List of world map terrain in the Dragon Quest series
The following are the different types of terrain which appear on world maps in the Dragon Quest series. For information regarding vehicles which can travel on each terrain, see List of vehicles in the Dragon Quest series.
Land[edit]
Land is a common terrain which can be traversed by walking.
Water[edit]
Water is the most common type of terrain and is only traversed via various vehicles. Most commonly, a ship is used to travel on water.
Poison Swamp[edit]
Swamp is a less common terrain which often features a spotted purple/grey/black appearance. Walking in a swamp normally causes minimal damage to the player's characters. In some games, such as Dragon Quest X, walking on a swamp will actually poison the player rather than simply causing damage. Certain pieces of armor will either lesser or prevent the wearer from taking damage. The damage can also be prevented by casting Safe Passage.
Desert[edit]
Desert terrain is generally orange/yellow in color and can be traversed by walking. It typically varies from land in appearance only.
Passable mountains[edit]
Passable mountains generally have a lighter coloring than impassable mountains. They are named to imply that they can be traversed on foot, rather than requiring a specific vehicle. In the original Dragon Quest, walking on passable mountains caused the player to move more slowly. Passable mountains have a higher chance of monster encounters than regular terrains.
Impassable mountains[edit]
Impassable mountains are typically dark in color and have the appearance of steep slopes and cliffs. They are not able to be traversed by walking and normally are the last type of terrain to be traversed in a game using a special vehicle. Often, the last few locations to be visited are surrounded by impassable mountains.
Forests[edit]
Another common terrain that appears on the world map in all games. It can also be accessible by foot. Much like passable mountains, they have a higher chance of encountering monsters than regular terrains. In some games, forests cannot be traversed by flying vehicles like the Magic carpet or Flying bed.
Shoals[edit]
Shoals first appeared in Dragon Quest II. They prevent a ship from traveling in certain areas of the water much in the same way as impassable mountains do on land. Shoals are typically traversed by vehicles which can fly.
Ice[edit]
Found in snowy regions, ice is usually found in caves. Walking across it will cause the entire party to slide in that direction until they run into an obstruction.
Damage Tiles[edit]
Found in some dungeons, a damage tile looks like it is electrified. In some games, it is signified by diagonal stripes of blue and white. Walking over them will cause greater damage than swamp terrain to the player's characters. The damage can be prevented by casting Safe Passage. In Dragon Quest XI, they can be traversed safely with the help of a monster mount. In the Japanese games, they are either known as "Barriers" or "Barrier Floors".
Lava[edit]
Found in volcanoes, lava damages the player like swamp terrains.
