D&D 5e Final Fantasy Tactics: Intro & Index

Intro & Index

Disclaimer

I don't represent Wizards of the Coast, who owns D&D; nor do I represent Square-Enix, who owns the Final Fantasy franchise. From what I understand, everything in this series falls under fair use. To play D&D (even with the suggested modifications herein) you will need to have the D&D 5th Edition rules. You can buy those on Amazon, here Player's Handbook and here Dungeon Master's Guide. Final Fantasy doesn't have an official tabletop RPG, but you can easily buy Final Fantasy Tactics Playstation Classic [PS3, PSP, PS Vita], War of the Lions, [PSP/PS Vita], War of the Lions, [Android], War of the Lions, [iOS], or Playstation Classic [PS1, PS2, PS3] and experience the most enjoyable SRPG I've ever played, with an excellent story and world. (If you're wondering which I'd recommend picking up, it would be either the Classic one, because the game looks better in 4:3 than in stretched 16:9, or the PSP one, because the translation is worlds better, and there are voice acted cutscenes).

Preamble

In this series of articles, I'm going to be looking into how to Mechanically use D&D 5th edition to run a campaign set in the world of Final Fantasy Tactics

I won't be writing up a campaign setting for the world or anything like that (If you want one of those, you'll have to look at the Wiki), I'm only focusing on what to do to adapt the mechanics of D&D 5th Edition so that it can provide a reasonable mechanical facsimile of FFT's characters and world, usable if you want to run a FFT Tabletop RPG Campaign.

Index

• The Basics
• Spells Assessment
  • FFT - Spells Assessment 1
  • FFT - Spells Assessment 2
• Character Jobs
  • Job Analysis
  • Job Creation 1 [Assassin/Ninja, Monk]
  • Job Creation 2 [Mystic, Orator]
  • Job Creation 3 [Fencer, Black Mage]
  • Job Creation 4 [Archer, Machinist]
  • Job Creation 5 [Dragonkin]
  • Job Creation 6 [Dragoon]
  • Job Creation 7 [Dark Knight Part 1]
  • Job Creation 8 [Dark Knight Part 2]
  • Job Creation 9 [White Mage/Cleric]

Hawkwinter

Hawkwinter's Paradox [Hawkwinter's Musings]

I've talked to friends about this phenomenon for years, in a sort of tongue-in cheek, complaining, sort of way (which I've never really heard anyone else talk about), and, recently, a friend heard me mention it, and named the concept after me.

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Hawkwinter's Paradox:

"The likelihood of the game you want to be a player in existing is inversely proportionate to the likelihood that you will get to be a player in that game"

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Which is of course to say - generally speaking, if there's something specific you want to play, you won't be able to find anyone else running it. You'll have to run it yourself. And now you don't get to play. Because everyone else is either "Running what they want to run", or "Running what They wish they could play."

Back when I first pondered this conundrum, I came up with a hypothetical solution: "I just need to find someone who would run the kind of game I want to play, and set up a quid pro quo relationship where I run the kind of game they want to play! Easy!"
However, I have never met such a person or formed such a quid pro quo relationship.

Now I'm thinking if that's something I want, the only way to get that is to find someone I'm confident could and would run such a campaign for me, likely through a paid arrangement over the internet. I haven't taken the plunge to attempt such a thing, but apparently there are some DMs for hire such as the guy from the youtube channel DawnForgedCast, and his services are apparently in demand.

I dunno. Maybe one day I'll try hiring someone else to run the games I want to play. Otherwise: "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

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In other news, I recognize this blog has been inactive for a bit over a year now. This year's been an exhausting mess, and a lot has happened. I hope to bring the blog back up and running late this fall, alongside some other projects.

D&D 5e – Playable Vampire Template

So, I'm getting ready to run a new 5e Campaign (in Forgotten Realms) with my group, and two of the players asked me if they could play (and start) as classic Ravenloft-esque vampires, apparently because they're on a Castlevania kick. Being the accommodating and homebrew-comfortable DM that I am, I said yes.

