Sage Quest
The Sage Quest is the job change quest that turns a Mage into a Sage. It is run by the Schweicherbil Magic Academy in Juno and it is the longest of the second class quests: you enrol as a student, pass a written exam of twenty questions, survive a timed practical exam in an arena, study under one of three professors, and finally write and submit a dissertation to the Dean.
There is a shortcut. A Mage who is already Job Level 50 becomes a Sage the moment they speak to the Dean or to the academy clerk, with no enrolment fee, no exams, no items and no dissertation. Everyone below Job Level 50 has to work through the whole course. Unlike some other job quests there is no extra reward for taking the long route.
Which professor teaches you, and therefore which items you gather in the second half, is rolled at random when you pass the practical exam. It cannot be chosen or rerolled.
Requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Class | Mage. Transcendent characters and characters who already have a second class are turned away. |
| Job Level | 40 or higher. The clerk refuses to accept your application below that. |
| Skill points | All spent. Enrolment is refused and the final job change is refused while you still hold unused Mage skill points. |
| Enrolment fee | 70,000 zeny, or an Old Magicbook plus a Necklace of Wisdom instead, or a reduced fee of 30,000 zeny plus a gathering set. Free at Job Level 50. |
| Items | Depends on the professor you are assigned. Every route ends with the same five dissertation materials. |
Quest NPCs
| NPC | Location | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Decano de la Academia (Kayron Grik) | yuno_in02 38, 61 | Dean. Opens the quest and performs the job change |
| Metheus Sylphe | yuno_in03 154, 35 | Academy clerk. Takes your application and the fee |
| Claytos Verdo | yuno_in03 105, 177 | Theory professor. Written exam |
| Hermes Tris | yuno_in03 169, 180 | Practical professor. Arena exam and thesis topic |
| Profesor Saphien (Saphien Layless) | yuno_in03 62, 176 | History professor. Yggdrasil topic |
| Lucius Celsus | yuno_in03 32, 102 | Biology professor. Monster topic |
| Aebecee George | yuno_in03 244, 31 | Physics professor. Elemental magic topic |
| Ayudante | job_sage 50, 165 | Arena attendant. Explains the rules and holds the waiting room |
The academy itself is the building entered from Juno at yuno 323, 284. The Dean sits in a separate building entered from yuno 87, 321.
Step 1: Speak to the Dean
Kayron Grik, the Dean of the Academy, receives visitors at yuno_in02 38, 61. Tell him you want to become a Sage and he explains what the academy expects and points you at the clerk.
This visit is optional. Nothing is recorded and you can go straight to the clerk instead. At Job Level 50 the conversation ends immediately with the job change.
Step 2: Enrol at the academy
Metheus Sylphe stands just inside the academy at yuno_in03 154, 35. Ask to join the school. He checks your Job Level and your unspent skill points, then asks for the enrolment fee. You have three ways to pay it.
| Payment | Detail |
|---|---|
| 70,000 zeny | The standard fee |
| Old Magicbook and Necklace of Wisdom | One of each. Both are taken and the fee is waived entirely |
| 30,000 zeny plus a gathering set | Only offered if you tell him the fee is too expensive and you are carrying 43,210 zeny or less |
| Free | Automatic at Job Level 50 |
If you take the reduced fee he assigns one of three gathering sets at random. Bring the items and 30,000 zeny back to him.
| Set | Items |
|---|---|
| Set 1 | 50 Feather of Birds, 50 Fluff, 25 Iron Ore |
| Set 2 | 50 Clover, 50 Feather, 25 Squid Ink |
| Set 3 | 50 Feather of Birds, 50 Fluff, 50 Clover, 50 Feather |
You can abandon the discount at any time. If you come back with 70,000 zeny, or with the Old Magicbook and the Necklace of Wisdom, he accepts those instead and the gathering set is forgotten.
Once the application is signed he sends you to Claytos Verdo in the room to the left.
Step 3: The written exam
Claytos Verdo runs the theory exam at yuno_in03 105, 177. He asks 20 multiple choice questions, each worth 5 points, drawn as a complete set from one of the three lists below.
- You need 80 points to pass, which is 16 correct answers. The same mark applies on every attempt.
- Failing costs nothing. Talk to him again straight away and the set is rolled again.
- There is no timer, so take as long as you need over each question.
