Struggling along...

[Furinex]

I started playing this game about a week and a half ago... I've already re-created the same character twice... Im just kinda struggling. Level 5 Black Mage Tarutaru... Windurst Alignment. I keep heading out to west sanaburta or whatever, and killing walking flowers, bees and rats... every now and then I'll try a Crawler and get killed. I think I had 500 exp into my level as of monday, Im now at 25. Im not really trying to bitch, but I dont wanna change my class, Nor my Race, Im content with both, I'd just like to know if anyone has a few tips I could heed to... some suddle advice. Another problem... which I can see from most people on the boards is money, I mean, I have 3 out of 4 spells, I cant afford my level 5 one, Is there something a lower level like me can do to get some quick cash? Im not talking 10k here, just like... 500 bucks, maybe an easy quest, or something like that.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Xeross]

Quick cash tips: Goblins. They drop goblin armour/mail/helms and whatnot that sell between 300-500 gil a peice at the auction house. And if you have a signet on you(I hope, if you don't know what that is, talk to the guards at the gate inside the city, one of them will offer to cast a signet on you, do that) the goblins drop fire crystals every now and then. Depending on the economy you can sell those between 100-200 gil a peice, or you can collect a stack and sell it fo 2k gil.

Leveling tips: Take on easy stuff or maybe decent cons if you have the level 5 staff. It is kinda slow, but if you keep getting 36exp and don't die, the levels go kinda fast. Make sure to start with poison, then chain cast(alternate casting attack spells so you don't have to wait for the cooldown time) water and stone. If it's water you don't have, sell something fast, its VERY important you get it.

Then if you continue doing this, at level 7 you get a spell called bind. Bind allows you to get a couple nukes off(ie. water/stone) before the enemy even has a chance to attack you. This will allow you to take on 72exp decent challenges like its nothing. Even cons are a little tricky because they tend to break from bind a lot faster, and with the low hp of a taru, thats bad.
-tip: make sure your enfeebling(ie. poison) magic skill is a decent level, the higher that is, the less likly an enemy is going to break bind quick.

[Furinex]

Thank you for responding so quickly, Nice to have someone to chat with while bored stiff at work :x Anyways, So Signet, I can get a guard to cast that on me before I go out to hunt? Is it like an HP increase, Defensive buff, something like that?

And what is the "Level 5 staff" that you spoke of. Im clothed in the starting equipment, just to tell ya. And Now that I think of it, I only have 2 spells, Stone and Poison. So I dont think I can chain cast alternately unless I feel like inflicting poison over and over. Heh, so I spose I'll have to wait for another Direct Damage spell on that one. And is there a specific place that would be good for Goblins at my level? I killed 1 before, got 10 gil off him, Nice guy :x Couldnt find any more of them though.

[Xeross]

The signet isnt a status altering spell, what it does is allow you to recieve crystals off the enemies you kill, and get conquest points which you can use to buy stuff from those same gate guards. Fire, dark, light, lightning, and wind crystals sell very well at the auction house(learn to love the auction house, it is your friend). Water, and earth crystals dont sell well, but make stacks of those and sell them anyway, gil is gil.

You can't chain cast poison and stone because A.) poison is not a DD spell B.) Once poison is on the enemy it can't be recast on them untill the poison wears off.

The staff you can get at one of the boat shops at Port Windhurst. One of the shops is clothing/armour, another is weapons, and the last one is spells. Just look for the level 5 staff, Ash Pole I think is what its called.

Another thing to do is eat Bird eggs(+6hp, +6mp, 30min duration... I think). At level 5 that 6hp is huge for a taru.

also. Where there is one goblin, there are usually more. travel around the zone but not too far from town(the farther you go from town the harder the enemies get) and look for goblins, if you find one, chances are there will be more in the area(or it is a spawning point and more will spawn soon since someone whooped them all down)

[Furinex]

Aye, I've learned the lagistics about poison and such a long time ago, When do BLM get other DD spells like stone? Or rather, how soon? And SHIT, you mean I've been sitting here killing shit all day and not seeing these crystals everyone talks about because I didnt get a goddamn spell casted on me from a stupid ass guard?! GAH!! Do Crystals drop off all monsters?

[Xeross]

Level 5 spell : Water is a DD, element water(duh )

And yes, crystals drop off all enemies.

[Furinex]

Hrrmmmm Now wait a sec, I though Blind was the level 5 spell... Where did I get that impression...

