Reaper Guide — Endwalker 6.3
Reaper is a melee DPS job in Final Fantasy XIV that was introduced in Endwalker, which uses a scythe and their Voidsent power to inflict massive amounts of damage to their enemies. As with all new jobs, they have no base class, instead starting at Level 70.
What is Reaper's Playstyle?
Reaper is a scythe-wielding melee job with a fast-paced burst window and explosive finisher. They wear maiming-style armor focusing on Strength as a core stat.
Reaper comes to battle with a small raid buff and a powerful utility AoE healing ability. Their core gameplay is about using abilities and weaponskills to generate their two main resources: Soul and Shroud. Once they obtain enough Shroud they can enter a powerful and fast burst window that ends with a large AoE nuke. The job has an incredibly flexible burst window and most optimizations will be centered around placing more damage into party buffs. It is an easy to play but difficult to master-style job with a lot of gains from optimizations.
Reaper Strengths and Weaknesses
Flexible burst window
Fewest positionals out of all melee
Strong AoE healing tool
Easy-to-use disengage and re-engage tool
Odd timings make a perfect rotation impossible
Must maintain a debuff on enemies at all times
Ability cooldowns may drift due to resource generation
How to Unlock Reaper?
In order to unlock Reaper, you must be at least Level 70 on one Discipline of Magic or War job and own the Endwalker Expansion. Once you meet those prerequisites, head on over to Ul'dah, Steps of Nald (X: 12.8, Y:8.6) and speak with the Flustered Attendant and accept the quest "The Killer Instinct". Complete the quest and you will be rewarded with the Reaper job stone.
Reaper Gauges

The Soul and Shroud Gauge displays your current amount of Soul (top red) and
your current amount of Shroud (bottom blue). You generate Soul by doing your
weaponskills from your basic combo
( Slice,
Waxing Slice,
Infernal Slice,
Spinning Scythe,
Nightmare Scythe), Soul-type
weaponskills (
Soul Slice,
Soul Scythe), or from
enemies who perish with the Death's Design debuff up.
Soul is spent on
Blood Stalk,
Grim Swathe,
Unveiled Gallows,
Unveiled Gibbet or
Gluttony, each of which will allow you to use your certain
shroud building weaponskills.
Shroud is built by using
Gibbet,
Gallows,
Guillotine
or
Plentiful Harvest.

The Death Gauge unlocks at Level 80 when you learn the ability Enshroud. You spend 50 shroud to enter Enshroud
and gain access to some strong new abilities. The Lemure Orbs (blue ones) are spent on strong weaponskills like
Void Reaping,
Cross Reaping,
Grim Reaping, and
Communio. Spending a Lemure Orb will generate a Void Orb (purple ones) and you can spend
two of them on the abilities
Lemure's Slice and
Lemure's Scythe.
Reaper Video Resources
If you would prefer to watch a video that provides an overview of Reaper, feel free to give the video below a watch. The video was provided by Julia Care, a member of the community on The Balance Discord server.
