Final Fantasy XIV offers plenty of ways to level up the 22 different jobs available to play, and for good measure, since the maximum level is 100 at the time of the Dawntrail expansion. That’s a lot of grinding! One of the oldest and most traditional ways to increase that experience bar is by FATE grinding, which began all the way back in A Realm Reborn.
In this guide, we’ll go over the different types of FATEs in Final Fantasy XIV, which are the most beneficial, and which zones you should be grinding in to get the best results. Continue reading for our FFXIV FATE Grinding Guide.
FFXIV – FATE Leveling Guide From A Realm Reborn to Dawntrail
Before we begin, check out some general information on FATEs below:
When you’re ready for the grind, select your level range below:
Other methods to level up quickly:
1. Benefits of FATE Grinding
FATEs, or Full Active Time Events, are limited-time group events that constantly spawn in every open zone. They’ll consist of different tasks to complete, such as killing groups of enemies, killing bosses, collecting materials, or defending objectives, and are meant to be taken on together by groups of players.
FATEs are just one of many ways to level up your jobs in Final Fantasy XIV, but they’re certainly not the most efficient source. Though FATE grinding can become tedious, there are still several reasons as to why you’d want to choose them to farm experience points:
2. Types of FATEs
Currently, there are five different types of FATEs in FFXIV. We’ll prioritize them below from most efficient (quickest to complete) to least efficient:
Kill Boss –The objective is to kill one boss-type enemy. Depending on the number of participants, these FATEs can be completed very quickly, and should be prioritized first above others.
Kill Enemies –The objective is to kill waves of normal enemies until the bar is filled. Players can spam AoE damaging and healing spells to mindlessly complete this FATE in short time.
Collect –The objective is to pick up and turn in special items to the marked NPC. Once a player turns in an adequate amount of items for a Gold rating (around 8-12), they can leave this FATE and move to the next, and will receive credit once the timer runs out.
Defend –The objective is to defend a specific object or NPC for a certain amount of time. These FATEs will only be completed once the timer runs out, and thus cannot be hastened by other players.
Escort –The objective is to escort an NPC to a designated location(s). Like Defend FATEs, these can only be completed once the NPC reaches the final destination, and therefore are slower FATEs to complete.
In typical FATE grinding parties, groups will prioritize Boss and Enemy FATEs first, Collect FATEs next, and will usually ignore Defend and Escort FATEs.
Related:How to Unlock the Viper Job in FFXIV: Dawntrail
3. Tips for FATE Grinding
4. Twist of Fate and Other Buffs
For FATEs in zones from Stormblood and further, rare enemies may spawn that, when killed, will grant participating players theTwist of Fatebuff.
During the course of any FATE in these zones, players may see “The smell of death has drawn a Forlorn maiden to the battlefield!” in their chat box. This indicates the spawn of theForlorn Maidenmonster. Defeating the monster will reward all players with the Twist of Fate buff, regardless of whether the FATE was completed or not. When the Forlorn Maiden is defeated, players will see the chat message “The Forlorn maiden dissipates..“
In even more rare instances, a tougher monster calledThe Forlorncan spawn.
The Twist of Fate buff gives players 15% EXP rewards upon completion of the FATE at which it spawned, and that amount increases from 50% (from the Forlorn Maiden) up to 250% (from The Forlorn) for the next FATE players finish.
Additionally, FATEs in zones from Stormblood and beyond can randomly have experience bonuses applied to them. You will notice FATE markers with a special honeycomb-shaped icon attached to them, as well as a message that states “[EXP Bonus Applied]” when hovering over them.
FATE Grinding – Levels 1-50 (A Realm Reborn)
FATE Grinding – Levels 50-60 (Heavensward)
FATE Grinding – Levels 60-70 (Stormblood)
FATE Grinding – Levels 70-80 (Shadowbringers)
FATE Grinding – Levels 80-90 (Endwalker)
FATE Grinding – Levels 90-100 (Dawntrail)
Related:How to Unlock the Pictomancer Job in FFXIV: Dawntrail
Are There Other Ways to Level Up Quickly in FFXIV?
Aside from grinding FATEs, FFXIV provides various ways to level up your jobs. We’ll list some of the best methods below.
Duty Roulette
Using theDuty Findersystem in FFXIV is, by far, the most efficient and reliable method of farming experience points on a daily basis. you may repeatedly run any duty roulette activity, but you will only receive a burst of bonus exp once per day per duty. The best duty roulettes to run each day are:
Additionally, completing Duty Roulettes will reward you with valuabletomestonesthat can be used to purchase current iLvl gear and weapons.
Dungeon Spamming
If you’re able to form your own light party, repeatedly completing the highest available dungeon for your current level is a very efficient way to grind for experience points. If you’re unable to form a full group or are playing solo, you should expect longer queue times, especially when playing as a DPS job.
Deep Dungeons
Deep Dungeons, such as Palace of the Dead, Heaven on High, and Eureka Orthos, are another efficient method of farming experience points, and are especially valuable when playing solo as a DPS job. Because Deep Dungeons do not require the typical light party formation (tank, healer, two damage dealers), queue times tend to be much shorter no matter which role you enter in as.
Main Scenario and Side Quests
The Main Scenario questline will reward you with massive amounts of experience points. However, because it can only be completed one time, it’s not exactly the most reliable method of leveling up.
Side quests are scattered everywhere in Eorzea, and while they do reward experience points and gil, they aren’t very efficient or reliable for leveling up. Like the Main Scenario quests, most side quests can only be completed one time.
Purchasing a Job Level Boost (One Hero’s Journey)
Square Enix sells level boosts for most jobs in the game through theFFXIV Online Store, usually priced at $25.00 USD. These will often go on sale at a discount. Purchasing aOne Hero’s Journeyboost will provide the following:
We hope you’ve enjoyed our comprehensive guide on FATE grinding! For more information onFinal Fantasy XIV, check out our other guides and tips here at Prima Games.
Matt Vatankhah
Matt’s writing career began when he joined Prima Games in 2022. As Managing Editor, he tries to make sure everything you read looks as pretty as possible. He’s had a passion for video games all of his life and really loves Final Fantasy, retro FPS, roguelikes, and metroidvanias. He will absolutely stomp you in Tetris.
