Materia and Soulbinding

As a relatively new player. I'm still fairly confused on this. I know gear has "slots" for materia. But how do you make/acquire it? I know it has something to do with 100% soulbinding your gear, but past that I have absolutely no clue.

If anyone could enlighten me on the steps/process I'd be appreciative.

Well you need first to talk to a Goblin named Mutamix in Thanalan after you reach level 20. Then you get the ability to convert all your gear that is 100% spiritbonded into materia. :) That's how you acquire it. The type of materia you get is depended the the ROLE of the gear it's made from.

So if you are converting a healers item, you get healer materia, caster, caster materia, tanking gear? Tanking materia.. and so on and so forth. Once you convert your equipment into materia it's gone forever. :O

To spiritbond an item you need to do things that are reasonably difficult and gain experience with it. So don't think at level 20 you can just slaughter level one mobs and get spiritbonded.

Im not an expert but the beginning steps are you need to spiritbond your gear, to do this you simply wear it/use it till it reaches 100%. Then you need to raise a class to level 19 to get the quest to convert items into materia from one of the npcs at the bonfire in Thanalan. Once you do this you right click on your item and convert. This turns your items into materia. Next step is you need to have one of your crafting classes at level 19 (excepting Culinarian) and then do the other quest in the same place which will then allow you to bond your materia to new gear. I havent explored too much into melding but thats the basic start up process.

You obtain an item like a shirt.

If you gain any exp the shirt becomes binding and you can't sell or trade it and it starts spirit bonding.

After getting enough exp the shirt spirit bond gets to 100% and now you can turn it into materia.

Materia comes in grades and each grade can be attached to gear matching its level.

To attach materia you need a crafter, the materia you want to attach and a catalyst. Catalysts are glue for materia.

You can attach a maximum of 5 materias to any piece of equipment regardless of the number of slots.

Alrighties. Thanks for the info. As for getting 100% spiritbound, doesn't seem to hard at the moment. Had some already spiritbound pre level 18. O.o

But if the quest lines, things needed is at Thanalan, then I shall watch for it there. Appreciate the replies.

This is a very well made guide for beginners regarding materia system. It may be a bit outdated with P4 changes, but it will definitely teach you the first steps of what you need to know.

http://eorzeareborn.com/a-materia-overview/

How do I add sockets to a piece of gear? Say a piece has 2 spots for materia and I want to add 2 more sockets. How do I do that? Will adding the extra sockets risk me losing the whole piece of gear or just the materia I'm trying to add?

@ftw2177: Thank you for that informative reply. That will very much help me out with my materia melding.

@HiirNoivl Thanks for clearing up the socket part. Was wondering if it would be like wow where a jeweler can just add sockets. At least the materia can still be added. That is what matters.

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Originally Posted by WHS

How do I add sockets to a piece of gear? Say a piece has 2 spots for materia and I want to add 2 more sockets. How do I do that? Will adding the extra sockets risk me losing the whole piece of gear or just the materia I'm trying to add?

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Heard about this on mr happy's you tube channel. apparently there is a forbidden materia quest that allows you to bind two extra slots. the only stated risk involved was to the materia itself and the reagent used could be destroyed if it failed.

Right, you can't add sockets to gear. But you can take a chance and attach more materia than the slots you have. Please keep in mind, the gear's native stats are capped pretty low. So you want to try to do a forbidden meld with something that isn't on the gear already.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WHS

How do I add sockets to a piece of gear? Say a piece has 2 spots for materia and I want to add 2 more sockets. How do I do that? Will adding the extra sockets risk me losing the whole piece of gear or just the materia I'm trying to add?

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You can affix max 5 materia to an item. The number of slots of materia an Item has is the number of materia you can 100% it then it becomes forbidden materia.

Exemple a helmet has 2 slot, then the first 2 materia will be 100% success if you try more they have a chance to fail. But in ARR if you fail a meld you only loose the materia and the matter you do not loose the gear anymore

Also note you need at least 1 materia slot to be able to affix materia
Also please not that each gear got max stats so before melding, make sure that the materia will be used as his full potential

Thanks for all the answers I have been wondering about Materia and I figured someone already asked a question about it so I searched it and here I am. I am glad to know the forums has such polite and helpful people. :)

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Originally Posted by Undrentide

Im not an expert but the beginning steps are you need to spiritbond your gear, to do this you simply wear it/use it till it reaches 100%. Then you need to raise a class to level 19 to get the quest to convert items into materia from one of the npcs at the bonfire in Thanalan. Once you do this you right click on your item and convert. This turns your items into materia. Next step is you need to have one of your crafting classes at level 19 (excepting Culinarian) and then do the other quest in the same place which will then allow you to bond your materia to new gear. I havent explored too much into melding but thats the basic start up process.

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just Crafting class needs tobe 19 not fighting class..it was fun toget in p3..got carpentry to lvl 25 and lancer lvl 17

Some helpful advice here.

Thanks! :)

So just to make sure I'm getting this right, any class can create materia from spirit bound gear once the quest is complete?

It's only affixing materia that requires a crafting class (at 19+)?

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Originally Posted by Undrentide

Next step is you need to have one of your crafting classes at level 19 (excepting Culinarian) and then do the other quest in the same place which will then allow you to bond your materia to new gear.

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You can't do it with every crafting class.
Only a crafter who can also craft the specific gear can put in materia.

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Originally Posted by Bixby

So just to make sure I'm getting this right, any class can create materia from spirit bound gear once the quest is complete?

It's only affixing materia that requires a crafting class (at 19+)?

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correct but here is the precision

1) Once you unlock the convert quest it is true that ANY class can convert gear to materia (when the spiritbond is at 100%)

2) Once you unlock to melding abilities only certain class can meld materia to gear let's take this item per exemple

http://xivdb.com/?item/2938/Gryphonskin-Bandana

Since it's crafted by a Leatherworker, only a Leatherworker can meld materia into that gear

Ah, I sold all my old 100% spirit-bonded gear so far :(

how do you know the max stats each gear can have? per its level?
or should i ask what is the math behind it..?

I was wondering about materia as well so thank you for all the information posted here. Was really helpful.

Looks like I better start working on my crafting classes

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Originally Posted by GhostlySyn

how do you know the max stats each gear can have? per its level?
or should i ask what is the math behind it..?

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Max attributes is based on item level, yes.
What are it's max stats right now is... Well, it is a mystery!

can you only apply materia to your own gear or can crafters attach materia to gear for people if their gear is already soulbound?

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Originally Posted by Veelite

can you only apply materia to your own gear or can crafters attach materia to gear for people if their gear is already soulbound?

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There is a Request Meld feature. You need to actually go up to a crafter, click on him, select Request Meld. Then you put in the materials and the crafter's reward for his work and then he will meld for you. You can't just idle with a meld request flag up in hopes someone will come to you since forbidden melding has negative results (loss of materia) so you need to actively ask someone to meld for you

One thing to keep in mind as well as a new player or a player that doesn't have maxed classes - you may want to hold onto your gear if you plan on leveling other classes that use the same stuff.

Example: You start as an Arcanist, that same gear can be carried over to both Conjurer and Thaumaturge.

Of course if you plan on crafting then you can go back and make the gear again later on as it's needed.