Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

[Yellow Mage]

I haven't started the game yet, but I researched the game in and out, so I think I know what I'm talking about. If I make a mistake, please abide these forums rules and calmly correct me.

I want to be a Red Mage. I also want to be a Tarutaru. This is of course for when I start the game. When I make a subjob choice, it will ultimately be Paladin. Many people WILL find that gimp, I know, but I am completely comfortable in my choice, and feel that it is the best complement for the Jack-of-all-Trades style I love to play.

So, I want to research what equipment I may want to balence out my stats, give me Regen, and whatnot. On my own, I feel I can research the equipment ITSELF well enough, but that's not the point of this thread.

To further my research, I'd like to point to my topic: "Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD." I am, indeed, looking for some kind Tarutaru who happens to have a level 75 in Red Mage and at least a level 37 in Paladin to tell me thier BASE stats. That means (as if you didn't know already) removing whatever equipment you have as well as mentally subtracting all Merited stats.

DO NOT fake it and go to a stat calculator, because I WILL know, and I DO know how inaccurate they are. I want to know, for certain, what an endgame Tarutaru RDM/PLD's stats are. Thank you for your time.

[neighbortaru]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

um, why do you think RDM/pld would be this "jack-of-all-trades" thing you speak of? what do you believe /pld will offer RDM that makes this combination so appealing in your eyes?

[Icemage]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

RDM/PLD = Umm... Auto-Refresh, Shield Bash, Flash, and Cover?

Not very Jack-of-All-Trades if you ask me.

If you really want an all around flexible job, look at BLUE Mage instead. Of all jobs, Blue Mage is by far the most flexible, able to switch freely between offense, defense, and support based on your needs. Red Mage is a pretty flexible job, too, but its flexibility lies in the variety of support jobs that you can use successfully with it for different occasions (/NIN, /WHM, /BLM, etc.).


Icemage

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

Look, I made up my mind a LONG time ago I would be a Red Mage main, Tarutaru as the race. Blue Mage IS a very tempting choice, and would be awesome with a Ninja sub, and maybe I'll actually do that someday, but that's not my point.

I also decided a fair while back that of all the choices I have for a subjob, Paladin would suit me best. I COULD go on forever explaining why, if you want to; I just don't feel like it at the moment.

So let's get back to what this thread was about: is anybody around here level 75 Red Mage AND at least 37 Paladin AND a Tarutaru? If so, please tell me your base stats as a RDM/PLD.

[neighbortaru]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

so be it, but I believe you have misjudged that particular job combo. however, since your mind is set, I will refrain from commenting further. good luck.

[Jei]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

75 Rdm, 75Blm, 75War
57 Pld

I use Rdm/Pld a lot, but not for end game.

Rdm/Pld works for some certain situation. It's perfect when you want to melee monsters with your sword, or hunt in a small group where you're covering everyone else. /Pld gives you nice STR, little MP refresh and access to nice sword weapon skill (vorpal blade.) Flash, cover and shield bash are also good at gain hate, pulling monsters off from your weaker friends you're protecting.

Bur for end game playing, /pld really offers nothing in that situation.

But hey, you're not fix to 1 sub job. You can always pull off Rdm/Pld and go have fun on your own whenever you want. I do it all the time. I enjoy soloing/duoing with Rdm/Pld. It's fun. But you have to seperate the 2 things : you having fun and you being efficient end game.

End game in FFXI isn't very forgiving.

[Susurrus]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

OK, here goes.

As Tarutaru RDM75/PLD37 and no gear:
931HP
738MP (this is with 40 MP of merits though...I can't "unequip" those).
STR: 60
DEX: 62
VIT: 61
AGI: 60
INT: 70
MND: 65
CHR: 65
Attack: 38
Defense: 145

Abilities PLD SJ gives: Shield Bash, Holy Circle, Sentinel, Cover
Spells PLD SJ gives that RDM does not: Flash
Sword Weapon Skills /PLD gives access to that RDM does not get: Red Lotus Blade, Seraph Blade, Vorpal Blade.

Now that I've helped you out, please help me out by explaining WHY you'd wanna do this?

Oh, and FYI: While solo, you can do as you want, but for parties, you'll get a very bad reputation and may have a hard time finding people to party with you.

[Icemage]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

Not really sure why the stats matter to you; if you've never played the game, any inference you could draw about the jobs is going to be questionable without experimental proof.

If you're just looking for someone to confirm for you that RDM/PLD is a viable and useful general purpose combination, well... you might be looking for a while.


Icemage

[Mog]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

If you plan on exping with rdm/pld, do realize that it will take you a very long time to get invited to a party, unless people are desperate for rdms. Any job combination looks great in the eyes of the beholder. I personally would like to use BLM/NIN while exping. However, due to the universal views of people, you basically have to follow the general consensus of what other people want, compared to what you want, in exp parties and endgame situations.

I can tell you right now that endgame ls's will not pick you up if all you have to offer is rdm/pld.

However, if you were to exp RDM/WHM or RDM/BLM and use RDM/PLD in your spare time and for helping people out, more power to you. People generally won't bitch and gripe. If you want to use this combination for any circumstance though.....you will find yourself going nowhere and you will come to despise this game.

Whatever you do, good luck. I leave it at that.

[neighbortaru]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

Alright, I know I said I would not comment further, but Mog (and Jei to an extent) brings up a very good point.

No "serious" endgame linkshell will admit a RDM/pld. I hope you took that into consideration.

