While barebones in hindsight, the firstDragon Questwas the title that introducedJRPGsto the world. It featured a lonely adventurer saving the day.
The second game introduced a party of three characters, each with a specialty. But it wasDragon Quest IIIthat took gameplay to new heights and became an instant classic.
Dragon Quest IIIintroduced the Vocation system, the franchise’s class mechanic. Players could customize their party members with a variety of Vocations, creating a synergistic and adaptable team.
Then,Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remakeimproved Vocations by adding new skills and even introducing a brand-new one:the Monster Wrangler. While each Vocation has unique strengths and efficiencies, some still outshine others in the long run.
Note: We didn’t include the Hero Vocation because it’s exclusive to the protagonist, so everyone must have one in the party.
Too Much Of A Clown
In the originalDragon Quest III, the Gadabout was recommended only for those looking to quickly turn into a Sage, as it’s the only Vocation that can evolve into the ultimate wizard without needing a Key Item.
In the remake, the clown class gained a few unique skills, like the Kerplunk Dance, that can occasionally help in a pinch. The problem is whether the Gadabout will actually follow your commands.
Sometimes, the Vocation pulls a prank during its turn instead of executing the selected command, which can ruin any strategy, particularly if its antics hinder our own party members.
Rarely does the Gadabout’s randomness target enemies or help the group, making this Vocation extremely unreliable, especially in a turn-based RPG where every action counts.
Everyone Has A Price
The Merchant has its uses, and only the Goddess knows how much the Vocation helped me earn some extra gold early in the game thanks to its passive ability to sometimes net bonus gold after battles.
However, the Merchant leaves much to be desired when it comes to martial prowess. It can equip some Warrior weapons, like the Spear, but that’s not enough to elevate its combat capabilities.
It has some utility abilities to make up for it, likeService Call, which can summon a merchant, innkeeper, or priest outside of towns.
Granted, the skill fails more often than it works. But being able to rest while exploring the vast world ofDragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, especially when your MP is depleted, is an indescribable relief.
Good Old Fighter
In the originalDragon Quest III, the Warrior was arguably one of the worst Vocations because its only option was a simple attack. Thankfully, in the remake, the Warrior gained its own unique abilities.
The sturdiest Vocation now boasts some standout slash skills, including an area attack, a preemptive strike ability, and even the notoriousMetal Slash.
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Additionally, the Warrior has several tanking abilities, allowing it to soak damage for allies or absorb all attacks targeting the party in a single turn.
There’s a downside to all of this. If the Warrior repeatedly absorbs every attack, especially those targeting the whole party, its chances of surviving a turn are slim, turning it into more of a burden than a useful Vocation.
6Martial Artist
Dragon Ball Power
The Martial Artist was known as the best alternative to the Warrior in the originalDragon Quest IIIbecause, despite also lacking abilities, the Vocation dealt more damage and had a high critical hit rate.
However, like the Warrior, the Martial Artist received its own unique abilities in theDragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Its skills focus on targeting specific enemy families and fighting barehanded, at the cost of defense.
Initially, the Martial Artist may seem weak, especially since it takes a while to access decent weapons—unless you hunt for the secretGolden Claws in the Pyramid.
But by theendgame, the pugilist becomes one of the best Vocations for dealing pure physical damage, which is essential given that some late bosses are nasty.
Brains Over Brawn
One of my favorite things in JRPGs is exploiting enemy weaknesses, and no one does it better than a Mage.
Fire, ice, wind, explosions, and even dragon transformations, the Mage’s arsenal inDragon Quest III HD-2Dis designed to decimate enemies, whether solo or in groups. For magic-resistant foes, you can always rely on debuffs.
The major caveat, however, is that Mages are extremely fragile. It’s not uncommon to be surprised by enemies, have them all attack your unaware spellcaster, and watch them die without acting.
By the endgame, there’s little reason to keep a Mage in the party if you may have a Sage, making this Vocation a stepping stone to one greater.
Everyone Needs A Healer
you may’t build an RPG party and leave the healer out. That’s simply unthinkable. The dedicated healer ofDragon Quest III HD-2Dis the Priest, and this Vocation excels at its role.
Healing, reviving, dispelling ailments, buffing, and occasionally dealing damage, the Priest is the best support (excluding the Hero and the Sage) you may bring to your party. Its care and comfort are undeniable.
Besides being a safe choice, the Priest is an excellent candidate to become a Sage, as its spellcaster-focused attributes and arsenal of support spells perfectly transition into the ultimate caster.
Like the Mage, the Priest serves as a stepping stone to the Sage. While you’ll need the Key Item Words of Wisdom to make the switch, finding the item isn’t a problem for intrepid explorers like you.
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The Thief ranks higher because of its utility in the game’s overall design rather than due to its battle mastery.
If you’re a completionist or thrive on exploration in JRPGs, I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a Thief in your party.
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This Vocation learns abilities likeNose for Treasure, which tells the number of unclaimed treasures in the area;Snoop, which shows glowing hidden treasure nearby; andPadfoot, ideal for reducing random encounters.
A Thief is essential if you’re hunting for Mini Medals inDragon Quest III HD-2Dor powerful loot in secret spots. Scouting for powerful equipment is far more rewarding thangrinding for levels.
The best part is that you’re able to learn these skills and then change the Thief’s Vocation to one more combat-focused, combining the best of both worlds.
2Monster Wrangler
Befriending The Enemy
The new Vocation introduced inDragon Quest III HD-2Dcan be incredibly powerful but is highly situational. That’s because it gets stronger as you recruit more monsters in the game.
If you’re not actively hunting for monsters, I’d suggest skipping this Vocation since it will never reach its full potential. However, if you are monster hunting, it’s a must-have in your party.
First, the Monster Wrangler learns theAnimal Instinctability, which reveals whether there’s a friendly monster lurking nearby. Second, some recruitable monsters have specific requirements, like using a skill or item to approach them. Having a Monster Wrangler in the party removes these requirements.
Regarding combat credentials, the Monster Wrangler boasts healing, debuff, and attack abilities. But this Vocation earns its second rank primarily thanks to itsMonster Pile-Onability.
Monster Pile-Ondeals more damage the more monsters you’ve recruited. Best of all, it’s almost pure damage, meaning the damage output remains high regardless of the enemy’s resistance—barring exceptions like Metal Slimes.
Against endgame bosses, while my Hero dealt around 500 damage with their strongestabilities, the Monster Wrangler dealt 700+ withMonster Pile-On. That said, this is only possible after recruiting all 121 monsters.
The Best Of Both Worlds
Who would’ve thought the “secret” Vocation would be the strongest, right? The Sage is a combination of Mage and Priest, learning spells from both Vocations while equipping stronger weapons and armor than its peers.
There’s no mystery here. If you’ve been leveling a Priest or Mage, it’s natural to transform them into a Sage.
But becoming a Sage isn’t as simple as reachingAlltrades Abbeyand demanding a career change. The player needs to meet one of two requirements: either level up a Gadabout to level 20 or find and use theWords of Wisdom Key Item.
In all my playthroughs, I only found threeWords of Wisdom, making them highly scarce items. The ideal strategy is to transform one character into a Sage and never touch their Vocation again.
The alternative is turning a Gadabout into a Sage. However, unlike a Priest or Mage, the Gadabout’s attributes aren’t spellcasting-focused, which may result in a Sage weaker than desired.
The Sage is still the best Vocation inDragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.Excluding the Hero Vocation with its arsenal ofKazap,Gigaslash, and superbly helpfulOmniheal.