Looked around a bit, didn't like any of the options I was able to find (including the race of pseudovampires from MtG and the homebrewed prestige class). With a bit of reviewing and suggestions from a friend, and a lot of reviewing the sorts of abilities vampires have in both 5e and previous editions of the game, I came up with a template that I'm comfortable allowing the players to have. It feels very much like it fits the themes of a D&D vampire, without giving the characters abilities that are too powerful for any given character level. It was also important to me that it be a template rather than class levels, so if the character is killed and resurrected (whereby they would come back without vampirism) the character would not have to be rebuilt, simply remove the template. The worst logistical issue would arise from them (possibly) having to replace vampire specific feats they took, which is much simpler, and has a smaller impact if they have to finish a session without them.

So, there has also been some confusion about what this is, and how I'm intending to use it, so I'm editing the post to try to clarify the goals and intentions and design target:

• This does not take the place of a race or a class. This is designed to be something you can bolt on to basically any character or monster, except when it wouldn't make sense, like a fire elemental.
• I'm approaching the design not as a race or class. This template should function more like a cursed artifact, that's very difficult to get rid of without dying and being revived, and which unlocks new level-appropriate abilities as you level up.
• As a result, in terms of the number of abilities you have, this should increase versatility. But in terms of actual Power, this template should keep things fairly close to where they were before. For instance, a 7th level Wizard should be about as effective at handling any single encounter as a 7th level Vampire wizard, but the Vampire Wizard would have some more options to work with, as well as some restrictions and shortcomings to work around.

The daylight and water weaknesses could be a very large hurdle, so much so that this will not be suitable to all campaigns. Primarily those where the characters spend a lot of time outdoors during the day. Another significant concern is the shortage of low level spells that can heal undead in 5e. In my particular case I'll be allowing coming up with some healing abilities to fill that gap. I have not determined what they will be yet, but I may allow a necrotic lay-on-hands from the vampire paladin, and I may also add in a new spell for clerics that heals undead but not the living.

Vampire

Any creature that is not an elemental, construct, or undead can become a vampire. When a creature becomes a vampire, it retains all statistics except as noted below.

Vampire Traits

Undead Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. Undead creatures don’t breathe, and don’t need to sleep.

Darkvision: 60ft.

Damage Vulnerability: Radiant, piercing damage from wooden weapons, slashing damage from silver weapons.

Damage Resistance: Necrotic; nonmagical bludgeoning damage.

Shadowless: A vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror.

Blood Drain: A vampire can spend 1 minute sucking blood from a grappled, paralyzed, restrained, stunned, unconscious, or willing opponent, giving the victim one level of exhaustion. For each size category smaller that the victim is, increase the levels of exhaustion given by 1. For each size category larger than the vampire that the victim is, increase the number of times the Blood Drain action has to be used before the victim gets a level of exhaustion by 1 (larger creatures have more blood). For instance, a medium vampire trying to blood drain a gargantuan creature has to blood drain 4 times before the victim takes a level of exhaustion. When a vampire uses Blood Drain, it recovers a level of exhaustion.

Create Spawn: After reaching level 3, A vampire can choose to take a level of exhaustion (for thirst, if you’re tracking such things). if it does, it can spend 30 seconds giving a dead creature vampirism. The DM rolls a medium Charisma+Proficiency check (Charisma+level bonus for my group) for the vampire (in secret). The vampire can attempt this multiple times, taking a level of exhaustion each time. Each time it is attempted, the DM records the best result. On a success, the target rises again as a vampire at the next sundown. If the vampire failed the Charisma Check, if the target’s body is destroyed by fire, if the target has been decapitated, or if the target has been dead for longer than 2 minutes before the vampire starts to Create Spawn, the creature simply remains dead..

