Leveling Guide
- See also: Guides
This will be a general rundown of ways to optimize experience per hour, in order to expedite the leveling process. However, it is important that efficiency should not take precedence over fun. If you don't find these practices enjoyable, please take whatever methods will help you avoid burnout.
Do not fall behind on Class and Job Quests! Not only are they easy EXP, but they unlock critical new Actions for your Job and have free gear!
Bonuses
Transcluded from Experience:
Quite a number of bonuses can be applied to increase EXP earned. Most of these bonuses stack additively with one another, unless otherwise noted in the sections below.
Meals
Meals can be consumed to gain 
Well Fed, which grants +3% bonus to EXP for 30 minutes in addition to the meal's specific effects. The duration can be extended to 60 minutes by consuming multiple servings of the same food. Only one meal bonus can be active at a time. This bonus applies to EXP gained from defeating enemies, synthesizing recipes, and gathering items.
Certain meals from special events will grant a +4% bonus to EXP instead. For example: 
Fat Choco Choco.
Other Consumables
| Item | Duration | Buff | Effect | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle | ||||
 Squadron Battle Manual |
120m |  The Heat of Battle III |
+15% EXP earned from defeating enemies | Reward from Squadron Missions |
| Crafting | ||||
 Company-issue Engineering Manual |
180m |  Crafter's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from synthesis (Up to 250,000). Effect halved after level 40. | Purchased from Grand Company Quartermasters for  1,440 Company Seals
|
 Company-issue Engineering Manual II |
180m | Crafter's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from synthesis (Up to 500,000). Effect halved after level 50. | Purchased from Grand Company Quartermasters for 2,300 Company Seals
|
 Commercial Engineering Manual |
180m | Crafter's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from synthesis (Up to 1,750,000). Effect halved after level 70. | Level 50/60 Crafter Class Quests, Purchased from a Scrip Exchange for  30 Purple Crafters' Scrip
|
 Revised Engineering Manual |
180m | Crafter's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from synthesis (Up to 2,000,000). Effect halved after level 80. | Purchased from a Scrip Exchange for 30 Purple Crafters' Scrip
|
 Squadron Engineering Manual |
120m |  Helping Hand III |
+20% EXP earned from synthesis | Reward from Squadron Missions |
| Gathering | ||||
 Company-issue Survival Manual |
180m |  Gatherer's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from gathering (Up to 250,000). Effect halved after level 40. | Purchased from Grand Company Quartermasters for 1,440 Company Seals
|
 Company-issue Survival Manual II |
180m | Gatherer's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from gathering (Up to 500,000). Effect halved after level 50. | Purchased from Grand Company Quartermasters for 2,300 Company Seals
|
 Commercial Survival Manual |
180m | Gatherer's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from gathering (Up to 1,750,000). Effect halved after level 70. | Level 50/60 Gatherer Class Quests, Purchased from a Scrip Exchange for  30 Purple Gatherers' Scrip
|
 Revised Survival Manual |
180m | Gatherer's Grace |
+150% EXP earned from gathering (Up to 2,000,000). Effect halved after level 80. | Purchased from a Scrip Exchange for 30 Purple Gatherers' Scrip
|
 Squadron Survival Manual |
120m |  Earth and Water III |
+20% EXP earned from gathering | Reward from Squadron Missions |
Armoury Bonus
The Armoury Bonus is a bonus applied to EXP gained by combat classes when below the level of your highest class. The bonus is +100% for levels 1-89, reducing to +50% for levels 90-100. Despite what the in-game Active Help entry implies, this bonus does not otherwise change depending on the discrepancy between levels. This bonus only applies to defeating enemies and FATE rewards. Other sources of experience, such as completing Duty Roulettes, are not affected.
Notably, the buffs "The Heat of Battle" and "Squadron Battle Manual" are multiplicative with the Armoury Bonus, on top of its normal additive effects. For instance, a class with the Armoury Bonus and The Heat of Battle II (10%) will earn 120% experience: 100% from the Armoury Bonus, 10% from The Heat of Battle II acting multiplicatively (as 10% of 100% is 10%), and 10% from The Heat of Battle II acting additively.
