#pro mage oc

[crows-of-buckets]

I like the idea of an extremely pro mage/ anti chantry warden getting watered down and basically propagandatized by the chantry

Like Aviae hates the circles with a passion, and is actively outspoken about that. Shes killed templar's by the end of awakening, and has almost zero remorse about doing so because they hurt her best friend! Her whole life has been spent under Templar control and she's angry and pissed off about it. She may have played the perfect pupil in the circle (only because she was terrified, she was so scared of the brand that it made her sick to her stomach) but now that shes out? She refuses to be quiet about it

However. The chantry can't have someone that important speaking ill about them, can they? Luckily, Aviae has a distaste for politics (even if she becomes fairly okay at them out of necessity), and generally avoids the public eye so the chantry does what they do best (and lies). The hero of Fereldan? Oh yes, she was a Circle mage. Yes she was the epitome of a good mage; she followed the rules and did as she was told. In fact, her success just proves how well the circles work! If it weren't for her years of discipline, surely Fereldan would have been doomed to fail.

Idk I really like the idea of the hof being used as a form of propaganda by the circle, especially non human and mage origins. Even better if they died killing the Archdemon because what are they gonna do, contradict them? They cant! They're dead and their image is being used as propaganda

[genteel-rogue]

Hello tumblr, this is my first post ever here!

What a day. Anyway, this is my Dragon Age II character, Kegan Hawke: sarcastic, loves her friends and her family and proud mage!

[rizihike]

[jakessavage]

This one was super fun for me to work on, a new OC! She's a young fire mage named Alice, set in a modern fantasy setting! I had fun painting her using my cellphone during my job time 😄

[vilnan]

anders: please don't tell me you're going to force these poor fools back into the circle 🥺

ismene: uh. that's exactly what i'm going to do lmao

[kirkwalldrama]

I present you my recent Hawke that I have a solid crush on. She's aggressive, confident, pro-mage at all cost, and - of course - Anders apologist (well, that's her boyfriend afterall). Her philosophy is fuck the chantry, eat the rich, loyalty for life.

[tranquilweek]

Welcome to Tranquil Week!

Join us for a week dedicated to exploring the Tranquil characters from Dragon Age!

To participate, create a fanwork (art, writing, podfic, moodboard, etc.) that features a canon Tranquil character (list here!) or a Tranquil OC. Then post your work here on Tumblr from August 25th - August 31st and tag @tranquilweek so that we can reblog your post. If you have a question that isn't answered in this post, send us an ask!

Optional Prompts

image description in alt ID || text version of prompts under the cut ⬇️

You are welcome to follow our daily prompts, but it's not required! As long as your creation features a Tranquil character and follows our guidelines, we'll reblog it here.

Submitted creations must adhere to the tagging requirements detailed below and in the post here. Creations that are improperly or inadequately tagged will NOT be promoted on this blog.

This event is not a moral statement about the Rite of Tranquility. Exploring darker or potentially triggering content in fiction is not an endorsement of that content in real life. Tranquility is an element in Dragon Age canon and this event will not pass judgment on how participants choose to explore Tranquility in their works.

That being said, this event will not tolerate or promote:

Harassment of fans or moderators, including unkind or needless criticism of individual players' choices

Character hate or bashing, including blanket hate or bashing of Tranquility, the Chantry, Templars, Mages, the Circle, or other elements of Dragon Age. Criticism and critique of these elements are allowed as long as they are presented in a respectful manner.

Callouts or intentionally inflammatory language

Hate speech or bigotry against any particular group of people (minority & majority groups alike)

Art, writing, or other works created using generative AI, such as ChatGPT or Midjourney

Remember: don't like, don't read; ship & let ship; your kink is not my kink - and that is okay! If you cannot agree to these terms and participate in good faith, this may not be the event for you.

Required Tagging

See the full post about required tagging here

Dragon Age specific content tags:

chantry critical

anti-templar

anti-mage

pro-chantry

pro-templar

pro-mage

[character] critical

General content tags:

nsfw (including, but not limited to, explicit sexual content)

major character death

drugs, alcohol abuse, or addiction

eating disorders, fatphobia, or dysphoria

graphic medical descriptions or bodily fluids (esp. blood, vomit, or birth)

guns (anything to do with them)

harm to a child

fantasy hate speech, slurs, or racism

pregnancy, miscarriage, or abortion

racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, etc.

self-harm, suicide, or suicidal thoughts

sexual violence, referenced or explicit

stalking or harassment

violence toward animals

Prompts

Use of prompts is optional! Mix and match, switch the days, don't follow our prompts, or don't use prompts at all, as you prefer.

