Summoner's First Twenty-One Levels

Overview
This is a guide for those who've gained the Summoner job and are wondering how to get started. Of course, you can choose to start in a different way, but doing it this way gives you:


 * 1) Decent summoning skill.
 * 2) Six of the avatars, in addition to Carbuncle.
 * 3) Completion of the six 'trial size' quests.
 * 4) Lots of gil.

In summary, you solo all the way to level 22, at which point you can sub White Mage and get Cure 2, and at this point most parties will accept you in the place of a White Mage.

Levelling Spots
This involves a bit of travelling, to all three ends of Vana'diel:

(these level ranges are inclusive - once you go beyond them, move to the next area)

Levels 1 and 2: Any beginner area you like, though killing bees around Bastok gives you more Wind Crystals. Levels 3-6: Horutoto ruins, from the easternmost entrance in East Sarutabaruta, killing Tier 1 Goblins and Battue Bats. Levels 7-9: Horutoto ruins, from the northwest entrance in West Sarutabaruta (the one near the entrance to Giddeus), again killing Tier 1 Goblins and Battue Bats. Levels 10-12: Ghelsba Outpost, go into the four-chambered cave (as you go up the outpost, you'll see a cave entrance - go in it), and kill Toadstools. Levels 13-17: Palborough Mines, kill Cave Funguars. Levels 18-21: Yughott Grotto (lower end, go in the entrance in Ghelsba Outpost that's near the zone to West Ronfaure), kill Tier 2 Orcs.

With the exception of the Yughott Grotto orcs, most of these won't give good exp - that isn't the goal. The goal is to farm as well as gain exp, and to practice summoning as much as possible.

Summoning Skill
It is crucial to get this as high as possible. Without a capped summoning skill, you'll have a very difficult time doing the trial size avatar quests at level 20.

To raise summoning skill, you need to summon, and you'll need to do it a lot. While soloing, resummon carbuncle every time you face another enemy, even if carbuncle could take another enemy. The more you summon him, the more your summoning skill increases.

Also, while walking to each levelling spot (yes, you should walk, even after level 15 - don't use chocobos), summon and dismiss carbuncle as many times as the cooldown timer on summoning him allows.

And if you have enough mp, summon and dismiss him once more before resting.

Farming
Soloing in the way this guide describes will give you a lot of items that you can sell to the auction house. The beginner areas will give Wind Crystals, the bats will give bat wings (2 of them can be traded for 200 gil a pair) and Wind Crystals, the Goblins will give Fire Crystals and assorted items, the Funguars will give Dark Crystals and Sleepshrooms and the Orcs will give Fire Crystals.

Also, while you're levelling in Palborough Mines and Yughott Grotto, you can mine as well if a mining point comes up and you have a pickaxe handy.

Avatar Quests
Some of you might have a high enough job to be able to do the main avatar quests and get the avatars that way. My advice would be to not do this - if you do the trial size avatar quests, you can get six more quests done (useful if you're intent on doing every single quest in the game). Also, if you've done the trial size quests you don't need to claim the ability to summon a reward from the main ones, allowing you to choose other rewards.

In Northern San D'oria, Port Bastok, Mhaura, Rabao, Norg and Kazham there are two characters stood together, a taru and a warrior-type. These are the avatar quest givers. Once you have enough fame in the area in question, speak to one of them while you have summoner as your main job and they will give you the trial size quest and a mini tuning fork. Trade this to the warrior and you will be transported to the protocrystal. Now trade the mini tuning fork to the crystal to enter the battle.

(to do: quest tactics and items to bring)