Aerith Gainsborough
Aerith is the last of the Cetra, an ancient race with powerful connection to magic. Because of these, she was hunted all her life by the oppressive Shinra corporation. Everything changed one day, though, when Cloud Strife came crashing into her flower guardian and became her bodyguard.
After travelling with Cloud and his party for some time, Aerith used the White Materia to summon Holy. Though Sephiroth killed her to stop the summoning, Aerith returned to the lifestream and was eventually able to use it to push back Matera and finish calling Holy – thereby saving the planet.
I remember the first time I saw cutscene where [Ed. Note: spoiler alert, 30 years later] Sephiroth kills Aerith like it was yesterday. And to be honest, I watched it again yesterday. It was the first game I played where a character "died for real". Not only that, but I was shipping Aerith and Cloud. It hit hard.
At time of writing, part two of the Final Fantasy VII Remake isn't out yet. I am desperate to play it, eager to see if the party's changing of the future at the end of the first part (by defeating the fates) has sufficiently altered history enough to keep Aerith alive.
Zach is, after all.
Keys to the Character
Flowers In The Slums
Aerith displays a deep connection to the planet – first seen in the way she is able to grow flowers in the slums. In fact, she says the flowers speak to her.
Her uncanny green thumb also keeps her flowers unusually sturdy.
Materia Girl
Aerith keeps the White Materia – which “does nothing” – in her hair. It is this materia that she eventually uses to save the planet.
In addition, she is frequently the most prolific spellcaster of her party. Among her friends, she often is able to hold the most materia.
Staff Party
Aerith wields staves as her preferred weapon. When called upon, she can use them to deliver a wallop. More commonly, though, they are used as a focus for her magic abilities.
Blowin’ In The (Healing) Wind
Communicating with the lifeforce of the planet isn’t just useful for growing flowers. She can summon the lifeforce itself to heal her allies in the form of a gentle breeze. This represents just one of the handful of defensive and curative abilities she brings to her party.
In Final Fantasy VII, Aerith is a “backline” party member by default. That means she’s fragile, but what she lacks in toughness she makes up for in magical ability and supportive prowess. Her Limit Break, Healing Wind, can be a huge help to the entire party when things go south. Plus, her equipment generally features more materia slots than her allies, giving her more magical breadth.
So on the tabletop, Aerith needs to be a heavy supportive character. Someone who stays out of the way, safely behind allies, while delivering powerful heals and a wide range of magical abilities.
Aerith has a ton of support spells – heals, protections and revives. Allies can feel confident that with her in the skirmish, they will be healthy enough to take down whatever comes their way.
However, she isn’t just a heal-bot. Her Druid Dedication represents her large materia capacity – specifically, her elemental spells. When teammates are healthy and no one is in need of a heal, Aerith can blast foes with the elements. Especially her favorite, wind.
Build OVERVIEW
Ancestry
Elf – Ancient
This combo is great for representing Aerith – and not just because it has the word “ancient” in it. In parties, she is a bit more fragile, a bit more worldly, and a bit more magical. That certainly seems like elf.
The Ancient heritage will allow Aerith to pick up a Druid archetype at level 1. This doesn’t synergize with her Charisma Divine spellcasting as much as a Sorcerer archetype would, but it gives access to a lot of primal spells and represents her ability to speak to the planet, rather than just command its elements.
Background
Plant Whisperer
Aerith literally tells Cloud she can converse with her flowers. Whether this is a metaphor or not, we’re not sure.
The Plant Whisperer background gives some Plant Lore, Nature training and the Natural Medicine skill. To be honest, Aerith is packed full of enough healing magic that she may not need Natural Medicine, but it may come in handy in a pinch.
Class
Oracle – Life Mystery
There are a few different possibilities for representing Aerith’s status as a planetary lifeforce communicating ancient. Druid is a good start, and it also helps address the flavour of her flower-talking green thumb. However, I felt the Druid is a bit too much in that direction. It highlights her gardening much more than her lifeforce connection. Not only that, but her connection to the planet is a bit of a burden – it’s something she’s kind of been running from for years. In a sense, she is cursed with the status.
Oracle it is then. And though the Ancestory Mystery would make some sense, communicating with the life-force of the past Cetra, I think that the Life Mystery is a) more fun and b) a good representation of the healing prowess she shows in FF7.
Plus, she’ll use her status as an Ancient to gain the Druid Multiclass Dedication at level one, to get that flavour of plant talking and elemental material using.
Skills & General Feats
Aerith focuses on Nature for her Druid spellcasting, as well as Medicine to help her allies.
Legendary: Nature
Master: Lore: Plant, Medicine,
Expert: Crafting, Diplomacy
Attribute Increases
Equipment
Suggested Starting Equipment
Key Spells
Changelog
