Variant and Criterion Dungeons
- See also: Dungeons, Trials, Raids, Deep Dungeons
Variant and Criterion dungeons are a dungeon style first released on patch 6.25. After unlocking them, players can register using the V&C Dungeon Finder under "Duty" in the main menu. All variant and criterion dungeons have an item level sync, and it is not possible to complete these with an Unrestricted Party ("unsynced").
Variant Dungeons
Variant dungeons are level 90 dungeons intended for 1-4 players. They are normal (story mode) difficulty content. Enemy health will be adjusted depending on the number of players, there are no role restrictions, and players can change jobs to any other Lv. 90 Disciple of War or Magic while the dungeon is in progress when out of combat. Note that changing jobs will result in a 30 second cooldown until the player can use actions. Players can register for Variant Dungeons solo, with a premade party, or use matchmaking. Matching is disabled by default. If the option is enabled, players will be matched to a party of four with no role restrictions.
The map has branching paths, and the progression route will change based on player actions or random events. Some boss mechanics will also vary depending on earlier player actions. The player(s) will be accompanied by an NPC who will provide dialogue and interact with the environment but not participate in combat.
Completing the dungeon in certain ways will add a lore entry to the V&C Dungeon Finder. These entries provide lore regarding the dungeon or hints to puzzles that can be completed to unlock additional entries or a secret boss. Completing all 12 entries in the dungeon will award the player with a mount.
Variant Actions and Attribute Adjustments
To allow for greater freedom of role choices, variant dungeons grant players the use of special variant actions. These actions mimic existing abilities such as 
Cure or 
Rampart. Moreover, certain attributes will also be adjusted to compensate for the disparity of strength between certain roles, alleviating the need for dedicated tanks, DPS, or healers.
Variant actions can be selected from the V&C Dungeon Finder window. Players may have up to two variant actions at any given time, and are free to change them at any time, even after entering the dungeon.
- Available variant actions will differ according to the player's role.
| Action | Acquired | Level | Type | MP | Casting | Recast | Range Radius |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Variant Cure
|
 Tank Melee DPS Magical Ranged DPS Physical Ranged DPS
|
90 | Spell | Instant | 2.5s |  30y 0y
|
Restore's target's HP Cure Potency: 14,000 Additional Effect: Regen Cure Potency: 4,200 Duration: 15s Additional Effect: Cure potency is doubled when target is under the effect of Rehabilitation. This action is not affected by attributes. | |
 Variant Ultimatum
|
Tank Healer Melee DPS Physical Ranged DPS Magical Ranged DPS
|
90 | Ability | Instant | 15s | 0y 5y
|
Places yourself at the top of nearby enemies' enmity list and increases enmity generation. Additional Effect: Stun Duration: 4s Additionally, significantly increases enmity generation. Duration: 30s | |
 Variant Raise
|
Tank Melee DPS Magical Ranged DPS Physical Ranged DPS
|
90 | Spell | 8s | 30s | 30y 0y
|
Resurrects target to a weakened state. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Furthermore, the recast timer cannot be affected by other actions. | |
 Variant Spirit Dart
|
Tank Healer
|
90 | Ability | Instant | 2.5s | 25y 5y
|
Deals damage over time to target and all enemies nearby it. Potency: 2,040 Duration: 30s This action is not affected by attributes or enhancing effects. | |
 Variant Rampart
|
Healer Melee DPS Physical Ranged DPS Magical Ranged DPS
|
90 | Ability | Instant | 15s | 0y 0y
|
Reduces damage taken by 20% Duration: 60s Creates a barrier around self that absorbs damage equivalent to a heal of 21,000 potency. |
Unlock
- Main article: Variant Dungeons Quests
To unlock variant dungeons, complete 
Endwalker followed by the quasi-quest 
An Odd Job from Osmon in Old Sharlayan (X:11.9, Y:13.3). This will unlock additional quests (see table below) for each of the three variant dungeons. Each individual variant dungeon questline is independent and the dungeons may be completed in any order.
Available Variant Dungeons
| Dungeon | Level | IL Req | IL Sync | Escort NPC | Tomestones | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sil'dihn Subterrane | 90 | 575 | 635 | Nanamo Ul Namo |  15
|
A Key to the Past
|
| Mount Rokkon | 90 | 605 | 665 | Hancock | 15
|
Mononoke Aware
|
| Aloalo Island | 90 | 605 | 665 | Matsya | 25
|
Stranger from Paradise
|
Criterion Dungeons
Criterion dungeons are visually similar to variant dungeons, but are of a difficulty comparable to extreme trials or savage raids. They require a 4-player party composed of a tank, a healer, and 2 DPS. The map layout is fixed, and no NPCs accompany the players. Normal resurrection actions are disabled, but players are allowed to revive other party members with 
Variant Raise II, which is the only Variant Action available for this difficulty. Each party member may only use this action once, but it will be replenished upon completing an objective for the dungeon or if the party wipes.
Players can register for criterion dungeons with a fully premade party or use matchmaking. Players who enable this option will be matched into a party consisting of 1 tank, 1 healer, 1 melee DPS, and 1 physical ranged or magical ranged DPS. Additional matchmaking options (e.g., Practice vs. Duty Completion) exist and function similarly to Raid Finder matching settings. Note that in North American and European data centers, most players will use Party Finder to form groups for Criterion dungeons, similar to other high-end content. Matchmaking is only likely to be used when a dungeon is brand new.
Regular enemies in criterion dungeons deal significantly more damage and require more strategic ways of engaging them than those in other dungeons. Bosses are similar in mechanical difficulty to extreme trials or savage raids but are shorter (5-6 minutes vs. 10-14 minutes). Similar to other high-difficulty content, each boss must be defeated in a certain time limit, or it will wipe the party with an enrage ability.
