Final Fantasy Character Guide 
Version 3.1415

Written by Vegita, Guardian Of Destiny (VegitaBOD@aol.com)

Sections: 

I    - Introduction
II   - Game Story
III  - Character Analysis
     A   - Fighter
     B   - Black Belt
     C   - Thief
     D   - Red Mage
     E   - White Mage
     F   - Black Mage
IV   - Enhanced Character Analysis
     A   - Knight
     B   - Master
     C   - Ninja
     D   - Red Wizard
     E   - White Wizard
     F   - Black Wizard
V    - Various
     A   - Frequently Asked Questions
     B   - Revision History
     C   - Thanks


------Final Fantasy-------
-----I:  Introduction-----
------Final Fantasy-------


Ah, Final Fantasy.  I first played this game at my cousin's house 11 
years ago, and ever since then, it has taken hold as one of the greatest 
games to ever grace our God-Given earth.  I have beaten the game 
numerous ways, with numerous parties, and feel that I have a good enough 
grasp of the game to write a FAQ for it.  So instead of writing a 
general walkthrough, which has been done several times, I'm going to 
write specifically on the characters themselves.

Now, if (for some odd reason) you would like to use this FAQ on your 
website, I ask that you first contact me about the matter.  In using my 
work, I ask that you wait until you get my written premission (by e-
mail) to use it.  Even then, you may only use this work if you do not 
change anything contained within, and give me full credit for it.  You 
will not claim credit for my work, nor will there be any unauthorized 
selling of this work.  This is mine, and I reserve the right to refuse 
permission to anyone.  Ok?  Nothing personal...I've just had a lot of 
websites stealing my work, changing it, and not giving me credit, which 
is copyright infringement and is liable for lawsuits.  Don't do anything 
stupid.

-----------Final Fantasy-----------
----------II:  Game Story----------
-----------Final Fantasy-----------


Final Fantasy was a game created by Squaresoft in 1989 for the Nintendo 
Entertainment System.  The plot of the game was that the Elements of the 
Earth had gone awry, causing torment all over the planet.  The Earth had 
begun to rot, the seas had begun to boil, the fires all over the planet 
were uncontrollable, and the winds became fierce and unpredictable (not 
that they were ever THAT predictable).  Now, 4 "Light Warriors" have 
arrived at the gates of the castle town Coneria to see if they can save 
the world before it rips itself asunder.  Each of the warriors bears a 
crystal orb to contain the power of the elements once more.  Can they do 
it?


--------Final Fantasy Final Fantasy---------
----------III:  Character Analysis----------
--------Final Fantasy Final Fantasy---------

The characters shall be rated on their individual stats - Strength, 
Agility, Vitality, Intelligence, and Luck - as well as their fight 
capabilities - Weapon Capabilities, Armor Capabilities, Magic Abilities.  
They will get a star rating - 5 is the best, 1 is the worst.  

Here's how it will work - I'll put the Character stats (1-5 Star 
rating), and a brief description of each.  I will then put their 
weapons, armor, and magic capabilities.  Then I will list the weapons 
they can use, grouped in classes of weapon (top to bottom) and ranked 
from lowest to highest (left to right) in damage and/or hit %.  After 
the weapons I'll list the armor they can use, grouped in types of armor 
(top to bottom) and ranked from lowest to highest (left to right) in 
absorb and/or evade %.  After that I'll list all the spells they can use 
in each catagory (White or Black), and give a total spell count.  Then 
I'll give the Pro's and Con's of each class, and an overall summary of 
the class.  Ok?


----------III-A: Fighter----------

Character Stats:

~~Strength:  *****  This is what this guy is all about.  The fighter 
starts out with the highest strength, and grows a great deal in this 
catagory.
~~Agility:  ***..  A fighter tends to lean towards raw power rather than 
number of hits.  Strength is the key.
~~Vitality:  ***..  While the fighter isn't the best when it comes to 
life, they still get a fair amount.
~~Intelligence:  *....  Again, there's no need for a fighter to worry 
about this.
~~Luck:  **...  A Fighter need not care for luck!  Fighter smash!  No 
need luck for smash!  SMASH!!!!!

Capabilities:
~~Weapon Capability:  ****.  The fighter can equip a good portion of the 
weaponry in the game.  You will seldom have to sell a brand new weapon 
you find, because odds are the fighter can use it.
~~Armor Capability:  ****.  The fighter can also equip a good portion of 
the armor in the game.  This basically makes them walking tanks, no?
~~Magic Ability:  *....  Pshaw!  Right!  Fighters don't need no stinkin' 
magic!


Weapons used by the fighter:
~Fists (albeit not very well...).
~Wooden Staff, Iron Staff, Power Staff. 
~Small Dagger, Large Dagger, Silver Dagger. 
~Iron Hammer, Silver Hammer. 
~Hand Axe, Silver Axe, Light Axe. 
~Rapier, Scimitar, Short Sword, Falchion, Sabre, Long Sword, Silver 
Sword. 
~Coral Sword, Dragon Sword, Giant's Sword, Sun Sword, Ice Sword, Flame 
Sword, Rune Sword, Were Sword, Masamune. 


Armor used by the Fighter:
~Skin (although it certainly doesn't help much).
~Cap, Wooden Helmet, Iron Helmet, Silver Helmet, Ribbon.
~Buckler, Wooden Shield, Iron Shield, Silver Shield, Ice Shield, Fire 
Shield.
~Gloves, Copper Gauntlet, Iron Gauntlet, Silver Gauntlet.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~Cloth, Wooden Armor, Chain Armor, Iron Armor, Silver Armor, Flame 
Armor, Ice Armor, Steel Armor.  
~Pro Ring, Pro Cape.

