Welcome. I write as a long-time Carpenter in Final Fantasy XIV, and I’ll tell you plainly how to start, level, and profit from CRP without fluff. I’ve noticed many players overcomplicate things; simplicity works.
🪵 Starting Carpenter (CRP)
Go to the Carpenter’s Guild in New Gridania and talk to the NPC behind the counter after you finish any level 10 class quest. You’ll get your first saw and the class quests that teach basic woodworking. In my experience, those quests are worth doing early because they unlock core skills you’ll use for a long time.
Carpentry uses mostly wood-based materials. Botanist pairs well with CRP if you gather your own logs. Honestly, gathering saves gil and gives you better control over material quality (HQ vs NQ matters later).
Tools & Materials
Your saw is the main tool. Upgrade it as you level. Secondary tools (hammers, files) matter for hidden stats like Control and Craftsmanship; upgrade them too when you can. Why? Better stats mean fewer failed crafts and fewer wasted mats.
| Level | Recommended Saw | Why | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | Weathered Saw | Starter stats | Guild |
| 11–20 | Bronze Saw | More Control | Vendor/Craft |
| 21–40 | Steel → Cobalt | Balanced stats | Market Board/Craft |
| 41–90 | Mythril→Endgame variants | High Control/Craft | Craft/MB |
Keep stacks of Wind Shards/Crystals (and their earth/water counterparts when recipes ask). Running out mid-rotation is annoying and costs more than you think. (Yes, I’ve learned that the hard way.)
Leveling: Practical Rotations
Levels 1–15: focus on completion, not HQ. Use Basic Synthesis and save CP.
- Inner Quiet if present
- Basic Touch sparingly
- Finish with Basic Synthesis
Levels 16–35 introduce Standard Touch and Great Strides. Practice applying buffs before quality actions; it pays off. Levels 36–50 bring Ingenuity and Byregot’s; that’s where HQ becomes reliable.
| Range | Recipe Example | Mats | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–20 | Ash Lumber | Ash Log x3 | ~2,000 |
| 21–30 | Bronze Ingot / Walnut Lumber | Ores / Logs | ~3,500–5,000 |
| 31–50 | Steel Ingot | Iron Ore + Coal | ~7,500+ |
Tip: eat cheap food that boosts CP/craftsmanship — even vendor snacks help. This raises success rates and makes leveling faster.
Advanced Rotations & Macros
Here’s the funny part: macros are great for consistency but lousy at responding to Excellent procs. We found that mixing macros with manual tweaks gives the best results. Create three macro styles: safe, quality-first, and fast bulk. Test on cheap items first!
/ac "Innovation"
/ac "Great Strides"
/ac "Steady Hand"
/ac "Byregot's Blessing"
/ac "Basic Synthesis"Macro warning: don’t run expensive materials through an untested macro. It won’t work the way you expect if your gear or buffs differ.
“A tested macro is a quiet conscience during long craft sessions.” — my crafting motto
Controversial take: relying on macros exclusively is lazy and can stunt your skill growth. Some disagree; fine. But I’ve seen crafters miss massive HQ windows because they trusted automation too much.
Housing & Profit
Furniture sells well if you watch timing and server trends. By the way, sometimes selling components (sub-items) nets more profit than the final item — counterintuitive, but true on busy servers.
- Seating (chairs): steady demand
- Tables: often profitable
- Decor/Lighting: higher margins but variable demand
- Garden pieces: niche buyers pay premium
| Category | Example | Avg. Profit |
|---|---|---|
| Seating | Riviera Chair | 15k–25k gil |
| Tables | Oasis Table | 20k–35k gil |
| Decor | Wall Chronometer | 30k–50k gil |
Use Universalis or the in-game MB to spot gaps. To be fair, market trends depend on your server and current patch. As of November 26, 2025, prices fluctuate heavily after major content drops.
Endgame Crafting
Endgame needs precision: high stats, rare mats, and trusted customers. Raid-tier weapons often need current savage drops; that makes them both risky and lucrative. You’ll want to network — Discords, FCs, and repeat buyers matter.
Endgame checklist:
- Meet stat minimums for Craftsmanship, Control, CP
- Have rotation options and manual skill
- Stock rare materials or set gathering goals
- Use food and melds for stat buffers
One counterintuitive insight: sometimes the fastest path to profit is mastering a small set of high-demand, mid-tier furnishings rather than chasing rare raid weapons. It’s steadier and less stressful.
Final Notes (short)
I’ve learned craft by doing, failing, and talking to other crafters. Practice readings: watch conditions, stop a macro when Excellent pops, and adapt. There are exceptions to every rule (depends on your niche), but steady preparation wins more than flash effort.
Want a quick checklist before your next big session?
- Gear checked, food eaten
- Mats prepared and organized
- Macro tested on cheap item
- Plan B ready if a proc changes things
Go craft. Enjoy the slow rhythm of a good synthesis — it’s like seasoning a stew: patient, careful, rewarding. And, between us, keep some spare gil; you’ll need it. Oh, and one more thing—don’t forget to have fun. Really.
