How to raise your NPC buddy

[Jei]

These are still speculations so please share your experience :D

The quest to get your buddy can be found here
http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48760

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** Recent patch changed certain things about NPC. You can read the patch notes here.
http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/polnews/news5120.shtml

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Based on player reports, it seems more options will become available based on the number you have called the NPC.

2-3 calls : You can pick combat styles at Rendezvous point. Shield / Attacker / Healer style available.

5-6 calls : Talk to Luto for a cut scene which lets you give first weapon to your NPC (via Luto)

12 calls : Upgrade weapon.
(check weapon list below)

18 calls : NPC will ask about appearance. Choosing will change their head gears.

Weapon list

These are the weapons Luto will accept after the first six calls or so (provided by darksquall88):

• Cesti (level 1) (Hand-to-Hand)
• Bronze Knife (level 1) (Dagger)
• Xiphos (level 7) (Sword)
• Claymore (level 10) (Great Sword)
• Bronze Axe (level 1) (Axe)
• Butterfly Axe (level 5) (Great Axe)
• Bronze Zaghnal (level 1) (Scythe)
• Harpoon (level 1) (Polearm)
• Kunai (level 1) (Katana)
• Uchigatana (level 12) (Great Katana)
• Ash Club (level 1) (Club)
• Ash Staff (level 1) (Staff)
  • The best weapons seem to be Uchigatana (Great Katana) (highest level weapon, highest damage, and lowest delay, most expensive, and easiest to skill chain with), Claymore (Great Sword) (mid-range level, damage, delay, and priced), and Butterfly Axe (Great Axe) (low level and priced, but high delay).
  • Trying to trade two Kunai (Katana) for dual wield will not work. The NPC will just use a Kunai and a shield.
  • I strongly recommend that you do not give your NPCs a Staff. NPCs will use the AoE weapon skill called Earth Crusher which may get your NPC killed.

These are the second set of weapon upgrades Luto will accept after the first twelve (could be more, could be less for some people) calls or so:

• Bronze Knuckles (level 5) (Hand-to-Hand)
• Bronze Dagger (level 1) (Dagger)
• Bronze Sword (level 1) (Sword)
• Two-Handed Sword (level 20) (Great Sword)
• Brass Axe (level 8) (Axe)
• Greataxe (level 12) (Great Axe)
• Brass Zaghnal (level 10) (Scythe)
• Bronze Spear (level 7) (Polearm)
• Wakizashi (level 7) (Katana)
• Tachi (level 8) (Great Katana)
• Bronze Hammer (level 5) (Club)
• Ash Pole (level 5) (Staff)
  • The best weapons this time seem to be Two-Handed Sword (Great Sword) (highest level weapon and damage, relatively low delay, but most expensive), Tachi (Great Katana) (low level and damage, but low delay, least expensive, and easiest to skill chain with), and Greataxe (Great Axe) (mid-range level and damage though high delay, but mid-range priced).
  • Same deal with Wakizashi (Katana) as Kunai for dual wield. The NPC will just use a Wakizashi and a shield.
  • Yes, some of the second stage weapons are retrogrades as oppose to upgrades.
  • Be mindful that some weapons offer AoE weapon skills. A quick list includes Spinning Attack for Hand-to-Hand (Mnk 49), Cyclone for Dagger (Thf 41), Circle Blade for Sword (Pld 49), Shockwave for Great Sword (Drk 49), Spinning Scythe for Scythe (Drk 41), and the aforementioned Earth Crusher for Staff (Pld 23). Keeping the weapon until your NPC reaches the level of the job that can use the specific weapon skill is fine. But, keeping it after could get your NPC killed. This means that Great Katana, Great Axe, Polearm, Axe, Katana, and Club are safe to give NPCs without having to worry about switching.
  • Luto will accept shields as well as weapons. It is possible this shield option is only seen by those whose NPCs are Shield types or were given a one-handed weapon for their first upgrade. Of course, NPCs cannot use a two-handed weapon plus a shield. If you trade a shield that Luto will accept after trading a two-handed weapon, the two-handed weapon will probably be lost. Currently, the only known shields Luto will accept are Lauan Shield (level 1) and Shell Shield (level 7).

