Are there “rules” governing gear “dyeability?”

So, I’ve been wondering this for a while, and people are starting to ask me questions as friends join the game, and all I’ve had to respond with on some fronts are shrugs, so I thought I’d ask here.

Is there like a consistent guideline as it pertains to when to expect dyeability for weapons and armor? It seems so inconsistent to me! This dungeon drop is dyeable but not the next one, this weapon is randomly dyeable but others aren’t. It doesn’t seem to be a line along quality levels or modes of acquisition, it actually seems almost random!

Is there a general line in the sand that I’m missing or is it really just that impossible to predict? Is there something I can tell my friends where to look for dyeable gear and where not to expect it?

If you crafted it, it came from savage raids, or its augmented tomestone gear, you can dye it. The rest is just luck of the draw.

There are general rules but a lot of exceptions to those rules.

Crafted gear other than weapons can be dyed. The few crafted items that can't be dyed usually have a second crafted version in Master recipes that can be dyed.

Crafted weapons usually can't be dyed unless they're considered end game weapons (does not include the crafted trial weapons), which can be dyed. Again, there are exceptions to this as a few of the crafted leveling weapons can be dyed.

Normal tomestone gear and weapons can't be dyed. Augmented tomestone gear and weapons can be dyed.

Normal raid gear can't be dyed. Savage raid gear can be dyed.

Dungeon drops are a mixed bag. Usually they cannot be dyed unless the model is being reused in a later dungeon. Sometimes those reused models can be dyed, sometimes they get a different set dye from the original.

The main consistency for what can be dyed is Augmented Tomestone gear, Savage Raid rewards and Relics past the first step.

Dungeons are probably the worst place to look for dyable gear.

Usually tomestone gear can be dyed once you upgrade it. At first this requires doing savage but after several months you can upgrade it other ways. All of the tomestone gear from previous expansions were changed so that only the dyable versions are sold.

Normal raid gear usually isn't dyable but savage gear usually is.

Crafted gear usually is and job gear sometimes can be augmented but not always.

Everything else depends on if the developers had time. There is a suggestions post that the developers look at when considering what to make dyable.

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Originally Posted by Omedon

So, I’ve been wondering this for a while, and people are starting to ask me questions as friends join the game, and all I’ve had to respond with on some fronts are shrugs, so I thought I’d ask here.

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So if they've just joined the game to add to what everyone else said you can tell them that I think quite a lot of the stuff before Stormblood just wasn't dyeable. Whereas most of the stuff after is. For example Alliance raid gear from SHB is dyeable, but from ARR is not.

Dungeon gear being dyeable is still very arbitrary unfortunately, but with any luck what isn't dyeable as dungeon gear becomes dyeable as leveling gear in the following expansion (with even a chance for some sets to have different job/role assignments as well)

Crafted gear: Generally yes.
8 man raid gear: Normal mode no savage yes.
Tome gear: First uncapped set in the expansion yes, past that only dyable when upgraded.
Alliance raid gear: No except for the Nier raid gear.
Scrip gear: No for the first doh/dol class sets but later ones yess I think? Correct me if I'm wrong here.
Expansion artifact sets: Baseline no, but every expansion has a means of attaining an upgraded dyable version. ARR is via exchanging with crafted items, HW was initially tome gear but not centurio seals, SB artifact sets are upgraded via Eureka: Anemos and eventually becomes dyable. SHB sets you get the dyable version through the Memoria Miserie EX trial that's unlocked early into the Bozja story.
Dungeon sets are hit and miss.
PVP gear usually is, at least the newer stuff not sure about old sets.