Robe made for mages.
Description
The Magician Robe is a mid game robe in Final Fantasy IX for mages. It teaches Auto-Potion, which has the character use a potion automatically when hit by an enemy, and MP+10% to Eiko. Wearing the Magician Robe weakens the character to Fire and gives a bonus to their Magic stat when they level up with it equipped. The Magician Robe is made via synthesis like all robes, and is itself also used for synthesis.
Like many equipment pieces in the game, the Magician Robe is based on an equipment piece from Final Fantasy Tactics.
Obtain[]
The Magician Robe is obtained the earliest from the Treno Auction House when Princess Garnet and Captain Steiner come to Treno. It is expected to cost around 7,700 gil, but the player may not have the funds to purchase everything available by then (however, the "Cotton Robe gil grinding trick" is available).
The robe is synthesized in Alexandria, Treno (after the party returns from the Outer Continent), Lindblum (after the party returns from the Outer Continent), and Daguerreo for 3,000 gil, a Mage Staff, and a Magician Cloak. The Mage Staff is sold in Dali, and the Magician Cloak is first bought from shops on the Outer Continent, and after returning from there, also in the Mist Continent cities' equipment shops.
The robe is also found in the Bird's-eye Lagoon chocograph treasure, available after the player has the Blue Narciss and they can visit Chocobo's Lagoon. After finding the chocograph, the treasure is off the western coast of the Mist Continent.
Mechanics[]
The Magician Robe provides 21 Defense and 3 Magic Defense, mainly mitigating physical damage. It weakens the wearer to Fire, making them sustain 150% damage from Fire attacks. If the character also wears a Black Hood or Ribbon or Protect Ring, halving Fire damage, the character will take ~75% damage from Fire. The Fire weakness is not mentioned in the flavor text; the only way the player can see it written out is when using Scan on the wearer while in battle.
The robe gives a +2 bonus to the wearer's Magic stat when they level up with it equipped. When enough "bonuses" upon level up from gear have been accrued, the character gains a permanent stat increase. Magic determines the character's spell damage and MP growth.
Use[]
The Magician Robe is a mid game robe for all the mages, teaching two fairly useful skills. It is a good robe to wear for Cleyra's Trunk, Alexandria Castle, Fossil Roo, and the events in the Outer Continent. It is the best robe the player gets access to for a while, as the Light Robe, White Robe, and Black Robe from chocographs are only available after playing a lot of Chocobo Hot and Cold.
Auto-Potion can be useful when the party lacks a healer, and MP+10% helps Eiko use her spells and eidolons more without needing to top up.
The Fire weakness can be a detriment against Ironites, Vices, Dragonflies, Bombs, Zuus, Ladybugs, Thorn, and Lani. The fire weakness is especially hazardous if the player uses fire attacks against Soulcage; this will likely kill the party member.
The Magician Robe's level up bonus to Magic is good but level grinding and min-maxing are unnecessary in a normal playthrough even for superboss encounters. The best stat boost equipment pieces are available in the end of the game, and so it would be worthwhile to limit EXP intake until they are available.
The Magician's Robe is used for synthesis to make the Light Robe in the end of the game.