Monster, region, and level list

Try to xp your NPC on mobs at that are least five levels or more above your
NPC's level when your NPC is level 30-45, six levels or more when your NPC is
is level 46-50, seven levels or more when your NPC is is level 51-55, and
eight levels or more above your NPC's level when your NPC is is level 56 or
higher. The higher the better. On this chart, go by the first number for
level. Mobs may not always be higher than their minimum levels and can thus
hurt your NPC's xp if you go by the second number. The monster data was taken
from http://ffxi.somepage.com/zonedb/ . The solo xp vs. mob level data was
found at http://ffxi.somepage.com/links/exp_table.html .

When you fight, try to keep the mob pointed away from your NPC. Especially
with you are fighting mobs that uses coned or straight-line attack abilities
like Ogreflies that has poison spray and the like (crawlers, leeches, and
tigers also come to mind). Also, mobs with strong AoE attacks, especially
those with suicide moves, can be bad too (such as goblins, Ogreflies, and
weapons) (thanks Icemage).

As stated elsewhere previously, avoid mobs with pets. This includes Bst, Smn,
and Drg mobs. A quick list of these mobs includes Goblin Traders, Rime Gigas,
Demon Warlocks, Frost Gigas, Goblin Enchanter, and Hobgoblin Animalier.

Be careful of Blm, Rdm, and Drk (not so much Drk) mobs because they can sleep
you and kill your NPC if they get hate. Before engaging, you may want to use
range or magic attacks on them to be sure that you don't lose hate if you get
slept. A quick list of these mobs includes Ghasts, Demon Wizards, some Lost
Souls, Antican Retiarius, Antican Speculator, Antican Lanista, some Cursed
Weapons, Ominous Weapon, Hobgoblin Fascinator, Hobgoblin Alastor, Hobgoblin
Toreador, and Lich. Some Blm mobs can also use elemental spikes which can
harm your NPC significantly if the NPC's level is too low for that mob. Ice
Spikes are particularly bad because they can paralyze not only your NPC, but
you as well.

Finally, please note that "a player fighting with an NPC fellow will receive
only 70% of the usual experience points gained for solo battles." As stated
at http://www.playonline.com/pcd/update...B1/detail.html .

Beaucedine Glacier:
Living Statue 37 - 39
Lugat 39 - 42
Bat Eye 40 - 42
Goblin Poacher 40 - 43
Goblin Robber 40 - 43
Goblin Reaper 40 - 43
Cold Gigas 40 - 43
Sleet Gigas 40 - 43
Snow Gigas 40 - 43
Stone Golem 40 - 42
Ice Elemental 44 - 46
Dark Elemental 44 - 46
(I recommend avoiding Ghasts, Lugats, Goblin Traders, Rime Gigas, Bat Eyes,
and the elementals)
(Ghasts and Lugats may sleep you)
(This whole region can be a pain. Too many mobs to avoid or be careful of)

Behemoth's Dominion:
Lesser Gaylas 40 - 42
Greater Gayla 42 - 44
Demonic Weapon 45 - 46
Demonic Weapon 45 - 46
Lost Soul 45 - 47
Master Coeurl 45 - 50
Bhuta 46 - 48
Thunder Elemental 48 - 50
Light Elemental 48 - 50
(I recommend avoiding Bhuta, the elementals, and Master Coeurls)
(Bhuta and Lost Souls may sleep you)

Yhoator Jungle:
Young Opo-opo 40 - 44
Goblin Digger 41 - 44
Goblin Reaper 41 - 45
Worker Crawler 43 - 46
Goblin Robber 45 - 49
Goblin Poacher 45 - 49
Goblin Trader 45 - 49
Master Coeurl 47 - 50
(I recommend avoiding Young Opo-Opo, Tonberries, and Master Coeurls)

Sanctuary of Zi'Tah:
Goobbue Gardener 40 - 43
Ogrefly 41 - 44
Goblin Poacher 42 - 46
Goblin Robber 42 - 46
Goblin Reaper 42 - 46
Master Coeurl 44 - 47
Hell Hound 46 - 50
Rock Golem 49 - 50
Rot Prowler 49 - 53
Lost Soul 51 - 55
(I recommend avoiding Master Coeurls and Hell Hounds)
(Lost Souls may sleep you)