Reaper Actions
Action Name |
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Effect |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 320. Additional Effect: Increases Soul Gauge by 10 |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 160. Combo Action: Slice Combo Potency: 400 Combo Bonus: Increases Soul Gauge by 10 |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 300. Additional Effect: Afflicts target with Death's Design, increasing damage you deal target by 10% Duration: 30s Extends duration of Death's Design by 30s to a maximum of 60s. Additional Effect: Increases Soul Gauge by 10 if target is KO'd before effect expires |
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Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 300. |
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Quickly dash 15 yalms backwards. Additional Effect: Allows next Harpe to be cast immediately Duration: 20s Additional Effect: Leaves behind a Hellsgate at point of origin, and grants Threshold to self Duration: 10s Cannot be executed while bound. Shares a recast timer with Hell's Ingress. |
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Quickly dash 15 yalms forward. Additional Effect: Allows next Harpe to be cast immediately Duration: 20s Additional Effect: Leaves behind a Hellsgate at point of origin, and grants Threshold to self Duration: 10s Cannot be executed while bound. Shares a recast timer with Hell's Egress. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 140 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Increases Soul Gauge by 10 |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 180. Combo Action: Waxing Slice Combo Potency: 500 Combo Bonus: Increases Soul Gauge by 10 |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Afflicts target with Death's Design, increasing damage you deal target by 10% Duration: 30s Extends duration of Death's Design by 30s to a maximum of 60s. Additional Effect: Increases Soul Gauge by 10 if target is KO'd before effect expires |
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Grants Crest of Time Borrowed to self, creating a barrier that nullifies damage totaling up to 10% of maximum HP. Duration: 5s Grants Crest of Time Returned to self and nearby party members within a radius of 15 yalms when barrier is completely absorbed. Crest of Time Returned Effect: Gradually restores HP Cure Potency: 50 Duration: 15s |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 120 to all nearby enemies. Combo Action: Spinning Scythe Combo Potency: 180 Combo Bonus: Increases Soul Gauge by 10 |
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Summons your avatar to deliver an attack with a potency of 340. Additional Effect: Grants Soul Reaver Duration: 30s Stack count will be reduced to 1 when already under the effect of Soul Reaver. Soul Gauge Cost: 50 Shares a recast timer with all avatar attacks except Gluttony. ※Action changes to Lemure's Slice while under the effect of Enshrouded. |
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Summons your avatar to deliver an attack with a potency of 140 to all enemies in a cone before you. Additional Effect: Grants Soul Reaver Duration: 30s Stack count will be reduced to 1 when already under the effect of Soul Reaver. Soul Gauge Cost: 50 Shares a recast timer with all avatar attacks except Gluttony. ※Action changes to Lemure's Scythe while under the effect of Enshrouded. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 460. Additional Effect: Increases Soul Gauge by 50 Maximum Charges: 2 Shares a recast timer with Soul Scythe. Recast timer cannot be affected by status effects or gear attributes. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 180 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Increases Soul Gauge by 50 Maximum Charges: 2 Shares a recast timer with Soul Slice. Recast timer cannot be affected by status effects or gear attributes. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 400. 460 when executed from a target's rear. Enhanced Gallows Potency: 460 Rear Enhanced Potency: 520 Additional Effect: Grants Enhanced Gibbet Duration: 60s The action Blood Stalk changes to Unveiled Gibbet while under the effect of Enhanced Gibbet. Additional Effect: Increases Shroud Gauge by 10 Can only be executed while under the effect of Soul Reaver. ※Action changes to Cross Reaping while under the effect of Enshrouded. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 400. 460 when executed from a target's flank. Enhanced Gibbet Potency: 460 Flank Enhanced Potency: 520 Additional Effect: Grants Enhanced Gallows Duration: 60s The action Blood Stalk changes to Unveiled Gallows while under the effect of Enhanced Gallows. Additional Effect: Increases Shroud Gauge by 10 Can only be executed while under the effect of Soul Reaver. ※Action changes to Void Reaping while under the effect of Enshrouded. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 200 to all enemies in a cone before you. Additional Effect: Increases Shroud Gauge by 10 Can only be executed while under the effect of Soul Reaver. ※Action changes to Grim Reaping while under the effect of Enshrouded. |
