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Play a white mage? You might want to perk your ears up and check out Square-Enix's latest message to the Final Fantasy XI community. It seems that your job is due for a very nice set of upgrades.

The April version update will be adding brand new WHM job abilities and changes to how white magic works in general, including changes to reraise, holy, cure, martyr, banish, and others. All of these changes are based around the WHM's newest two abilities -- Afflatus Solace and Afflatus Misery. Each of these abilities will be set to a 1 minute reuse timer and last for 2 hours, making them easily switchable depending on your situation. Using one will, of course, overwrite the other. Both of these abilities can't be active at once.

Afflatus Solace is a WHM stance centered around curing. As you cure, the healing you do will be recorded by Solace and will be used to provide bonuses to other beneficial spells. For example, your cures will give the target temporary stoneskin when Afflatus Solace is active.

Afflatus Misery is a stance centered around you taking hits. The last hit against you will be stored by Misery and then unleashed with the next harmful spell that you cast. For example, getting hit will provide a bonus to your next banish spell.

Square-Enix has promised more classes will be changed beyond the white mage with the April update, and we're looking forward to what improvements they have in store! For the full information on the new white mage abilities, check out the full article on PlayOnline.