I only know Red Mages from FFXI myself. They weren't meant to be terribly powerful with White or Black Magic--they were jacks of all trades but masters of none, with their forte being enfeebling magic. As sort of an unexpected side effect of their potent job abilities, however, they made pretty excellent healers.
It seems like in FFXIV, their job abilities got incorporated into Thaumaturges, and their duality and magical role resembles what you've got with Arcanists. I'd say to build something like a "Red Mage" you character could just be fairly well-learned in all magical fields, like FreelanceWizard's character. I believe cross-class abilities support this perspective, and I'm actually taking a very similar route with my own character--sort of a contemporary approach to aetherial manipulation that embraces function over form.
I don't think a mastery of Black Mage or White Mage levels is feasible, but that probably isn't necessary either--when has power ever counted for more than versatility in roleplay, anyway?
It seems like in FFXIV, their job abilities got incorporated into Thaumaturges, and their duality and magical role resembles what you've got with Arcanists. I'd say to build something like a "Red Mage" you character could just be fairly well-learned in all magical fields, like FreelanceWizard's character. I believe cross-class abilities support this perspective, and I'm actually taking a very similar route with my own character--sort of a contemporary approach to aetherial manipulation that embraces function over form.
I don't think a mastery of Black Mage or White Mage levels is feasible, but that probably isn't necessary either--when has power ever counted for more than versatility in roleplay, anyway?
