Doman Mahjong
Doman Mahjong is a Gold Saucer mini-game released in patch 4.5. Mahjong is a game in which four players gather tiles and race to complete a winning hand. You may play against other players or NPCs.
Unlock
- Starting NPC: Lewena in The Gold Saucer (X:4.8, Y:6.1)
- Quest:
Every Little Thing She Does Is Mahjong - Prerequisite Quest: It Could Happen to You
- Level 15
How to Play
The Gold Saucer's Mahjong Tutor (X:7.2, Y:7.7) teaches the basic rules, making a conversation with her the ideal place to start.
The Game
Doman Mahjong is a slightly simplified version of Riichi Mahjong, a 4-player Mahjong variant from Japan. The rules of Doman Mahjong draw parallels to both Rummy and Poker, with players building winning hands through drawing and discarding tiles, and the winning hand having different scores based on the tiles in the hand.
Tiles
There are a total of 136 tiles in a game of Doman Mahjong, with 4 copies per tile. The tiles can be subdivided into Number Tiles and Honor Tiles.
Number Tiles range from 1-9, and can be subdivided into suits: Characters (or Man), Dots (or Pin, stylized as Namazu), and Bamboo (or Sou, stylized as daggers/Sabotender). The 1 and 9 tiles are also called Terminals.
Honor Tiles can be subdivided into Wind Tiles ("East", "South", "West", "North") and Dragon Tiles ("White", "Green", and "Red").
How to win
The goal of Doman Mahjong is to create a winning hand of 14 tiles, split into 4 3-tile groups (called "melds") and one pair.
A meld can be either a sequence of three tiles in order, or a triplet of the same tile.
While pairs only have the restriction of "two of the same tile", melds have to follow several rules:
- A meld must consist of 3 tiles of the same suit. (
2-Character, 
3-Dot, 
4-Bamboo or 
3-Character, 3-Dot, 3-Dot are not valid melds.) - A sequence meld must contain an uninterrupted, non-wraparound sequence. (
8-Character, 
9-Character, 
1-Character is not a valid meld.) - Honor tiles have no ordering, which means they can only form triplet melds. (
White-Dragon, 
Red-Dragon and 
Green-Dragon is not a valid meld.)
The final score of your hand depends on the (combination of) melds in your hand.
How to play
One game consists of either 4 hands for a quick game or 8 hands for a long game.
For each hand, the tiles get shuffled, then each player gets dealt their starting hand of 13 tiles.
A dealer is selected at random, who starts the game by drawing a tile. A turn consists of drawing a tile, then discarding a tile (the tile that has just been drawn can also be discarded). Then the next player in turn order continues (the turn order is counterclockwise).
Once a player draws their tile for turn and completes their hand this way, the hand ends and the winning players hand gets evaluated.
If the last tile is drawn and no player has assembled a winning hand, no player wins and the game ends in a draw, in which case the Hand is replayed.
After each hand, the role of the dealer passes to the next player in turn order, except if the dealer achieved the winning hand, in which case they keep being the dealer.
Taking from the Discard Pile
9-Dot in your hand and an opponent discarded a third one, you may call Pon, and, as shown in the example above, put that triplet down openly in front of yourself.The discard pile for each player is in the middle of the playing field, and every player discards their tiles openly.
Under certain conditions, players may take the last discarded tile in the discard pile.
Pon occurs when any opponent discards any tile of which you have two of. If you call Pon, you take the discarded tile from your opponent and reveal the other two tiles from your hand, putting all three tiles to the right from your hand, then discard a tile yourself.
Beware that, if you call Pon on a tile from an opponent not directly ahead of you in the turn order, all players in turn order get skipped; e.g. if you call Pon on a tile from the opponent opposite of you, the player to the left of you gets skipped.
Chi occurs when the opponent directly ahead of you in turn order discards a tile which, in combination with two of your tiles, would complete a sequence.
If you call Chi, you take the discarded tile from your opponent and reveal the other two tiles from your hand, putting all three tiles to the right of your hand, then discard a tile yourself.
In either case, you only reveal the tiles in the Pon/Chi, not your entire hand.
