Choosing a Class / Job in FFXIV Handbook / Guide

There’s a lot to picking your first class and then subsequent job in Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) to take into consideration. Seasoned and new players alike can have difficulty choosing which job to play and it’s especially relevant for new players who have to stick with the first class they pick for awhile. Getting stuck on that class selection screen is a real reality with so many classes in FFXIV to choose from.

The first thing we go over is picking your class and you’re stuck with that until level 10. Then at level 30 you can change to jobs which grant expanded abilities. Then at level 50 there are new jobs to unlock based on expansions and other considerations. So we go into what all the different classes / jobs do in the game, how to acquire them and what they do.

So consider this a one stop shop handbook to everything classes / jobs in FFXIV, including fighting and crafting and all those questions about if you should pick a healer for the first class or not (only if you want to level via duties and if you don’t know what those are the answer is no). Don’t forget the Lodestone is the place to go to find out how to do any quest in FFXIV.

Classes in FFXIV

You’re only stuck with one class until level 10, which you can then visit the guild hall of another class and switch classes after a short quest. To actively change classes you’ve unlocked, you can just equip the weapon for that class.

Unlike other games, there is no “tier list” or “best class” because you can switch at anytime. So you can literally play whatever you want and be all of them or as few of them as you wish.

Archer: A ranged damage-dealing class that uses bows and arrows to attack enemies from a distance. Role: Damage dealer. Weapons: Bows. Potential Jobs: Bard, Machinist, Dancer.

Conjurer: A healing class that uses powerful spells and abilities to keep allies alive and restore their health. Role: Healer. Weapons: Staves and scepters. Potential Jobs: White Mage, Astrologian.

Gladiator: A tank class that uses powerful melee attacks and abilities to protect allies and control enemies. Role: Tank. Weapons: Swords and shields. Potential Jobs: Paladin, Gunbreaker, Samurai.

Lancer: A damage-dealing melee class that uses powerful spear attacks and abilities to defeat enemies. Role: Damage dealer. Weapons: Lances. Potential Jobs: Dragoon, Dancer.

Marauder: A tank class that uses powerful axes and abilities to protect allies and control enemies. Role: Tank. Weapons: Axes and shields. Potential Jobs: Warrior, Dark Knight, Reaper.

Pugilist: A damage-dealing melee class that uses powerful hand-to-hand combat techniques to defeat enemies. Role: Damage dealer. Weapons: Fists and claws. Potential Jobs: Monk, Samurai.

Thaumaturge: A damage-dealing class that uses powerful magic spells to attack enemies from range. Role: Damage dealer. Weapons: Staves and rods. Potential Jobs: Black Mage, Red Mage, Sage.

Arcanist: A hybrid class that can heal allies and deal damage with powerful magic spells and abilities. Role: Healer and damage dealer. Weapons: Staves and books. Potential Jobs: Scholar, Astrologian, Summoner.

Understanding the Different Types of Combat Jobs in FFXIV

In FFXIV, jobs are divided into four main categories: Disciples of War, Disciples of Magic, Disciples of the Hand and Disciples of the Land. Disciples of War are the physical damage-dealers, using weapons like swords, axes, and spears to dish out damage to enemies. Disciples of Magic are the magical damage-dealers, using spells and abilities to blast their foes from afar. Finally, Disciples of the Land / Hand are focused on gathering resources and crafting items.

Each category contains several unique jobs, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, within the Disciples of War category, you’ll find jobs like the Paladin, Warrior, and Dragoon. Within the Disciples of Magic category, you’ll find jobs like the Black Mage, White Mage, and Scholar. Disciples of the Hand are your crafters while Disciples of the Land has jobs like the Miner, Botanist, and Fisher.

Choosing a Job That Fits Your Playstyle

One of the most important things to consider when picking a job in FFXIV is your playstyle. Do you prefer to be up close and personal, dealing damage with powerful melee attacks? Then a Disciple of War job like the Paladin or Warrior might be a good fit for you. Do you prefer to stay out of harm’s way, using magic to blast your enemies from afar? Then a Disciple of Magic job like the Black Mage or Scholar might be more your style.

