Unlocking the Trust System currently requires you to progress the MSQ up to the level 71 quest “The Lightwardens”. This may change after the system is introduced to older content. As the Trust System’s primary function is to help players progress the Main Scenario Quest, certain topics covered by this guide may contain spoilers. I’ll put up a spoiler tag before those sections.
Accessing and Using the Trust System
There are actually two modes for the Trust System – Scenario Mode and Avatar Mode.
You can access Scenario Mode after you complete the Level 71 Main Scenario Quest “The Lightwardens”. Access to Avatar Mode is gained by completing the final Main Scenario Quest for each expansion.
Scenario Mode
For Scenario Mode, you have a couple of ways of accessing your trust. If it’s your first time doing a certain dungeon to progress your MSQ, you’ll find a group of NPCs outside the entrance to the dungeon with the Trust icon above their heads. Speaking to any of these NPCs will have the option to form a Trust Party and enter the dungeon. Choosing this will automatically open the Trust Party menu where you can select your party members and commence the duty. Alternatively, you can access the Trust System by opening your menu and going to the Duty section. This will open up the same menu for forming your party for the dungeon.
Avatar Mode
Unlocking Avatar Mode requires you to complete the MSQ. This allows you to party up with certain NPCs that aren’t normally available when running the dungeon with Scenario Mode. NPCs in Avatar Mode start at level 71 and need to be leveled up to meet the requirements for entering more dungeons. Completing dungeons in this mode will reward your party mates with a fixed amount of experience points that depends on the instance completed. Once you enter a dungeon with your Trust Party, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Probably the most important thing to remember is that it’s considered a wipe if the player dies during the instance. There are no commands that can be issued like in Squadrons, but party members will still follow fight mechanics and dodge AoE’s as best as they can. We will get into a more detailed description of each NPC’s behavior in battle later on in this guide. Trust Parties will always follow the 4-man composition of 1 tank, 1 healer and 2 DPS. There are some cases where some party members will have the option of switching to a different class to be able to meet this requirement.
Spoiler Warning: *The following sections contain spoilers for some Main Scenario Quests up to level 89. If you’re not up to this point in the game then you can skip to our section at the very end about the “Pros & Cons of using the Trust System”.
Dungeons That Use the Trust System
Here’s a list of dungeons in Shadowbringers and Endwalker that currently support the Trust System: Shadowbringers
Holminster Switch (Level 71, average iLevel 370) Dohn Mheg (Level 73, average iLevel 375) The Qitana Ravel (Level 75, average iLevel 380) Malikah’s Well (Level 77, average iLevel 385) Mt. Gulg (Level 79, average iLevel 390) Amaurot (Level 80, average iLevel 410) The Grand Cosmos (Level 80, average iLevel 430) Anamnesis Anyder (Level 80, average iLevel 440) The Heroes’ Gauntlet (Level 80, average iLevel 460) Matoya’s Relict (Level 80, average iLevel 470) Paglth’an (Level 80, average iLevel 490)
Endwalker
The Tower of Zot (Level 81, average iLevel 500) The Tower of Babil (Level 83, average iLevel 505) Vanaspati (Level 85, average iLevel 510) Ktisis Hyperboreia (Level 87, average iLevel 515) The Aitiascope (Level 89, average iLevel 520) The Mothercrystal (Level 89, 8-man Trial) The Dead Ends (Level 90, average iLevel 540)
Keep in mind that the player must meet both the level and average item level requirement for each dungeon to be able to use a Trust Party. The Mothercrystal is unique in that it is an 8-man trial rather than the usual 4-man dungeon. Because of this, certain NPCs may gain the option to change roles to fulfill the requirement of having 2 tanks, 2 healers, and 4 DPS. It should also be noted that for this instance, the player can be knocked out 3 times before it is considered a wipe.
