Assigning a retainer the dancer job

[Ayuhra]

I have an alt with a retainer I'd like to be a dancer but I am starting to think that might be impossible without buying a Journey.

Bought a Modern Vocation but no option for job switch appears.

Can someone explain this to me like I'm five? Can you really not assign a job to a retainer that already has one?

My problem is the character in question's leveling path looked like this:

THAUM to 30
BLM to 50
SAM to 60
DNC to 80

They have no class high enough to reach DNC

[Jojoya]

Looks like you've figured it out but here's the summary as requested.

A retainer can't have a class or job that the "owning" character does not have. The retainer's level can't exceed the level the character has attained on that class/job.

You only get to assign the retainer a job if it has a class and the level is equal to or greater than the job start level.

If the retainer has already been given a job, it can only be changed by resetting the retainer's progress to a level 1 class and leveling from scratch, or by purchasing a Retainer Journey. If you are unwilling/unable to level a class on a retainer to the starting level of the job you wish to use, the Retainer Journey is your only option.

You're going to have this exact same problem in the future if you decide to stop leveling DNC and switch to a new job being added next expansion.

Personally, I would pick a second job with a base class and keep it leveled on your alt even if it's not going to be your main job. Assign the retainers that base class and don't bother switching to a job since there's no advantage when it comes to venture options and loot tables. Picking a class in the same role as your main job (Archer in this case) will allow you to share role gear between them.

If you're positive you'll continue leveling DNC in the future and don't want to have to level the second job with a base class on your alt, then buy the Journey to be done with the problem. The time it will take to level a second job is probably worth a lot more to you than the $9 the Journey costs.

Is this something SE should fix now that 7 of 17 jobs have no base class and it's possible for 2 of those jobs to be unlocked without having a class at the starting level? Probably. Will they do it? I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Ayuhra]

I was hoping I was wrong, thank you for confirming.

What a weirdly unintuitive system. If retainers are already limited to what the character has done they shouldn't be further limited by being unable to swap from one job to another. It just doesn't feel like that's how it should work.

[Jojoya]

I was hoping I was wrong, thank you for confirming.

What a weirdly unintuitive system. If retainers are already limited to what the character has done they shouldn't be further limited by being unable to swap from one job to another. It just doesn't feel like that's how it should work.

Up until this expansion it wasn't a problem. You needed to have another class/job to level 50 before you could unlock DRK/MCH/AST/RDM/SAM so likely you would have had a retainer with a class at the needed level.

It's only with the addition of DNC and GNB starting at 60 that we're seeing a problem. Players are using jobs without a base class to fill that 10 level gap between 50 and 60 instead of continuing to level with whatever class/job they had gotten to 50 to unlock the rest.

Leaving feedback like you have is a good thing because it points out what's now a flaw in the system. I doubt very much that SE anticipated this happening in the future when retainers were first designed. Maybe they'll fix it next expansion, though like I said I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Sean-bandia]

I have a level 85 dancer and bought the boost for my retainer. The problem is that I cannot boost from nothing to Dancer 80. Dancer is simply not available. I would have to use the boost for another job at a much lower level. Perhaps then I could switch to Dancer with a second boost???? This isn't what I paid for when I bought the boost.

[Jojoya]

What are the current level and class/job for your retainer, and what options are listed when you try to use the boost?

Don't buy a second boost. It should not be necessary.