Hard to Kill: Vampires can only truly *die* a handful of ways: fire, sunlight, running water, decapitation, massive damage. When a vampire drops to 0hp, they do not make death saves (and can suffer neither death saving throw successes or failures), they stay inert unless something brings them back to 1hp, or kills them. When at or below 0hp, a vampire continues to accrue levels exhaustion from thirst. On the one hand, this means they don't have a 50% chance of death in a few rounds. On the other hand, this means vampires never stabilize during combat, and when taken down they stay down, giving their enemies lots of time to finish them off.

Torpor: A vampire who would die of exhaustion does not carry on to an afterlife. They remain trapped in their unmoving husk, trapped with no senses, with only their own thoughts to keep them company. A vampire in torpor can be resuscitated using a pint of fresh blood, which activates their regeneration ability. They come back with 4 levels of thirst exhaustion (an additional 4 pints will bring them back without any exhaustion). If they were in Torpor for more than a day, they come back with one indefinite madness trait. If they were in torpor for more than 7 days, they come back with two indefinite madness traits instead.

Regeneration: As a bonus action, if it isn't in fire, sunlight, or running water, the vampire can choose to take a level of exhaustion (for thirst, if you’re tracking such things). If it does, for the next 5 rounds, it regains its level in hit points at the start of its turn. If the vampire takes radiant damage, fire damage, acid damage from running water, or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the vampire's next turn. A vampire who is at 0hp and has fewer than 5 levels of exhaustion can activate this ability once per day, at dusk (after accumulating any applicable thirst exhaustion for the day). Once the vampire uses this ability, it can’t use it again until it finishes a long rest.

Climb: A vampire climbs without it costing additional movement.

Spider Climb: After reaching level 5, a vampire is treated as though it were permanently under the effects of a Spider-Climb spell.

Vampiric Powers

If a vampire isn’t in sunlight or running water, it can use the following abilities.

Children of the Night: As an action, when indoors, a vampire can magically call swarms of bats or rats, or half as many swarms of centipedes or spiders. While outdoors, it can instead call wolves or giant wolf spiders (as appropriate to the environment). The number of creatures called is as follows:

Level	Type
1	Swarm (Bat, Rat)	1d4
1	Swarm (Centipede, Spider)	1d2
1	Wolves, Giant Wolf Spiders	2d4
3	Swarm (Bat, Rat)	2d3
3	Swarm (Centipede, Spider)	1d3
3	Wolves, Giant Wolf Spiders	2d6
5	Swarm (Bat, Rat)	2d4
5	Swarm (Centipede, Spider)	1d4
5	Wolves, Giant Wolf Spiders	3d6

The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds. The vampire can direct them using verbally and somatically, as a bonus action. The creatures remain for 1 hour, until the vampire dies, or until it dismisses them as a bonus action. Once the vampire uses this ability, it can’t use it again until it finishes a long rest.

Charm: Starting at level 3, a vampire can target a humanoid it can see within 30 ft. of it. If the target can see them as well, the target must succeed on a DC (8+Proficiency+CHA) Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire’s control, it takes the vampire’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the vampire’s Blood Drain attack.

A target that succeeds its saving throw is immune to the vampire’s charm ability for 24 hours. Each time the vampire or the vampire's companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 8 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect. Once the vampire uses this ability, it can’t use it again until it finishes a long rest.

Weaknesses

Diet Restriction: A vampire can only subsist on blood. For purposes of hunger and thirst, vampires are immune to hunger, but are twice as thirsty, and the only fluid that will nourish them is blood. For a vampire, thirst exhaustion is evaluated at dusk each day.

Forbiddance: The vampire can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.

Harmed by Running Water: The vampire takes 20 acid damage if it starts its turn in running water. It takes 10 acid damage if it starts its turn in heavy rain, and it takes 5 acid damage if it starts its turn in light rain. If the creature had a swim speed before becoming a vampire, it does not have this weakness.

Stake to the Heart: If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the vampire's heart while the vampire is incapacitated or unconscious, the vampire is paralyzed until the stake is removed.

