FFXIV Pictomancer Job Class Detailed Ahead of Launch

When discussing the Magical Ranged DPS job changes in Final Fantasy XIV  Letter from the Producer Live LXXXI, Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida rounded that section out with a detailed look at the new Pictomancer job debuting in FFXIV Dawntrail. After showing a slide with a brief overview, gameplay footage showing its motifs appeared.

When a player is a Pictomancer in FFXIV Dawntrail, they will have a bar with three canvases. The left one will be for a creature motif, the middle for a weapon one, and the right for a landscape. During combat, drawing a motif on a canvas, then rendering it, involves a cast time. However, there is no cast time outside of combat. 

While the canvases are side-by-side, it may make someone thing they use them like the three in a row. They are individual motifs someone can utilize and aren’t necessarily connected to each other. A creature motif, which appears on the left, needs to be renders to be executed as an attack. That then clears it from the canvas. 

With a creature, for example, you could first render the pom-pom, then the wings, and finally a Moogle by executing one after the other. If you draw a claw, then render it as an attack, it will then unleash the strike. A set of fangs could then become available as the next motif. Symbols will then appear the canvas and fill the slots, allowing someone to summon the creature. 

After going over the creature, the FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live LXXXI went over the Pictomancer weapon motif. There can be short, almost instant or triple cast speed there. Yoshida suggested having the weapon motif on standby in the canvas. Then, when someone is ready to use continuous damage, then can execute a weapon combo.

As for the landscape motif, it is the depiction for party buffs and has the longest cast time. It can also be used for AOE ranged attacks. The buff you apply to the party will allow the ether hue to be cast without longer cast times. Yoshida also noted a landscape motif could be utilized to start off a battle with a managed burst AOE attack. 

One of the Pictomancer sub-actions was also mentioned. Yoshida and Murouchi brought up a movement one. The action would allow someone to quickly move in a direction, increasing speed. However, Yoshida noted that someone should be careful not to fall off an edge, due to how fast and far it is.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Dawntrail expansion debuts on July 2, 2024.