Finding the best Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake party composition takes some experimentation. You could take the premade characters at Patty’s Party Planning Place and be done with it. But there are nine vastly different options available in this new version of the classic RPG, and some even get new abilities that debut in the remake, so it’s worth at least seeing what they’re about.
Knowing which classes to put into your party at the beginning of your adventure in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is important, as some monsters can be quite the challenge for the unprepared. If you want to know which classes are the best for the early game, particularly if you know of and are actively seeking the new Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake friendly monster locations, then the guide below will teach you all you need to know. It also includes a breakdown of the class skills on level up and how to unlock the secret class.
Best Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Party Comp Classes
The best Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Party Comp is Hero, Mage, Priest, and Monster Wrangler. While there are advantages to other classes in the game, you don’t actually need to spec too far outside this archetype, thanks to the Alltrades Abbey you’ll find later in the story. There, you can change your party’s class to give them the opportunity to learn new abilities and spells. Changing a class will reduce your character back down to level one, but they’ll keep all learned spells and abilities and only decrease their stats by around half of their current levels.
The advantage of this setup is that you have a powerful DPS option in your Hero. Your best option is to answer the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Personality quiz in such a way that it offers better stat distribution for strength, such as Paragon, for example. You can also use books or equipment to alter their personality to a strength-buffing personality. The range of spells and abilities that the Hero gets in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is remarkable, with decent spells from Mage and Cleric classes and access to new abilities such as Flame Slash.
As for the rest of your party, the new Monster Wrangler class makes it slightly easier to find and tame friendly monsters. They also learn abilities based on how many you’ve rescued and a mix of offensive and healing skills that make it a jack-of-all-trades. The Priest gains access to early-game healing, and while it is slightly outclassed by the Monster Wrangler very early on, they do learn revival skills very quickly to save you a trip to the town priest. As for the Mage, their wide range of offensive spells and buffs for allies make them a worthy, if rather squishy addition to the party.
What about the other Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake classes?
Of course, there are five other classes to consider. The Warrior is a decent replacement for the Monster Wrangler if you fancy a more offensive fighter with greater access to advanced weapons and armor and new skills to protect themselves as they batter in the enemy one by one. The Martial Artist is another option that’s simple to maintain as they use their fists to fight, learn damage skills, and have a high critical hit rating but is a bit less good defensively.
If you can handle not having a Mage on the team, a Thief is a good status-based melee alternative, able to riddle the enemy with poison, sleep, and all sorts of nasty effects. They’re also not quite as defensively bad as the Mage. They can also tell you where items are and reduce the encounter rate.
While the Merchant used to be even worse than the Gadabout, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake gives them new rock-throwing and much-needed multi-targeting abilities. These do fixed damage and ignore defense. They can also get extra cash in battle, appraise items, and call inns and shops while you’re out in the wilderness.
The Gadabout is the worst class in the game, and it’s fully intentional. The more levels they gain, the more they gain new abilities that actively nerf their fighting abilities. At the start of the game, do not take a Gadabout. You should only use this class when you reach Alltrades Abbey, and only for a little bit.
How to unlock the Sage class in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
There are two ways your party members can ascend to greatness and become a Sage. The first is having the Words of Wisdom, which you can get in the Tower of Transcendence north of Alltrades Abbey. The second is to level up a party member as the otherwise useless Gadabout class until they reach level 20. Since the tower dungeon is nearby and only requires you to find an item, you don’t really need to bother with the Gadabout unless you want more than one Sage in your party.
To find the Words of Wisdom, go to the Tower of Transcendence and up the northwest tower. Follow it to the teleporter and up the middle staircase to the right. Ascend the stairs to the south and find a rope you can walk across. Go along the rope until you see a triangular flag and drop off the edge. Make sure to pick up the seed in the pot on the collapsed roof you drop onto before going down the hole next to you. In the next area, head downstairs, then examine the chest to your right to find the Words of Wisdom.
Whichever step you take, head to the Alltrades Abbey and speak to the Abbot to change the party member’s class to Sage. Any party member that becomes a Sage will fast become the very best spellcaster in the game, able to cast both Mage and Cleric spells. Their stat distribution is also very similar to the Priest, meaning you have a far sturdier range of magic damage potential available to you.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Class level-ups
The following list of abilities and spells is different from every other version of Dragon Quest 3, so it’s still under construction. We’ll keep this list updated as and when we find more abilities and spells for every class.
