The Where and When of FFXIV Story Quests

The Where and When of FFXIV Story Quests
Page content

Star in Your Own Cutscenes: FFXIV Story Quests

There is a set of quests that are not to be confused with guildleves, the day to day business of learning and growing in Eorzea. These are the FFXIV Story Quests, also called main scenario quests. These quests convey the greater story of Final Fantasy XIV. Each leg of a main scenario quest normally involves at least one cut scene, with the player’s character incorporated into the action.

This is me, in a cut scene.

While the FFXIV story quests don’t reward much in the way of experience generally, there are definite rewards that come with advancing the story. The first series of main scenario quests (which can be started immediately) hand the adventurer over 10,000 gil by the time the quest line is finished. Monetary rewards only go up from there, and some of the quests also present the adventurer with a unique and useful item at the end.

Quirks of FFXIV Main Scenario Quests

You have entered an instance.

A sometimes baffling quirk of the FFXIV story quests is that many of the individual quests involved instanced play. This normally begins after a cut scene; there will be a message reading “You have entered an instance” in the chat window, and the mini map will shift to show a gray circle surrounded by a red rim. The gray circle is the area encompassed by the instance; if the adventurer crosses the red border, he or she will be removed from the instance. To proceed with the quest, there will be an NPC or area within the gray instance circle that the adventurer needs to talk to. Leaving the instance area will reset the quest and the adventurer will have to start over.

Current leg of the main scenario quest, viewable from the journal.

The series of smaller quests (or tasks) involved in the main scenario quests can take a while to get through. If the adventurer has to take a break between tasks, it can be a little confusing to continue on later. This can be tracked from the journal, in the current quests list. At the top of the journal entry for each quest will be a description of the current task the adventurer needs to complete.

After speaking to the NPC that heads the Adventurer’s Guild, each character also receives an NPC linkpearl for them. That linkpearl can be accessed in the “NPC Linkpearls” list in the main menu.

Baderon wants to talk to me!

After completing one leg in the FFXIV story quests, often the NPC linkpearl will light up. Selecting it from the menu will allow the NPC to give the adventurer the next leg of the FFXIV main scenario quest.

The Right Time and the Right Place

Perhaps the hardest part of the FFXIV main scenario quests is knowing when to start them and who to talk to. Here is a list of the main scenario quest for each city and who to talk to, sorted by level. The level that counts in being able to start one of these quests is the character’s class level, not their physical level.

Level 1

Limsa Lominsa: “Treasures of the Main,” starting NPC is Hob

Ul’dah: “Court in the Sands,” starting NPC is Yayatoki

Gridania: “Souls Gone Wild,” starting NPC is Lonsygg

Level 10

Limsa Lominsa: “Legends Adrift,” starting NPC is Baderon

Ul’dah: “Golden Sacrifices,” starting NPC is Momodi

Gridania: “Whispers in the Wood,” starting NPC is Miounne

Level 15

Limsa Lominsa: “Never the Twain Shall Meet,” starting NPC is Baderon

Ul’dah: “Calamity Cometh,” starting NPC is Momodi

Gridania: “Beckon of the Elementals,” starting NPC is Miounne

Level 20

All Cities: “Fade to White,” starting NPC is Blackburn

This is a special case for getting the quest started; the NPC at the Adventurer’s Guild won’t provide directions. Rather, the adventurer needs to go to Ul’dah and enter the Merchant Wards, at which point the quest will become available. The Merchant Wards may be entered from the same location as the Market Wards in Ul’dah.