Altepa Eastern Desert:
Desert Dhalmel 39 - 44
Doom Scorpion 44 - 47
Antican Decurio 44 - 49
Antican Sagittarius 44 - 49
Antican Speculator 44 - 49
Lost Soul 44 - 48
Goblin Poacher 45 - 49
Goblin Robber 45 - 49
Goblin Reaper 45 - 49
Goblin Digger 45 - 49
Lesser Manticore 47 - 49
Diatryma 47 - 50
(Antican Speculator and some Lost Souls may sleep you)

Altepa Western Desert:
Desert Spider 40 - 44
Antican Essedarius 41 - 45
Desert Worm 43 - 47
Desert Dhalmel 44 - 48
Antican Retiarius 45 - 49
Antican Eques 45 - 49
Desert Beetle 47 - 51
Lich 49 - 53
Fallen Knight 50 - 54
(I recommend avoiding Cactuars)
(Antican Retiariuses and Liches may sleep you)

Xarcabard:
Lost Soul 42 - 45
Cursed Weapon 43 - 45
Evil Eye 45 - 48
Graupel Gigas 45 - 48
Hail Gigas 45 - 48
Blizzard Gigas 45 - 48
Demon Pawn 48 - 52
Demon Wizard 48 - 52
Demon Knight 48 - 52
Ice Elemental 48 - 50
Dark Elemental 48 - 50
Shadow Dragon 52 - 53
(I recommend avoiding elementals, Etemmu, Frost Gigas, Evil Eyes, and Demon
Warlocks)
(Lost Souls, Cursed Weapons, and Demon Wizards may sleep you)

Yhoator Jungle:
Anemone 51 - 54
Goblin Hunter 51 - 55
Goblin Bouncer 51 - 55
Puroboros 51 - 54
Water Elemental 53 - 55
Fire Elemental 53 - 55
(I recommend avoiding Anemone and elementals)

Altepa Western Desert:
Goblin Digger 51 - 54
Goblin Enchanter 51 - 55
Goblin Hunter 51 - 55
Goblin Bouncer 51 - 55
Goblin Welldigger 51 - 55
Tulwar Scorpion 53 - 56
Desert Manticore 53 - 57
Antican Hoplomachus 54 - 58
Antican Lanista 54 - 58
Antican Secutor 54 - 58
Phorusrhacos 57 - 60
(Antican Lanista may sleep you)

Uleguerand Range:
Glacier Eater 58 - 62
Variable Hare 58 - 61
Cwn Annwn 59 - 64
Esbat 59 - 62
Uleguerand Tiger 59 - 62
(I recommend avoiding Cwn Annwn if possible)

Ro'Maeve:
Killing Weapon 60 - 64
Ominous Weapon 61 - 63
Cursed Puppet 65 - 69
Magic Flagon 68 - 70
Mythril Golem 69 - 70
(Ominous Weapon may sleep you)

Attohwa Chasm:
Pit Antlion 49 - 51
Tulwar Scorpion 58 - 59
Lich 62 - 64
Mummy 62 - 64
Monarch Ogrefly 64 - 65
Sand Lizard 65 - 67
Corse 66 - 67
(Lich may sleep you)

Cape Teriggan:
Beach Bunny 62 - 65
Sand Lizard 62 - 66
Robber Crab 64 - 67

Valley of Sorrows:
Velociraptor 66 - 69
Peryton 69 - 72
Valley Manticore 72 - 74

Bibiki Bay:
Tragopan 71 - 73
Hobgoblin Martialist 72 - 75
Hobgoblin Fascinator 73 - 75
Hobgoblin Venerer 73 - 76
Tropical Rarab 73 - 76
Hobgoblin Alastor 76 - 79
Hobgoblin Physician 76 - 78
Hobgoblin Toreador 76 - 79
Tartarus Eft 76 - 78
Hobgoblin Blagger 77 - 79
Catoblepas 78 - 80
Hobgoblin Angler 80 - 80
(I recommend avoiding Teine Sith)
(Hobgoblin Fascinator, Hobgoblin Alastor, and Hobgoblin Toreador may sleep you)

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1. NPC starts at level 30 with a Shield combat style.

