The standard Red Mage attire consists of red, black, and white clothing, including a red cloak with white or black trimmings, black boots and a red cavalier hat with a white feather.

A Red Mage imbuing their blade with magic from Final Fantasy XI.

The Red Mage is a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none. They are, in essence, among the more versatile characters of the series though it comes at a price: their stats are usually low, and they cannot cast higher level spells or use stronger equipment. Red Mages typically cast both Black and White Magic and can also wield swords and equip armor that normal Black and White Mages cannot. Later entries would make the rapier the signature weapon of the Red Mage.

In most entries Red Mages can learn many spells, but are typically not the strongest, often borrowing novice and middle tier spells used by the White and Black Mages. Later entries would begin to add variety of new spells that could be exclusively used by Red Mages, such as Temper, Flurry, Ardor, and Jolt. In most games, Red Mages have the Dualcast special ability; sometimes localized as Chainspell or Doublecast, which boosts their spell casting efficiency.

Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV would introduce the concept of Red Mages actively serving a role in physical combat, allowing them to learn a variety melee skills to perform with their rapiers. Final Fantasy Dimensions and Final Fantasy XI added several abilities that allow the Red Mage to attack with elemental-imbued blades, similar to the Mystic Knight job.