Magic use by the Fighter:
~No White Magic
~No Black Magic


Best Possible Equipment for the Fighter:

~Sun Sword (or Masamune, obviously!)
~Steel Armor (or Opal Ring)
~Pro Ring 
~Pro Cape 
~Silver Helmet


Pros:
The Fighter tends to have the highest attack throughout the game.  He 
can use the majority of the weaponry you'll come across, as well as the 
armor.  His high defense and offense make him the ideal person to lead 
your party.  If you need a walking tank that can use a lot of the 
weaponry you come across in the game, then this guy's the guy for you!


Cons:
Because the fighter can use most every weapon and armor in the game, 
this makes them quite expensive, initially.  In order to have a strong 
leader, you need to spend an ungodly amount to keep him in the green.  
You'll have to fight a great deal to raise this amount of funds.  His 
inability to attack all enemies (without special items), or use the best 
weaponry in the game, or heal himself without the aid of Heal Potions or 
Sleeping Apparati, make him even MORE costly.


Overall:
The fighter's offensive and defensive capabilities are an asset at 
times, and a liability at others, most noticably in the beginning.  Make 
sure you have someone with healing capabilities if you're going to take 
a fighter; you'll most definitely need it.


----------III-B: Black Belt----------

Character Stats:

~~Strength:  ***..  While the Black Belt's strength doesn't appear to be 
very high, they can still hit just as hard as anyone else equipped with 
a good weapon.
~~Agility:  ***..  This, combined with the strength, is another 
excellent factor for the Black Belt.  They can hit fairly hard, and hit 
a good number of times, too.
~~Vitality:  *****  The Black Belt has extremely high vitality, giving 
him an exceptionally high amount of Hit Points.  This is very good, 
considering their defensive abilities.
~~Intelligence:  *....  Geez, like these guys will EVER have to worry 
about magic.
~~Luck:  ***..  "Luck is for the untrained."  As said by some famous 
guy.


Capabilities:

~~Weapon Capability:  *....  The Black Belt can use some weapons, but 
what the majority of them do is drop their abilities!  Stick with your 
fists, folks.
~~Armor Capability:  **...  That's the funny thing, though...most armor 
will be a step DOWN for a black belt.
~~Magic Ability:  *....  What magic?  Leave magic to the magic users, I 
always say...

Weapons used by the Black Belt:
~Fists.
~Wooden Staff, Power Staff, Iron Staff.
~Wooden Nunchaku, Iron Nunchaku.
~Masamune.

Armor used by the Black Belt:
~Skin.
~Gloves.
~Cloth.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~Wooden Armor.
~Ribbon.

Magic used by the Black Belt:
~No White Magic
~No Black Magic

Best Possible Equipment for the Black Belt:
~No Weapons 
~No Armor


Pros:
The black belt is the lowest-costing character in the game (unless you 
count costs for staying at the inn and Heal potions).  Every level-up a 
black belt gains 2 points to Damage and, on average, 3 points to hit 
percentage.  That means at level 50, a Black Belt hits for 100 Damage. 
Not bad for no weapons, huh?  Also, every 10 levels, the Black Belt will 
start naturally adding 2 more hits.  This means at level 9, they will 
hit twice and do (approximately) 50 damage on certain enemies, while at 
level 10 they will hit 4 times and do 100.  Also, their absorb gains a 
point every level-up, so by the end of the game they've got an absorb 
rate that rivals that of Knights and their best armor, and their evade 
never drops because you never equipped any armor.  Very nice!

Cons:
The black belt starts off extremely slow.  Their damage is horrendously 
low, and if you equip them with Nunchaku for more damage, they seem to 
drop off the scale in hit percentage.  Their armor benefits aren't very 
good, either - you can equip them with armor, but it will always give 
them a standard upgrade.  If they reach a level where they are naturally 
as strong as the armor they are wearing, then they will eventually get 
WEAKER when equipping that armor.  Bottom line - if you want a black 
belt, keep 'em in the back, where they won't die too quickly...you will 
reap massive rewards for doing so.

Overall:
The trick to using a Black Belt is to get equipment that they won't 
advance past for quite a while (Rings work good), then, after every 
level up, de-equip those items, then re-equip them.  During the 
beginning, it's good to have them using Nunchaku, despite the low hit 
rate.  Without them, they may hit consistantly, but until they get their 
damage rating up high enough (at about level 5 or 6), they'll only hit 
twice for about 2 damage.


----------III-C: Thief----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  ***..  Thiefs aren't powerhouses.  Don't expect them to 
dole out massive damage.
~~Agility:  ****.  Although the Thief can't equip much armor, you'll 
find them evading more often than fighters.
~~Vitality:  ***..  They gain life around a normal pace.
~~Intelligence:  *....  Sorry, but he doesn't use magic either.
~~Luck:  *****  He's a thief - it's all about skill and luck for him!

Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  ***..  He can't use all the weapons in the game, 
but a good portion of the weapons you come across he can use.  Until 
later on in the game, the thief is just as compatable as the fighter.

~Armor Capability:  **...  Since thieves prefer speed and stealth to raw 
strength, lots of armor isn't their way.  You won't find as much armor 
for these guys as you will for Red Mages or Fighters.
~Magic Ability:  *....  Sorry, none here!

Weapons used by the Thief:
~Fists.
~Wooden Staff.
~Small Dagger, Large Dagger, Silver Dagger.
~Rapier, Scimitar, Sabre, Long Sword.
~Rune Sword, Coral Sword, Dragon Sword. 
~Masamune.

Armor used by the Thief:
~Skin.
~Cloth, Wooden Armor.
~Cap, Ribbon.
~Buckler.
~Gloves.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing.