NPC Roster & Behavior
There are certain ways your team of NPCs will behave while inside a dungeon. Let’s start with the general behavior of your team when using the Trust System. First, the party will not actively pull more than one pack of mobs at a time. However, if the player tries to pull more mobs to the party, the tank will pick them up. Trust Parties will also focus more on single target attacks. Next, if any party members other than the player are knocked out, the healer will use a swift casted raise spell during battle. Outside of battle, healers will do a hard casted raise and non-healer members can use a phoenix down. And finally, the party’s Limit Break will be used by DPS under certain conditions. Now let’s take a look at the NPCs that will be joining you in the trust system and take a closer look at how they might interact with other members of the party.
Alphinaud Leveilleur – Academician/Sage (Healer)
The young diplomat of the Scions, Alphinaud is one of the group’s healers. He is an Academician during the events of Shadowbringers and switches to being a Sage in Endwalker. Academician is a class that is unique to Alphinaud but it functions very similarly to a Scholar. Alphinaud is good at providing critical heals, and will always prioritize healing Alisae if she is in the party with him.
Alisae Leveilleur – Red Mage (DPS)
Alphinaud’s twin sister and definitely the more hot-headed of the two, Alisae joins the Scions as a DPS class. However, as a Red Mage, she is able to provide some emergency healing in a pinch. In line with her more impulsive personality, Alisae will always use a Limit Break as soon as it is available.
Thancred Waters – Gunbreaker (Tank)
Everyone’s favorite ladies’ man, Thancred has been shown to fight as a Rogue throughout most of the MSQ up to Shadowbringers. But after being transported to the First, Thancred takes up the gunblade and participates in the Trust System as a Gunbreaker. While he will still only follow the player throughout dungeons and not pull more than one pack of mobs at a time, Thancred is still highly effective against bosses. This is because he is very thorough with his shields and self-heals. He’ll also use Gunbreaker’s invulnerability skill “Superbollide” when his health gets dangerously low. Since Thancred cannot charge his gunblade cartridges on his own, he will only be able to use his cartridge abilities when Ryne is with him in the party during Shadowbringers. For him to use these skills in Endwalker, he will need to be grouped up with either Y’shtola or Urianger.
Minfilia/Ryne – Oracle of Light (DPS)
The reincarnation of the former leader of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Minfilia was rescued from Eulmore before the events of Shadowbringers by Thancred. During their travels together, Thancred teaches her how to fight as a Rogue. She is able to use vanish and Trick Attack for non-boss fights and will use Limit Breaks if she is not in a party with Alisae and the player is not using a DPS class. Note: Minfilia is not available for Endwalker dungeons.
Urianger Augurelt – Astrologian/Lithomancer (Healer/DPS)
The man of many flowery words, Urianger provides healing and support to the Scions as an Astrologian. Aside from heals, Urianger can give the party buffs and will occasionally cast Death on the enemy with the lowest HP, defeating them instantly. If the player decides to use the Trust System for The Mothercrystal as a healer, Urianger will change his class to Lithomancer. This is a DPS class that works very much like Arcanists and Summoners.
Y’shtola Rhul – Sorceress (DPS)
The Avatar of Destruction herself, Y’shtola joins the Warrior of Light as a DPS class. She will cast several spells that are akin to those of Black Mage like Fire IV and Foul. While Y’shtola will also focus on single target offense, some of her spells have a bit of AoE splash damage when cast. If the healer of the group gets knocked out during a fight, she will take over healing duties as a callback to her days as a Conjurer in earlier expansions. She does not, however, cast any raise spells.
The Crystal Exarch – All-Rounder (Tank/Healer/DPS)
With the ability to harness the powers of the Crystal Tower, The Crystal Exarch is able to fill any role in a party. As a tank, he will use the skills of a Paladin, a White Mage for healer, and a Black Mage for DPS. The Exarch is actually pretty aggressive as a White Mage and will cast several offensive AoE spells. The drawback is that he will have a hard time healing allies that are in low in health.
G’raha Tia – All-Rounder (Tank/Healer/DPS)
After being freed from the Crystal Tower back in the Source, G’raha joins the Warrior of Light as a Scion of the Seventh Dawn in post-Shadowbringers content. Also having vast knowledge on the workings of the Crystal Tower, he can take on any role in the party as well. G’raha Tia has the same skillset as the Crystal Exarch and will behave in the same manner.
