How to Scout Monsters in Dragon Quest Treasures

In case you forgot, or simply didn’t know because why would you, Dragon Quest Treasures originally started as a new Dragon Quest Monsters. Or at least the child versions of Erik and Mia were designed for one. Treasures is more of an action/adventure RPG kind of thing, but collecting monsters is still an important aspect of the game. And for the most part you’ll be “Scouting” them, which is the term Dragon Quest Monsters games use for recruitment. So how does it all work? I’m here to tell you, although you only have so much control.

How to Scout Monsters in Dragon Quest Treasures

Scouting new monsters for your treasure-hunting gang is mostly about asserting your dominance in the mysterious world of Draconia. You get new recruits by beating them up, is what I’m saying.

When you defeat a monster, there’s a chance it’ll be impressed and offer its services. You can also use a special pellet to improve those chances, although popping a critter with a Buddy Bullet isn’t a guarantee.

Related: 8 Things You Should Know Before Starting Dragon Quest Treasures

Once you’ve successfully got a monster ready to join you, there’s one more step. Turns out the monsters have a union, and won’t join you unless they’re compensated for their labor ahead of time. Smart little devils. Talk to Miss Cecily back at home base to browse the latest applicants, and either tell them to pound sand or pay their fee. Usually it’s either money, or an assortment of items.

Occasionally, monsters you didn’t scout yourself will come to you instead, and signing them on is the same deal. But keep in mind there are limited slots for applicants, and older ones will be replaced once the queue is full.

As you go through the story you’ll also meet unique monsters such as Oozabella the Cutie Slime. She joins you right at the beginning, with a distinct look and a little present icon in the party UI and other menus. They count as their normal counterparts, so they’ll appear in the Monster List before you actually fight one if applicable.