Pipe Dreams: Blue Mage (the caster DPS)

[Duelle]

After some revisions and a lot of thinking, I finally was able to finish a blue mage concept.

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Blue Mage

Cross Classes: THM (Swiftcast, Surecast, Blizzard II), ACN (Physic, Ruin, Virus)
Weapon: Jeweled Gauntlet

Mechanics: Blue mages have two mechanics. The first is aetheric instability. By tapping into the life force of their enemies, they can increase the power of Lesser Blue Magic. This is achieved in "cycles" of three spells. The way cycles work is as follows:

Opening spell (or Magic Missile) => mob gains debuff Aetheric Instability => second spell correlating to beast affinity => mob gains Greater Aetheric Instability => Third spell => mob loses Greater Aetheric instability (this is called a completed cycle)

The second mechanic is Lore, a resource that fills up over time as you use Lesser Blue Magic. Lore is consumed when you use Greater Blue Magic, and the amount of lore consumed varies by spell.

Abilities

Aetheric Instability - Increases potency of direct attacks by 20% and the duration of damage over-time effects by 15% for 10s.
Greater Aetheric Instability - Increases potency of direct attacks by 30% and the duration of damage over-time effects by 30% for 10s.

01 Magic Missile - Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 150. Can only start a cycle.
02 Power Attack (Beetle) - Deals blunt damage with a potency of 160.
04 Efflux - Spells consume TP in addition to their MP costs, increasing their damage dealt by 10%. Duration: 15s. Cooldown: 150.
06 Acid Mist (Ochu) - Poison nearby enemies, dealing damage over time with a potency of 40 for 21s.
08 Final Sting (Giant Hornet) - Delivers an attack with a potency of 250. If used on a target that is not below 20% HP, consumes 25% of your current HP. Cooldown: 90s.
10 Magus Fist - Delivers an attack with a potency of 50. Additional effect: Stun for 3s. Cooldown: 40s. Requires melee range.
12 Screwdriver (Pugil) - Deals water aspected damage with a potency of 180.
15 Lancet - Deals damage over time with a potency of 30. Restores MP over 9 seconds. Movement or actions taken cancel the effect. Range: 20y. Cooldown: 30s.
18 Sanguine Bite (Wolf) - Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 200. Additional effect: Converts damage dealt to HP. Cooldown: 45s.
22 Wing Cutter (Vulture) - Deals wind aspected damage with a potency of 100 in a cone before you. Additional effect: Knockback.
26 Hammer Beak (Ziz) - Deals blunt damage with a potency of 180. Additional effect: Reduces Blunt resistance by 10% for 30 seconds.
30 Magic Hammer - Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100. Restores MP equal to damage dealt. Cooldown: 30s.
34 Chain Affinity - Grants 2 stacks of Chain Affinity. Reduces cast time of the next spell by 25% per stack. Duration: 10s. Cooldown: 90s.
38 Eerie Light (Eft) - Reduces nearby enemies' resistance to magic by 10% for 10s. Cooldown: 60s.
42 Bellowing Grunt (Boar) - Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 50 to nearby enemies. Additional effect: Stun for 2s. Cooldown: 40s.
46 King's Will (Dullahan) - Increases damage dealt by 10% for 20s. Cooldown: 60s.
50 Thirst for Lore - Consumes 1 unit of Lore to restore MP. Cooldown: 45s.

Traits

08 Enhanced Intelligence
14 Azure Lore - Grants access to one unit of lore.
16 Enhanced Intelligence II
20 Critical Lore - When your direct damage spells deal critical damage, they contribute double the amount to generating Lore.
24 Azure Lore II - Grants access to an additional unit of lore.
28 Repeating Cycle - Finishing a cycle has a 15% chance to apply Aetheric Instability on target.
32 Enhanced Intelligence III
36 Enhanced Efflux - Reduces the cooldown of Efflux to 120s.
40 Epiphany - Completing a cycle has a 10% chance to generate one full unit of Lore.
44 Azure Lore III - Grants access to an additional unit of lore.
48 Extended Chain - Chain Affinity now grants 3 stacks.

