Pictomancer and Viper are the two Jobs introduced in the Dawntrail expansion of Final Fantasy XIV Online, and while Viper seemed 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 actually one of the more simple classes in 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 in Old 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 at level 80 before you can 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 the Dawntrail 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.
| Action | Level Acquired | Effect |
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| Fire in Red | 1 | Deals fire damage with a potency of 440. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues Duration: 30s Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. |
| Aero in Green | 5 | Deals wind damage with a potency of 480. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues II Duration: 30s Can only be executed while under the effect of Aetherhues. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Fire in Red changes to Aero in Green when requirements for execution are met. |
| Tempera Coat | 10 | Creates a barrier around self that absorbs damage totaling 20% of maximum HP. Duration: 10s Reduces the recast time of Tempera Coat by 60 seconds when barrier is completely absorbed. |
| Water in Blue | 15 | Deals water damage with a potency of 520. Additional Effect: Increases Palette Gauge by 25 Additional Effect: Grants White Paint Maximum Stacks: 5 Can only be executed while under the effect of Aetherhues II. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Aero in Green changes to Water in Blue when requirements for execution are met. |
| Smudge | 20 | Quickly dash 15 yalms forward. Additional Effect: Increases movement speed Duration: 5s Cannot be executed while bound. |
| Fire II in Red | 25 | Deals fire damage with a potency of 120 to target and all enemies nearby it. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues Duration: 30s Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. |
| Creature Motif | 30 | Paints a creature motif. This action changes when placed on the hotbar in the order of Pom Motif, Wing Motif, Claw Motif, and Maw Motif when executed in succession. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. |
| Living Muse | 30 | Render your depiction of a creature to life. This action changes to Pom Muse, Winged Muse, Clawed Muse, or Fanged Muse based on your current motif. Maximum Charges: 3 Can only be executed when a Creature Motif is depicted on the Creature Canvas. |
| Mog of the Ages | 30 | Render your moogle portrait to life, dealing unaspected damage to all enemies in a straight line before you with a potency of 1,300 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while Moogle Portrait is active. |
| Pom Motif | 30 | Paints a pom. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. The Creature Canvas must be empty to execute this action. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Creature Motif changes to Pom Motif when requirements for execution are met. |
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| Wing Motif | 30 | Paints a pair of wings. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. The Creature Canvas must be empty to execute this action. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Creature Motif changes to Wing Motif when requirements for execution are met. |
| Pom Muse | 30 | Render a rain of poms, dealing unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 1,100 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Additional Effect: Adds Depiction of Pom to the Creature Canvas Maximum Charges: 3 Can only be executed while a pom is painted on the Creature Canvas. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Living Muse changes to Pom Muse when requirements for execution are met. |
| Winged Muse | 30 | Render a pair of windborne wings, dealing unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 1,100 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Additional Effect: Adds Depiction of Wings to the Creature Canvas Also paints a Moogle Portrait when Depiction of Pom and Depiction of Wings are rendered on the Creature Canvas. Maximum Charges: 3 Can only be executed while a pair of wings is painted on the Creature Canvas. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Living Muse changes to Winged Muse when requirements for execution are met. |
| Aero II in Green | 35 | Deals wind damage with a potency of 140 to target and all enemies nearby it. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues II Duration: 30s Can only be executed while under the effect of Aetherhues. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Fire II in Red changes to Aero II in Green when requirements for execution are met. |
| Water II in Blue | 45 | Deals water damage with a potency of 160 to target and all enemies nearby it. Additional Effect: Increases Palette Gauge by 25 Additional Effect: Grants White Paint Maximum Stacks: 5 Can only be executed while under the effect of Aetherhues II. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Aero II in Green changes to Water II in Blue when requirements for execution are met. |
| Weapon Motif | 50 | Paints a weapon motif. This action changes to Hammer Motif when placed on the hotbar. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. |
| Steel Muse | 50 | Render your depiction of a weapon to life. This action changes to Striking Muse based on your current motif. Maximum Charges: 2 Can only be executed in combat and when a Weapon Motif is depicted on the Weapon Canvas. |
| Hammer Stamp | 50 | Deals unaspected damage as a critical direct hit with a potency of 560 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while under the effect of Hammer Time. |
| Hammer Motif | 50 | Paints a hammer. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. Cannot be executed while under the effect of Hammer Time. The Weapon Canvas must be empty to execute this action. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Weapon Motif changes to Hammer Motif when requirements for execution are met. |
