Magic Spells List (Black Magic)

Black Magic in Final Fantasy I is your primary source of offensive power, specializing in damaging enemies and inflicting status ailments. While you can only learn three spells per level, careful selection is crucial for maximizing your Black Mage's effectiveness. Prioritize spells that offer direct damage, area-of-effect capabilities, or powerful buffs/debuffs.

Level 1 Black Magic

These are your foundational offensive spells, available early in the game. You'll purchase these in Cornelia.

FIRE: Your basic single-target fire damage spell. Essential for early game encounters, especially against enemies weak to fire. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Cornelia for 100 Gil.
LIT: Similar to FIRE, but deals lightning damage to a single target. Useful for diversifying your elemental coverage. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Cornelia for 100 Gil.
SLEP: Attempts to put a group of enemies to sleep. This can be incredibly useful for crowd control, allowing your physical attackers to focus on fewer threats or to escape difficult encounters. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Cornelia for 100 Gil.
LOCK: Lowers an enemy's evasion. While not as flashy as direct damage, reducing evasion can significantly increase the hit rate of your physical attackers, making it a strategic choice. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Cornelia for 100 Gil.

Recommendation: For most parties, FIRE and LIT are indispensable for early damage. The third slot is a toss-up between SLEP for crowd control or LOCK for party synergy. If you have a strong physical party, LOCK can be very effective.

Level 2 Black Magic

As you progress, your Black Mage gains access to more potent spells. These are typically found in Pravoka or Elfheim.

ICE: The ice-elemental counterpart to FIRE and LIT, dealing single-target damage. Good for expanding your elemental options. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Pravoka for 400 Gil.
SLO2: Lowers the speed of a group of enemies. This can be a game-changer against fast opponents, allowing your party to act more frequently. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Pravoka for 400 Gil.
TMPR: Increases a single ally's attack power. This spell is a must-have for any Black Mage supporting physical attackers, especially once they become a Black Wizard. It significantly boosts your damage output. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Pravoka for 400 Gil.
ALIT: Deals lightning damage to all enemies. This is your first area-of-effect (AoE) damage spell and is incredibly valuable for clearing groups of weaker foes quickly. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Elfheim for 400 Gil.

Recommendation: TMPR is arguably the best Level 2 Black Magic spell due to its immense utility in boosting physical damage. For the remaining two slots, ALIT is excellent for clearing trash mobs, and ICE provides another elemental attack. SLO2 can be situationally useful but often less impactful than direct damage or buffs.

Level 3 Black Magic

These spells offer more powerful offensive capabilities and utility. You'll find these in Elfheim.

HOLD: Attempts to paralyze a single enemy. Paralyzing a dangerous foe can turn the tide of battle. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Elfheim for 1500 Gil.
FIR2: Deals fire damage to all enemies. A stronger AoE option than ALIT, essential for clearing groups of enemies efficiently. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Elfheim for 1500 Gil.
LIT2: Deals lightning damage to all enemies. Similar to FIR2, providing another elemental AoE attack. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Elfheim for 1500 Gil.
FAST: Increases a single ally's number of attacks. This is a phenomenal buff, especially for your strongest physical attacker, effectively doubling their damage output. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Elfheim for 1500 Gil.

Recommendation: FAST is a top-tier spell that every Black Mage should learn. It's one of the most powerful buffs in the game. For offensive spells, both FIR2 and LIT2 are excellent for group damage. Choose based on elemental weaknesses you anticipate. HOLD can be useful but often less reliable than direct damage or buffs.

Level 4 Black Magic

These spells continue to escalate in power, offering stronger attacks and unique effects. Available in Elfheim and Melmond.

CONF: Attempts to confuse a group of enemies. Confused enemies might attack each other or themselves, providing powerful crowd control. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Elfheim for 4000 Gil.
ICE2: Deals ice damage to all enemies. Completes your elemental AoE trifecta. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Elfheim for 4000 Gil.
SLO3: Lowers the speed of a single enemy. While SLO2 affects a group, SLO3 is a more potent debuff for a single, dangerous target. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Melmond for 4000 Gil.
DARK: Attempts to blind a group of enemies. Blinding reduces enemy accuracy, which can be very effective against physical attackers. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Melmond for 4000 Gil.