Job Abilities

30 Lifebreak (Archaeodaemon) - Consumes 1 unit of Lore. Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 150. (note: this counts as a lv14 ability for level synch purposes)
35 Burst Affinity - Reduces the potency of the next 3 spells by 40% but causes them to deal damage to target and all nearby enemies. Cooldown: 90s.
40 Bad Breath (Marlboro) - Afflicts enemies in a cone before you with Blind, Paralyze, Slow, Weight and Poison for 10s.
45 Mind Blast (Mindflayer) - Consumes 2 units of Lore. Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100. Additional effect: Paralyze for 20s.
50 Grand Delta (Hidon) - Consumes 3 units of Lore. Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 400.
52 White Wind (Great Bird) - Consumes up to 3 units of lore. Restores own HP and that of nearby party members. Cure Potency: 150. Gains 50 potency per additional unit of Lore (250 potency at 3 units). Cooldown: 180s.
54 Extended Cycle - Allows Aetherial Instability and Greater Instability to persist for 3 spells. Duration: 15s. Cooldown: 60s.
56 Moon Flute (Magic Tome) - Consumes 3 units of Lore. Increases damage and attacks speed of all party members by 15% for 15s. Cooldown: 180s.
58 Charybdis (Behemoth) - Consumes 1 units of Lore. Creates a designated area that deals damage over time with a potency of 50 for 21s.
60 Unbridled Wisdom - Using Greater Blue Magic does not consume Lore for 10s. Cooldown: 180s.

The Questline (WARNING: Fanfiction Advisory is in effect)

BLU's questline should focus on the concept of blue magic as well as the risks involved.

30-50 Questline: Blue magic is dangerous and on questionable moral grounds. The key here is that neither the player character nor your companion NPC knows ANYTHING about blue magic aside from old stories and myths. It's truly something your character learns and figures out on their own without NPC guidance of any sort.

52-60 Questline: Blue magic is not only dangerous through its use, but can also affect the user if one is not careful. The art of Blue Magic is a relic of the ancient Belah'dians, who dabbled in aetherial manipulation to give their beast mages the strength, speed and endurance of beasts. The art itself was one that could only be wielded by a handful, as most would either lose themselves to the beast essence absorbed or become monsters themselves. Your companion NPCs for this arc would be experience blue mages that try to make sure you've properly learned the discipline, surprised you made it as far as you did on your own.

30 The Long Search (requires a lv50 job like with the DRk, AST and MCH unlocks)
30 Turning Blue
35 Behavioral basics
40 For posterity
45 A Blue Clue
50 Hidon Seek
50 Application of Knowledge (segue into the HW BLU story arc)
52 True Understanding
54 Past Present
56 A drop in the bucket
58 The unusual suspects
60 Give and Take

Achievements
Blue are the beasts that live inside me I-IV - Achieve blue mage level 30/40/50/60.
Da ba dee I - Complete the blue mage job quest "Hidon Seek".
Da ba dee II - Complete the blue mage job quest "Give and Take".

About Blue Magic

Blue Magic is split between Lesser Blue Magic and Greater Blue Magic

Lesser magic is what you learn naturally as you level. The difference between lesser magic and regular abilities is that anything related to monsters has to be learned by killing the respective monster. The unlock quest allows you to learn monster skills between levels 1 and 30 (since BLU is a job that starts at lv30 like DRK, AST and MCH), but anything beyond that has to be learned out in the world. For example, at lv38 your ability window will have a slot for Eerie Light, but you won't be able to use the skill until you kill an Eft-type mob. Same thing with King's Will (kill a Dullahan) and Bellowing Grunt (kill a boar).

Greater magic is learned through job quests and are gained at full power. They generally do not have cooldowns but require varying amounts of Lore to be used.