Completing a criterion dungeon rewards four dungeon-specific coins to each player when the treasure coffer at the end is opened. These can be exchanged for various combat materia, the orchestrion roll of the dungeon's background music, and an exclusive mount (requires 100 coins). The mount also has a low chance to drop directly from the treasure coffer. Note that the mount can be sold on the Market Board.
| Action | Acquired | Level | Type | MP | Casting | Recast | Range Radius |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variant Raise II
|
 ANY
|
90 | Spell | 1.3s | 2.5s | 30y 0y
|
Resurrects target to a weakened state. Resurrection restrictions do not apply. |
Party Composition Bonus
Upon entering a criterion dungeon, party members will gain a bonus to damage dealt according to the composition of their party. The bonus increases with the number of jobs in your party that rely on actions that affect the entire party.
This bonus system is intended to compensate for the proportional decrease in utility of such actions as party size decreases.
- The effectiveness of the damage bonus will differ between roles.
- This bonus will only be applied to jobs and has no effect on classes.
For example, jobs such as 
bard rely on increasing the damage dealt by their allies. In a light party of four players, their party buffs will only be half as effective in terms of overall party damage increase compared to a full 8-player party. To compensate, a damage increase will be applied to all other party members if a bard (or other jobs with party buffs) is in the party.
See External Links below for a spreadsheet with a full explanation.
Unlock
To unlock criterion dungeons, complete the corresponding variant dungeon and its associated quest, then speak with Osmon in Old Sharlayan (X:11.9 Y:13.3) as a level 90 Disciple of War or Magic.
Available Criterion Dungeons
| Dungeon | Level | IL Req | IL Sync | Tomestones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Another Sil'dihn Subterrane | 90 | 610 | 635 | 20
|
| Another Mount Rokkon | 90 | 640 | 665 | 20
|
| Another Aloalo Island | 90 | 640 | 665 | 30
|
Criterion Dungeons (Savage)
Savage criterion dungeons are of a difficulty comparable to some ultimate raids. They have additional rules to make them harder: Revive abilities are disabled completely and no variant actions may be used. If the party wipes, all enemies will respawn and players must restart from the beginning. Players who disconnect from the game will be incapacitated upon reconnecting to the dungeon. Matchmaking is unavailable for Savage Criterion dungeons. Players must have a premade party of four people to enter them.
Boss mechanics are identical to those in criterion dungeons, but all enemies have higher health. Non-boss enemies also deal significantly more damage. Many AoE indicators from non-boss enemies that were present in easier difficulties are removed or significantly shortened, and being hit by these avoidable attacks will usually deal lethal damage.
Upon engaging the first enemy, a timer will begin, which can be seen next to the duty objectives. If the party does not complete the dungeon before the timer finishes, all enemies will receive the 
Sewer-dweller or Powerful buff, greatly increasing their damage dealt while reducing their damage taken, which is essentially a dungeon-wide enrage. This timer will reset if the party wipes. Because of this global enrage, the party will need to budget their cooldowns considering the length of the dungeon. The duration of the dungeon and the degree of punishment for mistakes, make savage criterion dungeons closer to ultimate-difficulty.
The party composition bonus from criterion dungeons is applicable to the savage difficulty and functions identically.
Completing a savage criterion player rewards one manuscript item, which can be traded for various combat materia and unique glamour or furniture items, in addition to rewarding exclusive titles. In response to the poor material rewards of the first two dungeons, the 
Aloalo Manuscripts obtained from the third dungeon can be traded for 
Elevated Esters that themselves are exchanged with a corresponding Augmented Credendum Weapon or 
Gentlemage's Umbrella to give an Exquisite Weapon with the same item stats as the current savage raid weapons and unique graphical effects when unsheathed. These serve a similar purpose as weapons rewarded from ultimate raids (without the third materia slot and a more subdued visual design).
Note: The savage-difficulty dungeon does not reward the coins that can be obtained from the "normal" criterion version.
Unlock
To unlock savage criterion dungeons, complete the corresponding criterion dungeon, then speak with Osmon in Old Sharlayan (X:11.9 Y:13.3) as a level 90 Disciple of War or Magic.
Available Criterion Dungeons (Savage)
There is no minimum item level requirement, but players are expected to have best-in-slot gear that matches the item level sync of the respective dungeon. For 
Another Sil'dihn Subterrane (Savage), best-in-slot gear is the same as that used for 
The Omega Protocol (Ultimate), while the other two dungeons use item level 660 best-in-slot gear from patch 6.55. A Mandervillous Weapon is recommended for all dungeons.
| Dungeon | Level | IL Sync | Tomestones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another Sil'dihn Subterrane (Savage) | 90 | 635 | 20
|
| Another Mount Rokkon (Savage) | 90 | 665 | 20
|
| Another Aloalo Island (Savage) | 90 | 665 | 30
|
Tips
Because essentially no player deaths are allowed, savage criterion dungeons are an enormous check for consistency, comparable or surpassing some ultimate raids. However, unlike ultimate raids, players have the opportunity to practice any mechanics in the "normal" criterion difficulty, as they are virtually identical to the savage difficulty encounter mechanics. For example, players can hold their DPS to practice a boss mechanic in "normal" difficulty that may otherwise be skipped, but cannot be skipped in savage difficulty due to higher boss HP. After practicing the mechanic once, the party may opt to wipe and restart the boss for another repetition of the mechanic to achieve consistency.
Images
V&C Dungeon Finder
Trivia
- Criterion dungeons are the first high-end 4-player content introduced in the game (excluding
The Great Hunt (Extreme)). Their development may have, in part, been a response to longstanding player requests for challenging 4-player content. Similarly, variant dungeons may have been developed in response to requests for less linear dungeons.