For both Pon and Chi, they may guarantee you access to certain tiles, but they carry considerable drawbacks:
- If you call Pon or Chi, for scoring purposes, your hand is now considered Open. This both can reduce the amount of points you get from certain combinations, and prevents you from achieving other combinations completely.
- Once you reveal a meld through Pon or Chi, it may not be changed anymore. This may prevent you from scoring higher value hands through different combinations of tiles/melds.
The Points System
Each player starts with 25.000 points. The goal of the game is to achieve as many points as possible.
Whenever a player wins a hand, the game evaluates how many Yaku (see Yaku) the winning hand has achieved, and subsequently, how many Han the hand is worth. Beware that a winning hand must contain at least one Yaku.
Depending on how many Han the winning hand has scored, the winning player receives a certain amount of points:
- 1 Han: 1000 Points
- 2 Han: 2000 Points
- 3 Han: 3900 Points
- 4 or 5 Han: 8000 Points
- 6 or 7 Han: 12.000 Points
- 8-10 Han: 16.000 Points
- 11 or 12 Han: 24.000 Points
- 13 or more Han: 32.000 Points
If the dealer wins, they automatically receive 50% more points (e.g. with 1 Han, they receive 1500 points.)
Depending on how the winning player won, the points are distributed as follows:
Tsumo is called if the winning player completed their hand from a tile drawn as their tile per turn. In that case, each opponent has to pay the winning player an even amount.
The dealer, however, has to pay double the amount the other players pay. If, for example, a non-dealer player wins with 1 Han, the dealer pays 500 points, while the other opponents pay 250 points each, for a total of 1000 points.
Ron is called if the winning player completed their hand from a tile discarded by an opponent. In that case, the opponent who discarded the tile owes the full amount of points to the winning player.
Note: This is the largest difference to Riichi Mahjong, with Riichi Mahjong having both the Han and Fu system to calculate how many points a hand is worth.
Yaku
Yaku are the "win conditions" required to achieve a winning hand. You must achieve at least one Yaku to win.
Just like in Poker, there are several different, sometimes complicated combinations, with more complicated Yaku being worth more Han.
These are the Yaku judged to be the most basic (as in "easiest to learn", judged by the Mahjong Tutor/finalfantasyxiv.com):
Tanyao requires your hand to not contain Terminals or Honor tiles.
All Pon (also called Toitoi) requires your hand to only consist of triplet melds and a pair.
Pure Straight (also called Ittsu) requires you to have all tiles 1-9 from a single suit in your hand (or, phrased differently: your hand must contain the sequences 1-2-3, 4-5-6, and 7-8-9, all from the same suit).
Mixed Triple Chi (also called Sanshoku Doujun) requires you to have the same sequence thrice, once for each suit.
Half Flush (also called Honitsu) requires all of your number tiles to be of the same suit (or, phrased differently: your hand must only contain numbers from one suit and Honor tiles.)
Full Flush (also called Chinitsu) requires all of your tiles to be number tiles of a single suit, with no Honor tiles.
A full list of Yaku achievable in Doman Mahjong (and respective examples) can be found here.
Riichi
4-Character and 
7-Character are self explanatory, but if the player draws 
1-Character, they can move the 4-Character from the first meld to the fourth one and win that way.Riichi is a special kind of Yaku, judged to be one of the most beginner-friendly.
There are no restricitons on tiles or melds for Riichi; this Yaku only requires your hand to be Closed (you haven't called Pon or Chi).
If any player is one tile away from forming any four melds and a pair (a state called Tenpai), that player may wager 1000 of their own points and declare Riichi.
After a player calls Riichi, they may not discard any tile except for the tile they draw per turn.
The set of tiles that can complete the Hand are called the Wait.
Honor Tile Yakus
Having a triplet of Honor tiles is also a Yaku (usually called Yakuhai), though certain restrictions apply, specifically to the Wind Tiles.
A triplet of Dragons is a Yaku no matter which Dragon you have, but a triplet of Wind Tiles is only a Yaku if one of the following conditions is met:
- The Wind making up the triplet matches the Round Wind. In 4-Hand games, the only Round Wind is East, while in an 8-Hand game, the first 4 hands are "East", and the next 4 hands "South".
