Merit Points

What do 75s do with their exp?
Well besides dying a lot in dynamis and to HNMs...

I'm a traveling Moogle, always on the road… in search of the secrets of true strength, kupo. And this time I think I might have found one. That's why I'm visiting Maat to see what he thinks, kupo. I've discovered a way to increase the potential of those who have reached their "limits". However, I haven't found anyone to pass that method on to, kupo. Hey, you look pretty tough. How would you like to be my guinea...errr, assistant?

Excellent, kupo… Ahem! I shall now pass on to you the secrets of the "Moogle Merit Management" system. Use this legendary method to extend your limits. Watch as your strength soars beyond the stars, kupo!

Now when the level of your main job has reached 75, a new button, "Merit Points," will appear under "Status" in the main menu. Press this button to change experience accumulation modes as well as adjust skills and attributes. Just remember that it can only be used while in your Mog House.

Nomad Moogle casts a strange spell on you...

Obtained key item: Limit Breaker

When you reach lvl 75...
You can talk to a moogle hovering near Maat in Ru'Lude Gardens. This moogle will activate your merit system. After this you can mess with your merits from inside your moghouse. You will have a new menu option, "merit points."

Limit vs EXP
You can choose to change your status from "exp gaining" to "limit gaining" while in your moghouse. This only affects the status of your 75 job (If you have more than one lvl 75 job, this setting affects them all).

• Set to Limit: you will gain limit points, and not exp. If you die you still lose exp, you cannot lose limit points by dying.
• Set to exp: same as normal, you gain exp (which is only used for death buffer at 75).

Gaining Merit Points
Once you accrue 10,000 limit points you earn 1 merit point (sorta like leveling). Each 10,000 limit will gain you another merit point. You cannot store up more than 10 merit points at a time, if you already have 10 you can't get the 11th. So just spend em already!

Spending Merits
There are 5 general categories to spend merits on. There is also one category for each Job.

Each of these has several stats you can spend the points on. Each category also has a combined maximum merit expenditure. Your combined number of increases to stats in a single category can't exceed the total combo max for that category.

• HP/MP, cbmax now 8, you get +10 per
• Attributes, cbmax now 5, you get +1 per
• Combat Skills, cbmax now 20, you get 2 skill levels per
• Magic Skills, cbmax now 16, you get 2 skill levels per
• Others, cbmax 8, see pic below
• Each Job, cbmax 10 (each)

Here's what's under "other" stuff:

Enmities are 1 pt per improvement, crit rates are 1% per improvement, and spell interrupt is 2% per improvement.

The staff skill is "greyed out" because my 75 job, Rng, doesn't get staff skill. If your 75 job doesn't get the skill, you cannot add merit to it. I've improved marksmanship twice, hence the "2" in the middle, the 3rd improvement will cost me 3 merits, seen on the right side (it's grey because I only had 2 pts available at the time of the picture).

All the stats except attributes cost 1 merit for the first improvement. Attributes cost 3ea for the first improvement. After the first improvement to a particular stat, the cost to improve it will increase. Combat skills cost 1ea, then 2ea, then 3ea. I believe all skill categories are 1,2,3,3,3, attributes are 3,6,9,9 and all other categories go 1,2,3,4,5 but I'm not sure.

The max increase for a single stat is 4 times now, and the others vary. Perhaps 6 or 9 for individual skills? Most of the "other" stuff and job-specific stuff have a max of 5 times each. This is the area of which I'm least certain.

Limit vs Capped areas
I was pleased to learn that limit and capped areas have an unexpected interaction. Normally, if you take a lvl 75 job into a capped area (promyvion, for example) you get 50% of the exp you would get were you under the cap. So a lvl 40 job in a 40 cap zone gets 100 exp, the 75 job gets 50 exp. If you're set on limit points, however, you get the full 100 limit! This makes gaining limit in capped areas a juicy proposition. Note that you can get chain bonuses when you're capped (thanks to the July patch XD). Anyway, I highly recommend you change to limit points before you spend signifigant time in a capped zone, you'll be glad you did.

As of December 12th, 2005, there are a total of 37 merit upgrades (for one job).

Total merit points needed for max upgrade (one job): 25>27>15>6>15 = 88.
88 Merit Points = 880,000 exp.