About Lore

Lore is a resource in a similar vein to ACN's aetherflow stacks. The difference is that the stacks are generated through appropriate use of Lesser Blue Magic and completing cycles. The easiest way to explain the concept of Lore is to think of it like the energy tanks in Super Metroid. Instead of filling up extra tanks as you collect life, using Lesser Blue Magic and completing cycles is what fills up your Lore "tanks". Once a "tank" hits 100% you get 1 unit of lore than can then be spent on Greater Blue Magic.

A spell that inflicts the mob with Aetheric Instability contributes 10%. A spell that inflicts the mob with Greater Aetheric Instability contributes 15%. A spell that finishes a cycle contributes 20%. The Critical Lore trait doubles the contribution when the spell in question crits. The Epiphany trait causes the spell in question to contribute 100%, thus filling a unit of Lore.

Notes

- The idea for the gauntlet was inspired by The Infinity Gauntlet. The concept here is that blue mages store the essence of beasts they slay in their gauntlets, drawing upon them when using their spells.
- Aesthetically, the gauntlet should have a jewel between each knuckle and one at the center of the palm.
- The idea behind the instability debuffs is to create a flexible combo system that can be changed on the fly. The benefits are also meant to make the player want to plan ahead.
- Something I did not add but am nevertheless considering is additional effects for spells used on enemies under Greater Aetheric Instability. I do feel it might make things a bit too complex but could also add something to the job's gameplay.
- Needless to say, BLU's DPS model is very focused on single-target damage with few options for AoE. It's role is that of a caster DPS, so it would stay at range next to the BLMs and SMNs in a group.
- Monster correlations are not in a perfect cycle the way they were in FFXI. They are sort of "who eats who" but not in a straight line. If someone can suggest a better way of organizing this, it'd be great, but for now the correlations are:

Birds < Plants < Beasts

Plants < Insects < lizards

Insects < Fish < Birds

Fish < Lizards < Beasts

- Magic Missile's role in this is as a sort of opener. You can use it to start a cycle if you want, and can follow it with any other spell that affects the mob to continue the cycle.
- Magus Fist is supposed to be a "oh shit I need to get away right now" type of ability, since it is meant to be used if you're getting trained by a melee or pull an extra mob. I was thinking of adding a back-step to it like what Repelling Shot and Elusive Jump have.
- MP recovery for BLU comes in the form of Lancet (channeled MP recovery), Magic Hammer (damage converted to MP) and Thirst for Lore (Lore converted to MP). This should be enough for a BLU to do their thing without forced breaks for MP.
- On the topic of Lancet, the animation would look similarly to this. The difference is that instead of pulling the target to the BLU, the link/chain would simulate draining MP from the target and transferring it to the BLU.
- Lifebreak might need a nerf or an additional effect. It's sort of tough because what I want to avoid is making spamming 3 Lifebreaks more efficient than using Grand Delta.

- The AF could be middle-eastern themed, could also take hints from Strago's aesthetic, or (if you really want to go crazy) could borrow from characters like Suikoden II's Zamza.

Questions, comments and so on are welcome.

[DarthVella]

Even before I finish reading, I'm going to say that having debuffs on monsters be affected by your spells would wreak havoc when you have two or more BLUs attacking the same monster, so that should probably be changed into self-buffs or at least somehow hidden from other players.

Having now finished, it sounds interesting and feasible for the most part. Unfortunately, I doubt the "star" system would make it into the game; the way data structures in databases work, it would probably require the kill count and target enemy tags to be applied to and then go unused for all skills on all player characters in the game.

Also, it is not my favourite take on the Blue Mage, but I will admit to being a little biased there :P

[Zohar_Lahar]

I definitely like the idea of Blue Mage as a caster class like BLM and SMN. Hoover, I feel that Blue Magic in this game needs to include Flying Sardine/Bream. Because if they're going to give cloudkin some projectile fish attacks, then I should think Blue Magic damn well better have spells involving projectile fish.

Also, I'd like to see Banish on their spell list since its technically a monster skill now after they revamped Thaumaturge in 1.x.

