Final Fantasy Wiki
Advertisement

Thunder III is a Black Mage Black Mage spell from Final Fantasy XIV that deals damage to a single target and additional damage over time. It is upgraded from Thunder Thunder at level 45.

Mechanics[]

PvE version
Thunder III from Final Fantasy XIV icon Thunder III
Black Mage Black Mage 45
Spell
Job action
Effects
  • Deals magic lightning damage to a single target
  • Inflicts Thunder III Thunder III for 24 seconds, dealing additional damage every 3 seconds
  • Only one Thunder effect of any level per caster can be inflicted upon a single target
  • Activates the global cooldown
Interactions
  • Enochian Enochian increases damage by 15% during Astral Fire or Umbral Ice
  • Triplecast Triplecast reduces the cast time of the next three spells to instant for 15 seconds
  • Swiftcast Swiftcast reduces the next spell's cast time to instant for 10 seconds
  • Surecast Surecast allows spells to be cast without interruption for 6 seconds
Traits
  • Thunder Mastery Thunder Mastery upgrades Thunder Thunder to Thunder III
  • Thundercloud Thundercloud gives Thunder III a 10% chance per damage over time tick to grant Thundercloud Thundercloud, causing the next Thunder spell of any level to add its full damage over time amount to its initial damage, have no cast time, and cost no MP; Sharpcast Sharpcast increases this chance to 100% for the next spell cast for 15 seconds
  • Maim and Mend II Maim and Mend II increases damage by 30%
Base direct damage formula:

Where Potency can be 390 with Thundercloud or 70 without
Base damage over time formula:
Cast/recast time formula:
PvP version
Thunder III PvP from Final Fantasy XIV icon Thunder III
PvPBlack Mage Black Mage 30
Spell
Job action
Effects
  • Deals magic lightning damage to a single target
  • Inflicts Thunder III Thunder III for 15 seconds, dealing additional damage every 3 seconds
  • Grants Thundercloud Thundercloud for 10 seconds if target is dealt over 8000 points of damage while under the effect of Thunder III
  • Thunder III effect is removed upon gaining Thundercloud
  • Only one Thunder effect of any level per caster can be inflicted upon a single target
  • Activates the global cooldown
Interactions

Use[]

Thunder III is used to deal damage over time (DoT) to the target. It should always be applied as soon as possible against a target to maximize its effects. Against weak enemies expected to die in less time than its duration it may be safely skipped. Thunder III is best used during the Umbral Ice state, as the MP it consumes will not regenerate in the Astral Fire state and it doesn't benefit from the state's damage increase.

Only one Thunder spell-induced damage over time effect per caster can be inflicted upon a single target, preventing Thunder III from stacking with Thunder II Thunder II or Thunder IV Thunder IV.

DoT effects deal damage every server tick, or 3 seconds, independent of the effect's duration. This means that the effect may deal damage anywhere between 0 and 3 seconds after it is applied, and in 3 second intervals afterwards. In order to maximize efficiency on damage over time effects, it is generally recommended to reapply them with under 3 three seconds remaining, as the final tick of damage from the effect can occur anywhere in that window. This may result in the loss of a tick, but waiting for the effect to drop off before reapplying can result in the loss of two or more ticks and greater DPS loss.

The Thundercloud Thundercloud trait grants each damage tick of Thunder III a 10% chance to grant the Thundercloud Thundercloud status. The status causes the next Thunder spell of any grade to add its full DoT amount to its initial damage, have no cast time, and cost no MP. With Thundercloud active, Thunder III becomes one of the most powerful spells in the Black Mage's arsenal. Despite this Black Mages shouldn't use a Thundercloud Thunder III until either the previous DoT or Thundercloud itself are about to run out in order to maximize the damage of the previous DoT. Sharpcast Sharpcast will guarantee a Thundercloud proc on the next Thunder spell used, and it is generally preferable to use it in this manner than for the other effects it provides.

PvP[]

Thunder III is instant cast with no MP cost. Thundercloud now activates whenever the target takes over 8000 damage while under the effect of Thunder, which also ends the DoT effect. Thundercloud's effect is changed to instead upgrade Thunder Thunder and Thunder II Thunder II to the much stronger Thunder III and Thunder IV Thunder IV.

As Thundercloud only activates when the affected target takes heavy damage, Black Mages should focus their damage on the affected target to ensure Thundercloud activates. Since Thunder III and Thunder IV can generate their own Thundercloud procs, it is possible to chain Thundercloud spells together.

As an instant cast spell that activates the global cooldown (GCD), Thunder III can be used to weave abilities that are off the global cooldown (oGCD), such as Night Wing Night Wing, in between spellcasts.

Patch history[]

Version Changes
A Realm Reborn Added with 60 base potency, 35 DoT potency, 24 second duration, 3.5 second cast time, and 16% base MP cost.
Thunder and Thunder III were distinct spells, but all Thunder spells applied the same Thunder Thunder status and could not stack.
Was also available to Thaumaturge Thaumaturges, and acquired at level 46.
Thundercloud Thundercloud had a 5% chance to activate after each damage over time tick inflicted by any Thunder spell and had a 12 second duration.
Had a base potency of 340 under the effect of Thundercloud.
Patch 3.05 Base potency increased to 70.
DoT potency increased to 40.
Thundercloud activation chance increased to 10%.
Base potency while under the effect of Thundercloud increased to 390.
Stormblood Cast time reduced to 2.5 seconds.
Now replaces Thunder via the trait Thunder Mastery Thunder Mastery.
Each Thunder spell now inflicts their own unique status, but these statuses still cannot stack.
Thundercloud activation chance reduced to 3% for Thunder II Thunder II.
Now learned from the quest The Voidgate Breathes Gloomy The Voidgate Breathes Gloomy; required level reduced to 45.
No longer available to Thaumaturges.
No longer available in PvP. New PvP exclusive version added. See below for its patch history.
Patch 4.2 Thundercloud duration increased to 18 seconds.
Shadowbringers MP cost set at 400 with MP system overhaul.
PvP version
Version Changes
Stormblood Added with 2000 initial potency, 300 DoT potency, and 2.3 second recast.
Granted the Thunder III Ready Thunder III Ready status for 10s if target took 6000 damage while Thunder was active, and removed the Thunder status.
Replaced Thunder while under the effect of Thunder III Ready Thunder III Ready.
Thunder III Ready was granted for 10 seconds if an enemy took 6000 damage while under the effect of Thunder or Thunder III, and removed the DoT status upon activation.
Patch 4.05 Damage threshold reduced to 5000.
Shadowbringers DoT potency increased to 400.
Recast time increased to 2.4 seconds.
Patch 5.1 Base potency increased to 2400.
Damage threshold increased to 6000.
Thunder III Ready renamed to Thundercloud.
Thundercloud now also replaces Thunder II with Thunder IV.
Only one Thunder spell-induced damage over time effect per caster can be inflicted upon a single target.
Patch 5.58 Damage threshold increased to 8000.
Advertisement