- The Wind making up the triplet matches your Seat Wind. Beginning with the dealer, each player gets assigned a Seat Wind. Dealer is always East, then South, West, and North in turn order. Beware that the Seat Wind does not match the actual compass directions.
Dora
Dora are another way to earn Han for your winning hand, though they are not considered Yaku.
Dora: At the start of the game, one tile is randomly selected as the Dora tile. If you declare a winning hand, each Dora in your hand gives you an extra Han.
Akadora: For every suit, one of the four 5 Tiles is colored red. If you declare a winning hand, each Akadora in your hand gives you an extra Han. An Akadora can also be a Dora, in which case it gives you two Han.
Uradora: When a player declares a winning hand after declaring Riichi, another random tile is revealed to be the Uradora. Each Uradora in the winning hand gives you an extra Han.
Note: Dora and Uradora have slightly different rules in Riichi Mahjong.
Kan
A player can call "Kan" if they collected all four copies of the same tile.
Concealed Kan are formed if three tiles are in hand, and the fourth tile is drawn. If declared, the Kan is placed to the right of the hand, partially open. Declaring a Concealed Kan does not "Open" your hand.
Open Kan are formed if three tiles are in hand, and the fourth tile was discarded by an opponent. If declared, the Kan is placed to the right of the hand, fully open. If you previously called Pon on a tile and draw the fourth one, you may declare Kan and add the fourth tile to the Pon, making it an Open Kan. This does not apply if the fourth tile was discarded from an opponent.
After calling either type of Kan, an additional Dora is revealed, and you draw a new tile.
A total of four Kan can be called per hand. As soon as the fourth Kan gets called, the Hand immediately ends in a draw, unless all four Kan have been called by the same player. In that case, the fifth Kan ends the Hand in a draw.
Furiten
Furiten is a state where, if you are in Tenpai (one tile away from winning), you are not allowed to call Ron on any tile discarded by an opponent, and you can only win by Tsumo. There are three types of Furiten:
Discard Furiten: Discard Furiten is achieved if, while in Tenpai, your Wait contains Tiles you have previously discarded, including those that may have been claimed by any opponent using Chi/Pon/Kan. You can exit this Furiten by "shifting the Wait", meaning you change your Wait to not include any discarded tiles.
Same-Turn/Temporary Furiten: Same-Turn Furiten is achieved if, while not in Riichi, you decide to not call Ron on a tile discarded by your opponent. You exit this Furiten automatically after discarding a tile yourself.
Riichi Furiten: If, however, you are in Riichi and do not call Ron on a tile discarded by your opponent, you will not be able to exit Furiten.
Yaku
This is a comprehensive list of all Yaku and how many Han they are worth.
Each Yaku has both its "Original Name" from Riichi Mahjong (if applicable), and any restrictions on Open/Closed Hand next to its name in brackets.
Note: Whenever any Yaku calls for Triplets of Tiles, they also can be achieved with Kan (Quads), e.g. Triple Pon is also achievable with two Pon and a Kan.
1 Han
Riichi (Closed only):
Enter Tenpai without calling Chi, Pon or Kan, then wager 1000 points and call Riichi. Once you do, you may only discard the tile you draw per turn until you call Tsumo (You have drawn the last tile for your winning hand) or Ron (An opponent discarded the last tile you needed to win; Chi & Pon Rules apply).
Reminder: Tenpai is the state of being one tile away from a winning hand.
3-Dot or 
6-Dot).Menzen Tsumo (Closed only):
You call Tsumo while being in Menzen (Menzen = you have a Closed Hand).
Ippatsu (Closed only):
You call Tsumo or Ron on the turn after declaring Riichi. If anyone calls Chi/Pon/Kan, this Yaku is invalidated.
Yakuhai (Tile Yaku):
Forming a Triplet of Honor Tiles. Dragon Tiles have no restrictions; Wind Tiles only count as Yaku if they match either your Seat Wind or the Round Wind. If the triplet matches both Seat and Round Wind, it counts for both (= 2 Han).
Tanyao (Closed only if Kuitan disabled):
Your hand contains no Terminals or Honor tiles. The Kuitan rule allows you to achieve Tanyao after calling Chi/Pon/Kan.
