Final Fantasy 16 is chock-full of unique and engaging side quests. The further players progress in the story, the more side quests they unlock, but the rewards for completing some of them aren't always as spectacular as one would expect. The Root of the Problem is an exception, however, as completing it will grant Clive the ability to increase the potency of his potions.
Final Fantasy 16's The Root of the Problem quest becomes available at the beginning of the After the Storm main quest, just after Clive returns to The Hideaway, and can be started by speaking to Nigel, the Head Botanist. To complete this side quest, Clive must leave The Hideaway and locate some Morganbeard seeds.
How To Start The Root Of The Problem In Final Fantasy 16
Upon returning to The Hideaway, Clive can begin The Root of the Problem side quest by traveling to The Backyard and speaking to Nigel, the Head Botanist. This area can be reached by traveling through The Black Hammer, turning left, and proceeding down the stairs to the right; Nigel can be found in the small room just west of The Backyard itself.
Interacting with Nigel, he will explain to Clive that he wishes to acquire a flower known as a Morganbeard. According to him, these plants can be used to increase the potency of curative items, so acquiring some could be a pretty big help for both Clive and The Hideaway's residents. Sadly, Nigel fears he is unable to acquire Morganbeard on his own, so the task falls to Clive.
Where To Find Morganbeard Flowers
Once Clive has accepted the quest, he can fast-travel to Martha's Rest to begin his search for Morganbeards. The flowers themselves are located west of Martha's Rest, in the dead end north of Glaidemond Abbey. To reach this area, Clive should proceed west from the fast-travel Obelisk, use the elevator to get to the marches below, and head southwest toward the small wooden bridge.
Crossing the bridge and heading west, Clive will arrive in an area with three Level 28 Goblin Gardeners and a Level 28 Gigas Ploughswain.
The Goblin Gardeners are pretty easy to deal with, but players may struggle with taking down the Gigas Ploughswain due to how hard it hits. Thankfully, it's a slow enemy, so most of its attacks are easy to predict. An attack players should look out for sees the beast charging at Clive before swinging its club into the ground. To avoid getting struck by this attack, Clive should dodge the moment the beast's running animation ends.
The Gigas Ploughswain's Big Swing attack is arguably its most dangerous; if Clive gets hit by it once, dodging the remaining blows can be a little challenging. The best way to avoid this attack is to have Clive retreat to a safe distance the moment the "Big Swing" text appears above the Gigas Ploughswain's head. If Clive happens to be within the beast's reaching distance during this move, he will need to dodge each club swing until the attack ends, or he can interrupt it with a well-timed parry.
When the Gigas Ploughswain eventually falls, Clive can proceed west into the grass to find and acquire some Morganbeards, each of which can be found in a patch of yellow flowers. Once three Morganbeards have been collected, he can fast-travel back to The Hideaway and give the flowers to Nigel.
How To Complete The Root Of The Problem In Final Fantasy 16
Returning to Nigel and interacting with him once more, players can hand over the Morganbeard to complete the quest. When the conversation ends, Clive will receive 1 Morganbeard Extract and 1 Black Blood.
The Morganbeard Extract enhances the potency of Potions and High Potions and prolongs the buffs gained from Strength Tonics, Stoneskin Tonics, and Lionheart Tonics; the Black Blood is a valuable that can be sold.
Final Fantasy 16 is available exclusively for PlayStation 5