2. NPC will leave when
- it's been around for (level x 1.5) minutes
- kills 15 mobs.

3. NPC only attacks when you engage and start hitting the monsters. And /heal when you /heal. They don't need to participate in combat to gain exp. For example summoners using avatars to kill monsters can level their NPC up without engaging.

4. Talk to your NPC once it will ask if it's over, and will leave after a bit.
Talk to it again and it will cancel the leave.

5. NPC doesn't level down when you play low level jobs. They only adjust it's status to match you.

6. The EXP it's gain is NOT depend on the player.
- speculation is that NPC gains exp based on their level versus the monster's. For example, a level 30 NPC will gain EXP from level 35 monsters, even if the monster's checked as too weak for a level 75 player.
- They don't level up right after the kill, but about 5-10 seconds after the kill.
- When your NPC level up, it has the level up icons same as when you do, also shows up in the log as shown above.

7. They are not count as PT members. You can not cast refresh, erase, or any PT only spells on them. But cure, ~na, haste, for example can be casted.

8. Only party members may cast spells on NPC. Not anyone outside your PT.

9. They don't aggro. I tried put my NPC in front of a demon and nothing happenned
http://www.panupat.com/images/ff11/mynpc3.jpg

10 . Rendezvous points. Credit from Allakazam
Ru'Lude Gardens (G-10)
Northern San d'Oria (L-10) Just out side the Mog House.
Windurst Waters(K-10) Outside the Mog House.
Port Bastok (J-12) Again, right outside the Mog House.

11. It seems you can get a new pearl once a day (JP time). If you throw away your old pearl, you can still meet up with your buddy at Rendezvous point and the NPC will give you a new one, with it's time reset ready to use. If you ask for it again, the NPC will get angry and you will have to wait until after mid night JP time.
(note : according to the patch, asking for new pearl will worsen the relation ship between player and the NPC.)

Editted by fastcart with the permission of Jei.

[Shiznicle]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

2. NPC will leave when
- it's been around for (level x 1.5) minutes
- kills 15 mobs

This helps explain all of the time problems that many people have been having. I'm hoping that the number of mobs to be killed before it leaves will increase as the npc levels.

[Blood Red Poet]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

Think at 75, they get better WSes?

Can Staff and Sword make light >.>?

[DakAttack]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

Thank you Jei!

[Nameless]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

Think at 75, they get better WSes?

Can Staff and Sword make light >.>?

If you both have relic weapons :3

[DakAttack]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

Ah, I just realised after that 19 minute bout of battles, of which I didn't keep count, Yoli was wearing different hand equipment! Everything was level 10 scale I assume, but her hands had changed to whatever that level eight or nine plate was that had -evasion. I suppose she's becoming a tank, which is always useful since I'm a dragoon.

[Rones]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

Thank you for the info Jei. That gives me a lot more faith in new npc system.

[Balfree]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

i crave more info o.o

jugowa needs to become my meat shield! D: he's my best friend i love him


i'm just a weird blm

[Hori]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

Jei your NPC buddy looks stoned.:sweat:

Thanks for the info.

[grunion]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

sorry to be obtuse but i want to make 100% sure - the NPC gets XP even if you kill Too Weak monsters?

does it matter if it gets killing blow, or even attacks it at all?

[Jei]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

once my NPC level up I will be able to tell for sure. For the next few days i'll kill exclusively too weak mobs around ZV with my NPC (the mobs should be 50ish I think)

[Leonheart679]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

Thanks for the info!

[neighbortaru]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

nice find Jei. perhaps you should use your mod powers and sticky this info until it gets confirmed (then we can turn it into a guide).

[grunion]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

ok i went to eastern altepa (best place for level 30) as 75 SMN (everything was too weak to me).

with fenrir and me melee'ing with staff, we tore through them. no exact count but about 10 in 7 mins, and then my buddy said "it has been a fruitful day" and disappeared.

i take from this that your XP doesnt matter, only the partners.

what's interesting is that he only melee's when i do. if i disengage he stops attacking.

tomorrow i will let fenrir kill everything and see if he still hits quota in 7 mins - i.e. this should show if it matters if he engages at all.

[neighbortaru]

Re: How to raise your Pokemon - speculations from 2ch

i believe in another thread that it was discovered that your partner will not fight unless you are in attack mode as well.

edit: btw, grunion, you have negative gil...