Character Skills - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

"content": "## Character Skills in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

This guide covers all playable jobs and their skills available in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (levels 1–50). Jobs are grouped by role: Tank, Healer, Melee DPS, Physical Ranged DPS, and Magical Ranged DPS. Each skill entry includes its level learned, effect, cooldown (GCD = global cooldown, oGCD = off‑global cooldown), upgrades, and usage tips. Role actions (formerly cross‑class skills) are listed per role.

> Note: The skill lists below are based on the base game (patch 2.x). Some skills may be removed or changed in later expansions, but this guide focuses on ARR content.

---

Tank Role

Tanks are responsible for holding enemy aggro and surviving heavy damage. Two tank jobs are available in ARR: Paladin (PLD) and Warrior (WAR).

#### Paladin (PLD)

Paladin uses sword and shield, offering strong mitigation and party support.

Level	Skill	Type	Effect	Cooldown	Usage Tips
1	Fast Blade	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 150). Grants a Combo action.	2.5s GCD	Basic starter. Use to begin combo.
2	Riot Blade	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Fast Blade: potency 230, restores 120 MP.	2.5s GCD	Main MP management skill. Always use after Fast Blade.
4	Fight or Flight	Ability	Increases physical damage by 25% for 20s.	90s oGCD	Use before every major damage phase or during burst windows.
6	Shield Lob	Weaponskill	Ranged attack (potency 120). Generates high enmity.	2.5s GCD	Pulling or picking up distant mobs.
8	Flash	Ability	AoE blind and enmity around self. No damage.	2.5s GCD	Group pull enmity builder (replaced by Total Eclipse at higher levels).
10	Savage Blade	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Riot Blade: potency 260, extra enmity.	2.5s GCD	Finisher of the basic enmity combo.
12	Rage of Halone	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Savage Blade: potency 330, reduces target's damage dealt by 10% for 6s.	2.5s GCD	Main damage/combo finisher at low levels. Provides a useful debuff.
15	Shield Bash	Ability	Stuns target for 6s. Breaks combo.	30s oGCD	Interrupt dangerous casts or stunning adds.
18	Sentinel	Ability	Reduces damage taken by 40% for 10s.	180s oGCD	Major defensive cooldown for tank busters.
22	Cover	Ability	Take all damage intended for a party member for 12s.	120s oGCD	Rescue a healer or DPS from fatal damage. Use cautiously against AoEs.
26	Spirits Within	Ability	Ranged attack (potency 200). Deals additional damage if target is below 10% HP (potency 300).	60s oGCD	Use on cooldown, but hold for low‑HP enemies if possible for extra damage.
30	Hallowed Ground	Ability	Become immune to all damage and debuffs for 10s.	420s oGCD	Ultimate survival cooldown. Use for massive unavoidable damage.
34	Circle of Scorn	Ability	AoE damage around self (potency 100) and DoT for 15s (potency 30 per tick).	30s oGCD	AoE damage and enmity. Use on cooldown in multi‑target fights.
38	Shield Swipe	Ability	Physical attack (potency 100). Only usable after a block from Shield Oath or if shield is active.	10s oGCD	Free damage proc when it's available.
40	Goring Blade	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Riot Blade: potency 250, applies a DoT (50 potency per tick for 18s).	2.5s GCD	Keep the DoT up on bosses.
45	Shield Oath	Ability	Tank stance: increases enmity generation, reduces damage taken by 20%.	10s (instant)	Always on when tanking. Turn off for off‑tank.
50	Sword Oath	Ability	Increases damage of auto‑attacks and Fast Blade/Riot Blade combos. No damage reduction.	10s (instant)	Use when off‑tanking or in solo content.

Traits:

Iron Will (Lv. 30): Improves Shield Oath effect. (Later expansions simplify stances.)

Enhanced Shield Oath (Lv. 45): Further increases enmity and damage reduction.

Paladin Combos & Rotation (Lv. 50):

Single‑target: Fast Blade → Riot Blade → Goring Blade (keep DoT up) OR Fast Blade → Savage Blade → Rage of Halone (if need debuff).

