Final Fantasy V Advance - Job Class Guide - Game Boy Advance - Game Guides - Final Fantasy V Advance

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KingofRPG

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Job Class Guide for Final Fantasy V Advance

Slight spoilers, but nothing major. (Well...)

(Current) Table of Contents:

JCA - Notes
JC1 - Freelancer
JC2 - Wind Crystal Jobs
JC3 - Water Crystal Jobs

JCA - Notes

Final Fantasy V uses the Active Time Battle system (TM). With it, each unit - both you and your opponents - have a gauge that fills up over time. The more Agility you have, the quicker the gauge will fill up. (This is modified with a few things - how much equipment is weighing you down and if you have Haste/Slow or not are the ones that currently come to mind.) At the end of the battle, assuming it has ended due to your victory, surviving characters will gain three things. Two of these things, EXP and gil, are both inconsequential to this guide and are not there when you defeat a boss. The third one - ABP - is much more involved - it is EXP for the jobs the characters are using. When you hit a certain ABP level, your job levels up and you will gain an ability that the character can use in any job. Woo!

As a note, the ABP does not carry over from previous levels. As in, if you learned an ability that needed 10 ABP to be learned, then were met with an ability that needed 35 ABP to learn, you do not automatically get a 10 ABP head start, meaning you'd only need 25 ABP to level up.

Also the only stats that actually increase on level up are HP and MP. SO

(the order of the job pictures is Bartz - Lenna - Faris - Galuf - Krile. Who's Krile? ...um)

JC1 - Freelancer

Ah, the humble freelancer! This is the "job" everyone starts out with. Unlike their weapons, though, the base form of the freelancer will last long: while they initially start out with only their starting stats (they differ from character to character; Bartz and Galuf get boosts to their Strength and Vitality, I believe, while Lenna and Krile get boosts to their Magic and Agility; Faris definitely gets a boost to all four), they inherit the best boosts of the jobs they master, along with most of their passive abilities! They can also equip two abilities instead of one extra one. Nifty.

They don't get any abilities of their own, though, so you might wanna master a few jobs first.

Equipment - They can equip absolutely everything.

JC2 - Wind Crystal Jobs

Knight

The knight: ever the valiant warrior. They cover their allies that are on low HP, and can guard against any physical assault. It can be quite the game breaker if used properly. You get bonus points if you equip yours with a low level White Magic skill (three is the highest that I'll give you).

Stat Changes:
Strength: +23
Agility: +1
Stamina: +20
Magic: -14

Abilities:
L1 - 10 ABP - Cover: Give the ability to protect allies who's HP dipped into the critical zone to non-knights. Obviously not good for mages.
L2 - 30 ABP - Guard: Give the ability to negate all physical attacks to non-knights. We've gone over how this can be used, yes?
L3 - 50 ABP - Two Handed: Grip a sword with two hands, losing the ability to equip a shield BUT increasing attack power. Eh, could be worse.
L4 - 100 ABP - Equip Shield: Give the ability to hold a shield in your hand to someone who can't use a shield. Not a good use of an ability slot, but whatever.
L5 - 150 ABP - Equip [Heavy] Armor: Like Equip Shield, but for heavy armor. See the note for Equip Shield.
L6 - 350(!) ABP - Equip Sword: We know how this goes, right?

The knight...could be worse in ability selection. I'm kind of baffled about Equip Sword, though. 350 ABP for the ability to waste a slot and swing a sword around instead of your regular weapon? Two Handed should be slapped on something that doesn't care whether it has a shield or not.

Monk:

Ignore your history classes. The monk does one thing and one thing only: punch stuff. (Well, they can also restore HP to themselves, but that's not something they're good at.) They do this extremely well, though, and one of their command abilities augment this power. They're extremely weak in the armor department despite being a front-row class, however. This is made up for by their huge HP. They also tie for the highest Strength boost in the game. Also, they can counter being attacked. Also, fists hit twice. So yeah.

Stat Changes:
Strength: +26
Agility: +1
Stamina: +26
Magic: -23

Abilities:
L1 - 15 ABP - Focus: After waiting for a little bit, strike with increased power. Useful, no?
L2 - 30 ABP - Barehanded: Allows another job to strike like a monk...if they have no weapons but their fists. Also gives +26 Strength.
L3 - 45 ABP - Chakra: Gives the user the ability to heal their own HP and remove Blind and Poison. Ironically, on the jobs the status healing would work best on, the healing bit sucks.
L4 - 60 ABP - Counter: Gives a non-monk a 50% chance to retaliate after an attack. Pretty cool, until you remember you have to master Monk for the passive ability to be used on the freelancer.
L5 - 100 ABP - HP +10%: Increases HP by 10%. Kinda a waste of 100 ABP, if you ask me...Especially once you get to the point where your HP will naturally be 9999.
L6 - 150 ABP - HP +20%: Same thing as HP +10%, but with 20% more HP.
L7 - 300 ABP - HP +30%: ...was this really needed?