[Xeross]

oops my bad, water is level 4, and so is blind... lol shit I forgot to buy that one then

Magic Name Lv MP Used Description

Stone 1 9 Earth Elemental Attack Spell.
Poison 3 5 HP decreases gradually.
Water 4 13 Water Element Attack Spell.
Blind 4 5 Chance of hit decreased.
Bind 7 8 Enemy can not move.
Aero 9 18 Wind Elemental Attack Spell.
Fire Spike 10 5 Raise Fire resistance.
Bio 10 22 Poison + ATK Down.
Drain 12 51 HP drained, heals self.
Fire 13 24 Fire Elemental Attack Spell.
G-Stone 15 54 Earth Spell on Enemies.
Shock 16 25 Thunder Spell + MND down.
Blizzard 17 30 Ice Elemental Spell.
Home Jump 17 100 Send to Home Point.
Rasp 18 25 Earth Attack + DEX down.
G-Water 19 68 Water Spell on Enemies.
Ice Spike 20 5 Raise Ice resistance..
Sleep 20 19 Put enemy to sleep.
Choke 20 25 Wind Attack + VIT down.
Thunder 21 37 Thunder Elemental Spell.
Frost 22 25 Ice Attack + AGI down.
G-Aero 23 82 Wind Attack on Enemies.
G-Poison 24 44 HP decreases gradually.
Osmoses 25 10 MP taken, restores yours.
Burn 25 25 Fire Attack + INT down.
Tractor 25 26 Teleport a dead body to location where cast from.
Stone 2 26 47 Earth Elemental Spell.
Drown 27 25 Water + STR down.
G-Fire 28 102 Fire Attack on Enemies.
Water 2 30 55 Water Elemental Spell.
Thunder Spike 30 5 Raise Thunder resistance.
G-Blizzard 32 118 Ice attack on Enemies.
Aero 2 34 64 Wind Elemental Spell.
Bio 2 35 66 Poison + ATK down.
G-Thunder 36 136 Thunder Attack on Enemies.
Fire 2 38 73 Fire Elemental Spell.
G-Stone 2 40 156 Earth Attack on Enemies.
Home Jump 2 40 150 Warp Party to Home Point.
Blizzard 2 42 83 Ice Elemental Spell.
Poison 2 43 38 HP decreases gradually.
G-Water 2 44 176 Water Spell on Enemies.
Thunder 2 46 94 Thunder Elemental Spell.
G-Aero 2 48 198 Wind Attack on Enemies.
Freezing 50 307 Special Ice Attack Spell.
Stone 3 51 108 Earth Elemental Spell.
Tornado 52 322 Special Air Attack Spell.
G-Fire 53 226 Fire Attack on Enemies.
Quake 54 337 Special Earth Attack Spell.
Water 55 119 Water Elemental Spell.
Burst 56 352 Special Thunder Attack Spell.
G-Blizzard 2 57 250 Ice attack on Enemies.
Funnel 58 368 Special Water Attack Spell
Aero 3 59 159 Wind Elemental Spell.
Flare 60 383 Special Fire Attack Spell.
Bio 3 60 110 Poison plus ATK Down.
G-Thunder 2 61 276 Thunder Attack on Enemies.
Fire 3 63 145 Fire Elemental Spell.
G-Poison 2 64 112 HP decreases gradually.
G-Stone 3 65 302 Earth Attack on Enemies.
Blizzard 3 67 158 Ice Elemental Spell.
G-Water 3 69 300 Water Spell on Enemies.

[Furinex]

So I should already have water? Damn it... I thought I was only 1 spell down, Now im 2... Groovy, more money I dont have to spend :x Alright, So I'll do that signet thing and see if I can round up some cash, Thanks alot for the advice man

[Calianeri]

When I leveled both my WHM and BLM, I targeted carrion crows and easier goblins at level 5. Both will drop fire crystals if you have signet. Plus, the crows drop bird feathers, which you can turn in with a 2-lead mandragora bud (from Tiny mandragoras) for 250 gil at the Aurastery in Windurst Waters. Crawlers may still be a bit tough, especially if they use poison. But it's good to fight them soon, since they drop calculuses (turn in 3 to mithra near dhalmel farm in Wdinurst Woods for 600 gil) and silk thread (worth 900 each at auction on my server). Xeross is right about fighting the Easy Preys. Bind at level 7 will help a lot, but even then be careful because you'll be cutting it close on some decent challenges.

[Rico]

BLM is easy with sub (whm) lets you live a bit longer. I guess you can sell your crystals Fire and wind are woth 1K+ depending on your server I really don't know :sweat: It's also good to have a good weapon I use Ash Pole I hit pretty hard with it. Don't worry man I know you'll be a good blm It's super fun I got six levels in one day with my blm... I stop playing because of school ><! I miss my blm

[Furinex]

Rico... You're on Carbuncle arent you? As am I. I read your post and it was a big pep talk for me, Thanks a bunch. Throw me a tell ingame whenver you want, Not like I'll be much help to ya, but Im sure I'll be good for something someday (Furi in game)

[Lord Diablos]

He is in Bismarck.......

[magusfire25]

BLM is one of those jobs that starts out really slow. but already at lvl 8 I am noticiing it getting a bit easier. for one thing you can get a tunic at lvl 8, and some new armor. The little bit of extra defense does help for when bind breaks and you have to cast at melee range. I think lvl 9 will get a bit better with aero. Then at 10 we get blaze spikes.

[Pilsbane]

If your heart is set on being a blackmage but are having trouble leveling it up start as a redmage instead. Redmages are tons easier to level in the early levels. You can hit 15 in no time. Play the redmage to 18, do the subjob quest, then set blackmage to main-job and red-mage to subjob. Leveling up as a blackmage is much easier with a whitemage or redmage subjob already.