Getting started

Unlocking the job

Own Dawntrail and have a level 50 Disciple of War or Magic.
Have finished the ARR main scenario through The Ultimate Weapon.
Pick up Strangers in the Wood from the excited adventurer in New Gridania (X: 11.8, Y: 13.7).
Beastmaster is a limited job: level cap 50, no Duty Finder matchmaking (pre-formed parties only), and it can't be used in most current endgame content.

How capturing works

Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
Target cannot be incapacitated by this attack.
Additional Effect: Marks target with Interest Captured
Duration: 120s
Interest Captured Effect: Forges a pact with the targeted beast should you succeed in their subdual
Success is determined upon defeating targets under the effect of Interest Captured.
An entry in the Master's Bestiary will be added upon successful subdual, allowing the beast to be summoned as a familiar.
Success rate is inversely proportional to the target's HP at the time of execution. Furthermore, success rate increases if the target is a lower level than you.
Ineffective against targets whose level is higher than your own.

In short: use Gauge to check the odds, hit the beast with Capture so it's marked with Interest Captured, get its HP low, then kill it. Lower HP and a lower level than yours both raise the chance; a beast above your level can't be captured at all.

Job quests

Lv.	Quest	From	Where	Opens
1	The Wilds Call	J'yhuh Tia	Central Shroud (15.4, 16.3)
8	Hearts Aligned	J'yhuh Tia	Central Shroud (23.9, 19.7)
18	Master of the Lhu	J'yhuh Tia	Central Shroud (23.9, 19.7)
30	Into the Crucible	J'yhuh Tia	Central Shroud (22.9, 19.1)	First Board of the Unbroken
30	Wit as Weaponry	J'yhuh Tia	Central Shroud (21.9, 22.7)
40	Gobsmacked	J'yhuh Tia	Central Shroud (22.9, 19.1)	Second Board of the Unbroken
40	Sin of Blood	Lauda	Central Shroud (22, 22.8)
50	A Beastmaster's Path	J'yhuh Tia	Central Shroud (22.9, 19.1)	Third Board of the Unbroken
50	Bonds Unbroken	Lauda	Central Shroud (22, 22.8)
50	Free for All	Sylmond	Central Shroud (21.8, 22.6)	First Master's Board
50	Mastery Rematch	Sylmond	Central Shroud (21.8, 22.6)	Second Master's Board
50	Blazing Trails	Sylmond	Central Shroud (21.8, 22.6)

Leveling route

draft · FC guide · updated 2026-09-12

Leveling

1–15: hit mobs in the open world or run FATEs. You’re capturing as you go, so work through the low-level La Noscea, Shroud and Thanalan zones and pick up everything at or below your level.

15–50: spam dungeons — you’ll get roughly two levels per run. Limited jobs can’t use Duty Finder matchmaking, so put up a Party Finder listing (something like “Leveling BST”) and people will join.

Job quest gating: the quest table above is the order, but from level 30 the quests also want Crucible clears — board 1 for the level 30 quest, board 2 for level 40, and boards 3–5 for the level 50 chain. The “Opens” column shows which board each quest unlocks.