Becoming a Paladin

[Zerel]

alright my question is that im becoming a paladin and i just got my subjob. was it wise to put subjob as a white mage? i did it because wouldnt that give me a head start on healing a bit? and how much should i level up with whm. would getting to only level 9 be alright or should i go more. thanks for the help

[CarbonFibre]

I've seen people do WAR/WHM before, but in general it's not great. Since you're an Elvaan, you won't get much magic points. You would be better of going with a job that enhances your main job's current attributes and/or their role in a party. I am a level 14 warrior right now, and I am not sure what subjob to pick either. I was thinking thief at first and then going to an advanced job at 30, but I'm not sure. I know that thief and monk are popular warrior subjobs early on.

[tanhauser]

The most common route taken to becoming a PLD is as follows:

1. MNK to LVL18
2. WAR/MNK to LVL37
3. PLD/WAR

That's the route that takes the least amount of time. You can replace MNK for THF if you like. That being said, I actually followed the same path you are following:

1. WAR to LVL18
2. WHM to LVL20
3. WAR/WHM to LVL37
4. PLD/WAR

There are a few reasons why I took that approach. First is because I knew I was going to be doing a lot of 'solo' during the early levels, and WAR/WHM seemed like a good combo for that. Also, since I knew I wanted to be a PLD, the WHM sub gave me a head start on healing skills and spells. The reason why I leveled my WHM to 20 is because at 20 you get a few spells which become really useful later on when on a mission/quest situation as a PLD (i.e. AF chest hunting etc).

Is this the most optimal combination for a WAR? No, as mentioned above, having a sub that enhances the role of your WAR will greatly benefit the party. However, I never had any problems getting into a PT, and I always did a good job. Also since WARs are also used as tanks at lower levels, I was kind of a Jr. PLD if you will, healing myself while in battle.

Now, I know that you can quit leveling your WAR at 30 and start playing your PLD (we all want to do that as soon as possible). However, I strongly suggest you stick it out and use the momentum you have to level it all the way to 37. That way you know you wont have to go back at a later time to level from 30 to 37, buy gear, weapons, etc.

If you do decide to switch to some other sub for your WAR, I would recommend THF instead of MNK. While MNK will give you enhanced attack and a lot of bonus HPs, the abilities you gain as a THF are actually very useful later on when you want to do some solo hunting (namely 'treasure hunter' and 'gil finder'). Also, 'sneak attack' is a very nice skill to use in a fight.

Good luck!

F