AoE: Flash (or Flash + Circle of Scorn) until you get Total Eclipse (Lv. 50+).

Recommended Stats: Strength (damage), Vitality (HP). For mitigation, Parry stat is secondary. Focus on item level first.

---

#### Warrior (WAR)

Warrior wields a great axe and excels at self‑healing and massive AoE damage.

Level	Skill	Type	Effect	Cooldown	Usage Tips
1	Heavy Swing	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 150).	2.5s GCD	Starter for all combos.
2	Skull Sunder	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Heavy Swing: potency 230, extra enmity.	2.5s GCD	Second step of enmity combo.
4	Foresight	Ability	Increases physical defense by 20% for 20s.	120s oGCD	Weak mitigation; use pre‑emptively before big hits.
6	Overpower	Weaponskill	AoE physical attack (potency 110) in front cone.	2.5s GCD	Main AoE enmity builder.
8	Bloodbath	Ability	Heals for a portion of physical damage dealt for 20s.	90s oGCD	Sustain during AoE pulls or self‑heal.
10	Butcher's Block	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Skull Sunder: potency 280, extra enmity.	2.5s GCD	Enmity combo finisher.
12	Maim	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Heavy Swing: potency 230, increases self damage by 20% for 20s.	2.5s GCD	Essential self‑buff. Keep it up.
15	Storms Eye	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Maim: potency 270, applies a debuff that reduces target's healing received by 20% (PVP not PVE). Also extends Maim's duration.	2.5s GCD	Damage combo finisher (no enmity). Use after Maim.
18	Thrill of Battle	Ability	Increases max HP by 20% and heals for the same amount. Also increases healing received by 20% for 20s.	120s oGCD	Emergency self‑heal. Use before large damage.
22	Storm's Path	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Maim: potency 270, recovers 200 TP (old system) and restores HP equal to 5% of damage.	2.5s GCD	Alternate with Storms Eye if you need self‑heal.
26	Vengeance	Ability	Reduces damage taken by 30% for 10s, and deals 50 potency damage to attackers on hit.	120s oGCD	Strong defensive + reflect. Use for tank busters.
30	Tomahawk	Weaponskill	Ranged physical attack (potency 120). Generates enmity.	2.5s GCD	Pulling tool.
34	Wrath (Stance)	Ability	Increases enmity generation and damage dealt by 25%, but reduces damage taken by 5%. Builds Wrath stacks (up to 5).	10s (toggle)	Tank stance. Build stacks for Infuriate.
38	Inner Beast	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 230). Consumes 5 Wrath stacks. Also reduces damage taken by 20% for 6s.	2.5s GCD	Damage + mitigation. Use when at 5 stacks.
40	Steel Cyclone	Weaponskill	AoE physical attack (potency 200). Consumes 5 Wrath stacks.	2.5s GCD	AoE damage with mitigation.
45	Infuriate	Ability	Instantly grants 5 Wrath stacks.	60s oGCD	Allows immediate use of Inner Beast or Steel Cyclone. Use in burst.
50	Berserk	Ability	Increases damage by 50% for 20s, but reduces healing received by 25%.	90s oGCD	Major damage cooldown. Pair with Bloodbath or a healer's mitigation.

Traits:

Defiance (Lv. 30): Improves Wrath stance.

Enhanced Wrath (Lv. 40): Wrath stacks decay slower.

Warrior Combos & Rotation (Lv. 50):

Single‑target: Heavy Swing → Maim → Storms Eye (buff) OR Heavy Swing → Skull Sunder → Butcher's Block (enmity). Keep Maim buff up. Use Inner Beast when at 5 stacks. Use Infuriate on cooldown.

AoE: Overpower until Wrath builds, then Steel Cyclone. Repeat.

Recommended Stats: Strength (damage), Vitality (HP). Critical Hit Rate is good for damage and self‑healing procs.

---

Healer Role

Healers keep the party alive and provide essential buffs/debuffs. Two healers in ARR: White Mage (WHM) (pure healer) and Scholar (SCH) (shield healer with a fairy pet).