The monk class is great. The amount of ABP you need to master it, though, is kind of ridiculous.

Thief

Thieves are fast (duh). They're the perfect support unit - they prevent back attacks, can increase field movement, are able to find hidden passages, and also have an auto-flee button. And they steal, but I don't think I needed to tell you about that.

Stat Changes:
Strength: +1
Agility: +14
Stamina: +2
Magic: -6

Abilities:
L1 - 10 ABP - Find Passages: Exactly what it says on the tin. Don't equip this on your thief, it's an innate ability.
L2 - 20 ABP - Flee: Auto-flee button. Good when powering up the Chicken Knife.
L3 - 30 ABP - Sprint: Move faster when you hold down the B Button. Innate ability of the thief.
L4 - 50 ABP - Steal: Pass on the thief art of stealing items to other jobs. Better when used by a thief, as they can equip an accessory to double the odds of success, but eh.
L5 - 75 ABP - Vigilance: Equip this, and laugh as your enemies will never get a back attack. Oddly, doesn't prevent enemies from getting a preemptive strike. Hm.
L6 - 150 ABP - Mug: Steal with an Attack command strapped on. Doesn't replace Steal, even though you'd never use it.
L7 - 300 ABP - Artful Dodger: Grants the thief's agility bonus. ...that's it. ...really. It doesn't even help dodge! And you just mastered thief! What use is this?!

Seriously, what's with the overpriced abilities? The thief is otherwise pretty good, especially if you want a speedster.

Black Mage:

These guys? Freaking useless in a physical situation. However, in the way of casting magics, they are among the best. They can target elemental weaknesses, and can boost their damage output by equipping the correct rod. (Rods can also be broken to cast the third tier spell of the element they boost: fact.) But yeah, stuff 'em in the back row and let them work their magic. ...wait.

Stat Changes:
Strength: -9
Agility: +0
Stamina: -2 ...wait what
Magic: +31

Abilities:
L1 - 10 ABP - Black Magic L1: Lets another job cast Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard. As long as you bought them.
L2 - 20 ABP - Black Magic L2: Add Poison, Sleep, and Toad to that list. Still need to purchase/find them.
L3 - 30 ABP - Black Magic L3: Add Fira, Thundara, and Blizzara to your expanding list of Black Magics. If you, y'know, bought them.
L4 - 50 ABP - Black Magic L4: Nab Drain, Break, and Bio and add them to your list.
L5 - 70 ABP - Black Magic L5: Acquire the holy trinity of Firaga, Thundaga, and Blizzaga, and sanctify other jobs with the ability to cast them.
L6 - 100 ABP - Black Magic L6: Finish off the set with Flare, Death, and Osmose. You bought them, didn't you?
L7 - 450 ABP - MP +30%: Increase MP by 30%.

In addition, equipping Black Magic will increase your Magic score, starting off with +16 for Black Magic L1. The bonus increases by 3 each level, topping off at +31 Magic. I don't know if this stacks with the innate Black Magic bonus. Somebody test that for me.

So yeah, Black Mages are pretty good. The 450 ABP for MP +30% though...just...what is it with the last job level and having a ludicrous ABP cost?!

White Mage

Perhaps the most vital job to have. Why, you may ask? White Mages, in case you haven't played any other game with them, are healers. So while monks and knights might be out fighting, white mages make sure they don't die. Kind of important, don't you agree?

Stat Changes:
Strength: -6
Agility: +1
Stamina: +0
Magic: +25

Abilities:
L1 - 10 ABP - White Magic L1: Give any job the ability to cast Cure, Poisona, and Libra. After you, y'know, bought them.
L2 - 20 ABP - White Magic L2: Add Silence, Protect, and Mini to the list of spells anybody can cast.
L3 - 30 ABP - White Magic L3: Possibly the most important level, what with the ability for anyone to cast Raise, Cura, and...Confuse...
L4 - 50 ABP - White Magic L4: Give other jobs the ability to cast Esuna, Blink, and Shell.
L5 - 70 ABP - White Magic L5: Let us not forget Curaga, Reflect, and Berserk.
L6 - 100 ABP - White Magic L6: Finish off your white magic studies by learning how to cast Holy, Arise, and Dispel in any job.
L7 - 300 ABP - MP +10%: Bring all white mage studies to a close with learning how to increase your MP by 10 percent.

In addition, equipping White Magic gives you a bonus to magic, like Black Magic. The base is +15, and it increases by 2 per level of white magic until it hits +25.