Recommendation: ICE2 is a solid choice to round out your elemental AoE attacks. CONF can be incredibly powerful for disabling groups of enemies, making it a strong contender. DARK is also a good defensive utility spell. SLO3 is less impactful than other options at this level.

Level 5 Black Magic

These spells bring significant offensive power and strategic options. Found in Melmond and Crescent Lake.

BANE: Attempts to instantly kill a group of enemies. This can be a risky but rewarding spell, especially against weaker groups or those susceptible to instant death. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Melmond for 8000 Gil.
WARP: Teleports your party out of a dungeon or battle. Incredibly useful for quick escapes from dangerous areas or when you're low on resources. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Melmond for 8000 Gil.
FIR3: Deals heavy fire damage to a single enemy. Your first dedicated single-target heavy damage spell. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Crescent Lake for 8000 Gil.
LIT3: Deals heavy lightning damage to a single enemy. Similar to FIR3, providing another powerful single-target option. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Crescent Lake for 8000 Gil.

Recommendation: FIR3 and LIT3 are your bread-and-butter single-target damage spells for boss fights and tough enemies. Choose both to cover elemental weaknesses. WARP is a fantastic utility spell for exploration and emergencies. BANE can be powerful but is often less reliable than direct damage.

Level 6 Black Magic

These spells are among the most powerful offensive tools available to your Black Mage. Found in Crescent Lake and Gaia.

RUB: Attempts to instantly kill a single enemy. A more reliable instant death spell than BANE for single targets. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Crescent Lake for 20000 Gil.
FOJN: Attempts to instantly kill a group of enemies. Similar to BANE but often with a higher success rate against certain foes. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Crescent Lake for 20000 Gil.
ICE3: Deals heavy ice damage to a single enemy. Completes your elemental single-target heavy damage spells. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Gaia for 20000 Gil.
STOP: Attempts to stop a group of enemies, preventing them from acting. A powerful crowd control spell for difficult encounters. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Gaia for 20000 Gil.

Recommendation: ICE3 is essential for completing your elemental damage arsenal. For the remaining two slots, STOP is an excellent crowd control option, and RUB offers a chance for instant death on tough single targets. FOJN is another instant death spell, but STOP often provides more consistent utility.

Level 7 Black Magic

These are high-level spells, offering devastating damage or unique strategic advantages. Found in Gaia and Onrac.

ZAP!: Attempts to instantly kill a single enemy. Another instant death spell, often more effective than RUB against some foes. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Gaia for 45000 Gil.
BLAK: Deals non-elemental damage to all enemies. A reliable AoE damage spell that bypasses elemental resistances. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Gaia for 45000 Gil.
XXXX: Attempts to instantly kill a single enemy. One of the most powerful instant death spells. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Onrac for 45000 Gil.
BRAK: Attempts to turn a single enemy to stone. Petrification is a potent status effect that removes an enemy from battle. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Onrac for 45000 Gil.

Recommendation: BLAK is a fantastic choice for consistent AoE damage against any enemy. BRAK is a powerful status effect that can neutralize dangerous single targets. For the third slot, choose between ZAP! and XXXX based on your preference for instant death spells.

Level 8 Black Magic

These are the ultimate Black Magic spells, capable of turning the tide of the most challenging battles. Found in Onrac and Lefein.

NUKE: Deals massive non-elemental damage to all enemies. This is your ultimate offensive spell, capable of wiping out entire groups of powerful foes. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Onrac for 60000 Gil.
DEATH: Attempts to instantly kill all enemies. A high-risk, high-reward spell that can end battles quickly if successful. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Onrac for 60000 Gil.
STOP: (Note: This is a duplicate entry from Level 6 in some versions/guides, but in others, it refers to a more powerful version or a different spell entirely. For the original NES, it's typically a single-target instant death spell at this level, often called FADE or NUKE depending on the translation.) Assuming it's a powerful single-target instant death spell, it's useful for boss encounters. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Lefein for 60000 Gil.
FLARE: Deals immense non-elemental damage to a single enemy. Your most powerful single-target damage spell, essential for boss fights. Purchase from the Magic Shop in Lefein for 60000 Gil.

Recommendation: NUKE and FLARE are absolutely essential for any Black Mage. NUKE for clearing groups and FLARE for devastating single targets. The third slot is a choice between DEATH for a chance at mass instant kill or the powerful single-target instant death spell (often referred to as FADE or a stronger STOP) for specific threats.