Any form or level of human-made art is allowed! Drabbles, sketches, fiber art, podfic - if you made it, it counts.

Sun 25: Enchanting || Rite of Tranquility || Skyhold Mo 26: Focus || Mage Rebellion || Kinloch Hold Tu 27: Logic || The Breach || Wonders of Thedas We 28: Free Will || Oculara || The Gallows Th 29: Research || Cure for Tranquility || Haven Fr 30: Dreams || The Harrowing || Ostagar Sat 31: Lyrium || The Conclave || Redcliffe Village

Alternate Prompts: A once fond memory || The Fade || Spirits & Demons || The Gull & Lantern || A friend they knew before

✨We hope you'll join us in August and we're excited to see what everyone creates!✨

[flashhwing]

not to say that there are Not conflicting emotions when it comes to Bethany! especially when they find out she is also a mage, and has never seen the inside of a circle. like there's the joy of "I'm not alone, I have family, I have a sister who's a mage, she's like me," but also the bitterness of "well why does she get to live free? why did she get to have both family and freedom? why did they manage to keep her safe but not me?"

but mostly they just tease her because she's BABY

mage twin reuniting with hawke: high emotions, conflicting feelings, some tears, heartbreak and relief. complicated emotions that take a while to smooth over

mage twin reuniting with bethany: but you were a BABY! you were a tiny little baby and now you're a Grey Fucking Warden! OOP sorry I mean a Grey Freaking Warden, can't curse in front of you you're a BABY

[celestemona]

What types of jobs do each of the wifes have or had? (Because from what we know so far, Hakim's mama is a teacher in the akademiya and Quentin and Corinne mama is a dancer so This made me wonder which other professionals the others wifes have and sorry for the bad english)

Anon, you don't know for how long I've been waiting for someone to ask me this!! I'm so whipped for my ocs children yes, but I'm a whore for their mamas too hahah

Okay just like you've guessed, Hakim's mom is indeed a History & Literature professor at Akademiya. She's also a mage but I won't elaborate too much about it because she decided to follow only the conventional education path.

occupations: professor, historian, writer, mage

Lyney's wife, as you've mentioned, is a dancer. Currently, she is performing as an aerial silk pro at her husband's shows and she's pretty popular because of her skills.

occupations: troupe member, dancer, aerial silk pro, lyney's assistant

Kaveh's wife's job is to be rich hahahah She doesn't depend entirely on her sister fund because she is the owner of a huge construction & mining excavation company. How do you think she met her husband?

occupations: ceo, ningguang's right hand, kaveh's account manager

I've to say I struggled a lil bit to come up with a background for the Kaedehara's matriarch. However Mama reader here is a highly skilled adventurer. Just like her husband, she loves to travel, explore and she collect artifacts. Our Lara Croft I'd say hahaha

occupations: adventurer, treasures' collector, archeologist

Éveline's mom is a very fluent merchant. I must say I'm keeping the idea of her being a "former smuggler" from one of my previous fanfics for Neuvi. She's pretty smart and she can get a lot of informations around Teyvat which, sometimes, contributes to her husband's work.

occupation: merchant, former smuggler, former informant

Cyno's wife is an eremite and she used to do some illegal stuffs, that's the main reason why she crossed his way. But now that she's married to Akademiya's mahamatra and has two sons with him, she works at tavern as a bartender. Although sometimes she also does some temporary jobs as bodyguard for those who dare to explore the desert.

occupations: self-employed worker, bartender, bodyguard, former mercenary

And finally we have Wriothesley's wife who works together with him to maintain the Fortress of Meropide organized & safe. Most of the documents and archives tasks are her responsabilities. Howeveeer, if the surface needs someone for interrogation or if something serious happens inside the prison and the guards need a hand, she is the one they trust for this service.

occupations: duchess, fortress of meropide's second administrator, interrogator, executer

[idalenn]

Lillian Kyo - OC Smash or Pass

Rules: pretty self explanatory. Include physical descriptions and/or pics, and propaganda. the "other" label can be used for "sexuality misalignment" (ie: OC is femme and you're gay, vice versa or you aren't into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc)

Quick Facts:

Height - 6'2" / 188 cm

Age - early 30s post DT

Gender - Trans Woman

Sexuality - Pansexual

Pronouns - She/They

PROS:

Accomplished White Mage. You'll survive just about anything.