Rested EXP
Rested EXP is gained by resting or logging out in areas designated as sanctuaries. Sanctuaries are typically areas around an Aetheryte as well as City-States, such as Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, and Ul'dah. Sanctuary status is indicated by a crescent moon symbol to the right of the experience bar. Rested EXP provides a 50% bonus to EXP gained from defeating enemies, synthesizing recipes, and gathering items. Because of this, rested EXP is consumed as a percentage of the bar, rather than a flat amount.
The current rested bonus is displayed on top of the experience bar. The dark orange portion indicates how much EXP can be earned before the bonus fades. If the bar is blue, it indicates that the bonus will carry over to the next level. It takes 7 days to gain a full bar of rested EXP, at which point no more will be accrued.
Incomplete Rested EXP Bar
Complete Rested EXP Bar
Free Company Actions
Free Company Actions are buffs granted by a Free Company to its members for 24 hours, some of which can increase EXP gained. Up to two Free Company Actions can be active at any one time.
| Action | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Heat of Battle |  |
Increases EXP earned through battle by 5%. |
| The Heat of Battle II | |
Increases EXP earned through battle by 10%. |
| The Heat of Battle III | |
Increases EXP earned through battle by 15%. |
| Helping Hand |  |
Increases EXP earned through crafting by 5%. |
| Helping Hand II | |
Increases EXP earned through crafting by 10%. |
| Helping Hand III | |
Increases EXP earned through crafting by 20%. |
| Earth and Water |  |
Increases EXP earned through gathering by 5%. |
| Earth and Water II | |
Increases EXP earned through gathering by 10%. |
| Earth and Water III | |
Increases EXP earned through gathering by 20%. |
Special Equipment
Certain Equipment provides a bonus to EXP gained when worn, up to a certain level. This bonus applies to EXP gained from defeating enemies, synthesizing recipes, and gathering items. The following is a list of equipment that grants a bonus to EXP, as well as how they can be obtained:
| Gear | Bonus | Min Level | Max Level | Classes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Moogle Cap |
+20% | 1 | 10 | All Classes | Pre-ordering A Realm Reborn |
 Helm of Light |
+20% | 1 | 10 | All Classes | A Realm Reborn - Collector's Edition |
 Friendship Circlet |
+20% | 1 | 25 | All Classes | Recruit a Friend Campaign |
 Brand-new Ring |
+30% | 1 | 30 | Disciples of War and Magic | Complete all  Hall of the Novice basic training exercises for a single role
|
 Ala Mhigan Earrings |
+30% | 1 | 50 | All Classes | Pre-ordering Stormblood |
 Neophyte's Ring |
+30% | 1 | 60 | Disciples of War and Magic | Complete all Hall of the Novice tactical training exercises
|
 Aetheryte Earring |
+30% | 1 | 70 | Disciples of War and Magic | Pre-ordering Shadowbringers |
 Bozjan Earring |
+10% | 71 | 80 | Disciples of War and Magic |  Lost and Found IV - "Have 1,000 forgotten fragments appraised."
|
 Menphina's Earring |
+30% | 1 | 80 | Disciples of War and Magic |
|
 Azeyma's Earrings |
+30% | 1 | 90 | Disciples of War and Magic | Pre-ordering Dawntrail |
The Road to 90
Some Worlds with lower populations are occasionally designated as Preferred Worlds. This designation gives characters newly created on those worlds a passive buff called 
The Road to 90, which applies to any class below level 90. The buff provides a multiplicative 100% bonus to all sources of EXP, calculated after applying any other bonuses. For more information about Preferred Worlds, please refer to the Play Guide entry on population balancing. The buff was during the first day of early access for Stormblood (patch 4.0) as The Road to 60.
EXP Bonus
When a 
Mentor forms a party with a 
New Adventurer or 
Returner, they both receive a bonus to experience points earned from adventuring activities. This experience point bonus applies until level 90.
Bonuses to experience points earned will apply to the following:
- Enemies defeated in the open world (leves, treasure hunts, etc.).
- Enemies defeated in dungeons and guildhests.
- Experience point rewards for completion of dungeons and guildhests.
- Experience point rewards for completion of FATEs.
