Beastmaster (Final Fantasy XI)

Beastmaster is an advanced job in Final Fantasy XI. The key ability of a Beastmaster is Charm, allowing them to bend the will of certain types of enemy creatures, mostly plantoids, lizards, vermin, and animals.
The races of Vana'diel each bring different strengths and weaknesses to the job of beastmaster. Tarutaru have the highest charisma, thus are able to charm with the greatest success rate, but low HP and Vitality means they are less survivable. Humes and Elvaan offer a more balanced approach to the job with no major perks and no major disadvantages. Mithra and Galka have low charisma, making charming creatures more difficult, but even as the weakest two race choices in that regard, increased agility for Mithra and large HP and Vitality totals for Galka help them be more survivable.
==Becoming a Beastmaster==
Since Beastmaster is an advanced job, players must complete a quest before they are able to level as a beastmaster. The beastmaster quest begins in Jeuno and takes the player all of one zone away to Qufim Island to inspect a coral outcropping. This is the easiest of all advanced job quests, requiring, at most, the player to be mindful of the Gigas, skeletons, weapons, and the Kraken that loiters near the actual coral outcropping. Upon returning to Jeuno after looking over the coral, the player will be able to level as a beastmaster.
==Abilities==
===Job abilities===
Job Ability	Level	Recast 	Duration	Description
 	1 	1:00:00	0:30:00 	Enhances your pet's powers and increases the duration of Charm.
 	1 	0:00:15	— 	Allows you to control your target.
 	10 	0:00:30	— 	Allows you to judge whether or not a target can be charmed.
 	12 	 	— 	Restores your pet's HP. Special items required.
 	23 	 	— 	Calls a beast by using the contents of a jug.
 	23 	0:20:00	— 	Summons a beast without consuming the contents of the jug.
 	30 	 	— 	Makes target docile and more susceptible to charm.
 	 	0:05:00	— 	Terrorizes the target.
 	 	0:05:00	0:03:00 	Grants your pet's Killer Effect to party members within area of effect.
 	96 	1:00:00	0:01:00 	Increases the accuracy of Charm and reduces the recast times of Sic and Ready.
===Pet commands===
Pet Command	Level	Recast 	Duration	Description
 	1 	0:00:10	— 	Commands your pet to attack the target.
 	10 	 	— 	Commands the pet to cease attacking and return to you.
 	15 	 	— 	Commands the pet to stay in one place.
/ 	25 	 	— 	Commands the pet to make a special attack.
 	35 	 	— 	Sets your pet free.
 	45 	0:00:30	— 	Transfer enmity to a pet invoked with the "Call Beast" ability.
 	83 	0:03:00	0:01:30 	Grants "Store TP" effect to pets.
 	93 	0:15:00	0:05:00 	Your familiar will gain heightened powers, but will disappear when the effect expires.
===Job traits===
Job Trait	Levels 	Tier 	Description
 	10 / 76 	II 	Gives you an edge when fighting vermin.
 	15 / 35 / 55 / 75 / 81	V 	Increases resistance against slow.
 	15 / 35 / 55 / 75 	IV 	Gives you a slight resistance against amnesia.
 	20 / 79 	II 	Gives you an edge when fighting birds.
 	30 / 82 	II 	Gives you an edge when fighting amorphs.
 	40 / 85 	II 	Gives you an edge when fighting lizards.
 	50 / 88 	II 	Gives you an edge when fighting aquans.
 	60 / 91 	II 	Gives you an edge when fighting plantoids.
 	70 / 94 	II 	Gives you an edge when fighting beasts.
 	 	Varies	Increases the level of pets summoned with Call Beast.
 	 	Varies	Enhances the Regen effect of Reward.
 	78 / 88 / 98 	III 	Reduces damage taken by pet.
 	80 / 87 / 94 	III 	Increases Critical Hit Rate when wielding with the main hand only. Grants a TP Bonus to weapon skills.
