Gathering
Gathering classes, also known as Disciples of the Land, harvest natural resources throughout Eorzea. Disciples of the Hand can utilize these natural resources to craft equipment, consumables and countless useful items. Gathering classes consist of Botanist, Fisher and Miner.
Players wishing to unlock these classes may do so after reaching level 10 (or higher) as a Disciple of War or Disciple of Magic by talking to the Guild Receptionist in their respective gathering guild.
Gathering classes are ill-suited for combat, preferring to use stealth to hide from enemies, though doing so reduces movement speed. Just like crafting classes, they cannot participate in any Duties, as there are no resources to be found in any of them. Gatherers also have an exclusive selection of levequests focused entirely on gathering specific materials.
As expected, EXP is typically acquired by gathering items. Botanist and Miner gain an increasing temporary bonus to the amount of experience earned for your current gathering node by successfully increasing their Gathering Chain. A Gathering Chain is an in-game term used to describe the process of successfully gathering multiple items in a row without missing before you run out of gathering attempts. If you trigger Gatherer's Boon multiple times in a row, you increase your Gatherer's Boon Chain. Failing to receive an item (either by missing or running out of attempts) breaks all gathering chains.
All three classes gain a significant bonus whenever they trigger Gatherer's Boon, and a smaller bonus when they collect a resource for the very first time. The base amount gained depends on the level of the item gathered, not the level of the resource spot, though most items are of a similar level.
To switch to a gathering class, equip the tool of that class from your armory chest, just like you would any other class.
Official Gathering Guide on Lodestone
- Botanist and Miner:
- Gathering locations are only visible with the appropriate ability active, and only if the corresponding class is high enough level to harvest it (4 levels lower at most). For example, a level 21 Botanist can locate level 25 and lower spots.
- Both classes have a secondary type of resource they can collect at level 11 onward – harvesting (BTN) and quarrying (MIN).
- After reaching certain levels, both classes can identify special conditions at certain gathering spots. These will result in various bonus effects if a particular stat is high enough, such as increased gathering chance, Gatherer's Boon chance, extra attempts, and more.
- Higher-level resource spots will have certain items with additional attributes:
- Hidden: Cannot be harvested from every spot. Eventually an ability is learned that can reveal these immediately.
- Rare: Can only harvest a single item per spot. Abilities increasing the amount gathered per attempt do not affect these.
- At level 46, both classes gain an ability to spot Unspoiled Nodes in the current zone. Unlike regular gathering spots, unspoiled nodes only spawn at specific times. They can only appear one at a time and last for 2 in-game hours, and can even despawn while you're gathering from them. These nodes contain Crafting Materials that cannot be acquired by other means, until after Heavensward when they often contain only collectables exclusively.
- Also beginning in Heavensward, two new types of timed node become available: Folklore Nodes and Ephemeral Nodes. Folklore nodes are used to gather endgame crafting materials at level caps and are only available after purchasing special tomes with Scrip. Ephemeral Nodes are used to gather collectables to reduce into aethersands (also required for endgame crafts).
Classes
- See also: Gathering Log
Miner
Miners extract minerals from the rock faces of Eorzea. The raw ores and gemstones they acquire are utilized by the blacksmith, armorer and goldsmith crafting classes.
Botanist
Botanists harvest resources from the plants and trees of Eorzea. They gather raw materials for various crafting classes such as carpenter, weaver, culinarian and alchemist.
Fisher
Fishers harvest fish and other sea creatures from the waters of Eorzea, utilizing an assortment of fishing tackles to catch fish in various environments.
Resources gathered by Fishing are utilized mainly with culinarian and alchemist.
Deep sea Spearfishing is available starting in 4.0 Stormblood.
Ishgardian Restoration
If your main job has progressed far enough that you can enter the Diadem, both Botanist and Miner become very easy to level.
As soon as you hit level 10, you can enter the Diadem, the nodes give an (unreasonable) amount of experience, and all the gathered items can be used to level your crafters easily as well (or sell at the Market board for a decent amount of gil for items in the 40-60 level range).
It's not necessary to buy any extra gear from the Market board for this, but from time to time you should return to complete the jobs' quests to get better gear.
Levelling both Miner and Botanist in tandem, you can take advantage of getting gear from both jobs, and dropping it when both jobs can no longer use it, as all but main hand/off hand is used by any gatherer. At ~45 start investing into Company issued gear. Combined with the experience-increasing scrolls you can get from 10 to 60 in a matter of hours. At 55, you can get your first set from Sundry Splendors in exchange for white crafter's scrips, which you get in exchange for crafting Collectables (though they are job-specific, while the Company issued pieces are not).
Note: The Restoration is far from the "easiest," "fastest," or "best" way to level. Alternatives for leveling quickly include Guildleves and normal Collectables 
.
Advanced Gathering
- Grand Company Provision Missions
- Unspoiled Nodes
- Big Fishing
- Collectables
- Tomes of Regional Folklore - Folklore Nodes
- Aetherial Reduction - Ephemeral Nodes
- Custom Deliveries
- Ishgardian Restoration
- Crystarium Deliveries
- Studium Deliveries
Useful Resources
Gathering Attributes
- Gathering - raises your likelihood of receiving an item while gathering. The higher the level of the item, the bigger the Gathering attribute required for a 100% chance.
- Perception - raises the probability of triggering Gatherer's Boon, which increases item yield by one. In Heavensward and later expansions, Perception also determines the effectiveness of abilities that increase item collectability.
- (GP) Gathering Points - gathering points are used for gathering abilities (though Fishing does not make use of it until Heavensward). Slowly recharges over time while not gathering from resource spots and with each successful gathering attempt. The current amount is shared between classes, though points can be lost if switching to a class with a lower maximum.
Gathering Consumables
Experience Boost
| Item | Duration | Buff | Effect | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Company-issue Survival Manual |
18h |  Gatherer's Grace |
+150% Experience earned from gathering (Up to 250,000). Effect halved after level 40. | Purchased from Grand Company Quartermasters for  1,440 Company Seals
|
 Company-issue Survival Manual II |
18h | Gatherer's Grace |
+150% Experience earned from gathering (Up to 500,000). Effect halved after level 50. | Purchased from Grand Company Quartermasters for 2,300 Company Seals
|
 Commercial Survival Manual |
18h | Gatherer's Grace |
+150% Experience earned from gathering (Up to 1,750,000). Effect halved after level 70. | Level 50 & 60 Gatherer Class Quests, Purchased from a Scrip Exchange for  30 White Gatherers' Scrip
|
 Revised Survival Manual |
18h | Gatherer's Grace |
+150% Experience earned from gathering (Up to 2,000,000). Effect halved after level 80. | Purchased from a Scrip Exchange for 30 White Gatherers' Scrip
|
 Squadron Survival Manual |
120m |  Earth and Water III |
+20% Experience earned from gathering | Reward from Squadron Missions |
| Food | 30m |  Well Fed |
+3% Experience earned from gathering | Crafted through Culinarian or purchased from vendors |