Ok, that's my last peep for the thread. Really

[Icemage]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

As a member of a very good end-game linkshell, I can say that any application to join the linkshell with RDM75/PLD37 as the only viable job combination will get rejected without comment. For end-game activities, there are zero applications for RDM/PLD, and unlike XP parties, end-game linkshells can afford to be very choosy indeed about who they associate with.

If, on the other hand, you just want to use it solo, well... knock yourself out. It's not bad in a solo or duo setup. I don't think it's superior to /NIN, /BRD, /BLM, or /WHM in various situations, but if you're solo no one is going to care.


Icemage

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

Big thanks to Susurrus.

The main thing I had in mind, as most of you may have guessed, was solo-profeciency.

Also, with a Paladin's anti-undead abilities, my Charisma won't go COMPLETELY to waste.

And, finally, Shield Bash and other Paladin shield bonuses gives me a great reason for actually putting a Shield in my otherwise usless Sub slot.

Not to mention the EX Weapon skills I'll get with a sword.

I also know I won't be Paladin Exclusive, for I will also take some fun time to experiment in Blue Mage, Beastmaster, Ninja, and all that good stuff, but I know that, for the most part, it's RDM/PLD for me.

[Jei]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

Shield is never useless for Rdm.

I don't know if charisma affects anything about undead killer. From my understanding, the chance that your traits will work is a fix percentage.

And undead isn't really Rdm's best opponent by the way. We use swords and daggers as our main weapon and skeletons usually are pretty resistant to piercing/slashing.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

Enter the Paladin's Undead Killer, Holy Circle, Banish and other Holy spells, not to mention the numerous cures the Red Mage already has. . .I don't think undead will be much of a problem.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Looking for an endgame Taru RDM/PLD

I think RDM/PLD is decent for solo'ing, but probably not precisely in the ways and the extend you've imagined it. The way I look at it, there are three basic ways to solo stuff:

1. Avoid monsters. Sneak, Invisible, and Deoderize--you have all three native to RDM. Best support job is probably /BLM, for an easy Warp home once you're done, but basically any support job will do.

2. DoT; wear down the enemy while avoiding direct engagement, either with DoT spells like Bio or Poison while the mob is on Gravity, or nuke-sleep cycles. Lot's of good support jobs for this: /BLM, /WHM, /NIN, etc., depending on monster.

/PLD can help with Auto-Refresh and Flash (when mob is awake and you need to put stoneskin back up). On rare occasion when you fight undead, I guess undead killer would be useful, too. However, there's usually some another more useful support job than PLD for DoT work--it's hard to surpass Elemental Seal when you really need a Bind or Sleep to stick to save your life, for example.

3. Engage and Fight; at best, mostly for handling lower level Decent Challeng or weaker mobs, in my opinion, if not /NIN.

Fully buff with Stoneskin, Aquaveil, Phalanx, Ice Spikes, en-spell, etc., and use enfeebling spells to weaken the mob. This is where /PLD would do the most good:
- Flash: to help with curing or recasting of buffs (and debuffs) when Stoneskin is down.
- Defense Bonus: helps to stretch out Stoneskin.
- Auto-Refresh: RDM is a mage, and lives on MP.
- Shield Bash: maybe interrupt an annoying, but slow to start special move, and isn't terribly reliable.

Is it the best support job? Probably depends on the monster. I'd imagine a lot of things are much easier with /NIN or other support jobs instead instead. (example: getting lot's of worry free swings in while a monster is casting ancient magic, relying on Utsusemi to absort it--you can't do that on /PLD.)


* * *

To recap, AFAIK, the best tools the PLD support job has to offer for a solo'ing RDM:
1. Auto-Refresh* (RDM70/PLD35)
2. Flash (RDM74/PLD37)
3. Defense Bonus II** (RDM60/PLD30)

Most other stuff are marginal, IMO.

* You can get Auto-Refresh earlier by using /SMN instead. (RDM50/SMN25)
** With /WAR, you can access Defense Bonus I (RDM20/WAR10--same level as /PLD)

* * *

Also, with a Paladin's anti-undead abilities, my Charisma won't go COMPLETELY to waste.

The killer effect means mobs will skip a few hits; kinda like the paralyze effect. It will prolong your stoneskin, but not exactly a life saver. Most mobs you'll want probably are not undeads, though.

And, finally, Shield Bash and other Paladin shield bonuses gives me a great reason for actually putting a Shield in my otherwise usless Sub slot.

Shield is not useless even without PLD as support job; shield proc's reduce damage taken, like Phalanx, and extend life of stoneskin. That said:

- Shield Bash isn't the most reliable way to stun a mob. (Use /DRK instead if you need Stun.)
- Shield Mastery gives you no TP when Stoneskin is up, if I remember correctly--and you usually want Stoneskin up.
- There is no improvement to shield proc rate by using /PLD, by the way, unless you use some laten gears. (I think.) You'll probably find more useful stuff for those slots than laten gears with shield improvements, though.

In short, you'd get most of the benefit of a shield you can as a RDM simply by equipping it, which ever support job you use.

I also know I won't be Paladin Exclusive, for I will also take some fun time to experiment in Blue Mage, Beastmaster, Ninja, and all that good stuff, but I know that, for the most part, it's RDM/PLD for me.

I don't think your invite rate for exp party will be all that bad even if you use /PLD, provide that you build a reputation for doing RDM's core duties well.

However, I'm also pretty sure this forum's members are near unamnimous in recommending you level others support jobs, and level them first--Paladin as a support job offers little of note before RDM70 for exp parties, after all.

Enjoy.