Pinfu (Closed only):
A Yaku which requires several conditions:
- You are in Menzen (Closed Hand).
- All four melds are sequences (no triplets).
- Your pair does not consist of Yakuhai Tiles (Dragon, Seat Wind, and Round Wind are Yakuhai).
- The final tile must complete a sequence with a two-sided Wait (meaning that the sequence could have been completed from either side;
4-Dot and 
5-Dot have a two-sided Wait ( 3-Dot and 
6-Dot), but 
1-Dot and 
2-Dot or 4-Dot and 6-Dot don't.)
5-Dot) completes the final meld, which needed either 5-Dot or 
8-Dot to win.Pure Double Chi (Iipeikou, Closed only):
Your hand contains the same sequence twice (same numbers, same suit).
After a Kan (Rinshan Kaihou):
Win on the tile you draw after declaring a Kan.
Robbing a Kan (Chankan):
If an opponent has called Pon (has an open Triplet of Tiles) and calls Kan to complete an Open Kan, you may call Ron on that tile.
This also applies if you want to win with Thirteen Orphans (Kokushi Musou, see Yakuman), and an opponent forms a Concealed Kan.
Last Tile Drawn (Haitei Raoyue):
Win by Tsumo after drawing the last tile.
Last Tile Claim (Houtei Raoyui):
Win by Ron on the final discarded tile.
2 Han
Double Riichi (Closed only):
If nobody has called Chi/Pon/Kan on their first turn, and you declare Riichi on your first discarded tile, you instead can achieve Double Riichi.
Triple Chi (Sanshoku Doujun, 1 Han if Hand is Open):
Your hand contains the same sequence thrice, once in each suit.
Pure Straight (Ittsu, 1 Han if Hand is Open):
Three sequences of the same suit, containing all tiles from 1-9.
Outside Hand (Chantaiyao, 1 Han if Hand is Open):
Opposite of Tanyao; All Melds and the Pair must include Terminal or Honor Tiles.
All Terminals and Honors (Honroutou):
Your hand only contains Terminals and Honor Tiles. Since no sequence can be formed that way, this also automatically completes All Pon.
Little Three Dragons (Shousangen):
Your Hand contains two triplets of different Dragons, plus a pair of the third Dragon. Does not invalidate the Han from Yakuhai.
All Pon (Toitoi):
Your Hand consists of four triplets and a pair.
Triple Pon (Sanshoku Doukou):
Your Hand contains three triplets of the same number, one in each suit.
Three Concealed Pon (Sanankou):
Your Hand contains three Concealed Triplets. The fourth meld may be Concealed or Open.
Three Kan (Sankantsu):
Your Hand contains three Kan (Open or Concealed).
Seven Pairs (Chiitoitsu, Closed Only):
One of the special hands that does not adhere to the "4 melds and a pair" structure of a classic Hand.
Your Hand contains seven different pairs.
3 Han
Twice Pure Double Chi (Ryanpeikou, Closed only):
Have two distinct Pure Double Chi in your hand. If you achieve Twice Pure Double Chi, you don't get additional points for the Pure Double Chi.
Does not combine with Seven Pairs.
Terminals In All Groups (Junchan Taiyao, 2 Han if Hand is Open):
All Melds and the Pair contain Terminals.
Half Flush (Honitsu, 2 Han if Hand is Open):
Your hand consists of Number Tiles of only one suit, and Honor Tiles.
4 Han
Nagashi-Mangan (Closed Only):
You receive 4 Han if:
- The hand ends in a Draw.
- You only discarded Terminal and/or Honor tiles.
- No opponent called Chi/Pon/Kan on your tiles.
This does not count as a win.
6 Han
Full Flush (Chinitsu, 5 Han if Hand is Open):
Your Hand consists of only Number Tiles of one suit.
Yakuman (13 Han)
Blessing of Heaven (Tenhou):
As a dealer, form a winning hand on the first tile drawn.
Blessing of Earth (Chiihou):
As a non-dealer, form a winning hand on the first tile drawn. Invalidated if any player calls Chi/Pon/Kan.
Four Concealed Pon (Suuankou, Closed Only):
Your Hand contains four concealed triplets.
