Octopath Traveler Overview: Jobs

As you are introduced to more characters in Octopath Traveler, you will be introduced to their specific jobs as well. Each character will have a primary job, or class. As you go along your way on your journeys, you will also encounter shrines that allow you to assign secondary jobs to your travelers in addition to their primary Octopath Traveler Job.

This article will give you an understanding of the different jobs, how to choose your character’s secondary job, as well as give you information about “secret jobs”. (Haven’t decided on what character to start with yet? Check out our article on how to choose the best traveler to start with!)

A Note On Skills

Each character has two skills that are unlocked from the beginning, and the next six skills will have to be unlocked using job points that are given throughout the story. However, each skill gets progressively more expensive as the game goes on. (The 3rd skill costs 30 JP, the 4th skill costs 100 JP, the 5th skill costs 500 JP, the 6th skill costs 1000, and the 7th Skill costs 3000 JP)

The last skill you will unlock is known as the Divine Skill, and is only made apparent when all of the other skills has been unlocked. These skills do an incredible amount of damage to your enemies. The Divine skills will set you back 5000 JP.

After you have unlocked the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh active skills, you will also unlock passive skills. These skills do not cost job points nor do they cost SP.

Apothecary

Those who have the job of Apothecary are known for their abilities to make healing potions to aid their teammates. Beyond their healing powers, apothecaries also have an axe to use initially. Their elemental damage is ice.

Active Skills

• First Aid- the first skill that is unlocked. It is free to unlock and costs 4 SP per use. This skill provides HP to one of your teammates.
• Icicle- the second skill that is unlocked and costs 7 SP to use. As the name suggests, this skill does ice damage to one foe.
• Rehabilitate- this skill costs 10 SP to use. This ability heals one of your teammates of any ailments, and protects them from suffering from additional ailments for 2 more turns.
• Amputation- this skill takes 8 SP to use. This skill uses an axe and deals damage to one foe.
• Empoison- this skill costs 6 SP to use. Not surprisingly, this action poisons one enemy for 2 turns.
• Vivify- this skill costs 16 SP to use. Another healing action, it will heal a single ally.
• Last Stand- this skill takes 16 SP to use. Another axe attack, this skill attacks all foes and how much damage is dealt is related to your HP level. The lower your HP level, the higher your damage will be, and vice-versa.
• Daughters Charity- This is the divine skill, and costs 30 SP per use. To use this, choose one ally, and for the next 3 turns, the item of your choice will impact everyone.

Passive Skills

• Inspiration- Unlocked after 4th active skill. After a successful attack, you will gain back 1% SP as compared to the HP damage you dealt to a foe.
• Hale and Hearty- Unlocked after 5th active skill. Permanently increases your 500 HP maximum.
• Resist Ailments- Unlocked after 6th active skill. As the name suggests, your characters resistance to ailments (sleep, blindness, confusion, poison, unconsciousness, terror, or silence) increases.
• Heightened Healing- Unlocked after 7th active skill. When an ally heals you, your SP increases by 30% as well.

Initially, the only person in your party who is an apothecary is Alfyn. When you find Dohter, the Charitable, you will be able to assign another character a secondary job of an apothecary. You can find Dohter in East Saintbridge Traverse.

Apothecaries are known for their increase in maximum HP. While you can give any character apothecary as a secondary job, those with the initial job of cleric (Ophilia), scholar (Cyrus), dancer (Primrose), hunter (H’aanit), or thief (Therion) would benefit the most from maximum HP boost.

Cleric

Clerics, like Apothecaries, are known for their ability to heal themselves and others on their team. Their talents do not lie so much on their abilities to harm their enemies, but rather aid their teammates in battle. Damage clerics can do is done with light or staves.