Sunlight Hypersensitivity: The vampire takes 10 radiant damage (doubled for vulnerability) when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Vampire Feats

Vampiric Magery

Prerequisite: Ability to cast 1st level spells, Vampire
At each indicated character level, choose one of the listed spells to be permanently added to your spells prepared. They do not count towards your limit.

• 1st - Cause Fear, Command, Fog Cloud
• 3rd - Darkness, Misty Step, Suggestion
• 5th - Hold Person, Fly, Meld Into Stone, Speak with Dead
• 7th - Arcane Eye, Dominate Beast
• 9th - Dominate Person, Dream, Geas

Vampiric Shapeshifting

Prerequisite: Character Level 4, Vampire
If you aren’t in sunlight or running water, you can use your action to transform into one of the following forms, or back to your own natural form.

• Bat Form: Starting at level 4, you can transform into a tiny bat. While in bat form, you can't speak or take any actions, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. Your statistics, other than your size and speed, are unchanged. You revert to your true form if you die.
• Mist Form: Starting at level 6, you can transform into a medium cloud of mist. While in mist form, you can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You are weightless, have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, you can do so without squeezing, and you can't pass through water. You have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and you are immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage you take from sunlight, running water, or fire. You revert to your true form if you die.

Vampiric Charm

Prerequisite: Character level 4, Vampire
Your charm ability is usable at-will, and now lasts 24 hours.

So, I know that some people are very against players having templates, such as for a vampire, or lich, or what have you. In my experience it works out well so long as the template in question isn't adding large stacking bonuses to what the player already had. But at this point, this template looks like it should get the job done without breaking the game. I'll come back and update this after it's been at the table for a while, and detail how it worked out for us.

D&D - Concerning Alignment, Personality Traits

Preamble

So, I was writing on a different topic, but I realized that it was going to take longer than I had, so I’ve switched topics for today, to another topic I have been wanting to write about, that I can do with less time. I intend to finish and put up my other post in the near future.

That said, today’s topic is Alignment.

Premise

So, I’ve never been a fan of D&D’s alignment system. An alignment system CAN be a very handy tool to give the player ideas and quickly communicate your character's personality to the DM. The D&D alignment system, however, is far too vague to be any good for that. Particularly with the 9 alignments as distinct things. So, in the past, I have done the individual axes separately. I came up with separate definitions for Good, Evil, Lawful, and Chaotic. And that was at least consistent. But today, I’m going with an alternate “Alignment” system entirely. This replaces D&D’s conventional alignment system, act as fleshed out personality traits and flaws, and work with bonds and ideals.

Alignment System

So, I wanted an alignment system that not only helps the player iron out how they intend to play their character, but also, give the DM a good indication of how the character will play.

Choose two to four Core Character Traits that apply to your character. The only restriction, is you cannot choose opposing keywords.

Choose between four and eight Secondary Character Traits that best describe your character. If you have something in mind that is not on the list, talk to your DM, he should keep an open mind.

Core Character Traits

• A) Selfless - Willing to risk harm to yourself and your interests for the benefit of others.
• B) Selfish - Willing to see harm come to others for your own interests.
• A) Deliberate - Prefers to plan out their actions in advance.
• B) Spontaneous - Prefers to improvise their actions on the fly.
• A) Honorable - Has a code of ethics they stick to, believes in upholding responsibility.
• B) Dishonorable - Has no code of ethics and does what they feel like, and has no regard for responsibilities.
• A) Law-Abiding - Respects the authorities and their mandates.
• B) Criminal - Lacks respect for authorities and their mandates.