Magic used by the Thief:
~No White Magic
~No Black Magic

Best Possible Equipment for the Thief:

~Dragon Sword (or Masamune, obviously!)
~Cap (or Ribbon, obviously)
~Buckler.
~ProRing.
~Gold or Opal Ring.


Pros:
The Thief has a good range of armor and weaponry, putting him in the 
same catagory as the fighter.  Later on, his weapon and armor options 
will dwindle, though, making him a less-important fighter.  Don't worry, 
the Thief will eventually become a grandious character...until he does, 
though, just think of him as a less-expensive fighter.

Cons:
Well, he isn't as strong as the fighter, and he doesn't have the 
versatility in weaponry that the Red Mage does.  Until he becomes a 
Ninja, the Thief isn't much of a class.  He is simply outclassed by the 
other classes.

Overall:
Overall, the Thief is a class that really isn't much to talk of until he 
becomes a Ninja.  He's like a catapillar - he's nothing important until 
he turns into a butterfly.  Don't ignore him, but at the same time don't 
expect him to be the end-all character of the game.  He's not there 
YET...



----------III-D: Red Mage----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  ***..  The Red Mage is good at everything, but only average 
at best.
~~Agility:  ***..  The Red Mage is good at everything, but only average 
at best.
~~Vitality:  ***..  The Red Mage is good at everything, but only average 
at best.
~~Intelligence:  ***..  The Red Mage is good at everything, but only 
average at best.
~~Luck:  ***..  The Red Mage is good at everything, but only average at 
best.

Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  ***..  For the first part of the game, the Red Mage 
is nearly on a par with the Fighter.  Towards the latter half, though, 
his ability to use better weapons will dwindle.
~Armor Capability:  ***..  The Red Mage can use a fair amount of armor 
throughout the game.  Just as the weaponry, though, towards the latter 
part of the game his capabilities drop off.
~Magic Ability:  ****.  His capabilities go up to level 7, but he can't 
learn much past level 4 until he becomes a Red Wizard.  Even then, 
though, he doesn't learn much in either catagory.  Actually, he can 
almost learn as many spells as the White or Black WIZARD; the only 
problem is that his spells are all lower-level spells, while they can 
learn the whole range of spells (in their catagory).

Weapons used by the Red Mage:
~Fists.
~Wooden Staff.
~Small Dagger, Large Dagger, Silver Dagger.
~Rapier, Scimitar, Sabre, Short Sword, Falchion, Long Sword, Silver 
Sword.
~Rune Sword, Were Sword, Coral Sword, Dragon Sword, Giant Sword, Flame 
Sword, Ice Sword, Sun Sword. 
~Masamune.

Armor used by the Red Mage:
~Skin.
~Cloth, Wooden Armor, Chain Armor, Silver Armor.
~Cap, Ribbon.
~Gloves.
~Buckler.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing, ProCape.

Magic used by the Red Mage:
            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     CURE FOG              FIRE LOCK SLEP LIT
Level 2     ALIT INVS LAMP MUTE   DARK SLOW TMPR ICE
Level 3     AFIR CUR2             FIR2 HOLD LOK2 LIT2
Level 4     AICE AMUT             CONF FAST SLP2 ICE2
Level 5     CUR3                  FIR3 SLO2
Level 6     ---                   ---
Level 7     ---                   ---
Level 8     ---                   ---

Total - 29 Individual Spells.  15 learned at max (three for each spell 
Level).

Best Possible Equipment for the Red Mage:

~Sun Sword (or Masamune, obviously)
~Gold or Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing.
~ProCape. 
~Cap (or Ribbon).


Pros:
The Red Mage is a true Jack-of-all-Trades for the first part of the 
game.  While he doesn't truly excel in any areas, he is easily on a part 
with the fighter and the black mage, and is capable of a fair amount of 
white magic.  If you're looking to round out your party, this guy's it.

Cons:
Because the Red Mage doesn't truly excel in anything, that means he is 
eventually outclassed by everyone.  He can't learn all the Black or 
White Magic, nor is he as good with them as the Black or White Mages.  
He can't use as many weapons as the Fighter can, and he doesn't get as 
much life as some other classes (Thief, Fighter, Black Belt).  To be 
truly effective, you have to spend a LOT of money on the Red Mage, for 
magic, armor, weapons, and more magic.

Overall:
The Red Mage is an excellent character in some respects, but despite his 
well-roundedness he needs to be backed up by other characters to be a 
good player.  A party of 4 Red Mages would cost too much, and in the end 
simply not be effective enough to survive.  If you want a Red Mage, take 
a Black Belt or Fighter along as well for muscle, or a White Mage for 
magical power.  That way he can still be well-rounded, but he'll be able 
to concentrate on one of those areas more fully.


----------III-E White Mage----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  *....  The White Mage deals in magic, you fool!  Weaponry 
isn't what their class is about!
~~Agility:  **...  Dodging attacks is good, but if you could, wouldn't 
you rather just cast a spell and make yourself harder to hit?
~~Vitality:  **...  Slightly-Below-Average life.  Nothin' much to say 
here.  They start out at the average level, but don't gain much after 
that.  
~~Intelligence:  *****  It's ALL about the magic!  If you need to be 
healed or boosted in some way, the White Mage is your 
Man/Woman/Ambigious Person!
~~Luck:  ***..  Hey, he doesn't want to get hit either, so it's all 
about the luck.  Well, average luck...


Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  **...  The White Mage can use more than the Black 
Belt, but not as much as the Red Mage.  Oh well...
~Armor Capability:  *....  How do I describe the White Mage's armor 
capabilities?  Well, the word "Squat" comes to mind...
~Magic Ability:  ****.  

Weapons used by the White Mage:
~Fists.
~Iron Hammer, Silver Hammer, Thor's Hammer.
~Wooden Staff, Heal Staff, Power Staff.
~Small Dagger.
~Masamune.