Active Skills

• Heal Wounds- free to unlock and costs 8 SP per use. This move revives all of your active players HP.
• Holy Light- free to unlock and costs 6 SP per use. This move will target a single foe and deliver light based damage.
• Sheltering Veil- this skill costs 6 SP per use. This move will allow you to chose one ally and increase their elemental defense for 2 turns.
• Luminescence- this skill cost 9 SP per use. This move will attack all foes with light based damage.
• Heal More- this costs 25 SP, but restores a hefty amount of all of your ally’s HP.
• Reflective Viel- costs 22 SP per use, and allows you to choose one ally to reflect one elemental attack.
• Revive- this skill costs 50 SP, but it will revive all of your allies that have become incapacitated. This skill can definitely be a game changer in late stage battle.
• Aelfric’s Auspices- This is the Divine Skill of the Cleric. This skill costs 30 SP and allows you to choose one ally, and for the next three turns, any skill they use will be used twice. Unfortunately, this skill cannot combined on top of another traveler’s divine skill.

Passive Skills

• Persistence- Unlocked after unlocking 4 active skills. This skill will increase the number of turns you can use a status enhancement.
• Inner Strength- Unlocked after unlocking 5 active skills. This skill will further increase your SP by 50.
• Evil Ward- Unlocked after unlocking 6 active skills. This skill will help you be more successful when attempting to flee a battle.
• Saving Grace- Unlocked after unlocking 7 active skills. This allows you to be healed even further than the level of your current HP bar.

Initially, Ophilia is the only character on your team that takes the role of the Cleric. You can visit Aelfric, the Flamebringer in the Western Stillsnow Wilds to unlock this job as a secondary for your other travelers.

Clerics are best known for their maximum SP, and while any character can definitely use some more SP, the travelers that will benefit from increased SP the most are the warrior (Olberic), the dancer (Primrose), the Apothecary (Alfyn), Thief (Therion), and Hunter (H’aanit).

Dancer

At hearing the job the Dancer, you may assume this job is fairly passive or healing based, but in reality, those with this job truly do pack a punch. They use dark magic to deal damage and wield a daggers, as well as have many skills to aid other members of the team.

Active Skills

• Lion Dance- Costs 4 SP to use and is free to unlock. This skill makes one of your ally’s physical attacks stronger for the next two turns.
• Moonlight Waltz- costs 7 SP to use and is free to unlock. This will deal dark damage to one of your enemies.
• Peacock Strut- costs 4 SP to use, and will increase one of your ally’s elemental attacks or the next two rounds.
• Mole Dance- costs 4 SP to use, and will allow you to choose one of your ally’s to increase their physical attack for 2 turns.
• Night Ode- costs 10 SP to use, and damages all foes with dark magic.
• Panther Dance- costs 4 SP to use, and will allow you to choose one of your ally’s and increases their speed for the next two rounds.
• Bewildering grace- costs 25 SP per use, and can have a wide variety of different outcomes attached with it. However, you never really know what you might get, and whether the outcome will be beneficial or harmful to your team.
• Sealticge’s Seduction- this skill costs 30 SP per use, and is the Divine Skill of the Dancer. This skill allows you to choose one of your teammates and for their next 3 turns, any skill they use will target all of your enemies, not just one.

Passive Skills

• The Show Goes On- Unlocked after unlocking 4 active skills. This allows the skills you grant to your teammates to go on for one additional turn.
• Eye for an Eye- Unlocked after unlocking 5 active skills. This increases your chances of successfully counterattacking when a foe uses a physical attack against you.
• Second Wind- Unlocked after unlocking 6 active skills. After each turn, you will gain back a portion of your SP.
• Encore- Unlocked after unlocking 7 active skills. This can only be used once per battle, but if you have become completely incapacitated, this will give you back 25% of your maximum HP.

The first dancer you will come across is Primrose, but you can unlock this job for another character’s secondary job by meeting Sealticge, Lady of Grace at her shrine in the Northern Wellspring Sands.

The dancer has high levels of speed and evasion, so this would be a good secondary job for those who have high levels of HP, such as the Merchant (Tressa), The Warrior (Olberic), or the Apothecary (Alfyn). It would also be a good secondary for those with high levels of SP, like the Cleric (Ophelia) and the Scholar (Cyrus).

Hunter

If you assumed that the Hunter is a good individual to have on your team in battle, that would be a correct assumption. Hunters start out with axes and bows for their weapons, and H’aanit starts out with a Mountain Lion sidekick, Linde, that does significant damage in early battles and does not cost SP to use. (Linde’s does not level up as quickly as her master, but her attack combined with battle points boost is certainly impressive).