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Summons your avatar to deliver an attack with a potency of 400. Additional Effect: Grants Soul Reaver Duration: 30s Stack count will be reduced to 1 when already under the effect of Soul Reaver. Soul Gauge Cost: 50 Can only be executed while under the effect of Enhanced Gallows. Shares a recast timer with all avatar attacks except Gluttony. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Summons your avatar to deliver an attack with a potency of 400. Additional Effect: Grants Soul Reaver Duration: 30s Stack count will be reduced to 1 when already under the effect of Soul Reaver. Soul Gauge Cost: 50 Can only be executed while under the effect of Enhanced Gibbet. Shares a recast timer with all avatar attacks except Gluttony. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Increases damage dealt by self and nearby party members by 3%. Duration: 20s Additional Effect: Grants Circle of Sacrifice to self and nearby party members Duration: 5s Additional Effect: Grants Bloodsown Circle to self Duration: 6s Circle of Sacrifice Effect: When you or party members under this effect successfully land a weaponskill or cast a spell, the reaper who applied it may be granted a stack of Immortal Sacrifice, up to a maximum of 8 Duration: 30s Bloodsown Circle Effect: Allows you to accumulate stacks of Immortal Sacrifice from party members under the effect of your Circle of Sacrifice |
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Move instantly to the Hellsgate left behind by you. Can only be executed while under the effect of Threshold. Cannot be executed while bound. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Summons your avatar to deal unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 500 for the first enemy, and 25% less for all remaining enemies. Additional Effect: Grants 2 stacks of Soul Reaver Duration: 30s Soul Gauge Cost: 50 |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 460. Enhanced Cross Reaping Potency: 520 Additional Effect: Grants Enhanced Void Reaping Duration: 30s Additional Effect: Grants Void Shroud Can only be executed while under the effect of Lemure Shroud. Lemure Shroud Cost: 1 This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Offers your flesh as a vessel to your avatar, gaining maximum stacks of Lemure Shroud. Duration: 30s Certain actions cannot be executed while playing host to your avatar. Shroud Gauge Cost: 50 |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 200 to all enemies in a cone before you. Additional Effect: Grants Void Shroud Can only be executed while under the effect of Enshrouded. Lemure Shroud Cost: 1 This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 460. Enhanced Void Reaping Potency: 520 Additional Effect: Grants Enhanced Cross Reaping Duration: 30s Additional Effect: Grants Void Shroud Can only be executed while under the effect of Enshrouded. Recast timer cannot be affected by status effects or gear attributes. Lemure Shroud Cost: 1 This action does not share a recast timer with any other actions. Upon execution, the recast timer for this action will be applied to all other weaponskills and magic actions. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Deals unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 600 for the first enemy, and 50% less for all remaining enemies. Can only be executed while under the effect of Soulsow. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Grants Soulsow to self, changing the action to Harvest Moon. Cast time is instant when used outside of battle. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 to all enemies in a cone before you. Void Shroud Cost: 2 Shares a recast timer with Lemure's Slice. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Delivers an attack with a potency of 220. Void Shroud Cost: 2 Shares a recast timer with Lemure's Scythe. ※This action cannot be assigned to a hotbar. |
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Delivers an attack to all enemies in a straight line before you with a potency of 720 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Immortal Sacrifice Cost: 1 stack Potency increases up to 1,000 as stacks of Immortal Sacrifice exceed minimum cost. Additional Effect: Increases Shroud Gauge by 50 Cannot be executed while under the effect of Bloodsown Circle. Consumes all stacks of Immortal Sacrifice upon execution. |
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Deals unaspected damage to target and all enemies nearby it with a potency of 1,100 for the first enemy, and 60% less for all remaining enemies. Enshrouded effect expires upon execution. Requires at least one stack of Lemure Shroud to execute. |
Role Actions
Action Name |
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Effect |
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Instantly restores own HP. Cure Potency: 500 |
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Stuns target. Duration: 3s |
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Converts a portion of physical damage dealt into HP. Duration: 20s |
