PictomancerandViperare the two Jobs introduced in theDawntrailexpansion ofFinal Fantasy XIV Online, and whileViperseemed like the cooler of the two at first glance, the community has fallen in love with the magical powers of Pictomancer.
The Pictomancer Job in Final Fantasy XIV seems incredibly complex when you first unlock it, but it’s actuallyone of the more simple classesin FFXIV once you get the hang of things. All you have to worry about is managing a few important cooldowns and you’ll be rewarded with crazy burst damage.
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How to Unlock the Pictomancer Job in Final Fantasy XIV
To unlock the Pictomancer Job in Final Fantasy XIV, you must complete the level 80 quest called “The Joy of Pictomancy.” You can start this quest by speaking to the Cheerless Hearer inOld Gridania (X: 8.0, Y: 10.3). This quest introduces you to Kupopo, a magical moogle who will teach you the basics of Pictomancy.
Just like other FFXIV Job quests, you need to have at least one other Disciple of War or Magic class atlevel 80before you may accept the starting Pictomancer quest. Thankfully, there are no MSQ requirements, so you can pick up Pictomancer as soon as your first Job reaches level 80. The Pictomancer Job starts at level 80, so it’s 10 levels behind theDawntrail MSQ. You’ll need to grind out some XP if you want to play through the 7.0 storyline as a Pictomancer.
All Pictomancer Skills in Final Fantasy XIV
Since Pictomancer begins at level 80, you’ll have most of these skills unlocked by default. Make sure you read the tooltips carefully before queueing into content with other players.
Final Fantasy XIV Pictomancer Job Rotation
The main Pictomancer rotation in Final Fantasy XIV involvespainting various icons on your canvases to instantly cast powerful spells. Juggling the cooldowns of all your painting abilities is the core skill of the Job, but it’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
At level 80, you’ll have access to your three basiccanvas paintings. Spend the first few hours with the Job getting used to managing your cooldowns. Things switch up at levels 90 and 100, but you don’t have to worry about things likeBlack Paintjust yet.
Level 80 Pictomancer Rotation
At level 80, things are quite simple for Pictomancer.PomMotif,Hammer Motif, andStarry Sky Motifare the main skills to worry about. These paint a moogle, a hammer, and a landscape on your canvases respectively, and each of these lets you cast a different follow-up attack.
Painting aPom Motifwill let you castPom Muse, for example, a strong AOE attack that replacesLiving Museon your hotbar. This has two charges, so you can then paint aWing Motifto use another AOE calledWinged Muse. Using both of these will result in a full moogle painted on your first canvas, letting you castMog of the Ages, an insanely strong AOE.
The same goes for painting aHammer Motif, which grants you a charge ofStriking Muse. This lets you construct a hammer for a powerful combo beginning withHammer Stamp.
Starry Sky Motiflets you castStarry Muse, painting a circular landscape at your feet. Standing within this ring will increase your damage and reduce your cooldowns. It also lets you instantly castSubtractive Palette. Normally requiring50 Palette Gauge(accumulated by casting normal spells), this skill lets you cast stronger versions of your standard single-target and AOE spells.
Speaking of, your standard attacks as a Pictomancer areFire in Red and Fire II in Red. The former is yoursingle-targetspell, while the latter is anAOE. There are follow-up spells to each of these, but they will automatically change on your hotbar as you cast them. When you cast Subtractive Palette, you will be able to castBlizzard in Cyan and Blizzard II in Cyan, which are enhanced versions of your basic spells. Finally, as you complete combos, you’ll accumulateWhite Paintcharges which can be spent to castHoly in White.
Level 80 Pictomancer Opener
It sounds much more confusing on paper than it does in practice, so get out there and try it for yourself to get a feel for things. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with Pictomancy, you can try this standardPictomancer opener.
This opener takes you through all three canvases and starts fights off strong with big burst damage. After using it, just cycle through your basic single-target or AOE combo depending on the situation and paint your Motifs again when your Muses come off cooldown.
Level 90 Pictomancer Rotation
At level 90, things remain mostly the same for Pictomancer. There are only three new things to pay attention to. Firstly, yourHammer Stampskill transforms into a brand-new combo withHammer BrushandPolishing Hammer. They work exactly the same as Hammer Stamp, though. They just deal more damage.
Tempera Coatgets an upgrade withTempera Grassa. After activating Tempera Coat, you can cast Tempera Grassa toremove your personal shieldand insteadcreate a barrier around yourself and all nearby party membersequal to 10% of their maximum HP. It’s great for preventing raid-wide damage and providing utility to your party!
Lastly, you get a new AOE in the form ofComet in Black. This works the same as Holy in White, only it does more damage. It requiresBlack Paintto cast, which can only be acquired by castingSubtractive Palette. Using Subtractive Palette will convert one stack of White Paint into Black Paint, allowing you to cast Comet in Black. Basically, yourburst windowjust has a stronger AOE now.
Level 100 Pictomancer Rotation
Things don’t change much at the level cap for Pictomancer, but there are a few more skills that you need to pay attention to. The only new additions to your hotbar areRainbow Drip and Star Prism, however.
