Black Mage - streamline the remaining spells

[Asdif_Laoeg]

Even with 600 Potency would Scathe do less Damage then Fire IV since it does not get the 80% Damage Boost from the Trait "Aspect Mastery III"

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

Even with 600 Potency would Scathe do less Damage then Fire IV since it does not get the 80% Damage Boost from the Trait "Aspect Mastery III"

Fire IV is 300 potency, 80% of that is 240 potency (Astral Fire III), thats 540 potency.

600 is greater than 540. I have listed the Fire spell potencies in my diagram at Astral Fire III potencies (+80%), so there is no room for growth.

[Asdif_Laoeg]

Sorry, my bad. I did not check the Potency of Fire IV and had thought that you had postet the normal Potency of it.

[Voidmage]

Fire IV is 300 potency, 80% of that is 240 potency (Astral Fire III), thats 540 potency.

600 is greater than 540. I have listed the Fire spell potencies in my diagram at Astral Fire III potencies (+80%), so there is no room for growth.

I didn't crunch the math but wouldn't that still be a dps loss overall?
If it costs mana you loose out on flarestar.
If it doesn't cost mana you delay flarestar.

If it interacts with flarestar than it is straight up better than fire IV.
If it is stronger and costs no mana but is on a long cooldown then it's just another big hitter you save for the burst phase alignment like the 2 min meta.

Tbh I wouldn't change scathe in that direction but completely remove and reintroduce it with a completely different effect.
If 8.0 truly makes jobs more interesting again then I would like to see it more as an "effect" spell than a damage one.
Giving enemies the heavy status or bind (like freeze back in the past) or give them a status effect that makes them take more damage from for example ice spells or something else because I have long since held the believe that the ice phase itself could be way more interesting than being a pure "unwanted" thing to be into.

Either way I honestly see no way to make Scathe in it's current form any interesting.

[Carighan]

because I have long since held the believe that the ice phase itself could be way more interesting than being a pure "unwanted" thing to be into.

Oh I'd love that. It'd be kinda cool if each phase builds upon the other, without one being the bad one you spend as little in as possible. Like, it'd be cool if this relationship existed both ways? That for some reason, both being able to stay in Ice and in Fire would be cool, but mechanics more or less demand you swap eventually.

[Voidmage]

Oh I'd love that. It'd be kinda cool if each phase builds upon the other, without one being the bad one you spend as little in as possible. Like, it'd be cool if this relationship existed both ways? That for some reason, both being able to stay in Ice and in Fire would be cool, but mechanics more or less demand you swap eventually.

That would be awesome tbh.
As much as I love BLM, I always found it sad that almost an entire half of it's kit was basically "avoid as much as possible".