Big Three Dragons (Daisangen):
Your Hand contains a triplet of each Dragon.
Little Four Winds (Shousuushii):
Your Hand contains three different triplets of Wind Tiles, and a pair of the fourth Wind.
Big Four Winds (Daisuushii):
Your Hand contains one triplet of each Wind.
All Honors (Tsuuiisou):
Your Hand contains only Honor Tiles.
All Terminals (Chinroutou):
Your Hand contains only Terminals.
All Green (Ryuuiisou):
Your Hand contains only Green Tiles. The Green Tiles are: 
2-Bamboo, 
3-Bamboo, 
4-Bamboo, 
6-Bamboo, 
8-Bamboo, and 
Green-Dragon.
Nine Gates (Chuuren Poutou, Closed Only):
Your Hand contains the tiles 1,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,9,9 plus any other Number Tile, all from the same suit.
"Nine Gates" refers to the fact that this Yaku can produce a Wait in which any of the nine tiles of the chosen suit can be used to complete the hand.
Thirteen Orphans (Kokushi Musou, Closed Only):
Another exception to the "Four melds and a pair" hand.
Your Hand contains one of each Terminal and Honor Tile, plus one extra Terminal/Honor Tile.
Four Kan (Suukantsu):
Your Hand contains four Kan (Open or Concealed).
NPC Matches
Access any of the three mahjong tables in the Gold Saucer (X:7.2, Y:7.7) to challenge NPCs of varying difficulty.
Novice Mahjong Table
Intermediate Mahjong Table
Advanced Mahjong Table
- To exit an NPC match, press Esc or the Start/Options button. There is no penalty for quitting.
- You can play at NPC tables while waiting for the Duty Finder.
Player Matches
Use the Duty Finder to be matched against other players.
Novice Mahjong (Ranked)
This match type is immediately available. After registering as a solo player, you will be matched against other players. Bear in mind that your performance will affect your rating.
- You cannot join while in a party.
Advanced Mahjong (Ranked)
Only players ranked 1st dan or higher can register. After registering as a solo player, you will be matched against other players.
All increases and decreases to personal ratings are greater than in novice matches.
Four-player Mahjong (Kuitan enabled)
A party of four players is required to begin the match. Ratings and ranks are not affected. The kuitan rule allows tanyao yaku to be used after calling pon or chi. (See in-game instructions and Lodestone for details on the various rules.)
Four-player Mahjong (Kuitan disabled)
A party of four players is required to begin the match. Ratings and ranks are not affected. Playing with kuitan disabled prevents tanyao yaku from being used after calling pon or chi.
Ratings
Your rating starts at 1,500 and will increase or decrease according to your finishing position in each match. An achievement is available for reaching the highest possible rating.
Rank
Passing specific point thresholds will increase your rank. Although you cannot be demoted while in the lower ranks, progressing to the higher ranks puts you at risk of demotion should you perform poorly.
Time Limits
Player Turns
Each player has a certain amount of time to take their turn. A tile will be discarded automatically if that player fails to act within the time limit. This time limit does not apply to four-player Mahjong (kuitan enabled/disabled).
Match Length
If a single hand lasts more than 80 minutes, the following hand will be the last one played. Once that hand ends, the game ends, final placements are decided, and the results are recorded.
- Matches will end automatically after 120 minutes have passed, regardless of whether a hand is still being played. In this event, ratings and ranks are not affected.
Abandoning a Match
If a player logs out during a mahjong match, tiles will be discarded automatically when their turn comes around. When the player logs back in, they will regain control from the next hand onwards.
If players abandon a match, it will continue without them, and their tiles will be discarded automatically. They will also incur the standard penalties for abandoning a duty and will be unable to register for another mahjong match until the previous match ends. In addition, they will be counted as having finished in fourth place. If players do not enter any commands for a certain amount of time, they will be automatically removed from the match.
Quick Match
Quick Match was released in Patch 5.4 of Shadowbringers. In a full match, a round consists of eight hands, during which time the role of dealer passes around the board twice. The player with the highest score at the end of the round is declared the winner. In a quick match, however, only four hands are played.