Need someone to find a rare or specific plant for you? A toxin to be ground, mixed, and splashed onto your weapon? She's your girl. (Just don't ask her to do any preparing. That's a botanist, not an alchemist)

Oodles of physical contact. Nature is healing and so is she. Will carry you bridal style.

Practiced flutist.

Chases the thrill of combat. (This is a pro)

CONS:

Will actively discourage you from going out into Keeper-unfriendly sunlight.

Selfish with her time and person from years of giving all and never having a choice in matters.

Incredibly petulant at times. (Heal-ING not Heal-ED)

Easily stressed by events out of her control and by her own perceived failings. If she trips too much, for example, she will kick a hole in the earth.

Has to constantly remind herself to forgive others and herself.

Not straightforward with her feelings, becoming frustrated when a decent way won't present itself leading to further frustration, which is why she treasures the Echo as she does; one can understand her implicitly through it, or at least witness the events that made her some way and from them draw their own conclusions.

Needs others to be direct and to the point with emotions and feelings. Oftimes more dense than a black hole.

Chases the thrill of combat. (This is a con)

DETAILS:

Whether or not Lillian is wearing gloves remains a reliable indicator of how close she wishes to be with people. Gods help you if she starts wearing gauntlets again.

Excellent wilderness survival skills. Before a Keeper tribe sends their child out into the cold, cruel world, they make sure their child will be able to live without them.

Had to be taught Ishgardian table manners and to bathe more often. If she can get away with forgoing either, she will, but does know which plants she can rub on herself to cover up musk.

Will put weird things in her mouth all the time. Colorful leaves, edible soaps, sour-smelling rocks with familiar looking moss, etc. Which are poison? Which taste good? Which are edible? It's a Keeper trait exacerbated by years as a botanist, so don't think too much about it.

Romantically: Bitingyoubitingyoubitingyou. On a more serious note, she has a lot of love to give, and does so more freely as of late, but her struggle with building meaningful connections and being honest does hamper this. If you do manage to forge this bond and navigate hazy, unchartable waters, she'll want to keep you around for as long as possible, much as she does with the Scions.

You cannot fix Lillian; she can only fix herself. But she is better now than before.

Sexually: Switch, but prefers to let others take the lead if possible. Not entirely comfortable with being pushy or demanding. Try not to give her too much power, though! Take heart in knowing she's an accomplished healer. You will survive. But do keep whining - she likes it.

Tagging: @zoroarkthief (because I want to see a Faren one) but I got to this super late so if you see this and haven't done it already OR want to do it again then take this as your sign to do so!

[lilbittymonster]

OC Smash or Pass: Vaisha Soveniss

You already know how this works. "Other" option is for some sort of incompatibility or you'd just rather be friends or study them under a microscope or some secret fourth thing

Yoinking an open tag from @hazelkjt

Basics:

Height: 6'11"/~209cm

Age: 34

Gender: wizard

Pronouns: They/He

Sexuality: Grey asexual with heavy masculine preference

Pros:

Herbalist and apothecary with a broad working knowledge of plants for both medicinal and arcane uses

Well versed in basic survival skills

Enjoys a good book and loves taking recommendations

Very nice voice. Very. Nice.

Will not mind one bit if you decide to infodump to him

Cons:

Heavily prejudiced against Gridanians, especially conjurers

Has no limits they will not surpass in pursuit of knowledge, particularly occultist powers

Frustratingly private about themself

They don't shy away from violence as a solution

Details:

Grew up in part of a Gelmorran settlement that was later taken under the protection of the Redbelly Wasps.

They're a Hearer, but due to their fire aspected aether and existing while Duskwight, they've been thoroughly rejected by the conjurer's guild numerous times.

They leave the Shroud to continue their self-taught thaumaturgy skills and become a black mage. WoL!Vaisha continues on to Limsa and eventually becomes a summoner. They prefer magic that does not rely on an external source, as learning magic is something that cannot be taken away from them at any point.

They will use any form of persuasion in conversation, from genial manners to underhanded blackmail, all with the same serene smile in pursuit of their goals.

WoL!Vaisha's Echo power is to control the emotions of the people around them, for good or for ill. They cannot create new emotions, only suppress or amplify.

