Level Grinding Guide - Seasoned Hero
The Seasoned Hero trophy (Gold) requires all four party members to reach level 50. This almost never happens during a normal playthrough - expect to be in the mid-30s at best by the time you defeat Chaos. The grind takes place after the story, or you can do it before the final dungeon if you prefer.
Estimated time: 2-4 hours with 4x EXP on.
Setup Before Grinding
Turn on the boost settings from the Config menu:
- EXP x4 - Cuts grind time by 75%. Does not void any trophies.
- Gil x4 - Optional; useful for topping up supplies.
- Encounter Rate - Can set to maximum for more fights per step, or normal if you prefer the pace.
Make sure your party is fully healed and stocked before you start. You won't be stopping often.
Best Grinding Spot
Chaos Shrine 2000 Years Ago (Past) - the final dungeon after the time portal.
The enemies on the random-encounter floors here give among the highest EXP in the game and will not seriously threaten a well-equipped endgame party. The dungeon stays accessible after defeating Chaos, and the encounters are dense.
How to grind:
- Hold the Square button (PlayStation) or the equivalent auto-battle button on your platform to auto-attack each encounter.
- Walk continuously on the dungeon floors - the game handles the fights automatically with auto-battle.
- Rest at the inn in Cornelia or use Cottages when HP runs low.
If you're grinding before the final boss, you can also use the Flying Fortress floors, which have strong enemies and good EXP per fight.
EXP Requirements
Level 50 requires significantly more total EXP than the game provides through natural play. The exact amount varies slightly by class, but expect each character to need substantial grinding if you're starting from level 35-40 after the story.
With 4x EXP on, most players reach level 50 in 2-3 hours of auto-grinding in Chaos Shrine Past. Without the boost, add 2-3 hours on top of that.
Tips
Auto-battle is your friend. Hold the battle confirm button to have your party attack automatically each round. You don't need to engage manually - just keep the button held and let the fights resolve.
Bring Cottages and Elixirs. Chaos Shrine Past enemies can't one-shot an endgame party, but they deal real damage. A stock of Cottages to rest between fights and a few Elixirs for emergencies will keep downtime low.
All four characters must reach 50 individually. The trophy doesn't trigger until the last character hits 50 - keep an eye on whichever character is lagging behind and make sure auto-battle is distributing kills appropriately.
Check the status screen periodically. Tap the menu to check each character's current level and EXP to next level. The grind feels faster when you can see progress.
RELATED GUIDES
- Trophy Hub - All 24 trophies and platinum roadmap
- Classes & Party Builds - Class upgrades and what each class becomes
- Chaos Shrine (Past) Chests - Items in the grind dungeon