Active Skills

• Rain of Arrows- Costs 8 SP to use and is free to unlock. This does bow damage to a random foe 5 to 8 times.
• True Strike- costs 10 SP to use and is free to unlock. This does a significant amount of damage to one of your enemies using a bow.
• Thunderbird- costs 7 SP to use. This will allow you to attack a single foe with lightning damage.
• \Leghold trap- costs 6 SP to use. This changes the turn order of one of your foes to the very end for the next two turns.
• Mercy Strike- costs 4 SP to use. Attacks one foe with a bow. If this attack would have been lethal, your foe is left with 1 HP.
• Arrowstorm- costs 24 SP to use, and targets all enemies with a bow 5 to 8 times.
• Take Aim- costs 8 SP to use, and increases all of your teammates accuracy for the next two turns.
• Draefendi’s Rage- the divine skill of the Hunter, and costs 30 SP. This skill is a very strong bow attack that targets all foes.

Passive Skills

• Heighten Senses- Unlocked after 4 active skills. Increases the chance that your team will attack first in battle.
• Eagle Eve- Unlocked after 5 active skill. Increases the critical rate by 50.
• Second Serving- Unlocked after 6 active skills. Increases the chance that your character will attack twice in a single turn by 50%.
• Patience- Unlocked after 7 active skills. This increases that chance your traveler will be able to attack again at the end of the turn order by 25%.

As mentioned above, H’aanit starts out with the job of a Hunter, also sometimes referred to as a Ranger. You can find the shrine of Draefendi, The Huntress, in the East Victors Hollow Trail, in order to unlock this job for other travelers.

The Hunter’s physical attack levels are high, so adding that to a traveler who is speedy and evasive, like the Dancer (Primrose) could be particularly beneficial. The Hunter also has a higher level of accuracy in landing her attacks, so adding that as a secondary job to the Warrior (Olberic) would only increase his potency in battle.

Merchant

The Merchant loves their money and a good adventure, and having a Merchant on your team as an Octopath Traveler Job will help you to find hidden money. Their weapons are polearms and bows.

Active Skills

• Collect- free to unlock and costs 2 SP per use. This takes money from one enemy.
• Tradewinds- free to unlock and costs 7 SP per use. This will target one foe and cause wind damage.
• Rest- 0 SP to use and restores your own SP and HP. Also cures any ailments.
• Trade Tempest- costs 10 SP per use, and damages all your foes with wind damage.
• Donate BP- costs 3 SP, and allows you to transfer one battle point to another teammate.
• Sidestep- costs 10 SP and allows you to dodge a physical attack is 100% accuracy.
• Hired Help- costs 0 SP, but will cost you money. Gives you the ability to summon more help into battle.
• Bifelgan’s Bounty- this is the divine skill of the Merchant and will cost you 30 SP per use. This will allow you to receive money from a foe as a result of the damage given in a non-elemental attack.

Passive Skills

• Endless Items- unlocked after 4 active skills. This gives you a 25% chance that when using an item, the item will not be depleted.
• Grows on Trees- unlocked after 5 active skills. This give you even more money as a reward after a battle.
• Hang Tough- Unlocked after 6 active skills. This allows you to retain 1 HP even after a lethal attack.
• SP Saver- unlocked after 7 active skills. This allows you to use 50% less SP.

Tressa is a merchant as her main character, but you can find the shrine of Biflgran, the Trader, on Moonstruck Coast in order to assign the Merchant as a secondary job to another one of your travelers.

Merchants have decent levels of both SP and HP, so you can use them in a couple of different ways. You could assign a warrior (Olberic) a secondary job as a Merchant to even further boost his HP as well as provide him with more SP for use in battle. You could also assign this role to a dancer (Primrose), who has speed and evasion going for her but little HP or SP comparatively. You could also assign the Cleric (Ophelia) or the Scholar (Cyrus) the secondary job of the merchant, in order to even further increase their SP while providing them with more HP.