Rainbow Dripis a powerful AOE that you should never cast on its own, since casting it raw will grant every other skill on your hotbar a lengthy six-second cooldown. You can cast it for free without a cast time during yourStarry Sky burst window, though. After painting a Starry Sky, you’ll get five stacks ofHyperphantasia. Casting aGCD spell, Holy in White, or Comet in Blackwill remove one stack. After spending all five stacks, you can cast Rainbow Drip for free!
Star Prismis the other new hotbar addition for Pictomancer at level 100. Upon reaching level 100, painting aStarry Skywill grant a buff calledStarstruck. This lets you cast Star Prism, a powerful AOE that heals surrounding party members. It’s just another part of your burst window, so don’t think too hard about it. It also consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia, bringing you one cast closer to Rainbow Drip.
There’s still more to consider in your level 100 Pictomancer rotation, however! While they don’t take up new spots on your hotbar, you get new paintings in the form ofClaw Motif and Maw Motif. These add new steps to your usual Moogle painting rotation, eventually letting you cast a new AOE calledRetribution of the Madeenafter you finish your Mog of the Ages setup. Essentially, this just adds even more damage to your Creature Canvas abilities.
Best Pictomancer Hotbar Setup
We recommend this hotbar setup for aspiring Pictomancers. It allows for easy access to all of your painting spells and keeps them organized so you may keep track of cooldowns.
Best Pictomancer Weapons in FFXIV and How to Get Them
As you level up your Pictomancer in Final Fantasy XIV, you’ll need to constantly replace your brush to deal more damage and contend with stronger foes. As per usual, Poetics gear is a great starting place for the leveling process. Pick upAugmented Cryptluker gear in theCrystariumat level 80, and then visitOld Sharlayan or Radz-at-Hanto getAugmented Crendulumgear at level 90.
After level 90, just roll on any Pictomancer brushes that you see inDawntrail dungeons. It’s easy enough if you’re playing through theDawntrail MSQas a Pictomancer, but if you’d rather not put up with DPS queues, you can always hit up the market board to buy Pictomancer leveling gear as needed. You shouldn’t have to replace your Augmented Crendulum weapon untillevel 95or so, though, and you won’t need to replace it at all if you’re just doing dailyroulettesto level your Pictomancer.
How to Level Pictomancer to 100 Fast in FFXIV Dawntrail
Pictomancer starts at level 80 so it has access to most of Final Fantasy XIV’s content from the get-go, but you’ll still need to grind if you want to play through the Dawntrail storyline or tackle high-end content as a Pictomancer. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to earn XP as a Pictomancer in FFXIV.
Wondrous Tails
Wondrous Tails is one of the best ways to earn XP in Final Fantasy XIV, and that still applies with Pictomancer. Turning in a full journal to Khloe in Idyllshire will net you a half level of XP regardless of what level you are, which means you can save it for a higher level to get a larger sum of experience. You’ll likely earn a few stamps while knocking out roulettes every day, and you can complete the listed extreme trials solo in just a few seconds if you do them unsynced.
Roulettesare the defacto way to level up Jobs in Final Fantasy XIV. While DPS queues are unbearably long sometimes, the XP gains are too good to pass up. Make sure you hit all of your roulettes every day as a Pictomancer to speed up the leveling process. Leveling roulette, Main Scenario roulette, and Alliance Raid roulette give the most XP if you’re in a hurry.
Bozjais a great way to level DPS Jobs since you don’t have to wait for long queues. Just take your Pictomancer into the Bozjan Southern Front and complete as many FATEs as you’re able to. There are always people farming in Bozja, so just mention that you’re looking for a group in the Shout chat channel and someone will usually invite you to a farming party so you can clear FATEs faster.
Allied Society Quests
Formerly known as Tribal Quests,Allied Society Questsare the easiest way to get a huge chunk of XP every day. The Arkasodara quests in Thavnair and the Pixie quests in Il Mheg are the best sources of XP for high-level DPS Jobs, and you can knock out the three daily quests for each society in just a few minutes. Don’t sleep on Allied Society Quests for XP gains.
Dungeon Spam
Finally, the tried and true method ofspamming the highest-level dungeonavailable to you is a solid way to level up. Waiting for queues can be brutal, especially as a DPS Job, so attempt to find a friend that will play with you as a healer or tank. You can always farm FATEs in high-level zones while you wait for your queue to pop, too.
That’s all you need to know about the Pictomancer Job in Final Fantasy XIV! It’sone of the coolest classes the game has introducedin quite some time, and it’s a great fit for all the new content anddungeons in the Dawntrail expansion.
Diego Perez
Currently serving as a Senior Staff Writer at PC Invasion, Diego Perez has been writing about video games since 2018, specializing in live service games like Destiny and Final Fantasy XIV. His work is featured at publications like Game Rant and Attack of the Fanboy (where he served as Associate Editor), but PC Invasion is home to his best work. When he’s planning content or writing guides, he’s yelling about Ape Escape or grinding Lost Sectors in Destiny. Plus, he has a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication Media Studies for Texas A&M University.
