The Hexster Runoff
Location
Required Items
Rewards
What the allowance actually buys
One allowance here buys 6,280 EXP, the best of the 6 Lv 5 Alchemist tradecraft leves that record EXP: the runner-up manages 5,220 EXP, 17% less.
Across that rung the return runs from 1,420 EXP to 6,280 EXP per allowance — 5 distinct figures spanning 342%, so the wrong pick leaves 4,860 EXP of the allowance unspent.
On whether to wait: the best Lv 10 Alchemist tradecraft leve returns 12,030 EXP per allowance, 92% more than the best on this rung, while the Lv 1 rung behind tops out at 2,040 EXP.
At Lv 5 this data holds 52 leves paying EXP across 2 categories: the 48 Tradecraft ones average 4,554 EXP per allowance, the 4 Fieldcraft ones 28,481 EXP, which puts this leve 38% above its own category's average.
Gil ranks it differently: 169 gil per allowance is 3rd of 6 on the same rung against 1st on EXP, with the best there paying 293 gil.
Maple Picatrix ×1 is a Lv 8 Alchemist recipe, 2 steps deep through 3 intermediates, costing 9 units of raw material and 5 crystals.
Handing that in returns 698 EXP and 19 gil for every unit of raw material the order swallows, and the tree needs Alchemist, Carpenter and Weaver.