I don't care how girly you think it looks, you're going to use the white mage. That's what female party members are for, anyway...

Blue Mage

The blue mage is truly a unique specimen. Why, you may ask? Well, they don't learn their magic by buying it in shops or finding them in treasure chests (this happens). They learn it by being hit by it when used by an enemy. Yeah... Thankfully, due to magic physics, only one person needs to be hit by the magic in order for everyone to use it. Use that as you will. Anyway, on the subject of the blue mage, they're fairly well-balanced. They can use swords and shields, and have a diverse magic selection - they can buff, heal, and hurt. And do some things no other magic class can do. ...so yeah.

Stat Changes:
Strength: -8 (and yet...they can use swords and shields...)
Agility: +1
Stamina: +2
Magic: +23

Abilities:
L1 - 10 ABP - Check: Checks one enemy's current HP level. I liked this better when it was in MOTHER.
L2 - 20 ABP - Learning: Lets any job learn blue magic by being hit with it.
L3 - 70 ABP - Blue Magic: Lets any job wield the magic of blue.
L4 - 250 ABP - Scan: Cast Libra for 0 MP. This is as useful as it sounds. But hey, you just mastered blue magic!

Blue mages are jacks of all trades, masters of magic. It might be a little frustrating getting all of the blue magics (protip: get a guide), but it is worth it. Plus, they're the only job that has access to wind-elemental magic and are able to mess with levels.

JC3 - Water Crystal Jobs

Red Mage

A combination of the Black and White Mage, with the ability to wield swords at the cost of sucking at magic.

Stat Changes:
Strength: +8
Agility: +5
Stamina: -6
Magic: +8

Abilities:
L1 - 20 ABP - Red Magic L1: Merge Black Magic L1 and White Magic L1 into one ability list. Presto: Red Magic L1.
L2 - 40 ABP - Red Magic L2: Same thing with Black and White L2.
L3 - 100 ABP - Red Magic L3: You know the drill.
L4 - 999 ABP - Dualcast: Cast two spells at once. This includes all levels of Red Magic and whatever other magic list you have on the person.
There's also the standard magic boost. L1 gives +6, L2 +7, and L3 and Dualcast +8. Yeah...
Pretty good. Unlike every other final ability, this one is actually worth the ABP cost. Once you get it, though...leave it and don't ever come back.

Time Mage

Manipulators of time and space who use the power to mainly assist allies and hinder enemies. In a pinch, though, they can summon comets and meteors for a semi-randomized amount of damage.

Stat Changes:
Strength: -5
Agility: +2
Stamina: -3
Magic: +24

Abilities:
L1 - 10 ABP - Time Magic L1: Give the ability to manipulate time to other jobs, starting with the basic Slow, Speed, and Regen spells.
L2 - 20 ABP - Time Magic L2: Add to that ability with Haste, Mute*, and Float.
L3 - 30 ABP - Time Magic L3: Increase the ability with Stop, Gravity, and Teleport.
L4 - 50 ABP - Time Magic L4: Be able to cast Comet, Slowga, and Return in any job.
L5 - 70 ABP - Time Magic L5: Power up with the ability to cast Graviga, Hastega, and Old.
L6 - 100 ABP - Time Magic L6: Become an effectual Time Mage in any job with Meteor, Quick, and Banish.
L7 - 250 ABP - Equip Rods: The part of Time Mage nobody wants.
*Mute is bugged; it will only target your allies.
Equipping Time Mage will *also* give you an increase to your magic. The bonus starts at +14 and increases by 2 per job level, up to +24.

Very good support job. The final ability is even more reasonably priced then the MP +x% abilities (at least, given that it's subject to the "ridiculous amount of ABP for the last job ability" rule).

Summoner

This job can summon forth special monsters from the ether. No, really. However, this costs a lot of magical power...thankfully, Summoners have high Magic. (Magic determines Max MP, along with magic damage.)

Stat Changes:
Strength: -10
Agility: -1
Stamina: -1
Magic: +33

Abilities:
L1 - 15 ABP - Summon L1: Call forth a Chocobo, a school of Remora, or a Sylph from the ether.
L2 - 30 ABP - Summon L2: Call forth three well-known summon monsters: Ifrit, Shiva, and Ramuh.
L3 - 45 ABP - Summon L3: Call forth the well-known summon monster Titan, along with newcomer Golem and this-installment-and-the-next-only Catoblepas.
L4 - 60 ABP - Summon L4: Call forth the well-known Odin, as well as newcomer Carbuncle and this-installment-only Syldra. ...wait...
L5 - 100 ABP - Summon L5: Call forth the gods and fathers of summon monsters, Bahamut and Leviathan. As well as newcomer Phoenix.
L6 - 500 ABP - Call: Call a random summon monster for 0 MP. Who'll come? Who knows!

