White Mage (Final Fantasy XI)

By using recovery spells, white mages can ensure a party's survival.
Official description

White Mage is a basic job available to all starting characters in Final Fantasy XI. White Mages specialize in curative magic, the removal of just about all status ailments, and defensive magic.

White Magic offers limited access to offensive magic including status ailments, such as Slow, and damaging magic, such as Holy. In normal situations, they would often be called upon to use status ailments but it is rare for a White Mage in a party to attempt to do damage with spells and they are almost never seen on the front-line dealing melee damage. The job of White Mage is thus limited to almost exclusively healing duties.

In addition to White Magic, White Mages possess a number of abilities including Benediction, Divine Seal, Martyr, Devotion to further their abilities in curing and supporting the party.

The five races of Vana'diel can all make a competent White Mage. Elvaan have the highest Mind, thus are able to cure with the highest potency. Tarutaru excel due to their high MP pool, but low HP and Vitality means they are less survivable while low Mind weakens their cures. Hume and Mithra are relatively balanced, offering few strengths and weaknesses although Mithra suffer from slightly lower Mind. Galka have low MP, giving them less to cast magic with, but high HP and Vitality help them be more survivable.

Becoming a White Mage[]

Since White Mage is a basic job, characters can choose to become a White Mage at any time. Characters who wish to start the game as a White Mage will be given a scroll of Cure and an Onion Rod in addition to their adventurer certificate and nation ring (if applicable).

Abilities[]

Job abilities[]

Job Ability	Level	Recast	Duration	Description
Benediction	1	1:00:00	—	Restores a large amount of hit points and removes all status ailments for party members within area of effect.
Divine Seal	15	0:10:00	0:01:00	Enhances the potency of your next healing spell.
Afflatus Solace	40	0:01:00	2:00:00	Inspires you to draw strength from the healing spells you cast.
Afflatus Misery	40	0:01:00	2:00:00	Inspires you to draw strength from the damage you take.
Martyr	75(Only unlocked with Merit Points)	0:10:00	—	Sacrifices HP to heal a party member double the amount.
Devotion	75(Only unlocked with Merit Points)	0:10:00	—	Sacrifices HP to grant a party member the same amount in MP.
Divine Caress	83	0:01:00	0:01:00	If the next spell you cast cures a status ailment, your target will gain enhanced resistance to that ailment.
Sacrosanctity	95	0:10:00	0:01:00	Enhances magic defense for party members within area of effect.
Asylum	96	1:00:00	0:00:30	Grants party members a powerful resistance to enfeebling magic and Dispel effects.

Job traits[]

Job Trait	Levels	Tier	Description
Magic Defense Bonus	10 / 30 / 50 / 70 / 81 / 91	VI	Improves defense against magic spells.
Clear Mind	20 / 35 / 50 / 65 / 80 / 96	VI	Raises amount of MP recovered while resting.
Tranquil Heart	21	I	Reduces enmity gain when casting healing magic.
Auto Regen	25 / 76	II	Gradually restores HP.
Divine Veil	50	I	When cast with Divine Seal in effect, an ailment-removing spell's area effect will be increased from single target to small radius.
Divine Benison	50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90	V	Quickens spellcasting for status ailment recovery magic. Grants a bonus to enmity reduction.
Shield Def. Bonus	85 / 95	II	Reduces damage taken when blocking an attack with a shield.

Spell list[]

Level	Spell
1	Cure
3	Dia
4	Paralyze
5	Banish
5	Barstonra
6	Poisona
7	Barsleepra
	Protect
	Protectra
9	Barwatera
9	Paralyna
10	Aquaveil
10	Barpoisonra
11	Cure II
12	Barparalyzra
13	Baraera
13	Slow
14	Blindna
15	Banishga
	Deodorize
	Silence
16	Curaga
17	Barfira
	Shell
	Shellra
18	Barblindra
18	Diaga
19	Blink
19	Silena
20	Sneak

Level	Spell
21	Barblizzara
	Cure III
	Regen
23	Barsilencera
25	Barthundra
	Invisible
	Raise
	Reraise
27	Protect II
27	Protectra II
28	Stoneskin
29	Cursna
30	Banish II
31	Curaga II
32	Erase
34	Viruna
36	Dia II
	Teleport-Dem
	Teleport-Holla
	Teleport-Mea
37	Shell II
37	Shellra II
38	Teleport-Altep
38	Teleport-Yhoat
39	Barvira
39	Stona
40	Banishga II
	Haste
	Cura

