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FFXIV Synthesis Overview

A Lalafell character performing Synthesis.

Icon.Synthesis, commonly known as crafting, is a gameplay mechanic in Final Fantasy XIV. It is the function of Disciples of the Hand, and can be used to craft weapons, armor, tools, and many other products.

Synthesis is not required for the main scenario, and is therefore optional, but can earn players a lot of gil and allow them to craft equipment for their own classes. While it is likewise not necessary, leveling up a Disciple of the Land class allows the items for Synthesis to be more easily acquired.

Process[]

Synthesis is begun from the Crafting Log, and any Disciple of the Hand class can perform synthesis as soon as their appropriate tool is equipped. Other than the tool, Synthesis requires materials and crystals to function.

Classes[]

The following classes are Disciples of the Hand and can perform Synthesis:

Name Proficiency
Alchemist Alchemist (ALC) Can transform materials into restorative or enhancing medicines. They can also create weapons for White Mages, Summoners, and Scholars.
Armorer Armorer (ARM) Works with ores and metals to produce heavy armor and shields. They can also create tools for Culinarians and Alchemists.
Blacksmith Blacksmith (BSM) Works with ores and metals to create weapons and tools. They can create weapons for Paladins, Warriors, Dark Knights, Gunbreakers, Monks, Samurai, Machinists and Dancers, and tools for Botanists, Miners, Leatherworkers, Carpenters, Armorers, Blacksmiths, Goldsmiths.
Carpenter Carpenter (CRP) Works with lumber. They can produce weapons for Bards, Dragoons, White Mages, and Black Mages, and tools for Fishers, Goldsmiths, and Weavers. They can also create a vast array of housing furniture, as well as some shields and accessories.
Culinarian Culinarian (CUL) Works with items from various crafting classes and reagent items to create food, which can be consumed to gain buffs. Unlike other crafting classes, they do not make gear for other classes, but the buffs the food provide can be helpful in many situations.
Goldsmith Goldsmith (GSM) Works with gems and metal. They can create accessories, weapons for Black Mages, Red Mages, and Astrologians, and tools for Weavers.
Leatherworker Leatherworker (LTW) Works with hides, furs and pelts to create leather-based equipment. Can create medium armors for combat classes and well as most gathering armors, in addition to gear for gathering classes. They can also make accessories, some Monk weapons, and glamour equipment.
Weaver Weaver (WVR) Works with fabric and fiber to create cloth-based equipment. Can make light armors for crafting and caster classes. Can also create a large amount of glamour equipment.

Crafting[]

FFXIV Crafting Log

The Crafting Log.

Crafting is begun by selecting the recipe from the Crafting Log, and then selecting the Synthesize option. Once the Synthesis has begun, the crafter will take actions to finish the final item. Each action depletes an items' durability stat, but there are several abilities which can restore durability. They can either increase the quality or the progress. Many actions cost CP to use. The quality at completion will determine the odds of an item becoming High quality when synthesized. quality lies on an exponential scale, where the odds of a High quality synthesis is not increased by much until after half an item's quality is gained, at which point the chance will rise much more rapidly with quality increases. The quality is generally increased when aiming to achieve High quality, but quality increases will provide a bonus to experience gained upon completion. As a result, those leveling their crafting classes are encouraged to aim to increase quality as much as possible, even if not aiming for a High quality synthesis.

Mechanics[]

FFXIV Synthesis Menu

The Synthesis menu.

CP[]

Each Adventurer has a set CP, or Crafting Points. The CP will decrease when abilities are used, and once the CP runs too low, certain abilities can no longer be used. For this reason, it is wise to be conservative with CP, particularly when lower levelled.

Attributes[]

There are only two attributes which help with Synthesis, both of which gear, materia and levels increase like other attributes:

Attribute Effect
Craftsmanship Increases the amount of progress that can be gained when using abilities such as Basic Synthesis, and helps finish the item faster.
Control Increases the amount of quality that will be gained when using abilities such as Basic Touch. Ideally, both stats should be raised as high as possible to make the process much faster, as this allows the Adventurer to gain more value for each ability that uses up durability, in addition to more value out of their CP.

