ZODIAC Final Fantasy RPG

The powers of boredom, had decided to bestow upon me this idea:

You take a job class from the Final Fantasy series and change it up to make it unique… at the time I also wanted to see what it would look like if they made it in a present-day setting.

I myself, took on the dancer class. Perhaps I'll post it in this thread later.

So here is the challenge:
Design a character around a job class, but revamp it.

One example (albeit vaguely done) could be as simple as asking your self, "how can I make my Black Mage, stand out from the others?"
Is it the gameplay of it?
Is it the character's equipment?
Even if it's her style of casting.

Feel free to utilize a real console system (e.g. X-Box 360, PSP, etc.) to alter it.

Here are some classes if you need help:

Let's see what we make!

So, I put way more thought into this than I probably should've. First off, this game (Let's call it Final Fantasy 18) would feature a weapon system where each character only has one weapon, but it can be modified (improving its base stats) and Customized (giving it special features). Modifications are permanent upgrades, but Customizations can be added and removed as much as the player wants, with each Customization deducting a certain number of 'Customization Points' or CP from the total available to the weapon.

And now, the 'characters'!
Machinist: The main character, an inventive young man and aspiring engineer. His "Techs" are all various personal inventions of his, and most of them can only be used a certain number of times per battle. His weapon has the most CP out of any of the characters, at the cost of also having the lowest base stats (Though, with the right Customizations, this isn't that big of a deal), and his "Mix" ability allows him to combine two items to create a new and more potent item, which is immediately used.

Cyborg: A mysterious young woman found in a pod in the ruins of an ancient city, highly advanced civilization by Machinist. Most of her techs actually require HP rather than MP, though her special ability "Recharge" (renamed Chakra) can be used at any time to restore a percentage of her HP. Her weapon has the highest base stats of all the characters, but also the least CP, a mirror image of Machinist.

Red Mage: A handsome, gentlemanly traveler with a bit of a womanizing streak, he joins the party for reasons he keeps to himself, though he seems to have an interest in Cyborg that goes beyond aesthetic appreciation. Like any good Red Mage he combines offensive and supportive magic with physical prowess, and is the first party member to use 'traditional' techs in the manner that they all cost MP. He also possesses the ability Runic, making him ideal when facing spellcasting foes, as he can both protect the entire party and replenish his own MP stores at the same time.

Scholar: The last party member, she is a scholar (hehe) of the same ancient civilization that built the city Cyborg's pod was discovered in. She's a bit odd, having spent more time around books and ancient artifacts than actual people, but tries her best to help despite this. Like Red Mage she uses regular techs, but has a much wider variety available to her, at the cost of lower physical prowess. Her unique ability "Libra" (AKA Peep) allows her to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of her target, a handy ability when facing powerful foes.

Arithmetic/Calculator: Uses arcane formulas called "Functions" instead of normal spells. A few classics in include "Exponential Decay", a spell that does damage over time, and "Y=X", which trades certain aspects of two targets temporarily (weaknesses/resistances, stat boosts/drops, etc).

That's it, we need to design Final Fantasy 16.

While we're at it, I'll add a few bits.

Dancer: He is actually a thug who wields a bludgeoning weapon. If he so chooses he can spend MP on "Crimson Dance" (or what-have-you) and the player gets to select a series of moves for him to perform as he is performing it. Each move executed is MP spent. And he can cancel at anytime.
(Example: His first move he strikes the enemy, and upon striking four button appear on the screen -A,B,X,Y- the player then can select another move, and continue on, or cancel it by waiting out the few seconds he has to hit a button).

Bard: This character would be optional and downloadable/unlockable. They're sole purpose is to perform and rally their comrades rising stats and slowly healing. The gimmick for her is that if there is a song, from the game counsel's hard drive, being played while the game is running it alters the way the stats are given. The best way to describe this, is that her stat boosting becomes a visualizer for the song that is played.

Of course this is just brainstorming.

More ideas! This one might just drive some people crazy, though…

Let's say that every character is not one, but TWO classes at once. The catch? The pair they use isn't set by default, but decided by the player when they get them! I imagine the game will be very FFTA-ish, but with FFT's fatal combat. Also, there would be combo abilities - you sort of put two "Techs" together, or combine a passive and active or 2 passives, and get some crazy things.

The examples that come to mind are what I imagine would be a typical "hybrid" party, essentially mixing two very distinct classes together.

White Mage/Fighter - Your typical paladin-style character; heals and kills, with some overlap whenever possible.
Black Mage/Archer - Who doesn't love a blaster with a decent weapon?
Gunner/Black Belt - This one's a bit…far out, but dude! Imagine someone like old-age Batman, or maybe Captain America…
Thief/Blue Mage - Did someone call for a guy who literally steals spells from people? I did!

You could twist these around however you wanted, and use whatever list of classes you decide would be best, but in the end it would be a crew of characters each with a hybrid spread and a LOT of interesting options to play with. This way, everyone's pretty unique and useful at the same time.