Estinien Wyrmblood – Dragoon (DPS)
Quelling his rage and hatred for dragons after the events of Heavensward, Estinien travels the world in search of the primal summoned with Nidhogg’s eyes. He helps an understaffed Scions of the Seventh Dawn during the events of Shadowbringers at the request of Tataru and Krile and officially joins the group in Endwalker. Estinien will use abilities that are typical to any Dragoon player. What sets him apart from the other DPS companions in the Trust System is that he’s the only one that primarily uses AoE damage, making him especially effective against fighting multiple enemies. Like Alisae, he will use Limit Breaks as soon as it becomes available to the party. Note: Estinien is currently only available in dungeons introduced in Endwalker.
Scenario Mode-Only NPCs
Since there are times where not all the Scions are going to be available to join us due to the events of the MSQ, some of our other allies step in to fill in the gaps of our party. These NPCs are only available in Scenario Mode:
Lyna – Guard Captain (DPS)
As a soldier of the Crystarium and one of the Exarch’s closest comrades, Captain Lyna joins us on our excursion to Holminster Switch. She fights as a ranged DPS with the weapons and skills of a Dancer. Lyna will focus on offensive buffs during fights but will use some defensive skills when the party’s HP gets low.
Hythlodaeus – Soulseer (DPS)
During the Warrior of Light’s journey to a time before the world was sundered, he is joined by a group of Ancients on his search for answers. One of these ancients is Hythlodaeus, a Soulseer with skills similar to a Bard’s. What differentiates Hythlodaeus from your typical Bard is his ability to cast heals and a swift casted Raise when needed. He will use Limit Breaks when possible, as long as the player is not using a DPS class.
Emet-Selch – The Thid Seat (Tank/DPS)
One of the members of the Convocation of Fourteen, Emet-Selch can fill the role of either tank or DPS. As a tank, he will use skills similar to those of a Dark Knight but with different names. As a DPS, he will cast various elemental spells like a Black Mage. Emet-Selch also has the ability to raise party members instantly when needed and use Limit Breaks as soon as they are available.
Venat – All-Rounder (Tank/Healer/DPS)
A former member of the Convocation, Venat can fill any role needed by the party. As a tank, she uses the skills of a Paladin. She will heal herself frequently and can use Hallowed Ground when low on HP. As a healer, Venat will cast the spells of a White Mage. In this role, she gains access to “True Stoneskin”, a very effective party-wide defensive buff. When joining the party as a DPS, she will use the abilities of a Dancer. Here, she will use buffs to raise the party’s damage output. Overall, Venat is very aggressive but will also react to mechanics quickly. She also has the ability to raise party members instantly during battle.
The Pros & Cons of Using the Trust System
While the Trust System was designed to help with the MSQ experience, there are those who prefer not to use it with good reason. Let’s quickly cover why you may (or may not) want to use this feature.
Pros
Let’s start with the most obvious one first – it bypasses queue time. No more waiting around for other players just to continue the MSQ, especially as a DPS. It adds immersion. Certain NPCs will have dialogue while going through the dungeon to give the experience a bit more flavor. There are also some mechanics that are handled differently by each party member, such as the “Funambulist’s Fantasia” mechanic in Dohn Mheg. Gear farming. Since there are no other players, the loot is all yours! Alternative for level grinding. Since running dungeons has always been a viable way to level up your character, the Trust System provides the players with another option.
Cons
Dungeons take longer to finish. Since your party will mostly favor using single target offensive abilities, it will take more time to get to the final boss. More prone to wipes. A party wipe will also contribute to the time it takes to complete a dungeon, and since all it takes for a Trust Party to wipe is the player being KO’d, there is definitely a higher risk here. Less loot. Since all the loot goes straight to the player, less of it can be found in treasure coffers during a Trust Party run. No commendations. Since you’re the only player in a Trust Party, there will be no one else around to give you commendations.
