Monster recruitment: Difference between revisions

[[File:DQVI monster companions.jpg|right|thumb|350px|The cast of ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]'' along with several monstrous mates.]]

Introduced in ''[[Dragon Quest V]]'', the recruitment of bested beasts has appeared in some capacity in nearly every title in the series since 1992.

==''[[Dragon Quest V]]''==

Monster recruitment was simplistic in its original inception, being a fixed percentage that could not be changed by the player. If multiple recrutiable monsters appear in the same encounter, only the final felled foe will have a chance to join the Hero.

In the DS and mobile versions, monster allies will only alternate between two lines of dialogue during party chat, as opposed to the fuller conversations of human characters. See the Gallery for recruitment percentages for each monster.

Archdemon, Jailcat

==''[[Dragon Quest VI]]''==

In the original SNES version of ''VI'' monster recruitment worked identically to ''V'', though someone in the party must be a [[Monster Master]]. When the DS version (and subsequent mobile ports) were produced, this mechanic was retired in favor of "Slime Buddies": slimes players could interact with in towns and dungeons like NPCs who would join the party once certain conditions were met. These slimes are not treated as full characters, however, and thus lack the detailed party chat of humans and Lizzie.

! Sprite !! Monster Name !! Recruit Rate

| [[File:Dq6batteringramsnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Battering ram (Recruit)|Battering ram]] || {{fraction|1|16}}

| [[File:Bosstroll DQVI SNES.gif|68px|center]] || [[Boss troll (Recruit)|Boss troll]] || {{fraction|1|16}}

| [[File:Dg6chimaerasnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Dreamaera (Recruit)|Dreamaera]] || {{fraction|1|32}}

| [[File:Furrat.gif|48px|center]] || [[Feralball (Recruit)|Feralball]]|| {{fraction|1|8}}

| [[File:Windmage.gif|58px|center]] || [[Gustbluster (Recruit)|Gustbluster]] || {{fraction|1|64}}

| [[File:Dq6healslimesnes.png|32px|center]] || [[Healie|Healslime]] || {{fraction|1|16}}

| [[File:Dq6highdjinkssnes.png|58px|center]] || [[High djinks (Recruit)|High djinks]] || {{fraction|1|256}}

| [[File:Dq6lesserdemonsnes.png|68px|center]] || [[Lesser Demon (Recruit)|Lesser demon]] || {{fraction|1|4}}

| [[File:Dq6LMSsnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Mercury|Liquid metal slime]] || {{fraction|1|256}}

| [[File:Dq6lipssnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Lips (Recruit)|Lips]] || {{fraction|1|64}}

| [[File:Dq6mudmannequainsnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Mud mannequin (Recruit)|Mud mannequin]] || {{fraction|1|64}}

| [[File:Dq6overkillingmachinesnes.png|58px|center]] || [[Overkilling machine (Recruit)|Overkilling machine]] || {{fraction|1|64}}

| [[File:Dq6rockbombsnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Rockbomb (Recruit)|Rockbomb]] || {{fraction|1|32}}

| [[File:DQ6-SFC-SLIME.png|center]] || [[Goober|Slime]] || {{fraction|1|2}}

| [[File:Dq6slimeknightsnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Goowain|Slime knight]] || {{fraction|1|4}}

| [[File:Supertensk.gif|48px|center]] || [[Sluggernaut (Recruit)|Sluggernaut]] || {{fraction|1|4}}

| [[File:Dq6walkingcorpsesnes.png|48px|center]] || [[Walking corpse (Recruit)|Walking corpse]] || {{fraction|1|32}}

===Available in the DS version===

| [[File:Dq6slimeknightsnes.png|32px|center]]  || [[Goowain]] || [[Howcastle]]

| [[File:Dq6healslimesnes.png|22px|center]] || [[Healie]] || [[Clearvale]]

| [[File:Dq6 mottle slime.png|28px|center]] || [[Spot]] || [[Castle Graceskull]]

| [[File:Dq6 king slime.png|28px|center]] || [[Kingsley]] || [[Château de Sass]]

| [[File:DQ6-SFC-SLIME.png|center]] || [[Goober]] || [[Slimopolis]]

| [[File:Dq6 cure slime.png|18px|center]] || [[Curie]] || [[Suite dreams]]

| [[File:Marineslime3snes.png|32px|center]] || [[Shelley]] || [[Undersea Inn]]

| [[File:Dq6LMSsnes.png|32px|center]] || [[Mercury]] || [[Suite dreams]]