| Striking Muse | 50 | Render a mighty hammer, granting three stacks of Hammer Time. Duration: 30s Maximum Charges: 2 Can only be executed while in combat and when a hammer is painted on the Weapon Canvas. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Steel Muse changes to Striking Muse when requirements for execution are met. |
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| Blizzard in Cyan | 60 | Deals ice damage with a potency of 800. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues Duration: 30s Can only be executed while under the effect of Subtractive Palette. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. |
| Blizzard II in Cyan | 60 | Deals ice damage with a potency of 240 to target and all enemies nearby it. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues Duration: 30s Can only be executed while under the effect of Subtractive Palette. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. |
| Subtractive Palette | 60 | Grants 3 stacks of Subtractive Palette. Additional Effect: Grants Monochrome Tones Monochrome Tones Effect: Converts one stack of White Paint into Black Paint Cannot be cast while under the effect of Subtractive Palette. Palette Gauge Cost: 50 |
| Stone in Yellow | 60 | Deals earth damage with a potency of 840. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues II Duration: 30s Can only be executed while under the effect of Subtractive Palette and Aetherhues. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Blizzard in Cyan changes to Stone in Yellow when requirements for execution are met. |
| Thunder in Magenta | 60 | Deals lightning damage with a potency of 880. Additional Effect: Grants White Paint Maximum Stacks: 5 Can only be executed while under the effect of Subtractive Palette and Aetherhues II. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Stone in Yellow changes to Thunder in Magenta when requirements for execution are met. |
| Stone II in Yellow | 60 | Deals earth damage with a potency of 840. Additional Effect: Grants Aetherhues II Duration: 30s Can only be executed while under the effect of Subtractive Palette and Aetherhues. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Blizzard in Cyan changes to Stone in Yellow when requirements for execution are met. |
| Thunder II in Magenta | 60 | Deals lightning damage with a potency of 280 to target and all enemies nearby it. Additional Effect: Grants White Paint Maximum Stacks: 5 Can only be executed while under the effect of Subtractive Palette and Aetherhues II. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Stone II in Yellow changes to Thunder II in Magenta when requirements for execution are met. |
| Landscape in Motif | 70 | Paints a landscape motif. This action changes to Starry Sky Motif when placed on the hotbar. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. |
| Scenic Muse | 70 | Render your depiction of a landscape to life. This action changes to Starry Muse based on your current motif. Can only be executed in combat and when a Landscape Motif is depicted on the Landscape Canvas. |
| Starry Sky Motif | 70 | Paints a starry sky. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. Cannot be executed while under the effect of Starry Muse. The Landscape Canvas must be empty to execute this action. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Landscape Motif changes to Starry Sky Motif when requirements for execution are met. |
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| Starry Muse | 70 | Render a star streaming sky over a magicked landscape, increasing damage dealt by self and nearby party members by 5%. Duration: 20s Additional Effect: Grants Subtractive Spectrum Duration: 30s Additional Effect: Grants Inspiration and 5 stacks of Hyperphantasia Stacks of Hyperphantasia are consumed upon casting certain spells while under the effect of Inspiration. Duration: 30s Inspiration Effect: Reduces cast time and recast time of Star Prism and aetherhue spells by 25% while standing within the bounds of the magicked landscape Effect expires when all stacks of Hyperphantasia are consumed. Additional Effect: Grants Rainbow Bright upon consuming all 5 stacks of Hyperphantasia Duration: 30s Rainbow Bright Effect: Rainbow Drip can be cast immediately and has a reduced recast timer Additional Effect: Grants Starstruck Duration: 20s Can only be executed while a starry sky is painted on the Landscape Canvas. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Scenic Muse changes to Starry Muse when requirements for execution are met. |
| Holy in White | 80 | Deals unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 520 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while under the effect of White Paint. Cannot be executed while under the effect of Monochrome Tones. White Paint Cost: 1 Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. |
| Hammer Brush | 86 | Deals unaspected damage as a critical direct hit with a potency of 620 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Combo Action: Hammer Stamp Can only be executed while under the effect of Hammer Time. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Hammer Stamp changes to Hammer Brush when requirements for execution are met. |
| Polishing Hammer | 86 | Deals unaspected damage as a critical direct hit with a potency of 680 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Combo Action: Hammer Brush Can only be executed while under the effect of Hammer Time. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Hammer Brush changes to Polishing Hammer when requirements for execution are met. |
| Tempera Grassa | 88 | Removes Tempera Coat to create a barrier around self and all nearby party members that absorbs damage totaling 10% of maximum HP. Duration: 10s Reduces the recast time of Tempera Coat by 30 seconds when barrier is completely absorbed. Can only be executed when under the effect of Tempera Coat. |