Question list 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Choose an item that the Gift Merchant in Prontera does not sell | Bouquet |
| Choose a city where you cannot buy a Stiletto | Prontera |
| Choose the city closest to Turtle Island | Alberta |
| Choose the monster that is a different type from the others | Aster |
| Choose the monster that has a different property from the others | Metaller |
| Choose the monster that has a different size from the others | Raydric |
| Choose the monster that does not drop Alcohol | Poison Spore |
| Choose the NPC that is not related to the Knight job change quest | Thomas Servantes |
| Choose the NPC that is not a citizen of Prontera | Pina |
| Choose the correct name of the Kafra lady who wears glasses | Leilah |
| How much SP does Thunderstorm level 7 spend? | 59 |
| Choose the correct damage reduction and SP cost of Energy Coat at 50 % remaining SP | Damage -18 %, SP 2 % |
| Choose the property that is not related to the Mage Bolt skills | Earth |
| Choose the correct chance and attack strength of Double Attack level 7 | 35 % / 140 % |
| Choose the skill that is not related to learning Magnus Exorcismus | Divine Protection |
| Choose the correct defence and stat bonus of the Bunny Band | 2 / LUK +2 |
| Choose the class that cannot equip Padded Armor | Archer |
| Choose the item that cures all abnormal statuses and restores full HP and SP at the same time | Yggdrasilberry |
| Who rules the kingdom of Rune-Midgarts at present? | Tristan III |
| Choose the god of the Crusaders | Odin |
Question list 2
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Choose the jewel that the Jewel Merchant in Morroc does not sell | Garnet |
| Choose the city where you cannot buy Monster Food from an NPC | Al De Baran |
| Choose the city closest to the Labyrinth | Prontera |
| Choose the monster that is a different type from the others | Penomena |
| Choose the monster with a different property | Giearth |
| Choose the monster that has a different size | Argos |
| Choose the monster that does not drop a Yggdrasil Leaf | Marduk |
| Choose the NPC that is not related to the Priest job change quest | Sir Windsor |
| Choose the NPC that is not a citizen of Morroc | Antonio |
| Choose the Kafra lady who has beautiful blue hair | Pavianne |
| Choose the skill that is not related to learning Fire Wall | Napalm Beat level 4 |
| How much SP can be restored with SP Recovery level 6, ignoring INT? | 18 |
| How many INT bonus points does a Mage receive at job level 33? | 4 |
| Choose the correct SP cost and duration of Improve Concentration level 5 | 45 / 80 seconds |
| Choose the skill that is not related to learning Maximize Power | Skin Tempering |
| Choose the correct defence and stat bonus of the Cute Ribbon | 1 / SP +20 |
| Choose the class that cannot equip a Saint Robe | Thief |
| Choose the abnormal status that cannot be cured with a Green Potion | Curse |
| Choose the correct name of the ancient kingdom that vanished somewhere in Geffen | Geffenia |
| Choose the correct name of the tree that became the root of this world | Yggdrasil |
Question list 3
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Choose the item that the Magic Tool merchant in Geffen does not sell | Mantle |
| Choose the city where you cannot buy a Blade from an NPC | Al De Baran |
| Choose the city closest to Glast Heim | Geffen |
| Choose the monster that is a different type from the others | Marin |
| Choose the monster that has a different property | Smokie |
| Choose the monster that has a different size | Drake |
| Choose the monster that does not drop Phracon | Peco Peco Egg |
| Choose the NPC that is not related to the Blacksmith job change quest | Barcadi |
| Choose the NPC that is not a citizen of Al De Baran | GOD-POING |
| Choose the Kafra lady who is the youngest of the staff | Curly Sue |
| Choose the correct SP cost and number of blocks of Safety Wall level 6 | SP 40, 7 times |
| Choose the correct magic attack of Napalm Beat level 6 | MATK * 1.3 |
| Choose the catalyst stone for Magic Solution No. 4 used in the Mage job change quest | 1 carat Diamond |
| Choose the correct attack strength and SP cost of Bash level 6 | 280 % / 15 |
| Choose the skill that is not related to learning Claymore Trap | Remove Trap |
| Choose the correct defence and stat bonus of the Bridal Veil | 0 / MDEF +5 |
| Choose the class that cannot equip a Coat | Novice |
| Choose the item that is not an ingredient for Blue Dyestuffs | Karvodailnirol |
| When the god Odin created the world, what did he use as material? | The heart of Ymir |
| Choose the metal rumoured to bring fortune and fame to a person with the destiny | Emperium |
Passing sends you to Hermes Tris for the practical exam.
