Rod used by mages.
Description
Wizard Rod is a weapon for Dagger in Final Fantasy IX, being her penultimate rod, available in the endgame. As it is obtained so late, Dagger may already have her ultimate rod, and if so, the player could skip buying the Wizard Rod altogether. The rod teaches her the best protective and curative spells: Curaga, Protect, and Shell.
Dagger's Wizard Rod is likely derived from the "Magus Rods" in Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI, which are called "Wizard Rods" in Japanese.
Obtain[]
Wizard Rod is sold for 3990 gil in Black Mage Village in the endgame. It is also stolen from Kraken in the final dungeon.
Mechanics[]
Wizard Rod's damage dealt with a normal Attack is determined as follows everywhere but within Ipsen's Castle:
- Base = 31 - Enemy's Defense
- Bonus = Strength + Rnd MOD ([(Level + Strength) / 8] + 1)
- Damage = Base * Bonus
Where Rnd means a random number, while MOD means modulus operation. "Rnd MOD x" can be read as a random number between 0 and x-1.
The damage is then modified by variables like Dagger's row position and the enemy's Protect. If Dagger were under Mini, her Bonus would be 1. If Dagger equips Healer, damage is converted to healing.
When in Ipsen's Castle, the stronger weapons do less damage than weaker weapons, and the Base part of the damage formula is altered to:
- Base = 29 - Enemy's Defense
Use[]
Wizard Rod is the last available rod for Dagger, and so she may already have her ultimate rod, the Whale Whisker, found from a chocograph with an ocean-faring Choco. Whale Whisker has better stats and also teaches Curaga, whereas Dagger may have already mastered Protect and Shell from previous equipment. If this is the case, then the player can skip buying the Wizard Rod altogether, as it is not needed for synthesis.
If the player is not doing the chocobo sidequest, then Wizard Rod is Dagger's best rod.
Other appearances[]
Garnet holding the Wizard Rod in Dimensions II.
Garnet appears as a non-elemental summon in Final Fantasy Dimensions II. Two Garnet summons are available to players, Garnet and Garnet OR. Each Garnet phantom stone is based on a design of Garnet from Final Fantasy IX. The default design depicts her with long hair and wielding the Wizard Rod.

