Praetorium is base-game A Realm Reborn’s final dungeon and every player will invariably end up running it at some point while playing Final Fantasy XIV. This eight-member dungeon has a runtime of nearly an hour, more running around than a Looney Toons cartoon, and boss encounters that at best can be described as a total snooze.
However, Praetorium is also one of two possible instances players can be dropped into when queueing up for daily Main Story Scenario dungeons, which means longtime players who are leveling alternate classes will be thrown into Praetorium alongside players who are brand new to the dungeon.
Experienced players have developed more than a few ways to cut down time in Praetorium, which may leave those experiencing the dungeon for the first time flailing in the dust.
If you want to be prepared for what to expect from the average Praetorium run, read on!
Run. Just Run
Much like Castrum Meridianium, Praetorium’s story cutscenes cannot be skipped. So sit back, stretch, and enjoy the show as FFXIV drip feeds you Garlean clown shenanigans.
Just try not to get too comfortable. Efficiency is the name of the game, and the FFXIV community has mastered just about every trick in the book to shorten Praetorium as much as possible. As such, new players can expect their party to sprint through the dungeon seemingly without paying attention to mob enemies.
There’s no need to try and kill them; because moving into the next stage of Praetorium will immediately get rid of any mobs the party has pulled, players should prioritize keeping up with their teammates over killing enemies. Pop Sprint and Peloton as necessary to avoid being separated, because if you aren’t near the healers and tanks, you’re probably done for.
Do note that there are two checkpoints at the beginning of the dungeon that require players to interact with magitek terminals before they can pass into new areas. It may be difficult to see the terminals as your party members and mobs crowd around them, so try to activate them as quickly as you can and move onto the next area.
The second terminal will be at the end of a long platform just before the first encounter. Your main tank—possibly both tanks—will likely die there because enemies will continuously interrupt their attempts to activate the transporter. New tanks, don’t worry about it. It’s a very common occurrence and it’s not your fault. Just respawn, take the shortcut teleport, and meet up with the rest of the party before the first encounter.
Don’t Push the Button!
The party’s mad dash ends upon reaching Gaius van Baelsar. Cue a ten-minute-long cutscene, Gaius’s elegant retreat, and a boss fight that might not last even a minute. After the fight, players will need to assemble on an elevator platform at the front of the room.
Make sure to wait and double-check that every member of your party is on the platform before activating the elevator, because anyone left behind will be forced to take the next elevator down. Given that there will be more sprinting and pulling after the elevator ride, strays will likely find themselves dying very undignified deaths.
During the next stage of the dungeon, players will kill an enemy that drops a Magitek Identification pass. All party members will need to pick up the pass and scan it in order to proceed, as the pass is used to drive the suit of magitek armor that will carry you to the next few stages of the dungeon. Use the mount’s weaponry to get rid of obstacles and no matter what you do, don’t dismount!
Now For Forty Minutes Of Cutscenes & Boss Fights
While Praetorium’s boss fights are very straightforward, getting to them is what tends to alarm players new to the dungeon. There are a few conventions to keep in mind: always have a ranged or caster DPS pull the level 2 Limit Break on Nero, as the bar will reset upon engaging him, and then again before engaging the Ultima Weapon for the second time.
But long as you keep up with your party, leave no man behind (except for your poor tanks during the second magitek terminal activation), and pick up key items, Praetorium is a simple if painfully long dungeon experience. Happy trails!
