Leveling Guide
This will be a general rundown of ways to optimize experience per hour, in order to expedite the leveling process. However, it is important that efficiency should not take precedence over fun. If you don't find these practices enjoyable, please take whatever methods will help you avoid burnout.
Do not fall behind on Class and Job Quests! Not only are they easy EXP, but they unlock critical new Actions for your Job and have free gear!
Experience Bonuses
The following are the EXP bonuses that players are able to use for leveling Disciples of War and Disciples of Magic.
- Equipment Acquired in Game
Brand-new Ring (+30%, through level 50) - Acquired by completing all 
Hall of the Novice basic training exercises for a single role. Available at level 15.
Neophyte's Ring (+30%, through level 60) - Acquired by completing all Hall of the Novice tactical training exercises. Available at level 49 after completing 
Hearts on Fire.
- Equipment Acquired Outside of Game
Friendship Circlet (+20%, through level 25) - Acquired through the Recruit a Friend Campaign.- Pre-order earrings such as
Azeyma's Earrings (which comes from pre-ordering Dawntrail; no longer available) provide a +30% bonus through the end of the previous expansion's level cap.
These are generally unavailable after the expansion has released; however,
Menphina's Earring (+30%, through level 80) is currently available in the cash shop in the Adventurer's Supply Kit for $10.
- Activated In-game Bonuses
Well Fed (+3%) - Activated by eating Meals.
The Heat of Battle - Activated by using Free Company Actions (+5%/+10%/+15%, depending on FC action rank) or using 
Squadron Battle Manual (+15%) from Squadron Missions. (The two versions of this buff do not stack with each other).
- Passive In-game Bonuses
- Armoury Bonus (+100%, through level 90; +50% through level 100) - Earned on combat classes when below the level of the player's highest combat class.
- Rested EXP (+50% until fully consumed) - Earned by resting or logging out in sanctuary areas.
Mentor Bonus (+20%, through level 90) - Earned while a 
New Adventurer or 
Returner is in a party with a 
Mentor. The Mentor and New Adventurer/Returner both earn this bonus.
Prior to Level 15
Battlecraft Leves, FATEs and your class Hunting Log should get you to 15 in fairly short order (a couple of hours, tops). Leverage as many of the above bonuses as you can.
Once you hit 15 you can queue 
Sastasha, and level 16 will allow you to use 
Duty Roulette: Leveling.
Dailies
- Duty Roulettes with emphasis on:
- Others that can be worthwhile depending on queue times:
- Roulettes to be avoided for
EXP:
While queuing, participating in level-appropriate FATEs and completing one-time Hunting Logs will allow you to use your downtime. Prior to level 60 Battlecraft Leves are available. After 60, Stormblood and later zones have an EXP Up mechanic for FATEs. Beginning with Shadowbringers, players also have the Shared FATE system to work on.
Allied Society Quests become available beginning at level 41. Each expansion has a different set of allied societies oriented towards different playstyles. You can complete 12 allied society quests a day, but only 3 from any particular allied society NPC. A Realm Reborn allied societies have more than one quest-giver NPC, but later allied societies do not.
- The Hunt, and its later expansion versions, has both daily and weekly bills that offer some EXP. Generally quick and easy to do while waiting in a queue.
Weeklies
Challenge Logs unlocked with a level 15 quest.
Wondrous Tails unlocked with a level 60 quest.- Elite Marks have bills that are weekly for B-ranks. The EXP for the weekly is terrible so they are primarily done for hunt currency.
Next Steps
Once you have exhausted all of your repeatable options, the fastest EXP per hour is going to be your highest available leveling dungeon. Leveling dungeons are those whose level doesn't end in a 0 (plus Halatali). As an example, when you get to level 50 run the level 47 dungeon, The Aurum Vale, until you can switch to the level 51 dungeon, The Dusk Vigil. Level-cap dungeons (50/60/70/80) are designed to dispense Allagan Tomestones and loot to help players gear themselves, and not for Experience.
Alternatives are available when queue times are very long (15 minutes or more, common during off-hours and for DPS):
Palace of the Dead (falls off hard after level 60)- Heaven-on-High (requires level 61+, falls off at 70)
- Eureka Orthos (requires level 81+, falls off at 90)
- Eureka Orthos is unpopular for leveling.
The Bozjan Southern Front and Zadnor are much more popular for leveling from 71 to 90.
- Eureka Orthos is unpopular for leveling.
- Pilgrim's Traverse (requires level 91+)
- The Bozjan Southern Front and Zadnor (requires 71+, falls off in the 80s)
Eureka does not provide regular PvE Experience like Bozja does. It has its own internal leveling system (
Elemental EXP) and is primarily for completing Stormblood Relic Eurekan Weapons and Eurekan Gear.
Additional, last-ditch options (for horrifically long queues) that are designed to be slower than human players include:
Command Missions: A specific subset of dungeons up to level 57 (for leveling).
The Duty Support System
A Realm Reborn through post-Heavensward Main Scenario dungeons only, as of patch 6.3.
The Trust System
All Shadowbringers, Endwalker, and Dawntrail Main Scenario dungeons, covering levels 71 - 100.
Gear
The very first starter gear set every player should get is the Brand-new Armor from the 
Hall of the Novice training. Even if you scoff at tutorials, the +30% Experience from the Brand-new Ring is worth it.
The primary source of gear between level 15 and 50 will be Dungeon drops. For leveling dungeons, you are guaranteed one piece of gear for your class at the end of the dungeon. It drops directly into your inventory, and must be a piece you do not already have. This gear is Green rarity and has stats like High Quality white (crafted) gear. There is a new dungeon set in each leveling dungeon.
Once you hit level 50 you can begin using 
Poetics Blue gear. This was the last, best purchasable gear from that expansion's endgame. It lets you skip the gear treadmill and will last 5 levels into the next expansion.
Additionally, completion of your Job Quests (and later, Role Quests) nets you a passable set of Artifact Armor. These sets are also Blue rarity and are a decent start if you don't have Poetics gear yet.
If you are flush with 
Gil, you can procure crafted gear from the Market Board. Be sure to only purchase High Quality gear as Normal Quality has a 10% stat penalty. This may not sound like much, but it's enough that level 56 NQ gear will be worse than level 50 Poetics gear! So don't bother with NQ after level 50.