Should I Change Party Vocations in Dragon Quest 3 Remake?

Vocations are one of the most important aspects of each party member in Dragon Quest 3 Remake, as they determine exactly what spells and abilities will be unlocked as you progress along your journey. You will likely spend tens of hours leveling your party throughout DQIII Remake‘s first half, building a formidable team of adventurers in the process. So, when you learn that there is a method for changing party member vocation roughly halfway through the game, it can be very hard to know what to do. In this guide we will explain how to change party member vocations in Dragon Quest 3 Remake, and answer whether you should.

How to Change Party Member Vocation in Dragon Quest 3 Remake

As you progress through the world of Dragon Quest 3 Remake, you will begin to hear rumors of a special location that can change vocations. This begins to occur about a third of the way through the game, as you begin your search for Black Pepper. The game goes to great lengths to instill in the player that this is an important mechanic, and one you should prepare for.

Preparing to Change Vocations:

While Dragon Quest 3 Remake goes to considerable trouble to talk up changing vocations, it does not explain any of the mechanics until they are actually available. Because of this, players may spend considerable time looking for Alltrades Abbey, which several NPCs mention by name. What they don’t mention, however, is that you can’t change any party member’s vocation until they are level 20.

Party members cannot change vocation until they have reached level 20, so there is no point in trying to reach
Alltrades Abbey
early in the game.

Knowing this fact allows you to begin to prepare for any possible vocation change long before it becomes available. If you decide you want to change a character’s vocation, remember that they will be taken back to level 1, and most of their stats will be reduced by roughly half. However, party members with new vocations will still retain all spells and abilities they have previously learned. This is what makes vocation change so powerful, and the main reason for considering it.

Finding Alltrades Abbey:

Once players have at least one party member who is level 20, they can begin to make their way to Alltrades Abbey. It is found in the mountains north of Baharata, which is found during the quest to find Black Pepper for the King of Portoga. You’ll already be exploring the area, looking for Tanaya and Gopal at the Kidnapper’s Cave.

If you have Kidnapper’s Cave unlocked for Zoom or Chimera Wing fast-travel, head there and then cross the small bridge heading east. From the eastern side of the bridge, make your way north into the valley. There you’ll find Alltrades Abbey.

How to Change Vocation:

Inside Alltrades Abbey, you’ll encounter the Abbot of Alltrades Abbey at the end of the main hall. Speak to him, and you will be given the basic rundown of how vocation change works. You’ll be asked if you have a party member that wishes to change vocation. Answer yes, then select the party member.

A menu will then come up that shows how changing vocation will affect your overall stats. The effect will be the same no matter which vocation you choose. Select the vocation you wish to adopt, then confirm. This is all it will take to change party member vocation in Dragon Quest 3 Remake.

Should You Change Party Member Vocation in Dragon Quest 3 Remake?

Changing vocation
will require a significant time investment, but is the only way your characters will reach their full potential.

The question of whether or not to change party vocations in Dragon Quest 3 Remake is not necessarily an easy one to answer. The key factor in your decision will ultimately come down to time. Do you mind putting in considerable effort to make your party the absolute best it can be? This question is important because any character who changes vocation will be dropped back down to level one. And though the character will not be as weak as a true level one, they will not be able to fight the same enemies they were. You’ll need to carry them through some significant grinding to get them to where they need to be to continue the quest.

With this in mind, the short answer is, yes, you should experiment with changing party vocation, if you have the time. A basic party, fully leveled up, is more than capable of completing the game on Dragon Quest difficulty. So you should not feel as though it is absolutely necessary. But it is also true that your characters’ ultimate forms can only be unlocked through vocation change.

If you do decide to change vocation, do not be too worried. It will not take nearly as long to level up your new characters. And as we mentioned above, they will keep every spell and ability they have already unlocked.

You do not have to change vocation immediately after reaching
level 20
. Many of the best spells and abilities are earned after this point. If you are looking to build the best possible characters, wait until you have the best spells and abilities. This will ensure they carry over after change of vocation.