Both mentors and new adventurers must be in the same area to receive the experience point bonus. The experience point bonus will not apply when suffering an experience point penalty due to discrepancies in level or when using the Unrestricted Party feature.
Prior to Level 15
Battlecraft Leves, FATEs and your class Hunting Log should get you to 15 in fairly short order (a couple of hours, tops). Leverage as many of the above bonuses as you can.
Once you hit 15 you can queue 
Sastasha, and level 16 will allow you to use 
Duty Roulette: Leveling.
Dailies
- Duty Roulettes with emphasis on:
- Others that can be worthwhile depending on queue times:
- Roulettes to be avoided for
EXP:
While queuing, participating in level-appropriate FATEs and completing one-time Hunting Logs will allow you to use your downtime. Prior to level 60 Battlecraft Leves are available. After 60, Stormblood and later zones have an EXP Up mechanic for FATEs. Beginning with Shadowbringers, players also have the Shared FATE system to work on.
Allied Society Quests become available beginning at level 41. Each expansion has a different set of allied societies oriented towards different playstyles. You can complete 12 allied society quests a day, but only 3 from any particular allied society NPC. A Realm Reborn allied societies have more than one quest-giver NPC, but later allied societies do not.
- The Hunt, and its later expansion versions, has both daily and weekly bills that offer some EXP. Generally quick and easy to do while waiting in a queue.
Weeklies
Challenge Logs unlocked with a level 15 quest.
Wondrous Tails unlocked with a level 60 quest.- Elite Marks have bills that are weekly for B-ranks. The EXP for the weekly is terrible so they are primarily done for hunt currency.
Next Steps
Once you have exhausted all of your repeatable options, the fastest EXP per hour is going to be your highest available leveling dungeon. Leveling dungeons are those whose level doesn't end in a 0 (plus Halatali). As an example, when you get to level 50 run the level 47 dungeon, The Aurum Vale, until you can switch to the level 51 dungeon, The Dusk Vigil. Level-cap dungeons (50/60/70/80) are designed to dispense Allagan Tomestones and loot to help players gear themselves, and not for Experience.
Alternatives are available when queue times are very long (15 minutes or more, common during off-hours and for DPS):
Deep Dungeons
Palace of the Dead (falls off hard after level 60)- Heaven-on-High (requires level 61+, falls off at 70)
- Eureka Orthos (requires level 81+)
Field Operations
The Bozjan Southern Front and Zadnor (requires 71+, falls off in the 80s)
Eureka does not provide regular PvE Experience like Bozja does. It has its own internal leveling system (
Elemental EXP) and is primarily for completing Stormblood Relic Eurekan Weapons and Eurekan Gear.
Additional, last-ditch options (for horrifically long queues) that are designed to be slower than human players include:
Squadrons
Command Missions: A specific subset of dungeons up to level 57 (for leveling).
The Duty Support System
A Realm Reborn through post-Heavensward Main Scenario dungeons only, as of patch 6.3.
The Trust System
All Shadowbringers and Endwalker Main Scenario dungeons, covering levels 71 - 90.
Gear
- Main article: Leveling Gear Guide
The very first starter gear set every player should get is the Brand-new Armor from the 
Hall of the Novice training. Even if you scoff at tutorials, the +30% Experience from the Brand-new Ring is worth it.
The primary source of gear between level 15 and 50 will be Dungeon drops. For leveling dungeons, you are guaranteed one piece of gear for your class at the end of the dungeon. It drops directly into your inventory, and must be a piece you do not already have. This gear is Green rarity and has stats like 
High Quality white (crafted) gear. There is a new dungeon set in each leveling dungeon.
Once you hit level 50 you can begin using 
Poetics Blue gear. This was the last, best purchasable gear from that expansion's endgame. It lets you skip the gear treadmill and will last 5 levels into the next expansion.
Additionally, completion of your Job Quests (and later, Role Quests) nets you a passable set of Artifact Armor. These sets are also Blue rarity and are a decent start if you don't have Poetics gear yet.
If you are flush with 
Gil, you can procure crafted gear from the Market Board. Be sure to only purchase High Quality gear as Normal Quality has a 10% stat penalty. This may not sound like much, but it's enough that level 56 NQ gear will be worse than level 50 Poetics gear! So don't bother with NQ after level 50.