Armor used by the White Mage:
~Skin.
~Cloth.
~Cap, Ribbon.
~Gloves.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing, ProCape.

Magic used by the White Mage:
            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     CURE HARM RUSE FOG    ---
Level 2     ALIT INVS LAMP MUTE   ---
Level 3     AFIR CUR2 HEAL HRM2   ---
Level 4     AICE AMUT FEAR PURE   ---
Level 5     CUR3 HRM3 LIFE HEL2   ---
Level 6     FOG2 INV2 SOFT        ---
Level 7     ARUB HEL3             ---
Level 8     ---                   ---

Total - 25 Individual Spells.  20 learned at max (three for each spell 
Level 1-6, two for Level 7).

Best Possible Equipment for the White Mage:

~Thor's Hammer (or Masamune, obviously).
~Gold or Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing.
~ProCape. 
~Cap (or Ribbon).


Pros:
The White Mage is a fiend when it comes to healing and protection.  
He/She/It can restore life or create a variety of barriers to protect 
your characters.  Spells like INVS or FOG are invaluable when it comes 
to surviving those tougher enemies, and AFIR, AICE, and ALIT are great 
for elemental battles.  Not to mention the fact that the White Mage can 
bring dead allies back to life, and do insane damage to undead 
enemies...this character class is great.

Cons:
For having such great points, the White Mage is nearly impossible to 
keep alive!  Low life and low armor capabilities don't make for a very 
strong defense, and very low attack power makes a weak fighter as well.  
Make sure you keep the White Mage alive and well, ready to back up your 
other characters.


Overall:
Overall, the White Mage is a bit of a costly-character that can really 
back up a good team of fighters.  The White Mage is usually a character 
you want to round out your party with, because they really aren't 
effective fighters themselves.  Think of them as an added layer of 
protection - if they are gone, then you have a very large opening.


----------III-F Black Mage----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  **...  Strength?  The Black Mage's Strength lies in his 
magic.
~~Agility:  *....  Why dodge when the black mage can blow the enemy out 
of the water?
~~Vitality:  **...  Ok, now this one is understandable.  He's strong of 
mind, but weak of body.
~~Intelligence:  *****  As I said, strong of mind.  The Black Mage is 
ALL about the powerful magic. 
~~Luck:  ***..  Luck, schmuck.  Bring it on!

Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  **...  On a par with the White Mage, which would be 
just below average.  It's still above the black belt, though.
~Armor Capability:  *....  Nil.  Make sure you've got someone backing up 
the little guy, or else he's gonna die!
~Magic Ability:  ****.  Almost at the top.  This guy is great when it 
comes to offensive magic!

Weapons used by the Black Mage:
~Fists.
~Wooden Staff, Power Staff, Mage Staff.
~Small Dagger, Large Dagger, Silver Dagger, Catclaw.
~Masamune.

Armor used by the Black Mage:
~Skin.
~Cloth.
~Cap, Ribbon.
~Gloves.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing, ProCape.

Magic used by the Black Mage:
            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     ---                   FIRE LOCK SLEP LIT
Level 2     ---                   DARK SLOW TMPR ICE
Level 3     ---                   FIR2 LIT2 LOK2 HOLD
Level 4     ---                   ICE2 CONF FAST SLP2
Level 5     ---                   BANE FIR3 SLO2  
Level 6     ---                   LIT3 QAKE STUN RUB   
Level 7     ---                   ICE3 BLND
Level 8     ---                   ---

Total - 25 Individual Spells.  20 learned at max (three for each spell 
Level 1-6, two for Level 7).

Best Possible Equipment for the Black Mage:

~Mage Staff or Catclaw (or Masamune, obviously).
~Gold or Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing.
~ProCape. 
~Cap (or Ribbon).


Pros:
The Black Mage often makes the Fighter, Black Belt, and Red Mage look 
foolish when it comes to fighting.  While they are busy trying to hit 
the enemy, the Black Mage can simply cast a spell and 100% of the time 
do damage with it.  Often times, he'll get lucky and cast a spell that 
the enemy is weak to, utterly destroying it with a relatively weak 
spell.  The Black Mage not only uses heavily offensive magic, but also 
has some aiding spells, such as TMPR and SLOW.  He can make his allies 
stronger, make his enemies weaker, or just go for the gusto and destroy 
everything in one fell swoop.

Cons:
For all the offensive power the Black Mage has, he sure is a weakling!  
He can't use much in the way of weaponry or armor, so he's more prone to 
die from a couple blows.  Make sure you've got a stronger character 
protecting him, or else you're going to lose fairly quickly.

Overall:
The Black Mage is an awesome class.  With his destructive magical 
abilities, he can take down most enemies with ease.  However, his 
extremely weak side makes him more troublesome to keep alive.  As I said 
before, make sure he's part of a stronger group, or else he'll be the 
first to go.

---------Final Fantasy Final Fantasy Final----------
----------IV:  Enhanced Character Analysis----------
---------Final Fantasy Final Fantasy Final----------

The Enhanced Character Classes are the classes created when your party 
undergoes Bahamut's training.  When they complete it, their character 
classes are upgraded to new classes, and their capabilities are 
enhanced.

It's the same as before - the characters shall be rated on their 
individual stats - Strength, Agility, Vitality, Intelligence, and Luck - 
as well as their fight capabilities - Weapon Capabilities, Armor 
Capabilities, Magic Abilities.  They will get a star rating - 5 is the 
best, 1 is the worst.  

