Hunts

Hunts are:

1) only available via the Monsters and Missions DLC

2) locked behind the guild mission system.

You must first successfully complete the appropriate guild mission in order to unlock the linked hunt; the hunt will be listed as a mission reward. Clues to the monster(s) you will be hunting will usually be provided in the mission description, along with class(es) that are recommended for the hunt.

When the appropriate guild mission has been successfully completed, the world map will be displayed, with the location of your quarry being shown by a red monster face inside a speech bubble. This icon will remain on the world map until you successfully complete the hunt. The hunt must be initiated by you (Hunt Mark) and will not become the default mission for that region, as regular patrols are also available. This allows you to gather materials or safely travel through that region if you feel ill-equipped for the mission at present. The only times you can't patrol a map, is when the hunt unlocks a new map region (Zzakandia - Dumadi Depths, Thespeiran Byways - back story location).

There are a total of 13 hunts available: 1 from Thespeiran Byways, 3 from Zzakandia, 3 from the Coast of Industry, 6 from Kawalands. In all cases you will field between 2 and 5 party members. In most cases you will be free to choose your party composition, though a few will require mandatory selections from the key story characters as the event is linked to their backstory. Sometimes you will outnumber your quarry, other times the parties are of even size. Earlier hunts use an unlocked map section and only the monsters described in the guild mission e.g. Vangal & Arpia in Avenging Angels. The later hunts are more likely to feature additional conventional monsters and/or humans that weren't mentioned in the guild mission. Four hunts unlocked from Kawalands feature challenges that aren't seen in the first 9 hunts (brawl inside a shop; 3-way battle; hostages that must survive; small party with all participants being scripted selections - can choose equipment & skills).

Common elements of the hunt are: 1-3 monsters with non-standard colour schemes that can access 3+ classes instead of the usual 2; a unique weapon/armour/item as loot; the colour scheme(s) & portrait(s) becoming unlocked at the guild upon completion. Occasionally you might receive an additional reward, such as a monster recruit. These recruits are like those gained from the mission board, in that there will be equipment on them.