They enjoy the finer things in life. They relish the notoriety that being the WoL/a powerful mage gives them, and will often dress in fine linens and silks and drape themself in jewellery to supplement their natural arcane ability.

While travelling is not off the table entirely, they do prefer to stay in one place for extended periods of time.

They prefer to be nocturnal, so early risers will not see them very much.

They don't tend to put much effort into maintaining connections much farther than how useful one is to them, so creating an actual bond is quite difficult and requires a lot of patience and even more luck. So far there has been one exception.

Sexually dominant and will adapt to whatever their partner wants but mostly uses sex as a tool to further their own ends.

[vanmarkham]

oh I will also add that going through a character tag of mine and then announcing an oc w the same personality/gimmick/choices ISNT FLATTERING

yo if you spam reblog or like things from me, at least follow me 😐

[alenseress]

Okay big Dushan (he/him) lore dump before I move on with my wips (1/?)

He's my main Inquisitor oc and comes and goes in my art. So if you like him or DA content specifically, stick around, it pops up every few weeks

He's in his mid 30s/early 40s, House Trevelyan is technically on its last breath by the time their only acceptable heir (Dushan) is born. Him being afab opens an opportunity for arranged marriage with another noble family, with an ultimatum that the contract will only sets in motion if the marriage successfully brings a child to join their names and blood. With that nuance Trevelyans (as a bit too fanatically religious house) can't send him off to grow up into a templar or a chantry initiate. It leads to him being brought up in a cult-ish environment to become his family's sacrificial lamb (or foal. Bc get it, Trevelyans) Homeschooled church kid, if you will. Sometime before the marriage his younger sister is born and sent off to the Circle as soon as she walks. At 17-18 the marriage goes through but doesn't last long

Dushan is terrified of both his now-husband and the idea of carrying a child. The years of pent up fear and abuse make the generally quiet kid go off the RAILS in one night, killing his husband, beheading his father and declaring himself the only son and the new head of the house. There's not much anyone can do about it with his mother being long gone, the family being in shambles and him indeed being the next in line

He's heavily pro-mage not even because of mortality of the question but because his sister in the circle is his closest and only beloved family left. He spends years clearing and building up their family name through dirtiest play so his sister can have proper noble privileges. In the process of it, through revenge, assassinations and more dirty play, the house ends up almost completely wiped out. Including the sister herself

By the time of the conclave he's broken. He has the name, the power, the skills, the flourishing land but noone left by his side. He serves and sponsors the Ostwick chantry his family was affiliated with, attending the conclave under its name

He himself lost his faith years ago and being forced back into it by the whole herald thing makes him gasp for air anywhere he can. Between living in the goddamn Haven, being trapped between soldiers of the chantry that don't really give a fuck about him at that point, he clings to Solas and his talk of fade and spirits and wonders that are so hated by the chantry he fears. They bond frankly inseparable in the first act

[definitelynotadeathclaw]

Was thinking that anders would really not like my inquisitor, so now you get a rambling essay about my ocs and the companions.

Warden Aeducan is kind of violent minded, but having real friends to help her unlearn the orzanmar mindset has helped. She's pragmatic and a bit ruthless. Couldn't care less about magic and "all that flutter". she'd probably get along best with fenris, Merrill, the iron bull, Cullen, Cassandra. Top friends in origins were Alistair, lelianna, and sten. Vivienne and Solas would probably hate her to no end. No real opinions on hawke or lavellan.

Hawke is diplomatic and very pro mage. Doesn't really understand blood magic, so ends up supporting it more often than he should. Constantly joking with friends. Respects warden aeducan, would be cautious of lavellan, but warm up to him fast. Would probably butt heads with wynne and Vivienne, besties with Alistair, lelianna, Cole, maybe Solas.

Inquisitor lavellan is my problem child. I love him. He's a dalish mage. He's peaceful and loves helping everyone he can, almost to a fault. He's about 19 at the start of inquisition, so he's really just new to the world. Is anti Templar but pro circle. Thinks it's the best idea for mages and those around them, though if he knew anything about say the kirkwall circle he would very much change that opinion. Embraces his leader role and tries to do good for the world. Anders and Morrigan would probably really not like him at first, but after a while not so much. Would be besties with wynne, lelianna, and Merrill (at least).

[vixstarria]

OC Smash or Pass

Tagged by the amazing @bardic-inspo - come check out her own post about Naomi

Rules: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idk).

