Keeping Magic Alive
Location
Required Items
Rewards
What the allowance actually buys
One allowance here buys 693,190 EXP, the best of the 3 Lv 70 Alchemist tradecraft leves that record EXP: the runner-up manages 438,540 EXP, 37% less.
Across that rung the return runs from 415,910 EXP to 693,190 EXP per allowance — 3 distinct figures spanning 67%, so the wrong pick leaves 277,280 EXP of the allowance unspent.
On whether to wait: the best Lv 72 Alchemist tradecraft leve returns 698,030 EXP per allowance, 1% more than the best on this rung, while the Lv 68 rung behind tops out at 681,530 EXP.
At Lv 70 this data holds 27 leves paying EXP across 2 categories: the 24 Tradecraft ones average 433,208 EXP per allowance, the 3 Fieldcraft ones 1,302,824 EXP, which puts this leve 60% above its own category's average.
Smilodonskin Grimoire ×1 is a Lv 71 Alchemist recipe, 2 steps deep through 4 intermediates, costing 24 units of raw material and 39 crystals.
Handing that in returns 28,883 EXP and 160 gil for every unit of raw material the order swallows, and the tree needs Alchemist, Carpenter, Goldsmith and Leatherworker.