Hero
| Spell/Ability | Level | MP cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heal | 4 | 3 | Lightly heal one ally for at least 30 HP |
| Frizz | 4 | 2 | Light fire damage against one enemy |
| Poof | 7 | 2 | Instantly remove a group of enemies from combat. You don’t gain EXP or gold for beating them |
| Evac | 7 | 0 | Instantly escape the dungeon |
| Flame Slash | 9 | 5 | Slashes an enemy with a scorching sword |
| Sizz | 11 | 4 | Light fire damage against a group of enemies |
| Kaclang | 12 | 6 | Turns allies into metal for three turns. They can’t act or take damage |
| Snooze | 13 | 3 | Puts a group of enemies to sleep |
| Zin | 14 | 5 | Small chance of reviving one ally at 1 HP |
| Zoom | 14 | 0 | Instantly teleport to a visited town or location |
| Dodgy Dance | 14 | 4 | Increases the user’s ability to evade attacks |
| Fizzle | 15 | 5 | Prevents a group of enemies from using magic |
| Zap | 17 | 6 | Deals moderate lightning damage to a single enemy |
| Lightning Slash | 18 | 7 | Slashes an enemy with a crackling sword infused with lightning |
| Midheal | 19 | 5 | Moderately heal an ally for at least 75 HP |
| Sizzle | 20 | 6 | Moderate fire damage against a group of enemies |
| Holy Protection | 21 | 4 | Generates a holy aura that causes weaker monsters to avoid your party |
| Defending Champion | 23 |
Mage
| Spell/Ability | Level | MP cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frizz | 2 | 2 | Light fire damage against one enemy |
| Crack | 4 | 3 | Light ice damage against one enemy |
| Buff | 4 | 3 | Increase the defense of one ally |
| Sizz | 7 | 4 | Light fire damage against a group of enemies |
| Kabuff | 9 | 5 | Increases the defense for all allies |
| Evac | 9 | 0 | Instantly escape the dungeon |
| Deceleratle | 11 | 3 | Decreases the speed for a group of enemies |
| Drain Magic | 12 | 0 | Steal MP from a single enemy |
| Zoom | 12 | 0 | Instantly teleport to a visited town or location |
| Bang | 13 | 6 | Deal light damage to all enemies with a small explosion |
| Sizzle | 14 | 6 | Moderate fire damage against a group of enemies |
| Defizzle | 15 | 4 | Cures an ally from the effects of Fizzle, allowing them to use magic again |
| Peep | 15 | 3 | Detects potential dangers inside a nearby chest |
| Frizzle | 16 | 6 | Deal moderate fire damage to one enemy |
| Crackle | 19 | 6 | Moderate ice damage against a group of enemies |
| Safe Passage | 19 | 2 | Allows the party to float above hazardous surfaces |
Priest
| Spell/Ability | Level | MP cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heal | 2 | 3 | Lightly heal one ally for at least 30 HP |
| Dazzle | 3 | 4 | Cast an illusion to reduce the accuracy for a group of enemies |
| Fizzle | 3 | 5 | Prevent a group of enemies from using magic |
| Woosh | 4 | 4 | Deal small wind damage against a group of enemies |
| Sap | 6 | 3 | Reduce the defense of one enemy |
| Squelch | 7 | 3 | Cures one ally of poison |
| Snooze | 8 | 3 | Puts a group of enemies to sleep |
| Acceleratle | 9 | 3 | Increases the speed for all allies |
| Zin | 10 | 5 | Small chance of reviving one ally at 1 HP |
| Cock-a-Doodle-Doo | 10 | 3 | Cures all party members of sleep |
| Fizzle | 12 | 5 | Prevents a group of enemies from using magic |
| Midheal | 13 | 5 | Moderately heal an ally for at least 75 HP |
| Tingle | 14 | 6 | Cures one ally of paralysis |
| Magic Barrier | 16 | 6 | Build a barrier around all party members to protect them from enemy spells |
| Kasap | 16 | 5 | Reduce the defense of a group of enemies |
| Swoosh | 18 | 6 | Moderate wind damage against a group of enemies |