[Duelle]

Even before I finish reading, I'm going to say that having debuffs on monsters be affected by your spells would wreak havoc when you have two or more BLUs attacking the same monster, so that should probably be changed into self-buffs or at least somehow hidden from other players.

I figured it would work like Fester, which reacts only to your own debuffs on the mob.

Unfortunately, I doubt the "star" system would make it into the game; the way data structures in databases work, it would probably require the kill count and target enemy tags to be applied to and then go unused for all skills on all player characters in the game.

Hmm...if it's going to create database issues, then yeah we have a problem. The aim is really to placate the people who want to learn spells directly from monsters, which admittedly FFXIV's ability structure doesn't really allow.

I guess an alternative would be creating two sets of abilities (applicable only for lesser blue magic spells) and implement a hunting log of sorts (storywise this could be a monster journal that Strago kept when he was alive and you're just basically following what it says to unlock the power of your spells). Kill the prescribed mobs, and the spell is replaced by the full power version.

I definitely like the idea of Blue Mage as a caster class like BLM and SMN. However, I feel that Blue Magic in this game needs to include Flying Sardine/Bream. Because if they're going to give cloudkin some projectile fish attacks, then I should think Blue Magic damn well better have spells involving projectile fish.

I know the skill you're talking about, and if people don't feel silly about BLUs being able to throw fish at their enemies, I can probably squeeze it in somehow.

[DarthVella]

I figured it would work like Fester, which reacts only to your own debuffs on the mob.

Oh, right. Somehow I got the impression that the Instability debuffs on a single monster would be global to all players. Whoops!

[Duelle]

Updated section on blue magic and the questline. I actually ended up writing a synopsis of the 30-50 questline, but will put it here instead of the OP because I fear it would be too damn long. Fanfiction advisory is in effect. >.>;;

30 The Long Search

Description - Momodi's face brightens up upon seeing you, as if she'd just found someone to hoist a problem on to.

Momodi is at her wits' end, explaining that she's been dealing with someone that for intents and purposes is just a loiterer in the Quicksand. The loiterer seems to approach novice adventurers and tries to get them to escort her into the Sagoli, but as that area is beyond the capabilities of the novices, she's continued to hang around. Since she doesn't want her to continue wasting people's time, she wants you to see if you can either help this person out or convince her to look elsewhere for help.

You're introduced to the loiterer, who turns out to be a young woman named Relm. She explains that she's looking for a bodyguard to keep her safe during a trip to the Sagoli Desert. She mentions she was about to move on to the Canopy or the Wench (insert joke about having the feeling Momodi was ready to throw her out), and agrees to let you escort her through the Sagoli. She orders you to meet up with her at Forgotten Springs.

Upon arriving in Forgotten Springs, you get a cutscene where Relm is talking to the Nuhn, who mentions an old friend of his that passed by some time ago. It is here that you learn Relm is tracking down her grandfather, who vanished while on a journey to catalogue and study beast behavior. The Nuhn mentions a set of ruins to the south that Strago was heading towards on his last visit, and suggests you start your search there.

Upon reaching the ruins, you find some left-over items (that she recognizes as her grandfather's belongings) but little else. Among them, a strange stone that does not react to Relm, but reacts to you. Deeper in the ruins, you find a large stone mural with a symbol that matches the stone's. Some exposition is given here, as Relm explains the ruins are of Belah'dian origin. That's when you and Relm hear a voice echoing from the mural.

The voice asks the wielder of the stone (AKA you) to "sting" the mural. In exchange for this, it is willing to share with you the fate of the old magus (which Relm concludes is her grandfather). Desperate to know the fate of her grandfather, Relm asks you to wield the stone and use it on the mural, and gives you some items that were among the things left behind by her grandfather (royal blue-dyed velveteen cowl, a copper jeweled gauntlet and the Soul of the Blue Mage).

30 Turning Blue

Description - The jewels embedded into the mural glow ominously.