I'll put the Character stats (1-5 Star rating), and a brief description 
of each.  I will then put their weapons, armor, and magic capabilities.  
Then I will list the weapons they can use, grouped in classes of weapon 
(top to bottom) and ranked from lowest to highest (left to right) in 
damage and/or hit %.  After the weapons I'll list the armor they can 
use, grouped in types of armor (top to bottom) and ranked from lowest to 
highest (left to right) in absorb and/or evade %.  After that I'll list 
all the spells they can use in each catagory (White or Black), and give 
a total spell count.  Then I'll give the Pro's and Con's of each class, 
and an overall summary of the class.  Ok?


----------IV-A: Knight----------

The Knight is the upgraded Fighter class.  Once the training is 
complete, the Knight can equip nearly every weapon and piece of armor in 
the game.  They are, in essence, tanks.  Not only that, but the Knight 
class gains the ability to use lower-level White Magic.

Character Stats:

~~Strength:  *****  Hi!  I'm a god when it comes to fighting!  And you 
are...?
~~Agility:  ***..  The Knight has a moderate agility.  Dodging isn't 
quite as important, I guess.
~~Vitality:  ***..  The Knight doesn't get much of a boost here.  It's 
all offense for him!
~~Intelligence:  **...  A little bit of a boost for the Knight in 
Intelligence, simply because he can now use magic.
~~Luck:  **...  A Knight need not care for luck!  Knight smash!  No need 
luck for smash!  SMASH!!!!!

Capabilities:
~~Weapon Capability:  *****  The Knight can use all the weapons save a 
few.  No matter what weapon he uses, though, he's an all-around tank.
~~Armor Capability:  *****  There are 2 pieces of armor the fighter can 
NOT use.  Since those 2 armors don't offer as much protection as some of 
the armor this guy can get, he's pretty well in the clear.
~~Magic Ability:  **...  When the Fighter becomes the Knight, he gains 
the ability to use lower-level White Magic.  Not bad for the dumb rock 
he was, right?


Weapons used by the Knight:

All EXCEPT for the
~Heal Staff, Mage Staff, Wizard Staff.
~Wooden Nunchacku, Iron Nunchaku.
~Katana.


Armor used by the Knight:
All EXCEPT for the:
~Black Shirt, White Shirt.

Magic use by the Knight:
            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     CURE FOG RUSE         ---
Level 2     ALIT INVS MUTE LAMP   ---
Level 3     CUR2 AFIR             ---
Level 4     ---                   ---
Level 5     ---                   ---
Level 6     ---                   ---
Level 7     ---                   ---
Level 8     ---                   ---

Total - 9 Individual Spells.  8 learned at max (three for Levels 1 and 
2, two for Level 3).

Best Possible Equipment for the Knight:

~Xcalibur(or Masamune, obviously!)
~Opal Armor, Dragon's Armor.
~Opal Gauntlet. 
~Aegis Shield, Opal Shield. 
~Opal Helmet.


Pros:
This guy can use (nearly) every piece of weapon and armor in the game.  
If it's better than what he's got, keep it equipped.  The Knight, and no 
one else, can use the most powerful armor and weapons (not counting the 
Masamune, of course); this means that you don't have to worry about who 
you are going to give a certain piece of armor to - you KNOW what the 
Knight's going to have, so give it to the weaker guys.  The Knight's 
lower-level healing skills, combined with his high defense and offense, 
make him an unstoppable force.


Cons:
Because the fighter can use most every weapon and armor in the game, 
this makes them quite expensive, initially.  In order to have a strong 
leader, you need to spend an ungodly amount to keep him in the green.  
You'll have to fight a great deal to raise this amount of funds.  If 
you've backed him up with a White Mage/Wizard, then you won't have to 
worry about healing AS much...but don't expect that to be the end-all 
solution.


Overall:
If you want a low-level healer, you've got it.  If you want a tank that 
can use almost all the armor in the game, you've got it.  If you want a 
fighter that can dish out enough damage to drop Lich in 1 blow, then 
you've got it.  However, until you get his final equipment, the stuff he 
requires to be truly effective is VERY expensive.


----------IV-B: Master----------

Character Stats:

~~Strength:  ***..  The Master is stronger than the Black Belt, but not 
enough to make much of a difference.
~~Agility:  ****.  A master gets a boost in agility, making him even 
harder to hit.
~~Vitality:  *****  Just like the Black Belt, the Master gets a lot of 
life.  This, coupled with his natural defense and high evasion (agility) 
make him quite the difficult person to kill.
~~Intelligence:  *....  No magic = no intelligence.
~~Luck:  ***..  "Luck is for the untrained," as said by some famous dead 
guy.  No change from Black Belt to Master.


Capabilities:

~~Weapon Capability:  *....  Absolutely no change from Black Belt to 
Master in weapon capability.  'course, when you can punch as fast and 
hard as they can, what would a weapon do for you?
~~Armor Capability:  **...  Just like their previous class, the Master 
usually loses absorb and evade when he equips armor.  That, and he can't 
use a lot of it.
~~Magic Ability:  *....  This guy doesn't use magic.  Not before, not 
now, not ever.  Sorry.

Weapons used by the Master:
~Fists.
~Wooden Staff, Power Staff, Iron Staff.
~Wooden Nunchaku, Iron Nunchaku.
~Masamune.

Armor used by the Master:
~Skin.
~Gloves.
~Cloth.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~Wooden Armor.
~Ribbon.

Magic used by the Master:
~No White Magic
~No Black Magic

Best Possible Equipment for the Master:
~No Weapons 
~No Armor


Pros/Cons:
To be honest, if you want to see the Pros and Cons of the Master, simply 
look up the Black Belt - I honestly don't think there's any change 
between the two!


Overall:
By the time you get your Black Belts upgraded to Masters, they're 
already proficient killing machines.  There really is no change between 
the classes, so regard your Masters the same way you did your Black 
Belts.