Values[]

When beginning Synthesis, items have different values which can be raised or decreases:

Value Effect
Durability Indicates how many more abilities an unfinished item can sustain before it breaks. durability can be increased - or the loss of it reduced - in order to allow more abilities to be used beforehand. 10 durability is lost with the use of each ability, which can be reduced to 5.
Progress Indicates how far an item has gone before it can be finished. If an item runs out of durability before the progress bar is filled, the process will fail; the items can be lost if the process fails, but this is not guaranteed, and using the ability Reclaim can raise the chance of the ingredients not being lost to 90%. When progress is full, the item is always completed, so it is best to increase quality as much as possible beforehand.
Quality Indicates the chance of an item being High quality or how much EXP bonus will be gained from the finished product. This should ideally always be increased as much as possible to increase the EXP earned and increase chance of HQ product. For Collectable Synthesis, this determines the item's collectability.
Condition Is not a bar that can be raised or a numerical value like the others, but can either be "Excellent", "Good", "Normal" or "Poor". It effects the increase in item quality when using the Touch commands. Excellent gives a large bonus to quality and has a 10% chance of occurring and will only occur after Normal condition; Good gives a moderate bonus and has a 25% chance of occurring and only after a Normal condition; Normal gives no bonus; Poor reduces the increase.

High quality[]

High quality symbol. Upon beginning the Synthesis process, there will be an initial quality value assigned to an item. While typically 0, using high quality items in the Synthesis process can increase the initial quality by up to half the bar. By raising the quality of an item using abilities, the quality bar will be filled more. In addition to the bar, there is also an HQ and percentage below it. This is the chance for the item to be High quality when Synthesis is finished. The goal is to raise this bar as high as possible, as this will increase the chance as well as the EXP bonus. It is possible, but in many cases difficult, to fill the bar and achieve a 100% chance for an item to be HQ. Using

Some items cannot be made into high quality, such as dyes and furniture, and are marked as such in the Crafting Log. The quality achieved will still affect EXP awarded however.

Quick Synthesis[]

Many recipes allow quick synthesis, which automatically produces items in a batch based on amount of ingredients available. This process can speed up the creation of components such as ingots, but each item only has a slight chance to be high quality regardless of quality of ingredients, and has a slight chance to fail. Some recipes, such as Master recipes, do not support Quick Synthesis.

Desynthesis[]

FFXIV Desynthesis

Desynthesis.

Item Desynthesis allows any class which has unlocked it to break pre-existing items down to make different ingredients used in Synthesis. Weapons, armor, tools and other items can be Desynthesized to produce the ingredients which originally created them. Each Disciple of the Hand class has its own skill level for Desynthesis, which affects the chances of its success and the amount of materials yielded. Skills for Desynthesis are independent.

Item Desynthesis is unlocked after completing the quest Gone to Pieces Gone to Pieces in Ul'dah, and requires a level 30 Disciple of the Hand class.

Collectables[]

High-level crafters can create collectable items, which can be traded for EXP, gil, and crafters' scrips. The items requested often changes each day, and each has a minimum rating to be eligible for trading. Collectables cannot be equipped, traded, or sold for gil, and cannot be stacked in inventory. A collectable item has a collectability rating, which is determined by the total numerical quality achieved during synthesis, and improves the item's value when traded in.

Shared abilities[]

The following abilities are shared between all crafting classes, though their icons may differ.

Class Actions[]

Action Level CP Cost
Basic Synthesis
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
1
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 100%
Basic Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
5 18
Increases quality.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 100%
Master's Mend
Master's Mend from Final Fantasy XIV icon
7 88
Restores item durability by 30.
Hasty Touch
Hasty Touch from Final Fantasy XIV icon
9
Increases quality and requires no CP.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 60%
Rapid Synthesis
Rapid Synthesis from Final Fantasy XIV icon
9
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 250%
Success Rate: 50%
Inner Quiet
Inner Quiet from Final Fantasy XIV icon
11 18
Grants a bonus to control with every increase in quality.
Bonus stacks up to 11 times.
Observe
Observe from Final Fantasy XIV icon
13 7
Do nothing for one step.
Tricks of the Trade
Tricks of the Trade from Final Fantasy XIV icon
13
Restores 20 CP.
Available only when material condition is Good or Excellent.
Waste Not
Waste Not from Final Fantasy XIV icon
15 56
Reduces loss of durability by 50% for the next four steps.
Veneration
Veneration from Final Fantasy XIV icon
15 18
Increases the efficiency of Synthesis actions by 50% for the next four steps.
Standard Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
18 32
Increases quality.
Efficiency: 125%
Success Rate: 100%
Combo Action: Basic Touch
Combo Bonus: CP cost reduced to 18
Great Strides
Great Strides from Final Fantasy XIV icon
21 32
Increases the efficiency of next Touch action by 100%. Effect active for three steps.
Innovation
Innovation from Final Fantasy XIV icon
26 18
Increases efficiency of Touch actions by 50% for the next four steps.
Name of the Elements
Name of the Elements from Final Fantasy XIV icon
37 30
For the next three steps, Brand of the Elements efficiency is increased by up to 200%. Increase determined by current progress.
Can only be used once per synthesis.
Brand of the Elements
Brand of the Elements from Final Fantasy XIV icon
37 6
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 100%
Final Appraisal
Final Appraisal from Final Fantasy XIV icon
42 1
The next action that would complete item synthesis will instead leave one progress point remaining.
Effect active for five steps.
Waste Not II
Waste Not II from Final Fantasy XIV icon
47 98
Reduces loss of durability by 50% for the next eight steps.
Byregot's Blessing
Byregot's Blessing from Final Fantasy XIV icon
50 24
Increases quality. Inner Quiet effect ends upon use.
Efficiency: 100% plus 20% for each bonus to control granted by Inner Quiet
Success Rate: 100%
Precise Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
53 18
Increases quality.
Additional Effect: Increases Inner Quiet stack by one (up to 11)
Efficiency: 150%
Success Rate: 100%

