Since its inception, Final Fantasy XIV has grown from its humble beginnings into one of the most played MMOs currently available. With its unique focus on story, great soundtrack, and gratifying PvE encounters, it's fair to say that Final Fantasy XIV has earned its place in the MMO hall of fame. With the recent release of Endwalker and the introduction of patch 6.1, Newfound Adventure, there are now even more players flocking to the game to experience its first fully realized story and to prepare themselves for the MMO's next story installment.

One of the many job roles available to players of Final Fantasy XIV is the Black Mage, an esoteric wielder of ice, fire, and thunder magic that can rightfully be considered a franchise staple. Still, with the ever-increasing popularity of the hit TTRPG Dungeons & Dragons, many players of both titles have been wondering exactly how well the Black Mage translates into the setting of Dungeons & Dragons. Here's how to make a character in D&D that's similar to the Black Mage.

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The Best D&D Class for a Black Mage

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Wizard is the best class choice for Black Mage due to its freedom of spell choice and ability to expand its roster of spells with the scribing mechanic. It also has access to several Evocation and Conjuration spells that are essential for playing a Black Mage. For subclass, the best pick is either School of Evocation or School of War Magic. Evocation is ideal because it allows the player to increase their blast-mage potential. Its ability to sculpt spells and keep party members safe, as well as increase the damage offensive evocation spells deal, make Evocation Wizard's abilities similar to those of a Black Mage. This is perfect for wielders of both fire, ice, and thunder.

For its ability to increase a player's survivability in combat, War Magic is also a great pick. Arcane Deflection improves a player's chances to increase their Armor Class when hit, and Tactical Wit gives the player a bonus to their initiative modifier. This is perfect for a class that strikes first and strikes hard while operating with a keen intellect. Later on, the War Mage can even increase their ability to make saving throws while concentrating on spells, demonstrating a Black Mage's ability to keep up their rotation while being assailed on all sides by a raid boss.

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The Best D&D Spells for a Black Mage

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In terms of spells, Evocation and Conjuration are both schools of magic that are suitable for a Black Mage due to their blasting potential. Any elemental magic relating to fire, ice, and thunder is a good choice. In terms of cantrips, Firebolt is the first and obvious choice. It's a decently effective damaging cantrip with a good range, and it's a great filler between more powerful spells. Ray of Frost is another fantastic cantrip for slowing down an advancing opponent and maintaining that critical distance between caster and foe. If the enemy gets too close, electrical cantrips like Thunder and Shocking Grasp are also useful, as they give the Black Mage an opening to retreat and gain distance.

In terms of non-cantrip spells, Shield mimics the Black Mage's defensive cooldown, Manaward, and gives them better defense in a combat encounter. A Black Mage is nothing without their high-damage AoE abilities, so spells like Lightning Bolt and Fireball are great for doing a large amount of damage to a group of enemies. The ability to sculpt spells and protect one's allies through the School of Evocation would further improve the Black Mage's viability in combat.

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The Best D&D Feats for a Black Mage

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War Caster is an ideal feat choice for the Black Mage. It allows them to cast a spell as an attack of opportunity and maintain spell concentration, which is perfect for a Black Mage who wants to experience the thick of combat. Eldritch Adept is another feat that excellently imitates the Black Mage's various buffing cooldowns, such as Ley Lines, by taking a Metamagic type from the Sorceror class. Only this time, the Black Mage can't refuse to move. Be wary not to pick any Metamagic that relies on Charisma, however. Fey Touched is a great feat for providing the Black Mage with several crowd control spells similar to their Sleep role actions. Also, the bonus +1 to Intelligence is always useful.

The Best D&D Attributes for a Black Mage

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The primary attribute score a Black Mage needs is Intelligence, as it's the main attribute of the Wizard class. Also, the Intelligence attribute allows the Black Mage to be the front of knowledge that they're often portrayed as. With Intelligence, the Black Mage gets a boost to the skills governed by Intelligence, which include Religion, Arcana, Investigation, Nature, and History. Religion and History allow the Black Mage to call upon their wealth of knowledge, while Nature and Arcana let them determine the properties of both physical and magical things. Investigation improves the Black Mage's ability to find clues, uncover mysteries and solve puzzles.

After Intelligence, players should focus on Wisdom and Constitution. Constitution is useful as it helps the Black Mage last longer in combat. As for Wisdom, it allows the Black Mage to hone their otherworldly instincts.