Step 4: The practical exam
Hermes Tris waits at yuno_in03 169, 180. Tell him you are ready and he sends you to the staging area of the test grounds. The Ayudante standing there explains the rules, and the waiting room beside him is what actually starts the run.
- Only one candidate at a time. If somebody else is inside, wait until the announcements say the next candidate may enter.
- All progress is announced across the whole map, including the remaining time.
- The full run takes roughly five to ten minutes.
- The arena blocks Teleport and Fly Wing, and it cannot be memoed for a Warp Portal. There is no experience penalty for dying there. If you need to leave early, log out.
The exam is three rounds. Each round starts as soon as the previous one is cleared.
| Round | Time limit | Monsters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 minutes | 8 Chonchon named Grade F and 8 Fabre named Grade D |
| 2 | 3 minutes | 24 Lunatic, each named after an academic subject |
| 3 | 1 minute | 1 Whisper named Academic Probation |
Round three also puts four extra Whispers on the field, named after academic misconduct such as being absent or cheating. They do not have to be killed. Only Academic Probation counts, and killing it ends the exam immediately.
If a round timer runs out the attempt is over and you are thrown back to Juno at yuno 324, 258. There is no penalty and no limit on retries: talk to Hermes Tris again and he lets you straight back in. Clearing round three sends you back into the academy at yuno_in03 163, 180, a few steps from his desk.
Step 5: Receive your thesis topic
Speak to Hermes Tris again after passing. He accepts your admission and assigns one of three research topics at random, then names the professor who will teach it.
| Topic | Professor | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Yggdrasil | Profesor Saphien, in the Lecture Room | yuno_in03 62, 176 |
| Monsters | Lucius Celsus, in the Monster Museum | yuno_in03 32, 102 |
| Elemental magic | Aebecee George, in the Somatology Laboratory | yuno_in03 244, 31 |
Step 6: Study under your professor
Each professor runs their own lessons and their own shopping list. Follow only the section that matches your topic.
Topic: Yggdrasil, with Profesor Saphien
Saphien Layless teaches in the Lecture Room at yuno_in03 62, 176. He opens with a couple of questions about Yggdrasil. Getting them wrong only earns a scolding and does not block anything.
He then asks for any one item related to the Yggdrasil tree before the lesson can begin. Any of these is accepted, and none of them is taken from you:
- Yggdrasilberry
- Yggdrasil Seed
- Yggdrasil Leaf, which he accepts grudgingly because it can simply be bought in Al De Baran
With the item in your bag he delivers a long lecture on the world tree, the three realms and the three roots, and then asks for the five dissertation materials.
Topic: Monsters, with Lucius Celsus
Lucius Celsus teaches in the Monster Museum at yuno_in03 32, 102. He is rude, and he wants two rounds of samples. Each round asks for 5 of each of three items, rolled at random. None of the samples is taken from you, so you keep everything you gather.
The first round is about fish class monsters:
| Set | Items (5 each) |
|---|---|
| Set 1 | Tentacle, Single Cell, Fish Tail |
| Set 2 | Nipper, Clam Flesh, Heart of Mermaid |
| Set 3 | Tendon, Nipper, Sharp Scale |
When you hand them in he asks what the source monsters have in common and which magic works best on them. The answers he wants are that they are fish and carry the Water property, and that Wind property magic beats them, so Lightning Bolt or Thunder Storm are both accepted. A wrong answer only earns an insult and does not block progress.
The second round is about insect class monsters:
| Set | Items (5 each) |
|---|---|
| Set 1 | Cobweb, Shell, Insect Feeler |
| Set 2 | Horn, Snail's Shell, Moth Dust |
| Set 3 | Mantis Scythe, Worm Peeling, Rainbow Shell |
| Set 4 | Cobweb, Mantis Scythe, Solid Shell |
After that lesson he asks for the five dissertation materials.
Topic: Elemental magic, with Aebecee George
Aebecee George teaches in the Somatology Laboratory at yuno_in03 244, 31. This route has three deliveries.
