'll be a happy BLM.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

I think giving autos tier IV is balanced by the fact that they're somewhat unpredictable in casting. Techniques like kiting and timed nuking would probably be impossible to pull off reliably with a pup.

I don't think that's exactly true, from what I've seen of automations in action based on the maneuvers and attachments, an automation will prioritize nuking and curing before enfeebling and other random actions. So once the nuke or cure is out, you simply have to recall the automation before its actions become randomized. So these actions are capable of being manipulated to an extent.

The attachments do work somewhat akin to Gambits, a certain number of similar attachments give the automation a priority order to follow or condition to recognize. Odd thing is that they'll scale down nukes based on mob HP but not cures based on player HP. The automation will always cast the highest tier Cure and regen it has.

[Gawaine]

My opinion is its gonna be a gimp mage not great at anyting but okay at everything no place for it.

[Ameroth]

My opinion is its gonna be a gimp mage not great at anyting but okay at everything no place for it.

Sounds like a great reason for SE to introduce it as a new job. </sarcasm>

[Pteryx]

My personal expectation is that in terms of raw power, SCH nukes under Black Grimoire will be better than RDM nukes but not as good as BLM nukes. RDM can do everything at once, SCH can do one thing at a time, BLM can do one thing period; thus, that would be the logical balance to me.

Thus, I doubt that Scholars will get AM. That's going to be kept unique to BLM, I'm sure. As for Tier III vs. Tier IV, there are two ways they could approach this -- give them only up to tier III but make their MAB and such quite good, or give them tier IV but make their MAB and the like weak. Either way, I expect their best nukes to be less damaging than BLM's best but more damaging than RDM's best.

Theoretically this same principle would apply to WHM vs. SCH vs. RDM, but unfortunately the situation is decidedly more complicated than that... -- Pteryx

[Xalioniaf]

Scholar should get tier III nukes, or even some nukes exclusive to scholar. It'd probably have to fall somewhere in between DRK and RDM in terms of nukes learned though.

[Shadowneko]

from the description and some badly translated JP stuff I read the Grimoire will enhance magic...I believe someone stated that the Black Grimoire turned Gravity into and AoE effect...

[arkaine23]

I'd predict it being more like-

SCH will have Tier III's, but either no native MAB traits (so +20 w/ /RDM or +24 w/ /BLM) or MAB traits only with Black Grimoire enabled, and again limited to MAB I or II.

This means power of the nuke is on par with a RDM, exceptiong the SCH can force weather effects for Obi's.

However I predict that SCH will have better Elemental skill than RDM, or at least with Black Grimoire up, better nuking accuracy than a RDM and will consequently be able to focus more on nuke damage-enhancing gear and less on Elemental skill gear.