Scholar

Scholars are particularly good at using elemental damage, and their attacks always target all of the foes. They also use staves as their weapons.

Active Skills

• Fireball- Costs 8 SP per use and is free to unlock. This targets all foes with fire damage.
• Icewind- Costs 8 SP per use and is free to unlock. This targets all foes with ice damage.
• Lightning Bolt- Costs 8 SP per use. This targets all foes with lightning damage.
• Analyze- Costs 1 SP per use. This allows you to select one foe and see their remaining HP as well as uncovering one additional weakness.
• Firestorm- Costs 22 SP per use. Deals two rounds of fire damage to all foes.
• Blizzard- Cost 22 SP per use. Deals two rounds of ice damage to all foes.
• Lightning Blast- Costs 22 SP per use. Deals two rounds of lightning damage to all foes.
• Alephan’s Enlightenment- Costs 30 SP per use and is the Divine Skill of the Scholar. This allows you to designate one teammate, and one of their skills that usually targets all foes will instead target one foe with a much higher damage.

Passive Skills

• Evasive Maneuvers- unlocked after 4 active skills. Makes it less likely that you will encounter battles while traveling in the wilderness.
• Elemental Augmentations- unlocked after 5 active skills. Increases the elemental attack strength.
• Percipience- unlocked after 6 active skills. Prevents your team from being surprised by foes.
• Vim and Vigor- unlocked after 7 active skills. Allows you to regain some of your HP after every turn.

Cyrus is the first Cleric you will come across, and chances are you will quickly find yourself keeping him in your team’s rotation in battle due to his heavy damage inflicted on foes, particularly when battle points are used. You can find the Shrine of Alephan, the Scholarking, in the Western Noblecourt Flats to unlock the scholar as a secondary job.

Since the Scholar’s elemental attack is so strong, this is a wise choice as a secondary job for those who do not have much elemental power, such as the Warrior (Olberic), the Thief (Therion), or the Hunter (H’aanit). The Scholar is also high in SP, which would help the Warrior, the Thief, and the Hunter, as well as the Dancer (Primrose) and the Apothecary (Alfyn).

Thief

As the name suggest, a thief is quick in battle, and uses a lot of physical attacks to damage their foes. They also have swords and daggers at their disposal.

Active Skills

• Steal- costs 2 SP per use and is free to unlock. This takes an item from one enemy.
• Wildfire- Costs 7 SP per use and is free to unlock. This targets one enemy with heavy fire damage.
• HP Thief- Costs 6 SP per use. This gives one foe double damage with a dagger, and then gives back part of the HP dealt.
• Shackle Foe- Costs 4 SP per use. This allows you to choose one foe and their physical attacks will be reduced for 2 turns.
• Armor Corrosive- Costs 4 SP per use. This allows you to choose one foe and decrease their defense for the next 2 turns.
• Steal SP- Costs 6 SP per use. Attacks one of your enemies with a dagger twice, and gives back SP in relationship to the damage dealt.
• Share SP- Costs 0 SP to use. Allows you to choose one ally and it gives them the equivalent of 50% of your current SP.
• Aeber’s Reckoning- Costs 30 SP to use and is the Divine Skill of the thief. Attacks all foes with a dagger, and deals damage according to your speed.

Passive Skills

• Incidental Attack- unlocked after 4 active skills. When using a skill on a foe that doesn’t deal damage, there is an increased risk of attacking as well.
• Fleetfoot- Unlocked after 5 active skills. Increases your speed by 50.
• Snatch- Unlocked after 6 active skills. This will double the amount of money or items you recieve when stealing.
• Insult to Injury- unlocked after 7 active skills. When using a skill that will result in ailments, the effects last for one additional turn.

The Shrine of the Prince of Thieves, and the guardian, Aeber, the Prince of Thieves can be found in the South Quarrycrest Pass.

Thieves are have higher levels off sped and evasion than most of the characters, and has a high level of accuracy as well. Many characters can benefit from increased levels of all three, including the Cleric (Ophelia), the Scholar (Cyrus), the Merchant (Tressa), the Warrior (Olberic), and the Apothecary (Alfyn).