First, bring 30 Stone. All thirty are taken. She then announces that only three of them worked and hands you three elemental ores in exchange:
- 1 Crystal Blue
- 1 Green Live
- 1 Wind of Verdure
Second, bring 50 Crystal Arrow, 50 Stone Arrow and 50 Arrow of Wind. All 150 arrows are taken. The three ores are the raw material: one ore turns into 500 arrows of the matching type through the Arrow Crafting skill, so a single ore of each is far more than you need. No shop sells these arrows, so you need an Archer class character or a Rogue to craft them. Both of those get Arrow Crafting for free on this server, so any friend with such a character can make all three stacks from your ores in seconds. In return she gives the first lesson, on which element beats which.
Third, bring 1 Holy Water. It is taken, and she gives the second lesson, on which element is weak to which. No shop sells Holy Water either, so ask an Acolyte or Priest to make some with Aqua Benedicta.
She then asks for the five dissertation materials.
Step 7: Write the dissertation
Whichever professor taught you, the materials are the same. Bring all five to your own professor:
- 1 Feather of Birds, used as a pen
- 1 Animal Skin, used as paper
- 1 Trunk, used to bind the book
- 1 Squid Ink, used as ink
- 1 Empty Bottle, to hold the squid ink
All five have to be in your bag before the writing session starts, and they are taken once the dissertation is accepted. The professor walks you through it as a series of multiple choice lines, and how much the answers matter depends on your topic.
- Lucius Celsus simply hands you a finished work to copy. There is nothing to get wrong.
- Aebecee George lets you pick any line you like, including the silly ones. Nothing can go wrong there either.
- Profesor Saphien is strict. A single wrong line fails the dissertation and he sends you away to study, but your materials are kept, so you can talk to him again and write it once more. His correct lines are listed below.
| Line | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| The ocean around the continent is coiled by | A giant snake, Yormungandr |
| The continent consists of three places, the first being | Utgard, where the titans live |
| the second being | Midgard, where humans live |
| the third being | Asgard, where the gods live |
| Yggdrasil is | A giant ash tree |
| The root of Yggdrasil splits into three, reaching | Asgard, Jotunnheim, Niflheim |
| Whoever holds a Yggdrasil Seed | can restore half of total HP and SP |
A finished dissertation is handed to you as a Book. You only ever write one, so keep it safe.
Step 8: Become a Sage
Take the Book to Kayron Grik at yuno_in02 38, 61. He reads it, praises it, and performs the job change on the spot, as long as you have no unused skill points left. The Book is not consumed, so you keep it as a souvenir.
Rewards
| Reward | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sage | The job change itself |
| Create Elemental Converter | Granted at level 1 for free |
| Soul Change | Granted at level 1 for free |
| Book | The finished dissertation stays in your inventory |
There is no zeny or potion reward, and no bonus for having taken the long route rather than the Job Level 50 shortcut.
Tips
- Reaching Job Level 50 before you talk to anyone is by far the fastest route: the entire course collapses into one conversation and the enrolment fee disappears.
- Spend every Mage skill point before you enrol and again before your final visit to the Dean. Both NPCs refuse you while points are unspent.
- Compare the three payment options before choosing. The reduced fee is only offered when you are nearly broke, so if you are sitting on 50,000 zeny you either pay the full 70,000 or go and find the Old Magicbook and the Necklace of Wisdom.
- The written exam allows four wrong answers out of twenty and can be retaken as often as you like for free, so there is no reason to walk away from a bad set.
- Prepare for the arena before you enter. Rounds one and two are trivial for a Mage, but Academic Probation in round three is a Whisper with the Ghost property and a great deal of HP, and you only get one minute. Bolt spells are halved against it while Soul Strike and Napalm Beat are Ghost property and hit it far harder, so bring those and enough blue potions to chain them.
- The arena has no experience penalty and unlimited retries, so a failed run costs nothing but a walk back to Hermes Tris.
- Gather the five dissertation materials early. Every one of the three routes ends with them, so having them in your bag saves a trip no matter which professor you draw.
- If you draw Profesor Saphien, read his answer table before you start. One wrong line sends you back to him, although the materials stay in your bag for the next attempt.
- If you draw Aebecee George, line up an Archer class or Rogue friend before you hand in the stones. The arrows are the only part of the quest that cannot be bought or gathered solo.