All FFXIV Dawntrail 7.0 Job changes and new abilities

The Dawntrail expansion for Final Fantasy XIV is nearly here, and the latest Live Letter stream has given us a sneak peek at the upcoming abilities and reworks for new and existing Jobs.

While the melee DPS Viper and magic DPS Pictomancer are the most exciting of the bunch since they’re new to the game with Dawntrail, FFXIV’s existing Jobs are still getting plenty of love with 7.0

• DPS Changes
• Tank Changes
• Healer Changes

FFXIV Dawntrail DPS Abilities

The DPS role is getting some great new abilities across all Jobs, and a few Jobs, in particular, are receiving reworks with significant overhauls to their kits. All DPS Jobs will have a buff to Second Wind‘s healing potency and Feint‘s duration in the level 90 range.

Melee DPS

• Monk
  • Basic combo mechanics will no longer center around maintaining a buff or damage over time; instead, performing actions in a certain order will increase the next action’s potency.
  • The feel of the job will remain largely the same while alleviating uncertainty about which action to use when rotation is interrupted.
  • Can accumulate up to a total of ten chakra while Brotherhood is active (to prevent chakra overflow).
• Dragoon
  • To reduce positional requirements for the single-target combo, the fifth combo action has been changed to a new non-directional action, Drakesbane. Fang and Claw/Wheeling Thrust will change to Drakesbane, so input execution will remain the same.
  • To facilitate maximum damage output at the beginning of a battle, Life of the Dragon will be available without accumulating Dragon Gauge.
  • To reduce the number of inputs during burst damage phases, certain actions will be removed or adjusted.
• Ninja
  • Huton’s effect has been moved to a trait and will always be active.
  • Huton will be changed to an AOE attack which grants the effect of hidden.
  • Actions that extend the duration of Huton’s effect will be adjusted in accordance with the above change.
• Samurai
  • To simplify recast management, Tsubame-gaeshi will be changed to be executable after Meikyo Shisui.
  • Hakaze, Tenka Goken, and Midare Setsugekka will be upgraded into new actions.
• Reaper
  • Plentiful Harvest’s effect will no longer increase the Shroud Gauge by 50, and instead will allow execution of Enshroud (now can be used when gauge is at 51 or more without waste)
  • A new action that can be executed while Enshrouded will be added.
• Viper
  • A fast-paced job that fluidly shifts between dual-blade and double-bladed strikes in their various combos and abilities.
  • Has a similar total number of actions as other jobs, but designed so that fewer actions need to be set on the hotbar.

Physical Ranged DPS

Physical Ranged DPS Jobs will have a buff to Second Wind‘s healing potency in the level 90 range just like every other DPS Job. In addition, the damage reduction from Job-exclusive defense abilities will also be increased to 15%.

• Bard
  • Mage’s Ballad, Army’s Paeon, and the Wanderer’s Minuet will be changed into buffing abilities that do not attack enemies.
  • Pitch Perfect will be changed into an AoE attack for ease of use in encounters with multiple enemies.
• Machinist
  • Barrel Stabilizer will no longer increase Heat Gauge by 50, and instead will allow execution of Hypercharge (now can be used when gauge is at 51 or more without waste.)
  • A new trait that accumulates charges for Drill will be added.
• Dancer
  • A new action that can be executed after Flourish will be added.
  • A new action that consumes Esprit and can be executed after Technical Finish will be added.

Magic Ranged DPS

All Caster Jobs will get a buff to Swiftcast in the level 90 range that reduces its cooldown to 40 seconds. Plus, Addle‘s duration will be increased to 15 seconds as well.

• Black Mage
  • Various adjustments will be made to streamline certain aspects of the job, such as restoring MP upon landing ice spells while Umbra Ice is active, instead of passively over time.
  • A new action that repositions Ley Lines beneath the caster will be added.
• Summoner
  • Solar Bahamut, a new summon akin to Bahamut and Phoenix, will be added.
  • A new action that can be executed after Searing Light will be added.
• Red Mage
  • Manafication will no longer increase Black and White Mana by 50, and will instead allow the execution of enchanted swordplay actions without cost (can now be executed while mana is at 51 or more without waste)
  • The AoE enchanted swordplay combo beginning with Enchanted Moulinet will now consume a total of 50 Black and White Mana, similar to it’s single-target counterpart.
• Pictomancer
  • Prepares by painting a variety of motifs, then renders them to life to produce an assortment of effects. Renders multiple motifs to execute high-powered attacks.
  • Capable of granting buffs to party and self.

FFXIV Dawntrail Tank Abilities

Overall, the Tank role in FFXIV will receive some nice quality-of-life changes in the Dawntrail expansion. Rampart and all job-exclusive damage reduction abilities will receive an upgrade after passing level 90, and Reprisal will also get a duration buff to 15 seconds in the level 90 range as well. Each Job has some new fun toys to play with, too.

• Paladin
  • The second and third executions of Atonement have been changed to new actions with separate animations. Atonement will change to these actions, so input execution will remain the same.
  • A new action that can be executed after Blade of Valor will be added.
• Warrior
  • A new action, which can be executed after three executions of Fell Cleave or Decimate while Inner Release is active, will be added.
  • A new action that can be executed after Primal Rend will be added.
• Dark Knight
  • To reduce the number of inputs during burst damage phases, Blood Weapon will upgrade into Delirium, and the effects of Blood Weapon will be added to Delirium.
  • A new action that can be executed after Living Shadow will be added.
• Gunbreaker
  • A new action that can be executed after Fated Circle (via Continuation) will be added.
  • A new three-step combo that can be executed after Bloodfest will be added (no cartridge cost).

FFXIV Dawntrail Healer Abilities

Every FFXIV Healer will be pleased to learn that Swiftcast’s cooldown is being reduced to 40 seconds in the level 90 range for the Dawntrail expansion.

• White Mage
  • A new action allowing the caster to quickly move forward will be added.
  • A new AoE attack, which can be executed up to three times after Presence of Mind, will be added.
• Scholar
  • Seraphism, a new action that changes the caster’s appearance and enhances healing magicks, will be added.
  • A new AoE attack that can be executed after Chain Stratagem will be added.
• Astrologian
  • The card system will no longer be random, an will instead simultaneously draw cards with offensive, defensive, and curative effects.
  • Astrodyne will be removed in accordance with the discontinuation of astrosigns.
• Sage
  • Eukrasia will now enhance Dyskrasia II into Eukrasian Dyskrasia, an AoE attack that deals damage over time to enemies within range.
  • A new party buff, which heals nearby party members whenever the caster casts a spell will be added.

Even more details about buffs, nerfs, and new abilities will be revealed as the Dawntrail expansion draws nearer. There are only a few short weeks left before the 7.0 update hits Final Fantasy XIV, so make sure to take care of any unfinished Endwalker business you have left. There’s also a limited-time Mountain Dew mount up for grabs through the release of Dawntrail.