Can You Repair Others’ Gear in FFXIV?

In the early stages of Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV), players can take their worn-out equipment to NPCs with “Mender” in their name. These Menders will happily repair any and all types of gear for a reasonable price. Players can locate Menders on the map by looking for a hammer icon (“Repairs”).

Repairing Your Own Gear

However, there is a more cost-effective way for players to mend their own gear, but it requires more effort and grinding. To repair your own gear in FFXIV, you must have a high enough Repair Level in a Disciple of the Hand (DoH) class and obtain Dark Matter. There are 8 DoH jobs: Carpenter, Blacksmith, Armorer, Goldsmith, Leatherworker, Weaver, Alchemist, and Culinarian. While it’s not necessary to level all of the jobs, players must progress in the job required for the kind of gear they wish to repair.

Typically, players will be able to repair any gear in FFXIV that’s ten levels above the required crafting class. To see which job’s Repair Level is needed, players can check the information below the individual gear’s Condition status in the menu. However, to repair armor themselves, they’ll also need a good amount of Dark Matter.

Dark Matter is a unique material that players must acquire in order to repair their equipment in FFXIV. It comes in various grades, and players can refer to the item’s info window for what grade of Dark Matter is required to mend it. For instance, low-level gear will require Grade 1-4 Dark Matter, while higher-level armor and weaponry will need Grade 5 or higher. Players can acquire Dark Matter from vendors, market boards, and quartermasters of the Grand Companies.

The convenient thing about being able to repair one’s own equipment in FFXIV is that it can be done anytime and anywhere (even in dungeons). While it takes more time and effort than simply using a Mender NPC, this is a nice advantage. However, for players who don’t want to level up Disciple of the Hand classes for mending, then Menders thankfully don’t charge too much gil for repairs.

While menders can restore your gear to 100% durability, repairing it yourself allows you to exceed this, and have the item last even longer than usual. For example, repairing an item that is at 99% durability will increase it to 199%.