Secondary Character Traits

Absent-Minded, Accepting, Accomodating, Aggressive, Alert, Aloof, Ambitious, Anxious, Assertive, Arrogant, Attention-Whore, Awkward, Bigoted, Blabbermouthed, Bloodthirsty, Blunt, Boastful, Boorish, Brave, Callous, Candid, Cautious, Charitable, Compassionate, Compliment-prone, Condescending, Confident, Conformist, Confrontational, Considerate, Contrary, Contentious, Convoluted, Cowardly, Creative, Crude, Cruel, Curious, Dedicated, Defensive, Delegating, Deliberate, Dependent, Diplomatic, Direct, Disciplined, Distractible, Distrustful, Dogmatic, Doubtful, Down-to-Earth, Dutiful, Egotistical, Emotional, Empathetic, Emulous, Energetic, Excited, Fair, Fame-seeking, Fanatical, Fashionable, Fickle, Fidgety, Flexible, Forgetful, Foul-Mouthed, Generous, Gluttonous, Gossip, Greedy, Gruff, Haughty, Hawkish, Hostile, Hot-headed, Humorless, Hyperbolic, Idealistic, Immature, Impatient, Impulsive, Imperious, Indecisive, Independent, Indifferent, Indirect, Inflexible, Inquisitive, Insecure, Insensitive, Insightful, Jealous, Judgmental, Lazy, Level-Headed, Logical, Loose-Tongued, Merciless, Miserly, Naive, Narcissistic, Nervous, Noncommittal, Nosey, Nurturing, Obsessive, Obstinate, Open-Minded, Opinionated, Optimistic, Outspoken, Overconfident, Overprotective, Pacifistic, Paranoid, Peremptory, Perfectionistic, Pessimistic, Petty, Philosophical, Polite, Possessive, Practical, Pragmatic, Prideful, Protective, Proud, Rational, Reasonable, Reckless, Reliable, Romantic, Sadistic, Sarcastic, Secretive, Self-Centered, Self-Deprecating, Self-Righteous, Sesquipedalian, Sheltered, Sincere, Spineless, Spiteful, Spontaneous, Sticky-Fingered, Striving, Stubborn, Superstitious, Supportive, Suspecting, Suspicious, Tactless, Tactful, Talkative, Temperamental, Tenacious, Theatrical, Tight-Lipped, Timid, Traditional, Trusting, Trustworthy, Uncompromising, Unfeeling, Unforgiving, Unreliable, Unsatisfied, Untrustworthy, Vain, Vengeful, Verbose, Wise, Withdrawn

Conclusion

Well, I've been wanting to iron out this alignment system I've been mulling around for a few months, and I think this ended up as a great first-draft. I expect to make use of this little subsystem in my next campaign, instead of the standard D&D alignment.

Leave me some comments if you have any additional keywords that would better flesh out the list of secondary personality keywords!

— Hawkwinter

FFT - Spells Assessment 2

Right. Spells assessment #2. This time I'm covering all of the PHB Spells up to 5th Level. It takes some real time reviewing all of these spells, just because there's a lot of them.

Player's Handbook

Lv 3

All Clear

Animate Dead, Beacon of Hope, Bestow Curse, Blinding Smite, Call Lightning, Conjure Barrage, Counterspell, Crusader's Mantle, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Elemental Weapon, Fear, Fireball, Fly, Gaseous Form, Glyph of Warding, Haste, Hunger of Hadar, Hypnotic Pattern, Lightning Arrow, Magic Circle, Mass Healing Word, Phantom Steed, Plant Growth, Protection from Energy, Remove Curse, Revivify, Sleet Storm, Slow, Spirit Guardians, Stinking Cloud, Vampiric Touch, Water Breathing, Water Walk

Rejected

Clairvoyance, Conjure Animals, Create Food and Water, Feign Death, Sending, Speak with Plants, Tongues

Maybe

Aura of Vitality, Blink, Leomund's Tiny Hut - Probably too much, Major Image, Meld Into Stone, Nondetection - Probably unnecessary given how limited the divination effects are going to be, Speak with Dead - Probably too divinatory.

