Final Fantasy XIV Character Creation guide

There are five different races in Final Fantasy XIV, each broken into two clans for a total of ten racial selections. Besides physical appearance, each clan starts with different level one attributes and affinities towards elements. However, as you gain physical levels by acquiring experience points, you can manually adjust your character’s status. The main attributes include:

Strength: Increases offensive damage of standard attacks and some Weapon Skills
Vitality: Increases defensive stats and boosts over all HP
Dexterity: Governs accuracy and chance to score critical hits
Intelligence: Controls your amount of magic potency and use of some magic based Weapon Skills
Mind: Increases magic defense, maximum MP and your ability to heal
Piety: Boost magic accuracy, allowing you to land enfeebling spells
Element: Boosts your damage, accuracy and defense with the element. Also effects crafting with that element’s crystal

Clan Name	Strength	Vitality	Dexterity	Intelligence	Mind	Piety	Wind
Midlander	16	15	14	16	13	16	15	15	16	15	13	16
Highlander	18	17	15	13	15	12	14	18	15	14	16	13
Wildwood	14	13	18	17	12	16	18	14	12	17	14	15
Duskwight	15	14	15	18	15	13	12	15	14	17	16	16
Plainsfolk	13	13	17	16	15	16	15	17	14	16	13	15
Dunesfolk	12	12	15	16	17	18	16	15	17	18	12	12
Seeker of the Sun	16	15	17	13	14	15	13	12	18	15	15	17
Keeper of the Moon	13	12	16	14	18	17	15	16	13	14	18	18
Sea Wolf	17	18	13	12	16	14	17	13	13	12	17	18
Hellsguard	15	16	12	15	17	15	16	14	18	13	14	15

Deity

You can select one of twelve deities to watch over your character. The deities have an element that they favor. The moon phase helps determine when your total guardian’s favor will restore.

Deity Name	Element	Moon Phase
Halone	Ice	1st
Menphina	Ice	2nd
Thaliak	Water	3rd
Nymeia	Water	4th
Llymlaen	Wind	5th
Oschon	Wind	6th
Byregot	Lightning	7th
Rhalgr	Ligthning	8th
Azeyma	Fire	9th
Nald’thal	Fire	10th
Nophica	Earth	11th
Althyk	Earth	12th

Starting Discipline

You can choose from any of the starting disciplines: fighter, mages, gathers, or crafters. You can change at any point by purchasing a different type of weapon or tool and equipping it. Several abilities can be cross classed and used on different classes. For the start of the game, you may want to select a combat class. You’ll be presented with a battle from the start, and non combat classes will always deal one damage. However, you’ll also have allied NPCs that can win the battle for you.

Home City

Selecting a city will determine your citizenship, which will in turn select which of the three storylines you will witness. While you can effortlessly travel between nations, there is no way to currently watch another storyline.

Disciple of War

Disciples of War are frontline damage dealers who use powerful Weapon Skills and use boost their survivability at close range. By using normal attacks, DoWs can gain TP and unleash a string of constant attacks. The key abilities to invest in are Strength, Vitality, Dexterity and some Mind. Keep in mind though, DoWs have penalties when using magic. This includes not being able to use MP restoration abilities or use area of effect spells. 0048 Final Fantasy XIV Character Creation guide 0008 Final Fantasy XIV Character Creation guide

Weapon Name	Discipline	Price	Limsa Lominsa NPC	Gridania NPC	Ul’dah NPC
Weathered Gladius	Gladiator	1,200	Nystbyrm (5-5)	Wulfthryth (7-3)	Zagylswerd (5-4)
Weathered Hora	Pugilist	1,272	Kerrich (7-6)	Wulfthryth (7-3)	Zagylswerd (5-4)
Weathered Spear	Lancer	1,680	Kikimo (5-6)	Twyrmoht (2-7)	Pimelle (4-5)
Weathered War Axe	Marauder	1,680	Kerrich (7-6)	Zelia (4-7)	Fabrellet (4-6)
Weathered Short Bow	Archer	1,632	Kikimo (5-6)	Twyrmoht (2-7)	Johannes (4-7)

Gladiator

Guild location: Ul’dah

Gladiators use swords and daggers in a single hand. Because Gladiators have an open hand, they are one of the few classes that can equip a shield, greatly boosting their defenses.

A Gladiator’s abilities favor defense, such as Phalanx at rank 8, which gives them a magical shielding. They are also one of the few classes that can alter an enemy’s focus and enmity with Provoke at rank 10. Combining abilities from Gladiator with Marauder or Pugilist will make for a strong tank.

Marauder

Guild location: Limsa Lominsa

Marauders are frontline damage dealers that wield powerful axes. Many of their attacks, such as Brandish at rank 4 attack in a sweeping cone motion, allowing them to strike at multiple enemies at once.

They can also grant defensive boosts by either stealing HP with Bloodbath at rank 4, or boosting defenses at the cost of offensive power with Defender at rank 10.

Pugilist

Guild location: Ul’dah

Pugilists deal damage with hand to hand weapons. They hit softer than other classes, but attack more often with their ability to land two strikes in succession. They can recover their own hit points with skills, such as Second Wind at rank 6.

They also favor evasion, and some of their skills can only be used after dodging an enemy attack, such as Jarring Strike at rank 14. These counter abilities cost a low amount of TP, though.

Lancer

Guild location: Gridania

Lancers are damage dealers that can further boost their ally’s skills and weaken the enemy. One of their early abilities, Ferocity at rank 4, will great increase the Lancer’s next attack.

At rank 10, they can use Speed Surge to regenerate stamina quickly and allow their teammates to steal HP from the target.

Archer

Guild location: Gridania

Archers deal damage from afar, but also have some skills to fight at close range. Their abilities, despite being ranged, can be used with other DoW.

Some of the Archer’s abilities include Shadowbind at rank 6, which will turn an enemy immobile. They can also debuff enemies with attacks such as Scouring Strike at rank 12.

Disciple of Magic

Disciple of Magic can wield powerful spells that debuff enemies, deal large amounts of damage, or heal allies. They are much more fragile compared to Disciples of War, but can quickly restore their MP or use area of effect spells.

Conjurer

Guild location: Gridania

Conjurers deal in very direct damage and healing spells. From the start, they can cast damaging spells from all six of the elements and can restore MP with Tranquility.

At rank 4 they gain the staple healing ability of Cure. At rank 16 they can further boost defenses with the classic spells Protect and Shell. They also have Weapon Skills which will allow them to restore MP: Radiance at rank 10 is one of these abilities.

Thaumaturge

Guild location: Ul’dah

Thaumaturges use indirect spells to subvert their enemies, making them master enfeeblers. They can also deal astral and umbral damage with their bases spells, Banish and Scourge. Among their staple spells list include Poison at rank 6 and Gravity at rank 8. They can also grant their allies buffing spells such as Sacrifice at rank 4.

While this spell harms the Thaumaturge, teammates in range will gain the effect of regen and will recover health over time. It should also be noted that many of their weapons require only one hand, allowing them to train in shields early on.