==''[[Dragon Quest VII]]''==

''VII'' is an interesting case; while several monsters can join the heroes, they will never participate in battle. Instead, they will sojourn off to a sort of "wild life reserve" called the [[Monster Meadows]] that is unlocked during the normal course of the game. Once there, they can be spoken to in their natural habitat as if they were NPCs, though only one line of dialogue will be spoken. The [[Animal Magnetism]] skill makes taming these beasts much easier than in previous games, being the first time a player has direct influence on the probability.  

Additionally, defeated monsters will occasionally drop Hearts. These function similarly to the Draconic Diligence and Liquid Metal Mind scrolls from ''VI'' and allow the character holding them to take on monster-based vocations at [[Alltrades Abbey (Dragon Quest VII)|Alltrades Abbey]]. The main difference is that a character's sprite/model will change into the corresponding monster once the vocation is mastered.

==''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]''==

In the PS2 version of the game, players will notice several monsters wandering the overworld. These infamous beasties prove '''much''' more capable than their randomly encountered counterparts, but once the player pays a visit to [[Morrie|Morrie's]] place they can join the party. This allows the monsters to enter the competition in [[Monster Arena|Morrie's Monstrous Pit]], and through the use of the [[Call team]] skill they may be summoned into battle for 3 or more turns. All recruited monsters grow more powerful as the Hero's level rises, and do not need to gain battle experience themselves.

*In the 3DS port, all monsters are visible in the overworld, with the infamous monsters being given distinctive icons.

[[Archer]], [[Archfiend (Recruit)|Archfiend]], [[Arges]] [[Big Al]], [[Bishop (Recruit)|Bishop]], [[Bladewolf]], [[Blizag Jr]], [[Bones (Recruit)|Bones]], [[Brickman]], [[Brontes]], [[Bush-W]], [[Capers]], [[Clio]], [[Cowboy]], [[Curer (Recruit)|Curer]], [[Cybot]], [[Deadnoble (Recruit)|Deadnoble]], [[Dolldrums]], [[Doug]], [[Dumbking]], [[Fat cat]], [[Faunus]], [[Flameman]], [[Fletch]], [[Foul fowl]], [[Frillsaur]], [[Goldman (Recruit)|Goldman]], [[Gryphus]], [[Hackzilla]], [[Hazel (Recruit)|Hazel]], [[Healer (Recruit)|Healer]], [[Hev]], [[Hoodwink]], [[Hori (Recruit)|Hori]], [[Hork (Recruit)|Hork]], [[Jack Frost]], [[Jewelbag (Recruit)|Jewelbag]], [[Jockey]], [[Klub kong]], [[Lonely Joe]], [[McHammer]], [[Mechabubo]], [[Metabble (Recruit)|Metabble]], [[Metaly (Recruit)|Metaly]], [[Moppet]], [[Mornstar]], [[Nightwing]], [[Nohi]], [[Octurion]], [[Orcus]], [[Orrid]], [[Pa Troll]], [[Potbelly]], [[Roborg]], [[Robster]], [[Sagittari]], [[Salsa]], [[Scorpius]], [[Seasaw]], [[Sippy]], [[Skeledoid]], [[Slurpy]], [[Smiles]], [[Snap Case]], [[Spike]], [[Spot (DQ8)|Spot]], [[Squiggles]], [[Steropes]], [[Stoneman (Recruit)|Stoneman]], [[Sugi]], [[Talos]], [[Torchman]], [[Tori]], [[Trick Bag (Recruit)|Trick Bag]], [[Twiggy]]

==''[[Dragon Quest X]]''==

Certain monsters can be recruited by players beginning in version 2.4 Taming is done through a skill attack that creates a fixed 10% chance to capture the monster once it falls. The skill does not need to be the final blow of the battle; as long as it has been used over the course of the encounter the chance to recruit the beast is established. Monsters that have joined players are controlled through A.I. and essentially serve as party members for times when the player's fiends and comrades are offline.

<gallery>

File:DQV Recruitment refference guide.png|Level requirements and percentages in ''V''

</gallery>