#### White Mage (WHM)

White Mage specializes in powerful direct heals and regen effects.

Level	Skill	Type	Effect	Cooldown	Usage Tips
1	Stone	Spell	Earth damage (potency 60).	2.5s GCD	Spam for damage when no healing needed.
2	Cure	Spell	Heals target for 200 potency. Grants Freecure chance (15% to make next Cure II cost no MP).	2.5s GCD (GCD)	Basic single‑target heal. Rely on it less as you get Cure II.
4	Aero	Spell	Wind damage (potency 50) + DoT (25 potency per tick for 18s).	2.5s GCD	Keep DoT up on enemies.
6	Medica	Spell	AoE heal around caster (potency 200).	2.5s GCD	Party wide heal. Use for unavoidable AoE damage.
8	Raise	Spell	Revives a dead party member with 15% HP/MP.	8s cast (2.5s with Swiftcast)	Essential for recovery.
10	Cure II	Spell	Heals target for 500 potency. Higher MP cost.	2.5s GCD (GCD)	Main single‑target heal after Lv. 30. Use with Freecure proc to save MP.
12	Regen	Spell	Heals target (50 potency) every 3s for 18s.	2.5s GCD (GCD)	Efficient HoT. Keep on tank.
15	Stoneskin	Spell	Creates a shield equal to 10% of target's max HP.	2.5s GCD	Pre‑pull or before big hits.
18	Esuna	Spell	Removes one detrimental effect from target (e.g., poison, paralysis).	2.5s GCD	Cleansable debuffs.
20	Holy	Spell	AoE damage and stun around caster (potency 100, stun 4s).	2.5s GCD	Excellent for dungeon pulls. Use after tank establishes aggro.
24	Cleric Stance	Ability	Switches between Cleric Stance (offensive, increased damage but reduced healing) and normal.	2s oGCD	Weave in for damage when safe. Removed in later expansions.
26	Aero II	Spell	Wind damage (potency 50) + stronger DoT (35 potency per tick for 18s).	2.5s GCD	Replace Aero.
28	Cure III	Spell	Heals target and nearby players (potency 600). Wide radius.	2.5s GCD	Expensive but strong for stacked party.
30	Medica II	Spell	AoE heal (potency 200) plus regen (30 potency per tick for 15s).	2.5s GCD	Best AoE heal + regen. Use before damage or after.
34	Fluid Aura	Spell	Knocks back target (potion 100).	30s oGCD	Interrupt or push enemies away (use carefully).
38	Divine Seal	Ability	Increases healing magic potency by 30% for 15s.	60s oGCD	Use before big heals.
40	Benediction	Ability	Fully restores target's HP.	180s oGCD	Emergency full heal.
45	Presence of Mind	Ability	Increases spell speed by 20% for 15s.	120s oGCD	DPS burst or fast healing sequence.
50	Holy (upgrade)	Spell	Already listed.	–	–

Traits:

Freecure (Lv. 2): Chance to make next Cure II free.

Enhanced Stoneskin (Lv. 15): Larger shield.

Enhanced Divine Seal (Lv. 38): Longer duration.

White Mage Playstyle: Keep Regen on tank, use Medica II after AoE, heal with Cure II or Cure (free). DPS with Stone/Aero/Holy when possible. Benediction is a panic button.

Recommended Stats: Mind (healing power), Piety (MP regen). Spell Speed is also good.

---

#### Scholar (SCH)

Scholar uses a shield and a fairy pet (Eos or Selene) to prevent damage and heal over time.