In addition to your preferred playstyle, you should also consider your role in a party. In FFXIV, parties consist of four players, and each player has a specific role to play. The Tank is responsible for taking the majority of the damage, while the Healer keeps everyone alive. The Damage Dealers, also known as DPS, are responsible for dealing as much damage as possible. And finally, the Support players provide various beneficial effects to the party.

When picking a job, consider whether you want to play a Tank, Healer, DPS, or Support role. Each job has its own unique abilities and strengths, and choosing the right role can make all the difference in a party.

There’s also the Disciples of the Hand (Crafting) and Disciples of the Land (Gathering). You can switch to these at anytime once you’ve unlocked them at their guild. These classes are not used in combat.

Combat Job List (Disciples of War and Magic)

Do note you’ll need to meet certain requirements to unlock each job which we detail below. Here we’ll focus purely on what the jobs do so that you can consider each job on its merits, not specifically on how hard it is to unlock it or when (although that’s a second consideration). Many times you’ll want to work your way to a specific job that want to play full time, at least at the start. Building your way there will include lots of other jobs on the way sometimes.

Here’s each job, what weapon they use and their role.

Tanks

Paladin: A holy knight who protects allies with defensive abilities and powerful healing magic. Weapons: Swords and shields. Main Role: Tank and healer.

Warrior: A damage-dealing melee class that relies on powerful weapons and combat skills to defeat enemies. Weapons: Greataxes. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Dark Knight: A tank class that uses powerful melee attacks and dark magic to protect allies and control enemies. Weapons: Greatswords. Main Role: Tank.

Gunbreaker: A tank class that wields a gunblade and uses powerful abilities to protect allies and control enemies. Weapons: Gunblades. Main Role: Tank.

Healers

You’ll level all healers up via duty finder; soloing isn’t recommended. Highly recommended not to do story missions as a healing class.

White Mage: The primary healing class. Spells like Cure and heals are available along with some ability to do damage, but primarily healing (grouping) only. Weapons: Staves and Wands. Main Role: Healer.

Scholar: A mix of DPS and heals; a support class that lets you deal damage and heal at the same time. Weapons: Books. Main Role: Healer and damage dealer.

Astrologian: A support job that uses the power of the stars to heal allies and protect them from harm, similar to Scholar. Weapons: Star Globes. Main Role: Healer and support.

Melee DPS

These classes all focus on dealing damage at close range.

Monk: A damage-dealing melee class that uses powerful hand-to-hand combat techniques to defeat enemies, does damage with fist weapons and close melee. Weapons: Fists and claws. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Dragoon: A damage-dealing melee job that uses powerful jumping attacks and is similar to Dragoons from FFT basically. Weapons: Polearms. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Ninja: The closest you can get to a stealth class in Final Fantasy, uses daggers. Weapons: Daggers. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Samurai: A damage-dealing melee job that uses powerful sword techniques and abilities to defeat enemies. Weapons: Katanas. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Reaper: A damage-dealing melee job that uses powerful scythes and abilities to defeat enemies and control the battlefield. Weapons: Scythes. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Physical Ranged DPS

Bard: A support job that uses musical instruments and abilities to buff allies and debuff enemies. Weapons: Bows and musical instruments. Main Role: Support and damage dealer.

Machinist: A ranged damage-dealing job that uses a variety of mechanical gadgets and abilities to attack enemies from range; the only gun user. Weapons: Firearms / Guns. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Dancer: A support job that uses dance and music to buff allies and debuff enemies; similar to the Bard but uses fans instead of bows. Weapons: Fans and musical instruments. Main Role: Support and damage dealer.

Magical Ranged DPS

Black Mage: A damage-dealing job that uses powerful black magic spells to attack enemies from range. Weapons: Staves and scepters. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Summoner: A damage-dealing job that summons powerful creatures to aid in battle and uses magic to attack enemies. Weapons: Books. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Red Mage: A hybrid job that can heal allies and deal damage with powerful magic spells and abilities, they focus far more on damage than healing. Weapons: Rapiers. Main Role: Healer and damage dealer.