Asmodea

Quick Facts:

Race: Half elf

Class: Bardlock, heavily leaning towards warlock

Height: 5'5-ish

Age: around 35 at the time of game

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Yes, I mean, bi

Pros:

Up for just about anything

Sure, you can bring a friend

High charisma, knows every bar, inn and brothel in the area and is cozied up with the owners

Unpretentious and nonjudgmental

Enjoys entertaining and is quite creative

Likes being the centre of attention, but will just as easily let someone else be in the spotlight

Yes, she can cast Mage Hand, among other things

Will be very pleased to reward you if you just use your words

Second love language after physical touch is quality time, if you're more into that kind of thing

Cons:

Weird co-dependent relationship with a creature that lives in her head, and I'm not talking about the tadpole

Morally ambiguous, ethically challenged

Tends to speak and act without (or despite) thinking

Prone to not taking things that absolutely should be taken seriously as such

Draws weird things on her face for funsies

Can be insensitive and selfish

Not great with feelings

Lacking in insight

Something shady about her you can't quite put a finger on

No pressure tagging @spacebarbarianweird @leomonae @confused-butter-toast @bhaalbaaby @mj-bites

[sapphire-mage]

So You Want to Get Into Classic Final Fantasy? (A Guide to Final Fantasy I-VI for Those Who Want To Check Them Out)

You may have seen recently that the HD Remixes of Final Fantasy 1-6 are coming to Switch and PS4 in Spring (or that they're already on Steam or mobile), and you might be thinking, "Should I try one of them?" Maybe you've played VII/VII Remake or XIV, and you're like, "Maybe I should give one of these a go!" Maybe you're thinking to start in numerical order? Maybe you already have one in mind?

Either way, I want to throw my 50 cents into this conversation as someone who has played every number but 11. This isn't going to be a critique. I like all six of them. To varying degrees? Yeah. But I'll be honest about pros and cons of each. Let's begin, shall we?

GENERAL TIPS AND INFO:

-Take note that ALL of these games are turn based combat JRPGS. They may have something different between each of them, but they are all turn based combat driven.

-FF1-FF3 have a turn based style where you can decide the actions of all of your characters, and their actions will be played out on a basis of their speed, kind of like Pokemon. FF4-FF6 allows characters and enemies to act freely while you decide their next move, which can be more dangerous, but take note, there is a 'Wait Mode' you can activate that will stop the flow of battle while you scroll through the magic or item menus.

-If by some chance, Final Fantasy isn't vibing with you: By all means quit. Maybe pick up one with a story that interests you more. Maybe turn based combat isn't your thing. Maybe you want a better leveling system. Maybe you would rather do more modern adaptations. It varies, but don't be afraid to step away. If it's not your thing, it is not your thing. That's okay.

-When it comes to any of these games: Wait until they are on sale. Square tends to put their games on sale pretty often, and pretty often, those sales are a steal. So keep that in mind!

OKAY! Let's begin!

Final Fantasy I

Despite being the first in the series, it's a difficult sell as 'your first Final Fantasy' or 'your first classic Final Fantasy'. But it isn't a bad choice, especially if you have a decent amount of JRPG experience anyway. The story exists, but more in a 'world building' way and not a 'character' way. It is also the shortest out of all six being discussed here.

What may be a pro or con for some is that the main four characters are self-inserts. You choose their battle job (a choice that is permanent, by the way), name them, and then use them for battle and adventure. But they barely speak a word of dialogue, if at all. This is bad for people who want characters to feed off of, but great for people who want to put their OCs as the characters (I'm those people at times).

General Tip: Feel free to use whatever character class selection you want, but for a general idea: Warrior is powerful but expensive to keep powerful, Thief is the fastest but slightly fragile compared to the other two fighters, Black Belt is almost has powerful as Warrior but significantly less expensive, White Mage has access to insane healing spells but very expensive, Black Mage has access to insane attacking spells but very expensive, and Red Mage has access to half the spells W and B Mage have but has the versatility to use a sword and both of their spell options.

Final Fantasy II

This is the Final Fantasy that I have to inform you is 'The Bad One'™ of the six. Personally, I love this game. Has a surprisingly deeper story than you'd expect, dealing with a rebellion trying to bring down a facist overlord (which is awesome). But it is probably the hardest of the six. Walk in the wrong direction and high level monsters will eviscerate you.