Level	Spell
41	Cure IV
42	Teleport-Vahzl
43	Barpetra
44	Regen II
45	Flash
47	Protect III
47	Protectra III
48	Repose
50	Holy
51	Curaga III
53	Recall-Jugner
	Recall-Pashh
	Recall-Meriph
55	Auspice
56	Raise II
56	Reraise II
57	Shell III
57	Shellra III
61	Cure V
61	Esuna
63	Protect IV
63	Protectra IV
65	Banish III
65	Sacrifice
66	Regen III
68	Shell IV
68	Shellra IV

Level	Spell
70	Raise III
70	Reraise III
71	Curaga IV
75 (Merit)	Protectra V
75 (Merit)	Shellra V
76	Protect V
76	Shell V
78	Baramnesra
80	Cure VI
81	Boost-VIT
83	Cura II
84	Boost-MND
86	Regen IV
87	Boost-CHR
90	Boost-AGI
91	Curaga V
93	Boost-STR
93	Addle
95	Holy II
96	Boost-INT
96	Cura III
99	Boost-DEX
	Arise
	Reraise IV
	Full Cure

Skill ratings[]

Combat Skill	Rank	Caps by Level
Combat Skill	Rank	49	99
Club	B+	144	404
Staff	C+	139	378
Throwing	E	124	300
Evasion	E	124	300
Shield	D	133	334

Magic Skill	Rank	Caps by Level
Magic Skill	Rank	49	99
Divine	A-	150	417
Healing	A+	150	424
Enhancing	C+	139	378
Enfeebling	C	139	373

Gameplay[]

White Mages are the preeminent users of curative and protective magic. As a class with a lot of spells aligned with the Light element, they also have the capacity of dealing significant damage to creatures weak to this element, particularly Undead.

Strengths[]

White Mages (other than Scholars under the effect of Light Arts) are the only job that can remove negative status ailments from others.
White Mages have the best healing and protective magics in the game.
Through gear and Hexa-Strike, White Mages can do significant melee damage.

Weaknesses[]

Most White Mages will be virtually helpless without a party.
Lack of Refresh sometimes makes them less desirable than Red Mage.

Support Jobs[]

Black Mage[]

Black Mage offers White Mage some utility as a support job. Not only can it give the White Mage access to spells like Sleep, it also provides them with a decent MP boost and increases MP efficiency with Conserve MP. In more rare situations, Magic Attack Bonus will increase damage from Banish or Holy. Black Mage also offers White Mage the Warp spell.

Summoner[]

Summoner becomes a popular subjob for White Mage after level 50. At this point, Summoner offers White Mages Auto Refresh, which will slowly increase MP over time. Additionally, with their high MP and MP Boosts, White Mage with a summoner subjob has the highest MP totals of almost any job other than summoner itself. Avatars can be useful for some mid-level job abilities, such as Aerial Armor from Garuda.

Red Mage[]

Red Mage is not commonly used for White Mage, since it is not as MP efficient, nor does a White Mage have quite as much MP in this configuration, but it is worth noting that some White Mages will want the benefits of Fast Cast or red mage specific spells, specifically Phalanx, for certain situations. With the increased level cap White Mage will be able to access Convert and Refresh, breathing new life into this subjob.

Ninja[]

Ninja is not a common job choice for most White Mages; However, it is worth mentioning that a White Mage with Reverend Mail, access to the weapon skill Hexa-Strike with a Club and plenty of Haste and Strength gear can be a surprising powerhouse of melee damage.

Scholar[]

Scholar has been another popular subjob for White Mage with the job ability Light Arts. Light Arts reduces the cost of their spells, spell casting time, and spell recharge time, along with boosting the White Mage's Enhancement and Enfeebling skill to a B+ rank, while Dark Arts allows them to access some Black Magic including Dispel, and most notably, Aspir, along with reducing the cost, cast time, and spell recharge time of the relevant spells while boosting the White Mage's elemental, dark, and enfeebling skills to a B+ rank. They also get access to Sublimation, Scholar's version of Refresh, as well as several useful strategies.

Penury, gained at level twenty, halves the cost of the next white magic spell used. Celerity halves the casting and recast time of the next white magic spell used. Both are compatible with all of the White Mage's native spells. At level eighty the White Mage gains Accession, which turns certain single-target white magic spells into area-of-effect spells at the cost of double MP and tripled casting time. While using Accession with Cure, Protect, or Shell is redundant, the ability to multi-target Regen, Blink, Stoneskin, and status recovery spells is extremely helpful. Stoneskin especially can only be cast on other party members with the help of Accession.