Available only when material condition is Good or Excellent.

Muscle Memory
Muscle Memory from Final Fantasy XIV icon
54 6
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 300%
Success Rate: 100%
Additional Effect: Efficiency of your next Synthesis action is increased by 100%

Available only on the first step.
Additional effect is active for five steps.

Careful Synthesis
fka. Careful Synthesis III(Renamed in patch 5.1.)
Careful Synthesis from Final Fantasy XIV icon
62 7
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 150%
Success Rate: 100%
Patient Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
64 6
Increases quality.
Additional Effect: Doubles Inner Quiet stack (up to 11) when successful, halves stack upon failure
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 50%
Manipulation
fka. Manipulation II(Renamed in patch 5.0.)
Manipulation from Final Fantasy XIV icon
65 Complete level 65 class quest 97
Restores 5 points of durability after each step for the next eight steps.
Prudent Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
66 25
Increases quality at half the durability cost.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 100%

Unavailable when Waste Not or Waste Not II is active.

Focused Synthesis
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
67 5
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 200%
Success Rate: 50%
Combo Action: Observe
Combo Bonus: Increases success rate to 100%
Focused Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
68 18
Increases quality.
Efficiency: 150%
Success Rate: 50%
Combo Action: Observe
Combo Bonus: Increases success rate to 100%
Reflect
Reflect from Final Fantasy XIV icon
69 24
Increases quality.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 100%
Additional Effect: Increases Inner Quiet stack by three

Available only on the first step.

Preparatory Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
71 40
Increases quality at greater cost to durability.
Additional Effect: Increases Inner Quiet stack by one (up to 11)
Efficiency: 200%
Success Rate: 100%
Durability Cost: 20
Groundwork
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
72 18
Increases progress at greater cost to durability. Efficiency decreases by half when durability is below durability cost.
Efficiency: 300%
Success Rate: 100%
Durability Cost: 20
Delicate Synthesis
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
76 32
Increases both progress and quality.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 100%
Intensive Synthesis
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
78 6
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 400%
Success Rate: 100%

Available only when material condition is Good or Excellent.

Trained Eye
Trained Eye from Final Fantasy XIV icon
80 250
Increases quality by 100%.

Available only on the first step. Recipe level must be at least 10 levels below yours.

Specialist Actions[]

Specialist actions are only available when the appropriate soul crystal is equipped.

Action Level CP Cost
Careful Observation
Careful Observation from Final Fantasy XIV icon
55
Specialist Action

Do nothing for one step, preserving the status of any actions presently in effect.

A crafter's delineation is used upon execution.
Can only be used up to three times per synthesis.
This action does not increase step count.

Traits[]

Action Level Description
Practice Makes Perfect
Practice Makes Perfect from Final Fantasy XIV icon
15 Allows you to execute trial synthesis.
Basic Synthesis Mastery
File:Basic Synthesis Mastery from Final Fantasy XIV icon.png
31 Efficiency is increased to 120%.
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance from Final Fantasy XIV icon
63 Complete level 63 class quest Slightly increases chances of material condition becoming Good.
Rapid Synthesis Mastery
Rapid Synthesis Mastery from Final Fantasy XIV icon
63 Efficiency is increased to 500%.

Removed actions[]

The following abilities have been removed. Removed abilities will still appear on the hotbar, their icon greyed out icon with a red strikethrough. They will have no effect and must be removed by the player. The given statistics represent their last form before their removal.

Action Level CP Cost
Steady Hand
Steady Hand from Final Fantasy XIV icon
9
Improves action success rate by 20% for the next five steps.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Ingenuity
Ingenuity from Final Fantasy XIV icon
15 22
For the next five steps, effectiveness of Touch and Synthesis actions is increased.