===Skill ratings===
Combat Skill	Rank	Caps by Level	Caps by Level
Combat Skill	Rank	49 	99
Dagger 	C+ 	139 	378
Sword 	E 	124 	300
Axe 	A+ 	150 	424
Scythe 	B- 	144 	388
Club 	D 	133 	334
Evasion 	C 	139 	373
Shield 	E 	124 	300
Parrying 	C 	139 	373
===Familiars===
Pet	Jug 	Level	Cap	Type 	Family 	Job	Duration
 	Herbal Broth 	23 	35 	Beast 	Sheep 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Carrot Broth 	23 	35 	Beast 	Rabbit 	WAR	1:30:00
 	Fish Broth 	23 	55 	Aquan 	Crab 	PLD	0:30:00
 	Fish Oil Broth 	23 	75 	Aquan 	Crab 	PLD	0:30:00
 	Alchemist Water 	23 	75 	Plantoid	Mandragora 	MNK	1:00:00
 	Wormy Broth 	23 	99 	Aquan 	Toad 	BLM	0:30:00
 	Humus 	28 	40 	Plantoid	Mandragora 	MNK	1:00:00
 	Grasshopper Broth 	28 	40 	Plantoid	Flytrap 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Meat Broth 	28 	40 	Beast 	Tiger 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Mole Broth 	33 	45 	Lizard 	Eft 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Carrion Broth 	33 	45 	Lizard 	Lizard 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Bug Broth 	33 	45 	Vermin 	Fly 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Seedbed Soil 	33 	65 	Plantoid	Funguar 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Tree Sap 	38 	45 	Vermin 	Beetle 	PLD	1:00:00
 	Antica Broth 	38 	50 	Vermin 	Antlion 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Singing Herbal Broth 	43 	55 	Beast 	Sheep 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Blood Broth 	43 	55 	Vermin 	Diremite 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Famous Carrot Broth 	43 	55 	Beast 	Rabbit 	WAR	1:30:00
 	Rich Humus 	51 	63 	Plantoid	Mandragora 	MNK	1:00:00
 	Warm Meat Broth 	51 	63 	Beast 	Tiger 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Cold Carrion Broth 	53 	65 	Lizard 	Lizard 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Quadav Bug Broth 	53 	65 	Vermin 	Fly 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Noisy Grasshopper Broth 	53 	75 	Plantoid	Flytrap 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Lively Mole Broth 	58 	75 	Lizard 	Eft 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Fragrant Antica Broth 	63 	75 	Vermin 	Antlion 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Clear Blood Broth 	63 	75 	Vermin 	Diremite 	WAR	1:00:00
 	Scarlet Sap 	63 	75 	Vermin 	Beetle 	PLD	1:00:00
 	Sun Water 	75 	75 	Plantoid	Sabotender 	WAR	0:30:00
 	Auroral Broth 	75 	99 	Aquan 	Pugil 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Dancing Herbal Broth 	76 	86 	Beast 	Sheep 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Cunning Brain Broth 	76 	90 	Beast 	Coeurl 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Briny Broth 	76 	99 	Bird 	Apkallu 	MNK	2:00:00
 	Wool Grease 	76 	99 	Vermin 	Ladybug 	THF	2:00:00
 	Lucky Carrot Broth 	76 	99 	Beast 	Rabbit 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Vermihumus 	76 	99 	Plantoid	Mandragora 	MNK	3:00:00
 	Deepbed Soil 	79 	99 	Plantoid	Funguar 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Curdled Plasma Broth 	81 	99 	Amorph 	Leech 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Chirping Grasshopper Broth	83 	93 	Plantoid	Flytrap 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Bubbling Carrion Broth 	85 	95 	Lizard 	Lizard 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Goblin Bug Broth 	85 	95 	Vermin 	Fly 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Mellow Bird Broth 	86 	94 	Lizard 	Raptor 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Lucky Broth 	86 	99 	Bird 	Hippogryph 	THF	2:00:00
 	Razor Brain Broth 	90 	99 	Beast 	Coeurl 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Savage Mole Broth 	90 	99 	Lizard 	Eft 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Burning Carrion Broth 	93 	99 	Beast 	Tiger 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Cloudy Wheat Broth 	95 	99 	Amorph 	Slug 	WAR	1:30:00
 	Shadowy Broth 	96 	99 	Lizard 	Adamantoise	PLD	1:30:00
 	Swirling Broth 	99 	 	Beast 	Rabbit 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Shimmering Broth 	99 	 	Aquan 	Crab 	PLD	2:00:00
 	Livid Broth 	99 	 	Lizard 	Lizard 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Spicy Broth 	99 	 	Vermin 	Chapuli 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Lyrical Broth 	99 	 	Beast 	Sheep 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Salubrious Broth 	99 	 	Bird 	Tulfaire 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Airy Broth 	99 	 	Aquan 	Pugil 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Crumbly Soil 	99 	 	Plantoid	Funguar 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Translucent Broth 	99 	 	Beast 	Coeurl 	PLD	2:00:00
 	Blackwater Broth 	99 	 	Vermin 	Fly 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Electrified Broth 	99 	 	Plantoid	Snapweed 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Fizzy Broth 	99 	 	Beast 	Raaz 	MNK	2:00:00
 	Pale Sap 	99 	 	Vermin 	Beetle 	PLD	2:00:00
 	Meaty Broth 	99 	 	Beast 	Tiger 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Dire Broth 	99 	 	Amorph 	Slug 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Muddy Broth 	99 	 	Vermin 	Ladybug 	THF	2:00:00
 	Bug-Ridden Broth 	99 	 	Plantoid	Snapweed 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Wispy Broth 	99 	 	Aquan 	Toad 	WAR	2:00:00
 	Saline Broth 	99 	 	Plantoid	Mandragora 	MNK	2:00:00
==Gameplay==
In terms of damage, Beastmasters have the best Axe rating and are very proficient with the use of scythes as well. They have moderate HP and no MP unless they have a subjob that grants them MP.
===Strengths===
*High axe rating means Beastmasters have potentially high accuracy and high damage.
*Charm can be used to deal with aggressive adversaries without fighting them or to bind beastmen, allowing a Beastmaster to run away.