HP/MP	Description	Combo Total/Max: 8
Max HP	Adjust your maximum HP by 10 points.	1>2>3>4>5>5>5
Max MP	Adjust your maximum HP by 10 points.	1>2>3>4>5>5>5

Attributes	Description	Combo Total/Max: 5
STR	Adjust your STR by 1 point.	3>6>9>9
DEX	Adjust your DEX by 1 point.	3>6>9>9
VIT	Adjust your VIT by 1 point.	3>6>9>9
AGI	Adjust your AGI by 1 point.	3>6>9>9
INT	Adjust your INT by 1 point.	3>6>9>9
MND	Adjust your MND by 1 point.	3>6>9>9
CHR	Adjust your CHR by 1 point.	3>6>9>9

Combat Skills	Description	Combo Total/Max: 12
Hand-to-Hand Skill	Adjust your hand-to-hand skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Dagger Skill	Adjust your dagger skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Sword Skill	Adjust your sword skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Great Sword Skill	Adjust your great sword skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Axe Skill	Adjust your axe skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Great Axe Skill	Adjust your great axe skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Scythe Skill	Adjust your scythe skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Polearm Skill	Adjust your polearm skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Katana Skill	Adjust your katana skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Great Katana Skill	Adjust your great katana skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Club Skill	Adjust your club skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Staff Skill	Adjust your staff skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Archery Skill	Adjust your archery skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Marksmanship Skill	Adjust your marksmanship skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Throwing Skill	Adjust your throwing skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Guarding Skill	Adjust your guarding skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Evasion Skill	Adjust your evasion skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Shield Skill	Adjust your shield skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Parrying Skill	Adjust your parrying skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3

Magic Skills	Description	Combo Total/Max: 8
Divine Magic Skill	Adjust your divine magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Healing Magic Skill	Adjust your healing magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Enhancing Magic Skill	Adjust your enhancing magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Enfeebling Magic Skill	Adjust your enfeebling magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Elemental Magic Skill	Adjust your elemental magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Dark Magic Skill	Adjust your dark magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Summoning Magic Skill	Adjust your summoning magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Ninjitsu Skill	Adjust your ninjitsu magic skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Singing Skill	Adjust your singing skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
String Instrument Skill	Adjust your string instrument skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3
Wind Instrument	Adjust your wind instrument skill by 2 points.	1>2>3>3>3>3

Others	Description	Combo Total/Max: 8
Enmity Increase	Increase your enmity 1 point.	1>2>3
Enmity Decrease	Decrease your enmity 1 point.	1>2>3
Critical Hit Rate	Adjust your critical hit rate 1 percet.	1>2>3
Enemy Critical Hit Rate	Adjust enemies' critical hit rate by 1 percent.	1>2>3
Spell Interruption Rate	Adjust your spell interruption rate by 2 percent.	1>2>3

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Warrior Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Berserk Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Defender Recast	Shorten recast time by 6 seconds.
Warcry Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Aggressor Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Double Attack Rate	Increase double attack rate by 1 percet.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Warrior's Charge	Ability: Will double your next attack.
Tomahawk	Ability: Expends a throwing tomahawk to inflict a special defense down effect on an enemy.
Savagery	Job Trait: Adds TP bonus effect to Warcry.
Aggressive Aim	Job Trait: Adds ranged accuracy bonus to Aggressor.

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Monk Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Focus Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Dodge Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Chakra Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Counter Rate	Increase counter attack rate by 1 percet.
Kick Attack Rate	Increase kick attack rate by 1 percet.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Mantra	Ability: Increases the maximum HP of party members within area of effect.
Formless Strikes	Ability: While in effect, melee attacks will not be considered physical damage. No effect on weapon skills.
Invigorate	Job Trait: Adds a Regen effect when using Chakra.
Penance	Job Trait: Adds an effect to Chi Blast that inhibits an enemy's TP accumulation.

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White Mage Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Divine Seal Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Cure Cast Time	Shorten cast time of all Cure spells by 4 percent.
Bar Spell Effect	Increase potency of Bar spells and add a magic defense bonus of 2 points.
Banish Effect	Increase damage of Banish by 2, and length of defense down effect by 2 seconds.
Regen Effect	Increase the amount of HP recovered each interval by 1.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Martyr	Ability: Sacrifices HP to heal a party member double the amount.
Devotion	Abilty: Sacrifices HP to grant a party member the same amount in MP.
Protectra V	Magic: Enhances defense for party members within area of effect.
Shellra V	Magic: Enhances magic defense for party members within area of effect.

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Black Mage Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Elemental Seal Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Fire Magic Potency	Increase the potency of Fire spells by 2.
Ice Magic Potency	Increase the potency of Ice spells by 2.
Wind Magic Potency	Increase the potency of Wind spells by 2.
Earth Magic Potency	Increase the potency of Earth spells by 2.
Lightning Magic Potency	Increase the potency of Lightning spells by 2.
Water Magic Potency	Increase the potency of Water spells by 2.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Flare II	Magic: Deals fire damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against water.
Freeze II	Magic: Deals ice damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against fire.
Tornado II	Magic: Deals wind damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against ice.
Quake II	Magic: Deals earth damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against wind.
Burst II	Magic: Deals lightning damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against earth.
Flood II	Magic: Deals water damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against lightning.