Lv 4

All Clear

Aura of Purity, Banishment, Blight, Compulsion, Confusion, Control Water, Death Ward, Dimension Door, Dominate Beast, Evard's Black Tentacles, Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement, Grasping Vine, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Ice Storm, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Staggering Smite, Stone Shape, Stoneskin, Wall of Fire

Rejected

Conjure Minor Elementals, Conjure Woodland Beings, Divination - Too much Divination., Fabricate, Giant Insect - Unlikely, Leomund's Secret Chest, Locate Creature

Maybe

Arcane Eye - This is about the extent of Divination that might be reasonable., Aura of Life - Could be okay. Would be more setting appropriate if nerfed, like most D&D healing, Guardian of Faith - Could be good for Summoner

Lv 5

All Clear

Antilife Shell, Banishing Smite, Bigby's Hand, Circle of Power, Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Conjure Volley, Contagion, Destructive Wave, Dispel Evil and Good, Dominate Person, Flame Strike, Greater Restoration, Hallow, Hold Monster, Insect Plague, Mass Cure Wounds, Passwall, Planar Binding, Swift Quiver, Telekinesis, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone

Rejected

Commune, Commune with Nature, Conjure Elemental, Creation, Dream - Monsters Only, Legend Lore, Raise Dead, Rary's Telepathic Bond, Reincarnate, Scrying, Teleportation Circle

Maybe

Animate Objects - A bit too conjury, Awaken - It's cool, but not exactly on-theme, Contact Other Plane, Geas - Monsters yes, PCs Maybe, Mislead, Modify Memory, Seeming - Such disguise features may be excessive, Tree Stride - Maybe

Conclusion

Made a decent dent in them, most of the spells were clear-cut yes or no, and it was just about the time it took to read through them. Along the way I also started taking notes on Jobs that could be a good fit for some of them, as well. Once I complete this series I will be sure to post a finalized list of all the whitelisted spell effects.

Sorry these posts are a bit dry. They are useful, however. I'm thinking the next post is going to be a departure from what I've been working on thus far, and perhaps even a departure from the FFT 5e series. I want something different, to give myself a change of pace from reviewing stuff for several hours a week. We'll see what I come up with.

FFT - Spells Assessment 1

Premise

So, I'm going to go through all the spells (at least the ones in the PHB, we'll see about other sources) and determining which ones are appropriate or inappropriate for a War of the Lions style campaign. Why? Having a blacklist of spells and types of effects will be useful in determining what can be allowed, as well as what to include in homebrew Jobs/Classes/what have you. The overall magic level of FFT is lower than D&D, so stuff is going to get cut. That said, there's also going to be effects and spell types that are widespread and appreciated in FFT that D&D lacks, but that's probably a subject for another post.

Player's Handbook

Lv 0

All Clear

Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Chill Touch, Dancing Lights, Fire Bolt, Friends, Guidance, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Minor Illusion, Poison Spray, Produce Flame, Ray of Frost, Resistance, Sacred Flame, Shillelagh, Shocking Grasp, Spare the Dying (Maybe shouldnt be a cantrip anymore), Thaumaturgy, Thorn Whip, True Strike, Vicious Mockery

Rejected

Eldritch Blast (Way better than the other damage cantrips, unless you have a LOT of DR), Message (Communications)

Maybe

Druidcraft

Lv 1

All Clear

Animal Friendship, Armor of Agathys, Arms of Hadar (Burst!), Bless, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Chromatic Orb, Color Spray, Command, Compelled Duel, Cure Wounds, Disguise Self, Dissonant Whispers, Divine Favor, Ensnaring Strike, Entangle, Expeditious Retreat, Faerie Fire, False Life, Feather Fall, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, Grease, Guiding Bolt, Hail of Thorns, Healing Word, Hellish Rebuke, Heroism, Hex, Inflict Wounds, Jump, Longstrider, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil and Good, Ray of Sickness, Sanctuary, Searing Smite, Shield, Shield of Faith, Silent Image, Sleep, Speak with Animals, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Tenser's Floating Disk, Thunderous Smite, Witch Bolt, Wrathful Smite