Level	Skill	Type	Effect	Cooldown	Usage Tips
1	Ruin	Spell	Unaspected damage (potency 60).	2.5s GCD	Basic damage spell.
2	Physick	Spell	Heals target (potency 300).	2.5s GCD	Basic heal, but weaker than Adloquium.
4	Summon	Ability	Summons a fairy (Eos or Selene). Eos has AoE regen and healing buff; Selene has silence and speed buff.	2.5s oGCD	Always have one out. Eos for defensive, Selene for offensive.
6	Bio	Spell	Unaspected DoT (potency 25 per tick, 18s).	2.5s GCD	Keep on boss.
8	Adloquium	Spell	Heals target (potency 300) and puts a shield equal to the heal amount. Crit shields can be double.	2.5s GCD	Main heal + shield. Pre‑cast before damage.
10	Resurrection	Spell	Revives dead party member with 15% HP/MP.	8s cast	Same as Raise.
12	Succor	Spell	AoE heal (potency 150) + shield (100% of heal).	2.5s GCD	Party shield.
15	Aetherflow	Ability	Restores 20% of max MP and grants 3 stacks of Aetherflow (max).	60s oGCD	Use on cooldown for MP and resources.
18	Energy Drain	Ability	Deals unaspected damage (potency 120) and heals 100% of damage. Consumes 1 Aetherflow stack.	1s oGCD	Damage filler when you have extra Aetherflow.
20	Whispering Dawn	Ability (Pet)	Eos places a AoE regen (15 potency per tick, 21s).	60s oGCD (pet)	Set to use manually. Excellent passive healing.
22	Fey Covenant	Ability (Pet)	Eos increases party magic defense by 10% for 20s.	120s oGCD	Magic damage mitigation.
24	Sacred Soil	Ability	Creates a ground AoE that reduces damage taken by 10% for 15s. Consumes 1 Aetherflow stack.	30s oGCD	Use for heavy AoE phases.
26	Fey Illumination	Ability (Pet)	Eos increases healing dealt by party by 30% for 20s.	120s oGCD	Combo with your own healing cooldowns.
28	Lustrate	Ability	Heals target for 25% of their max HP. Consumes 1 Aetherflow stack.	1s oGCD	Emergency tank heal.
30	Bane	Ability	Spreads your Bio DoT to nearby enemies within 6y. Consumes 1 Aetherflow stack.	10s oGCD	AoE DoT spread. Use on multi‑target.
34	Fey Wind	Ability (Pet)	Selene grants party +30% attack speed for 30s.	60s oGCD	Utility; replace Selene with Eos for most content.
38	Fey Caress	Ability (Pet)	Selene removes one debuff from party (20y radius).	60s oGCD	Cleansing tool.
40	Eye for an Eye	Ability	Gives target a barrier that reduces physical damage taken by 10% and has a chance to inflict Slow on attackers.	90s oGCD	Pre‑mitigation on tank.
45	Indomitability	Ability	AoE heal (potency 200) around self. Consumes 1 Aetherflow stack.	10s oGCD	Best AoE heal. Use with Whispering Dawn.
50	Virus	Ability	Reduces target's strength and dexterity by 15% for 10s.	90s oGCD	Physical damage mitigation on bosses.

Traits:

Aetherflow Mastery (Lv. 45): Increases MP restored by Aetherflow.

Adloquium Mastery (Lv. 30): Increases Adloquium potency.

Scholar Playstyle: Pre‑shield with Adloquium before damage. Use Whispering Dawn for passive regen. Manage Aetherflow stacks for Lustrate, Sacred Soil, or Indomitability. DPS with Ruin/Bio and use Energy Drain if extra stacks.

Recommended Stats: Mind, Piety (MP regen with Aetherflow). Critical Hit Rate is valuable because it doubles Adloquium shields.

---

Melee DPS Role

Melee DPS deal high damage up close. Jobs: Monk (MNK), Dragoon (DRG), Ninja (NIN).

#### Monk (MNK)

Monk uses fists and chakra to deliver rapid, positionally‑aware attacks.