Note: When you equip the BLU crystal, you only have 5 abilities. Magic Missile, Efflux, Magus Fist, Lancet, and Magic Hammer.

After equipping the BLU crystal, you are prompted to use Lancet on the mural. Doing so triggers a cutscene where the chain/rope/tentacle linking you to the mural begins to glow, and you see energy moving from you to the mural. Several of the jewels inlaid into the mural also begin glowing. The voice echoes again, saying the seal is weakening as the first of the small jewels shatters. Each shattered jewel summons the shade of a monster that you must defeat. During this fight Relm will help you deal damage but focus on healing you.

First Wave: Phantom Beetle
Second Wave: Phantom Ochu, Phantom Pugil
Third Wave: Phantom Bee, Phantom Wolf, Phantom Vulture, Phantom Ziz

Upon defeating each enemy, you'll see that enemy be absorbed into your gauntlet and your ability bar will gain a new skill related to that enemy (ex: defeating the Phantom Bee will cause it to be absorbed by you and Final Sting will appear in your ability bar).

After defeating the three waves, the jewel at the very center of the mural will shatter, releasing an Archaeodaemon. This demon is the source of the voice, and before attacking you says that the great azure beast killed the old magus, but that you'll soon join him. Upon defeating it, you get a cutscene where you absorb the daemon.

Relm is shaken by how this turned out, and asks you to meet her back at Forgotten Springs. Upon meeting up with her, she tells you she'll look into the great azure beast the demon mentioned, and also tells you that the jewels on the mural were apparently used to seal this beast that killed her grandfather. She sends you away and asks that you tell no one about what you saw in the ruins, promising to call on you when she has something to work with.

Pose with the job stone. "You assimilate the essence of the Archaeodaemon, making its power yours. You learn Lifebreak."

35 Behavioral Basics

Description - Relm seems to be quite glad to see you, as if she has something for you.

Relm tells you she's ready to get back on the road, as Strago's journal mentions a monster he encountered in his youth. The journal refers to the beast as "Hidon", and mentions that her grandfather has been in the ruins before. Strago kept renewing the seal on the monster, and now that it's loose, she wants to prevent more lives being claimed.

She's also looked into the stone you found, but didn't find much on it other than very vague legends. She's not even sure what its role is in all this, as she never knew her grandfather was a magus or mage of any kind. All she knows is that the symbol inscribed on it seems to be linked to the Belah'dian beast mages.

She's heard of reports of something sending the coblyns in Western Thanalan into a frenzy, and wants you to come with her. Upon arriving, you see the miners near Copperbell Mines trying to keep safe from the mobs of coblyns in the area. In the background, you and Relm catch a glimpse of a great beast: Hidon. Before you can run to it, even more coblyns show up, forcing you to focus on protecting the miners.

Like the first quest's fight, this battle has Relm acting as your backup/healer. Upon succeeding, it is quite obvious Hidon got away. With no more leads to follow, she suggests you wait until she hears of another sighting.

Pose with the job stone. "You have discovered new power from within the Soul of the Blue Mage. You learn Burst Affinity."

40 For Posterity

Description - Relm looks pensive, but brightens up upon seeing you.

Relm tells you that she's just heard of a Hidon sighting from someone she knows in the Black Shroud. She has a plan and will discuss it with you in Quarrymill.

Upon arriving, Relm reveals she's set several traps and wants you to help in chasing Hidon down, leading it to the traps. Then it'd be a matter of putting down the beast.

This fight is basically a giant chase sequence. You follow Hidon (level ??), do battle with it for a bit, then follow it until you corner it again. After the fourth fight like this, Relm appears with some local hunters looking to trap it. At that point a Great Marlboro joins the fray, inflicting the hunters with Bad Breath, giving Hidon the chance to get away. With Relm out of action because of BB, you end up having to solo the Great Marlboro. You absorb the Marlboro upon killing it.