----------IV-C: Ninja----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  ***..  The Ninja doesn't really gain strength much as he 
does capabilities with weapons, armor, and magic.  And boy does he!
~~Agility:  ****.  The Ninja doesn't really gain Agility much as he does 
capabilities with weapons, armor, and magic.  And boy does he!
~~Vitality:  ***..  The Ninja doesn't really gain Vitality much as he 
does capabilities with weapons, armor, and magic.  And boy does he!
~~Intelligence:  ***..  With the addition of magic, you'll find that the 
Ninja gets intelligence a lot more often than before.
~~Luck:  *****  A Ninja relies on skill rather than luck...yet luck is 
often with him just the same.

Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  *****  There are 2 weapons the Ninja can NOT use, 
which means that if you find a strong weapon then the odds are great 
that he'll be able to use it.
~Armor Capability:  *****  There are 9 pieces of armor that the Ninja 
can't use.  You probably won't have to worry about giving him armor, 
since he'll be able to use darn near everything you come across!
~Magic Ability:  ***..  The Ninja gains 4 levels of black magic, making 
him jump from mediocre to average.  Not bad, not bad!


Weapons used by the Ninja:

All EXCEPT for the
~Wizard Staff.
~Xcalibur.


Armor used by the Ninja:

All EXCEPT for the
~Black Shirt, White Shirt.
~Steel Armor, Dragon Armor, Opal Armor.
~Opal Helmet.
~Opal Gauntlet.
~Opal Shield, Aegis Shield.


Magic used by the Ninja:

            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     ---                   FIRE LOCK SLEP LIT
Level 2     ---                   DARK SLOW TMPR ICE
Level 3     ---                   FIR2 LOK2 HOLD LIT2
Level 4     ---                   CONF FAST SLP2 ICE2
Level 5     ---                   ---
Level 6     ---                   ---
Level 7     ---                   ---
Level 8     ---                   ---

Total - 16 Individual Spells.  9 learned at max (three for each spell 
level).


Best Possible Equipment for the Ninja:

~Katana (or Masamune, obviously!)
~Heal Helmet (or Ribbon)
~Fire or Ice Shield.
~Zeus Gauntlet or ProRing.
~Fire Armor or Ice Armor. 


Pros:
The Ninja is a friggin' god!  He can use nearly everything you come 
across, so you'll never have to worry about weapons or armor.  The boy 
gets 4 full levels of black magic, making him an offensive and defensive 
wonder!  The Ninja is quite possibly the greatest upgraded character in 
the game, simply because of ALL that he gains when he gets upgraded!

  
Cons:
The Ninja can't use the absolute best equipment in the game (not 
counting the Masamune), so he's still second-rate compared to the 
Fighter.  While his magical skills are much greater than the Fighter, he 
still doesn't do as much physical damage, nor does he take as little 
damage, as the fighter.  He can't heal like the fighter can, nor can he 
take the hits or dole out the damage.  He comes off as a slightly 
better-equipped Red Wizard!


Overall:
The Ninja gets more weaponry choices than anyone else in the game, and 
can use the second largest amount of armor.  His magical prowess 
increases greatly, making him formidable on many grounds.  However, just 
like the Red Mage/Wizard, he doesn't truly excell in anything.  Opting 
more for offense and defense than magical abilities, though, this 
character is FAR from a Red Wizard - he can do just as much, if not 
more, than anyone else, given the right situation.


----------IV-D: Red Wizard----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  ***..  The Red Wizard is good at everything, but only 
average at best.
~~Agility:  ***..  The Red Wizard is good at everything, but only 
average at best.
~~Vitality:  ***..  The Red Wizard is good at everything, but only 
average at best.
~~Intelligence:  ***..  The Red Wizard is good at everything, but only 
average at best.
~~Luck:  ***..  The Red Wizard is good at everything, but only average 
at best.

Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  ****.  The Red Wizard's weapons ability goes up 
marginally, giving him an edge on all other catagories (except the 
Fighter and Ninja).  He can use all that he could before, with some 
added weapons in his arsenal.
~Armor Capability:  ***..  The only thing that the Red Wizard gains on 
the Red Mage in armor capability is the use of Gauntlets.  However, 
those 3 gauntlets still give a good amount of absorb, so don't discount 
them!
~Magic Ability:  *****  He can use up to level 7 magic now, but there 
aren't that many high-level spells he can actually use!  He can only use 
two level-7 Spells!  It's still better than most...to be honest, the Red 
Mage can learn more spells than the White Wizard or Black Wizard.  
However, he can't learn the absolute best spells; it's more spent on the 
lower-level spells from both catagories.

Weapons used by the Red Mage:
~Fists.
~Wooden Staff.
~Small Dagger, Large Dagger, Silver Dagger, Catclaw.
~Rapier, Scimitar, Sabre, Short Sword, Falchion, Long Sword, Silver 
Sword, Vorpal, Defense.
~Rune Sword, Were Sword, Coral Sword, Dragon Sword, Giant Sword, Flame 
Sword, Ice Sword, Sun Sword, Bane Sword. 
~Masamune.

Armor used by the Red Mage:
~Skin.
~Cloth, Wooden Armor, Chain Armor, Silver Armor.
~Cap, Ribbon.
~Gloves, Silver Gauntlet, Power Gauntlet, Zeus Gauntlet.
~Buckler.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing, ProCape.

Magic used by the Red Mage:
            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     CURE RUSE FOG         FIRE LOCK SLEP LIT
Level 2     ALIT INVS LAMP MUTE   DARK SLOW TMPR ICE
Level 3     AFIR CUR2             FIR2 LOK2 HOLD LIT2
Level 4     AICE AMUT PURE        CONF FAST SLP2 ICE2
Level 5     CUR3 LIFE             FIR3 SLO2 BANE WARP
Level 6     EXIT FOG2 INV2        LIT3
Level 7     ARUB                  ICE3
Level 8     ---                   ---

Total - 40 Individual Spells.  20 learned at max (three for each spell 
level 1-6, two for Level 7).

