FF WalkthroughFinal Fantasy 4 opens aboard the Red Wings, Baron's elite airship fleet. Cecil, the Dark Knight captain, is returning from Mysidia after seizing the Water Crystal. The mages there offered no resistance, and the crystal was taken without a fight. During the flight home, monsters attack the airship - a brief combat tutorial. After the Red Wings land at Baron Castle, the game begins.
Baron Castle - Throne Room
You start in Baron Castle's entrance hall. Baigan, the captain of the guards, escorts Cecil to the throne room. Walk north through the corridor and up the stairs to meet with King Baron.
The king demands the Water Crystal. Cecil hands it over but questions why Baron needed to attack Mysidia so ruthlessly. The king strips Cecil of his Red Wings command and assigns him a new task: deliver a package to the village of Mist. Kain, the Dragoon commander and Cecil's closest friend, steps forward to defend Cecil. The king assigns Kain to accompany him on the mission.
You receive the Bomb Ring - the mysterious package destined for Mist. The king dismisses you both.
Baron Castle - Treasury
Before leaving, grab the three chests in the castle treasury. From the throne room, head south through the main hall. On the first floor, look for a guard standing near a locked door on the east side. Talk to him, then search the wall immediately to the right of the door for a small switch. Press it to unlock the treasury.
Inside you'll find three chests containing:
- 480 Gil - Left chest
- Ether - Center chest
- Tent - Right chest
Baron Castle - Rosa and Cid
Exit the castle through the main entrance. As you step outside, a story scene triggers. Rosa, Cecil's love interest and a White Mage, approaches. She's worried about Cecil's demotion and the suspicious Mist mission. After their conversation, Cid appears - the engineer who built Baron's airship fleet. He shares his concerns about the king's recent behavior.
Following these scenes, Kain suggests resting before the journey. You'll automatically be taken to the inn for the night. During the night, Rosa visits Cecil's room. After this scene, morning arrives and Kain joins your party.
Party Setup: Cecil is a Dark Knight who excels at front-line combat. Kain is a Dragoon with the Jump command. Keep Cecil in the front row for maximum physical damage. Kain's Jump deals full damage regardless of row position, so you can place him in the back row for extra defense.
Baron Town
After waking, you find yourself in Baron town proper. The town lies south of the castle. Explore before heading out; there are shops and hidden items worth grabbing.
Shops
The Inn costs 50 Gil per stay. The Weapon and Armor shops are locked right now. You won't be able to access them until you return to Baron later with the Baron Key.
The Item Shop is open and stocks:
- Potion - 30 Gil
- Antidote - 40 Gil
- Eye Drops - 30 Gil
- Echo Herbs - 50 Gil
- Tent - 100 Gil
Stock up on Potions - buy at least 10. You'll need them for Mist Cave. Antidotes help too; some overworld enemies poison you.
Devil's Road and Namingway
The Devil's Road is a teleportation facility in town. It's inactive now but becomes useful later for fast travel between Baron and Mysidia. Inside the building, you'll find Namingway, an NPC who can change your characters' names.
Chocobo Forest
Before heading to Mist Cave, visit the Chocobo Forest southwest of Baron on the world map. Walk southwest from town until you see a small forest with a distinctive shape.
Inside the forest, you'll find:
- Yellow Chocobos: Catch one to ride across the world map without random encounters. The chocobo flees if you dismount, so only use it when you're ready to travel.
- White Chocobo: Talk to it to fully restore MP. Free and unlimited - use it whenever you need magic recovery.
- Hidden Gysahl Greens: From the forest entrance, walk four steps up, then turn right and search the ground. You'll find Gysahl Greens. These summon the Fat Chocobo for item storage later in the game.
Overworld Enemies
The area between Baron and Mist Cave has these enemy types:
- Goblin (6 HP) - Weak enemies that appear in groups. Can drop Potions, Tents, and rarely the Goblin summon item (1/256 chance)
- Helldiver (18 HP) - Flying enemies. Can drop Phoenix Down or the Cockatrice summon item (1/256 chance)
- Floating Eyeball (20 HP) - Weak to projectile attacks. Average threat level
- Sword Rat (30 HP) - Slightly tougher. Can drop Gold Needles
- Desert Sahagin (20 HP) - Found in desert areas. Weak to Ice. Can drop Antidotes and Echo Herbs
At your current level, none of these enemies pose much threat. Cecil and Kain together handle any encounter easily. Use Cecil's regular attacks and Kain's Jump for tougher groups.
Rare Summon Drops
FF4 has four summons that drop as extremely rare monster loot: Goblin, Cockatrice, Mind Flayer, and Bomb. Each has roughly a 1/256 drop chance. Goblins drop the Goblin summon, and Helldivers drop the Cockatrice summon - both appear in this area. Don't bother farming these now. You can return post-game when you have better tools for grinding.
Heading to Mist Cave
Ready to continue? Exit Baron through the north gate. Your destination is Mist Cave, northwest of Baron. Follow the path north, then curve west around the mountains. You'll see the cave entrance against the mountainside.
Make sure you have:
- At least 10 Potions
- 2-3 Antidotes
- Cecil in the front row
- Full HP and MP
Mist Cave is short but has a boss fight. Your party of Cecil and Kain is well-suited for what's ahead. Cecil's strong physical attacks handle regular enemies; Kain's Jump deals heavy damage to the boss.
Treasure Chests
Baron Castle has 3 accessible chests at this point. Additional chests in Baron town require the Baron Key. You won't get that until much later when you return to infiltrate the castle.
Baron Castle 1F Treasury
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
480 Gil | 1F Treasury, left chest (behind locked door) |
Ether | 1F Treasury, center chest (behind locked door) |
Tent | 1F Treasury, right chest (behind locked door) |