Rejected

Comprehend Languages (Ancient Mysteries), Create or Destroy Water, Detect Evil and Good, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, Goodberry, Identify, Illusory Script, Purify Food and Drink, Unseen Servant,

Maybe

Alarm (Mental Alarm is inappropriate)

Lv 2

All Clear

Aid, Alter Self, Arcane Lock, Augury, Barkskin, Beast Sense, Blindness, Deafness, Blur, Branding Smite, Calm Emotions, Cloud of Daggers, Cordon of Arrows, Crown of Madness, Darkness, Darkvision, Enhance Ability, Enlarge/Reduce, Enthrall, Find Steed, Flame Blade, Flaming Sphere, Gentle Repose, Heat Metal, Hold Person, Invisibility, Lesser Restoration, Levitate, Locate Animals or Plants, Magic Mouth, Magic Weapon, Melf's Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Misty Step, Pass Without Trace, Phantasmal Force, Protection from Poison, Ray of Enfeeblement, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility, Shatter, Silence, Spiritual Weapon, Suggestion, Warding Bond, Web

Rejected

Animal Messenger, Continual Flame, Detect Thoughts, Find Traps, Knock, Locate Object, Moonbeam, Nystul's Magic Aura, Rope Trick, Zone of Truth

Maybe

Prayer of Healing (No chance of wrong targets?), Spider Climb

Conclusion

So, I somewhat underestimated how long going through all of these spells would take. It's going to take a couple of posts to get through all of these, but that's okay.

A lot of the spells that are a bad fit, are to do with divination and communications. A few also have to do with necessities like food and water.

I suspect the PHB will take another 1-2 posts, and then the other sources will be much quicker. I may do some back and forth in the meantime. It'll make things more interesting if it's not all Jobs all the time until they're finished.

D&D 5e FFT: Jobs 9

Job Creation 9

Welcome to Part 9 of Job Builds

Today we're going to take a look at how to do the FFT White Mage job for 5e. Because of the Overlap, this is also going to be the "Cleric" job.

Now, I just wanted to say that, after going through Dark Knight, I think that's the right way to handle Job Spell-Lists. The ones where I made minor adjustments to the list are not the way to go, they should be focused on what the Job should do. Particularly if we're going to allow a FFT-esque dual-Job setup (I intend to go into this later). I will want to update them later. But for now, I'm moving forward. I will go back and update the others later.

White Mage/"Cleric"

Premise — The White Mage is a mage has a variety of support magic which is used at range.

Core Gameplay Abilities — Cure, Raise, Reraise, Regen, Protect, Shell, Wall, Esuna, Holy

Premise — So we're gonna build White Mage, out of whatever we can find that's the closest fit for 5e.

Class/Subclass Options

Life Cleric — Proficiencies: Too heavy on the armor. Shields don't fit. The rest is good.

• Life Domain Spells: Pretty good fit. They cover most of the spells we actually want.
• Life Domain Proficiency: This is worse. Likely has to do with needing to get close to heal in D&D whereas you can do it at range in FFT> We may need to look at that.
• Disciple of Life: This one is a good fit.
• Turn Undead Not a great fit, but not terrible.
• Preserve Life This is a good fit.
• Destroy Undead Not a great fit, but not terrible.
• Blessed Healer Decent fit.
• Divine Strike Sure, I guess.
• Divine Intervention Absolutely not, in a setting where the existence of God is in question.
• Supreme Healing Maximized Healing is good.

All of the healing options can never hit undesired targets. This runs counter to what we want, but would require redesigned healing magics, so we're gonna leave it alone for now.

Protection Cleric — Proficiencies: Too heavy on the armor. Shields don't fit. The rest is good.

• Protection Domain Spells: A couple decent picks.
• Protection Domain Proficiency: This is worse.
• Shield of the Faithful: Nope.
• Turn Undead Not a good fit.
• Radiant Defense A bit much.
• Destroy Undead Not a good fit.
• Blessed Healer Decent fit.
• Divine Strike Sure, I guess.
• Divine Intervention Absolutely not, in a setting where the existence of God is in question.
• Indomitable Defense A bit much for White Mage, maybe.