Best Possible Equipment for the Red Mage:

~Defense or Sun Sword (or Masamune, obviously).
~Gold or Opal Bracelet.
~Silver, Zeus, or Power Gauntlet (more Evade), ProRing (more Absorb).
~ProCape. 
~Cap (or Ribbon).


Pros:
The Red Wizard can use a couple of better weapons (Defense, Vorpal), 
making him more versatile in the offense.  He can also finally equip 
gauntlets, making those cheap ol' gloves obsolete.  His magical skills 
go up greatly, too, giving him 2 more levels of spells and new spells to 
aquire.  All in all, his ability to attack or defend become a lot 
greater when he gets upgraded.

Cons:
Just like the Red Mage, since Red Wizard doesn't truly excel in anything 
that means he is eventually outclassed by everyone.  He can't learn all 
the Black or White Magic, nor is he as good with them as the Black or 
White Mages.  He can't use as many weapons as the Fighter can, and he 
doesn't get as much life as some other classes (Thief, Fighter, Black 
Belt).  To be truly effective, you have to spend a LOT of money on the 
Red Mage, for magic, armor, weapons, and more magic.

Overall:
The Red Wizard expounds on the greatness the Red Wizard was, but he 
still shares the same flaws - he needs to be backed up by other 
characters to be a good player.  Since he lacks the absolute strengths 
of the other Wizards or the Fighters, he has to have someone else there 
of another class to aid him.  He's great for a secondary in every 
aspect, though - need a second brawler?  You've got one!  Need another 
magic user?  You've got it!  Need someone who's got a cool looking hat 
with a feather in it?  You've got it!


----------IV-E: White Wizard----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  **...  The White Wizard gains a little in strength, but ths 
isn't his strong point!
~~Agility:  **...  No real change here.  Sorry, White Wizards!
~~Vitality:  **...  Still slightly-below-average.  Yeesh, these guys 
aren't made to be tanks!  
~~Intelligence:  *****  If there was a way to get any better at this, 
then they would.  They ALWAYS have high intelligence.
~~Luck:  ***..  Luck is average...but he's not looking for critical 
hits, he's looking to have someone take the hits for him!

Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  **...  Exactly the same as the White Mage.  Not a 
SINGLE weapon is opened up for them.  Now THAT stinks!
~Armor Capability:  *....  ONE lousy shirt is all the White Wizard gains 
over the White Mage.  One piece of armor isn't enough to make much of a 
difference...but it's a VERY nice piece of armor nonetheless!
~Magic Ability:  *****  The White Mage can now learn every single White 
Magic Spell in the game.  Now THAT is a lot of spells!


Weapons used by the White Wizard:
No Change from the White Mage's arsenal.

Armor used by the White Mage:
~Skin.
~Cloth.
~Cap, Ribbon.
~Gloves.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing, ProCape.
~White Shirt.

Magic used by the White Wizard:
            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     CURE HARM RUSE FOG    ---
Level 2     ALIT INVS LAMP MUTE   ---
Level 3     CUR2 HRM2 AFIR HEAL   ---
Level 4     AICE AMUT PURE FEAR   ---
Level 5     CUR3 HRM3 LIFE HEL2   ---
Level 6     EXIT FOG2 SOFT INV2   ---
Level 7     CUR4 HRM4 ARUB HEL3   ---
Level 8     FADE XFER LIF2 WALL   ---

32 Individual Spells.  24 learned at max (three for each spell level).

Best Possible Equipment for the White Wizard:

~Thor's Hammer (or Masamune, obviously).
~White Shirt (better evade) or Opal Bracelet (better absorb).
~ProRing.
~ProCape. 
~Cap (or Ribbon).


Pros:
The White Wizard is THE healing character.  If you need protection or 
healing, the White Wizard can do it.  If you are facing off against 
several undead enemies, the White Wizard can smite them all with a 
single spell.  Heck, the White Wizard even learns a spell that instantly 
eradicates an enemy (FADE).  This is NOT the guy you want to mess with!

Cons:
Hoo boy...first of all, the White Wizard doesn't get any noticible 
changes in Vitality, Agility, Strength, or Luck.  He can only use ONE 
new piece of armor, and no new weapons.  These make him just as 
vulnerable as he was when he was still a Mage.


Overall:
The White Wizard is nice step up from the White Mage in terms of magic, 
but it doesn't really feel like it.  You don't get to cast each level of 
spells more than 9 times, and you don't get much of an armor upgrade.  
You also get NO new weapons!  The only real pluses you get from the 
upgrade are the additional spells and the use of the White Shirt, which 
is a very nice piece of equipment, but still doesn't feel very 
worthwhile.  If you want an extreme healer, make sure you're ready to 
back them up with a good fighter or other offensive player.


----------IV-F Black Wizard----------

Character Stats:
~~Strength:  **...  Yeah, right, like a Black Wizard's going to be 
relying on his amazing strength to back up that dagger he's using...
~~Agility:  *....  The Black Wizard prefers to destroy rather than run.  
This, however, tends to get him killed...
~~Vitality:  **...  Ugh.  Black Wizards are NOT walking pieces of iron, 
they're more like walking pieces of cotton candy.
~~Intelligence:  *****  Yeah, this is where it's all at.  You gotta be 
smart to stay alive in this business! 
~~Luck:  ***..  Luck, huh?  The Black Wizard need not luck, as his 
spells always connect!