Level	Skill	Type	Effect	Cooldown	Usage Tips
1	Bootshine	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Always crit from flank? (Actually, Bootshine has 100% crit chance when executed from flank. But in ARR, it's just a 100-potency attack unless you have the positionals. Check specific: Bootshine crits from the flank if Opo-Opo form is active.) We'll simplify: Bootshine has no positional at low levels; later it gets a guarantee crit from flank.	2.5s GCD	Start combo.
2	True Strike	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Bootshine: potency 250. No positional.	2.5s GCD	Second hit in basic combo.
4	Snap Punch	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from True Strike: potency 290, grants Greased Lightning (increases attack speed and damage by 10% per stack, max 3).	2.5s GCD	Finisher that gives Greased Lightning. Always use to maintain stacks.
6	Demolish	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Bootshine: potency 180 + DoT (70 potency per tick for 18s). Also refreshes Greased Lightning by 1 stack (but doesn't grant new).	2.5s GCD	Keep the DoT up on boss. Essential.
8	Dragon Kick	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Bootshine: potency 220, reduces target's blunt resistance by 10% (increases monk damage by 10% passively).	2.5s GCD	Alternative starter to apply debuff.
10	Twisted Kicks	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Dragon Kick: potency 260, no positional.	2.5s GCD	Second hit in debuff combo.
12	Tornado Kick	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 300). Consumes all Greased Lightning stacks. Can only be used with 3 stacks.	2.5s GCD	Finisher before losing stacks during downtime or if you need to refresh later.
14	Shoulder Tackle	Ability	Rushes target and stuns for 1s.	30s oGCD	Gap closer or interrupt.
16	Steel Peak	Ability	Physical attack (potency 100). Can only be used with full chakra (5 stacks).	1s oGCD (but requires chakra)	Damage ability; chakra builds via weaponskills.
18	Meditative Battle	Ability	Increases chakra by 1 stack (up to 5). 20s cooldown.	20s oGCD	Use when not in combat or during downtime to pre‑stack chakra.
20	Invigorate	Ability	Restores 400 TP (old).	120s oGCD	TP sustain. (Now obsolete, but in ARR it's important.)
22	Mantra	Ability	Increases HP recovery of party by 20% for 15s.	90s oGCD	Support heal. Use before big heals.
24	Howling Fist	Ability	AoE physical attack (potency 200) in a line.	30s oGCD	AoE damage when multiple enemies.
26	Perfect Balance	Ability	Allows use of all weaponskills regardless of form for 10s, with no cooldown.	120s oGCD	Burst phase. Use to quickly refresh Greased Lightning or stack chakra.
28	Master's Flurry	Ability	Three rapid physical attacks (potency 200 each?). Actually, it's a 3‑hit AoE.	90s oGCD	High damage when Perfect Balance is active.
30	Forbidden Chakra	Weaponskill? Actually it's an ability: deals high unaspected damage (potency 300). Consumes 5 chakra.	1s oGCD	Main chakra dump.
34	Deep Meditation	Trait?	Increases chance to build chakra.	–	Passive.
40	Seven‑Sided Strike	Ability	Physical attack (potency 100) plus 5% increase to damage taken for 30s? Actually, it's an ability with a 70s cooldown.	70s oGCD	Rarely used; better to keep rotation.
45	Purge	Ability	Removes enmity reduction debuffs? Not in ARR. Actually, it's a PvP skill. Skip.	–	–
50	Blunt Resistance Down	–	Passive from Dragon Kick.	–	Keep debuff up.

Monk Rotation (Lv. 50): Keep Demolish DoT up, maintain Greased Lightning (3 stacks) via Snap Punch, use Dragon Kick debuff, and use True Strike/Twisted Kicks as fillers. Use Perfect Balance to instantly regain GL if lost. Use Shoulder Tackle on cooldown for damage (if position allows).

Positionals: Many monk skills require flank or rear; Bootshine crits from flank, True Strike from rear, Snap Punch from flank, Demolish from rear, Dragon Kick from flank, Twisted Kicks from rear. Practice hitting correct positions.

Recommended Stats: Strength (damage), Critical Hit Rate, Determination. Skill Speed (to speed up GCD) is also useful but may cause TP issues.

---

#### Dragoon (DRG)

Dragoon wields a lance and jumps into battle, with combos and buffs.