*Beastmasters are able to tread where parties fear to go and fight enemies most parties would not consider fighting, providing a very unique experience.
*Soloing does not require expensive gear or food, and leveling beastmaster can be potentially very profitable.
===Weaknesses===
*Beastmasters offer no beneficial abilities to a party, only miscellaneous damage.
*Beastmaster's pet, if greater than the Beastmaster's or groups greatest level, will figure into the experience equation as the party's level, reducing experience.
*Soloing leaves very little margin for error, resulting in slow experience gain and many deaths.
===Soloing and Duoing Strategy - Playing to Strengths and Weaknesses===
Soloing is a style of play where the Beastmaster is alone, without a party to support them. This is what most Beastmasters do to gain experience. It is a slow and often painful process, one not conducive to most player's tastes. The general strategy for most is to try to charm a creature of an "even match" or "decent challenge" type and then fight a creature with the aid of the charmed creature that is either an "even match" or "tough" or possibly even "very tough".
Once engaged with a creature, most Beastmasters allow the charmed creature to fight at least a few moments to help it gain enmity. The idea is to make sure that the charmed creature takes the lion's share of the damage. Then the Beastmaster will engage in the fight personally, attacking the monster along with the charmed creature.
When the creature is close to death, with less than 10% of its health remaining or less if possible, the charmed creature will be dismiss. This is used to capitalize on the maximum amount of experience since if the creature is killed while the Beastmaster has a pet, he will only receive 70% of the experience he normally deserves although through further updates this experience loss has been removed so now a Beastmaster loses no exp from having a pet. Most Beastmasters will save all of their TP for a weapon skill at the end to quickly finish off the remainder of the creature's life. This is the manner in which the Beastmaster engages most creature types.
====Beastmasters vs. Self-Destructing Creatures====
Beastmasters may also fight other types of creatures, like Goblins with bomb toss or Bomb-type creatures. With the latter, especially, there is an entirely different type of strategy. Basically, the Beastmaster will try to charm a pet with a sufficient amount of HP to survive a protracted battle with a bomb. Eventually, generally somewhere below 50% of its experience, the bomb will use self destruct. Basically, the Beastmaster will stand around at a distance so he does not get hit by the blast. The blast will often kill the pet. The pet will not be dismissed because it will interrupt the self-destruct action. Generally, a Beastmaster can do this fast enough to gain experience in chains while remaining relatively safe even with the 30% experience penalty from having a pet on the off chance the pet survives.
==Subjobs==
The following are some of the most common subjob types for Beastmasters. There are other viable combinations including Paladin, Samurai, or Warrior that are simply not used often or have only circumstantial usefulness. Considering that Beastmaster is almost exclusively a solo job, it is left completely up to player preference how to run their character.
===White Mage===
White mage is probably the most common of all subjobs for Beastmasters who are soloing or duoing, which would account for the majority of Beastmasters. The subjob mainly offers useful spells for physical and magical protection, negative status ailment removal, and of course curative and regenerative magic. The job traits clear mind and auto regen are both also helpful for Beastmasters.
===Ninja===
Ninja really is one of the only real choices for Beastmasters in a party. The majority of Beastmasters will use axes, since they have a higher axe rating. Dual wield, a ninja job trait, allows them to wield an axe in both hands thus increasing damage over time. Utsusemi will also help negate damage from incoming hits by providing the status effect blink.
===Blue Mage===
Blue Mage is something of a novelty subjob, largely stemming from the amusement of being able to throw monster magic back at monsters while simultaneously controlling other monsters to do the Beastmaster's bidding, but the job is not without its own merit. Blue magic can be combined to create traits useful to the Beastmaster, including some killer effects either not available to the Beastmaster job normally or available earlier to blue mages. There are also defensive magic spells that could prove quite useful, including phalanx-like and Stoneskin effects, and curative enemy magic.
===Red Mage===
Red mage as a subjob offers similar spells when compared to white mage (Protect, Shell, Cure and Regen) but at the loss of all spells that help remove status ailments. The red mage subjob would, instead, gain Bio to help weaken enemy attacks, spikes to give a weak damage shield, and Phalanx to further mitigate damage. It would not be a bad choice for the second Beastmaster in a Beastmaster duo.
==Other appearances==
===Final Fantasy Trading Card Game===
Beastmaster appears on cards.
Beastmaster XI TCG.png|Trading card.
Beastmaster2 XI TCG.png|Trading card.
==Gallery==
Mithra BST (FFXI).png|A Mithra Beastmaster in Artifact Armor.
FFXI-Beastmaster.jpg|Artwork of a Tarutaru Beastmaster.
Beastmaster FFXI Ikeda Icon.png|Promotional artwork of the Beastmaster by Yuzuki Ikeda.
Beastmaster FFXI Ikeda Art.jpg|Promotional artwork of the Beastmaster by Yuzuki Ikeda.
XI lungo.jpg|Lungo-Nango, an accomplished Beastmaster and former Warlock Warlord of Windurst.
it:Domatore (Final Fantasy XI)
Category:Jobs in Final Fantasy XI