Warrior

A warrior is an obvious choice for those who are looking for a character who is strong in battle. They have the weapons of a sword and a polearm at their disposal as well.

Active Skills

• Level Slash- This skill is free to unlock and costs 9 SP per use. This deals a sword attack to all of your enemies.
• Abide- This skill is free to unlock and costs 4 SP per use. This ups your physical attack for the next 3 rounds.
• Spearhead- This skill costs 6 SP to use. This attacks one enemy with your polearm, and moves you to the front of the turn order in the next round.
• Incite- This costs 4 SP to use. This makes your enemies target you instead of your allies for the next 3 turns.
• Cross Strike- This skill costs 12 SP to use. This allows you to choose one enemy and deal a sword attack.
• Stout Wall- This skill cost 4 SP per use. This will increase your defense for the next three rounds.
• Thousand Spears- This skill costs 20 SP per use. This attacks various foes 5 to 10 times with your polearm weapon.
• Brand’s Thunder- This is the Divine Skill of the Warrior and costs 30 SP per use. This allows you to attack one single foe with a particularly damaging sword attack.

Passive Skills

• Cover- unlocked after the 4th active skill. This will allow you to take damage for other teammates who are near death.
• Summon Strength- unlocked after the 5th active skill. Increases your physical attack strength.
• Endure- unlocked after the 6th active skill. When you have been inflicted with an ailment, your defences are increased.
• Surpassing Power- unlocked after the 7th active skill. Increases the maximum damage to 99,999.

Your first traveler who is a warrior will be Olberic. You can visit Brand, the Thunderblade, at the Shrine of the Thunderblade in the North Stonegard Pass.

The warrior has very high levels of HP, physical attack, and physical defense. These additional skills would be beneficial for the Cleric (Ophelia), the Scholar (Cyrus) and the Dancer (Primrose).

The following jobs are secret jobs, and can only be achieved by visiting the specific shrines around the 4 corners of the world.

Starseer

This job can only be given as a secondary job after visiting the Shrine of the Starseer. You will need to go through a level 50 dungeon and defeat a level 50 boss, Steorra in order to access the right to use this job. This shrine is in the Flatlands, in the Western Whispermill Flats.

Active Skills

• Shoot Stars- Costs 35 SP to use. This will target all enemies with light, dark, and wind damage.
• BP Boost- Costs 25 SP to use. Gives an ally two boost points for the next two turns.
• Divination- Costs 25 SP to use. Gives an ally an increase for their critical hits for the next two rounds.
• Starsong- Costs 25 SP to use. Increases the defense, speed, and evasion of one single teammate for the next two rounds.
• Celestial Intervention- For two turns, a single teammate will not be impacted by ailments.
• Ethereal Healing- Costs 25 SP to use. Your entire team will receive HP boosts after the next two rounds.
• Moon’s Reflection- Costs 30 SP to use. This gives a teammate the ability to counter damage once.
• Steorra’s Prophecy- Costs 50 SP to use and the Starseer’s divine skill. Attacks all enemies and the damage done is related to the your teams number of BP.

Passive Skills

• Hard worker- unlocked after 4 active skills are unlocked. Increased amount of JP earned.
• Boost-Start- unlocked after 5 active skills are unlocked. Get 2 BP at the start of battle.
• BP Eater- unlocked after 6 active skills are unlocked. Allows the character to deliver more damage.
• Divine Aura- unlocked after 7 active skills are unlocked. Increased chance that you will not take damage during an attack.

Runelord

The Runelord secondary job is unlocked after the completing the Shrine of Runelord. This shrine is accessible after facing a level 50 dungeon, and facing Balogar, a level 50 boss. This shrine is located in the Highlands, in the West Everhold Pass.