The summoner has more damage dealing potential then a Black Mage. However, they have two disadvantages - one, all but the level one summons target the whole group of enemies, making it hard when enemies have conflicting weaknesses (like one absorbs fire, but the other is weak to it...it happens). Another is, also discluding the level one summons, you can't buy them - you have to find them and beat them. Then again, these bosses do give you ABP, so...eh. Kind of out of your way and guide-needy, though, so...yeah.

Berserker

These warriors go berserk in battle, relentlessly attacking whatever foe they please. ...pretty useless, but they do have a pretty good strength and vitality bonuses at much less ABP then, say, Monk. Of course, the uselessness in boss battles means that there's some problems getting said ABP...

Stat Changes:
Strength: +21
Agility: -9
Stamina: +25
Magic: -23

Abilities:
L1 - 100 ABP - Berserk: Be like a berserker in any job. Um. (It also grants the standard Berserk bonus of 25-50% boost to attack, making it good for Monks and, to a lesser extent, Knights.)
L2 - 400 ABP - Equip Axes: Equip axes and get the Berserker's +21 to strength.

I believe I covered my thoughts on this job in the first paragraph. NEVER equip them with a command ability (unless it's to increase their magic for some of their special axes). Although, a good thing about berserkers is that their axes only take I believe 25% of the target's defense into account for damage. ...yeah...that's all I got.

Mystic Knight

Mystic Knights can cast magic on their swords. This allows them to take on the properties of the spell - for example, Fire would make the attack fire-elemental. Stronger spells lead to better results, but I believe effects only take place when the target is weak to the element cast on it. Casting -aga spells or Holy on your sword mean if it's not a boss/super strong for that area enemy and is weak to it, it's instantly KO'd. Flare, having no element, just makes your sword freakishly strong. You can also cast status spells on the sword, meaning immunity and missing are the only roadblocks to the target being afflicted with said status. You have to own the spell to use the spellblade, though...so... that's not too big of a downside, really...

Stat Changes:
Strength: +14
Agility: +14 (second-highest in the game, after Thief)
Stamina: +14
Magic: +1[strike]4[/strike]

Abilities:
L1 - 10 ABP - Magic Shell: Automatically get a Shell effect (lessens magic damage) at low health. Innate ability of Mystic Knight.
L2 - 20 ABP - Spellblade L1: Enchant your blade with Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder in any job.
L3 - 30 ABP - Spellblade L2: Enchant your blade with status spells Poison, Silence, and Sleep in any job.
L4 - 50 ABP - Spellblade L3: Enchant your blade with Fira, Blizzara, and Thundara in any job.
L5 - 70 ABP - Spellblade L4: Enchant your blade with enfeebling spells Drain, Break(!), and Bio. In any job.
L6 - 100 ABP - Spellblade L5: Enchant your blade with Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga in any job.
L7 - 400 ABP - Spellblade L6: Enchant your blade with ultimate magics Flare, Holy, and...Osmose..._{probably shoulda thought of a better name for that...}Mystic Knights are obviously a pretty good class, what with their ability to inflict status buffs at a 100% rate, be able to Drain health with a physical attack like a Blood Sword, and being able to strike elemental weaknesses without using more MP then needed for the first cast.

As a note: The next job is slightly more spoilery then the rest. If you don't like spoilers and just got the Water Crystal jobs, don't open the spoiler! (I'd say a suitable time to open it would be...a long time after the Earth Crystal jobs.)

Spoiler:
Mime

Remember the job crystal that fell on a ledge and couldn't be reached? This is that shard. You get it once you get in the Merged World and get a submarine. Go to where the tower of Walse used to be, and go under. You should see the sunken tower. You explore it. At the end, there is a boss. You beat him by doing absolutely nothing. Ta da, you got the Mime job!

Stat-wise, it's the same as Freelancer: it inherits the best boosts of the jobs you mastered. Ability-wise, it's a bit different: not only does it actually gain AP, you have three slots besides the job's ability slot (Mime). You don't get Attack and Item unless you equip them. Equipment wise, it's far worse, using mage-type equipment with the boomerang of thieves, along with shields and Thief's Gloves and the Angel Robe. Good choices, then, are to make Mimes mages.

Or equip Spellblade, Rapid Fire, and Equip Swords, and give them a sword in each hand (you need to master Ninja in order to be able to do this). (Bonus points if you do this for Bartz.)

Abilities:
L1 - 999 ABP - Mimic: Mimics the command of the last person (this includes Defend). No MP is spent, although items and money are, and actions that are randomized get randomized again. This can be exploited.

Mimes are the best job in the game for characters who you want to be mages (and thief-type characters). That's it.