Dungeons present some of the toughest challenges in the Dragon Quest 3 Remake. However, with some grinding and carefully selected allies, you can tackle any dungeon effectively. Gaia’s Navel shakes up this formula in a surprising way.
In Gaia’s Navel, only one character can enter the dungeon, leaving your well-balanced teams behind and forcing you to rely on just one fighter. This can make things tricky, but the rewards make it worthwhile.
How to Enter Gaia’s Navel
Gaia’s Navel is located on Lanson, a secluded island south of Baharata and directly west of Aliahan. To get there, you’ll need your own ship, but you’ll also have to complete a series of tasks first.
To enter this dungeon, you’ll need the Ultimate Key. You’ll obtain this from the Sunken Shrine, which can be accessed using the Bottomless Pot. You can find the pot in Edina, but you’ll have to be invisible to enter the area. Luckily, you can buy a Fading Jenny in Lanson to make yourself invisible.
You can also use the Fade spell to enter Edina if you have someone in your party who can cast it.
Once you’ve gone through these steps and secured the Ultimate Key, head to the shrine at the north end of Lanson. Inside, a man will ask how confident you are in your abilities. Answering “yes” will take you directly into Gaia’s Navel.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to send your hero. The character that enters Gaia’s Navel is whoever is first in your party’s lineup. So, choose the character you think is best suited to face the dungeon on their own.
Exploring Gaia’s Navel
Fortunately, Gaia’s Navel is quite straightforward. There isn’t much exploration needed, as the path will mainly guide you to where you need to go, and the dungeon isn’t very long. Therefore, the random encounters will likely be your toughest challenge.
In the first area, you’ll find paths on both the left and right that lead to different areas. However, these just loop back, so take the path to the south instead to reach floor B2.
This leads you to a room with four staircases. The bottom right staircase will return you to floor B1 in a new C-shaped room. The top left stairs also take you back to floor B1, this time to a straight path. The only way to progress is down the top right stairs, which will take you to floor B3. Go ahead and take these stairs down.
On the final floor of Gaia’s Navel, you’ll encounter a fork in the path. The south route doesn’t lead to any items and brings you to an empty floor B4, so be sure to go north instead. You’ll notice stone faces on the walls asking you to turn back, but don’t let them intimidate you; they’re just trying to frighten you.
As you navigate around, you’ll reach the pedestal holding the Blue Orb. However, the Chiromancer will suddenly appear, demanding a battle to claim the coveted orb. Defeat him to take the orb for yourself.
Once you’ve secured the Blue Orb and completed your exploration, you can quickly exit the dungeon using the Evac spell, saving you from retracing your steps.
Optional Items in Gaia’s Navel
While Gaia’s Navel is primarily linear, there are a few optional areas scattered throughout, each containing some powerful and useful items if you’re able to locate them. Below is a list of where to find each optional item.
Item |
Floor |
Directions |
---|---|---|
Knight (Monster) |
B1 |
In the looping hallway accessed in the first area. |
Seed of Life |
B1 |
In a chest in the upper right room. |
Prayer Ring |
B1 |
In a chest in the upper left room. |
Seed of Wisdom |
B1 |
In a chest in the lower right room. |
Banishing Bell |
B2 |
On the ground next to a collapsed pillar in the lower right corner of the room. |
Earthenwear |
B1 |
In a chest at the end of the corridor in the C-shaped room. |
3,640 Gold Coins |
B1 |
In a chest at the end of the corridor in the straight room. |
Mini Medal |
B3 |
In the left chest next to the Blue Orb. |
Spirit Bracer |
B3 |
In the right chest next to the Blue Orb. |
Blue Orb |
B3 |
On the pedestal, acquired after defeating the Chiromancer. |
The Knight monster will flee if it sees anyone but a Monster Wrangler. If you didn’t bring a Monster Wrangler the first time, you’ll need to return later to recruit it.
Many of these items, such as the Earthenwear and Spirit Bracer, will significantly aid you for the next stretch of the game until you reach Baramos’ Lair, so be sure to collect them.
Defeating the Chiromancer
As you approach the Blue Orb, the Chiromancer will appear to claim it for himself. Naturally, you won’t allow that, so show him just how confident you are in your abilities.
The Chiromancer won’t fight alone; he’ll have a Mad Vlad backing him up. Fortunately, the Mad Vlad isn’t too strong, so you should be able to handle him relatively easily.
If you have a strong boomerang like the Gusterang, you can potentially take out the Mad Vlad before he has a chance to impact the battle. His most significant threat is the Sap spell, which reduces your defense, making it important to eliminate him quickly.
The Chiromancer isn’t a very aggressive fighter and will only use one move each turn, which works in your favor. However, keep in mind that every attack he makes recovers some of his health.
His primary attacks are Frizzle and Swoosh, which deal fire and wind damage, respectively. If you have accessories to mitigate this damage, equip them. If your defense is high enough, you may be able to withstand the hits without too much trouble.
As the battle continues, the Chiromancer will start using Oomph to boost his attack power. His magic attacks can inflict substantial damage at this point, so if you’re using the Hero, make use of the Meditation ability to restore your health. This can be a lifesaver when you’re going solo.
While the Chiromancer has plenty of resistances, he is particularly vulnerable to Lightning attacks. The Hero is the only character with access to Lightning abilities, so be sure to use both Zapple and Lightning Slash to maximize damage.
Each time he uses an all-out attack, his defense will drop. Take advantage of this by pressing your offense as hard as you can.
After defeating the Chiromancer, the Blue Orb is yours, and you will have successfully completed the Gaia’s Navel dungeon. Congratulations, and best of luck on your ongoing adventure.