Summoner starter guide
Summoner starter route: role identity, unlock notes, gear basics, and source links for current Final Fantasy XIV job information.
On This Page
- Summoner at a glance
- Unlock and early route
- Gear and equipment
- Role basics
- Current-patch caution
Summoner at a glance
Summoner (SMN) is a Disciple of Magic job unlockable at level 30 as an upgrade from the Arcanist class and is a Magical Ranged DPS job. The two jobs branching off Arcanist were the only ones added at the release of A Realm Reborn.This was due to the need to be able to form a full party of eight players each with unique jobs. FINAL FANTASY XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VII (Youtube).
- Role: Caster DPS
- First Appearance: *Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn* (Patch 2.0)
- Unlock Level: 30
- Weapon: Grimoires
- Armor: Casting
Unlock and early route
Guild: The Arcanists' Guild is in the city of Limsa Lominsa. Guild: Arcanists must choose to specialize into summoner (or scholar) once they reach level 30, and complete the quests Sylph-management and Sinking Doesmaga.
- Keep the job quest tracker current while leveling.
- Use the official job guide for the current action list.
- Do not treat opener or rotation advice as final unless it is current-patch reviewed.
Gear and equipment
The summoner is a disciple of magic and wears armor and accessories "of Casting." They use grimoires as weapons. Prior to level 50, Arcanist, Summoner, and Scholar all share the same weapons with few exceptions.
- Prioritize item level while leveling.
- At endgame, check role gear names and materia priorities against current resources.
Role basics
Summoner belongs to the Job role. Learn the role responsibility first, then refine job-specific optimization after you understand encounter movement and cooldown timing.
- Tanks lead pulls, position enemies, and plan mitigation before incoming damage.
- Healers balance recovery, mitigation, and damage uptime.
- DPS jobs focus on uptime, burst windows, party buffs, and avoiding avoidable damage.
Current-patch caution
Job Gauge: Aetherflow & Trance Gauge
- Use the official job guide for live action names, levels, and tooltips.
- Use expert community resources for high-end rotations only after checking their patch date.
- Treat this page as a starter guide and source hub, not a Savage optimization sheet.
Related on TJPedia
Sources
Auto-draft eligible, human review required for volatile guide updates.