Capabilities:

~Weapon Capability:  **...  The Black Wizard gains one lousy weapon?  
Yeesh, that's not enough for me to add a star...
~Armor Capability:  *....  Just like the White Wizard, the Black Wizard 
only gains 1 new piece of armor.
~Magic Ability:  *****  Now THIS is the guy you want if you're planning 
on using spells to destroy all of your enemies.

Weapons used by the Black Wizard:
~Fists.
~Wooden Staff, Power Staff, Mage Staff, Wizard Staff.
~Small Dagger, Large Dagger, Silver Dagger, Catclaw.
~Masamune.

Armor used by the Black Mage:
~Skin.
~Cloth.
~Cap, Ribbon.
~Gloves.
~Copper Bracelet, Silver Bracelet, Gold Bracelet, Opal Bracelet.
~ProRing, ProCape.
~Black Shirt.

Magic used by the Black Mage:
            White Magic           Black Magic
Level 1     ---                   FIRE LOCK SLEP LIT
Level 2     ---                   DARK SLOW TMPR ICE
Level 3     ---                   FIR2 LOK2 HOLD LIT2
Level 4     ---                   CONF FAST SLP2 ICE2
Level 5     ---                   FIR3 SLO2 WARP BANE
Level 6     ---                   LIT3 QAKE STUN RUB
Level 7     ---                   BLND BRAK SABR ICE3
Level 8     ---                   ZAP! XXXX STOP NUKE

Total - 32 Individual Spells.  24 learned at max (3 for each spell 
level).

Best Possible Equipment for the Black Mage:

~Wizard Staff or Catclaw (or Masamune, obviously).
~Black Shirt (more evade) or Opal Bracelet (more absorb).
~ProRing.
~ProCape. 
~Cap (or Ribbon).


Pros:
The Black Wizard gains a new weapon with a VERY nice feature - the 
ability to confuse your enemies.  He also gains the ability to equip the 
Black Shirt, yet another great item that casts a spell when used in 
battle.  The free use of CONF and ICE2 are nice, but the fact alone that 
the Black Wizard gets to learn the almighty spell NUKE makes him 
worthwhile.  NOTHING can stand up to this spell's raw power.  Heck, even 
Chaos has trouble dealing with this guy once he's learned it!


Cons:
Wow...for gaining such destructive abilities, he sure does stink 
otherwise!  Imagine a White Wizard, only no healing abilities.  All you 
can do is hope you can kill off the bad guys first, or else you're dead 
meat.  Get the picture?  That's what you've got with a Black Wizard.  


Overall:
Yes, he has awesome destructive abilities, and a nice new weapon and 
shirt.  However, he's still the same ol' weak character you had before, 
now with a couple new spells and a new look (with the hood down).  Don't 
expect a complete makeover with this guy, 'cause you're not going to get 
one.  Don't expect a walking path of destruction, because he won't 
ALWAYS get to attack first, and when he doesn't, he will get punished 
severely.  Make sure he's in a party with a strong fighter and/or 
healer, or else he's sunk.


-----------Final Fantasy------------
------------V:  Various-------------
-----------Final Fantasy------------

Here's the stuff that pertains more to the FAQ than to the game itself.


----------V-A Frequently Asked Questions----------

Q: Are you going to do a full walkthrough as well?
A: Maybe, if there are enough people requesting one.  In fact, let's say 
if I get at least 20 people requesting one I'll do it.

Q: Why does it seem like you hate all the character classes?
A: I don't.  In fact, I like each character class as much as the others.  
In order for me to be fair, I had to look at the negative parts of each 
class, as well as the good.  Having one or two new spells may be nice, 
but if they are just as weak as before and die before they can cast it, 
that puts a new perspective on how "great" that class might be.

Q: Why are you making up questions when you haven't received any e-mails 
for this game yet?
A: These are questions asked to me by one of my friends (see below...my 
indirect inspiration).  I figured, I might as well put SOMETHING!

Q: How can you forget the best items in the game for the White and Black 
Mages/Wizards?
A: Duly noted.  I've now added those.  Happy?


----------V-B Revision History----------

05-09-01:  I added Thor's Hammer and the Catclaw to the Black/White 
Mages' arsenals.  How could I forget?
01-31-01:  This FAQ was FINALLY finished.  Go me!
06-31-00:  This FAQ was started.  I've played this game enough, so I 
think I can be of service by creating this FAQ.

----------V-C Thanks----------

~Square, for making this game.
~Nobuo Uematsu for being such a wonderful inspiration in the land of 
music composing.
~CJayC for posting this FAQ.
~Dale, who indirectly gave me the inspiration for making this FAQ with 
his off-handed comment "If you know so much about the game, why don't 
YOU write a guide for it, Mr. Smarty pants!"  I don't know as much as 
you think, but I've done my share NOW, haven't I?
~Al Amaloo (www.gamewinners.com) for being such a cool guy, and having a 
great site.
~Vertsk8pro@hotmail.com for giving me a heart attack with your childish 
"I stole your FAQ and sold it with my name on it" antics.  Because of 
that, I now do dozens of things to make sure people don't steal my work.  
If they do, I know exactly what to look for to see if they took MY work 
or not.
~Russell Kroll (gharlhande@hotmail.com) for informing me that I forgot a 
very important item for the White Wizards.  Also, to everyone else that 
e-mailed me about the Catclaw (sorry, but I don't remember your e-mail 
addresses).


And Finally:

~Uh...I can't exactly thank God for the role he's taken in my life, 
because that would seem like I'm trying to force my religious opinions 
on someone else (which I'm not).  Therefore, I'd like to thank "Murray" 
for the role he's taken in my life (Murray, you know who you are).



This document Copyright Vegita, Guardian Of Destiny (VegitaBOD@aol.com) 
January 2001.  All copyrighted material belongs to their respective 
owners.  All rights reserved.