Active Skills

• Fire Rune- costs 15 SP per use. Any weapon attack for this character for the next three turns will deal fire damage as well.
• Ice Rune- costs 15 SP per use. Any weapon attack for this character for the next three turns will deal ice damage as well.
• Lightning Rune- costs 15 SP per use. Any weapon attack for this character for the next three turns will deal Lightning damage as well.
• Wind Rune- costs 15 SP per use. Any weapon attack for this character for the next three turns will deal wind damage as well.
• Light Rune- costs 15 SP per use. Any weapon attack for this character for the next three turns will deal light damage as well.
• Dark Rune- costs 15 SP per use. Any weapon attack for this character for the next three turns will deal dark damage as well.
• Transfer Rune- costs 25 SP per use. For the next three turns, you will share your skills with your allies.
• Balogar’s Blade- costs 50 SP per use and is the divine skill for the Runelord. One single foe will take damage from each of the six elements (dark, light, wind, lightning, ice, and fire).

Passive Skills

• Stat Swap- unlocked after 4 active skills are unlocked. Swaps the elemental attack and physical attack strengths.
• SP Recovery- unlocked after 5 active skills are unlocked. Receive SP back after taking damage from a foe.
• Dauntless- unlocked after 6 active skills are unlocked. When struggling with an ailment, you will gain attack strength.
• Elemental Edge- unlocked after 7 active skill are unlocked. Gain attack and defence strength in battle.

Warmaster

In order to unlock the Warmaster job, you must face the level 50 dungeon and defeat Winnehild, a level 50 boss at the Shrine of the Warmaster. You can find this shrine in the Riverlands, in the North Riverford Traverse.

Active Skills

• Guardian Liondog- Costs 35 SP per use. Randomly targets foes and attacks them 5 to 10 times with a sword.
• Tiger Rage- Costs 35 SP per use. Targets all foes with an axe attack.
• Qilin’s Horn- Costs 35 SP per use. Attacks a single foe with a polearm.
• Yatagarasu- Costs 35 SP per use. Attacks all foes with a dagger.
• Fox Spirit- Costs 35 SP per use. Attacks all foes with a staff.
• Phoenix Storm- Costs 35 SP per use. Attacks all foes with a bow.
• Nightmare Chimera- Costs 35 SP per use. Allows you to choose one foe and choose any weapon to use against them. This move destroys this weapon.
• Winnehild’s Battle Cry- Costs 50 SP per use and is the Divine Skill of the Warmaster. This move allows you to deal all weapons damage on all enemies.

Passive Skills

• Extra Experience- unlocked after 4th active skill. Receive increased experience.
• Stalwart Defense- unlocked after 5th active skill. Defense is increased by 50.
• Fortitude- unlocked after 6th active skill. The amount of damage you deal to an enemy is related to how low your HP is.
• Physical Prowess- unlocked after 7th active skill. Increases your attack and defense strength.

Sorcerer

You can find the Shrine of the Archmagus in the far Woodlands, and is located specifically in the East Duskbarrow Trail. You will have to go through a level 50 dungeon, and face off against Dreisang, a level 50 boss in order to unlock this secret secondary song.

Active Skills

• Ignis Ardere- costs 36 SP per use. All foes take fire damage three times in one turn.
• Glacies Claudere- costs 36 SP per use. All foes take ice damage three times in one turn.
• Tonitrus Canere- costs 36 SP per use. All foes take lightning damage three times in one turn.
• Ventus Saltare- costs 36 SP per use. All foes take wind damage three times in one turn.
• Lux Congerere- costs 36 SP per use. All foes take light damage three times in one turn.
• Tenebrae Operire- costs 36 SP per use. All foes take dark damage three times in one turn.
• Elemental Break- costs 20 SP per use. This allows you to take decrease a single enemies’ defense for two turns, and also attacks the same foe with a staff.
• Dreisang’s Spell- costs 50 SP per use and the Sorcerer’s divine skill. This allows you to choose one ally and each of their attacks for the next three turns will deliver critical damage.

Passive Skills

• Intimidation- unlocked after 4 active skills are unlocked. When you go into battle, there is a chance your enemies will begin the battle with less attack and defense strength than normal.
• Stronger Strikes- unlocked after 5 active skills are unlocked. Increases your damage against a single foe.
• Elemental Aid- unlocked after 6 active skills are unlocked. Your elemental attacks will take additional SP but will also do additional damage to foes.
• Augmented Elements- unlocked after 7 active skills are unlocked. All of your elemental attacks have additional damge.