Blue Mage: Deals damage and control magics. Weapons: One Handed Canes. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Sage: Another caster. Weapons: Nouliths. Main Role: Damage dealer.

Trying Out Different Jobs to Find Your Perfect Fit in FFXIV

There’s a lot of classes and jobs in FFXIV to choose from and it can be difficult to know where to start. The very first thing to do is just pick something and get it to level 10 when you can change classes. That first choice may be it or you may find a lot of joy in another class, which you can easily switch to at anytime once unlocked.

Furthermore, the game allows you to switch between jobs easily, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Try out different roles, such as tanks, healers, or damage dealers, and see which ones you enjoy playing the most. Doing this can help you narrow down your choices and find a job that you enjoy. Your main mission progress stays no matter what, but side quests return for each job allowing you go through and easily level them through missions OR via duty finder.

Additionally, another way to find the right job for you is to talk to other players. The Final Fantasy XIV community is full of experienced players who are happy to share their knowledge and advice. Ask around in forums or chat channels to see which jobs other players enjoy, and why. This can give you some valuable insight and help you make an informed decision.

Finally, consider your playstyle when choosing a job. If you prefer a more active and fast-paced playstyle, you may want to choose a job that allows you to be on the front lines, dealing damage and taking on challenges head-on. On the other hand, if you prefer a more strategic and supportive role, you may want to consider a healer or support job.

Job Requirements / How to Unlock Specific Jobs

In Final Fantasy XIV, each job has specific class requirements that must be met in order to unlock it. These requirements typically involve reaching a certain level with the corresponding class and completing a quest given by the guildmaster of the job’s guild.

For example, to unlock the Paladin job, you must first reach level 30 with the Gladiator class and complete the quest “Paladin’s Pledge” from the Paladin guildmaster. Similarly, to unlock the Black Mage job, you must reach level 30 with the Thaumaturge class and complete the quest “Taking the Black” from the Black Mage guildmaster.

How to Unlock…

Here are the class requirements for each job in Final Fantasy XIV:

• Paladin: Level 30 Gladiator
• Warrior: Level 30 Marauder
• Dark Knight: Level 50 “Our End” quest
• Gunbreaker: Level 60 “The Makings of a Gunbreaker” quest
• White Mage: Level 30 Conjurer
• Scholar: Level 30 Arcanist
• Astrologian: Level 60 “Stairway to Heavens” quest
• Sage: Level 30 Thaumaturge
• Monk: Level 30 Pugilist
• Dragoon: Level 30 Lancer
• Ninja: Level 30 Rogue
• Samurai: Level 50 “The Way of the Samurai” quest
• Reaper: Level 70 “The Killer Instinct” quest
• Bard: Level 30 Archer
• Machinist: Level 50 “Savior of Skysteel” quest
• Dancer: Level 60 “Shell We Dance” quest
• Black Mage: Level 30 Thaumaturge
• Summoner: Level 30 Arcanist
• Red Mage: Level 50 Archer and Thaumaturge, “Taking the Red” quest
• Blue Mage: Level 50 of any class or job, “Out of the Blue” quest

Understanding Synthesizing / Crafting in FFXIV

To actually understand how to use a crafting job, you need to know how to craft. Here’s a quick rundown on how to make items in FFXIV.

To begin synthesizing, you will first need to have the appropriate materials and recipe. Materials can be obtained through the game’s gathering jobs, such as mining for ore, harvesting plants, and catching fish. Recipes can be purchased from vendors, obtained as quest rewards, or discovered through experimentation.

Once you have the appropriate materials and recipe, you will need to select the “Synthesize” option from the crafting menu. This will bring up a list of all the available recipes that you can use with the materials in your inventory. Select the recipe that you want to use, and then select the materials that you want to use in the synthesis.

Next, you will need to choose the quality of the synthesis. This will determine the strength and durability of the item that you create. Higher quality syntheses require more materials and have a higher chance of failure, but they will result in stronger and more durable items.