It also has a very unique leveling system. Where most games in the series require EXP and give you stats as you level, this game gives you stats as you USE those stats. Want your HP and Defense to go up? Take some damage, and you'll have a chance to level those stats. Want your Fire spell to grow stronger? Use the spell in battle, and the spell will grow stronger with your MP and magic power, possibly. Want to get better with swords? Keep using swords, baby!

Also, has the coolest villain of the first three games in the form of The Emperor. He looks like The Goblin King from Labyrinth and is such a bastard. Very entertaining.

General Tip: Keep characters focusing on a specific thing, but have everyone be a 'mage knight'. Give each character a weapon to focus, and a magic type to focus (white magic or black magic, don't cross types). If you want a very specific suggestion, consider making Firion and Guy handle weapons of your choice, but use white mage to heal. Have Maria use a bow, but utilize black magic and being your mage.

Final Fantasy III

It is my least favorite of these six, but it is a beloved game in the series for a reason. Most importantly, it is the game that inspired a lot of XIV. Hell, XIV fans may recognizes many songs (including the above one), enemies, and characters throughout.

The big thing I should mention is that this game has two versions on Steam: The Classic Remix (sprites, insert characters that you can name but have no character arcs) and The 3D Version (3D figures, actual main characters with names). The decision is yours and yours alone, Steam users.

Otherwise, this is the first game to allow a Job Sytem. As you progress, you unlock jobs that your characters can select and become, but you can't do it as freely as you may like. Also, when your character is that select job (let's say Black Mage, for instance), they can only be that job and nothing else until you change it. Once you do, the skills and abilities that character was able to use before may not be usable anymore unless you change them back. You'll see.

General Tips: Kind of figure out what kind of jobs you want each characters to handle, and stick with they general realm for each of them. Fighters be fighters, mages be mages. There may be times where you'll want to break that, but that's up to you to strategize.

Final Fantasy IV

We're finally reaching the 'epic stories' of Final Fantasy now, so I'll be talking a bit more about story. IV is the first real dramatic epic that Final Fantasy is known for being, and the characters and story prove that. Is it the best in the series? Arguably not, but it is very good. Dealing heavily with themes of redemption, revenge, and forgiveness.

From a gameplay stand point, it's probably the most challenging of the 4-6 era. There isn't that much freedom with your characters, as each of them have their designated skills, abilities, and talents set from the start of leveling to the end of leveling. And you can't change those things. So instead, you need to level your characters, figure out how to best beat the upcoming bosses, and use what you have.

And the music is fantastic in this game. Songs ranging from gorgeous melodies of feeling safe and home, to some stressful and tense songs as you come face to face with the enemy. You may recognize some from Endwalker, as Endwalker pulled a lot from this game.

General Tips: Learn everything that your characters can do, and utilize them to the best of your ability. Maybe your healer needs to focus on buffing or attacking, while another character heals with magic or items. Maybe you need to better research your enemies with what you have. Everything is creativity in this game with your limited options.

Final Fantasy V

I'm not gonna sugar coat it: This is my favorite in the series. But I'll try not to be biased. For starters, the story steps down from its epic roots to be more comedic. Somehow, this game managed to be a parody of FFIV and every Final Fantasy that would follow V, before any of them would be created. You'll have a lot of goofball good guys and bad guys, while also having a mean as hell main villain who has a strange, almost comedic origin story.

CW worth noting: There is a character who goes through some gender clash. Basically, you're introduced to them as one gender, when it is revealed later that they only disguised themselves as that gender because people of their born gender don't get respect in their occupation. Feelings on how this character was handled vary, but the character is beloved regardless and stays true to themselves to the end. I wouldn't say it was outright transphobic, but I wouldn't say it was handled with grace (one piece of dialogue makes me wince). And it may get some side glances from players now. But ultimately, the cast and fans accept and love this character regardless.

The music is very Pokemon Hoenn region: TRUMPETS EVERYWHERE! Somebody was having a trumpet party while this game was being made. Still, the music is great, especially the boss themes as you go further into the game. The track you're listening to is my personal favorite from this game.

But I haven't even spoke of the strongest aspect: The gameplay! It has a job system like Final Fantasy III, BUT you can carry over things you've learned from previous jobs! Got a Black Mage, but you want to utilize Time Magic? Good news, you can equip the Black Magic you've mastered while using Time Mage! Want to try out Monk, but you want to keep stealing items with your Thief? Have your Thief master 'Steal', and then equip it as a Monk. The strategy and creativity is unlimited!