Abjuration Wizard — Not a great fit.

• Arcane Recovery: Eh, sure.
• Abjuration Savant: Sure, why not, I guess.
• Arcane Ward: Decent.
• Projected Ward: Decent.
• Improved Abjuration: Decent.
• Spell Mastery: Sure why not
• Signature Spells: Sure why not

FFIV Project Spirit Master White Mage — This one looks promising. Proficiencies: Great.

• Soothe Sayer: Cheesy name, but good ability.
• Discipline: We want Spirit Master
• Conservation of Life: This one is very interesting. Neat White Mage capstone.
• Worldly Beyond Sure.
• Spirit Master Expanded Spell List All good spells.
• Shroud of Saints Very Short term Self-Protection. fluff fits.
• Surging Succor Decent fit.
• Clerical Smite Sure, I guess.
• Touch of the Padjal Crappier Supreme Healing

The spell list is promising, but it seems to mostly just be a crappy Cleric- otherwise.

Right then. Life Cleric is our closest starting point, so that's where we're going to start.

White Mage/"Cleric" (Life/Protection Cleric)

"A mage who taps into the powers of the divine, using White Magicks to cast spells of recovery and protection."

Proficiencies

Armor: Light Armor only, no Shields

Weapons: No Change

Tools: No Change

Saving Throws: No Change

Skills: No Change

Class & Subclass Features

Healer's Knowledge: You also become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. This replaces Life Domain Proficiency.

Radiant Confidence: When you reach 10th level, you can't be charmed or frightened by celestials, fiends, or undead, and you are immune to poison and disease. This replaces Divine Intervention.

Spell List

White Mage "Life" Spells:

1st: Sanctuary, Healing Word

2nd: Prayer of Healing, Lesser Restoration

3rd: Beacon of Hope, Revivify

4th: Death Ward, Regen*

5th: Flame Strike, Mass Cure Wounds

Cantrips

Gust, Light, Mending, Resistance, Sacred Flame, Spare the Dying, Thaumaturgy

1st Level Spells

Cure Wounds, Detect Magic (Ritual), Detect Poison and Disease (Ritual), Guiding Bolt, Heroism, Protection from Evil and Good, Purify Food and Drink (Ritual), Shield of Faith

2nd Level Spells

Aid, Calm Emotions, Continual Flame, Gentle Repose (Ritual), Gust of Wind, Protection from Poison, Warding Bond

3rd Level Spells

Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding, Magic Circle, Mass Healing Word,, Protection from Energy, Remove Curse, Spirit Guardians, Tongues

4th Level Spells

Freedom of Movement, Guardian of Faith, Tetragrammaton*

5th Level Spells

Antilife Shell, Commune (Ritual), Dispel Evil and Good, Greater Restoration

6th Level Spells

Find the Path, Forbiddance, Heal

7th Level Spells

Fire Storm, Regenerate

8th Level Spells

Antimagic Field, Holy Aura

9th Level Spells

Astral Projection, Mass Heal

Roleplay: A White Mage might be part of the clergy, or they could just as well be a mage who simply studied the healing arts. Either way, you're interested in helping people.

So As you can see, I'm shifting gears just a little bit, having decided on the more focused spell-lists. The more focused lists should also allow us to dual-class more meaningfully as well, which is very FFT-esque. Arcane Ward, Projected Ward, and Improved Abjuration could all make good additions to this class, if we were to want to change anything out (such as possibly removing the turn and destroy undead features).

Next article is going to be a bit of a change of pace. I'm going to comb through the spell-list, and sort it into stuff that belongs in an FFT campaign, and stuff that just doesn't. It'll be of benefit to us building the rest of the Jobs, and it'll be of benefit when I go back to update the ones I didn't do this way.

— Hawkwinter