| Blasto | 20 | 7 | Send a single enemy flying off into the distance |
Monster Wrangler
| Spell/Ability | Level/Condition | MP cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call of the Wild | Rescue 5 monsters | 3 | Summons a wolf warrior that unleashes four strikes on all enemies |
| Monster Pile-On | Rescue 10 monsters | 8 | Sics the monsters you’ve rescued on all enemies |
| Tongue Lashing | 2 | 2 | Licks an enemy, sometimes leaving them too stunned to move |
| Soothing Song | 6 | 5 | Heals all allies for at least 20 health points |
| Animal Instinct | 10 | 0 | Searches for any friendly monsters lurking nearby |
| Emergency Groom | 11 | 5 | Moderately heals one ally |
| Attack Attacker | 13 | 6 | Deals damage to one enemy and reduces their attack |
| War Cry | 18 | 4 | A mighty bellow that gives all enemies a fright |
| Tongue Bashing | 20 | 7 | Gives an enemy a large lick, leaving them trembling in fear |
Warrior
| Spell/Ability | Level/Condition | MP cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cop Out | 1 | 2 | Deflects enemy attacks onto an enemy or ally |
| Whipping Boy | 3 | 1 | Enables the user to absorb attacks in another’s stead |
| Mercurial Thrust | 9 | 3 | Strikes an enemy before anyone else can act |
Sage
| Spell/Ability | Level/Condition | MP cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heal | 1 | 3 | Lightly heal one ally for at least 30 HP |
| Frizz | 2 | 2 | Light fire damage against one enemy |
| Poof | 2 | 2 | Instantly remove a group of enemies from combat. You don’t gain EXP or gold for beating them |
| Crack | 4 | 3 | Light ice damage against one enemy |
| Buff | 4 | 3 | Increase the defense of one ally |
| Dazzle | 3 | 4 | Cast an illusion to reduce the accuracy for a group of enemies |
| Woosh | 5 | 4 | Deal small wind damage against a group of enemies |
| Sap | 6 | 3 | Reduce the defense of one enemy |
| Squelch | 7 | 3 | Cures one ally of poison |
| Sizz | 7 | 4 | Light fire damage against a group of enemies |
| Snooze | 8 | 3 | Puts a group of enemies to sleep |
| Acceleratle | 9 | 3 | Increases the speed for all allies |
| Kabuff | 9 | 5 | Increases the defense for all allies |
| Evac | 9 | 0 | Instantly escape the dungeon |
| Zin | 10 | 5 | Small chance of reviving one ally at 1 HP |
| Cock-a-Doodle-Doo | 10 | 3 | Cures all party members of sleep |
| Deceleratle | 11 | 3 | Decreases the speed for a group of enemies |
| Fizzle | 12 | 5 | Prevents a group of enemies from using magic |
| Drain Magic | 12 | 0 | Steal MP from a single enemy |
| Zoom | 12 | 0 | Instantly teleport to a visited town or location |
| Midheal | 13 | 5 | Moderately heal an ally for at least 75 HP |
| Bang | 13 | 6 | Deal light damage to all enemies with a small explosion |
| Sizzle | 14 | 6 | Moderate fire damage against a group of enemies |
| Tingle | 14 | 6 | Cures one ally of paralysis |
| Defizzle | 15 | 4 | Cures an ally from the effects of Fizzle, allowing them to use magic again |
| Peep | 15 | 3 | Detects potential dangers inside a nearby chest |
| Frizzle | 16 | 6 | Deal moderate fire damage to one enemy |
| Kasap | 16 | 5 | Build a barrier around all party members to protect them from enemy spells |
| Magic Barrier | 16 | 5 | Reduce the defense of a group of enemies |
| Swoosh | 18 | 6 | Moderate wind damage against a group of enemies |
| Crackle | 19 | 6 | Moderate ice damage against a group of enemies |
| Safe Passage | 19 | 2 | Allows the party to float above hazardous surfaces |
| Blasto | 20 | 7 | Send a single enemy flying off into the distance |
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