Final Fantasy XVII Wiki: Best Items, Equipment & Crafting Guide

Weapons: Job-Specific Scaling Final Fantasy XVII ditches traditional weapon levels. Instead, each weapon's attack power is tied to your current job's level. A level 50 Paladin wielding a Bronze Sword hits harder than a level 10 Paladin with the same sword. ### Notable Weapons | Weapon | Job | Base Attack | Special Effect | Location | |--------|-----|-------------|----------------|----------| | Soulrender | Dark Knight | 85 | +15% dark damage, -5% HP per swing | Cursed Hollow (chest behind waterfall) | | Starlight Rod | White Mage | 62 | Auto-Curaga on ally below 20% HP | Side quest: "The Lost Star" | | Windrazor | Ninja | 73 | +10% crit chance, ignores 30% defense | Bounty: "The Gale Master" | | Dragon's Fang | Dragoon | 91 | +20% jump damage, +10% air combo damage | Secret boss: Void Wyrm (100% drop) | **My take:** The Soulrender looks amazing on paper, but the HP drain kills you in prolonged fights. I've seen too many Dark Knights drop mid-combo. Stick with the Crimson Blade (+12% dark damage, no penalty) until you have a dedicated healer. ### Upgrade Materials Each weapon has 5 upgrade tiers. You need:

**Tier 1-2:** Common monster drops (Goblin Nails, Sahagin Scales)

**Tier 3-4:** Rare monster drops (Griffin Feathers, Chimera Fangs)

**Tier 5:** Boss-specific items (requires 3x Stygian Ore from the Adamantoise) Pro tip: The Adamantoise spawns in the Grand Canyon only during the "Sandstorm" weather condition. Check the in-game clock—it's always sandstorm between 18:00 and 21:00 in-game time.

Armor Sets: Don't Break the Bonus Armor in FFXVII comes in sets of four pieces: head, chest, arms, legs. Wearing 2 pieces of the same set gives a minor bonus, 3 gives a moderate bonus, and all 4 gives a major bonus. ### Best Sets per Job

**Vanguard Set (Tank):** 2-piece: +10% max HP. 4-piece: +25% max HP, +15% defense, taunt effect on hit

**Mystic Set (Caster):** 2-piece: -10% MP cost. 4-piece: -25% MP cost, +20% spell damage, auto-reflect every 30 seconds

**Shadow Set (Rogue):** 2-piece: +10% dodge chance. 4-piece: +30% dodge chance, +20% backstab damage, invisibility when standing still for 3 seconds **Warning:** The game doesn't tell you this, but if you equip a piece from a different set, you lose ALL set bonuses, not just the 4-piece. I've seen players accidentally equip a random helmet and lose 25% max HP mid-dungeon.

Crafting: The Real Endgame Crafting unlocks at level 30 after completing the "Forging Bonds" side quest. You'll need a crafting table (available in every major town). ### Essential Recipes

**Phoenix Down+:** 3 Phoenix Downs + 1 Phoenix Feather → revives with 50% HP instead of 25%

**Mega-Potion:** 5 Potions + 1 Hi-Potion + 1 Distilled Water → heals entire party for 40% HP

**Ether Leaf:** 2 Ethers + 1 Lunar Tear → restores 50 MP to one ally **Where to find Lunar Tears:** These drop from the Lunar Moth, which only appears at night in the Whispering Woods. Bring a Ninja with Stealth—if you aggro multiple moths, they summon a boss.

Relics: One Per File, Choose Wisely Relics are super-rare items that grant permanent passive abilities. You can only obtain each relic once per save file, and you can equip only one at a time. ### Top 3 Relics 1. **Heart of the Leviathan:** +30% water damage, +15% water resistance. Essential for any water-based build (Blue Mage, Arcanist). 2. **Seed of Life:** Auto-revive once per battle with 50% HP. Saves you from wiping on boss fights. 3. **Chrono Shard:** +10% action speed, +5% cooldown reduction. Best for DPS classes that rely on ability spam. **Where to find them:**

Heart of the Leviathan: Defeat the secret boss "Leviathan's Wrath" in the Sunken Temple (requires 4 Water Sigils from fishing mini-game)

Seed of Life: Complete the "Eternal Garden" side quest chain (12 steps, takes about 3 hours)

Chrono Shard: 100% drop from the Time Mage boss in the Clockwork Tower (only available during the "Time Loop" world event)

FAQ **Q: Can I respec my character's stats after allocating them?** A: Yes, but it costs 10,000 gil at the Statue of Reflection in Altissia. You can respec unlimited times, but the price doubles each time (capped at 80,000 gil). Plan your builds before spending points. **Q: What's the best way to farm Stygian Ore for weapon upgrades?** A: Farm the Adamantoise during sandstorm (18:00-21:00 in Grand Canyon). Use a Thief with Mug ability—Mug has a 25% chance to steal Stygian Ore, while killing the boss only drops 1. With Mug, you can get 2-3 per kill. **Q: Are set bonuses worth sacrificing higher-level individual pieces?** A: Generally yes, up to level 50. A full level 40 set outperforms a mix of level 45-50 pieces because the set bonuses scale with your stats. After level 50, start replacing sets with higher-level individual gear, but keep at least the 2-piece bonus.