Quote Originally Posted by Trodorne View Post
okay so if we went for situation much like the spell plague. there are only two items that you could learn magic from. Paladin Shield and Lightbringer. and the only spells they teach is Ultima and Flare.....why is it they have to be the most powerful spells.
Umm...if I recall correctly, there were more weapons that taught magic spells. Rods, of course, teach the 1st degree (-A magic) of the element (thus, a Flame Rod taught Fire, Ice Rod taught Ice/Blizzard, etc.) The Break Blade teach the Break spell. And I believe the weapons from Tzen or Albrook also taught spells. These would be the equivalent of, say, Flametongue (a unique magical weapon which is basically a +1 flaming longsword), with the unique caveat of teaching spells as well as providing the effect.

In any case, Paladin Shield and Illumina/Lightbringer are artifacts, not mere magic items. Having just one of them on your disposal is basically the equivalent of, say, finding the staff of the magi or the frickin hand/eye of Vecna; stuff that isn't meant to be handled by mortal hands. Obviously they'll teach the strongest spells; don't you think?

Oh, and Lightbringer, IIRC, teaches Holy. Then again, I think the Lightbringer teaches no spells; Ragnarok, on the other hand, teaches Flare or casts Flare when attacking with it.

One more thing: the weapons taught spells because they essentially worked the same way as learning it from an Esper. Don't expect that they may remain granting that ability; for all you know, they may be much like just another artifact, not teaching any spells because at the moment they were constructed, the Espers existed. But then again, if they don't...MAYBE you might get a chance to learn that spell, but you'd require years of training. Or do something like Banon did...one of the few things about the Magic of FFVI that wasn't really explained.