Ever since hints towards job improvements were announced at last year's Fan Festival, the player community has been in eager anticipation for what lay in store for their favorite job. Fortunately, the wait is now over, as this morning, Square Enix delivered the first of several previews for their plans to improve the playing experience, in the form of new spells and abilities for Vana'diel's premier healing job, the White Mage.

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From Playonline.com:

The upcoming April version update will boast a wealth of adjustments and additions to a selection of jobs. Today, it is our pleasure to outline the benefits that this will bestow upon white mages—the altruists of Vana'diel.

Job Abilities

Two complementary new job abilities are scheduled to be added, with ability delay set low for both so that white mages can optimize their usage for the ever-changing tactical needs of the battlefield.

- Afflatus Solace
(Lv40 Ability Delay: 1 min. Duration: 2 hrs.)
Inspires you to draw strength from the healing spells you cast.

- Afflatus Misery
(Lv40 Ability Delay: 1 min. Duration: 2 hrs.)
Inspires you to draw strength from the damage you take.

- Afflatus Solace
While Afflatus Solace is activated, the amount of HP you restore via Cure spells and the job abilities Benediction and Martyr will be recorded up to a limit determined by your character's level.
This accumulated amount will determine the bonus value granted to specific spells.

- Afflatus Misery
While Afflatus Misery is activated, the most recent damage you sustain will be recorded up to a limit determined by your character's level. This damage amount will determine the bonus value granted to specific spells. Unlike Afflatus Solace, it is non-accumulative and overwriting.

*Notes
The effects of both Afflatus Solace and Afflatus Misery are mutually exclusive. Activating one while the other is in effect will result in the nullification of the one originally in effect.
Using either Afflatus Solace or Afflatus Misery when the same ability is already activated will reset all recorded values up to that point.

Magic

The introduction of the above job abilities will see a number of changes made to existing spells, with new spells set to make an appearance in Vana'diel for the first time.

- Sacrifice (Lv65)
Transfers one enfeebling effect from target to yourself.
Casting Sacrifice while Afflatus Solace is activated grants a bonus to the number and variety of enfeebling effects transferred.

- Cure / Cure II / Cure III / Cure IV / Cure V
Casting the above Cure spells while Afflatus Solace is activated grants the target the effect of Stoneskin for a short duration.
The Stoneskin effect attained via this method is not stackable with and will not overwrite the white magic spell "Stoneskin" or Blood Pact: Ward ability "Earthen Ward."

- Elemental Resistance Spells
Casting Bar- type spells while Afflatus Solace is activated grants an additional defense bonus to the associated element.

- Holy
Casting Holy while Afflatus Solace is activated grants a potency bonus to the spell based on the amount of HP you restore. The record of accumulated HP is reset upon use.

- Cura (Lv40)
Restores HP for party members within area of effect.
Casting Cura while Afflatus Misery is activated grants a potency bonus to the spell based on the most recent damage you sustain.
The record of damage taken is reset upon use.

- Esuna (Lv61)
Removes one enfeebling effect from yourself and party members within area of effect.
Casting Esuna while Afflatus Misery is activated grants a bonus to the number and variety of enfeebling effects removed.

- Auspice (Lv55)
Reduces TP dealt when striking an enemy for party members within area of effect.
When cast upon a white mage for whom Afflatus Misery is activated, Auspice also adds light damage to initial attacks and bestows an accuracy bonus when target is missed.

- Banish / Banish II / Banish III / Banishga / Banishga II
Casting the above Banish spells while Afflatus Misery is activated grants a potency bonus to the spell based on the most recent damage you sustain.
The record of damage taken is reset upon use.

Other Changes

In addition to the abovementioned adjustments and additions, the following changes will also take place:

- White magic "Banish II": Slight increase to magic accuracy. Casting time shortened from 3.75 to 2.5 seconds.
- White magic "Banish III": Slight increase to magic accuracy. Casting time shortened from 5.5 to 3 seconds.
- White magic "Banishga II": Slight increase to magic accuracy.
- White magic "Raise II": MP consumption reduced from 200 to 150. Casting time shortened from 20 to 14 seconds.
- White magic "Raise III": MP consumption reduced from 250 to 150. Casting time shortened from 20 to 13 seconds.
- White magic "Reraise": Learning requirement reduced from Lv33 to Lv25 for WHM, and Lv40 to Lv35 for SCH.
- White magic "Reraise II": Learning requirement reduced from Lv60 to Lv56 for WHM, and Lv75 to Lv70 for SCH. MP consumption reduced from 175 to 150. Casting time shortened from 8 to 7.5 seconds.
- White magic "Reraise III": Learning requirement reduced from Lv75 to Lv70 for WHM. MP consumption reduced from 200 to 150. Casting time shortened from 8 to 7 seconds.
- Job ability "Martyr": Ability range increased to be equivalent to Cure spells.

That concludes the list of changes scheduled for the white mage job in the upcoming version update. Other jobs set to receive fine-tuning will be introduced in the very near future, so keep watching this space!