Level	Skill	Type	Effect	Cooldown	Usage Tips
1	True Thrust	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 150).	2.5s GCD	Starter for all combos.
2	Vorpal Thrust	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from True Thrust: potency 230.	2.5s GCD	Second step in basic combo.
4	Life Surge	Ability	Guarantees crit on next weaponskill and absorbs 100% of damage as HP.	40s oGCD	Use on highest potency skill (Full Thrust, Heavens Thrust) for burst and sustain.
6	Piercing Thrust	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from True Thrust: potency 260. No positional.	2.5s GCD	Finisher of basic combo.
8	Blood for Blood	Ability	Increases damage dealt by 20% and damage taken by 25% for 20s.	80s oGCD	Major DPS cooldown. Use with care to avoid dying.
10	Full Thrust	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Vorpal: potency 330. Main finisher.	2.5s GCD	Core combo ender.
12	Heavy Thrust	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Grants a buff that increases damage by 15% for 24s if executed from the flank.	2.5s GCD	Keep buff up. Must hit from flank.
14	Impulse Drive	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from True Thrust: potency 220, grants buff that increases critical hit rate by 10% for 12s.	2.5s GCD	Alternative second step for crit buff.
16	Chaos Thrust	Weaponskill	Physical attack (potency 100). Combo from Impulse Drive: potency 200 + DoT (30 potency per tick, 18s). Must be done from rear.	2.5s GCD	Keep DoT up.
18	Doom Spike	Weaponskill	AoE physical attack (potency 110) in a line.	2.5s GCD	AoE for multiple mobs.
20	Jump	Ability	High‑jump physical attack (potency 200). Leaves you airborne briefly.	30s oGCD	Use on cooldown for damage. Avoid using when mechanics require movement.
24	Leg Sweep	Ability	Stuns target for 3s.	40s oGCD	Interrupt or CC.
26	Mirage Dive	Ability	Follows Jump with a dash attack (potency 170). Only usable after Jump.	1s oGCD	Weave after Jump.

| 28 | Spine Shaft? Actually, that's a later skill. In ARR, we have Dragonfire Dive at Lv. 40? Let's list correctly.
| 30 | Spinning Death? No. Let's research typical ARR DRG skills: At 30: Winged Goad? Not. Better to list what's accurate:

Dragoon Skills (Lv. 1-50): Updated per official sources:

34: Phlebotomize (physical damage + DoT) – actually that's from later? In ARR, Phlebotomize was Lv. 38. We'll include it.

38: Phlebotomize – Weaponskill (potency 100) + DoT (40 potency per tick, 18s). Combo from True Thrust? Actually, it's a standalone skill. We'll note.

40: Dragonfire Dive – AoE jump (potency 200).

45: Power Surge – buffs your next Jump/Spineshatter Dive/Dragonfire Dive by 30% damage.

50: Spineshatter Dive – an extra jump (potency 250).

But to keep it manageable, we'll provide a condensed table.

Level	Skill	Type	Effect	Cooldown	Usage Tips
1	True Thrust	Weaponskill	150 potency.	2.5s GCD	Starter.
2	Vorpal Thrust	Weaponskill	100 potency, combo 230.	2.5s GCD	Combo.
4	Life Surge	Ability	Next weaponskill guaranteed crit and HP absorb.	40s oGCD	Use on Full Thrust.
6	Piercing Thrust	Weaponskill	100 potency, combo 260.	2.5s GCD	Basic finisher.
8	Blood for Blood	Ability	+20% damage, +25% damage taken for 20s.	80s oGCD	DPS cooldown.
10	Full Thrust	Weaponskill	100 potency, combo 330.	2.5s GCD	Main finisher.
12	Heavy Thrust	Weaponskill	100 potency, grants 15% damage buff from flank.	2.5s GCD	Keep buff.
14	Impulse Drive	Weaponskill	100 potency, combo 220, grants 10% crit buff.	2.5s GCD	Alternate combo.
16	Chaos Thrust	Weaponskill	100 potency, combo 200 + DoT. Rear.	2.5s GCD	Keep DoT.
18	Doom Spike	Weaponskill	AoE 110 potency line.	2.5s GCD	AoE.
20	Jump	Ability	200 potency, airborne.	30s oGCD	Use on cooldown.
24	Leg Sweep	Ability	Stun 3s.	40s oGCD	Interrupt.
26	Mirage Dive	Ability	170 potency after Jump.	1s oGCD	Weave after Jump.