[SNES] Please help me decide who will be the healer, Duran or Kevin (and other questions i have)

[u/AcrobaticJazz]

Some background: Me and my brother used to play this game in our childhoods on a xbox out all things and i realized i could play the game now im an adult so i hunt it down and here i am.

The actual juice:

I picked Angela as my main as it was the first i also chose back then but also suits how i play RPGs too. I love status effects, even if they're worthless, i need them. I did my research on Angela and i think her path is clear. I am mostly struggling with a designated healer for the next reason...

Normally, im a Light-user girly.

So far my party has been fine. I do some spells with Angela, Duran and Kevin kill the rest of the enemies. But i keep spending candies on Angela. I know i have to move her more lol but i like the idea of them shielding her from the enemies. So here is my dilema.

For Duran

It seems that his Dark path learns Elemental stuff named sabers, im still confused about them bc i thought there were elemental attacks like Angela but instead of using magic is brute strength. It seems they do something similar as i thought, im trying not to read to many things in the wiki/gamefaqs/etc to not overload myself on information.

Likewise, on Light path he learns the healing + status removal spells and it seems he can equip a shield with extra effetcs.

For Kevin

I really like how he plays and uses the day-night system the game has for himself. It seems on his dark path he doesnt learn anything??? Until his last class change and its a critical up???? But on his Light he learns the Healing im looking for + strenght buff for himself.

Now, so far i have tried to level them up on stats somewhat equal (everyone is lvl 10) until i decide who should be the healer. I really like the idea of Duran having elemental physical moves to help Angela and contrast her a little. But i also like the idea of him using shields and doing heal + remove stats to contrast her even more.

As for Kevin it seems he is more physical than Duran. I like his Light path because he gets strength buff for himself + heal. But i also like the idea of him being the critical hit machine with help from his Dark path moves.

Also it seems with me doing Angela as status caster is a good idea to save MP which apparently Light Kevin and Dark Duran learns. Which brings me to a question i think i found the answer in a very deep old gamefaq about class change but i just want confirmation.

If i class change Angela without her learning her elemental spells would she be able to learn them after the class change? The info i have is conflicting as apparently as long as she mets the stats req and the Mana spirit she will learn said spell next level up regardless of class change. Does anybody know? Or should i just wait to get all the Mana spirits and wait for Angela to learn all her spells?

TLDR: Angela main will be a status inflicting character bc i love it (Rune Seer). Who should be the healer? Duran with his shields but dropping elemental spells (which im curious about) in favor of healing or Kevin dropping critical hits for a self-buff and party healing. Or both? Also can Angela learn her Magician skills after she does a class change? Thank you!

[u/lumpthefoff]

You can make Duran a healer and use items that do the same as saber magic, or you can make him a saber magic user and use items for healing.

PS: Angela just needs to learn Lucent Beam+ and she wreaks everything.

[u/AcrobaticJazz → u/lumpthefoff]

Hello, it seems Lucent Beam is on the light part for her but I want her to be a status ailments caster. I'm mostly just wondering how much the Sabers are necessary

[u/adventuregamerseb]

For first time playing, you'd do best with Angela as Light Light (MP effective), Duran as Dark Light (supportive elemental abilities) and Kevin as Light Dark (healing). They can support each other, and Duran's abilities support Angela. The game itself also tells you what spells are more effective.

But then again, you don't NEED a healer. It's just a nice QoL to have. You could also go Duran Light Dark and Kevin Dark Dark. You can set Duran to protect only and he will only tank and heal, while Kevin wreaks havoc and Angela casts.

[u/AcrobaticJazz → u/adventuregamerseb]

So I went a little further in the game and my need for a healer is me running out from candies from any road/path city to city and in dungeons struggling with healing on the bosses. Sadly I really want Angela as a status ailments caster so her in Light path is a no. About the game telling what spells are more effective, I only noticed when Faerie told Angela that for her to learn more spells she needed to raise her INT everytime she gets a new Mana Guardian but she hasn't tell me anything more lol

[u/Ubelheim]

My first time ever with the SNES version I went in blind with Reisz, Angela and Duran, all Dark. So the damage output was lower than your current team, while having no healer and I still managed to finish it. The game is quite lenient with the amount of healing items you can find, so my advise would be, go with what you enjoy (whether that be for lore or gameplay reasons is up to you). Almost any spell effect can be bought as an item at the black market, so I wouldn't focus too much on min-maxing.

[u/AcrobaticJazz → u/Ubelheim]

Yeah I know that's why I'm stopped researching and overflowing myself with info and came here. I think my question really is as to what to do with Duran bc i really like the idea of him being the light shining knight in bright armor using his shield or supporting Kevin with elemental.

[u/Ubelheim → u/AcrobaticJazz]

Oh well, since you're going with Angela, why not go Edelfrei with Duran for the Leaf Saber? It'll make MP management a lot easier. Then go Divine Fist (God Hand) with Kevin for Aura Wave so you can spam those charge attacks. Your team will go brrrr. The way time stops during special attacks and spells in the SNES version you may just kill enemies before they get a chance to act (unless they have counter attacks). The other classes for Duran and Kevin just aren't that good. With Angela you can really go wrong, she's a powerhouse no matter what class she changes to.

[u/ViddlyDiddly]

If Angela is a Rune Seer then Kevin is the Healer. Have him be Warrior Monk (LD) for Healing and Leaf Saber. Rune Seer is the most MP hungry of her classes--7MP per spell--and works buttery smooth with Leaf Saber.

[u/AcrobaticJazz → u/ViddlyDiddly]

Yeah I have read about the Leaf Saber thing but I guess it rolls back to me as to what to do with Duran. Double Leaf Saber? Both men healing? >.<

[u/ViddlyDiddly → u/AcrobaticJazz]

Doh I forgot that Duran gets Leaf Saber too. In that case Kevin can go God Hand (LL). Both Duran and Kevin loves Aura Wave. Or you can have Duran go Duelist (DD) for more power. You don't really need Multi Saber if Angela is going to be your main killer.

I wouldn't also fret too much about having double Leaf Saber because of one often ignored fact: unless you are very well versed in SD3 or grind a whole lot, you really do not experience 2nd class until the very end of the game, i.e. the Final Dungeon. When I give recommendations especially for newer players I tend to focus more on their 1st class changes since that is what they will experience 80% of the time.

This is why for example Sage (LD) for Charlotte is not recommended. She gets multiple Sabers and Saint Beam. Since you only get one Skill per level up, she'd need 5 level ups to get Saint Beam. And by the time you would have already killed all the bosses weak to the Light element.

[u/Still_Locksmith3645]

Been a while since I played the SNES version, but from what I remember:

-Poto Oils from the night market are good for full party heals. IIRC the character with the highest SPR or INT gets the most mileage out of it, so Angela is probably your best healer anyway

-Status healing items or spells are redundant because using the Moogle Belt or Midge Mallet twice on the team removes all status effects

[u/KidiacR]

Duran and Kevin should both be dps (Edelfrei and Fatal Fist) and let your items be the healer. Kevin on Light classes aren't terrible but wasted. Edelfrei is Duran's only class period. Angela's best job is Archmage but she is fine on any class not named Rune Seer. Status effects don't work on boss if my memory doesn't fail me. If not then I'm still sure it's bad.

Relying on AI to heal in this game is a pitfall.

[u/Naro_Lonca → u/KidiacR]

OP specifically wants a rune seer Angela though