Finally, you will need to complete the synthesis by using your crafting abilities. Each crafting class has its own unique abilities, and choosing the right abilities for the synthesis can greatly improve your chances of success. Some abilities, such as “Steady Hand” and “Inner Quiet,” can increase the quality of the synthesis, while others, such as “Rapid Synthesis” and “Byregot’s Blessing,” can reduce the chance of failure.

Crafting Jobs in Final Fantasy XIV (Disciples of the Hand)

At level ten you can also switch to a crafting specific job. Same mechanics as a regular job switch, except this time your MP becomes your Crafting Points. You can switch between any of the crafting jobs and work on all of them.

• Blacksmith – Blacksmiths are skilled craftsmen who use their knowledge of metalworking to create a variety of weapons and armor. They use a hammer as their weapon. Guild location: Limsa Lominsa – Upper Decks.
• Armorer – Armorers are experts in the art of crafting heavy armor. They use a hammer as their weapon. Guild location: Limsa Lominsa – Upper Decks.
• Goldsmith – Goldsmiths are skilled in the art of crafting jewelry and other items using precious metals. They use a chisel as their weapon. Guild location: Ul’dah – Steps of Thal.
• Leatherworker – Leatherworkers are skilled in the art of crafting armor and other items using leather and hides. They use a needle as their weapon. Guild location: Old Gridania.
• Weaver – Weavers are skilled in the art of creating cloth armor and other items using various types of fabric. They use a loom as their weapon. Guild location: Ul’dah – Steps of Thal.
• Alchemist – Alchemists are skilled in the art of creating potions and other consumable items using various ingredients. They use a mortar and pestle as their weapon. Guild Location: Ul’dah – Steps of Thal.
• Culinarian – Culinarians are skilled in the art of cooking and preparing food. They use a kitchen knife as their weapon. Guild location: Limsa Lominsa – Upper Decks.
• Carpenter – Carpenters are skilled in the art of crafting furniture and other wooden items. They use a saw as their weapon. Guild location: New Gridania.

Gathering Jobs in FFXIV (Disciples of the Land)

Similar to “of the Hand” except you’ll be out in the fields gathering with these jobs.

• The Miner is a gathering job that is focused on mining ore and other minerals from the ground. This job uses a pickaxe as its weapon, and is able to use abilities such as “Heavy Swing” and “Fracture” to mine resources more efficiently. The Miner is an important job for players who are looking to craft various items and equipment, as many of these items require ore and other minerals as materials.
• The Botanist is another gathering job that is focused on harvesting plants and other vegetation. This job uses a hatchet as its weapon, and has abilities such as “Chop” and “Gather” to collect resources more effectively. The Botanist is an important job for players who are looking to create items and potions, as many of these items require plants and other vegetation as materials.
• Finally, the Fisher is a gathering job that is focused on catching fish and other aquatic creatures. This job uses a fishing rod as its weapon, and has abilities such as “Cast” and “Fishing” to catch fish more efficiently. The Fisher is an important job for players who are looking to create food and other consumable items, as many of these items require fish and other aquatic creatures as materials.

Best Job to Farm Gil With

One of the best classes for farming gil is the Miner. This class specializes in gathering ores and gemstones, which can be sold to other players for a tidy profit. Miner is a great choice for players who enjoy a more relaxed playstyle and don’t mind spending time in the game’s various mining locations.

Another strong option is the Botanist, which is the counterpart to the Miner class. This class focuses on gathering herbs and other plant-based materials, which can be used to create valuable potions and other items and likewise sell very well to other players.

For players who prefer a more combat-oriented approach to farming gil, the Warrior class is a good choice. Warriors are powerful melee fighters who excel in close combat, and can easily dispatch enemies in the game’s various dungeons and quests. This makes them a valuable asset in groups, and can earn them a good amount of gil through completing difficult content and selling any loot they obtain.

Another combat job that is good for farming gil is any healing or tank job. With fast queue times, you can run dungeons quickly and grind gil very fast. Black Mages are also very strong at farming gil solo. You can learn more in our FFXIV farming gil guide.