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Lowers target's physical damage dealt by 10% and magic damage dealt by 5%. Duration: 10s |
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Creates a barrier nullifying most knockback and draw-in effects. Duration: 6s Additional Effect: Slow +20% when barrier is struck Duration: 15s |
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Nullifies all action direction requirements. Duration: 10s Maximum Charges: 2 |
Reaper Traits
Action Name | Acquired | Effect |
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Lv. 50 |
Allows for Soul Gauge accumulation upon the landing of certain actions, or defeating enemies under the effect of Death's Design. |
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Lv. 60 |
Increases the potency of Slice to 300, Waxing Slice to 140, Shadow of Death to 300, Harpe to 300, Spinning Scythe to 140, Infernal Slice to 140, Whorl of Death to 100, and Nightmare Scythe to 120. |
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Lv. 70 |
Grants the effect of Soul Reaver upon successfully landing Blood Stalk or Grim Swathe. Duration: 30s Effect ends upon execution of any weaponskill or magic attack. |
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Lv. 74 |
Upon executing Hell's Ingress or Hell's Egress, leave behind a Hellsgate and grant Threshold to self. Duration: 10s Hell's Ingress changes to Regress after executing Hell's Egress, and vice versa. |
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Lv. 78 |
Allows the accumulation of charges for consecutive uses of Soul Slice and Soul Scythe. Maximum Charges: 2 |
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Lv. 80 |
Allows for Shroud Gauge accumulation upon the landing of Gibbet, Gallows, or Guillotine. |
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Lv. 84 |
Grants Crest of Time Returned to self and nearby party members, gradually restoring HP over time. This effect is only granted when the Crest of Time Borrowed barrier is completely absorbed. Cure Potency: 50 Duration: 15s |
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Lv. 84 |
Increases the potency of Slice to 320, Waxing Slice to 160, and Infernal Slice to 180. |
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Lv. 86 |
Grants Void Shroud upon landing Void Reaping, Cross Reaping, or Grim Reaping. |
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Lv. 88 |
Grants Circle of Sacrifice to you and nearby party members upon executing Arcane Circle. Duration: 5s When you or party members under this effect successfully land a weaponskill or cast a spell, you may gain a stack of Immortal Sacrifice, up to a maximum of 8. Duration: 30s Also grants Bloodsown Circle to self, allowing you to receive stacks of Immortal Sacrifice from party members under the effect of your Circle of Sacrifice. Duration: 6s |
Reaper Lore
The Garleans' forebears were once humble farmers who made their home among the sun-drenched fields of southern Ilsabard. That was, until they were driven from this paradise by invaders wielding arcane magicks. Forced north into the frigid mountains, the survivors sought a means to tap into the reservoir of aether otherwise closed to them. A daring few found their answer within the void, binding themselves to its creatures to gain verboten power─power fed by the souls of the slain. Once more they took up their scythes, this time to reap a crimson harvest.
Changelog
- 11 Jan. 2023 (how to improve page): Updated for Patch 6.3
- 11 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Updated for Patch 6.3
- 11 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 6.3
- 11 Jan. 2023 (Leveling page): Updated for Patch 6.3
- 11 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Updated for Patch 6.3
- 11 Jan. 2023 (melding page): Updated for Patch 6.3
- 11 Jan. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 6.3
- 20 Apr. 2022 (Asphodelos page): Updated for Patch 6.1
- 20 Apr. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Patch 6.1
- 20 Apr. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Patch 6.1
- 20 Apr. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 6.1
- 20 Apr. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Patch 6.1
- 20 Apr. 2022 (melding page): Updated for Patch 6.1
- 20 Apr. 2022 (this page): Updated for Patch 6.1
- 27 Mar. 2022 (Asphodelos page): Guide added.
- 27 Mar. 2022 (Leveling page): Guide added.
- 03 Jan. 2022 (this page): Page added.
- 02 Dec. 2021 (how to improve page): Guide added.
- 02 Dec. 2021 (FAQ page): Guide added.
- 02 Dec. 2021 (rotation page): Guide added.
- 02 Dec. 2021 (melding page): Guide added.
- 11 Feb. 2021 (gear page): Guide added.
Guides from Other Classes
Ellunavi Sevald is a Veteran FFXIV player who was been theorycrafting since 1.0. He has cleared all three of the ultimate fights the game has to offer and has participated successfully in week one raid groups. He has also high parses for multiple jobs, across multiple raid tiers. He is currently a Reaper Mentor and Senior Moderator on the Balance Discord. He streams on Twitch, as well as leading some of the streams on Twitch for the Balance.
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