After the battle, Relm asks that you meet up with her at Forgotten Springs. Upon doing so, she tells you that she's surprised at how clever Hidon is. It's almost as if it can analyze the situation and maneuver around things a dumb animal would fall for. With nothing else to go on, she asks that you return once she's heard of another Hidon sighting.

Pose with the job stone. "You assimilate the essence of the Great Marlboro, making its power yours. You learn Bad Breath."

45 A Blue Clue

Description - Relm looks as if she's seen a ghost.

Relm starts off by mentioning she's received a missive containing one sentence: Seek me out. What's disturbing is that the handwriting is her grandfather's. But Strago is dead, so that's impossible. Changing the subject, she mentions another Hidon sighting in Central Shroud. And again she has another plan to try to corner the beast and asks that you meet her at Bentbranch Meadows.

Once you arrive, Relm tells you that she's heard of a monster that's been seen wandering the Tamtara Deepcroft. Upon arriving you also run into members of the Lambs of Dalamud, who seem to be rushing to battle something. Further in you run into three cultists that summon a Piscodaemon, and when they see you and Relm, decide to attack you (the cultists do mention you're not the intruder they're looking for). Upon killing the daemon, you absorb it.

After the fight, you get a cutscene where cultists are trying to fight Hidon. As you approach, Hidon uses its absorb ability, instantly killing the cultists before running away. Relm is mortified because the beast is using an ability she's seen you use to absorb monsters, but is using it on people. She begins suspecting something else happened to her grandfather. Before you leave, you find another small note, this time saying "End this where it began". Again, in Strago's handwriting. Relm sends you away, saying she wants to fully prepare before facing Hidon, and will call for you when she's ready to put an end to this.

Pose with the job stone. "You assimilate the essence of the Piscodaemon, making its power yours. You learn Mind Blast."

50 Hidon Seek

Description - Relm's expression hardens as she sees you approaching.

Relm tells you she's made her preparations, but is beginning to feel unsure. Having seen Hidon absorb those cultists has given her an idea of how powerful the beast is, and understands such a power makes it extremely dangerous. She almost says more, but decides to just go forward and meet you at the ruins to the south of Forgotten Springs.

Entering the ruins, you find another note on the floor. This one says "The End". At the mural itself, you see Hidon. Before you can make a move, Relm tries to call out to the beast, trying to see if her theory of it absorbing her grandfather has any merit. She's convinced the notes were a way Strago could manifest himself from inside the beast to communicate. Hidon makes no response, and so the fight begins.

The Hidon fight involves the beast using lesser Blue Magic (all the spells you have obtained) along with an ability called Draw Out that inflicts Weakness on you or Relm when used. It has a rush attack that can stun you or Relm and will usually follow it with Draw Out. You can recover from Draw Out by using Lancet on Hidon. It'll also use the ability Grand Delta, which deals high damage. Relm will set up a barrier (like the books from the ACN lv30 fight) to protect you from it.

Upon defeating it, you motion for Relm to stay back so you can finish Hidon. The beast begins talking, but proves that Relm was wrong. Strago's essence only influenced some of Hidon's actions, but Hidon being a mere beast could not grasp all of the things it got from Strago, and wandered around confused and in pain (think of a certain little girl from the first episode of Full Metal Alchemist). Nodding to each other, you raise your gauntlet and absorb Hidon.

Back in Forgotten Springs, Relm thanks you for bringing closure to this. She finds it a relief that her grandfather was not trapped inside the beast as she suspected, and wonders if other horrors like Hidon exist out in the world. She tells you she'll stay in Forgotten Springs for a while, to wrap up things and digest everything she's seen on this journey. She does tell you to be careful, as this power you two have found seems to be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Pose with the job stone. "You assimilate the essence of Hidon, making its power yours. You learn Grand Delta."

...yes, once an idea takes hold, it never lets go.

[Lambdafish]

I must say this is very well thought out and possible. I'm not sure how balanced a potency buff on AI would be, but the idea of the class seems very interesting and SMNesque, the addition of the lore just made me think that I was reading a guide for a class already in the game.