General Tips: At the start of the game, you have access to a job known as 'Freelancer'. On the surface, this job is useless. But later on, you'll find that it automatically equips ALL passive abilities (ie HP +20%, Dual Wield, Equip Armor) without using up any of your slots! So take note: Freelancer is a secret endgame class! Strategize with that in mind! LEARN WHAT PASSIVE ABILITIES YOU CAN!

Also: Don't. Underestimate. Blue Mage. If you can figure things out, Blue Mage is insanely powerful. Then again, I speak as a devout Blue Mage fanatic.

Final Fantasy VI

As far as epic Final Fantasy games go, this is the biggest and baddest one from 1-6. Action, comedy, romance, horror, tragedy, joy! Everything and more in this theatrical adventure! By far, the strongest story of the six in my eyes and the eyes of many. Often argued to be one of the strongest stories of the entire series even beyond the classic six, and I agree! Lovable main characters all around, some kick ass female characters who take the forefront over most of the guys often times, and a psycho clown who serves as the central villain! I would argue, from a story stand point, this game is the quintessence of classic Final Fantasy.

Music is out of this world. Some of the best tracks you'll hear in the series, along with an opera song that will warm your heart and a final boss theme that will make you question what anyone saw in a certain One Winged Angel.

And then there's the gameplay. While I will admit that I find V's gameplay better, VI's gameplay is still quite good. Like IV, all characters come with skills and abilities that are unique to each character, which makes party formation important. But once you get past the first act, you gain the ability to teach magic to ANY CHARACTER IN THE GAME (except two late game secret characters, but you don't have to use those)! As long as they keep a certain item equipped, they were learn the spells those items have to offer over a span of battles. This turns all of your characters into battle mages, and creates for some interesting strategy.

THE ONLY DOWNSIDE is the final act. The final act removes every party member from your team but one, and with that one, you have to reunite EVERYONE. And those quests vary in difficulty and time, although almost all are optional. And that wouldn't be an issue save for the fact that the final dungeon will force your to create THREE TEAMS of FOUR PARTY MEMBERS (maximum, you can enter with one party member on each team if you want). As such, you might want to consider leveling and teaching spells to as many party members as you can. This hurts a lot of fans of this game, but it never bothered me.

General Tip: This is less of a general tip and more of a demand. When you get your airship for the first time, UNLOCK MOG! I don't care if you think or were told Mog is bad. If I can beat the final boss with him, you can make use of him! Look up how to unlock him and make sure you do it! Hell, it may make the final dungeon easier, cause you'll have him as a party member. You can always recruit him later, but during that early part of the game (before you lose every party member), Mog can learn a water dance ability that is surprisingly useful. But that's just me. Some people hate Mog, but I'm not some people.

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Alright, that's all six. Now, from a stand point of which of the six should be your first. Well... Ranking them from best to worst starting option...

Final Fantasy V or VI

Final Fantasy IV

Final Fantasy I

Final Fantasy III

Final Fantasy II

This isn't ranking them in quality, but whether they are a good starting place. At the end of the day, I would recommend picking up V or VI if you've never played a classic Final Fantasy. If you've never played a Final Fantasy period, then maybe also consider VII, IX, or X. But that's up to you (and if I do a post on those).

As for whether you should pick V or VI...

IF YOU WANT CRAZY GOOD GAMEPLAY AND DON'T MIND THE STORY NOT BEING TOO SERIOUS, play Final Fantasy V.

IF YOU WANT CRAZY GOOD STORY WITH SOME PRETTY GOOD GAMEPLAY, play Final Fantasy VI.

Or play both. They're both really good.

If you've played one or both or want a reason to pick up one of these others:

Play Final Fantasy I so you can connect with the most classic of the series, as it won't take up too much time.

Play Final Fantasy II if you want a real JRPG challenge that rips you from your safe zone.

Play Final Fantasy III if you want to connect with a lot of the creation of XIV.

Play Final Fantasy IV because it's awesome.

Play Final Fantasy V because it's awesome.

Play Final Fantasy VI because it's awesome.

So yeah, that's everything. Again: You don't have to play any of these. Or all of these. You could play VI, and I promise, I won't be like, "Wow. You didn't play V? Cringe." If someone does, screw them. Play and try what you want to play and try. I'm just here to guide the way.

As for 7-15... Maybe I'll discuss them. But that's up to you for now.