Removed in patch 5.2.

Master's Mend II
Master's Mend II from Final Fantasy XIV icon
25 160
Restores item durability by 60.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Standard Synthesis
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
31 15
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 150%
Success Rate: 90%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Steady Hand II
Steady Hand II from Final Fantasy XIV icon
37 25
Improves action success rate by 30% for the next five steps.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Advanced Touch
Carpenter icon.Blacksmith icon.Armorer icon.Goldsmith icon.
Leatherworker icon.Weaver icon.Alchemist icon.Culinarian icon.
43 48
Increases quality.
Efficiency: 150%
Success Rate: 90%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Collectable Synthesis
Collectable Synthesis from Final Fantasy XIV icon
50
Use existing recipes to create collectables without increasing step count.

Removed in patch 5.3.

Byregot's Brow
Byregot's Brow from Final Fantasy XIV icon
51 18
Increases quality. Inner Quiet effect ends upon use.
Efficiency: 150% plus 10% for each bonus to control granted by Inner Quiet
Success Rate: 70% (Specialist 100%)

Removed in patch 5.0.

Satisfaction
Satisfaction from Final Fantasy XIV icon
55
Specialist Action

Uses one Whistle to restore 15 CP.

Success Rate: 100%

Available only when the Whistle stack size is a multiple of three.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Whistle While You Work
Whistle While You Work from Final Fantasy XIV icon
55 36
Specialist Action

Grants a Whistle stack of 11. One Whistle used for each step that material condition is Good or Excellent. Increases the effectiveness of certain crafting actions when the stack size is a multiple of three. Finishing Touches is used when stack size reaches 0 and effect wears off.

Finishing Touches Efficiency: 200%
Finishing Touches Success Rate: 50%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Innovative Touch
Innovative Touch from Final Fantasy XIV icon
56 8
Specialist Action

Increases quality.

Additional Effect: Innovation
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 40%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Nymeia's Wheel
Nymeia's Wheel from Final Fantasy XIV icon
57 18
Specialist Action

Restores item durability. Amount determined by current Whistle stack. Whistle effect ends upon use.

Success Rate: 100%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Byregot's Miracle
Byregot's Miracle from Final Fantasy XIV icon
58 16
Specialist Action

Increases quality. Inner Quiet stack is halved upon use.

Efficiency: 100% plus 15% for each bonus to control granted by Inner Quiet
Success Rate: 70%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Trained Hand
Trained Hand from Final Fantasy XIV icon
59 32
Specialist Action

Significantly increases both progress and quality.

Efficiency: 150%
Success Rate: 100%

Available only when Inner Quiet and Whistle stack sizes are identical.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Hasty Touch II
Hasty Touch II from Final Fantasy XIV icon
61 5
Increases quality.
Efficiency: 100%
Success Rate: 60%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Rapid Synthesis II
Rapid Synthesis II from Final Fantasy XIV icon
63 12
Increases progress.
Efficiency: 300%
Success Rate: 60%

Removed in patch 5.1.

Initial Preparations
Initial Preparations from Final Fantasy XIV icon
69 50
May reduce CP consumption while status is active. When a specialist, canceling the status grants the use of a single Specialty action.

Available only on the first step.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Specialty: Reinforce
Specialty Reinforce from Final Fantasy XIV icon
69
Specialist Action

Restores item durability by 25. Can only be used when Initial Preparations is active.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Specialty: Refurbish
Specialty Refurbish from Final Fantasy XIV icon
69
Specialist Action

Restores 65 CP. Can only be used when Initial Preparations is active.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Specialty: Reflect
Specialty Reflect from Final Fantasy XIV icon
69
Specialist Action

Increases Inner Quiet stack by three (up to 11). Can only be used when Initial Preparations is active.

Removed in patch 5.1.

Rapid Synthesis III
Rapid Synthesis III from Final Fantasy XIV icon
72 24
Increases progress at greater cost to durability. Efficiency decreases significantly when durability is below 20.
Efficiency: 600%
Success Rate: 60%
Durability Cost: 20

Removed in patch 5.1.

Reuse
Reuse from Final Fantasy XIV icon
74 60
Grants Reusing. Chance to become available upon reaching maximum item quality.
Reusing Effect: A portion of ingredients used to synthesize item are returned to your inventory when synthesis is complete

Removed in patch 5.2.

Trained Instinct
Trained Instinct from Final Fantasy XIV icon
80 250
Increases quality by between 30 and 100%.

Available only on the first step. Recipe level must be at least 10 levels below yours.

Removed in patch 5.1.

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