| Comet in Black | 90 | Deals unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 880 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while under the effect of Black Paint and Monochrome Tones. Black Paint Cost: 1 Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. |
| Rainbow Drip | 92 | Deals unaspected damage to all enemies in a straight line before you with a potency of 1,000 for the first enemy, and 85% less for all remaining enemies. Additional Effect: Grants White Paint Maximum Stacks: 5 When Rainbow Bright is active, Rainbow Drip can be cast immediately and its recast timer is reduced. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. |
| Claw Motif | 96 | Paints a claw. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. The Creature Canvas must be empty to execute this action. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Creature Motif changes to Claw Motif when requirements for execution are met. |
| Maw Motif | 96 | Paints a set of fangs. Cast immediately when used outside of combat. The Creature Canvas must be empty to execute this action. This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Creature Motif changes to Maw Motif when requirements for execution are met. |
| Clawed Muse | 96 | Render a sharpened claw, dealing unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 1,100 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Additional Effect: Adds Depiction of Claw to the Creature Canvas Maximum Charges: 3 Can only be executed while a claw is painted on the Creature Canvas. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Living Muse changes to Clawed Muse when requirements for execution are met. |
| Fanged Muse | 96 | Render a set of ferocious fangs, dealing unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 1,100 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Additional Effect: Adds Depiction of Fangs to the Creature Canvas Also paints a Madeen Portrait when Depiction of Pom, Depiction of Wings, Depiction of Claw, and Depiction of Fangs are rendered on the Creature Canvas. All depictions are removed from the canvas upon execution. Maximum Charges: 3 Can only be executed while fangs are painted on the Creature Canvas. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Living Muse changes to Fanged Muse when requirements for execution are met. |
| Retribution of the Madeen | 96 | Render your Madeen portrait to life, dealing unaspected damage to all enemies in a straight line before you with a potency of 1,400 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while Madeen Portrait is active. This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. Mog of the Ages changes to Retribution of the Madeen when requirements for execution are met. |
| Star Prism | 100 | Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 1,400 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Additional Effect: Restores HP of all party members within 30 yalms of target Cure Potency: 400 Can only be executed while under the effect of Starstruck. Consumes a stack of Hyperphantasia if available upon execution. |
Final Fantasy XIV Pictomancer Job Rotation
The main Pictomancer rotation in Final Fantasy XIV involves painting 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 basic canvas 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 like Black Paint just yet.
Level 80 Pictomancer Rotation
At level 80, things are quite simple for Pictomancer. Pom Motif, Hammer Motif, and Starry Sky Motif are 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 a Pom Motif will let you cast Pom Muse, for example, a strong AOE attack that replaces Living Muse on your hotbar. This has two charges, so you can then paint a Wing Motif to use another AOE called Winged Muse. Using both of these will result in a full moogle painted on your first canvas, letting you cast Mog of the Ages, an insanely strong AOE.
The same goes for painting a Hammer Motif, which grants you a charge of Striking Muse. This lets you construct a hammer for a powerful combo beginning with Hammer Stamp.
Starry Sky Motif lets you cast Starry 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 cast Subtractive Palette. Normally requiring 50 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 are Fire in Red and Fire II in Red. The former is your single-target spell, while the latter is an AOE. 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 cast Blizzard in Cyan and Blizzard II in Cyan, which are enhanced versions of your basic spells. Finally, as you complete combos, you’ll accumulate White Paint charges which can be spent to cast Holy 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 standard Pictomancer opener.
- Starry Sky Motif
- Starry Muse
- Hammer Motif
- Striking Muse
- Hammer Stamp
- Hammer Stamp
- Hammer Stamp
- Pom Motif
- Pom Muse
- Swiftcast
- Wing Motif
- Winged Muse
- Mog of the Ages
- Subtractive Palette
- Blizzard in Cyan
- Stone in Yellow
- Thunder in Magenta
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 80 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 can keep track of cooldowns.
Level 90 Pictomancer Rotation
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Level 100 Pictomancer Rotation
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Best Pictomancer Weapons in FFXIV and How to Get Them
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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.
Roulettes
Roulettes are 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.
Bozja
Bozja is 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 can. 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 Quests are 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 of spamming the highest-level dungeon available to you is a solid way to level up. Waiting for queues can be brutal, especially as a DPS Job, so try 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’s one of the coolest classes the game has introduced in quite some time, and it’s a great fit for all the new content and dungeons in the Dawntrail expansion.