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Red Mage Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Convert Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Fire Magic Accuracy	Increase the accuracy of Fire spells by 3.
Ice Magic Accuracy	Increase the accuracy of Fire spells by 3.
Wind Magic Accuracy	Increase the accuracy of Fire spells by 3.
Earth Magic Accuracy	Increase the accuracy of Fire spells by 3.
Water Magic Accuracy	Increase the accuracy of Fire spells by 3.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Dia III	Magic: Lowers an enemy's defense and gradually deals light elemental damage.
Slow II	Magic: Reduces an enemy's attack speed.
Paralyze II	Magic: Paralyzes an enemy.
Phalanx II	Magic: Gives you a certain amount of damage resistance.
Bio III	Magic: Deals dark damage that gradually weakens an enemy's attack and gradually reduces its HP.
Blind III	Magic: Blinds an enemy, lowers its accuracy.

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Thief Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Flee Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Hide Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Sneak Attack Recast	Shorten recast time by 2 seconds.
Trick Attack Recast	Shorten recast time by 2 seconds.
Triple Attack Rate	Increase triple attack rate by 1 percent.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Assassin's Charge	Ability: Will triple your next attack.
Feint	Ability: Your next attack will greatly reduce an enemy's evasion.
Aura Steal	Job Trait: Adds a Dispel effect to Steal. Occasionally absorbs dispelled effect.
Ambush	Job Trait: Grants an accuracy bonus to melee and ranged attack from behind an enemy.

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Paladin Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Shield Bash Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Holy Circle Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.
Sentinel Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Cover Effect Length	Lengthen time of effect by 4 seconds.
Rampart Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Fealty	Ability: Grants a powerful resistance to enfeebling magic.
Chivalry	Ability: Converts TP to MP.
Iron Will	Job Trait: Adds a spell interuption down effect to Rampart.
Guardian	Job Trait: Reduces enmity loss while using Sentinel.

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Dark Knight Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Souleater Recast	Shorten recast time by 12 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Arcane Circle Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.
Last Resort Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Last Resort Effect	Increase attack by 2 percent, but lower defense by 2 percent.
Weapon Bash Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Dark Seal	Ability: Enhances the accuracy of your next dark magic spell.
Diabolic Eye	Ability: Reduces maximum HP, increases accuracy.
Muted Soul	Job Trait: Reduces enmity while using Souleater.
Desperate Blows	Job Trait: Reduces delay for two-handed weapons when using Last Resort.

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Beastmaster Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Killer Effects	Increase intimidation rate on all killer effects by 1 percent.	1>2>3>4>5
Reward Recast	Shorten recast time by 6 seconds.
Call Beast Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Sic Recast	Shorten recast time by 4 seconds.
Tame Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Feral Howl	Ability: Terrorizes the target.
Killer Instinct	Ability: Grants your pet's Killer effect to party members within area of effect.
Beast Affinity	Job Trait: Increases the level of pets summoned with Call Beast.
Beast Healer	Job Trait: Enhances the Regen effect of Reward.

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Bard Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Lullaby Recast	Shorten recast time by 1 second.	1>2>3>4>5
Finale Recast	Shorten recast time by 1 second.
Minne Effect	Increase defense enhancement by 1.
Minuet Effect	Increase attack enhancement by 1.
Madrigal Effect	Increase melee accuracy enhancement by 1.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Nightingale	Ability: Haves the casting and recast times of songs.
Troubadour	Ability: Increases the casting time for songs by 1.5 and doubles the effect.
Foe Sirvente	Song: Reduces target party member's enmity loss.
Adventurer's Dirge	Song: Reduces target party member's enmity.

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Ranger Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Scavenge Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Camouflage Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Sharpshot Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Unlimited Shot Recast	Shorten recast time by 6 seconds.
Rapid Shot Rate	Increase rapid shot rate by 1 percent.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Stealth Shot	Ability: Your next attack with generate less enmity.
Flashy Shot	Ability: Your next attack will generate more enmity and ignore level difference penalties.
Snapshot	Job Trait: Reduces delay for ranged attacks.
Recycle	Job Trait: Occasionally allows ranged attacks without consuming ammunition.

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Samurai Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Third Eye Recast	Shorten recast time by 2 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Warding Circle Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.
Store TP Effect	Increase amount of TP stored by 2.
Meditate Recast	Shorten recast time by 6 seconds.
Zanshin Attack Rate	Increase Zanshin attack rate by 1 percent.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Shikikoyo	Ability: Share TP above 100 with a party member.
Blade Bash	Ability: Delivers an attack that can stun the target and occasionally cause plague.
Ikishoten	Job Trait: Increases amount of TP gained with a Zanshin attack.
Overwhelm	Job Trait: Grants an attack bonus to weapon skills performed face-to-face with an enemy.

