Choosing and Managing Pets as BST or /BST

Check Your BST Level First

If you're using /BST, there are two levels to keep track of. One is the level you've reached while playing BST as your main job. The other is the smaller /BST level shown beside your current job. Your trained BST level affects Charm, while the displayed level decides which abilities you can use. Leveling another job won't raise your trained BST level.FFXIclopedia: Beastmaster support job · HorizonXI Wiki: Charm and duration

If BST is leveled enough to keep your support job capped, you'll get Gauge at main level 20, Reward at 24, and Leave at 70. If BST is underleveled, those abilities can come later. BST main gets Leave at 35. /BST cannot use Call Beast, so you can't bring a jug as a backup on WAR/BST or WHM/BST.FFXIclopedia: Beastmaster support job · HorizonXI Wiki: Leave

For example, WAR25/BST12 with BST trained to 30 can use Reward, but not Leave. Look for a level-23-to-25 pet and have a backup ready if it dies or Charm wears off. Check the mob first. Being in that level range doesn't guarantee an easy Charm.

Look Around Before You Start

1. Check the pet in game

   Check the mob itself instead of going only by its listed level range. Start with something at or below your level that you can handle. A Tough pet might hit harder, but Charm won't last as long. Use Gauge too if your displayed BST level is high enough.HorizonXI Wiki: Charm and duration

2. Pick a target and a backup pet

   Find both before you pull. You want a fight you can get away from if things go wrong, not one that leaves you stuck when your pet dies. A backup on the other side of a ledge, locked door or different floor won't help if you can't reach it.

3. Find somewhere safe to rest

   Check the path from your fighting spot to somewhere you can rest or leave the area. Watch for roaming mobs and weather-related dangers before you start. Dots on a map show recorded positions. They don't tell you whether a path is clear or whether you can walk between two spots.

Choose a Pet That Fits the Fight

Think about what you'll be fighting before choosing a pet. A slime's physical resistance can help against melee mobs, but it won't solve problems with spells or status effects. These notes cover the main things to watch for with each family. Individual mobs and server versions can still be different.BG Wiki: Slime family · HorizonXI Wiki: Slime family

Be Ready for Charm to Fail or Wear Off

Don't try Charm when you're low on HP/MP. If it fails, the mob will attack you. Your pet can also turn on you when Charm wears off, and you can't charm another mob while you already have a pet. Give yourself room to react before moving into melee range or starting a long cast.HorizonXI Wiki: Charm and duration

Once you have Leave, remember that a pet released outside its normal area may disappear. Don't release your only pet assuming you can charm it again right away. Before you have Leave, stick to fights where you can handle the situation if your pet survives and Charm wears off.HorizonXI Wiki: Leave

On HorizonXI, the community /BST guide warns that Reward doesn't work like Provoke for your pet when BST is your support job. Don't expect pet food to make the mob stop attacking you. Treat the guide's camp advice as a starting point and check how things work on your server.HorizonXI Wiki: Beastmaster leveling observations

Know When to Try Another Camp

After a few fights, look at how much time you're spending killing mobs compared with finding pets, resting and waiting. If Charm keeps failing, you keep running out of pets, or another player is using the only safe pull, it may be time to move. The biggest XP number from one kill doesn't always mean the best leveling session.

Check your pets and targets again each time you level. If kills are getting easy but finding another pet is still a hassle, try another zone. If fights are too risky, go somewhere easier or bring a group.