In the upcoming March version update of Final Fantasy XI, several jobs are scheduled to see significant spell and ability adjustments and additions to beefen their battle prowess. A number of spells/abilities for Red Mage, Ninja, Dark Knight, Bard, Summoner, and Puppetmaster will see duration and/or potency improvements. In addition, Red Mage will be obtaining the new Ardor spell, and Summoner will be seeing new Bloodpacts for Diabolos, Fenrir, and Cait Sith!

Excited for the upcoming job adjustments? Let us know over on the ZAM forums!

From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:

[dev1258] Job Adjustments

The following jobs will undergo adjustments.

• Red Mage
  
  • A new magic spell will be added.
    
    • Ardor (RDM Lv.64, affects a single ally)
      Increases damage from the target's next skillchain based on the number of preceeding melee hits.
  • The following enfeebling spells will be adjusted.
    
    • The damage over time dealt by Poison and Poison II will be increased and spell duration tripled from thirty to ninety seconds.
    • The effects of Blind and Blind II will increase based on the difference between the caster and target's MND. Additionally, they will now have a fixed duration of 180 seconds rather than a variable duration.
    • Paralyze, Paralyze II, and Silence will now have a fixed duration of 180 seconds rather than a variable duration.

• Dark Knight
  
  • The effects of the following dark magic spells will no longer have their effects decrease over time.
    

    Absorb-STR / Absorb-DEX / Absorb-VIT / Absorb-AGI / Absorb-INT /
    Absorb-MND / Absorb-CHR / Absorb-ACC

• Bard
  
  • The following magic songs will no longer have their effects decrease over time.
    

    Bewitching Etude / Logical Etude / Sage Etude / Swift Etude / Vital Etude /
    Uncanny Etude / Herculean Etude

• Ninja
  
  • The damage over time dealt by Dokumori: Ichi will be increased.

• Summoner
  
  • New blood pacts will be added to the following avatars.
    
    • Diabolos
      Blindside (SMN Lv.99, single target Blood Pact: Rage)
      Deals physical damage.
    • Fenrir
      Impact (SMN Lv.99, single target Blood Pact: Rage)
      Deals dark damage that lowers an enemy's Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Agility, Intelligence, Mind, and Charisma.
      
    • Cait Sith
      Regal Gash (SMN Lv.99, single target Blood Pact: Rage)
      Delivers a threefold attack.
  • The areas of effect of the following blood pacts will be increased.
    

    Shining Ruby / Glittering Ruby / Healing Ruby II / Soothing Ruby /
    Ecliptic Growl / Ecliptic Howl / Heavenward Howl / Crimson Howl /
    Inferno Howl / Earthen Ward / Earthen Armor / Spring Water /
    Soothing Current / Whispering Wind / Hastega / Aerial Armor / Fleet Wind /
    Hastega II / Frost Armor / Crystal Blessing / Rolling Thunder /
    Lightning Armor / Noctoshield / Dream Shroud

  • The duration of blood pacts whose effect durations are extended by the player's summoning magic skill will be increased.
  • The activation time of all blood pacts will be reduced.
  • The effects of Glittering Ruby will no longer decrease over time.

Puppetmaster

• The following adjustments will be made to spells cast by automatons equipped with soothsayer heads.

• The casting time for Protectra and Shellra will be reduced.
  * This change will also apply to Protectra and Shellra spells cast by players.

• The area of effect of Protectra and Shellra will be increased.
  * This change will not apply to Protectra and Shellra cast by players.

The effect duration of maneuvers will increase based on the amount of time elapsed since using Deploy.
* This effect is removed whenever the automaton is knocked out or deactivated.
* This effect is maintained even if combat ends, whether by vanquishing monsters, retrieving the automaton, or other such means.