Summary
Initially revealed at the 2024 Tokyo Fan Fest, the Pictomancer will be the new Caster DPS Job added toFinal Fantasy 14with the launch ofDawntrail. As the fourth Caster DPS Job that can reach maximum level, the Pictomancer will bring more than just a new coat of paint toFinal Fantasy 14, as it is a Job that is deeply ingrained with the roots of theFinal Fantasyfranchise.
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrailwill take players to the land of Tural, also called the New World. With each expansion launch inFinal Fantasy 14, new Jobs are added to the game for players to test out. SinceStormblood, new Jobs have started 20 levels below the level cap of the expansion, with Samurai and Red Mage starting at level 50 and going up to 70. In theDawntrailexpansion, the Pictomancer will be joined bya new Melee DPS Job called the Viper, the poster Job for the expansion. The Viper and the Pictomancer will start at level 80, and go up toDawntrail’s level cap of 100.
FF14’s Pictomancer Paints A Picture Of Pain
While both new Jobs are intended to deal damage, their abilities and inspirations are completely different. The Viper is designed to fight at close range with its dual swords, but the Pictomancer will take the opposite approach and weave its magic from range. The Pictomancer’s weapon is a large paintbrush that includes a color palette, and it will share armor and accessories with Black Mage, Red Mage, and Summoner.
Aside from what was briefly shown at the Tokyo Fan Fest, the only known Pictomancer spells are shared within the Caster DPS role, such as Surecast, Swiftcast, and Addle. Unlike the Summoner and the Red Mage, the Pictomancer will not have access to a resurrection spell. Though their damage output is not expected to rival the Black Mage’s devastating power, prospective Pictomancers must wait and see what will make themstand out compared to otherFF14Jobs.
The Pictomancer’s Spells Make Use of Dawntrail’s New Graphics
From a graphical perspective, the Pictomancer was tailor-made forFinal Fantasy 14’s first major graphical update. As one of the biggest features of the expansion, the graphical update is just one step that Square Enix stated will go a long way towardkeepingFinal Fantasy 14relevant for the next decade.
With the ability to mix the surrounding aether with their magic paintbrush, the Pictomancer’s color palette is reminiscent of other games likeSplatoon. The Pictomancer’s ability to paint various environments and creatures as attacks allows the new graphics to stand out.
Final Fantasy 6 Gave Rise to the Pictomancer
Unlike the Viper, the Pictomancer’s first appearance was not inFinal Fantasy 14. In 1994,Final Fantasy 6was launched for the SNESand is considered by fans to be one of the top entries of theFinal Fantasyfranchise. Among the ensemble cast of playable characters was a 10-year-old girl named Relm Arrowny, a Pictomancer who could paint her enemies as pictures and turn their attacks against them. During the story ofFinal Fantasy 14Patch 6.55, Relm’s name was mentioned by the Scion called Krile as the founder of Sharlayan’s lost magic called Pictomancy. Krile will be a Pictomancer inDawntrail.
While the Sketch ability was the subject of some glitches that could be exploited in early versions ofFinal Fantasy 6, that has not stopped it from becomingone of the top games of the 90s. Between the Pictomancer and the appearance of Valigarmanda, how many more references from the 1994 classic will appear inDawntrailremains to be seen.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm RebornCreate your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: HeavenswardTake your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: StormbloodJourney to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: ShadowbringersTravel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: EndwalkerA great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: DawntrailBlue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.