Following the addition of this new match type, the title of Mahjong entries in the Duty Finder have been adjusted as follows:
- Novice Mahjong (Full Ranked Match)
- Advanced Mahjong (Full Ranked Match)
- Four-player Mahjong (Full Match, Kuitan Enabled)
- Four-player Mahjong (Full Match, Kuitan Disabled)
- Novice Mahjong (Quick Ranked Match)
- Advanced Mahjong (Quick Ranked Match)
- Four-player Mahjong (Quick Match, Kuitan Enabled)
- Four-player Mahjong (Quick Match, Kuitan Disabled)
Checking Ratings and Settings
From the main menu, select Character, Gold Saucer, then Mahjong to check your rating and rank.
You may also change the following settings.
Hints
Enable this feature for recommendations on which tiles to discard, whether to call pon or chi and so on. Following these hints will not guarantee victory, though you may find them useful as a reference.
Dangerous Tile Marker
When discarding a tile, there is always a risk that an opponent may claim that tile to strengthen their position or even win the hand. These markers indicate which tiles carry a high risk of being claimed by an opponent.
Chat Log
Forming a party of four and starting a match allows you to use party chat. Toggling this option allows you to leave or rejoin the chat.
If you leave the chat, you will not be able to send or view messages. An icon indicates whether other players are participating in the chat.
Tile Names
Highlight a tile to display its name.
- These four options are set to On by default.
Tile Set
Choose from Doman or traditional tile sets.
- Cannot be changed during a match.
Rewards
MGP (only from the Challenge Log entry "Kiwami" - Participate in 2 Doman Mahjong player battle matches.)
Doman Distractions Orchestrion Roll - achievement 
Tile and Error I "Achieve a mahjong rating of more than 1600."
Character Voices
Acquisition
To unlock a designated character's voice, the corresponding item is required. These items can be acquired after completing the sidequest Every Little Thing She Does Is Mahjong and the main scenario quest 
Heavensward, by speaking with Dibourdier in the Gold Saucer (X:7.1 Y:7.8) and exchanging MGP.
Additional character voices will become available by progressing through the main story.
| Item | Type | Cost | Unlock req. |
|---|---|---|---|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Alphinaud |
Other | 100,000 |
Heavensward
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Alisaie |
Other | 100,000 |
Stormblood
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Thancred |
Other | 100,000 |
Shadowbringers
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Urianger |
Other | 100,000 |
Shadowbringers
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Y'shtola |
Other | 100,000 |
Shadowbringers
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Estinien |
Other | 100,000 |
Endwalker
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - G'raha Tia |
Other | 100,000 |
Endwalker
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Krile |
Other | 100,000 |
Dawntrail
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Wuk Lamat |
Other | 100,000 |
The Promise of Tomorrow
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Koana |
Other | 100,000 |
The Promise of Tomorrow
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Bakool Ja Ja |
Other | 100,000 |
The Promise of Tomorrow
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Erenville |
Other | 100,000 |
The Promise of Tomorrow
|
 Maxims of Mahjong - Metem |
Other | 100,000 |
Glory Incarnate
|
Enabling Voices
Open the Gold Saucer menu and navigate to the Mahjong tab. Under Mahjong Character Voices, you may enable or disable the feature, or select the desired character to be used during matches.
- The selected character voice and accompanying portrait will not play or display for other players.
A help button has been added to the Mahjong tab of the Gold Saucer menu for easy access to the rules of this Doman pastime.
- The information provided is the same as that covered by the mahjong tutor.
A new section covering character voices has been added.
Achievements
Doman Mahjong is associated with the following achievements:
| Name | Points | Task | Reward | Patch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile and Error I
|
5 | Achieve a mahjong rating of more than 1600. | Doman Distractions Orchestrion Roll
|
4.5 |
 Tile and Error II
|
5 | Achieve a mahjong rating of more than 1800. |  Mahjong Enthusiast
|
4.5 |
 Tile and Error III
|
10 | Achieve a mahjong rating of more than 2000. | Mahjong Master
|
4.5 |
Lore
The ancient Doman game of mahjong joins the entertainment on offer at the Gold Saucer. Face off against your fellow adventurers or practice against automata, and hone your strategies to triumph in this contest of wits![1]
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