Retainers are NPCs you hire in Final Fantasy XIV. They store your stuff, bring you rare items, and sell your junk to other players.
There are so many perks to having a retainer, so it’s good practice to take advantage of them as soon as possible.
Recommended Read: What to Buy With Company Seals in Final Fantasy XIV
To hire a retainer in FFXIV, complete the Scions of the Seventh Dawn quest in the story and then head to a Retainer Vocate in a major ARR city. Once you get one, go to the summoning bell to sell items and hire your retainer to retrieve new items.
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How to Get and Sell Items Via Retainer in Final Fantasy XIV
Retainers are useful tools in FFXIV. Anyone who doesn’t utilize them is doing themselves a disservice.
Though one of their strengths lies in being wonderful pack-mules, they are also adept salesmen.
How to Get a Retainer
Your first retainer is free in Final Fantasy XIV. To get one, join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Minfilia, and her friends, in the story.
The quest to join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn goes by the same name – The Scions of the Seventh Dawn. You can’t miss it, as it is part of the MSQ.
After you complete the level 17 quest, head to one of the three major cities in A Realm Reborn – New Gridania, Ul’dah, or Limsa Lominsa.
The Market Wards in each city house a Retainer Vocate. Speak to one of them to hire your first retainer.
New Gridania’s is easy to find. It is in the center as you enter the ward from the leatherworker’s aetheryte.
Talk to the vocate, then click “Hire a Retainer.” After you hire one, head to your Summoning Bell in the same market area to change their appearance and start using them.
Once you do, you will find the quest “An Ill-conceived Venture” quest. The quest unlocks ventures for your retainer, which allows you to send them on retainer quests for you.
How to Get Items with a Retainer
Retainers can get items for you every hour or every 18 hours, depending on the mission you send them on.
A retainer adventure is called a “venture.” To send them on ventures, you have to have Venture Tokens, as that is their payment.
There is no way to buy Venture Tokens with gil. You must use one of the other currencies in the game and purchase through that currency’s vendor.
For example, you can use Grand Company Seals and purchase from the Quartermaster at your Grand Company.
Once you get Venture Tokens, you can send your retainer on long explorations. These last for 18 hours, and you get to choose what the retainer searches for.
A more profitable option is to level your retainer to 10 via long ventures to unlock quick explorations. This doesn’t take long and pays off right away.
The quick exploration ventures take 1 hour and allow your retainer to bring you back a random item. The item could be a few common ingredients, or it could be a rare glam item worth millions.
Quick explorations aren’t just profitable. They’re an hourly loot box that keeps retainers interesting, valuable, and leveling fast.
How to Sell Items Via Retainer
To sell items via your retainer, summon them with a Summoning Bell. Then, choose one of two options:
- Sell items in your inventory on the market.
- Sell items in your retainer’s inventory on the market.
The former option allows you to sell items in your inventory or armory chest. The latter is useful for selling items you’ve been storing on your retainer.
To choose a good price, click the item you want to sell, then click compare price at the top. This allows you to see what the item has sold for recently.
Once you see this, pick a price, then click “confirm.” The process lists the item. Once it sells, return to your retainer and click “Entrust or withdraw gil”.
Tips for Selling Items with a Retainer
Here are some tips to help you sell items via a retainer in FFXIV:
- Use Quick Exploration as often as possible.
- Keep venture tokens on hand.
- Make one retainer your highest-level class.
- Make one retainer a gatherer.
- Change prices of items daily.
- Use their whole storage.
- Use the Entrust Duplicates feature.
Yes. The second retainer is hired just like the first. Talk to the vacate and pick “Hire a retainer.” This grants you an additional retainer that works just like the first.
To get more than two retainers, you have to pay real money via the MogStation. The MogStation Retainer Service adds $2 per extra retainer to your monthly service fee.
How Many Retainers Can You Have?
You can have up to 10 retainers in FFXIV. Two are free in-game, while seven are purchased through the online store.
The retainers you get through the online store disappear if you don’t pay your monthly fee. To prevent this, set up automatic payments.
However, the items the retainers were storing do not disappear even if you miss a payment. You do lose access to the items until you reactivate the retainers.
As for the tenth retainer, you can get it by getting the premium version of the Companion App. This also grants you another Chocobo Saddlebag.
The premium version is $5, so it costs more than hiring an additional retainer, but it does come with many other perks.
Now you know how to get and sell items with your retainer in Final Fantasy XIV.
Did I miss anything important? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to let me know the inspiration for your retainer’s look!
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