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Ninja Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Subtle Blow Effect	Increases subtle blow effect by 1.	1>2>3>4>5
Katon Effect	Increase damage by 2, and length of water resistance down effect by 2 seconds.
Hyoton Effect	Increase damage by 2, and length of fire resistance down effect by 2 seconds.
Huton Effect	Increase damage by 2, and length of ice resistance down effect by 2 seconds.
Doton Effect	Increase damage by 2, and length of wind resistance down effect by 2 seconds.
Raiton Effect	Increase damage by 2, and length of earth resistance down effect by 2 seconds.
Suiton Effect	Increase damage by 2, and length of lightning resistance down effect by 2 seconds.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Katon: San	Ninjitsu: Deals fire damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against water.
Hyoton: San	Ninjitsu: Deals ice damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against fire.
Huton: San	Ninjitsu: Deals wind damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against ice.
Doton: San	Ninjitsu: Deals earth damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against wind.
Raiton: San	Ninjitsu: Deals lightning damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against earth.
Suiton: San	Ninjitsu: Deals water damage to an enemy and lowers its resistance against lightning.
Sange	Ability: Consumes remaining shadow images to perform a ranged attack.
Ninja Tool Expertise	Job Trait: Occasionally allows the use of ninjitsu without consuming ninja tools.

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Dragoon Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Ancient Circle Recast	Shorten recast time by 20 seconds.	1>2>3>4>5
Jump Recast	Shorten recast time by 3 seconds.
High Jump Recast	Shorten recast time by 6 seconds.
Super Jump Recast	Shorten recast time by 10 seconds.
Spirit Link Recast	Shorten recast time by 6 seconds.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Deep Breathing	Ability: Enhances effect of next wyvern breath.
Angon	Ability: Expends an angon to lower an enemy's defense.
Empathy	Job Trait: Copies beneficial status effects to wyvern when using Spirit Link.
Strafe	Job Trait: Increases accuracy of wyvern breath.

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Summoner Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Avatar Physical Accuracy	Increase avatars' physical accuracy by 3.	1>2>3>4>5
Avatar Physical Attack	Increase avatars' physical attacks by 2.
Avatar Magical Accuracy	Increase avatars' magical accuracy by 3.
Avatar Magical Attack	Increase avatars' magical attacks by 2.
Elemental MP Cost	Reduce the amount of MP needed to maintain elementals by 1.

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Meteor Strike	Blood Pact: Deals fire elemental damage.
Heavenly Strike	Blood Pact: Deals ice damage to an enemy.
Wind Blade	Blood Pact: Deals wind elemental damage.
Geocrush	Blood Pact: Deals earth elemental damage and stuns target.
Thunderstorm	Blood Pact: Deals lightning elemental damage.
Grand Fall	Blood Pact: Deals water elemental damage.

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Blue Mage Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Chain Affinity Recast
Burst Affinity Recast
Monster Correlation
Physical Potency
Magical Accuracy

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Convergence	Ability: Increases the power of your next Magical blue magic spell. Limits AoE to just one target
Diffusion	Ability: Grants the effect of your support blue magic spell to party members within range.
Enchainment	Job Trait:Grants a TP bonus to Chain Affinity.
Assimilation	Job Trait:Increases Maximum blue magic points.

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Corsair Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Phantom Roll Recast
Quick Draw Recast
Quick Draw Accuracy
Random Deal Recast
Bust Duration

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Snake Eye	Ability: Your next roll will automatically be a 1.
Fold	Ability: Erases one roll or bust effect. Targets self-cast effect with the longest remaining duration.
Winning Streak	Job Trait: Extends the duration of Phantom Roll effects.
Loaded Deck	Job Trait: Focuses effect of Random Deal on abilities waiting on Cooldown. Has a chance to fail if only one ability is cooling.

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Puppetmaster Specific Merits

Group One	Description	Combo Total/Max: 10
Automaton Melee Skill
Automaton Ranged Skill
Automaton Magic Skill
Activate Recast
Repair Recast

Group Two	Description	Combo/Max:
Role Reversal	Ability: Swaps HP of Master and Automaton
Ventriloquy	Ability: Swaps the enmity of master and automaton for target
Fine-Tuning	Job Trait:Grants a bonus to your automaton's accuracy, ranged accuracy, evasion, and magical defense
Optimization	Job Trait: Grants a bonus to your automaton's attack, defense, and magical attack

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Merry Meriting!